Patent ID: 6017031
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A document feeder comprising:a sheet feeding tray for receiving sheets thereon;feeding means for feeding the sheets on the sheet feeding tray in order and having a guide plate;a feeding roller for feeding the sheets transferred from the feeding means in a sheet feeding direction, said feeding roller having at least one annular space having a width extending in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction;a first separating device formed of a friction member having a friction coefficient relative to one of the sheets greater than that between the sheets, said first separating device contacting the feeding roller and permitting one sheet to pass between the first separating device and the feeding roller;a second separating device situated near the first separating device at an upstream side of the sheet feeding direction, said second separating device being formed of an elastic member inclined at a first acute angle relative to an imaginary line parallel to a line extending from an upper surface of the guide plate and having at least one tongue piece with a forward end, said forward end being located in the space of the feeding roller for separating the sheets between the forward end and the feeding roller; anda third separating device located above the feeding roller and spaced away from the second separating device at the upstream side of the sheet feeding direction, said third separating orienting downwardly toward the feeding roller to separate the sheets together with the feeding roller, said third separating device being spaced from the feeding roller and inclined at a second acute angle relative to the imaginary line parallel to the line extending from the upper surface of the guide plate, said second acute angle being less than the first acute angle to gradually reduce a number of the sheets to pass from the third separating device to the first separating device.