Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Sheet feeding device, sheet feeding method, and image forming apparatus
A sheet feeding device has a mounting portion allowing a stack of sheets to be mounted in a top-bottom direction, a suction/transportation portion provided above the mounting portion for attracting a first sheet positioned on top of the stack, and a blowing portion for blowing air to a foremost edge of the first sheet in a transportation direction while the first sheet is being attracted by the suction/transportation portion, thereby separating the first sheet from a second sheet next to the first sheet. After the first sheet is separated from the second sheet, the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet in the transportation direction. The suction/transportation portion sets a suction force applied to the foremost edge of the first sheet smaller when the blowing portion blows air to the first sheet than when the suction/transportation portion transports the first sheet.
KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
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Atsuhiko Hiroshi Ryo Noboru Hiroaki
Shimoyama Mizuno Oshima Oomoto Umemoto