Feeding device for enabling continuous copy paper feed from plural copy paper cassettes
| Title: | Feeding device for enabling continuous copy paper feed from plural copy paper cassettes |
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| Patent Number: | 5,150,890 |
| Publication Date: | September 29, 1992 |
| Appl. No: | 07/518,466 |
| Application Filed: | May 03, 1990 |
| Abstract: | A feeding device for enabling continuous copy paper feed from a first and second cassette. When copy material of the same size is stored in a first cassette and an absence of copy material is detected in the first cassette, orientation of the second rotatable cassette is altered, if necessary to coincide with that of the first cassette, and paper feed continues from the second rotatable cassette. Still further, the second rotatable cassette may be selected for continuing copy paper feed if copy material within the first cassette is detected to be less than a predetermined amount. |
| Inventors: | Kunikawa, Norihide (Yao, JPX); Yamada, Yoshikado (Kashihara, JPX); Mori, Yoshiteru (Nara, JPX); Matsuo, Toshihisa (Yamatokoriyama, JPX) |
| Assignees: | Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Osaka, JPX) |
| Claim: | What is claimed is |
| Claim: | 1. A feeding device comprising |
| Claim: | at least one copy material orientation changing means which is capable of shifting copy material housed within a corresponding rotatable copy material holding section to at least two feeding positions; |
| Claim: | size detection means, provided in connection with said rotatable copy material holding section, for detecting a size of said copy material; |
| Claim: | position detection means for detecting a feeding position of said copy material holding section; |
| Claim: | a copy material feed unit for holding the copy material which is selected for the current feed; |
| Claim: | copy material remaining amount detection means for detecting a remaining amount of copy material in the copy material feed unit selected for the current feed; and |
| Claim: | control means for controlling said at least one copy material orientation changing means upon detection of a size and position of copy paper within said corresponding rotatable copy material holding section so as to set said corresponding rotatable copy material holding section in the same feeding position for copy material as the copy material feed unit when copy material of the same size as that placed in the copy material feed unit is placed in said corresponding rotatable copy material holding section and it has been detected by said copy material remaining amount detection means that a remaining amount of the copy material is less than a predetermined amount. |
| Claim: | 2. A feeding device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising driving means for shifting said copy material holding section in response to output from said position detection means. |
| Claim: | 3. A feeding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said position detection means comprises photointerrupters each of which includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. |
| Claim: | 4. A feeding device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said driving means is a motor rotatable either clockwise or counterclockwise. |
| Claim: | 5. A feeding device comprising |
| Claim: | at least one copy material holding section for the current feed of copy paper; |
| Claim: | at least one rotatable copy material holding section capable of rotating to shift itself either in a longitudinal feeding position form which a copy material is fed longitudinally or in a lateral feeding position from which copy material is fed laterally; |
| Claim: | position detection means for detecting the longitudinal feeding position and the lateral feeding position in which said rotatable copy material holding section is set; |
| Claim: | means for detecting a size of copy material housed within said rotatable copy material holding section; |
| Claim: | driving means for rotating said rotatable copy material holding section; |
| Claim: | copy material remaining amount detection means for detecting a remaining amount of copy material placed in the copy material holding section for the current feed; and |
| Claim: | control means for storing data of the size of the copy material placed in said rotatable copy material holding section and data of the size of the copy material placed in the copy material holding section for the current feed and its longitudinal or lateral feeding position, and for controlling the rotation of said rotatable copy material holding section by said driving means so as to set said rotatable copy material holding section in the same longitudinal or lateral feeding position for copy material as the copy material holding section for the current feed when copy material of the same size as that placed in the copy material holding section for the current feed is placed in the rotatable copy material holding section, and when it is detected by said copy material remaining amount detection means that a remaining amount of the copy material placed in the copy material holding section for the current feed is less than a predetermined amount. |
| Claim: | 6. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of the copy material is determined based on an amount by which the copy material holding section for the current feed is able to continue its feeding operation until the rotation of said rotatable copy material holding section is completed after it has been detected by said copying amount detection means that a remaining amount of the copy material is less than the predetermined amount. |
| Claim: | 7. A feeding device as set forth in claims 5 or 6, wherein the copy material holding section for the current feed is a fixed copy material holding section whose feeding position is fixed in a predetermined position. |
| Claim: | 8. A feeding device as set forth in claims 5 or 6, wherein the copy material holding section for the current feed is a rotatable copy material holding section. |
| Claim: | 9. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said copy material holding section comprises a guiding member secured protruding downward in the center of the backside thereof, is capable of substantially making a 90-degree turn pivoting on the guiding member, and is placed in a housing member which is removably attached to the main body of the device. |
| Claim: | 10. A feeding device as set forth in claims 5 or 6, wherein the copy material holding section for the current feed is a fixed copy material holding section which is removably attached to the main body of the device. |
| Claim: | 11. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the copy material is sheets of paper for use in copying machines or laser printers. |
| Claim: | 12. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the copy material is sheets of film for use in overhead projectors. |
| Claim: | 13. The feeding device as set forth in claim 9, wherein the housing member comprises a supporting member by which said rotatable copy material holding section maintains a space between the bottom wall thereof and that of the housing member. |
| Claim: | 14. A feeding device as set forth in claim 13, wherein said driving means is a motor having a shaft rotatable either clockwise or counterclockwise. |
| Claim: | 15. A feeding device as set forth in claim 14, wherein the supporting member has a guiding hole having an elongated shape in the center part thereof, which permits the guiding member to make rotational reciprocating movements therein. |
| Claim: | 16. A feeding device as set forth in claim 15, wherein a threaded shaft is connected to the shaft of the motor, and the threaded shaft is engaged by a nut member which makes reciprocating movements along the threaded shaft according to the rotation of the threaded shaft. |
| Claim: | 17. A feeding device as set forth in claim 16, wherein the upper end of the nut member is rotatably connected to one corner of the rotatable section, and the nut member comprises a light interrupting member formed at the lower end thereof. |
| Claim: | 18. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said position detection means are photointerrupters each of which includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. |
| Claim: | 19. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the copy material holding section for the current feed comprises depressible projecting members each of which is respectively located in a position indicating the size of copy material placed int the copy material holding section, and the size of copy material is identified by the actuation of the projecting member when the copy material holding section for the current feed is attached to the main body of the device. |
| Claim: | 20. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said copy material remaining amount detection means comprises a light emitting element and a light receiving element. |
| Claim: | 21. A feeding device as set forth in claim 5, wherein the copy material holding section for the current feed is a fixed copy material holding section having a predetermined feeding position, and comprises a pivotal paper holding plate therein on which the copy material is placed, and the pivotal paper holding plate is pivotally supported to the fixed copy material holding section by an axis at one end thereof at the opposite side to the feeding side of the copy material so as to be movable either upward or downward, and is given upward resilience by a spring. |
| Claim: | 22. A feeding device as set forth in claim 21, further comprising two copy material holding section claws secured to the fixed copy material holding section so as to be disposed on the copy material on the pivotal paper holding plate, which permits the pivotal copy material holding plate to rise in response to the reduction of the copy material. |
| Claim: | 23. A feeding device as set forth in claim 22, wherein said copy material remaining amount detection means comprises a light emitting element and a light receiving element respectively disposed on both sides of the fixed copy material holding section so as to be located at predetermined positions for measuring a predetermined amount by which the feeding operation of the copy material is successively performed. |
| Claim: | 24. A feeding method comprising the steps of |
| Claim: | selecting a paper feeding copy material holding section and feeding copy paper; |
| Claim: | detecting the remaining amount of the copy paper stored in the selected paper feeding copy material holding section; and |
| Claim: | rotating a rotatable section of a rotatable copy material holding section storing copy paper of the same size as that in the paper feeding copy material holding section prior to use thereof in the case where it is detected that a remaining amount of the copy paper stored in the selected paper feeding copy material holding section is less than a predetermined amount; and |
| Claim: | continuing the paper feeding operation by the use of the rotatable copy material holding section when there is no copy paper in the paper feeding copy material holding section. |
| Claim: | 25. A method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the predetermined amount is determined by a copy material remaining amount detection means including a light emitting element and a light receiving element respectively disposed on both sides of the selected paper feeding copy material holding section so as to be located at predetermined positions for measuring a predetermined amount by which the feeding operation of the copy material is successively performed. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 271/9; 271/127; 271/265; 271/147; 271/162 |
| Current International Class: | B65H 344 |
| Patent References Cited: | 4577849 March 1986 Watanabe 4763889 August 1988 Dei et al. 4790524 December 1988 Murakami et al. |
| Primary Examiner: | Olszewski, Robert P. |
| Assistant Examiner: | Milef, Boris |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Birch, Stewart, Kolasch & Birch |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.05150890 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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