Patent ID: 7422206
Filing Date: 2008-09-09
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. An automatic feeder, adapted to feed a plurality of media one by one to a downstream section, comprising: a feeding tray, adapted to support the media thereon; a feeding roller; a hopper, provided on the feeding tray so as to be movable in a first direction for pushing the media toward the feeding roller so that a top one of the media comes in contact with the feeding roller, and in a second direction opposite to the first direction; a separator, adapted to separate a first group including at least one of the media which is situated under the top one of the media from the top one, so that only the top one is fed to the downstream section by rotation of the feeding roller; a returning lever, pivotable about a pivot shaft interlockingly with the feeding roller and adapted to return a second group including at least one of the media in the first group, which has been proceeded from a prescribed position to the downstream section together with the top one of the media, to the feeding tray; and a holder, having a supporting face on which a third group including at least one of the media in the first group which is situated under the second group is placed, the holder being slidable in the second direction interlockingly with the movement of the hopper in the second direction to move the third group toward the feeding tray, while holding the third group, to secure a space to which the second group is returned by the returning lever.