Hi all, I am trying to learn more about how computer printers suck in one page at a time from a stack. In order of importance: 1) Do you know how this is done? 2) Is there a name for this mechanism in a printer, say for patent-searching purposes? 3) Can you think of any other ways it could be done? 4) Could you refer me to more resources? Basically, I need a similar mechanism on a device I'm working on designing. Thanks in advance!
Search for "paper picking" That should get you in the results you seek. There are many different mechanisms used in printers to pick paper. The differences amount to a tradeoff between cost and pick reliability. Most of them rely on a difference in friction. A rubber drive roller needs higher friction with the top sheet than the friction of sheet to sheet. I have seen vacuum used to pull the top sheet off a stack. I've also seen vacuum used to deal the bottom sheet off a stack. That worked much better with thicker media that was not porous. With thin sheets it was too easy for vacuum to hold two sheets together and slip them under the gate that was keeping the stack in place. I suggest you pick up a second hand laser printer or inkjet printer and study the design.
