Patent ID: 6062558
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
A paper feeder in a printer comprising:a bottom recording paper guide, the bottom recording paper guide having a flat upper surface, the bottom recording paper guide for guiding a plurality of stacked sheets of recording paper and inclining them downward in a paper feed direction while supporting the plurality of stacked sheets from below by the flat upper surface;an extreme end recording paper guide, the extreme end recording paper guide disposed at a downstream side of said bottom recording paper guide in the paper feed direction, the extreme end recording paper guide having a recording paper abutment surface to which an extreme end of said plurality of stacked sheets of recording paper is abutted, the recording paper abutment surface having a lower part, the lower part comprising a surface, slanted with respect to the extreme end paper guide in the paper feed whereby the lower part acts as a sheet separating surface for individually separating said stacked sheets of recording paper one by one;a feed roller, the feed roller disposed at a downstream side in the paper feeding direction of said bottom recording paper guide in opposition to and adjacent said sheet separating surface of said extreme end recording paper guide, the feed roller having an outer circumferential surface, the outer circumferential surface having an uppermost part, the uppermost part of the outer circumferential surface projected from said upper surface of said bottom recording paper guide at least by a size more than a thickness of one sheet of said recording paper, the feed roller supporting said recording paper while abutting said recording paper from below against its extreme end in the paper feeding direction, said feed roller feeding paper from a lowest position in sequence of the plurality of stacked sheets of recording paper to a recording section;a rotatable supporting roller disposed on an upstream side in the paper feeding direction of said bottom recording paper guide to support the rear end part of the recording paper stacked on the bottom paper guide, the rotatable supporting roller having an outer circumferential surface, the rotatable supporting roller having an uppermost part of its outer circumferential surface, the uppermost part of the rotatable supporting roller projected from the upper surface of said bottom recording paper guide such that the uppermost part of the rotatable supporting roller is positioned higher than a line defined by the uppermost point of said bottom recording paper guide and the uppermost point of said feed roller; andmeans for transferring paper, the means for transferring paper for transferring sheets of recording paper separately fed by said feed roller to the recording section one by one,wherein:said bottom recording paper guide is inclined, the inclination within an angular range of 60 degrees to 80 degrees, the angle being between a vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the paper sheets stacked on said bottom paper guide on one side of the angle and said upper surface of said bottom paper guide on the other side of the angle, andmore of the weight of the stack of recording paper is on said feed roller than on said rotatable supporting roller, thereby increasing the pressure at which said recording paper sheet contacts with said feed roller.