Patent ID: 8746679

Claim:
A noncircular sheet feed roller comprising: a core; and a rubber belt mounted on the core; wherein the core includes a peripheral member having a peripheral surface which is arcuate about a center axis thereof, and a pair of support ribs which are provided opposite from the arcuate peripheral surface of the peripheral member to be spaced from the peripheral member by a space and extend parallel to the center axis symmetrically with respect to the center axis; wherein the rubber belt is a ring shaped belt which has a predetermined width as measured along the center axis and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface; wherein the peripheral member is inserted in the rubber belt, and a portion of the rubber belt is fitted in the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs, whereby the rubber belt is mounted on the core with the inner peripheral surface thereof partly held in intimate contact with the arcuate peripheral surface and with a predetermined part of the outer peripheral surface thereof supported by the support ribs; wherein the peripheral member further has a pair of end faces respectively extending radially inward from circumferentially opposite edges of the arcuate peripheral surface to a predetermined distance, a pair of opposed surfaces extending from inner edges of the end faces toward the arcuate peripheral surface, and a concave surface having an arcuate sectional shape and defining a back surface of the arcuate peripheral surface to connect innermost edges of the opposed surfaces to each other, and the space between the peripheral member and the support ribs is defined in the core by the concave surface and the pair of opposed surfaces.