Patent ID: 8641031
Filing Date: 2014-02-04
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. Multiple sheet feeders stackable in multiple levels and attachable to an image forming apparatus, each sheet feeder comprising: a drive source; a drive transmission unit; a first drive coupling unit connected to the drive source via the drive transmission unit; a second drive coupling unit connected to the drive source via the drive transmission unit and the first drive coupling unit; a sheet feed roller coaxial with the second drive coupling unit to feed a recording medium from the sheet feeder, the sheet feed roller being driven by a drive force of the drive source transmitted to the second drive coupling unit via the drive transmission unit and the first drive coupling unit; and a grip roller provided downstream from the sheet feed roller in a sheet feeding direction, the grip roller being driven by a drive force of the drive source transmitted to the first drive coupling unit via the drive transmission unit, during operation of multiple sheet feeders stacked in the multiple levels, the drive transmission unit coupled to the first drive coupling unit and provided to a given sheet feeder of the multiple sheet feeders, the first drive coupling unit of the given sheet feeder coupled to the grip roller of an adjacent sheet feeder disposed immediately below the given sheet feeder to drive the grip roller of each of the multiple sheet feeders substantially in synchrony, wherein the first drive coupling unit of a topmost sheet feeder is disposed immediately below an auxiliary roller provided in the image forming apparatus to drive the auxiliary roller substantially in synchrony with the grip roller of the topmost sheet feeder disposed immediately below the auxiliary roller.