JP2011251822A - Manual paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suitably set a paper bundle to a target set position from a top layer to a lower layer, even when a pad having high friction resistance is used as a friction pad on a flapper.SOLUTION: The upper surface of films 25, 25 having low friction resistance is positioned higher than the upper surface of a friction material 24, so that the tip end of the lower layer paper of the paper bundle is guided smoothly by the films 25, 25 when a paper bundle is set on a flapper 22, and inserted to a space between a manual paper feeding roller 23 and the tip end of the flapper 22. Then, the contact of the friction material 24 with the lower layer side paper of the paper bundle is suppressed at maximum, and the insertion of the paper bundle is not obstructed by the friction material 24.

Description

  The present invention relates to a manual sheet feeding device that can be used in an image forming apparatus used in a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, a digital multifunction machine, and the like. The present invention relates to a manual sheet feeding device that can prevent the above.

  FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a known manual sheet feeding device 101 disclosed in Patent Document 1. The manual sheet feeder 101 is configured to feed sheets one by one from the sheet bundle 108 on the flapper 102 urged upward by the urging spring 106 by the cooperative action of the rotating manual sheet feed roller 104 and the friction pad 109. Separated and sent to the paper feed path 107. When the sheet bundle 108 is set on the flapper 102, the leading end of the flapper 102 is fixed in a pressed down state against the spring force of the urging spring 106, and the sheet is placed in the space between the manual feed roller 104 and the leading end of the flapper 102. This is done by inserting the bundle 108 and releasing the depressed state.

JP 2006-298508 A

  In the configuration of the manual sheet feeding device 101, a cork pad has been frequently used as the friction pad 105, but recently, a pad having higher frictional resistance, for example, a rubber pad such as chloroprene rubber has been adopted for the purpose of suppressing double feeding of thin paper. Has been. Since the rubber pad has an extremely high frictional resistance compared to the cork pad, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the separation failure of several sheets on the lower layer side of the paper bundle, but on the other hand, when the paper bundle 108 is set on the flapper 102, the paper bundle 108 In some cases, the lower layer side paper is caught on the rubber pad and does not reach the target setting position, and as a result, the lower side paper is not separated and fed, so-called no-feed error may occur.

  Therefore, the problem solved by the present invention in the manual sheet feeding device is that the sheet bundle is appropriately set to the target set position from the upper layer to the lower layer even when a friction pad on the flapper is used. To be able to set it.

  The present invention relates to a manual sheet feeding device, and in a preferred mode thereof, a manual sheet feeding tray on which sheets are stacked, a flapper disposed at a front end portion in a sheet feeding direction of the manual sheet feeding tray, A sheet of paper in cooperation with the manual paper feed roller disposed close to the front edge in the paper feed direction and the rotating manual paper feed roller mounted on the upper surface of the flapper and in the front edge of the paper feed direction. A friction member that separates and feeds paper, and a film that is attached to the top surface of the flapper and at the front end in the paper feeding direction and has a lower frictional resistance than the friction member, and the upper surface of the film is the friction member. Located higher than the top surface.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, since the upper surface of the film having low frictional resistance is positioned higher than the upper surface of the friction member, the leading edge of the lower side sheet of the sheet bundle is set when setting the sheet bundle on the flapper. Is inserted smoothly into the space between the manual feed roller and the tip of the flapper while being guided smoothly by the film, so that the contact between the friction member and the lower side paper of the paper bundle is minimized, and the insertion of the paper bundle is Not obstructed by the member. Therefore, the sheet bundle is appropriately set from the upper layer to the lower layer to the target setting position, and the sheet bundle is favorably unified up to several sheets on the lower layer side by the cooperative action of the rotating manual feed roller and the friction member. Each sheet is separated and sent to the paper feed path without being double fed.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, it is more preferable that the upstream end of the film in the paper feeding direction is positioned upstream of the upstream end of the friction member in the paper feeding direction.

  According to this aspect, since the upstream end in the sheet feeding direction of the film is located upstream from the upstream end in the feeding direction of the friction member, the lower layer side sheet of the sheet bundle is covered with the film before contacting the friction member. Since it is guided smoothly, the risk of hindering the setting of the sheet bundle by the friction member is further suppressed.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the film includes at least two sheets, arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction, and the friction member is located between the two films. preferable.

  According to this preferable aspect, since the friction member is located between the two films, it is very unlikely that the lower layer side sheet insertion of the sheet bundle is hindered by the friction member.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a paper guide for guiding conveyance of the fed paper is provided at a position downstream of a downstream end of the manual feed tray in a paper feeding direction, and the downstream end of the film in the paper feeding direction is More preferably, it extends to the upper surface of the paper guide.

  According to this preferred embodiment, since the downstream end of the film feeding direction extends to the upper surface of the paper guide, even if the paper to be set is strongly warped, the leading edge of the fed paper is the side surface of the paper guide. Pickup failure is prevented.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the film is made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin. It is more preferable to use as a material.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, one of the synthetic resins described above can be selected as a material having a lower frictional resistance than the friction member.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flapper is made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin. The material is preferably used.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, since one of the above synthetic resin materials having a lower frictional resistance than the friction member can be selected as the material of the flapper, even if the flapper and the lower side sheet of the sheet bundle are in contact with each other , It does not interfere with inserting the stack of paper.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the friction member is made of natural rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, acrylonitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, acrylic rubber, urethane rubber, silicon rubber, fluorine rubber or It is preferable to use epichlorohydrin rubber.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, since the material of the friction member can be selected from the above rubber materials having high frictional resistance, even if it is a thin paper bundle, double feeding can be prevented. .

  According to the present invention, even when a pad having a high frictional resistance is adopted as the friction pad on the flapper, the sheet bundle can be appropriately set from the upper layer to the lower layer at a target setting position.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a manual sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus in which the manual sheet feeding device according to the embodiment of the present invention is preferably mounted. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the manual sheet feeding device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a manual sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a known manual sheet feeding device.

  The present invention will be described as a preferred embodiment with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, but the technical scope of the present invention should be determined by the description of the scope of claims. It should not be interpreted in a limited way.

  With reference to FIG. 2, an image forming apparatus 2 equipped with the manual sheet feeding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus 2 (hereinafter also referred to as the apparatus main body 2) has a paper feed cassette 3 disposed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2 and an image reading apparatus 4 disposed at the upper part of the apparatus main body 2. In addition, a recording unit 5 and a discharge tray 6 are provided. The paper P taken out from the paper feed cassette 3 by the paper feed roller 7 is transported to the paper transport path 8, and the toner is applied to the paper P from the photosensitive drum 9 arranged in the recording unit 5 based on the image data read by the image reading device 4. Transfer the image. Then, the sheet P carrying the toner image is passed through the fixing device 10 to fix the image on the sheet P, and the sheet P is discharged to the discharge tray 6 by the discharge roller 12 provided at the end of the discharge path 11. . Note that the image reading device 4, the recording unit 5, and the fixing device 10 are generally used and will not be described here.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 2 has a reverse path 14 provided with a transport roller 13 for sending the paper P to the recording unit 5 again so that the front and back of the paper P on which the image is recorded is reversed and the back side is recorded. And the upstream part of the inversion path 14 is connected to the discharge path 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the downstream portion of the reversing path 14 is provided so as to join the sheet conveying path 8 at a portion where the registration rollers 15 are arranged. Further, the manual sheet feeding device 1 is disposed on the lower side of the apparatus body 2, and the manual sheet feeding device 1 is connected to the junction between the sheet feeding path 16 and the reversing path 14 from the sheet feeding cassette 3. The paper feed paths 17 are joined, and the paper P set in the manual paper feeder 1 is manually fed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the manual paper feeder 1 includes a manual paper feed tray 21 that is attached to the side surface of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be openable and closable, a manual paper feed roller 23 installed in the apparatus main body 2, and a paper guide. 29 and a guide pad 30.

  The manual paper feed roller 23 includes a roller body and a rotation shaft, and is supported by the apparatus body 2 and rotationally driven by a rotational force applied to the rotation shaft from a drive source (not shown). The sheet P comes into contact with the uppermost sheet P of the sheet bundle placed on the sheet feeding tray 21, picks up the sheet P and sends it out to the sheet feeding path 17.

  The paper guide 29 is provided at a manual paper feed port in which the manual paper feed tray 21 of the apparatus main body 2 is disposed, and feeds the paper P fed from the manual paper feed tray 21 to the registration rollers 15. A guide rib 28 that delimits the paper path 17 and extends in the paper feeding direction is formed at predetermined intervals so that the paper P is smoothly guided through the paper feeding path 17.

  The guide pad 30 is affixed to the center of the upper surface of the paper guide 29 in the width direction corresponding to the manual paper feed roller 23 and cooperates with the manual paper feed roller 23 to manually feed the central portion of the paper bundle. The sheet P is sandwiched with the sheet feeding roller 23 to separate one sheet P from the manual sheet feeding tray 21 and to send it out to the sheet feeding path 17.

  Next, the configuration of the manual paper feed tray 21 will be described. The manual feed tray 21 has a bottomed rectangular box-shaped tray body 32 that opens upward, and the tray body 32 can swing around a predetermined hinge axis at the manual feed port of the apparatus body 2. Attached to. The manual feed tray 21 can swing around the hinge axis to take a standing posture and a tilted posture. In the standing posture, the manual feed tray 21 is stored in the manual feed slot and tilted. In this case, the manual paper feed tray 21 is set in a state in which manual paper feed is possible. The tray body 32 includes a flapper 22, a friction pad 24 as a friction member, a plurality of (two in this embodiment) film, a coil spring 26 as a biasing member, a pair of side guides 27, and an extension tray 31. .

  The flapper 22 is a table that supports the leading edge of the paper P, and is supported on both side walls of the manual paper feed tray 21 so as to be swingable about a predetermined hinge axis at a downstream position in the paper feeding direction. A compression coil spring 26 is interposed between the flapper 22 and the tray body 32, and the coil spring 26 urges the tip of the flapper 22 upward. The flapper 22 can be pushed down against the spring force of the coil spring 26, and the flapper 22 can be held down by a lock mechanism (not shown). Further, in the process of storing the manual paper feed tray 21 in the upright posture and storing it in the manual paper feed port, the flapper 22 is held down by the lock mechanism.

  The flapper 22 is made of synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin. However, in this embodiment, it is molded by polystyrene which is inexpensive and has a corresponding rigidity after molding.

  The friction pad 24 is affixed to a central portion of the flapper 22 in the front of the paper feeding direction, and feeds several sheets on the lower layer side of the sheet bundle placed on the flapper 22 together with the manual feed roller 23. Is to prevent. Due to the difference between the frictional force between the friction pad 24 and the sheet P and the frictional force between the sheets P, only the sheet P on the uppermost layer in contact with the manual sheet feeding roller 23 rotates the manual sheet feeding roller 23. The central portion of the paper P is conveyed to the nip portion between the manual paper feed roller 23 and the guide pad 30 by being driven.

  For the friction pad 24, a material having a relatively high frictional resistance is selected for the purpose of preventing the multi-feed of thin paper, and natural rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, acrylonitrile rubber, ethylene propylene. Rubber, acrylic rubber, urethane rubber, silicon rubber, fluorine rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber or the like is used as the material. In this embodiment, the friction pad 24 is formed in a rectangular shape using chloroprene rubber (CR rubber) having excellent wear resistance and impact resilience as a material.

  The side guides 27 are installed so as to be movable in the width direction of the paper P along a groove formed on the flapper 22 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction. The central portion of the paper P is aligned with the center in the width direction of the manual paper feeder 1. The side guide 27 includes a bottom plate 34 on which an end portion in the width direction of the paper P is placed, and a side wall 35 that protrudes perpendicularly from a side edge of the bottom plate 34 and regulates the end portion in the width direction of the paper P. Become. The side wall 35 can be folded so as to overlap the bottom plate 34, and is folded when the manual feed tray 21 is stowed up and stored in the manual feed slot, and the manual feed tray is opened in a tilted posture. At this time, it is configured to stand up autonomously by a return means such as a spring (not shown).

  Each of the two films 25 is a long rectangular thin plate-like member, and is attached to the upper surface of the flapper 22 and the front end in the paper feeding direction by an adhesive means such as a double-sided tape or an adhesive. Are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the. The friction pad 24 is located between the two films 25 and 25. The upper surfaces of the two films 25 are positioned higher than the upper surface of the friction pad 24, and the rear end of the two films 25 in the paper feeding direction is located upstream of the rear end of the friction pad 24 in the paper feeding direction. The front end of both films 25 in the sheet feeding direction extends to the upper surface of the sheet guide 29 of the apparatus main body 2 with the manual feed tray 21 tilted.

  Both films 25 are made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin, Synthetic resin with excellent sliding properties is used as the material. In this example, polyethylene terephthalate, which is inexpensive and easily available from the market, is used as the material.

  The extension tray 31 is housed in a tray body 32 of the manual paper feed tray 31 so that it can be pulled out. The extension tray 31 is used when a long sheet P such as A3 or B4 size is set.

  The operation and effect obtained by the present embodiment will be described while describing the procedure for setting the sheet bundle in the manual sheet feeder 1 having the above configuration. The flapper 22 is pushed down against the spring force of the coil spring 26 by opening the manual paper feed tray 21 or manually, and the pushed state is held by the lock mechanism. Thus, the nip between the friction pad 24 and the manual feed roller 23 is disclosed, and a space for inserting and setting the sheet bundle between the manual feed roller 23 and the upper surface of the front end of the flapper 22 is opened.

  Next, the sheet bundle is inserted into this space. As described above, the upper surfaces of the films 25 and 25 are positioned higher than the upper surface of the friction pad 24, and the upstream end in the sheet feeding direction of the films 25 and 25 is the friction pad. 24 extends from the upstream end of the sheet feeding direction, so that the leading edge of the lower sheet in the sheet bundle first comes into contact with the upper surface of the films 25, 25 and is then smoothly guided by the films 25, 25. Since the bundle is inserted into the space, contact between the friction pad 24 and the lower layer side sheet is suppressed as much as possible, and insertion of the sheet bundle is not hindered by the friction pad 24. The sheet bundle is appropriately set from the upper layer to the lower layer to the target setting position.

  Subsequently, according to the paper feed command accompanying the print command, the manual paper feed roller 23 rotates, and the paper bundle is separated one by one by the cooperative action of the manual paper feed roller 23 and the guide pad 30. The sheet thus fed is fed to the nip between the manual paper feed roller 23 and the guide pad 30 while being smoothly guided by the downstream portion of the films 25 and 25. Then, due to the cooperative action of the manual paper feed roller 23 and the guide pad 30, one sheet is sent out to the paper feed path 17 and used for the subsequent recording operation.

  As can be understood from the above description of the embodiment, according to the manual sheet feeding device 1 of the present embodiment, even when a frictional resistance rubber pad is adopted as the friction pad 24 on the flapper 22, the sheet bundle Can be appropriately set at the target set position from the upper layer to the lower layer. Along with this, even when a bundle of thin sheets is set, the sheets can be satisfactorily separated one by one and sent out to the sheet feeding path 17.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Manual paper feeder 21 Manual paper feed tray 22 Flapper 23 Manual paper feed roller 24 Friction pad 25 as a friction member Film 26 Coil spring as a biasing member

Claims (7)

A manual feed tray on which paper is loaded,
A flapper disposed at the front end of the manual feed tray in the paper feeding direction;
A manual paper feed roller disposed close to the front end of the flapper in the paper feeding direction;
A friction member that is attached to the upper surface of the flapper and at the front end in the paper feed direction and feeds paper in cooperation with the rotating manual paper feed roller;
A film attached to the upper surface of the flapper and the front end in the paper feeding direction and having a lower frictional resistance than the friction member;
The manual paper feeding device, wherein the upper surface of the film is positioned higher than the upper surface of the friction member. The manual sheet feeding device according to claim 1,
The manual sheet feeding device, wherein an upstream end of the film in the sheet feeding direction is located upstream of an upstream end of the friction member in the sheet feeding direction. In the manual sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2,
The manual sheet feeding device, wherein there are at least two films, and the films are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction, and the friction member is located between the two films. . The manual sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A paper guide for guiding the conveyance of the fed paper is provided at a position downstream of the downstream end of the manual feed tray in the paper feeding direction,
A manual paper feeding device, wherein a downstream end of the film in a paper feeding direction extends to an upper surface of the paper guide. The manual sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The film is made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin. A featured manual feed device. In the manual sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The flapper is made of polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polypropylene, polyamide, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyester, ABS resin, acrylic resin or polyacetal resin. A featured manual feed device. In the manual sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The friction member is made of natural rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, butadiene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, acrylonitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, acrylic rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, fluorine rubber or epichlorohydrin rubber. A manual sheet feeding device characterized by that.

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