Patent ID: 8814159
Filing Date: 2014-08-26
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A feeding device comprising: a sheet material housing configured to allow a plurality of sheet materials to be stacked; an upper surface suction unit configured to suck a top sheet material which is positioned at the top of sheet materials stacked in the sheet material housing by generating negative pressure at a position facing an upper surface of the top sheet material; a sheet material conveying unit that causes the top sheet material, which is sucked by the upper surface suction unit, to be sucked onto a conveying member and conveys the top sheet material to a subsequent process; a lower suction unit that exerts a downward suction force on only a central portion of the sheet materials other than the top sheet material that are stacked in the sheet material housing; and at least one air discharge unit configured to cause lateral side portions of the top sheet material and lateral side portions of each of other sheet materials positioned near the top sheet material to be concurrently floated higher than the central portion of the sheet materials other than the top sheet material that are stacked in the sheet material housing by blowing air to each of a plurality of lateral side portions of the sheet materials that are positioned near the top sheet material of the sheet materials stacked in the sheet material housing concurrently, wherein a downward suction force which is exerted on the top sheet material by suction of the lower suction unit is smaller than a suction force which is exerted on the top sheet material by suction of the upper surface suction unit and is larger than an adhesive force between the sheet materials, the lower suction unit is configured to suck a front end portion of a plurality of the sheet materials, which are positioned near the top sheet material, downward concurrently, while the top sheet material being sucked by the upper surface suction unit so as to just start to float upward and while portions lateral to the central portion are being blown upwardly by the at least one air discharge unit, and the lower suction unit is directly connected to a suction nozzle located on a front wall of the sheet material housing facing the front end portion of the sheet materials and between air discharge nozzles located on the front wall and connected to the at least one air discharge unit.