JP2008013263A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve separatability of a topmost paper sheet from a paper sheet thereunder in a paper feeder carrying the topmost paper sheet separatively from the paper sheet thereunder by blowing off air to the upper end part of stacked paper sheets. <P>SOLUTION: In this paper feeder, an air blowing off means blows off air to the upper end part of the stacked paper sheets. A first paper sheet pressing member 132 and a second paper sheet pressing member 172 downwardly press the vicinity of both end parts in the paper sheet width direction of the topmost paper sheet of the stacked paper sheets by their self-weights when air is blown off by the air blowing off means. A paper feeding part feeds the topmost paper sheet when air is blown off by the air blowing off means. The first paper sheet pressing member 132 and second paper sheet pressing member 172 have an abutting part 132a and an abutting part 172a which can be vertically moved, and the abutting part 132a and abutting part 172a abut on the topmost paper sheet before air is blown off by the air blowing off means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feeding device that feeds the uppermost paper among stacked paper.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a paper feeding device that feeds the uppermost paper by improving air separation by blowing air to the upper end of the stacked paper. In this type of paper feeding device, in order to further improve the paper separation, for example, in Patent Document 1, at least both side edges in the paper width direction on the upstream side of the air adsorption transport mechanism of the uppermost paper are suppressed from above A paper feeding device in which a restraining member is arranged has been proposed.
JP 2005-320086 A

  In the above-mentioned patent document, a paper feeding device is disclosed in which a restraining member is arranged at a position that is a certain distance above the uppermost paper. However, the paper feeding device described in the above-mentioned patent document is configured such that when air is blown and the uppermost sheet is lifted up to the restraining member by the air, the sheet is between the uppermost sheet and the sheet below it. Spacing opens in the width direction. When the blown air escapes from this interval, the air does not sufficiently reach the upstream side in the paper feeding direction, and it becomes difficult to curve the uppermost paper widely in the paper feeding direction. As a result, the separation property of the sheet is not improved on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction as compared with the downstream side, and it becomes difficult to sufficiently improve the separation property of the entire sheet.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its purpose is to convey the uppermost sheet by separating it from the sheet below it by blowing air to the upper end of the stacked sheet. It is to improve the separation between the uppermost sheet and the sheet below the uppermost sheet.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a paper feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention is loaded when air is blown out by an air blowing unit that blows air to an upper end portion of stacked sheets. A pair of paper pressing members that respectively push down the vicinity of both ends in the paper width direction of the uppermost paper among the uppermost paper, and a paper feeding section that feeds the uppermost paper when air is blown by the air blowing means And comprising. In the pair of sheet pressing members, the abutting portions that abut on the uppermost sheet are movable in the vertical direction, and the abutting sections abut on the uppermost sheet before air is blown out by the air blowing means.

  According to this aspect, when air is blown out, the vicinity of both ends of the uppermost sheet in the width direction can be pushed downward, and the gap formed between the uppermost sheet and the sheet below it Can be suppressed. For this reason, the escape of air from the interval portion is suppressed, and the separation between the uppermost sheet and the sheet below it can be improved.

  Either of the pair of sheet pressing members may push the uppermost sheet downward with its own weight. According to this aspect, since the top sheet can be pushed downward with a simple configuration, an increase in cost for improving the separation of the sheet can be suppressed.

  Either of the pair of sheet pressing members may be rotatable so that the contact portion moves in the vertical direction around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the sheet feeding direction. This rotatable paper pressing member extends in the paper width direction from the standby position where it does not contact the stacked paper to the paper feed position where the contact portion abuts near one end of the uppermost paper in the paper width direction. When it is in the standby position, the contact part is located at a lower level than the upper surface of the uppermost sheet, and slides with the upper end of the stacked sheets in the process of moving from the standby position to the paper feeding position. However, the contact portion may be rotated so as to rise to the height of the upper surface of the uppermost sheet.

  According to this aspect, the contact portion of the sheet pressing member can be brought into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet by moving the sheet pressing member in the sheet width direction. For this reason, it is possible to cope with various sizes of paper with a simple configuration.

  The sheet feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention may further include a side guide that is movable in the sheet width direction and restricts movement of the uppermost sheet in any one direction of the sheet width direction. The rotatable paper pressing member moves in the paper width direction together with the side guide, and moves to the paper feed position when the side guide hits or near one end in the paper width direction. Also good. According to this aspect, the sheet pressing member can be moved to the sheet feeding position by abutting the side guide against one end in the sheet width direction. For this reason, it is possible to suppress an increase in time until the paper feeding operation is started by adding a step of moving the paper pressing member to the paper feeding position.

  The sheet feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention may further include a sheet feeding table on which sheets can be moved up and down. The side guide may move up to or near one end in the paper width direction after raising the paper feed table to a position where the uppermost paper can be fed. According to this aspect, the length of the side guide can be shortened, and an increase in the size of the apparatus can be suppressed.

  You may further provide the paper feed stand which can be raised / lowered by which a paper is loaded. In the process of raising the paper feed stand to a position where the uppermost sheet can be fed out, the sheet pressing member raises the uppermost sheet by its own weight as the abutting portion comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet and moves up. Press down with. According to this aspect, the abutment portion of the sheet pressing member can be brought into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet by raising the sheet feed table to a position where the uppermost sheet can be sent out. For this reason, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost caused by bringing the sheet pressing member into contact with the uppermost sheet.

  According to the present invention, in a paper feeding device that separates and transports the uppermost sheet from the lower sheet by blowing air to the upper end of the stacked sheets, the uppermost sheet and the lower sheet are separated from each other. Separability can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a paper feeding device 10 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line P-P of the paper feeding device 10. In FIG. 1, for ease of understanding, an outer cover or the like is represented by a two-dot chain line so that the internal structure of the sheet feeding device 10 is represented.

  The paper feeding device 10 includes a device main body 12 and a paper feeding table 14. The paper feeder 10 includes a paper feeder 16, an air blowing mechanism 57, a first air blowing member 52, a second air blowing member 54, a paper guide unit 100, and a buffer mechanism 22. Near the center of the apparatus main body 12, a paper storage unit 15 that is a space region that opens forward and downward is provided. Sheets are stacked on the sheet supply table 14, and a sheet storage unit 15 stores the sheet supply table 14 and sheets stacked thereon.

  The paper feed base 14 is detachable from the apparatus main body 12. The paper feed table 14 includes a paper feed plate 51 and casters 48. The sheet feeding plate 51 is formed in a flat plate shape having a rectangular outer shape. The sheet feeding plate 51 is attached to the apparatus main body 12 so that the upper surface is horizontal, and a sheet placement surface 50 on which sheets are stacked is provided on the upper surface of the sheet feeding plate 51. The caster 48 is provided below the sheet feeding plate 51. The caster 48 is grounded when the paper feed table 14 is detached from the apparatus main body 12 and allows the paper feed table 14 to move.

  When the user attaches the paper feed tray 14 to the apparatus main body 12, the user moves the sheets stacked on the paper feed stand 14 so as to abut against the frame 13 on the back side of the apparatus as necessary. Further, if necessary, the paper loaded on the paper feed tray 14 is moved in the paper feeding direction so as to abut against a predetermined abutting portion. Thus, the sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 14 are positioned at a position suitable for feeding out the sheets. Further, the sheet to be sent out is prevented from being inclined by the frame 13. Therefore, the frame 13 also functions as a guide member on the back side in the paper width direction of the fed paper.

  The paper guide unit 100 is provided in the upper part of the paper storage unit 15. The configuration of the paper guide unit 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  The paper feed unit 16 is provided in the upper right part of the paper storage unit 15. The paper feed unit 16 includes a plurality (eight in the first embodiment) of paper feed belts 17 and two rollers 18. Each of the plurality of paper feeding belts 17 has the same width and the same circumferential length, and is mounted on the outer circumferences of the two rollers 18 so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the axial direction. The paper feed unit 16 is disposed on the upper side and the right side of the paper storage unit 15 so that the axial direction of the roller 18 faces in the front-rear direction and the two rollers are arranged in the left-right direction, and is fixed to the frame 13 of the apparatus main body 12. Is done.

  One of the rollers 18 is driven by a motor (not shown), and all the paper feed belts 17 are also driven by this. At this time, the motor drives the roller 18 so that the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17 moves in the paper feeding direction. The paper feed unit 16 also has an air suction mechanism (not shown). The air suction mechanism sucks air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17. When the sheet feeding belt 17 is driven with the sheets stacked to a predetermined height and air is sucked from the lower surface of the sheet feeding belt 17, the uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets is placed on the sheet feeding belt 17. Adsorbed to the lower surface and sent out to the right of the device. In the first embodiment, the air suction mechanism has a fan, and an air flow for sucking air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17 is formed by the operation of the fan.

  The paper feeding device 10 has an electronic control unit (not shown). The electronic control unit includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and controls operations of various actuators such as a motor and a solenoid mounted on the sheet feeding device 10.

  A motor for driving the paper feed belt 17 is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls on / off of the operation of the paper feed belt 17. The air suction mechanism is provided with a solenoid that drives a lid member that opens and closes an opening provided in the air flow path. When the solenoid is off, the opening is opened and the suction of the paper to the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17 is suppressed by weakening the suction of air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17. When the solenoid is on, the opening is closed and the suction of air from the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17 is strengthened, so that the paper is adsorbed on the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17. This solenoid is also connected to the electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the adsorption of the paper to the paper feeding belt 17 by controlling the on / off state of the solenoid. As described above, the electronic control unit controls the feeding of the uppermost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding table 14 by controlling the driving of the sheet feeding belt 17 and the adsorption of the sheet to the lower surface of the sheet feeding belt 17. .

  An air blowing mechanism 57 serving as an air blowing means is disposed below the paper feeding unit 16 and in the vicinity of the upper end on the downstream side of the stacked sheets. The air blowing mechanism 57 blows air to the upper end of the stacked paper from the downstream side in the paper feeding direction. When the air is blown out from the air blowing mechanism 57, the uppermost sheet is lifted with respect to the sheet below it, the frictional force between them is reduced, and it is possible to improve the sheet transportability. The air blowing mechanism 57 has a fan (not shown), and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the fan to control the air blowing by the air blowing mechanism 57.

  The apparatus main body 12 has a paper height sensor (not shown) that detects the height of the uppermost paper among the papers stacked on the paper feed tray 14. The apparatus main body 12 is disposed on the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as “upstream side”) of the paper feed unit 16 in the paper conveyance direction. The paper height sensor has a rotating plate (not shown), an optical sensor (not shown), and a sensor frame (not shown). The rotating plate is rotatably supported by the sensor frame. The optical sensor is fixed to the sensor frame and detects that the rotating plate has rotated to a predetermined angle. The sheet height sensor is disposed around the left side of the sheet feeding unit 16 and is fixed to the frame 13 so that the rotating plate protrudes slightly below the lower surface of the sheet feeding belt 17. As will be described later, the loaded paper can be raised and lowered together with the paper feed table 14, and the rotating plate is loaded in a state where the uppermost paper is in contact with the loaded paper. The paper rotates as it rises. An optical sensor and a rotating plate are arranged to detect that the rotating plate rotates to a predetermined angle when the uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets is lifted to a height suitable for feeding. The

  The first air blowing member 52 is disposed in the vicinity of the right side of the stacked sheets and in the vicinity of the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets, and blows air forward by supplying air. Therefore, the first air blowing member 52 functions as an air blowing means for blowing air to the upper end side surface of the stacked paper. The second air blowing member 54 is disposed in the vicinity of the front side on the left side of the stacked sheets and in the vicinity of the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets, and blows air backward when supplied with air. Therefore, the second air blowing member 54 also functions as an air blowing means for blowing air to the upper end side surface of the stacked paper. When air is blown out from the first air blowing member 52 and the second air blowing member 54, the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked together with the air blowing by the air blowing mechanism 57 described above and the lower sheet thereof An air layer is more effectively formed between the sheets. As a result, the frictional force between the sheets is reduced, and the uppermost sheet is easily fed out.

  A curved paper transport path that reverses the paper transport direction from the right to the left while moving up is provided at the paper delivery destination of the paper feed unit 16. In this curved sheet conveyance path, the sheet is conveyed by the roller 19.

  A roller unit 58 is provided on the left side, which is the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction (hereinafter referred to as “downstream side”) of the curved paper conveyance path. The roller unit 58 includes a conveyance belt 64, a roller 60, and a roller 62. The conveyor belt 64 is attached to the outer periphery of the roller 60 and the roller 62, and forms a sheet conveyance path that moves obliquely downward by the lower surface of the conveyor belt 64.

  A buffer mechanism 22 is provided on the downstream side of the roller unit 58. The buffer mechanism 22 includes a conveyance belt 26, a roller 24, and a stop roller 28. The conveyance belt 26 is attached to the outer periphery of the two rollers 24, and a sheet conveyance path that runs obliquely upward is formed by the upper surface of the conveyance belt 26.

  The stop roller 28 is in contact with the upper surface of the transport belt 26. Below the stop roller 28, a stop member (not shown) having a length similar to the length of the upper surface of the transport belt 26 in the sheet transport direction is attached to the frame 13 so as to be rotatable about the upstream side. When the paper is retained in the buffer mechanism 22, the retaining member is rotated so as to move upward and is brought into contact with the retaining roller 28. At this time, the stationary member is rotated until the upper surface of the stationary member is positioned above the upper surface of the conveying belt 26. As a result, the sheet can be stopped above the conveyor belt 26 while the conveyor belt 26 is driven.

  The third air blowing member 56 blows air along the upper surface of the conveyor belt 26 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the buffer mechanism 22. As a result, the leading edge of the paper entering the buffer mechanism 22 can be lifted upward. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the progress of the conveyed paper from being impeded by the rear end of the paper already stopped on the upper surface of the stop member and the front end of the paper to be stopped on the paper. The In addition, an air layer can be formed between the upper surface of the paper already retained on the upper surface of the retaining member and the lower surface of the paper to be retained on top of the paper, and the frictional force between the sheets is also reduced. Can be reduced. As described above, it is possible to realize the smooth stoppage of the sheet in the buffer mechanism 22 by blowing out the air from the third air blowing member 56.

  The paper conveyance path provided on the downstream side of the buffer mechanism 22 is formed so as to first proceed obliquely downward and then proceed in the horizontal direction. The paper transported to the paper transport path is transported by the roller 30 and discharged out of the apparatus main body 12. When sheets are stacked by the buffer mechanism 22 to form a sheet bundle, the sheet bundle is conveyed in the same manner. The paper discharged from the apparatus main body 12 is conveyed to a post-processing device such as a paper folding device, a paper binding device, or a paper punching device.

  The paper feeder 10 further includes an air pump 42, a first pipe 34, a second pipe 36, a third pipe 38, a second air valve 40, a first air valve 44, and a door 32. The door 32 is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 12 in the right direction from the paper storage unit 15.

  The air pump 42 is provided inside the apparatus main body 12 positioned to the right of the paper storage unit 15. A first air valve 44 is connected to the air pump 42. The first pipe 34, the second pipe 36, and the third pipe 38 are also provided inside the apparatus main body 12. The first pipe 34 is connected to the third air blowing member 56. The second pipe 36 is connected to the first air blowing member 52. The third pipe 38 is connected to the second air blowing member 54. The first pipe 34, the second pipe 36 and the third pipe 38 are all connected to a single second air valve 40. The air pump 42, the first air valve 44, and the second air valve 40 are disposed at positions that can be accessed by the user by opening the door 32.

  One end of a hose (not shown) is connected to the first air valve 44, and the other end of the hose is connected to the second air valve 40. When the air pump 42 is turned on, air is supplied to the first air blowing member 52, the second air blowing member 54, and the third air blowing member 56, respectively.

  FIG. 3 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device 10 according to the present embodiment. The apparatus body 12 further includes two rods 72, two chains 80, and a single motor 84. The two rods 72 have the same shape as an elongated plate.

  The two rods 72 are fixed to each other so as to extend in parallel while being separated from each other by a connecting shaft (not shown). Rollers 76 are arranged in the vertical direction behind the frame 13. A chain 80 is attached to the outer periphery of the roller 76. Two sets of such rollers 76 and chains 80 are juxtaposed in the left-right direction of the apparatus. Each of the two rods 72 is coupled to each of the two chains 80 via rod support portions 74. At this time, the rod 72 is provided so as to protrude from the frame 13 toward the front of the apparatus in the paper accommodating portion 15. The sheet feeder 16 is placed on the rod 72.

  A central axis of the upper roller 76 is connected to a motor 84 via a speed reducer 82. By operating the motor 84, the chain 80 is driven, and the rod 72 moves in the vertical direction. The motor 84 is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the motor 84 by supplying a drive signal to the motor 84. As a result, the electronic control unit controls the raising and lowering of the sheet feed table 14.

  4 is a front view of the paper guide unit 100, FIG. 5 is a left side view of the paper guide unit 100, and FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the paper guide unit 100. FIG. 6 is a view seen from the viewpoint Q of FIG. Since the right direction in FIG. 4 and the lower direction in FIG. 6 are directions in which the paper is sent out, the left and right direction in FIG. 4 and the up and down direction in FIG. The width direction will be described below.

  The paper guide unit 100 includes a frame 106, a width direction guide mechanism 102, and a paper rear end guide mechanism 104. The frame 106 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a low height that opens at the top and bottom. The width direction guide mechanism 102 includes a first moving unit 108, a belt 136, a pulley 138, a pulley 140, a belt 144, a pulley 146, a pulley 148, and a first drive shaft 142.

  The first moving unit 108 includes a rod 110, a first bracket 112, a first guide pin 114, a second bracket 116, a second guide pin 118, a third guide pin 120, and a first paper pressing mechanism 130. The rod 110 is formed in an elongated rod shape and is disposed inside the frame 106 so as to extend in parallel with the sheet feeding direction.

  The first bracket 112 is fixed to the downstream side of the rod 110 in the sheet feeding direction. The first guide pin 114 is provided with a through hole penetrating in the vertical direction. The first guide pin 114 is inserted into the through hole from above. The first guide pin 114 has a stopper portion that bulges radially outward at one end, and the first guide pin 114 is locked in a state of protruding downward from the first bracket 112. Accordingly, the first guide pin 114 is attached to the first bracket 112 so as to protrude downward from the first bracket 112 and to be movable upward when a force is applied upward.

  The second bracket 116 is attached to the upstream side of the rod 110 in the sheet feeding direction. The second bracket 116 has a guide and is attached to the rod 110 so as to be movable in the paper feeding direction. The second bracket 116 has another guide, and is attached to the rod 155 so as to be movable in the paper width direction also to the rod 155 extending in the paper width direction.

  The second guide pin 118 and the third guide pin 120 have the same shape as the first guide pin 114. Similarly to the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 118 and the third guide pin 120 are also protruded downward from the second bracket 116, and can be moved upward when a force is applied upward. The second bracket 116 is attached. At this time, the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 are respectively arranged at the same sheet width direction position and the same height direction position, so that the first bracket 112 and the second guide pin 118 respectively. Attached to.

  The first sheet pressing mechanism 130 includes a first sheet pressing member 132, two support members 134, and two pins 135. The first paper pressing member 132 has a shape in which an elongated cylindrical member is bent into a U shape.

  The two support members 134 are each formed by bending a plate-like member into a U shape, and the end portion of the first sheet pressing member 132 is inserted between the U shapes. The pin 135 is inserted into an insertion hole provided in both the end portion of the first sheet pressing member 132 and the support member 134. At this time, an insertion hole for the first sheet pressing member 132 is provided so that both pins are coaxial. As a result, the first sheet pressing member 132 is attached to the support member 134 so as to be able to hang downward due to its own weight and to be rotatable.

  The support member 134 is fixed to the rod 110 so that the first sheet pressing member 132 extends in the sheet feeding direction. A contact portion 132a, which is a curved surface portion of the lower portion of the first sheet pressing member 132, contacts the uppermost sheet when the stacked sheets are at the sheet feeding position. Thus, the first paper pressing member 132 is configured to be rotatable so that the abutting portion 132a moves in the vertical direction around a rotation axis parallel to the paper feeding direction.

  The first drive shaft 142 is provided so as to extend in the paper feed direction, and is attached to the frame 106 so as to be rotatable through a support bracket 149 and a bearing on the back side in the paper width direction from the frame 106. A belt 136 is provided on the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction so as to extend in the sheet width direction in a state where the belt 136 is attached to the pulley 138 and the pulley 140. The pulley 138 is rotatably attached to the frame 106. The pulley 140 is fixed to the first drive shaft 142 so as to rotate together with the first drive shaft 142. As a result, the belt 136 moves in the paper width direction as the first drive shaft 142 rotates.

  Further, on the upstream side in the paper feeding direction, a belt 144 is provided so as to extend in the paper width direction in a state where the belt 144 is attached to the pulley 146 and the pulley 148. Pulley 146 is rotatably attached to 106. The pulley 148 is fixed to the first drive shaft 142 so as to rotate together with the first drive shaft 142. As a result, the belt 144 moves in the paper width direction as the first drive shaft 142 rotates.

  The rod 110 is connected to the belt 136 via the connecting portion 124. The rod 110 is connected to the belt 144 via the connecting portion 126. Accordingly, when the first drive shaft 142 rotates, the first moving unit 108 moves in the paper width direction. At this time, since the pulleys to which these belts are attached all have the same diameter, the belt 136 and the belt 144 move at a constant speed in the paper width direction. Accordingly, the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 move in the paper width direction while maintaining the same position in the paper width direction. Further, the first sheet pressing member 132 moves in the sheet width direction while maintaining a state parallel to the sheet feeding direction.

  The first drive shaft 142 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). The motor is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the motor by supplying a drive signal to the motor. In this way, the electronic control unit controls the movement of the first moving unit 108 in the paper width direction.

  The sheet trailing edge guide mechanism 104 includes a second moving unit 150, a belt 162, a pulley 164, a pulley 166, a belt 156, a pulley 158, a pulley 160, and a second drive shaft 168. The second moving unit 150 includes a rod 155, a second bracket 116, a second guide pin 118, a third guide pin 120, a third bracket 152, and a fourth guide pin 154.

  The rod 155 is formed in an elongated plate shape. The third bracket 152 is fixed to the back side of the rod 155 in the paper width direction (left side in FIGS. 5 and 6). Similarly to the first guide pin 114, the fourth guide pin 154 protrudes downward from the third bracket 152, and is movable upward when a force is applied upward. Attached to 152.

  The second bracket 116 is attached to the front side of the rod 155 in the paper width direction (the right side in FIGS. 5 and 6). The second bracket 116 has a guide and is attached to the rod 155 so as to be movable in the paper width direction.

  The third guide pin 120 has the same shape as the fourth guide pin 154. The third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 are respectively attached to the second bracket 116 and the third bracket 152 so as to be disposed at the same position in the paper feeding direction and at the same height direction. The third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 are arranged on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction from the second guide pin 118, and the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 118, the third guide pin 120, and The fourth guide pins 154 are all arranged at the same height direction.

  The second drive shaft 168 extends in the paper width direction, and is rotatably attached to the downstream side of the frame 106 in the paper feed direction via a bearing. A belt 162 is provided on the front side in the sheet width direction so as to extend in the sheet feeding direction in a state where the belt 162 is attached to the pulley 164 and the pulley 166. The pulley 164 is rotatably attached to the frame 106. The pulley 166 is fixed to the second drive shaft 168 so as to rotate together with the second drive shaft 168. For this reason, the belt 162 moves in the sheet feeding direction as the second drive shaft 168 rotates.

  Further, on the back side in the paper width direction, a belt 156 is provided so as to extend in the paper feeding direction in a state where the belt 156 is attached to the pulley 158 and the pulley 160. The pulley 158 is rotatably attached to the frame 106. The pulley 160 is fixed to the second drive shaft 168 so as to rotate together with the second drive shaft 168. For this reason, the belt 156 moves in the sheet feeding direction as the second drive shaft 168 rotates.

  Both ends of the rod 155 are connected to a belt 162 and a belt 156, respectively. Accordingly, when the second drive shaft 168 rotates, the second moving unit 150 moves in the sheet feeding direction. Since the pulleys to which these belts are attached all have the same diameter, at this time, the belt 162 and the belt 156 move at a constant speed in the sheet feeding direction. Accordingly, the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 move in the paper feed direction while maintaining the same position in the paper feed direction. Note that a roller 157 is provided on the rod 155 on the front side in the sheet width direction, and the downward displacement of the second moving unit 150 is suppressed.

  The second drive shaft 168 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). The motor is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the motor by supplying a drive signal to the motor. Thus, the electronic control unit controls the movement of the second moving unit 150 in the sheet feeding direction.

  The second paper pressing mechanism 170 has a second paper pressing member 172 and a support bracket 174. The second paper pressing member 172 has a shape in which an elongated cylindrical member is bent in a U shape. The support bracket 174 is provided with two insertion holes, and the end of the second sheet pressing member 172 is inserted into the insertion hole from below. A stopper is attached to the end of the second paper pressing member 172 after being inserted into the insertion hole so that the second paper pressing member 172 does not come off. Thus, the second paper pressing member 172 is attached to the support bracket 174 so as to protrude downward from the support bracket 174 and to be movable upward when a force is applied upward. A contact portion 172a, which is a lower curved surface portion of the second paper pressing member 172, contacts the uppermost paper when the stacked paper is at the paper feed position.

  The second paper pressing mechanism 170 is attached to the back side of the frame 106 in the paper width direction so that the second paper pressing member 172 extends in the paper feeding direction. At this time, the second sheet pressing member 172 is positioned so that the second sheet pressing member 172 is positioned immediately above the back side in the sheet width direction of the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 14 and in a position suitable for feeding. A sheet pressing mechanism 170 is disposed in the frame 106.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the sheet feeding device 10 when the start button is pressed. The processing in this flowchart starts when the user presses the start button.

  When the user presses the start button (S11), the electronic control unit operates the motor 84 to raise the paper feed table 14 (S12). While raising the paper feed tray 14, the electronic control unit uses the detection result of the paper height sensor 20 to convey the topmost paper among the papers stacked on the paper feed tray 14 by the paper feed unit 16. It is determined whether or not it has been raised to a possible predetermined paper feed position (S13). If it is determined that the stacked paper has not yet been raised to the paper feed position (N in S13), the electronic control unit continues the judgment in S13 while continuing to raise the paper feed table 14. When it is determined that the stacked paper has been raised to the paper feed position (Y in S13), the electronic control unit stops the operation of the motor 84 and stops the paper feed table 14 from being raised (S14).

  While the paper feed table 14 is raised, the lower surface of the second paper pressing member 172 contacts the upper surface of the uppermost paper among the papers stacked on the paper feed table 14. Thereafter, as the paper feed platform 14 is raised, the second paper pressure member 172 is also raised while being in contact with the upper surface of the uppermost paper, and the second paper pressure member is also moved when the stacked paper is raised to the paper feed position. The member 172 comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet, and the uppermost sheet is pushed downward by its own weight. In this state, the second paper pressing member 172 is movable in the vertical direction.

  The sheet feeding device 10 is provided with a control panel (not shown) that can be input by the user. The user can input the size of paper to be fed by operating this control panel. Note that the paper feeding in the paper feeding device 10 refers to an operation of sequentially feeding the uppermost paper among the papers stacked by the paper feeding unit 16.

  The control panel is connected to the electronic control unit, and the paper size input by the user is output to the electronic control unit. Using the input paper size, the electronic control unit controls the first moving unit 108 so that the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 do not contact the upper surface of the paper even when the stacked paper is raised. Move to a predetermined standby position in advance.

  Here, the standby position of the first moving unit 108 refers to the first position closer to the front side by a shorter distance from the front end in the paper width direction when the paper of the size input by the user is at a predetermined position suitable for feeding. The position of the first moving unit 108 when the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 are positioned. The reason why the distance between the end on the front side in the sheet width direction and the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 is short is that the contact time of the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 to the sheet is reduced. This is to suppress the increase.

  In addition, the electronic control unit uses the input paper size to prevent the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 from coming into contact with the upper surface of the paper even when the stacked paper is raised. 150 is moved to a predetermined standby position in advance.

  Here, the standby position of the second moving unit 150 refers to the upstream side by a further short distance from the upstream end in the paper feeding direction when the paper of the size input by the user is at a predetermined position suitable for feeding. The position of the second moving unit 150 when the 3 guide pins 120 and the 4th guide pins 154 are located. The reason why the distance between the end on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction and the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 is short is that the contact time of the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 to the sheet This is to suppress the increase.

  Therefore, since the first moving unit 108 is in the standby position in advance, the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 are prevented from coming into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet by raising the sheet feed table 14. . Further, since the second moving unit 150 is also in the standby position in advance, the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 are prevented from coming into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet by raising the sheet feed table 14. .

  Note that there may be a case where an error in paper size input by the user or an error in paper loaded on the paper feed tray 14 occurs. In contrast, the first guide pin 114, the second guide pin 118, the third guide pin 120, and the fourth guide pin 154 protrude downward due to gravity as described above. Therefore, even when any of these guide pins comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet while the sheet feed base 14 is raised, the guide pin that has contacted the sheet is lifted upward. Accordingly, since only the force corresponding to the weight of the guide pin is applied to the stacked paper, damage to the paper in such a case is suppressed.

  When the paper feed table 14 stops, the electronic control unit supplies a drive signal to a motor that rotationally drives the first drive shaft 142, and moves from the standby position to a position corresponding to the paper size input by the user. 108 is moved to the back side in the paper width direction (S15). Here, the position of the first moving unit 108 according to the paper size refers to the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin when the input size paper is stacked at a predetermined position on the paper feed tray 14. This is the position of the first moving unit 108 which is the position where it hits the upper end of the sheet 118 in the paper width direction or the position just before it hits.

  By disposing the first guide pin 114 and the second guide pin 118 at such positions, it is possible to prevent the sheet from being sent out obliquely. Accordingly, since the sheet can be fed when the first moving unit 108 is in such a position, the position of the first moving unit 108 corresponding to the sheet size is hereinafter referred to as a sheet feeding position of the first moving unit 108. .

  As the first moving unit 108 moves to the rear side in the paper width direction, the first paper pressing member 132 comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost paper near the front side in the paper width direction and lowers the uppermost paper by its own weight. It becomes the state pushed in the direction. A process in which the first sheet pressing member 132 contacts the upper surface of the uppermost sheet will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 8A is a left side view of the first moving unit 108 in the standby position, and FIG. 8B is a left side view of the first moving unit 108 that is moving. FIG. 6C is a left side view of the first moving unit 108 when in the paper feeding position.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, when the first moving unit 108 is in the standby position, the first paper pressing member 132 is separated from the upper end portion on the near side in the paper width direction of the stacked paper. Yes. At this time, the contact portion 132a, which is a curved surface portion of the lower portion of the first sheet pressing member 132, is positioned below the uppermost sheet.

  When the first moving unit 108 moves to the back side in the paper width direction, as shown in FIG. 8B, the side portion of the first paper pressing member 132 comes into contact with the upper end portion on the front side of the stacked paper in the paper width direction. . When the first moving unit 108 further moves to the back side in the sheet width direction, the first sheet pressing member 132 rotates, and the side of the first sheet pressing member 132 slides against the upper end of the stacked sheets. The contact portion 132a gradually rises. When the contact portion 132a reaches the upper surface of the uppermost sheet, the contact portion 132a slides further on the upper surface of the uppermost sheet in the sheet width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, when the first moving unit 108 is in the paper feeding position, the first paper pressing member 132 contacts the upper surface of the uppermost paper in the vicinity of the front side in the paper width direction. Any of the sheet pressing members moves to the sheet feeding position by moving in the sheet width direction in this way, so that whatever size of sheets are stacked on the sheet feeding table 14, The first paper pressing member 132 can be easily moved to a paper feeding position suitable for the paper.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the electronic control unit then supplies a drive signal to the motor that drives the second drive shaft 168, and moves from the standby position to a position corresponding to the paper size input by the user to the second moving unit 150. Is moved downstream in the paper feed direction (S16). Here, the position of the second moving unit 150 in accordance with the paper size means that the third guide pin 120 and the fourth guide pin 154 are used when the paper of the input size is stacked at a predetermined position on the paper feed tray 14. Is the position of the second moving unit 150 that is the position where it hits the upper end on the upstream side of the sheet feeding direction or the position just before it hits. Arranging the third guide pins 120 and the fourth guide pins 154 at such positions also suppresses the sheet from being sent out obliquely. Of course, the process of S15 and the process of S16 may be performed in parallel.

  When the abutting of the first bracket 112, the second guide pin 118, the third guide pin 120, and the fourth guide pin 154 is completed, the electronic control unit executes paper feed control (S17). Specifically, the paper feed control means that the air blowing mechanism 57, the first air blowing member 52, and the second air blowing member 54 blow out air to the upper end of the stacked paper and the paper by the paper feeding unit 16. This refers to control such as sending out, stopping and accumulating sheets by the buffer mechanism 22, and discharging the sent sheets to the post-processing device.

  Therefore, the contact portion 132a of the first sheet pressing member 132 and the contact portion 172a of the second sheet pressing member 172 are provided before air is blown from the air blowing mechanism 57 to the upper end on the downstream side of the stacked sheets. Touches the top sheet. For this reason, when the air blowing from the air blowing mechanism 57 is started, the uppermost sheet and the sheet below the sheet are in contact with each other in the vicinity of both ends in the sheet width direction. In this case, escape of air from both ends in the sheet width direction is suppressed, and the uppermost sheet is easily deformed into a mountain shape with the center swollen when viewed from the sheet feeding direction. Further, even when air is blown out from the air blowing mechanism 57, the first paper pressing member 132 is near the end of the uppermost paper in the paper width direction, and the second paper pressing member 172 is the paper width. Push the vicinity of the end on the far side in the direction downward.

  When the uppermost sheet is deformed into a mountain shape in this way, first, the contact area with the sheet below can be reduced. For this reason, the frictional force with the lower sheet can be reduced, and the separation of the sheet can be improved. Further, when the uppermost sheet is deformed into a mountain shape, the uppermost sheet is stiff. That is, the uppermost sheet is less likely to bend when viewed from the sheet width direction. For this reason, even in a paper feeding device such as the paper feeding device 10 according to the present embodiment, a part of the uppermost paper is sucked by the paper feeding unit 16 and sent out, Contact with the underlying paper can be suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to further improve the paper separation.

  Further, the contact portion 132a of the first sheet pressing member 132 and the contact portion 172a of the second sheet pressing member 172 are configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the air blowing from the air blowing mechanism 57, the first air blowing member 52, and the second air blowing member 54 is sufficiently strong, the contact portion 132a and the second paper pressing member 172 are caused by the force of the air. The uppermost sheet can be deformed into an appropriate mountain shape by moving upward and allowing air to escape appropriately from the end in the sheet width direction.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and an appropriate combination of the elements of each embodiment is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications such as design changes can be added to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added can also be included in the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  In a modification, the first moving unit 108 does not include the first sheet pressing mechanism 130. In this case, the first paper pressing mechanism 130 has a paper pressing member that can move in the vertical direction, like the second paper pressing mechanism 170. Further, in order to move the first paper pressing mechanism 130 in the paper width direction according to the paper size, a mechanism for moving the first paper pressing mechanism 130 in the paper width direction is provided separately from the mechanism for moving the first moving unit 108. Provided. Also with such a configuration, the paper pressing member can be brought into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost paper in the vicinity of both ends in the paper width direction before the air blowing by the air blowing mechanism 57.

  In another modification, the second paper pressing mechanism 170 is configured to be rotatable so as to move the contact portion in the vertical direction, similarly to the first paper pressing mechanism 130. Also in this case, the second paper pressing mechanism 170 is fixed to the frame 106 and cannot be moved in the paper width direction unlike the first paper pressing mechanism 130. As a result, for example, the first paper pressing mechanism 130 and the second paper pressing mechanism 170 can share parts, and the cost can be reduced.

  In another modified example, the sheet pressing member presses the uppermost sheet downward by an urging force of an elastic member such as a spring instead of or together with its own weight. This also improves the paper separation performance with a simple configuration.

It is a front view of the paper feeder concerning an embodiment. It is PP sectional drawing of the paper feeder which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. It is a front view of a paper guide unit. FIG. 6 is a left side view of the paper guide unit. It is a bottom view of the paper guide unit. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure of the sheet feeding device when a start button is pressed. (A) is a left side view of the first moving unit when in the standby position, (b) is a left side view of the first moving unit during movement, and (c) is at the paper feeding position. It is a left view of the 1st movement unit at a time.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 paper feeder, 14 paper feed stand, 50 paper mounting surface, 52 1st air blowing member, 54 2nd air blowing member, 100 paper guide unit, 102 width direction guide mechanism, 104 paper trailing edge guide mechanism, 108 1st 1st moving unit, 114 1st guide pin, 118 2nd guide pin, 120 3rd guide pin, 132 1st paper pressing member, 132a contact part, 150 2nd moving unit, 154 4th guide pin, 172 2nd paper A holding member, 172a contact part.

Claims (7)

Air blowing means for blowing air to the upper end of the stacked paper;
A pair of sheet pressing members that respectively press the vicinity of both ends in the sheet width direction of the uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets when air is blown by the air blowing means;
A paper feeding section that feeds the uppermost paper when air is blown out by the air blowing means,
In the pair of sheet pressing members, the abutting portions that abut on the uppermost sheet are movable in the vertical direction, and the abutting sections abut on the uppermost sheet before the air is blown out by the air blowing means. A paper feeder characterized by that.   2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein one of the pair of sheet pressing members pushes the uppermost sheet downward by its own weight.   3. One of the pair of sheet pressing members can be rotated so that the contact portion moves in the vertical direction about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the sheet feeding direction. The paper feeder described.   The rotatable paper pressing member extends in the paper width direction from a standby position where it does not contact the stacked paper to a paper feeding position where the contact portion abuts near one end of the uppermost paper in the paper width direction. When it is in the standby position, the contact part is located at a lower level than the upper surface of the uppermost sheet, and slides with the upper end of the stacked sheets in the process of moving from the standby position to the paper feeding position. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the abutting portion rotates so as to rise to the height of the upper surface of the uppermost sheet. A side guide that is movable in the paper width direction and regulates the movement of the uppermost paper in any one direction of the paper width direction;
The rotatable paper pressing member moves in the paper width direction together with the side guide, and reaches the paper feed position when the side guide hits one end of the paper width direction or the vicinity thereof. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the sheet feeding device is moved. It further includes an elevating and lowering paper tray on which paper is loaded,
The side guide moves up to or near one end in the sheet width direction after raising the sheet feed table to a position where the uppermost sheet can be fed out. 5. The sheet feeding device according to 5. It further includes an elevating and lowering paper tray on which paper is loaded,
In the step of raising the paper feed base to a position where the uppermost sheet can be sent out, the sheet pressing member raises the uppermost sheet by bringing the contact portion into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet. The paper feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the paper feeding device is pushed downward by its own weight.

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