JP2010105781A - Paper feeding device, paper feeding unit and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeding device capable of surely separating paper, regardless of the kind of the paper, and preventing generation of damage of the paper. <P>SOLUTION: This paper feeding device 1A includes a paper mounting base 2 stacked with the paper P, a sucking and conveying mechanism 3 for sucking and conveying the paper P stacked on the paper mounting base 2, and a separation projection 5A projected from a suction surface 30b to separate a sheet of the top-most paper P from the second and succeeding sheets of the paper when two or more sheets of the paper P are sucked on the suction surface 30b. The separation projection 5A pushes down part of a distal end of the paper P sucked on the suction surface 30b to form a space into which separation air is introduced between a distal end face of the one sheet of the top-most paper and distal end faces of the second and succeeding sheets of the paper. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that sucks and feeds stacked sheets with air. In particular, when two or more sheets are sucked, a space that triggers separation of the second and subsequent sheets is provided at the top. And a separation protrusion that can be formed between the first sheet and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets.

  Conventionally, an air feeding device has been used as a paper feeding device for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. In the air feeding device, air is blown to the side end face of the loaded paper to float it, and the lifted paper is sucked by a suction surface such as a perforated belt in which an air inlet for sucking air is formed. A mechanism for rotating and transporting the sheet is used.

  In such an air sheet feeding device, when two or more sheets are stuck to the suction surface, a separation mechanism is required to separate them.

  As the separation mechanism of the air feeding mechanism, a mechanism that blows air from the edge of the adsorbed paper and blows air between the paper is well known, but especially with thin plain paper or recycled paper Separation was difficult, and there was a problem that paper could not be separated by air blowing alone and doubled.

  In order to assist the separation effect by air blowing, a method of projecting a protrusion from an adsorption surface is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this method, the uppermost sheet that directly acts on the suction force is adsorbed to the idle surface so as to wrap around the protrusion, whereas the sheet adsorbed by the uppermost sheet is sucked by air. Since this force does not act directly, it stops at the point where it touches the protrusion, or it adsorbs to the adsorption surface with a gentle deflection. In this way, more reliable separation can be obtained by utilizing the difference in posture generated between the uppermost sheet and the second and subsequent sheets.

JP-A-61-254438

  In the system in which the sheet adsorbed on the adsorption surface is lifted and separated using a protrusion, the sheet is rubbed while the protrusion is in contact with the sheet when the sheet is conveyed. Image forming apparatuses such as copiers have come to support not only plain paper and recycled paper, but also art paper and coated paper whose surface is coated.

  Since the surface of these papers is easily damaged, there arises a problem that the surface of the paper is damaged by a protrusion for assisting separation when the paper is conveyed. In addition, black streaks appear at the positions where the carbon paper passes through the protrusions, which causes a problem that the quality of the output paper is impaired.

  With coated paper and carbon paper, it is relatively easy to blow air into the gaps between the overlapping sheets, so that the protrusion height of the protrusion from the adsorption surface can be reduced. If the protrusion height of the protrusion is lowered, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of scratches on the paper. However, if the protrusion height of the protrusion is lowered, it becomes impossible to reliably separate the plain paper and the recycled paper, and the problem of double feeding occurs. For this reason, conventionally, it has been difficult to cope with various types of paper with one type of paper feeder.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and is capable of reliably separating sheets regardless of the type of paper, and also capable of preventing the occurrence of scratches on the sheet, and a sheet feeding apparatus including the sheet feeding apparatus. An object is to provide a unit and an image forming apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a sheet mounting table on which a plurality of sheets are stacked, a sheet stacked on the sheet mounting table is sucked from the upper surface, and the uppermost sheet is sucked. An adsorption surface, a conveyance mechanism for conveying the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface to the paper conveyance path, and a separation protrusion protruding from the adsorption surface, and the separation protrusion is a part of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface Is placed at a position where it floats up from the suction surface. When two or more sheets are sucked onto the suction surface, the leading edge of the overlapped paper is pushed down by the separation protrusion, so that The sheet feeding device forms a space between the leading end surface of one sheet of paper and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets.

  In the paper feeding device according to claim 1, when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface, the leading edge of the overlapped sheet is pushed down by the separation protrusion, and the second and subsequent sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface. The top sheet is lifted from the uppermost sheet, and a space is formed between the leading end surface of the uppermost sheet and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. By forming a space between the front end surfaces of the overlapped sheets, the sheets are reliably separated.

  By providing a separation protrusion in an arrangement in which a space is formed between the leading end surfaces of the overlapped sheets, coated paper that is easy to be separated can be reliably separated even if the amount of the sheet floating from the suction surface is small. Separation is ensured even with plain paper that is difficult to separate with the separation protrusion having a protruding height. Thereby, the protrusion height is suppressed low from the adsorption surface of the separation protrusion, and the occurrence of scratches on the coated paper or the like is prevented.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the paper feeding device according to the first aspect, further comprising a separation air blowing mechanism that blows separation air from the front in the paper conveyance direction by the conveyance mechanism to the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface. is there.

  In the paper feeding device according to claim 2, two or more sheets are attracted to the suction surface, so that the leading edge of the uppermost one sheet and the leading edge of the second and subsequent sheets are interposed. Separation air is blown into the formed space from the front in the paper transport direction. By forming a space between the front end surfaces of the overlapped sheets, the separation air easily enters between the sheets. This makes it possible to reliably separate the paper with a separation protrusion having a low protrusion height as compared with a configuration using a conventional protrusion, preventing the occurrence of scratches on the coated paper, etc., and separating with a protrusion such as plain paper. Can be made compatible.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the transport mechanism is provided with a transport belt that is formed with an air inlet for sucking air for sucking the paper and rotates along the transport direction of the paper, and is located on the side facing the paper mounting table. A suction surface is configured by the conveying belt, and the conveying belt has a shape in which the suction surface is bent along a path inclined forward in the paper conveyance direction on the side facing the paper placement table. The sheet feeding device according to 1 or 2.

  In the sheet feeding device according to claim 3, when two or more sheets are attracted to the attracting surface, the uppermost sheet is directly attracted to the attracting force. It is adsorbed in a bent form following the surface. On the other hand, since the suction force does not act directly on the second and subsequent sheets, the uppermost sheet and the second and subsequent sheets are separated from the leading end surface without following the bent shape of the suction surface. Is done.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorbing surface, the separation protrusion is located between the leading end surface of the uppermost sheet and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. 2. An elastic member configured to be displaceable in a direction stored in the suction surface side from a separation position protruding from the suction surface at a height that forms a space in the space, and biasing the separation protrusion in the protrusion direction. The sheet feeding device according to 2 or 3.

  5. The paper feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion height of the separation protrusion is set to a protrusion height having a sufficient margin for the separation performance of plain paper at the moment when the paper is adsorbed to the adsorption surface. Even in this case, the separation protrusion is pressed by a force that attracts the sheet to the suction surface and is displaced in the direction of being stored on the suction surface side. When the conveyance is started after a lapse of a certain time from the start of the suction of the paper, the protruding height of the separation protrusion is a height that prevents the coated paper or the like from being damaged.

  The amount of displacement of the separation protrusion is set by the balance between the force by which the sheet is adsorbed on the adsorption surface and the elastic force by which the separation protrusion protrudes, and the pressing force can be adjusted. As a result, it is possible to prevent a load exceeding a certain level from being applied to the paper by a balance between the adsorption force and the elastic force of the paper, and even if a pressing force as a reaction force is applied, the paper is prevented from being damaged. . Therefore, the range of the protrusion height of the separation protrusion that achieves both separation of the paper and prevention of scratches can be set wider so as to be compatible with various paper types.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the paper feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member is formed of a viscoelastic body having viscous resistance.

  In the paper feeding device according to claim 5, since the elastic member has a viscous resistance, when the paper is adsorbed on the adsorption surface, the protrusion height of the separation protrusion is a predetermined separation position for a predetermined time according to the viscous resistance. And then gradually stored. As a result, when the paper is attracted to the suction surface, the time during which the separation protrusion is at the separation position can be lengthened, and sufficient separation time can be ensured when separating plain paper or the like. The paper separation performance can be further improved.

  The invention according to claim 6 is provided with a detection sensor for detecting the displacement of the separation protrusion, and is an operation in which the separation protrusion is stored on the suction surface side by being pressed by the force by which the sheet is attracted to the suction surface. 6. The paper feeding device according to claim 4, wherein whether or not the paper is attracted to the paper is determined.

  In the paper feeding device according to claim 6, the function of separating the paper and the function of detecting the suction of the paper on the suction surface can be shared by the operation of the separation protrusion, and the configuration can be simplified. It becomes.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet mounting table on which a plurality of sheets are stacked, a suction surface that sucks the sheets stacked on the sheet mounting table from the upper surface, and sucks the uppermost sheet, and a suction surface. A rotation mechanism that includes a conveyance mechanism that conveys the adsorbed paper to the paper conveyance path, and a rotating body that protrudes from the adsorption surface and contacts the paper adsorbed to the adsorption surface and rotates following the conveyance of the paper by the conveyance mechanism. The body is placed at a position where it pushes down a part of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface and lifts from the adsorption surface. When two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface, the leading edge of the overlapped paper rotates. By being pushed down by the body, the sheet feeding device forms a space between the leading end surface of the uppermost one sheet sucked by the attracting surface and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets.

  In the paper feeding device according to claim 7, when two or more sheets are attracted to the suction surface, the leading edge of the stacked sheets is pushed down by the rotating body, and the second and subsequent sheets are sucked to the suction surface. The top sheet is lifted from the uppermost sheet, and a space is formed between the leading end surface of the uppermost sheet and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. By forming a space between the front end surfaces of the overlapped sheets, the sheets are reliably separated.

  When the sheet pushed down by the rotating body is conveyed, the rotating body rotates following the conveyance of the sheet. As a result, the frictional resistance between the paper and the rotating body can be reduced, and even when the protruding height of the rotating body is set to a protruding height with sufficient margin for the separation performance of plain paper, It is possible to prevent scratches on paper and the like.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, when the rotating body is pressed by a force that attracts the sheet to the suction surface, the rotating body is configured to be displaceable in the direction of being stored on the suction surface side, and detects the displacement of the rotating body. The sheet feeding device according to claim 7, further comprising a detection sensor, wherein whether or not the sheet is attracted to the suction surface is determined by an operation in which the rotating body is stored on the suction surface side.

  In the paper supply device according to the eighth aspect, the function of separating the paper and the function of detecting that the paper is adsorbed on the adsorption surface can be shared by the operation of the rotating body, and the configuration can be simplified. It becomes.

  According to the ninth aspect of the invention, one or a plurality of paper trays in which paper is stored, a paper mounting table on which a plurality of papers are stacked in the paper tray, and the paper stacked on the paper mounting table are sucked from the upper surface. A suction surface that sucks the uppermost paper, a transport mechanism that transports the paper sucked on the suction surface to the paper transport path, and a separation protrusion that protrudes from the suction surface. Is placed at a position that lifts a part of the leading edge of the paper to be lifted from the suction surface, and when two or more sheets are sucked on the suction surface, the leading edge of the overlapped paper is pushed down by the separation protrusion, This is a paper feed unit that forms a space between the leading end surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed on the attracting surface and the leading end surface of the second and subsequent sheets.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and a sheet feeding device that feeds the sheet to the image forming unit are provided, and the sheet feeding unit is a sheet mount on which a plurality of sheets are stacked. Projecting from the suction surface, the suction surface that sucks the paper loaded on the paper placement table from the top, sucks the topmost paper, the transport mechanism that transports the paper sucked on the suction surface to the paper transport path, and The separation protrusion is disposed at a position where a part of the leading edge of the sheet adsorbed on the adsorption surface is pushed down to be lifted from the adsorption surface, and when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface An image that forms a space between the leading edge surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed on the adsorption surface and the leading edge surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets by pushing down the leading edge of the overlapping sheets by the separation protrusion. Forming device.

  In the paper feeding unit according to the ninth aspect, by providing the paper feeding device described above, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding. In the image forming apparatus according to the tenth aspect, by providing the above-described paper feeding device, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding and improve the image quality.

  According to the paper feeding device of the present invention, the separation protrusion is provided in such an arrangement that a space is formed between the leading end surfaces of the overlapped sheets, so that the separation performance of the separation protrusion from the suction surface of the separation protrusion is reduced. The protruding height can be kept low, and the occurrence of scratches on the paper can be prevented.

  In addition, since the separation protrusion is composed of a rotating body, the frictional resistance with the paper can be reduced, and even if the protrusion height from the adsorption surface of the separation protrusion is increased in order to improve the separation performance, Scratches can be prevented.

  According to the paper feeding unit of the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding by providing the above-described paper feeding device. In addition, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, by providing the above-described sheet feeding device, it is possible to reliably prevent double feeding and improve image quality.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a sheet feeding device, a sheet feeding unit including the sheet feeding device, and an image forming apparatus to which the sheet feeding unit is connected will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration Example of Paper Feeding Device according to First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an example of a sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a suction conveyance mechanism illustrating an example of a sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment as viewed from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sheet storage unit showing an example of a sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an operation example of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a side view of a main part showing an operation example of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

  The sheet feeding device 1A according to the first embodiment is indicated by an arrow F on the suction conveyance mechanism 3 that sucks and feeds the paper P stacked on the paper placement table 2 and the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. A separation air blowing mechanism 4 that blows separation air A1 from the front in the conveyance direction of the paper P is provided.

  In addition, when two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the sheet feeding device 1A has a separation air blowing mechanism between the uppermost sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets P2. 4 is provided with a separation protrusion 5A that forms a separation air introduction space E into which separation air A1 blown out from 4 is introduced.

  When two or more sheets P are attracted to the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the separation protrusion 5 </ b> A lifts the leading end surface of the sheet P to which the separation air A <b> 1 is blown, and the uppermost one sheet P <b> 1 and two sheets It protrudes to a position where a separation air introduction space E is formed between the second and subsequent sheets P2.

  This makes it possible to reduce the protruding height of the separation protrusion 5A while ensuring the separation performance regardless of the paper type of the paper P.

  Details of the sheet feeding device 1A according to the first embodiment will be described below. The sheet feeding device 1A includes a sheet loading table 2 in a sheet storage unit 20 in which a space that can be stored in a form in which a predetermined number of sheets P are stacked is formed.

  The sheet placing table 2 is moved up and down along the stacking direction of the sheets P by a lifting mechanism (not shown). In the paper storage unit 20, a paper front end abutting surface 21 that regulates the front end position of the paper P loaded on the paper placement table 2 is formed along the elevation direction of the paper placement table 2.

  The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A includes an upper limit detection sensor 22 that detects the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet placing table 2. The upper limit detection sensor 22 is composed of, for example, a pair of optical sensors, and is disposed at a position for detecting that the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet mounting table 2 is at the height H1 that can be sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. The

  In the sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A, when the stacking height of the sheet P on the sheet mounting table 2 is reduced by feeding the sheet P stacked on the sheet mounting table 2 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the uppermost sheet P is limited to the upper limit. The sheet placing table 2 is raised to a position detected by the detection sensor 22, and the position of the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet placing table 2 is controlled so as to be the height H 1 that can be sucked by the suction transport mechanism 3. The

  The suction conveyance mechanism 3 includes a conveyance belt 30 at an upper portion of the paper storage unit 20. Further, the suction conveyance mechanism 3 includes a driving roller 31 around which the conveyance belt 30 is wound, a first driven roller 32, and a second driven roller group 33 having two driven rollers.

  The conveyance belt 30 is endless, and the intake ports 30 a penetrating the conveyance belt 30 are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the conveyance belt 30, and a plurality of intake ports 30 a arranged in parallel in the width direction of the conveyance belt 30 are arranged in the conveyance belt 30. It is formed over the entire length direction orthogonal to the width direction.

  The drive roller 31 has an axis in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F, and is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown). The first driven roller 32 and the second driven roller group 33 have an axis parallel to the axis of the drive roller 31, and are freely rotatable following the rotation of the conveying belt 30 when the drive roller 31 is driven to rotate. It is a configuration.

  In the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the second driven roller group 33 is disposed in front of the paper leading edge abutting surface 21 in the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F. In addition, a driving roller 31 is arranged on the upper part of the sheet placing table 2. Further, a first driven roller 32 is disposed between the second driven roller group 33 and the driving roller 31 on the upper part of the sheet placing table 2.

  In the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the conveyance belt 30 is stretched along the conveyance direction of the paper P between the driving roller 31 and the second driven roller group 33. Thus, the suction conveyance mechanism 3 has the rear end side wound around the driving roller 31 of the conveyance belt 30 positioned above the paper P stacked on the paper placement table 2, and the second driven roller of the conveyance belt 30. The leading end side wound around the group 33 is positioned in front of the sheet leading end abutting surface 21. Further, in the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the two conveyance belts 30 are arranged side by side with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P.

  Then, when the driving roller 31 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow, each conveying belt 30 rotates, and the side of the conveying belt 30 facing the sheet placing table 2 moves in the conveying direction of the sheet P indicated by the arrow F. .

  The suction conveyance mechanism 3 is configured such that the lower end position on the circumferential surface of the driving roller 31 and the lower end position on the circumferential surface of the first driven roller 32 are substantially the same height. On the other hand, in the second driven roller group 33, the lower end position on the circumferential surface of the lower driven roller is configured to be higher than the lower end position of the first driven roller 32 by a predetermined amount. .

  As a result, the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is on the side of the conveyance belt 30 facing the sheet placement table 2, and between the driving roller 31 and the first driven roller 32, the surface of the sheet P stacked on the sheet placement table 2. And almost parallel. On the other hand, the space between the first driven roller 32 and the second driven roller group 33 is inclined upward along the conveyance direction of the paper P, and the conveyance belt 30 is the first driven roller 32. It becomes a bent form at the part wound around.

  The suction transport mechanism 3 includes a suction chamber 34 into which air that sucks the paper P is sucked onto the transport belt 30. The suction chamber 34 has a space in which air is sucked by a fan (not shown) formed inside the conveyance belt 30, and a lower side facing the conveyance belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placement table 2 is opened. Air is sucked in from the air inlet 30a of the conveyor belt 30 on the side facing 2.

  When the air in the suction chamber 34 is sucked in by a fan (not shown), the suction conveyance mechanism 3 becomes negative pressure in the suction chamber 34, thereby causing the suction conveyance mechanism 3 from the suction port 30 a of the conveyance belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2. Air is sucked in, and a flow of air that adsorbs the paper P to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the paper placement table 2 is generated.

  Thus, in the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the suction surface 30 b that sucks the paper P is configured by the transport belt 30 on the side facing the paper placement table 2 in which air is sucked into the suction chamber 34 from the suction port 30 a.

  The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A includes a sheet conveyance path 35 through which the sheet P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is conveyed. The sheet conveyance path 35 includes a guide member that guides conveyance of the sheet P sucked and fed out by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3, and includes a conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2 and a sheet leading end abutting surface 21. A sheet entrance 36 through which the sheet P enters is formed between the upper end.

  The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A includes a conveyance roller 37 and a driven roller 38 facing the conveyance roller 37 in the sheet conveyance path 35. The conveyance roller 37 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and conveys the paper P fed by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 while being sandwiched between the driven roller 38.

  The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A includes a sheet feeding detection sensor 39 in the sheet conveyance path 35. The paper feed detection sensor 39 is composed of, for example, a pair of optical sensors, and detects the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3.

  The separation air blowing mechanism 4 includes a separation air outlet 40 through which the separation air A <b> 1 is blown out at the paper entrance 36. The separation air outlet 40 forms an air path in a direction in which the separation air A <b> 1 is blown obliquely toward the paper storage unit 20 with respect to the conveyance belt 30 positioned in front of the paper front end abutting surface 21.

  In the separation air blowing mechanism 4, the air sucked by the blowing fan 41 is blown out from the separation air outlet 40. The separation air A1 blown out from the separation air outlet 40 is oriented along the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2, and the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. From the front of the sheet P adsorbed to the sheet P in a substantially horizontal orientation with respect to the sheet P.

  The separation protrusion 5A is disposed between the two conveying belts 30 arranged in parallel to the left and right with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P, in front of the paper front end abutting surface 21 with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F. And protrudes downward from the suction surface 30b at a predetermined height.

  The separation protrusion 5 </ b> A is formed of, for example, a plate-like member, and is wound around a portion of the conveyance belt 30 facing the paper placement table 2 that faces the paper front end abutting surface 21 and the first driven roller 32. Projecting from the suction surface 30b along the conveyance direction of the paper P.

  In this example, the separation protrusion 5A is supported by the shaft of the first driven roller 32, and the amount of protrusion from the suction surface 30b gradually increases along the conveyance direction of the paper P from the first driven roller 32 side. A slope is formed.

  The front end position of the paper P loaded on the paper mounting table 2 is regulated by the paper front end abutting surface 21. As a result, the separation protrusion 5A is formed at a position where the vicinity of the front end of the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is separated from the suction surface 30b.

  The sheet feeding device 1A includes a floating air blowing mechanism 6 that blows floating air A2 from the side onto the paper P loaded on the paper placing table 2. In the floating air blowing mechanism 6, a floating air outlet 60 is formed on the side of the paper storage unit 20. The floating air blowing mechanism 6 blows out the air sucked by the blower fan 61 as the floating air A2 from the floating air outlet 60, and blows the floating air A2 from the side to the paper P loaded on the paper placing table 2. Then, the paper P is floated.

<Example of Operation of Paper Feeding Device of First Embodiment>
Next, an operation example of the sheet feeding device 1A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> A is controlled based on the output of the upper limit detection sensor 22 so that the position of the uppermost sheet P loaded on the sheet placing table 2 becomes the height H 1 that can be sucked by the suction transport mechanism 3.

  In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, a fan (not shown) of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is driven, and the blower fan 41 of the separation air blower mechanism 4 and the blower fan 61 of the floating air blower mechanism 6 are driven. The adsorption operation is performed.

  When the air in the suction chamber 34 is sucked in by a fan (not shown), the suction conveyance mechanism 3 becomes negative pressure in the suction chamber 34, thereby causing the suction conveyance mechanism 3 from the suction port 30 a of the conveyance belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2. Air is sucked in, and a flow of air that adsorbs the paper P to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the paper placement table 2 is generated. Further, the floating air blowing mechanism 6 blows out air sucked by the blower fan 61 from the floating air outlet 60, and blows floating air A <b> 2 from the side to the paper P loaded on the paper placing table 2, so that the paper P To surface.

  As a result, the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet placing table 2 is attracted to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 by the suction transport mechanism 3. The separation protrusion 5A protrudes from the suction surface 30b in front of the paper front end abutting surface 21 with respect to the transport direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F of the suction transport mechanism 3. The front end position of the paper P loaded on the paper mounting table 2 is regulated by the paper front end abutting surface 21.

  The conveyor belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 is bent at a portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and is formed between the first driven roller 32 and the second driven roller group 33. The conveyance belt 30 positioned therebetween is inclined upward along the conveyance direction of the paper P. As a result, the sheet P adsorbed to the conveyance belt 30 is bent at a portion where the conveyance belt 30 is wound around the first driven roller 32.

  As a result, the sheet P sucked by the sucking and conveying mechanism 3 is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5A near the center near the tip, and is lifted from the suction surface 30b near the center of the tip.

  When two or more sheets P are adsorbed by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, a plurality of sheets P are stuck by electrostatic force or the like, and two or more sheets P are adsorbed by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3. Then, the vicinity of the center of the vicinity of the leading ends of the two or more sheets P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5A.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the uppermost sheet P1 sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is directly subjected to the suction force by the suction air, so that it is not near the center of the front end surface pushed down by the separation protrusion 5A. Is a form in which the conveyance belt 30 is bent following the portion wound around the first driven roller 32 and is adsorbed on the adsorption surface 30b.

  On the other hand, the second and subsequent sheets P2 attached to the uppermost sheet P and adsorbed by the adsorbing and conveying mechanism 3 do not directly receive the adsorbing force by the adsorbing air. As a result, the second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 do not follow the bent form of the conveyor belt 30 at the portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and the uppermost one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. Sheet P2 is separated from the front end surface.

  Then, the vicinity of the center of the vicinity of the leading ends of the two or more sheets P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5A, so that the second and subsequent sheets of the sheet P2 are lifted from the topmost sheet P1 near the center of the leading end surface. A separation air introduction space E is formed between the leading end surfaces of one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets P2.

  In the separation air blowing mechanism 4, when the blower fan 41 is driven, the air sucked by the blower fan 41 is blown out from the separation air outlet 40. The separation air A1 blown out from the separation air outlet 40 is oriented along the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2, and the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. From the front of the sheet P adsorbed to the sheet P in a substantially horizontal orientation with respect to the sheet P.

  When two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, as described above, the center of the vicinity of the front end of the sheet P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5A, so that the topmost sheets P1 and P2 The second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 are separated from the leading end surface, and a separation air introduction space E is formed. As a result, the separation air A1 blown from the separation air blowing mechanism 4 in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the paper P passes through the separation air introduction space E, and the uppermost sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. The paper P2 is separated.

  When the suction detection sensor (not shown) detects that the sheet P has been sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the fan (not shown) of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 continues to be driven, and the floating air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 continues. Will stop blowing. For example, a shutter (not shown) is provided at the floating air outlet 60, and whether or not the floating air A2 is blown is switched by opening and closing the shutter. It should be noted that the flow rate of the floating air A2 blown out by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 can be switched, and until the adsorption of the paper P is detected, the floating air A2 is blown out with the strong air volume and the adsorption of the paper P is detected. Then, the airflow A2 may be blown out by switching to a weak air volume.

  In the separation operation of the paper P, the fan (not shown) of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is driven and the suction operation of the paper P is continued. Therefore, the uppermost sheet P1 is in a state of being sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. Retained. On the other hand, since the blowing of the flying air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 is stopped or the air volume is reduced, the separated second and subsequent sheets P2 are stacked again on the sheet placing table 2.

  When the sheet P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 and a predetermined waiting time elapses, the driving roller 31 of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), and the conveyance roller 37 is rotated to supply the paper P. Paper movement is performed.

  When the driving roller 31 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow, the conveying belt 30 rotates, and the side of the conveying belt 30 facing the paper placing table 2 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow F. Thereby, the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is fed out in the conveyance direction indicated by the arrow F. Since the position of the separation protrusion 5A is fixed, the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 gets over the separation protrusion 5A and is conveyed. In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, the separation air A1 is continuously blown out by the separation air blowing mechanism 4, so that a force is generated to return the separated second and subsequent papers P toward the paper storage unit 20. Yes. This prevents the second sheet P from being transported to the sheet entrance 36 by being tied to the first sheet P.

  The paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 passes through the paper feed detection sensor 39 and is sandwiched between the conveyance roller 37 and the driven roller 38. That is, a predetermined standby set in consideration of the time until the leading edge of the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is detected by the paper feed detection sensor 39 and the paper P is nipped by the conveyance roller 37 and the driven roller 38. When time elapses, the rotational drive of the drive roller 31 is stopped. On the other hand, the rotation drive of the conveyance roller 37 is continued. As a result, the paper P sandwiched between the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38 is transported.

  In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, the suction operation of the paper P by the suction transport mechanism 3 is continued, and a force for sucking the uppermost sheet P1 is working, but the transport roller 37 and the driven roller The conveyance force due to the clamping of 38 is stronger than the adsorption force, and the sheet P is pulled out with the conveyance belt 30 stopped. Then, using the outputs of the suction detection sensor and the paper feed detection sensor 39 (not shown), the presence or absence of floating air blown by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 or the switching of the air volume, and the driving roller 31 and the conveying roller for rotating the conveying belt 30 The presence / absence of driving 37 is controlled.

<Example of effects of sheet feeding device according to first embodiment>
As described above, in the sheet feeding device 1A according to the first embodiment, the separation and conveyance mechanism 5A is provided with the separation protrusion 5A at a position where the vicinity of the front end of the sheet P attracted by the adsorption and conveyance mechanism 3 is pushed down. 3, when two or more sheets P are adsorbed, a space between the front end surfaces of the overlapped sheets P opens to form a separation air introduction space E. By blowing the separation air A1 into the separation air introduction space E, the separation performance of the paper P can be secured with the separation protrusion 5A having a small protrusion height.

  In the conventional configuration in which the paper is separated using the separation protrusion, the protrusion height of the separation protrusion is required to be about 8 mm in order to separate the plain paper. On the other hand, it is necessary that the protrusion height of the protrusion is less than 3 mm so that the coated paper such as coated paper is not damaged when the transported paper gets over the separation protrusion.

  In the configuration of the sheet feeding device 1A according to the first embodiment, it is possible to separate plain paper if the protrusion height of the separation protrusion 5A is 2.5 mm or more. That is, by making the protrusion height of the separation protrusion 5A 2.5 mm or more and less than 3 mm, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of scratches when feeding coated paper while ensuring separation performance when feeding plain paper. Thus, both plain paper and coated paper can be handled.

<Configuration Example of Paper Feeding Device according to Second Embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a side view showing an example of a paper feeding device according to the second embodiment, FIG. 7 is a front view showing an operation example of the paper feeding device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a control system of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. FIG.

  The sheet feeding device 1B according to the second embodiment includes a separation protrusion 5B configured to be stored with a force that sucks the paper P by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. In addition, a suction detection sensor 7 that detects whether or not the paper P is sucked in the storing operation of the separation protrusion 5B is provided. In the sheet feeder 1B according to the second embodiment, the sheet mounting table 2, the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the separation air blowing mechanism 4, the floating air blowing mechanism 6, and the elements constituting them are the same as those described above. Since the configuration is the same as that of the sheet feeding device 1A according to the embodiment, the same reference numerals are given, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The separation protrusion 5B is disposed between the two conveyance belts 30 arranged in parallel to the left and right of the conveyance direction of the paper P, in front of the paper front end abutting surface 21 with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F. Is done.

  The separation protrusion 5 </ b> B is formed of, for example, a plate-like member, and is rotatably supported on a shaft 50 that is coaxial with the first driven roller 32. The separation protrusion 5B is formed between the portion facing the sheet front end abutting surface 21 and the portion wound around the first driven roller 32 with respect to the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placing table 2. It protrudes from the suction surface 30b along the transport direction.

  The separation protrusion 5B is formed with a slope in which the amount of protrusion from the suction surface 30b gradually increases along the conveyance direction of the paper P from the first driven roller 32 side, and rotates about the shaft 50 as a fulcrum. The amount of protrusion from the suction surface 30b at the portion facing the paper leading edge abutting surface 21 changes. Thereby, the separation protrusion 5B can be displaced in a direction in which the separation protrusion 5B protrudes and is stored with respect to the suction surface 30b.

  The sheet feeding device 1B includes an elastic member 51 that presses the separation protrusion 5B in a direction protruding from the suction surface 30b. The elastic member 51 is configured by, for example, a coil spring, a torsion coil spring, a rubber block, or the like that is elastically deformed with respect to the pressing force. The separation protrusion 5B is a separation position that protrudes downward at a predetermined height from the suction surface 30b when pressed by the elastic member 51.

  In the paper feeding device 1B, when the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the vicinity of the center of the front end of the paper P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B. On the other hand, the separation protrusion 5B is pushed up by the force of adsorbing the paper P.

  When a force that pushes up the separation protrusion 5B is applied, the elastic member 51 is elastically deformed, and the separation protrusion 5B rotates about the shaft 50 as a fulcrum, and is displaced in the retracted direction with respect to the suction surface 30b to be a paper feeding position. The protrusion height from the suction surface 30b at the paper feed position displaced in the retracting direction of the separation protrusion 5B with respect to the suction surface 30b pushes up a stopper (not shown) that regulates the position of the separation protrusion 5B or the separation protrusion 5B. It is determined by the elastic force of the elastic member 51 that resists the force.

  When the force for pushing up the separation protrusion 5B is no longer applied, the separation protrusion 5B is rotated about the shaft 50 by the elastic force of the elastic member 51, and is displaced in the direction of protruding with respect to the suction surface 30b to become the separation position. As described above, the separation protrusion 5 </ b> B rotates depending on whether or not the sheet P is attracted to the suction conveyance mechanism 3.

  The suction detection sensor 7 detects the presence or absence of the suction of the paper P to the suction transport mechanism 3 by detecting the rotation operation of the separation protrusion 5B. The suction detection sensor 7 is composed of, for example, a pair of optical sensors, and detects the presence or absence of the separation protrusion 5B that is pushed up when the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 and is at the paper feed position.

  That is, as described above, when the sheet P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, a force for pushing up the separation protrusion 5B is applied, the elastic member 51 is elastically deformed, and the separation protrusion 5B rotates about the shaft 50, It is displaced in the storing direction with respect to the suction surface 30b.

  When the separation protrusion 5B displaced to the paper feeding position is detected by the suction detection sensor 7, it is determined that the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. Thereby, the actuator of the adsorption detection sensor 7 is also used by the separation protrusion 5B.

  The sheet feeding device 1B includes a control unit S1 that performs sheet feeding control. The control unit S1 controls the motor M1 that rotationally drives the drive roller 31 and the motor M2 that rotationally drives the conveyance roller 37, and whether or not the sheet P is adsorbed by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3 detected by the adsorption detection sensor 7. Control is performed according to the presence or absence of the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 detected by the paper detection sensor 39.

  Further, the control unit S <b> 1 has a solenoid S <b> 10 that opens and closes a shutter (not shown) that switches whether or not the floating air A <b> 2 is blown out by the floating air blowing mechanism 6. Control is performed according to the presence / absence of P and the presence / absence of paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 detected by the paper feed detection sensor 39. The control unit S1 also controls a motor (not shown) that drives each blower fan.

  Further, the control unit S1 controls the motor M3 that raises and lowers the paper placing table 2 according to the presence or absence of the paper P detected by the upper limit detection sensor 22.

<Operation Example of Paper Feeding Device according to Second Embodiment>
Next, an operation example of the sheet feeding device 1B according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The paper feeding device 1 </ b> B is configured so that, based on the output of the upper limit detection sensor 22, the topmost paper P stacked on the paper placement table 2 is positioned at the suction height H <b> 1 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. The motor M3 that moves up and down is controlled.

  In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, a fan (not shown) of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is driven, and the blower fan 41 of the separation air blower mechanism 4 and the blower fan 61 of the floating air blower mechanism 6 are driven. The adsorption operation is performed.

  When the air in the suction chamber 34 is sucked in by a fan (not shown), the suction conveyance mechanism 3 becomes negative pressure in the suction chamber 34, thereby causing the suction conveyance mechanism 3 from the suction port 30 a of the conveyance belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2. Air is sucked in, and a flow of air that adsorbs the paper P to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the paper placement table 2 is generated. Further, the floating air blowing mechanism 6 blows out air sucked by the blower fan 61 from the floating air outlet 60, and blows floating air A <b> 2 from the side to the paper P loaded on the paper placing table 2, so that the paper P To surface.

  As a result, the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet placing table 2 is attracted to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 by the suction transport mechanism 3. In the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the separation protrusion 5 </ b> B protrudes from the suction surface 30 b in front of the paper front end abutting surface 21 in the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F. The front end position of the paper P loaded on the paper mounting table 2 is regulated by the paper front end abutting surface 21.

  The conveyor belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 is bent at a portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and is formed between the first driven roller 32 and the second driven roller group 33. The conveyance belt 30 positioned therebetween is inclined upward along the conveyance direction of the paper P. As a result, the sheet P adsorbed to the conveyance belt 30 is bent at a portion where the conveyance belt 30 is wound around the first driven roller 32.

  As a result, the sheet P sucked by the sucking and conveying mechanism 3 has a shape in which the vicinity of the center near the leading edge is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B and the vicinity of the center of the leading edge surface is lifted from the suction surface 30b.

  When two or more sheets P are adsorbed by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, a plurality of sheets P are stuck by electrostatic force or the like, and two or more sheets P are adsorbed by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3. Then, the vicinity of the center near the leading ends of the two or more sheets P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the uppermost sheet P1 sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is directly subjected to the suction force by the suction air, so that it is not near the center of the front end surface pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B. Is a form in which the conveyance belt 30 is bent following the portion wound around the first driven roller 32 and is adsorbed on the adsorption surface 30b.

  On the other hand, the second and subsequent sheets P2 attached to the uppermost sheet P and adsorbed by the adsorbing and conveying mechanism 3 do not directly receive the adsorbing force by the adsorbing air. As a result, the second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 do not follow the bent form of the conveyor belt 30 at the portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and the uppermost one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. Sheet P2 is separated from the front end surface.

  Then, the vicinity of the center of the vicinity of the leading ends of the two or more sheets P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B, so that the second and subsequent sheets of the paper P2 are lifted from the topmost sheet P1 near the center of the leading end surface. A separation air introduction space E is formed between the leading end surfaces of one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets P2.

  In the separation air blowing mechanism 4, when the blower fan 41 is driven, the air sucked by the blower fan 41 is blown out from the separation air outlet 40. The separation air A1 blown out from the separation air outlet 40 is oriented along the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2, and the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placement table 2 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. From the front of the sheet P adsorbed to the sheet P in a substantially horizontal orientation with respect to the sheet P.

  When two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, as described above, the center of the vicinity of the front end of the sheet P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B, so that the topmost sheets P1 and P2 The second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 are separated from the leading end surface, and a separation air introduction space E is formed. As a result, the separation air A1 blown from the separation air blowing mechanism 4 in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the paper P passes through the separation air introduction space E, and the uppermost sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. The paper P2 is separated.

  In the paper feeding device 1B, when the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the vicinity of the center of the front end of the paper P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B. On the other hand, the separation protrusion 5B is pushed up by the force of adsorbing the paper P.

  When a force for pushing up the separation protrusion 5B is applied, the elastic member 51 is elastically deformed and the separation protrusion 5B rotates about the shaft 50 as shown in FIG. 7B, and is stored in the suction surface 30b. It is displaced to. When the separation protrusion 5B displaced to the paper feeding position is detected by the suction detection sensor 7, it is determined that the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3.

  When the suction detection sensor 7 detects that the sheet P has been sucked by the suction transport mechanism 3, the fan (not shown) of the suction transport mechanism 3 continues to be driven and the floating air outlet 60 is opened and closed (not shown). The solenoid S10 that drives the shutter is controlled, and the blowing of the floating air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 is stopped. It should be noted that the strength of the air flow of the floating air A2 blown out by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 can be switched, and the floating air A2 is blown and sucked out with a strong air flow until the suction detection sensor 7 detects the suction of the paper P. When the detection sensor 7 detects the suction of the paper P, the air flow A2 may be blown out by switching to a weak air volume.

  In the separation operation of the paper P, the fan (not shown) of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is driven and the suction operation of the paper P is continued. Therefore, the uppermost sheet P1 is in a state of being sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. Retained. On the other hand, since the blowing of the flying air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 is stopped or the air volume is reduced, the separated second and subsequent sheets P2 are stacked again on the sheet placing table 2.

  When the sheet P is attracted by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 and a predetermined waiting time elapses, the driving roller 31 of the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is rotated by the motor M1, and the conveyance roller 37 is rotationally driven by the motor M2. Sheet feeding operation is performed.

  When the driving roller 31 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow, the conveying belt 30 rotates, and the side of the conveying belt 30 facing the paper placing table 2 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow F. Thereby, the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is fed out in the conveyance direction indicated by the arrow F. The paper P fed out by the suction transport mechanism 3 is transported over the separation protrusion 5B at the paper feed position. In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, the separation air A1 is continuously blown out by the separation air blowing mechanism 4, so that a force is generated to return the separated second and subsequent papers P toward the paper storage unit 20. Yes. This prevents the second paper P from being transported to the paper entrance 36 by being tied to the first paper P.

  The paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 passes through the paper feed detection sensor 39 and is sandwiched between the conveyance roller 37 and the driven roller 38. That is, a predetermined standby set in consideration of the time until the leading edge of the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is detected by the paper feed detection sensor 39 and the paper P is nipped by the conveyance roller 37 and the driven roller 38. When time elapses, the rotational drive of the drive roller 31 is stopped. On the other hand, the rotation drive of the conveyance roller 37 is continued. As a result, the paper P sandwiched between the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38 is transported. In the paper feeding operation of the paper P, the suction operation of the paper P by the suction transport mechanism 3 is continued, and a force for sucking the uppermost sheet P1 is working, but the transport roller 37 and the driven roller The conveyance force due to pinching 38 is stronger than the adsorption force, and the sheet P is pulled out with the conveyance belt 30 stopped.

  When the trailing edge of the sheet P conveyed by the conveyance roller 37 and the driven roller 38 exceeds the separation protrusion 5B and the force for pushing up the separation protrusion 5B is not applied, the separation protrusion 5B supports the shaft 50 by the elastic force of the elastic member 51. And is displaced in a direction protruding from the suction surface 30b.

  When the separation protrusion 5B is displaced to the separation position, the separation protrusion 5B is not detected by the suction detection sensor 7. When the separation protrusion 5B is not detected by the adsorption detection sensor 7, it is determined that there is no sheet adsorbed by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3, and the blowing of the floating air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 is resumed. When it is determined from the output of the paper feed detection sensor 39 that the paper P has passed through the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38, the drive of the transport roller 37 is stopped.

  Here, in the paper feeding operation of the paper P, the suction operation of the paper P by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is continued, and the second sheet is applied to the suction surface 30b exposed while the first paper P is being transported. The paper P may be adsorbed. However, when the leading edge of the first paper P is detected by the paper feed detection sensor 39, the driving of the transport belt 30 is stopped, so that the second paper P is not transported. Then, when the first sheet P passes through the conveyance belt 30, the second sheet P is continuously sucked, and the separation protrusion 5B remains at the sheet feeding position, and the output of the suction detection sensor 7 is output. There may be no change in the state with adsorption.

  In consideration of such a case, by using both the output of the suction detection sensor 7 and the output of the paper feed detection sensor 39, the presence or absence of floating air blown by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 or the switching of the air volume, and the conveyance belt The presence / absence of driving of the roller 30 and the conveyance roller 37 is controlled.

<Example of effects of sheet feeding device according to second embodiment>
As described above, in the paper feeder 1B according to the second embodiment, the elastic member 51 pushes and protrudes to a position where the vicinity of the front end of the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is pushed down. , A separation protrusion 5B that can be stored with a force by which the sheet P is attracted is provided.

  In the initial stage where two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the sheet feeding device 1 </ b> B is in a separation position where the separation protrusion 5 </ b> B protrudes at a predetermined height by being pressed by the elastic member 51. The leading end surfaces of the two or more sheets P are separated without being affected by the sheet type of the sheet P, and the separation air introduction space E is formed. By blowing the separation air A1 into the separation air introduction space E, the separation performance of the paper P can be secured.

  In the paper feeding device 1B, the separation protrusion 5B is pushed up against the elastic member 51 by the force of sucking the paper P, and the height of the protrusion from the suction surface 30b is lower than the separation position. By setting the separation protrusion 5B to the paper feed position, it is possible to prevent the paper P from being damaged when the paper P is conveyed and gets over the separation protrusion 5B.

  As described above, in the paper feeding device 1B, the protrusion height of the separation protrusion 5B is set to a sufficient margin for the separation performance of plain paper at the moment when the paper P is adsorbed to the adsorption surface 30b by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3. Even when the protrusion height is set, the separation protrusion 5B is stored by the pressure from the sheet itself by the force with which the sheet P is attracted to the attracting surface 30b. Thereby, when the conveyance is started after a lapse of a certain time after the adsorption of the paper P is started, the protruding height of the separating protrusion 5B becomes a height that prevents the coated paper from being damaged. Accordingly, it is possible to set a wider range of the protrusion height of the separation protrusion that achieves both paper separation and scratch prevention.

  For example, the elastic member 51 is formed of a metal spring, the separation protrusion 5B is pressed by the spring and protrudes to the separation position, and the spring is displaced when the separation protrusion 5B is pressed and stored in the paper feeding position. Therefore, it can be stored until the protruding height from the suction surface 30b is about 2 mm. Thereby, even if the protrusion height of the separation protrusion 5B at the separation position is 3 mm or more, it is possible to prevent scratches during conveyance.

  In the sheet feeding device 1B, the actuator of the suction detection sensor 7 is also used as the separation protrusion 5B, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

<Modification of the sheet feeding device of the second embodiment>
In the paper feeding device 1B according to the second embodiment described above, the elastic member 51 may be formed of a viscoelastic member having a viscous resistance such as urethane foam. The elastic member 51 made of foamed urethane or the like retains its original shape for a while due to viscous resistance when a pressing force is applied, and the shape gradually changes according to the pressing force.

  In the paper feeding device 1B, when the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the vicinity of the center of the front end of the paper P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5B. On the other hand, the separation protrusion 5B is pushed up by the force of adsorbing the paper P. Since the elastic member 51 has a viscous resistance, when the paper P is adsorbed to the conveyance belt 30, the protruding height of the separating protrusion 5B maintains the substantially separated position for a predetermined time corresponding to the viscous resistance, and then gradually stored. Is done.

  Thereby, when the paper P is attracted to the transport belt 30, the time during which the separation protrusion 5B is at the separation position can be lengthened. For example, a sufficient separation time can be ensured when separating the plain paper. As a result, it is possible to prevent double feed more reliably.

<Configuration Example of Paper Feeding Device According to Third Embodiment>
FIG. 9 is a side view illustrating an example of a sheet feeding device according to the third embodiment. A sheet feeding device 1 </ b> C according to the third embodiment includes a separation protrusion 5 </ b> C having a roller member 52 that can rotate following the conveyance of the sheet P. In the sheet feeding device 1C according to the third embodiment, the sheet mounting table 2, the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the separation air blowing mechanism 4, the floating air blowing mechanism 6, and the elements constituting them are the same as those described above. Since the configuration is the same as that of the sheet feeding device 1A according to the embodiment, the same reference numerals are given, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The roller member 52 is an example of a rotating body, and a disk-shaped member having an axis orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper P indicated by the arrow F is attached to the lower end of the separation protrusion 5C. The roller member 52 is made of, for example, a resin material that does not leave a mark on the paper P that comes into contact with the roller member 52, and a portion that becomes an edge of the outer peripheral surface in contact with the paper P is rounded. The size of the roller member 52 is a small diameter of about φ8 (mm) in this example.

  The separation protrusion 5C may have the same configuration as the fixed separation protrusion 5A described in the sheet feeding device 1A of the first embodiment described above, or the separation protrusion described in the sheet feeding device 1B of the second embodiment. A configuration similar to that of the separation protrusion 5B that can be displaced between the position and the paper feeding position may be used.

<Operation Example of Paper Feeding Device according to Third Embodiment>
Next, an operation example of the sheet feeding device 1C according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following example, the sheet feeding device 1C has the same configuration as the separation projection 5A of the sheet feeding device 1A of the first embodiment, and the timing for switching between blowing and conveying is the first embodiment. This is the same as the sheet feeding device 1A of the form.

  In the sheet feeding device 1 </ b> C, when the air in the suction chamber 34 is sucked by a fan (not shown) by the suction transport mechanism 3, an air flow that attracts the paper P to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the paper placing table 2 is generated. Further, the floating air blowing mechanism 6 blows out air sucked by the blower fan 61 from the floating air outlet 60, and blows floating air A <b> 2 from the side to the paper P loaded on the paper placing table 2, so that the paper P To surface.

  As a result, the uppermost sheet P stacked on the sheet placing table 2 is attracted to the transport belt 30 on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 by the suction transport mechanism 3. The conveying belt 30 located on the side facing the sheet placing table 2 is bent at a portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and the sheet P adsorbed on the conveying belt 30 is the second conveying belt 30. It becomes the form bent in the site | part wound by the 1 driven roller 32. FIG.

  As a result, the sheet P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5C near the center near the tip, and is lifted from the suction surface 30b near the center of the tip.

  When two or more sheets P are adsorbed by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, a plurality of sheets P are stuck due to electrostatic force or the like, and the uppermost one sheet adsorbed by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3 The sheet P1 is directly subjected to the suction force by the suction air. As a result, the uppermost sheet P1 is bent in accordance with the portion where the conveying belt 30 is wound around the first driven roller 32 except for the vicinity of the center of the front end surface pushed down by the separation protrusion 5C. The adsorbed surface 30b is adsorbed.

  On the other hand, the second and subsequent sheets P2 attached to the uppermost sheet P and adsorbed by the adsorbing and conveying mechanism 3 do not directly receive the adsorbing force by the adsorbing air. As a result, the second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 do not follow the bent form of the conveyor belt 30 at the portion wound around the first driven roller 32, and the uppermost one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. Sheet P2 is separated from the front end surface.

  Then, the vicinity of the center of the vicinity of the leading ends of the two or more sheets P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5C, so that the second and subsequent sheets of the sheet P2 are lifted from the topmost sheet P1 near the center of the leading end surface. A separation air introduction space E is formed between the leading end surfaces of one sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets P2.

  The separation air A1 blown out from the separation air outlet 40 is substantially horizontal with respect to the paper P from the front of the paper P adsorbed by the conveyance belt 30 on the side facing the paper mounting table 2 by the adsorption conveyance mechanism 3. It is sprayed with.

  When two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, as described above, the center of the vicinity of the front end of the sheet P is pushed down by the separation protrusion 5C, so that the topmost sheets P1 and P2 The second and subsequent sheets of paper P2 are separated from the leading end surface, and a separation air introduction space E is formed. As a result, the separation air A1 blown from the separation air blowing mechanism 4 in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the paper P passes through the separation air introduction space E, and the uppermost sheet P1 and the second and subsequent sheets. The paper P2 is separated.

  When the suction detection sensor (not shown) detects that the paper P is sucked by the suction transport mechanism 3, the fan (not shown) of the suction transport mechanism 3 is driven and the suction operation of the paper P is continued. One sheet P1 is held in a state of being sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. On the other hand, since the blowing of the flying air A2 by the floating air blowing mechanism 6 is stopped or the air volume is reduced, the separated second and subsequent sheets P2 are stacked again on the sheet placing table 2.

  When the driving roller 31 is rotationally driven in the direction indicated by the arrow, the conveying belt 30 rotates, and the side of the conveying belt 30 facing the paper placing table 2 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow F. Thereby, the paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is fed out in the conveyance direction indicated by the arrow F. Since the position of the separation protrusion 5C is fixed, the paper P fed out by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 gets over the separation protrusion 5C and is conveyed.

  The separation protrusion 5C has a rotatable roller member 52 attached to the lower end, and the sheet P conveyed by the conveyance belt 30 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 contacts the roller member 52 of the separation protrusion 5C. The roller member 52 has an axis orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper P and is rotatable, and rotates following the conveyance of the paper P by the conveyance belt 30.

<Example of effects of sheet feeding device according to third embodiment>
In the paper feeding device 1C according to the third embodiment, when the paper P that is attracted to the transport belt 30 by the suction transport mechanism 3 and pushed down by the separation protrusion 5C is transported, the separation protrusion 5C is the roller member 52. The roller member 52 rotates following the conveyance of the sheet P by the conveyance belt 30.

  Thereby, the frictional resistance between the paper P and the separation protrusion 5C can be reduced, and the protrusion height of the separation protrusion 5C is set to a protrusion height having a sufficient margin for the separation performance of plain paper. However, the occurrence of scratches on the coated paper can be prevented without providing a configuration for shifting the protruding height of the separation protrusion.

<Modification of the sheet feeding device of the third embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a modified example of the sheet feeding device according to the third embodiment. The sheet feeding device 1 </ b> C according to the third embodiment described above has a configuration in which the protruding height of the roller member 52 is displaced by the force that attracts the sheet P by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 and detects the displacement of the roller member 52. In addition, a suction detection sensor 7 that detects whether or not the paper P is sucked may be provided.

  For example, in the roller member 52, the separation protrusion 5C is rotatably supported on a shaft 50 coaxial with the first driven roller 32, and the separation protrusion 5C rotates around the shaft 50, whereby the suction surface 30b of the roller member 52 is obtained. The amount of protrusion from changes. Accordingly, the roller member 52 can be displaced in a direction in which the roller member 52 protrudes and is stored with respect to the suction surface 30b.

  The separation protrusion 5C is pressed by the elastic member 51 in a direction in which the roller member 52 protrudes from the suction surface 30b. In the sheet feeding device 1 </ b> C according to the modified example, when the sheet P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the vicinity of the center of the vicinity of the front end of the sheet P is pushed down by the roller member 52. On the other hand, the roller member 52 is pushed up by the force that adsorbs the paper P.

  When a force for pushing up the roller member 52 is applied, the elastic member 51 is elastically deformed, and the separation protrusion 5C rotates about the shaft 50, and the roller member 52 is displaced in the retracted direction with respect to the suction surface 30b. When the force for pushing up the roller member 52 is no longer applied, the separation protrusion 5C is rotated about the shaft 50 by the elastic force of the elastic member 51, and the roller member 52 is displaced in a direction protruding from the suction surface 30b.

  The suction detection sensor 7 detects the presence or absence of the suction of the paper P to the suction transport mechanism 3 by detecting the rotation operation of the separation protrusion 5C. When the sheet P is adsorbed by the adsorbing and conveying mechanism 3, a force for pushing up the roller member 52 is applied, the elastic member 51 is elastically deformed, and the separation protrusion 5C rotates about the shaft 50 and is stored with respect to the adsorbing surface 30b. Displace in the direction of

  When the separation protrusion 5 </ b> C is detected by the suction detection sensor 7, it is determined that the paper P is sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3. Thereby, the actuator of the adsorption detection sensor 7 is also used as the roller member 52.

<Configuration Example of Paper Feed Unit of the Present Embodiment>
FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a paper feeding unit including the paper feeding device according to each embodiment. The paper supply unit 90 includes a plurality of paper trays constituting the paper storage unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, in this example, three paper trays P220, P221, and P222. Further, on each of the paper trays P220, P221, and P222, the suction conveyance mechanism 3 having the conveyance belt 30 and the separation protrusions 5 (5A to 5C) shown in FIG.

  Further, when two or more sheets P are sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3, the separation air blowing mechanism 4 that blows the separation air A1 between the uppermost one sheet and the second and subsequent sheets is provided. It is done. In addition, a floating air outlet 60 is formed on the side of each paper tray P220, P221, P222, and a floating air blowing mechanism 6 that blows floating air from the side of the paper P loaded on the paper trays P220, P221, P222. Is provided.

  The paper trays P220, P221, and P222 are provided so that they can be pulled out in the front-rear direction of the drawing by opening a front door (not shown) provided on the front side of the drawing. In addition, the front surface of the paper tray can be configured as an exterior plate, and a handle or the like that can be put on the exterior plate can be provided, and the paper tray can be pulled out and pushed in using the handle or the like.

  The paper feeding direction of the paper P by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is a direction (left direction in the drawing) orthogonal to the drawing direction of the paper trays P220, P221, and P222.

  The paper P sucked by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is separated into one sheet by the action of the separation protrusion 5 and the separation air blowing mechanism 4. The sheet P fed out from the sheet tray P220 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 has a nip portion at substantially the same height as the lower surface of the conveyance belt 30 wound around the lower driven rollers of the second driven roller group 33 shown in FIG. Is sandwiched between a pair of conveying rollers 37 and a driven roller 38.

  The paper P sandwiched between the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38 is transported by the transport roller 37 and the transport direction is changed downward by the action of the guide member. Next, the paper is transported downward by transport rollers R223 to R227 constituting the paper transport path in the vertical direction, guided by the guide member in the substantially horizontal direction on the left side of the figure, and then contacted with the transport roller R228 in the rotation stopped state. Stop in contact.

  The conveyance roller R228 functions as a registration roller for taking a timing with an image forming process in the image forming apparatus 10 to be described later. Thereafter, the paper P is fed into the image forming apparatus with the start of rotation of the transport roller 228 and the like.

  Similarly, the sheet P fed from the sheet tray P221 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is substantially the same height as the lower surface of the conveyance belt 30 wound around the lower driven rollers of the second driven roller group 33 shown in FIG. Are sandwiched between a pair of conveying rollers 37 and a driven roller 38 having a nip portion.

  The paper P sandwiched between the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38 is transported by the transport roller 37 and the transport direction is changed downward by the action of the guide member. Next, after being transported downward by the transport rollers R226 and R227 and guided in a substantially horizontal direction on the left side of the drawing by the guide member, the leading end abuts on the transport roller R228 in a rotation stopped state and stopped. It is sent into the image forming apparatus with the start of rotation.

  Further, the sheet P fed out from the sheet tray P222 by the suction conveyance mechanism 3 is substantially the same height as the lower surface of the conveyance belt 30 wound around the lower driven rollers of the second driven roller group 33 shown in FIG. It is sandwiched between a pair of conveying rollers 37 and a driven roller 38 having a nip portion.

  The paper P sandwiched between the transport roller 37 and the driven roller 38 is transported by the transport roller 37 and stopped with the leading end in contact with the transport roller R228 in a rotation stop state, and the rotation of the transport roller R228 is started. It is sent into the image forming apparatus.

<Example of Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus of Embodiment>
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus to which a paper feeding unit including the paper feeding device of each embodiment is connected. The image forming apparatus 10 is, for example, a digital color copier, and includes an automatic document feeder 11 at the top of the apparatus body, and includes an image reading unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a belt unit 14, a paper feeding unit 15, and a fixing device T. , A reverse paper discharge unit 16 and a refeed unit 17.

  The automatic document feeder 11 feeds the documents one by one and conveys them to the image reading position, and discharges the document after the image reading to the document discharge tray.

  The automatic document feeder 11 includes a document placement tray 101, a document separation unit 103, a document transport unit 105, a document discharge unit 107, a document discharge tray 109, and a document reversing roller 111 for reversing the front and back sides of the document. Prepare.

  A plurality of originals placed on the original placement tray 101 are separated one by one by the original separation unit 103 and conveyed to the image reading position via the original conveyance unit 105.

  The document reading position is provided on the downstream side of the document conveying unit 105, and an image of the document is read through the slit 201 of the image reading unit 12, and the read document is discharged by the document discharge unit 107. The paper is discharged onto the tray 109. In double-sided scanning, a document on which one side is scanned is conveyed by a document reversing roller 111 in a direction indicated by a two-dot chain line arrow.

  Then, after the document is stopped in a state where the trailing edge of the document in the advancing direction is held, the document reversing roller 111 is reversely rotated and conveyed again to the image reading position via the document conveying unit 105. Thereafter, the document is discharged onto the document discharge tray 109 by the document discharge unit 107.

  The above-described process is repeated for a plurality of documents placed on the document placement tray 101.

  The image reading unit 12 includes a first mirror unit 205 that integrates the above-described slit 201, a document irradiation lamp 213, and a first mirror 215 that reflects the reflected light of the document, a second mirror 217, and a third mirror 219. And a second mirror unit 207 integrated with each other.

  In addition, an imaging lens 209 that forms an image of reflected light from the third mirror 219 on the imaging element, and a linear imaging element that obtains image information by photoelectrically converting a light image formed by the imaging lens 209 (Hereinafter referred to as CCD) 211.

  In a mode in which the document conveyed by the automatic document conveying device 11 is read by the image reading unit 12, the first mirror unit 205 and the second mirror unit 207 are fixed at the positions shown in the drawing.

  The image information read by the image reading unit 12 is subjected to appropriate image processing and then temporarily stored in the memory of the control unit. The image information of each color read by the image reading unit 12 and stored in the memory is sequentially read from the memory and transmitted as an electrical signal to the image forming unit 13 for each color.

  The image forming unit 13 forms four image forming units 130 (130Y, 130M, and 130C) of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) that form a toner image corresponding to the color separation image. , 130BK).

  Each image forming unit 130 includes a photosensitive member 310 having a photosensitive layer provided on a drum-shaped metal substrate, a charger 320, an exposure optical system 330 serving as an image writing unit, a developing device 340, a primary transfer unit 350, and a cleaning unit 360. Is the main component. The exposure optical system 330 is an exposure unit configured with a laser optical system.

  In the figure, only members constituting the yellow (Y) image forming unit are denoted by reference numerals, and the other image forming units have the same configuration, and thus the reference numerals are omitted.

  The developing device 340 stores a two-component developer including a carrier and toner. Further, the developing device 340 includes a cylindrical non-magnetic developing sleeve containing a plurality of fixed magnets, a developer accommodating portion, and a toner concentration detection sensor.

  The developer is magnetically supported on the developing sleeve by the action of a plurality of magnets, and is conveyed to the developing area by the rotation of the developing sleeve. Next, the developer after the development processing is applied to the developing sleeve by the action of a repulsive magnetic field. Removed from. In addition, a bias voltage in which a DC voltage having a predetermined polarity (here, negative polarity) and an AC voltage are superimposed is applied to the developing sleeve.

  The primary transfer unit 350 includes a primary transfer roller that faces the circumferential surface of the photoreceptor 310 with the intermediate transfer belt 401 interposed therebetween.

  The cleaning unit 360 removes the toner remaining on the photoreceptor 310 after the primary transfer, and stores the removed toner in a waste toner box DT installed on the side of the paper tray.

  The image forming units 130 of the respective colors have yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (from the top) along the traveling direction of one plane A of the intermediate transfer belt 401 arranged in the vertical direction. BK).

  The belt unit 14 includes the above-described intermediate transfer belt 401, support rollers 405, 406, and 407 that suspend the intermediate transfer belt, a backup roller 410, and the like.

  Further, the transfer roller 510 is disposed opposite to the intermediate transfer belt 401, and a secondary transfer unit is configured by the backup roller 410 that rotates while being pressed against the transfer roller 510.

  The image forming process in the image forming apparatus 10 is performed as follows. The surface of the photoreceptor 310 that rotates counterclockwise in the drawing is charged to a predetermined polarity (here, negative polarity) by the charger 320.

  Next, the exposure optical system 330 performs exposure corresponding to the first color signal, that is, the yellow (Y) image signal, and a latent image corresponding to the yellow (Y) image is formed on the photoreceptor 310. The

  The latent image on the photoconductor 310 is reversely developed in contact or non-contact with the developer of the developing device 340 to form a yellow (Y) toner image on the photoconductor 310, and then intermediate transfer is performed by the primary transfer unit 350. Primary transfer is performed on the belt 401.

  The image forming process using other color signals sequentially started after a predetermined time from the start of image forming using the first color signal is the same for each color of magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (BK) as in the case of yellow. This is performed by the image forming unit 130.

  The toner images of the respective colors formed on the photoreceptors 310 of the respective colors are secondarily transferred while being superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 401, and a color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 401. On the other hand, the surface of the photoreceptor 310 after the completion of the primary transfer process is cleaned by the cleaning unit 360.

  Note that the start timing of each image forming process for the photosensitive member 310 or the intermediate transfer belt 401 is performed as follows. That is, the registration sensor 413 is provided outside the intermediate transfer belt 401 and in a section from the position where the transfer roller 510 is located to the position where the yellow image forming unit is provided as viewed in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt.

  Then, the time is measured starting from the time when the registration sensor 413 detects the reference mark provided on the intermediate transfer belt 401, and sequentially (Y), (M), (C), and (BK) every time a predetermined time elapses. Start the image forming process.

  The control unit S includes a CPU that performs arithmetic control processing, a ROM that stores various programs, a RAM that stores various data, and the like, and performs all controls such as control related to a series of image forming processes.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes three paper trays P11, P12, and P13 at the lower part of the apparatus main body. Each of the paper trays P11, P12, and P13 can be pulled out toward the front of the drawing.

  The paper trays P11, P12, and P13 include paper feed rollers 503, 513, and 523, separation rollers 506, 516, and 526, and transport rollers R1, R2, and R3. The paper P sent out by these rollers is transported by the transport roller R4. It is conveyed by ~ R7.

  The registration roller 59 is provided downstream of the conveyance roller R7 and at a position close to the secondary transfer unit. Further, a fixing device T having a fixing roller T1 having a built-in heating source and a pressure roller T2 rotating in pressure contact with the fixing roller T1 is disposed downstream of the secondary transfer portion on the conveyance path.

  The paper discharge roller 600 discharges the paper P on which an image has been formed. On the paper discharge tray 650, the paper P discharged by the paper discharge roller 600 is stacked.

  The reverse paper discharge unit 16 reversely conveys and discharges the paper P to be discharged. The paper refeeding unit 17 reversely conveys the paper on which the image is formed on one side, and refeeds the paper to the registration roller 59.

  Next, other configurations of the apparatus will be briefly described in relation to the process from when the color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 401 is transferred onto a sheet and discharged outside the apparatus.

  The paper P is fed by the paper feed rollers 503 (513 and 523) at an appropriate timing corresponding to image formation on the intermediate transfer belt 401. The paper P to be fed is a paper of a size selected on the operation display unit 150 in which the number of sheets, a start button, a magnification, an image density, and the like can be set. The paper trays P11, P12, P13, Alternatively, the paper is fed from the paper trays P220, P221, and P222 of the paper feeding unit 90.

  Next, the sheet P is nipped and conveyed by the separation roller 506 and a plurality of conveyance rollers R1 to R7 provided on the conveyance path, and conveyed to a registration roller 59 provided on the upstream side of the secondary transfer unit. .

  After the leading end of the sheet P comes into contact with the registration roller 59, the sheet P is fed at a timing overlapping with the color toner image area on the intermediate transfer belt 401 by restarting the rotation of the registration roller 59.

Next, the paper P is pressed and nipped together with the intermediate transfer belt 401 by the backup roller 410 and the transfer roller 510 in the secondary transfer portion, and during this time, the color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 401 is secondarily transferred onto the paper P. The It is desirable to apply a predetermined transfer bias voltage to the transfer roller 510 during the secondary transfer.
The sheet P on which the color toner image has been transferred is separated from the intermediate transfer belt 401, conveyed to the fixing device T by a conveyance belt (not shown), and the color toner is melted and fixed on the sheet P by heating and pressure processing. .

  The paper P after the fixing process by the fixing device T is conveyed by a paper discharge roller 600 provided downstream, and is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 650 outside the apparatus main body. On the other hand, the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 401 after the secondary transfer is cleaned by the cleaning unit 360, and the next color toner image transfer process is performed.

  In the figure, the position of the switching member 601 is a position when the paper P is discharged without being reversed after the fixing process. When reversely discharging the paper P, the switching member 601 is rotated by a predetermined amount, and the paper P after the fixing process is guided downward along the right side of the switching member 601.

  Next, after the paper is stopped with the rear end being nipped by the reverse roller 602, the paper P is raised along the left side of the switching member 601 by the reverse rotation of the reverse roller 602, and the paper discharge roller 600 is moved. The paper is discharged.

  Further, in the double-sided copy mode using the refeed unit 17, the paper P after the fixing process on which an image is formed on one side is guided downward along the right side of the switching member 601, and the trailing edge of the paper P is It is stopped in a state where it is nipped by the reverse roller 605.

  Next, the reverse roller 605 is reversely rotated and raised along a guide plate (not shown), and is conveyed to a plurality of rollers 701, 702, and 703 and reversely conveys the paper P.

The image forming process for the second surface of the paper P is the same as described above, and any of the discharge paths after being sent out from the fixing device T is selected.
On the other hand, the toner removed from the photoreceptor by the cleaning unit 360 is sent to and stored in the waste toner box DT. Although the above is an image forming apparatus that forms a color image, an image forming apparatus that forms a monochrome image may be used.

  The present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding device that sucks and feeds stacked sheets with air.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating an example of a sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the adsorption conveyance mechanism which shows an example of the paper feeder of 1st Embodiment from the lower side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sheet storage unit illustrating an example of a sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating an operation example of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view of a main part illustrating an operation example of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. It is a side view which shows an example of the paper feeder of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating an operation example of a sheet feeding device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a control system of a sheet feeding device according to a second embodiment. It is a side view which shows an example of the paper feeder of 3rd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the modification of the paper feeder of 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the paper feed unit provided with the paper feeder of each embodiment. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus to which a paper feeding unit including a paper feeding device of each embodiment is connected.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A-1C ... Paper feeding apparatus, 2 ... Paper mounting stand, 20 ... Paper storage part, 21 ... Paper front end abutting surface, 22 ... Upper limit detection sensor, 3 ... Adsorption conveyance Mechanism 30 ... Conveying belt 30a ... Intake port 30b ... Adsorption surface 31 ... Drive roller 32 ... First driven roller 33 ... Second driven roller group 34 ... Adsorption chamber, 4 ... Separation air blowing mechanism, 5A to 5C ... Separation protrusion, 50 ... Shaft, 51 ... Elastic member, 52 ... Roller member, 6 ... Floating air blowing mechanism, 60 ... Floating air outlet, 61 ... Blower fan, 7 ... Adsorption detection sensor

Claims (10)

A paper table on which a plurality of paper sheets are stacked;
A suction surface for sucking the paper stacked on the paper mounting table from the upper surface and sucking the uppermost paper;
A transport mechanism for transporting the paper adsorbed on the suction surface to a paper transport path;
A separation protrusion protruding from the adsorption surface,
The separation protrusion is disposed at a position where a part of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface is pushed down to be lifted from the adsorption surface, and overlapped when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface. The leading edge of the paper is pushed down by the separation protrusion, so that a space is formed between the leading edge surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed by the adsorption surface and the leading edge surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. Characteristic paper feeder. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a separation air blowing mechanism that blows separation air from the front in the sheet conveyance direction by the conveyance mechanism to the sheet adsorbed on the adsorption surface. The transport mechanism is provided with a transport belt that is formed with an intake port through which air for sucking the paper is sucked and rotates along the transport direction of the paper,
The suction surface is configured by the conveyor belt located on the side facing the paper placement table,
The conveyance belt has a shape in which the suction surface is bent along a path inclined forward in the conveyance direction of the sheet on the side facing the sheet placement table. Or the paper feeder of 2 description. The separation protrusion has a height that forms a space between the leading end surface of the uppermost sheet and the leading end surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets when two or more sheets are attracted to the attracting surface. And is configured to be displaceable in a direction stored on the suction surface side from a separation position protruding from the suction surface.
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising an elastic member that urges the separation protrusion in a protruding direction. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member is formed of a viscoelastic body having viscous resistance. A detection sensor for detecting the displacement of the separation protrusion, wherein the separation protrusion is stored on the suction surface side by being pressed by a force by which the sheet is attracted to the suction surface; 6. The sheet feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the presence or absence of suction is determined. A paper table on which a plurality of paper sheets are stacked;
A suction surface for sucking the paper stacked on the paper mounting table from the upper surface and sucking the uppermost paper;
A transport mechanism for transporting the paper adsorbed on the suction surface to a paper transport path;
A rotating body that protrudes from the suction surface and contacts the paper sucked by the suction surface and rotates following the transport of the paper by the transport mechanism;
The rotating body is disposed at a position where a part of the leading edge of the paper sucked on the suction surface is pushed down to be lifted from the suction surface, and overlapped when two or more papers are sucked on the suction surface. The leading edge of the sheet is pushed down by the rotating body, so that a space is formed between the leading edge surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed on the adsorption surface and the leading edge surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. Characteristic paper feeder. The rotating body is configured to be displaceable in a direction in which the rotating body is stored on the suction surface side when pressed by a force that attracts the sheet to the suction surface.
The detection sensor which detects the displacement of the said rotary body is provided, and the presence or absence of the adsorption | suction of the paper to the said suction surface is judged by the operation | movement in which the said rotary body is stored in the said suction surface side. The paper feeder described. One or more paper trays in which paper is stored;
A paper mounting table on which a plurality of sheets are stacked in the paper tray;
A suction surface for sucking the paper stacked on the paper mounting table from the upper surface and sucking the uppermost paper;
A transport mechanism for transporting the paper adsorbed on the suction surface to a paper transport path;
A separation protrusion protruding from the adsorption surface,
The separation protrusion is disposed at a position where a part of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface is pushed down to be lifted from the adsorption surface, and overlapped when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface. The leading edge of the paper is pushed down by the separation protrusion, so that a space is formed between the leading edge surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed by the adsorption surface and the leading edge surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. Characteristic paper feed unit. An image forming unit for forming an image on paper;
A paper feeding device for feeding paper to the image forming unit;
The paper feeder is
A paper table on which a plurality of paper sheets are stacked;
A suction surface for sucking the paper stacked on the paper mounting table from the upper surface and sucking the uppermost paper;
A transport mechanism for transporting the paper adsorbed on the suction surface to a paper transport path;
A separation protrusion protruding from the adsorption surface,
The separation protrusion is disposed at a position where a part of the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the adsorption surface is pushed down to be lifted from the adsorption surface, and overlapped when two or more sheets are adsorbed on the adsorption surface. The leading edge of the paper is pushed down by the separation protrusion, so that a space is formed between the leading edge surface of the uppermost sheet adsorbed by the adsorption surface and the leading edge surfaces of the second and subsequent sheets. An image forming apparatus.

Images