JP2003312903A - Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause a sheet feeding mechanism of an image forming apparatus to feed sheets at high speeds using minus paper-to-paper spacing control. <P>SOLUTION: This sheet feeder includes a pair of first feed rollers 19 which performs feeding in such a way that the rear end of leading transfer paper 201 fed by a feed roller 17 and the front end of another transfer paper 202 following the leading transfer paper 201 are made to overlap by a predetermined amount; a pair of second feed rollers 20 for feeding the transfer paper fed by the pair of first feed rollers 19; and a pair of register rollers 21 for feeding the transfer paper in such a way that the transfer paper, fed by the pair of second feed rollers 20, is in alignment with an image to be formed on a photoreceptor 2. The image feed velocity V<SB>p</SB>of the photoreceptor 2, the sheet feed velocity V<SB>1</SB>of the pair of first feed rollers 19, the sheet feed velocity V<SB>2</SB>of the pair of second feed rollers 20, and the sheet feed velocity V<SB>r</SB>of the pair of register rollers 21 assume the relationship: V<SB>p</SB>=V<SB>r</SB>>V<SB>2</SB>=V<SB>1</SB>. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device in an image forming apparatus, and adopts a registration system in which a conveyed sheet is registered by a registration roller so that the sheet is conveyed to the image on an image carrier. The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device having a configuration.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine, a sheet is generally fed from a sheet stacking section and conveyed to an image forming section including an image carrier to form a sheet. When the leading edge hits the registration roller arranged immediately before the image forming section, the sheet is temporarily stopped, and then the sheet is re-fed to the image forming section at a predetermined timing and formed on the image carrier of the image forming section. The image is transferred to a sheet.

In the conventional analog copying machine, since the scanning time of the original is intervened for each print, it is inevitable that the interval between the preceding sheet and the sheet subsequent to the preceding sheet needs to be large. It was Further, even in a medium-low speed digital copying machine, there has been no strong demand for reducing the distance between the preceding sheet and the sheet following the preceding sheet. Further, in the printer and the plain paper facsimile apparatus, it is not necessary to narrow the sheet interval because it takes time for image processing to print. However,
With the advent of high-speed digital copying machines and the speeding up of image processing apparatuses such as printers and plain paper facsimile machines, it has become strongly required to reduce the distance between sheets fed to the image forming unit as much as possible. It was

[0004]

However, the sheet feeding device in the conventional image forming apparatus has the same structure as the preceding sheet even if it is required to reduce the distance between the sheets to be fed to the image forming unit as much as possible. It was only possible to feed the preceding sheet without gaps between the following sheets.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the distance between the sheets to be fed to the image forming section as much as possible, and to provide an apparatus having a higher speed. The purpose is to enable high-speed conveyance of the sheet so that it can be sufficiently dealt with.

[0006]

A typical structure of the present invention for solving the above problems and achieving the object is to provide a trailing end of a preceding sheet sent by a feeding means and the preceding sheet. A first conveying unit that conveys the leading end of the succeeding sheet by a predetermined amount and conveys it, a second conveying unit that conveys the sheet sent by the first conveying unit, and a second conveying unit. A registration unit configured to convey the sheet so that the sheet is aligned with an image formed on the image carrier, an image feed speed V _p of the image carrier, and a first conveyance unit. Sheet conveying speed V ₁ ,
Between the sheet transport speed V ₂ of the second transport means and the sheet transport speed V _r of the registration means, V _p = V _r > V ₂
It is characterized in that they are configured to have a relationship of = V ₁ .

According to this structure, after the leading edge of the preceding sheet reaches the registration means, the trailing edge of the preceding sheet which is conveyed overlapping the leading edge of the sheet following the preceding sheet is the second sheet. Of the second conveying means, the registration means is driven at a sheet conveying speed V _r which is higher than the sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the second conveying means to direct the preceding sheet toward the image carrier. By sending the sheet, or after the leading edge of the preceding sheet reaches the registration means, the sheet holding pressure of the second conveying means is released, and the sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the second conveying means is increased. driving said register means at a speed allowed the sheet conveying speed V _r, the preceding sheet is sent toward the image bearing member, the double feed of the rear end and front end of the succeeding sheet of the sheet said previous After the sheet has passed through the second transporting means, the sheet holding pressure of the second transporting means is restored, so that in the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus, one of the preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet is separated. It is possible to perform high-speed conveyance of sheets by control of feeding while superimposing parts, that is, so-called minus sheet interval control.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be illustratively described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However,
The dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in the following embodiments should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applied, and are particularly specific. Unless otherwise stated, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto.

[First Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming unit 1 as an image forming unit of an electrophotographic copying machine has a cylindrical photosensitive member as an image carrier which is rotated at a peripheral speed V _p at the center of the image forming process. It has a body 2, and a charger 3 is provided around the photoconductor 2.
An image writing unit 5, a developing unit 6, a sheet feeding mechanism 7 as a sheet feeding device, a transfer charging unit 9, a separation charging unit 10, a transfer paper unloading unit 11, a cleaner 12, and a pre-exposure unit 13 are arranged. Has been done.

The electrostatic latent image corresponding to the optical image of the original or the like written on the photoconductor 2 by the image writing unit 5 is made into a toner image by the developing device 6 and is supplied from the paper feeding mechanism 7. After being aligned with the transfer paper and transferred by the transfer charger 9, the transfer paper is separated by the separation charger 10, and the transfer paper is then provided with a jam detecting means 14 including a lever, a photocoupler, etc. After that, the image is fixed by a fixing device (not shown) and is conveyed to the outside of the copying machine.

The sheet feeding mechanism 7 is pressed against the transfer sheet stacking section 16 such as a cassette storing a large number of transfer sheets 15 and the transfer sheet 15 stored in the stacking section 16 with a predetermined pressing force. A feeding roller 17 as a sheet feeding means that is rotated in a state, a rear end of the transfer paper sent by the feeding roller 17 and a front end of the transfer paper following the transfer paper are overlapped by a predetermined amount. A first conveying roller pair 19 as a first sheet conveying means for feeding, and the first conveying roller pair 19
A pair of second conveying rollers as a continuously rotating second sheet conveying means disposed in the vicinity of the above, and a resist as a resisting means for adjusting the conveyance of the sheet to the image on the photosensitive body 2 in the vicinity of the photosensitive body 2. Transport guides 22, 23, 25, 26 for connecting the roller pair 21 and the above-mentioned constituent elements.
It consists of and.

The registration roller pair 21 is rotationally driven so as to convey the transfer paper 15 at the peripheral speed of the photoconductor 2 described above, that is, at a speed V _r equal to the image feed speed V _p . The two-conveyance roller pair 20 is rotationally driven so as to convey the transfer paper 15 at a speed V ₂ which is appropriately lower than the peripheral speed V _p of the photoconductor 2 and the paper conveyance speed V _r of the registration roller pair 21, and The pair of conveying rollers 19 is the second
It is rotationally driven to convey the transfer sheet 15 in the sheet conveying speed V ₂ equal to the speed V ₁ of the conveying roller pair 20, the relationship between each speed, in this _{case, V p = V r> V} 2 = Selected as V ₁ .

Since this embodiment has the above-described structure, the first conveying roller pair 1 is rotated by the rotation of the feeding roller 17.
When the transfer sheet 15 is conveyed from the transfer sheet stacking unit 16 toward the first conveying roller pair 19 via the conveyance guide 22 at a sheet feeding speed slightly higher than the sheet conveying speed V ₁ by 9, the transferred sheet is conveyed. When the leading edge of the paper 15 collides with the first conveying roller pair 19, the paper 15 is stopped for a moment due to the speed difference, and if skew is present, it is corrected and then the transfer paper 15 is While being sandwiched by the pair of transport rollers 19, it is transported to the second pair of transport rollers 20 at a speed V ₁ .

Further, the rear end of the transfer paper 15 is provided with a front end of the transfer paper following the transfer paper 15 and a double feeding portion of a predetermined amount determined by a speed difference between the feeding roller 17 and the first conveying roller pair 19. It is held and conveyed to the second conveying roller pair 20 at a speed V ₁ .

Next, with the front end portion being sandwiched by the second pair of transport rollers 20, the transfer paper 15 is slower than the image feed speed V _p of the photoconductor 2 and the paper transport speed V _r of the registration roller pair 21, The conveyance is started at a speed V ₂ equal to the paper conveyance speed V ₁ of the 1-conveyance roller pair 19.

Next, the transfer paper 15 is a pair of registration rollers 2.
When the front end collides with 1, the front end is stopped for a moment, the front end is nipped by the registration roller pair 21, and is conveyed to the image forming unit 1 at a speed V _r equal to the image feeding speed V _p of the photoconductor 2, and the transfer sheet is transferred. The image formed on the photoconductor 2 is transferred onto the sheet 15 in a properly aligned state.

At the same time when the transfer paper 15 is started to be conveyed by the registration roller pair 21, the photosensitive member 2 is rotated at the peripheral speed V _p in the image forming section 1 to start the image formation, and the jam detecting means 14 is operated. A timing operation by a counter or the like for operating is started.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the trailing edge of the preceding transfer sheet 201 (transfer sheet 15 in FIG. 1) is the transfer sheet 201.
And the second end of the transfer paper 202 following
It is sandwiched by the pair of transport rollers 20 (see FIG. 2).
(See (a)), after the double feed portion of the rear end portion of the transfer paper 201 and the front end portion of the transfer paper 202 subsequent to the preceding transfer paper 201 has passed through the second conveying roller pair 20, 201 is conveyed toward the image forming section 1 at the sheet conveying speed V _r by the registration roller pair 21, and the transfer sheet 20 is conveyed during that time.
The transfer paper 202 following 1 is the second transport roller pair 20.
The sheet is continuously conveyed at the sheet conveying speed V _{2 in the} sheet feeding direction (see FIG. 2C).

In this case, the passage of the second feeding roller pair 20 in the double feeding portion between the trailing edge of the transfer sheet 201 and the leading edge of the transfer sheet 202 subsequent to the preceding transfer sheet 201 is the width of the double feeding portion. , The size of the transfer paper, the distance of the transport path between the registration roller pair 21 and the second transport roller pair 20, the second transport roller pair 2
It is determined by the paper transport speed V _{2 of} 0.

Further, the transfer paper 201 is a registration roller pair 2.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the transfer paper 201 is looped between the transfer guides 25 from the time when the leading end of the transfer roller 201 collides with 1 and is stopped until the transfer roller 201 starts to transfer the transfer paper 201. There is. In the unlikely event that the double feed portion of the trailing edge of the transfer sheet 201 and the leading edge of the transfer sheet 202 subsequent to the preceding transfer sheet 201 is sandwiched by the second pair of transport rollers 20 and is being transported at the speed V _2. Then, the registration roller pair 21
Starts to be conveyed, and the transfer paper 201 has a speed V _r faster than the speed V _2.
If it is pulled in the paper feed direction by
The existence of the one-way mechanism of the pair of transport rollers 20 allows it.

Similarly, when the transfer sheet 202 following the preceding transfer sheet 201 is subsequently conveyed by the pair of registration rollers 21, the following transfer sheet 202 is also carried out.
After the double feeding portion of the trailing end portion and the leading end portion of the succeeding transfer paper passes through the second conveying roller pair 20, the succeeding transfer paper 202 is conveyed by the registration roller pair 21 at the paper conveying speed V _r . The transfer sheet that is conveyed toward the image forming unit 1 and continues further during that time is continuously conveyed by the second conveying roller pair 20 in the sheet conveying direction at the sheet conveying speed V ₂ .

In addition, the jam detection is performed based on the passing signal of the leading edge of the paper, that is, in accordance with the actual movement of the paper.
There is no worry of false detection of jam.

As described above, according to this embodiment, after the leading edge of the preceding transfer sheet 201 hits the registration roller pair 21, it is conveyed so as to overlap the leading edge of the transfer sheet 202 following the preceding transfer sheet 201. Preceding transfer paper 20
After the trailing edge of the sheet 1 passes through the second conveying roller pair 20, the registration roller pair 21 is driven at the sheet conveying speed V _r which is higher than the sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the second conveying roller pair 20, Since the preceding transfer sheet 201 is sent toward the image forming unit 1, the preceding transfer sheet and a part of the transfer sheet following the sheet are superposed on each other in the sheet feeding mechanism 17 of the image forming apparatus. High-speed conveyance of the sheet can be performed by the feeding control, so-called minus sheet interval control.

As a result, a high-speed digital copying machine in which it is strongly required to reduce the distance between the transfer sheets fed to the image forming section 1 as much as possible, a printer in which the image processing apparatus has been increased in speed, and a plain paper facsimile. It can be sufficiently applied as a sheet feeding mechanism to a high-speed image forming unit such as an apparatus.

[Second Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Since the schematic structure of the entire apparatus and the relationship between speeds in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, the description thereof will be omitted here.

Since the present embodiment has the above-mentioned structure, the first conveying roller pair 1 is rotated by the rotation of the feeding roller 17.
When the transfer sheet 15 is conveyed from the transfer sheet stacking unit 16 toward the first conveying roller pair 19 via the conveyance guide 22 at a sheet feeding speed slightly higher than the sheet conveying speed V ₁ by 9, the transferred sheet is conveyed. When the leading edge of the paper 15 collides with the first conveying roller pair 19, the paper 15 is stopped for a moment due to the speed difference, and if skew is present, it is corrected and then the transfer paper 15 is While being sandwiched by the pair of transport rollers 19, it is transported to the second pair of transport rollers 20 at a speed V ₁ .

Further, the rear end of the transfer paper 15 is provided with a front end of the transfer paper following the transfer paper 15 and a double feeding portion of a predetermined amount determined by a speed difference between the feeding roller 17 and the first conveying roller pair 19. It is held and conveyed to the second conveying roller pair 20 at a speed V ₁ .

Next, in the state where the front end is nipped by the second pair of conveying rollers 20, the transfer paper 15 is slower than the image feeding speed V _p of the photoconductor 2 and the paper conveying speed V _r of the registration roller pair 21, The conveyance is started at a speed V ₂ equal to the paper conveyance speed V ₁ of the 1-conveyance roller pair 19.

Next, the transfer paper 15 is a pair of registration rollers 2.
When the front end collides with 1, the front end is stopped for a moment, the front end is nipped by the registration roller pair 21, and is conveyed to the image forming unit 1 at a speed V _r equal to the image feeding speed V _p of the photoconductor 2, and the transfer sheet is transferred. The image formed on the photoconductor 2 is transferred onto the sheet 15 in a properly aligned state.

Simultaneously with the start of conveyance of the transfer paper 15 by the registration roller pair 21, the photoconductor 2 is rotated at the peripheral speed V _p in the image forming section 1 to start image formation, and the jam detecting means 14 is operated. A timing operation by a counter or the like for operating is started.

At this time, as shown in FIG.
The rear end portion of the transfer paper 15 in FIG. 1 is overlapped with the front end portion of the transfer paper 302 following the transfer paper 301 and is sandwiched by the second conveying roller pair 20 (see FIG. 3A). As soon as the registration of the preceding transfer paper 301 is taken (the leading edge of the preceding transfer paper 301 reaches the registration roller pair 21), the roller pressure which is the sheet clamping pressure of the second transport roller pair 20 is immediately released (Fig. 3 (b)), the overlapping portion of the trailing edge of the preceding transfer sheet 301 and the leading edge of the transfer sheet 302 subsequent to the transfer sheet 301 passes through the second transport roller pair 20, and 2 The roller pressure of the pair of transport rollers 20 is returned (see FIG. 3 (c)).

In FIG. 3, L ₁ is a roller interval representing the roller pressure state, and L ₂ is a roller interval representing the roller pressure release state (L ₁ <L ₂ ).

While the roller pressure is released, the transfer paper 301 is pulled in the paper feed direction at the paper feed speed V _r of the registration roller pair 21 and is fed toward the image forming section 1.
At this time, even if releasing the roller pressure of the second conveying roller pair 20 is to lightly pressurize the opposing rollers of the second conveying roller pair 20, as shown in FIG. It may be separated.

In the unlikely event that it precedes the trailing edge of the transfer paper 301.
Double feeding with the leading edge of transfer sheet 302 following transfer sheet 301
The part is nipped by the second conveying roller pair 20 and the speed V₂so
The pair of registration rollers 21 is conveyed while being conveyed.
Start, transfer paper 15 is speed V ₂Faster speed V_rPaper feed
If it is pulled in the
The existence of one-way mechanism of LA vs. 20 allows it
It is supposed to be.

Similarly, when the transfer sheet 302 subsequent to the preceding transfer sheet 301 is subsequently conveyed by the registration roller pair 21, the second conveying roller is immediately moved after the registration of the succeeding transfer sheet 302 is removed. The roller pressure of the pair 20 is released, and the overlapping portion of the trailing end of the succeeding transfer sheet 302 and the leading end of the succeeding transfer sheet 302 passes through the second conveying roller pair 20. After that, the roller pressure of the second conveying roller pair 20 is returned.

While the roller pressure is released, the succeeding transfer sheet 302 is pulled in the sheet feeding direction at the sheet conveying speed V _r of the pair of registration rollers 21 and conveyed toward the image forming section 1.

In addition, the jam detection is performed based on the passing signal of the front end of the paper, that is, in accordance with the actual movement of the paper.
There is no worry of false detection of jam.

As described above, according to this embodiment, after the preceding transfer paper 301 is registered, the roller pressure of the second conveying roller pair 20 is released, and the second conveying roller pair 20 is released.
Sheet conveyance speed V _r increased from the sheet conveyance speed V _{2 of}
Drive the registration roller pair 21 to feed the preceding transfer sheet 301 toward the image forming unit 1, and the trailing edge of the preceding transfer sheet 301 and the leading edge of the transfer sheet 302 subsequent to the preceding transfer sheet 301. The sheet feeding mechanism 17 of the image forming apparatus is preceded by the fact that the roller pressure of the second conveying roller pair 20 is restored after the double feeding portion of and passes through the second conveying roller pair 20. It is possible to perform high-speed conveyance of a sheet by a control of feeding the transfer sheet and a part of the transfer sheet following the transfer sheet while superimposing them, that is, so-called minus sheet interval control.

As a result, a high-speed digital copying machine in which it is strongly required to reduce the distance between transfer sheets fed to the image forming section 1 as much as possible, a printer in which the image processing apparatus has been increased in speed, and a plain paper facsimile. It can be sufficiently applied as a sheet feeding mechanism to a high-speed image forming unit such as an apparatus.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment,
Although an electrophotographic copying machine is exemplified as the image forming apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this, and other image forming apparatuses such as a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine combining these functions, An image forming apparatus that uses a transfer / transport belt as a transfer material carrier and sequentially superimposes and transfers toner images of respective colors onto a transfer material such as a sheet carried on the transfer / transport belt, and toner formed on the image carrier An image forming apparatus that temporarily transfers and carries an image on an intermediate transfer body and collectively transfers the toner images carried on the intermediate transfer body onto a transfer material may be used. Similar effects can be obtained by applying the present invention to the feeding mechanism.

In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus capable of forming a monochrome image has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sheet feeding mechanism of the image forming apparatus capable of forming a color image. Even if the present invention is applied to, the same effect can be obtained.

That is, the present invention is not limited to the electrophotographic copying machine exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiment, and the conveyed sheet is formed into an image on the image carrier by using a pair of registration rollers. The same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to the sheet feeding mechanism of all image forming apparatuses configured to adopt the registration method for transporting.

[0045]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus, it is possible to perform high-speed conveyance of a sheet by control so as to feed the sheet while superposing the preceding sheet and a part of the succeeding sheet, that is, minus sheet interval control.

As a result, a high-speed digital copying machine in which it is strongly required to reduce the distance between the sheets to be fed to the image forming section as much as possible, a printer in which the speed of the image processing apparatus has been increased, a plain paper facsimile apparatus, etc. It can be sufficiently applied as a sheet feeding device to the high-speed image forming unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of essential parts showing an image forming unit and a sheet feeding mechanism, which are main parts of an electrophotographic copying machine.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sheet conveyance state between a second conveyance roller pair and a registration roller.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a sheet conveyance state between a second conveyance roller pair and a registration roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Image forming unit 2 ... Photoconductor 3 ... Charger 5 ... Image writing section 6 ... Developer 7 ... Paper feed mechanism 9 ... Transfer charger 10 ... Separation charger 11 ... Transfer paper unloading section 12 ... Cleaner 13 ... Pre-exposure device 14 ... Jam detecting means 15… Transfer paper 16 ... Loading section 17 ... Feeding roller 19 ... First transport roller pair 20 ... Second transport roller pair 21… Registration roller pair 22, 23, 25, 26 ... Transport guide 201, 202, 301, 302 ... Transfer paper

Continued front page    F term (reference) 3F049 AA02 DA12 DA19 DB04 EA10                       EA13 EA14 LA02 LA05 LA07                       LB03                 3F101 LA02 LA05 LA07 LB03                 3F102 AA02 AA10 AA11 AB01 BA02                       BA07 BB02 DA08 EA03 FA06                       FA08

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A first conveying unit that conveys a trailing end of a preceding sheet sent by a feeding unit and a leading end of a succeeding sheet by a predetermined amount so as to overlap each other, and the first conveying unit. Second conveying means for conveying the sheet sent by the conveying means, and registration means for conveying the sheet so that the sheet sent by the second conveying means is aligned with the image formed on the image carrier. And an image feeding speed V _p of the image carrier, a sheet conveying speed V ₁ of the first conveying means, a sheet conveying speed V 2 of the second conveying means, and a sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the registration means. A sheet feeding device configured to have a relationship of V _p = V _r > V ₂ = V ₁ with a sheet conveying speed V _r . 2. The trailing edge of the preceding sheet, which is conveyed after the leading edge of the preceding sheet reaches the registration means, overlaps the leading edge of the sheet following the preceding sheet, and is conveyed by the second conveying means. After exiting, the registration means is driven at a sheet conveying speed V _r that is higher than the sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the second conveying means, and the preceding sheet is sent toward the image carrier. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1. 3. After the leading edge of the preceding sheet reaches the registration means, the sheet clamping pressure of the second conveying means is released, and the sheet conveying speed V ₂ of the second conveying means is released.
The registration means is driven at a further increased sheet conveying speed V _r to send the preceding sheet toward the image carrier, and the trailing edge of the preceding sheet and the leading edge of the following sheet are overlapped. 2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet holding pressure of the second conveying means is returned after the feeding portion has passed through the second conveying means. 4. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the releasing of the sheet holding pressure of the second conveying means is to lightly apply a pressing force between opposing rollers. 5. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the releasing of the sheet holding pressure of the second conveying means is to separate the opposing rollers. 6. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is fed so as to match the image forming means for forming an image on the image carrier and the image formed on the image carrier. An image forming apparatus comprising: a feeding device.