Patent ID: 7905479
Filing Date: 2011-03-15
Classification: B65H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A feeder unit to feed sheets, which are stacked in a tray, in a predetermined feeding direction, comprising: a main frame, having a pivotal end and a swingable end, being swingably supported at the pivotal end by a first shaft arranged substantially above the tray, having an upper surface and a lower surface, and arranged to extend from the first shaft toward an upper level of the tray with the lower surface facing the tray; a rotary member, which is arranged at the swingable end of the main frame, is rotatably supported by a second shaft extending in a same direction with the first shaft, and is arranged to come in contact with a topmost surface of the sheets stacked in the tray; a pair of opposing walls, which are formed in the main frame, and of which planes are perpendicular to the direction of the first shaft; a secondary frame, having a pair of supporting walls which come to face the opposing walls when the secondary frame is inserted in space partitioned by the opposing wall in the main frame through an opening, the opening formed on either surface of the main frame; a gear train including a plurality of gears to transmit predetermined rotation force to the rotary member, each of the gears being rotatable about a third shaft extending in the same direction with the first shaft and is rotatably supported by the pair of supporting walls; a positioning system to situate the secondary frame in a predetermined position in the partitioned space; and a detachment restricting system to restrict the secondary frame from being detached from the main frame, wherein the secondary frame is situated in the predetermined position of the main frame when the rotary member rotates in a direction to feed the sheets.