Patent ID: 7806401
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A medium feeding apparatus, comprising: a feeding roller for picking up and feeding at least one sheet member from a plurality of sheet members; a separating member pressed against the feeding roller by a first pressing force which is effective to separate the sheet members sheet by sheet so that a separated sheet member is fed in cooperation with the feeding roller in a feeding direction; a conveyance roller disposed downstream of the feeding roller for conveying the separated sheet member in a conveying direction; a sheet member detector disposed downstream of the feeding roller and upstream of the conveyance roller for detecting the separated sheet member; and a pressing force varying mechanism and processor means for controlling the pressing force varying mechanism to decrease the pressing force of the separating member from the first pressing force suitable for the feeding roller to a second pressing force suitable for the conveyance roller, during the feeding of the separated sheet member, after the sheet member detector detects the separated sheet member but before the conveyance roller starts conveyance of the separated sheet member, wherein the feeding roller is not driven while the conveyance roller conveys the separated sheet member.