Patent ID: 8727340

Claim:
A media separating and feeding mechanism comprising: a feed roller for feeding sheet media, the feed roller protruding from a guide surface for guiding media in a feeding direction; a pressure member for pressing the sheet media towards the feed roller and the guide surface; a separation roller for separating and feeding the sheet media fed by the feed roller, said separation roller being located downstream of said feed roller; a single drive motor for driving the feed roller, separation roller, and pressure member; and a drive power transfer mechanism for transferring torque from the drive motor to the feed roller, separation roller, and pressure member; wherein the drive power transfer mechanism selectively switches between transferring torque to the feed roller and separation roller, and transferring torque to the pressure member, according to a direction of drive motor rotation, and wherein the direction of drive motor rotation is based on whether any sheet media is present between the pressure member and the feed roller.