An automated product dispenser for dispensing a product from a supply of product is provided. The automated product dispenser includes a chassis assembly, a drive assembly, and an isolation member. The chassis assembly includes a chassis frame, and the drive assembly includes a motor, a drivetrain, and a drivetrain housing. The isolation member mounts the drive assembly to the chassis assembly such that the drive assembly is substantially spaced apart from the chassis frame. A related method of inhibiting vibration transmission in an automated product dispenser also is provided.

A sheet conveyer, including a tray, a pickup roller, a separator roller, a separator pad, a driving source, a roller holder with an arm, an engagement member engageable with the arm, a load applier lever, and a first urging member coupled with the load applier lever, is provided. The load applier lever is movable between a first position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member causes the engagement member to be urged against the arm and to apply a load that acts in a direction to cause the pickup roller to be pressed against the sheets to the arm; and a second position, wherein the load applier lever supports the first end of the first urging member at a position where the first urging member is in the natural length thereof.

A paper supply apparatus includes: a primary paper supply roller that feeds out and conveys a print medium from a paper tray on which the print medium is placed; resist rollers that a leading end of the print medium abuts to form a flexure in the print medium by temporarily ceasing conveyance, and rotate at a predetermined timing after this flexure is formed, to convey the print medium toward a conveyance mechanism; and a control unit that executes assist control that drives the primary paper supply roller during the time that the print medium is being conveyed by the resist rollers to assist conveyance of the print medium by the resist rollers. The control unit executes the assist control such that the flexure in the print medium remains at a point in time at which the leading end of the print medium reaches the conveyance mechanism.

A sheet feeder, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes a sheet loader on which a sheet is loaded, a sheet feeding body to feed the sheet from the sheet loader, and a sheet separator disposed to contact the sheet feeding body. The sheet is fed at a first average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is in contact with the sheet separator without holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The sheet is fed at a second average sheet feeding speed at which the sheet feeding body is holding the sheet with the sheet separator. The first average sheet feeding speed is set smaller than the second average sheet feeding speed.

A recording material feeding device includes a stacking portion, a driving source, a holding member, a torque limiter for limiting transmission of a driving torque from the driving source to the stacking portion in a case that the driving source rotates in a state in which the holding member holds the position of the stacking portion; a storing portion for storing information on a holding state of the holding member; and a controller for controlling the driving source to rotate at a rotational speed slower when the information is information indicating that the holding member holds the position of the stacking portion than when the information is information indicating that the holding member does not hold the position of the stacking portion.

A sheet transfer guide, which is disposed along a sheet conveyance passage through which a sheet passes, provided to guide the sheet, and is included in an image forming apparatus and an image reading device, includes a base material, a coat layer formed on the base material and having a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the base material, and a guide face to which the sheet contacts. The coat layer is formed on the guide face.

A contact interface includes a first contact member including a first contact surface with a first material subsurface and a second material subsurface. The second material subsurface protrudes transversely above the first material subsurface. A second contact member includes a second contact surface to slide in contact with the first contact surface. The first material subsurface comprises a first material. The second material subsurface comprises a second material. The second material has a lower hardness than the first material.

A detector, which is included in a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying device, an image forming apparatus and an image reading device, contacts and detects a sheet, and includes a base, a sheet contact face to which the sheet contacts, and a coat layer formed on the sheet contact face. A difference of a static coefficient of friction s of the coat layer and a kinetic coefficient of friction d of the coat layer is smaller than and equal to 0.12.

A conveying unit conveys a sheet to a tray. A first surface of a wall member and the tray define a first space. A structural member has a facing surface which faces a second surface of the wall member. A wall surface of a frame, the second surface of the wall member, and the facing surface of the structural member define a second space. The wall member has a plurality of through holes including a first through hole and a second through hole. A first imaginary plane containing an edge of the first through hole in the second surface is away from the facing surface of the structural member by a first distance, and a second imaginary plane containing an edge of the second through hole in the second surface is away from the facing surface by a second distance which is different from the first distance.

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a feed roller, a roller holder supporting the feed roller rotatably about a rotation axis, a frame supporting the roller holder pivotably about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis of the feed roller, a force-transmitting device configured to transmit, to the roller holder, a force with which to cause the roller holder to pivot in a direction where the feed roller is pressed against a tray, a force-applying member movable between a force applying position where the force-applying member contacts the force-transmitting device to apply the force thereto and a force-free position where the force-applying member is spaced apart from the force-transmitting device, and a cushioning member configured to, when the force-applying member is at an initial contact positon located between the force applying position and the force-free position, be sandwiched in contact between the force-transmitting device and the force-applying member.