Patent ID: 7703999
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet feeder comprising: first and second rollers configured to apply a feeding force to a sheet; a first driven gear configured to transmit a rotational driving force to the first roller; a second driven gear configured to transmit the rotational driving force to the second roller; a first drive gear configured to transmit the rotational driving force to the first driven gear; a second drive gear configured to transmit the rotational driving force to the second driven gear; a third drive gear configured to transmit the rotational driving force to the first driven gear; a first drive unit switchable between a meshing state, in which the first drive unit simultaneously meshes with the first drive gear and the second drive gear, and an escape state, in which the first drive unit does not mesh with the first drive gear or the second drive gear; a second drive unit switchable between the meshing state, in which the second drive unit simultaneously meshes with the second drive gear and the third drive gear, and the escape state, in which the second drive unit does not mesh with the second drive gear or the third drive gear; a power source inputting the rotational driving force to the first drive unit and the second drive unit; and a control unit configured to switch the first drive unit to the meshing state and the second drive unit to the escape state so as to input the rotational driving force from the first drive unit to the first drive gear and the second drive gear and to switch the first drive unit to the escape state and the second drive unit to the meshing state so as to input the rotational driving force from the second drive unit to the second drive gear and the third drive gear, wherein the rotational driving force is input from the power source to the first drive unit so as to rotate the first and second rollers in the same direction or is input from the power source to the second drive unit so as to rotate the first and second rollers in opposite directions, and wherein when the first and second rollers rotate in the same direction, the sheet is conveyed in a direction, and when the first and second rollers rotate in opposite directions, the sheet is turned about an axis parallel to a direction normal to the surface thereof.