IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,420,837
Granted Patent B2
US 11,420,837 · App. 17/094,862 · Granted Aug 23, 2022

Sheet placement device, sheet feeding device, and image forming apparatus

Inventor: Kazune Nakamura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
B65H7/06B65H9/004B65H43/04B65H2553/23
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,420,837
App. No.
17/094,862
Granted
Aug 23, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sheet placement device includes a placement member on which a sheet is placed; a limiter that is movable with respect to the placement member to limit a position of an end of the sheet placed on the placement member; a contact member provided in the limiter and to be displaced by contacting with the end of the sheet; and a detector that detects displacement of the contact member. The detector is provided in the placement member.

Claims (38)

1. A sheet placement device comprising:

a placement member on which a sheet is placed;

a limiter that is movable with respect to the placement member and limits a position of an end of the sheet placed on the placement member;

a contacter provided in the limiter and to be displaced by contacting with the end of the sheet; and

a detector that detects displacement of the contacter, wherein

the detector is provided at the placement member and remains static when the limiter moves.

2. The sheet placement device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a conductor that is to be displaced along with displacement of the contacter, wherein

the detector includes a capacitance sensor that senses capacitance that varies in accordance with a distance to the conductor.

3. The sheet placement device according to claim 2 , wherein

the conductor is located closest to the capacitance sensor with opposing surfaces of the conductor and the capacitance sensor parallel to each other.

4. The sheet placement device according to claim 2 , wherein

the conductor comes into contact with the capacitance sensor along with the displacement of the contacter.

5. The sheet placement device according to claim 4 , wherein

the conductor is provided in the contacter,

the contacter is made of an elastic member, and

the elastic member is elastically deformed when the conductor contacts with the capacitance sensor.

6. The sheet placement device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a limiter-position detector that detects a position of the limiter.

7. The sheet placement device according to claim 1 , wherein

The contacter includes a plurality of contacters, and

the contacters are provided in the limiter.

8. The sheet placement device according to claim 1 , wherein

the limiter limits a position of a lateral end of the sheet.

9. A sheet feeding device comprising:

the sheet placement device according to claim 1 on which a sheet is placed;

a feeding unit that feeds the sheet placed on the sheet placement device.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and

the sheet feeding device according to claim 9 that feeds the sheet to the image forming unit.

11. A sheet placement device comprising:

a placement member on which a sheet is placed;

a limiter that is movable with respect to the placement member and limits a position of an end of the sheet placed on the placement member;

a contacter provided in the limiter and to be displaced by contacting with the end of the sheet;

a detector that detects displacement of the contacter; and

a conductor that is to be displaced along with displacement of the contacter,

wherein the detector is provided at the placement member and remains static when the limiter moves, and

the detector includes a capacitance sensor that senses capacitance that varies in accordance with a distance to the conductor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 11, 2020
From: NAKAMURA, KAZUNE
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054331/0145 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-216856 · Nov 29, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210163244A1 · Jun 3, 2021