US 11,912,020 B2
Sheet suction device, sheet conveyor, printer, and suction area switching device
Hiroaki Miyagawa, Ibaraki (JP)
Assigned to RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Dec. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/137,544.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-014527 (JP), filed on Jan. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0237491 A1, Aug. 5, 2021
Int. Cl. B65H 5/22 (2006.01); B41J 13/22 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 13/226 (2013.01) [B65H 5/226 (2013.01); B65H 2406/332 (2013.01); B65H 2801/06 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sheet suction device comprising:
a sheet bearer to bear a sheet on a bearing area of a circumferential surface of the sheet bearer and rotate, the sheet bearer having a plurality of suction holes on the bearing area;
a suction generator to suck the sheet through the plurality of suction holes, the suction generator connecting to the plurality of suction holes via a tube;
a first structure between the plurality of suction holes and the suction generator, the first structure having grooves arranged in a radial direction of the first structure, each of the grooves extending in a circumferential direction of the first structure; and
a second structure between the plurality of suction holes and the suction generator, the second structure having a plurality of hole rows including a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes in each of the plurality of hole rows arranged in the circumferential direction, the plurality of hole rows arranged in the radial direction, wherein, when the first structure rotates with respect to the second structure, the number of holes communicating with the grooves among the plurality of holes is changed to change the number of the plurality of suction holes communicating with the suction generator, and
wherein the plurality of holes includes two or more holes that simultaneously communicate with the suction generator when the first structure rotates by a unit rotation amount.