US 11,981,531 B2
Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus
Ryo Suzuki, Kanagawa (JP); Ryohei Morisaki, Kanagawa (JP); Kenji Hari, Kanagawa (JP); Nagayasu Yoshida, Kanagawa (JP); and Katsuji Yamaguchi, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Ryo Suzuki, Kanagawa (JP); Ryohei Morisaki, Kanagawa (JP); Kenji Hari, Kanagawa (JP); Nagayasu Yoshida, Kanagawa (JP); and Katsuji Yamaguchi, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Mar. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/684,722.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-043442 (JP), filed on Mar. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0297963 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. B65H 7/14 (2006.01); B65H 1/14 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 7/14 (2013.01) [B65H 1/14 (2013.01); B65H 2404/10 (2013.01); B65H 2553/412 (2013.01); B65H 2553/414 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sheet feeding device to feed a sheet in a feed direction, the device comprising:
a loading portion on which the sheet is to be placed;
a feeler to rotate from a reference position to a pushed position around a support shaft in response to a push by a downstream end of the sheet, which is placed on the loading portion, in the feed direction;
a first detection sensor to detect a rotation of the feeler from one of the reference position and the pushed position to the other of the reference position and the pushed position, the loading portion including a second detection sensor to detect a state in which the sheet is placed on the loading portion; and
a roller configured to start a sheet feeding operation, in response to the second detection sensor continuously detecting a state in which the sheet is placed on the loading portion even when the first detection sensor detects the rotation of the feeler from the reference position to the pushed position and then detects a rotation of the feeler from the pushed position to the reference position,
the second sensor being upstream of the first sensor in the feed direction, and further configured to detect the sheet is at a feeding position of the loading portion.