JP2022001517A - Sheet supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet supply device which can further preferably handle a sheet.SOLUTION: A sheet supply device comprises: a storage part for mounting a sheet bundle obtained by stacking a plurality of sheets on a mounting surface and storing the sheet bundle; an inclined member 30 having an inclined surface 31 inclined to the mounting surface; a feeding part for feeding a sheet of the uppermost layer of the sheet bundle on the mounting surface, to the inclined member 30; and a sheet separation body 25 provided on the inclined surface 31. The sheet separation body 25 includes a plurality of resin separation pieces 40 having tips projecting from the inclined surface 31 and a resin support for supporting the base end of the separation pieces 40 on the back face side of the inclined surface 31. The separation pieces 40 are each independently supported by the support so as to be movable to a side opposite to the mounting surface side in the inclination direction along the inclined surface 31 and the back face side in a normal direction of the inclined surface 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet supply device that separates and feeds sheets one by one from a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are laminated.

Image recording devices such as various printers include a sheet supply device that feeds a sheet such as recording paper, which is an image recording medium, to an image recording unit (inkjet head, photoconductor drum, etc.). The sheet supply device supplies, for example, an accommodating portion for accommodating a plurality of sheets as a laminated sheet bundle, an inclined member located between the accommodating portion and the image recording unit, and the accommodating portion to feed the sheets to the inclined member. It is equipped with a feeding unit such as a roller. The inclined member is usually a plate-shaped member made of resin, and has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the mounting surface of the sheet bundle in the accommodating portion.

In a general sheet feeding device, a feeding unit such as a roller is brought into contact with the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle, and the sheets are fed one by one to the inclined member. Conventionally, in order to prevent a plurality of sheets from being fed (double-fed) at the same time, a configuration is known in which a sheet separator for handling the leading end of the sheets is provided on an inclined surface.

For example, in Patent Document 1, the sheet separator includes metal separators arranged at predetermined intervals along the feeding direction of the sheet. Further, in Patent Document 2, the sheet separator includes a plurality of resin separators integrally provided on the inclined member. In the sheet separator disclosed in Patent Document 2, the tip of the separated piece extends downstream in the feeding direction of the sheet and protrudes from the inclined surface toward the mounting surface.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-182481 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-073826

The sheet separator described in Patent Document 1 can be configured as a metal member in which a plurality of separated pieces are integrally formed, for example, by punching a metal sheet. Since such a metal separation piece can exhibit good elasticity, the leading end of the sheet can be handled well. However, since the inclined member to which the sheet separator is attached is made of resin, the inclined member and the sheet separator cannot be integrated. Therefore, not only the number of parts of the sheet supply device increases, but also it becomes necessary to separate the resin inclined member and the metal sheet separator at the time of recycling, and the recyclability is lowered.

In the sheet separator described in Patent Document 2, since the separator itself is made of resin, the inclined member and the sheet separator can be integrally molded. Further, even if the sheet separator is configured as a separate resin member, it is possible to avoid deterioration of recyclability by molding the sheet separator with the same resin material as the inclined member. However, the separated piece disclosed in Patent Document 2 has its extending direction downstream in the feeding direction. With such a configuration, depending on the type of resin material, sufficient elasticity may not be imparted to the separated pieces, and the leading end of the sheet may not be handled appropriately.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and in a sheet separator having a resin-made separator, good elasticity is imparted to the separator, and the sheet separator imparts good elasticity to the leading end of the sheet. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet supply device capable of handling the above-mentioned more preferably.

The sheet supply device according to an aspect of the present invention has an inclined surface having an accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are laminated by placing it on a mounting surface, and an inclined surface inclined with respect to the above-mentioned mounting surface. A member, a feeding unit for feeding the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle on the above-mentioned mounting surface to the inclined member, and a sheet separator provided on the inclined surface are provided, and the sheet separator is said to have the same. Each of the separated pieces has a plurality of resin separated pieces whose tips protrude from the inclined surface, and a resin support portion that supports the base end side of the separated pieces on the back surface of the inclined surface. The pieces are independently supported by the support portion so as to be movable toward the opposite side of the above-mentioned mounting surface side in the inclined direction along the inclined surface and the back side in the normal direction of the inclined surface. It is characterized by being.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention provides a sheet supply device capable of imparting good elasticity to a sheet separator having a resin separator and capable of more preferably handling the leading end of the sheet by the sheet separator. It has the effect of being able to do.

The above objectives, other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a figure which shows schematically the image recording apparatus provided with the sheet supply apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the inclined member and a sheet separator of FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the inclined member and the sheet separator of FIG. 2 as viewed from the back side. It is a perspective view which shows a part of the inclined member and a sheet separator of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inclined member and the sheet separator of FIG. 2 cut along a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction. FIG. 5 is a view of a cross section of an inclined member and a sheet separator cut along the VI-VI line of FIG. 5 as viewed from above. It is a perspective view which shows the inclined member and the sheet separator of the sheet supply device which concerns on the modification 1 of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which looked at the inclined member and a sheet separator of the sheet supply device which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention from the front side. It is a perspective view which shows a part of the inclined member and a sheet separator of FIG. FIG. 8 is a view of a part of the inclined member and the sheet separator of FIG. 8 as viewed from the back side. It is a figure which looked at the cross section of the inclined member and a sheet separator of FIG. 8 from the upper side. It is a perspective view which shows the inclined member and the sheet separator of the sheet supply device which concerns on the modification 2 of Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the inclined member and the sheet separator of the sheet supply device which concerns on other modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. 14 (a) to 14 (d) are perspective views showing an inclined member and a sheet separator of the sheet supply device according to other modifications of the first and second embodiments of the present invention. 15 (a) to 15 (b) are views of a part of the inclined member and the sheet separator of the seat supply device according to another modification of the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back side.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout all the drawings, and the overlapping description thereof will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording device 10 of the first embodiment includes a housing 11, a recording unit 14, and a sheet supply device 20. The image recording device 10 is a device that supplies the sheet A by the sheet supply device 20 and records an image on the sheet A by the recording unit 14. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer will be described as the image recording device 10, and paper will be described as the sheet A, but the image recording device 10 and the sheet A are not limited thereto.

The side of the recording unit 14 with respect to the sheet supply device 20 is referred to as an upper side, and the opposite side thereof is referred to as a lower side. The directions orthogonal to the vertical direction and orthogonal to each other are referred to as the front-back direction and the left-right direction. However, the arrangement direction of the image recording device 10 is not limited to this.

The housing 11 houses the recording unit 14 and the sheet supply device 20 in its internal space, and has a rear surface and a front surface. The insertion port 12 and the discharge port 13 are open on the front surface, and the internal space of the housing 11 communicates with the outside through the insertion port 12 and the discharge port 13. The insertion port 12 is arranged below the discharge port 13.

The recording unit 14 has a recording head 15, a platen 16, and a transport unit. The recording head 15 has a plurality of driving elements, a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid such as ink, and an ejection surface through which the nozzles open. The drive element is composed of a piezoelectric element or the like, and is provided for each nozzle to apply a pressure for discharging a liquid from the nozzle. The plurality of nozzles are arranged in the left-right direction, for example, to form a nozzle row.

The recording head 15 may be a line head system or a serial head system. The line head type recording head 15 is configured such that the nozzle row extends longer than the sheet A in the left-right direction. Further, the serial head type recording head 15 is mounted on a carriage and is configured to reciprocate in the left-right direction by the carriage.

The platen 16 has a flat top surface. The upper surface is below the recording head 15 and above the sheet feeder 20. The upper surface is a surface on which the sheet A is placed, and is arranged so as to face the discharge surface of the recording head 15 at intervals in the vertical direction.

The transport unit has a pair of upstream rollers 17 and a pair of downstream rollers 18. The pair of upstream rollers 17 have rotation axes extending in the left-right direction, and are arranged in the vertical direction behind the platen 16 so as to sandwich the sheet A between them. When one of the upstream rollers 17 is driven by a motor, the pair of upstream rollers 17 rotate in cooperation with each other so as to feed the seat A forward. The pair of downstream rollers 18 have rotation axes extending in the left-right direction, and are arranged in the vertical direction so as to sandwich the sheet A between them in front of the platen 16. When one of the downstream rollers 18 is driven by a motor, the pair of downstream rollers 18 rotate in cooperation with each other so as to feed the seat A forward.

The sheet supply device 20 includes an accommodating section 21, an inclined member 30, a feeding section 22, a guide section 23, and a sheet separator 25. The accommodating portion 21 mounts and accommodates a bundle of sheets in which a plurality of sheets A are laminated on the mounting surface 21a. For example, the accommodating portion 21 is a tray having an open upper portion, and has a bottom plate 21b on the opposite side of the upper opening. The upper surface of the bottom plate 21b is a mounting surface 21a, and a plurality of sheets A are placed on the mounting surface 21a in a laminated state. The accommodating portion 21 can be inserted into the housing 11 from the insertion port 12 and is arranged under the feeding unit 22 in the housing 11. A part of the accommodating portion 21 is outside the housing 11 so that the rear portion of the accommodating portion 21 is inserted into the housing 11 from the insertion port 12 and the front portion protrudes from the insertion port 12 to the outside of the housing 11. It may be arranged.

The feeding unit 22 feeds the uppermost sheet A of the sheet bundle to the inclined member 30. For example, the feeding unit 22 has an arm 22a and one or more feeding rollers 22b. The arm 22a is inclined so that one end thereof is in front of the other end, and one end of the arm 22a is attached to the housing 11 so as to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. The arm 22a changes the tilt angle by rotating around the rotation axis at one end thereof.

The feeding roller 22b is rotatably attached to the other end of the arm 22a about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction. When there are a plurality of feeding rollers 22b, the plurality of feeding rollers 22b are arranged in the left-right direction so that the rotation axes are coaxial and attached to the other end of the arm 22a.

The feeding roller 22b is arranged in the center of the accommodating portion 21 in the left-right direction on the upper side of the accommodating portion 21, and comes into contact with the uppermost sheet A loaded on the mounting surface 21a. Here, the height from the mounting surface 21a to the uppermost sheet A changes depending on the number of stacked sheets A. By changing the inclination angle of the arm 22a accordingly, the feeding roller 22b can move up and down to come into contact with the uppermost seat A. Then, the feeding roller 22b is rotated by a motor to feed the seat A in the feeding direction (rearward).

The inclined member 30 is made of resin and is arranged in the housing 11 behind the accommodating portion 21 and the feeding roller 22b. The inclined member 30 has a flat plate-shaped portion. The flat plate-shaped portion is arranged behind the center of the accommodating portion 21 in the left-right direction. The front surface of the flat plate-shaped portion is the inclined surface 31, and the rear surface on the opposite side thereof is the back surface 32.

The inclined surface 31 is flat and is inclined at a constant angle with respect to the mounting surface 21a so as to be rearward toward the upper side. The inclined surface 31 faces the leading end (rear end) of the sheet A mounted on the mounting surface 21a, and its lower end is closer to the mounting surface 21a than the upper end in the vertical and front-rear directions. The inclined surface 31 may be a curved surface that extends linearly at a certain angle to the upper rear side and is curved so as to be forward toward the central portion in the left-right direction.

The direction parallel to the inclined surface 31 and orthogonal to the left-right direction is referred to as an inclined direction. As shown by the arrow B, the inclination direction extends diagonally to the rear upper side and the front lower side, and the angle with respect to the mounting surface 21a is the inclination angle. In this inclined direction, it extends in an oblique direction on the rear upper side from the mounting surface 21a side toward the opposite side. In the inclined direction, the mounting surface 21a side is referred to as a lower side, and the opposite side is referred to as an upper side. The inclined direction corresponds to the moving direction of the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31, the side of the mounting surface 21a in the inclined direction corresponds to the upstream of the moving direction, and the opposite side of the inclined direction corresponds to the downstream of the moving direction. .. Further, the width direction parallel to the inclined surface 31 and orthogonal to the inclined direction corresponds to the left-right direction, and is a direction in which a line intersecting the inclined surface 31 and the extension surface of the mounting surface 21a extends. The normal direction of the inclined surface 31 is orthogonal to the inclined direction as shown by an arrow C, and the back surface 32 side is referred to as a rear side and the opposite side is referred to as a front side in the normal direction.

The guide portion 23 is arranged above the inclined member 30 and behind the transport portion, and its front surface is formed by a curved surface 23a. The curved surface 23a extends linearly in the left-right direction, and is curved so as to extend forward toward the upper side. The guide portion 23 and the inclined member 30 form a U-turn path that guides the sheet A fed from the accommodating portion 21 to the recording unit 14 by the feeding roller 22b.

The sheet separator 25 is provided on the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30, and separates one sheet A from the plurality of sheets A. The sheet separator 25 is arranged behind the feeding roller 22b so as to overlap the feeding roller 22b when viewed from the front to the back. In the left-right direction, the width of the sheet separator 25 may be wider than the width of the feeding roller 22b. The details of the sheet separator 25 will be described later.

<Operation of image recording device>
In the image recording apparatus 10, the accommodating portion 21 is arranged in the housing 11 with the sheet bundle of the sheet A mounted on the mounting surface 21a, and the feeding roller 22b is at the top of the sheet bundle. Is in contact with. Then, when the feeding roller 22b rotates in response to the printing command, the uppermost sheet A is fed backward, moves to the inclined member 30, and moves to the upper side (rear upper side) in the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31. I will move.

Here, one or a plurality of sheets A may move backward along with the uppermost sheet A. In this case, the uppermost sheet A is separated from the plurality of sheets A by the sheet separator 25, and moves on the inclined surface 31 to the guide portion 23.

The sheet A moves along the curved surface 23a of the guide portion 23 while changing the moving direction from the rear to the front. Then, the sheet A is sandwiched between the pair of upstream rollers 17 and conveyed forward, and moves to the platen 16. The sheet A is placed on the upper surface of the platen 16, where an image is formed by the liquid discharged from the discharge surface of the recording unit 14. Further, the sheet A is sandwiched between the pair of downstream rollers 18 and conveyed forward, and is discharged from the discharge port 13 to the outside of the housing 11.

<Structure of sheet separator>
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the sheet separator 25 includes a plurality of separation pieces 40 and a support portion 50, which are formed of resin. The sheet separator 25 is provided on the inclined surface 31, and a plurality of (for example, five) slits 33 are opened in the inclined surface 31. The slit 33 has a rectangular shape and extends in the inclined direction. The plurality of slits 33 are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

The plurality of separation pieces 40 form a row (separation piece row 40a) arranged in parallel with each other while being spaced apart from each other in the inclination direction. A plurality of (for example, 5 rows) separated single rows 40a are arranged next to each other in the left-right direction. One row of separated pieces 40a is assigned to one slit 33.

As shown in FIG. 5, the separated piece 40 has, for example, a plate shape having a rectangular cross section, and extends linearly upward and forward at a constant angle from the base end 41 toward the tip 42. In the separated piece 40, the dimensions in the stretching direction and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction indicated by the arrow D are shorter than the dimensions in the stretching direction and the dimensions in the left-right direction, and the dimensions in the left-right direction are shorter than the dimensions in the stretching direction. The tip 42 is arranged in front of the inclined surface 31, and the base end 41 is arranged behind the inclined surface 31 and the back surface 32. The stretching direction of the separation piece 40 may be inclined with respect to the normal direction so that the angle with respect to the mounting surface 21a is larger than the normal direction. In this case, the upper small angle θ of the angle formed with respect to the normal direction in the stretching direction is less than 45 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 4, the separated piece 40 is provided with one notch 43 at the tip 42 thereof. The notch 43 is recessed rearward from the tip 42 and extends in the left-right direction. The notch 43 forms two protrusions 44 on the tip 42. The two protrusions 44 have substantially the same shape as each other, and are arranged continuously side by side in the inclination direction. The protrusion 44 extends linearly in the left-right direction, and the height of the separation piece 40 in the stretching direction is inclined so as to decrease toward the front lower side.

As shown in FIG. 6, the support portion 50 is arranged behind the back surface 32, and has, for example, a U-shape, and has a pair of wall portions (right wall portion 51, left wall portion 52) and a support portion 50. It has a bottom 53. The right wall portion 51, the left wall portion 52, and the bottom portion 53 are, for example, flat plates and are integrally formed.

The front end of the right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52 is connected to the back surface 32 of the inclined member 30, rises from the back surface 32 to the rear side in the normal direction, and is arranged parallel to each other. The right wall portion 51 extends in an inclined direction along the right edge of the slit 33, and the left wall portion 52 extends in an inclined direction along the left edge of the slit 33. Of the two slits 33 adjacent to each other, the left wall portion 52 of the right slit 33 and the right wall portion 51 of the left slit 33 are integrally provided. However, these may be provided separately.

The bottom portion 53 extends in an inclined direction, its right end is connected to the rear end of the right wall portion 51, and the left end is connected to the rear end of the left wall portion 52, between the right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52. It is hung on. As a result, the support portion 50 is connected to the back surfaces 32 on both sides of the slit 33 so as to straddle the slit 33 in the left-right direction. As a result, the right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52 are connected to the back surface 32 between the slits 33 adjacent to each other. Further, the front surface of the bottom portion 53 is orthogonal to the normal direction and faces the slit 33. The circumference of the slit 33 is surrounded by a right wall portion 51, a left wall portion 52, and a bottom portion 53. The right wall portion 51, the left wall portion 52, and the bottom portion 53 form a groove-shaped recess 54 that is recessed rearward from the inclined surface 31, and the front surface of the bottom portion 53 corresponds to the bottom surface of the recess 54.

The base end 41 of the separation piece 40 is connected to the bottom surface of the recess 54, and the separation piece 40 and the support portion 50 are integrally formed with each other. In the bottom portion 53, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, through holes 55 are provided on the upper side and the lower side of the connection position with the base end 41, respectively. The through hole 55 is formed between the separated pieces 40 adjacent to each other in the inclined direction, and penetrates the bottom portion 53. The inside and outside of the recess 54 communicate with each other through the through hole 55.

As shown in FIG. 6, the separation piece 40 is arranged between the right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52 in the left-right direction, stands upright from the bottom portion 53, and stands above the inclined surface 31 via the slit 33. It protrudes forward. The right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52 extend over a plurality of separation pieces 40 in the inclined direction. Therefore, although the right wall portion 51 and the left wall portion 52 are commonly used as the support portion 50 of the plurality of separation pieces 40, they may be provided for each separation piece 40.

<Action and effect of sheet separator>
As described above, in the sheet supply device 20, the sheet separator 25 has a plurality of resin-made separation pieces 40 whose tips 42 project from the inclined surface 31, and the base end 41 of the separation pieces 40 on the back surface of the inclined surface 31. It is provided with a resin support portion 50 that is supported on the 32 side. Each of the separated pieces 40 can move independently of each other to the opposite side of the mounting surface 21a side in the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31 and to the back surface 32 side in the normal direction of the inclined surface 31. Is supported by.

According to this configuration, the separation piece 40 is tilted so that its tip 42 not only moves along the inclination direction but also moves in the direction of sinking from the inclined surface 31 toward the back surface 32 side. Therefore, even if the separation piece 40 is made of resin, it has good elasticity. As a result, when the leading end of the sheet A that moves on the inclined surface 31 to the upper side in the inclined direction abuts on the separation piece 40, the tip 42 of the separation piece 40 is on the upper side in the inclination direction and normal with the base end 41 as the center. The sheet A can be satisfactorily separated by tilting so as to move to the rear side in the direction.

Moreover, the base end 41 of the separation piece 40 is supported by the support portion 50 on the back surface 32 side of the inclined surface 31. Therefore, on the inclined surface 31, even if the tip 42 of any separation piece 40 moves, the tip 42 is prevented from inadvertently contacting another adjacent separation piece 40 due to the movement in the sinking direction. Therefore, it is possible to improve the number of separated pieces 40 per unit area on the inclined surface 31 (arrangement density of the separated pieces 40) as compared with the conventional case.

Further, since the plurality of separation pieces 40 can be moved independently, at least one of the plurality of separation pieces 40 can move the sheet A when the fed sheet A comes into contact with the sheet separation body 25. A more suitable load can be exerted for handling. As a result, the separation performance of the sheet A can be further stabilized, and good separation performance can be realized even if the capacity of the sheet A (the number of sheets A constituting the sheet bundle) is increased.

In the sheet supply device 20, the separation piece 40 is inclined with respect to the normal direction so that the tip 42 thereof is located on the opposite side of the base end 41 in the inclination direction. According to this configuration, the separated piece 40 is tilted so that its tip 42 moves upward in the inclined direction and rearward in the normal direction and sinks behind the inclined surface 31. Therefore, the separation piece 40 can separate the uppermost sheet A from the plurality of sheets A, and reduce the hindrance of the movement of the separated uppermost sheet A by the separation piece 40.

In the sheet supply device 20, the amount of movement of the tip 42 to the opposite side in the inclined direction is larger than the amount of movement to the back surface 32 side. According to this configuration, the state in which the tip 42 of the separation piece 40 protrudes from the inclined surface 31 is maintained for a long time while the separating piece 40 moves so as to sink from the inclined surface 31. Therefore, the time during which the separating piece 40 is in contact with the leading end of the sheet A can be made relatively long, and the load when the separating piece 40 is in contact with the sheet A can be made relatively small. As a result, the risk of forcibly handling the sheet A in a short time can be effectively suppressed, so that even better separation performance of the sheet A can be realized.

In the sheet supply device 20, the support portion 50 has a groove-shaped recess 54 recessed from the inclined surface 31 toward the back surface 32. The separation piece 40 and the support portion 50 are integrally formed so that the separation piece 40 stands upright from the bottom surface of the recess 54. According to this configuration, since the plurality of separating pieces 40 are arranged so as to stand upright from the bottom surface of the groove-shaped recess 54, it is easy to remove the mold when molding the sheet separating body 25. This makes it easy to integrally mold the separated pieces 40 having a high placement density.

In the sheet supply device 20, through holes 55 are formed on at least one of the bottom surfaces of the recesses 54 on both sides of the base end 41 of the separation piece 40 in the inclined direction. According to this configuration, even if the dust of the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31 falls into the recess 54, the dust is discharged to the outside of the recess 54 through the through hole 55, so that the dust is discharged in the recess 54. Accumulation can be suppressed.

In the sheet feeding device 20, the tip 42 is formed by a plurality of protrusions 44 arranged in the inclined direction. According to this configuration, the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31 abuts on the plurality of protrusions 44 in one separation piece 40. Therefore, there are a plurality of separation opportunities in one separation piece 40, and the separation performance of the sheet A can be further improved.

In the sheet supply device 20, the inclined surface 31 is provided with a plurality of openings (slits 33) for the separation piece 40 to project in the width direction orthogonal to the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31. The support portion 50 is connected to the inclined members 30 on both sides of the opening (slit 33) so as to straddle the opening (slit 33) in the width direction on the back surface 32 side.

According to this configuration, the support portion 50 reinforces the inclined members 30 on both sides of the slit 33 in the width direction from the back surface 32 side. As a result, the flatness of the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30 is maintained high, and the sheet A can smoothly move on the inclined surface 31. Moreover, the posture of the separation piece 40 connected to the inclined member 30 via the support portion 50 is stable, and the separation function of the seat A can be improved.

<Structure of auxiliary inclined surface and seat guide surface>
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the separation piece 40 is provided with an auxiliary inclined surface 46 and a seat guide surface 47. The auxiliary inclined surface 46 is arranged closer to the tip 42 than the base end 41 of the separation piece 40, for example, at the same position as the bottom of the notch 43 in the stretching direction. The protrusion 44 constituting the tip 42 of the separation piece 40 protrudes from the auxiliary inclined surface 46. The auxiliary inclined surface 46 is, for example, U-shaped so as to surround the periphery of the protrusion 44, and has a right surface portion 46a, a left surface portion 46b, and a lower surface portion 46c. The right surface portion 46a extends from the right end of the protrusion 44 to the right side, the left surface portion 46b extends from the left end of the protrusion 44 to the left side, and the lower surface portion 46c extends downward from the lower end of the protrusion 44.

Further, the separation piece 40 has an upper expansion portion 48a in which the right surface portion 46a and the left surface portion 46b are expanded so as to extend upward from the protrusion 44. The upper surface of the upper expansion portion 48a is a portion of the right surface portion 46a and the left surface portion 46b that extends upward. This portion has, for example, a triangular shape or a trapezoidal shape, and the distance between the portions in the left-right direction increases toward the upper side.

The right surface portion 46a, the left surface portion 46b, and the lower surface portion 46c are flush with each other, and the auxiliary inclined surface 46 is flat. In the state where the separating piece 40 is not tilted, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 is arranged on the same surface as the inclined surface 31. On the other hand, in a state where the separation piece 40 is tilted and the tip 42 is subducted into the slit 33, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 is inclined with respect to the inclined surface 31.

The seat guide surface 47 is arranged further below the lower surface portion 46c of the auxiliary inclined surface 46. Therefore, the separation piece 40 has a lower expansion portion 48b extended so as to extend downward from the lower surface portion 46c, and the upper surface of the lower expansion portion 48b corresponds to the seat guide surface 47. The seat guide surface 47 is flat and is inclined downward with respect to the auxiliary inclined surface 46 at a constant angle.

The upper expansion portion 48a and the lower expansion portion 48b have dimensions in the stretching direction, for example, shorter than half the dimensions of the separation piece 40, and preferably shorter than one-third of the dimensions of the separation piece 40. Therefore, the separation piece 40 projects rearward in the stretching direction from the upper expansion portion 48a and the lower expansion portion 48b. The separation piece 40 has an expansion portion 48a, 48b, and a protrusion portion 49 in the stretching direction. In the left-right direction, the dimensions of the expansion portions 48a and 48b and the dimensions of the protrusion 49 are equal to each other, and the dimensions of the separation piece 40 excluding the tip 42 are equal to the dimensions of the auxiliary inclined surface 46. Further, the dimension of the protruding portion 49 is smaller than the dimension of the expanded portions 48a and 48b in the direction orthogonal to the stretching direction.

<Action and effect of auxiliary inclined surface>
The seat supply device 20 includes auxiliary inclined surfaces 46 provided on both sides of the tip 42 in the width direction (left-right direction) orthogonal to the inclined direction and the normal direction on the back surface 32 side of the tip 42. The support portion 50 movably supports the tip 42 and the auxiliary inclined surface 46.

According to this configuration, since the auxiliary inclined surface 46 expands to both sides in the left-right direction from the tip 42, it is possible to prevent the sheet A from entering between the tip 42 and the inclined surface 31. Therefore, the sheet A can be fed more stably.

Further, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 of the sheet supply device 20 is formed so as to be flush with the inclined surface 31. According to this configuration, the seat A can easily move on the inclined surface 31 and the auxiliary inclined surface 46.

In the sheet supply device 20, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 is provided on the mounting surface 21a side of the tip 42 in the inclined direction. The separation piece 40 has a seat guide surface 47 that is inclined toward the back surface 32 toward the mounting surface 21a on the mounting surface 21a side of the auxiliary inclined surface 46 in the inclined direction.

According to this configuration, the seat guide surface 47, the lower surface portion 46c of the auxiliary inclined surface 46, and the protrusion 44 of the tip 42 are arranged side by side in this order in the inclined direction. As a result, the seat A moving on the inclined surface 31 moves in this order, and its leading end is guided to the tip 42 by the seat guiding surface 47 via the lower surface portion 46c, so that the seat A can be handled well by the tip 42. Can be done. Further, since the separated sheet A moves stably by the auxiliary inclined surface 46 provided around the tip 42 of the separation piece 40, the sheet A can be fed more stably.

In the seat supply device 20, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 extends to the side opposite to the tip 42 in the inclined direction. According to this configuration, the distance between the separated pieces 40 adjacent to each other in the inclined direction can be narrowed, and the sheet A can be suppressed from entering between them. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the movement of the sheet A on the inclined surface 31 from being hindered, and it is easy to guide the sheet A to the separation piece 40 on the upper side in the inclined direction, so that the sheet A can be fed more stably. Can be done.

In the sheet supply device 20, the dimensions of the separation piece 40 excluding the tip 42 in the width direction (left-right direction) are equal to the dimensions of the auxiliary inclined surface 46. According to this configuration, the strength of the separation piece 40 can be increased with respect to the load when the sheet A comes into contact with the sheet A, and the separation performance can be further stabilized.

The auxiliary inclined surface 46 of the seat supply device 20 may be formed so as to be flush with the inclined surface 31 when the tip 42 moves to the opposite side in the inclined direction. According to this configuration, when the sheet A abuts on the separation piece 40 and the separation piece 40 tilts and sinks with respect to the inclined surface 31, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 becomes flat with the inclined surface 31. As a result, the seat A can easily move on the inclined surface 31 and the auxiliary inclined surface 46.

<Modification 1>
In the sheet supply device 20 according to the first modification, as shown in FIG. 7, in the first embodiment, the sheet separator 25 has a separation piece row 40a in which a plurality of separation pieces 40 are arranged in a row along an inclination direction. And a pair of wall portions (right wall portion 51, left wall portion 52, bottom portion 53) extending in an inclined direction so as to sandwich the separation piece row 40a between the two, and the separation piece unit 26 including the integrated separation piece unit 26. There is. The separating piece unit 26 is removable from the inclined member 30. The upper surfaces 51a and 52a of the wall portions (right wall portion 51 and left wall portion 52) attached to the inclined member 30 are arranged flush with the inclined surface 31.

Specifically, the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30 is provided with a plurality of (for example, four) groove portions 34. The groove portion 34 is recessed from the inclined surface 31 to the rear side in the normal direction and extends in the inclined direction. The opening 34a formed on the inclined surface 31 by the groove portion 34 has a rectangular shape. The groove portion 34 has a right surface portion 34b, a left surface portion 34c, and a bottom surface portion 34d.

The front end of the right surface portion 34b and the left surface portion 34c is connected to the back surface 32 of the inclined member 30, and rises from the back surface 32 to the rear side in the normal direction. The right surface portion 34b extends along the right edge of the opening 34a, and the left surface portion 34c extends along the left edge of the opening 34a. Of the two openings 34a adjacent to each other on the inclined surface 31, the left surface portion 34c of the opening 34a on the right side and the right surface portion 34b of the opening 34a on the left side are integrally provided. However, these may be provided separately.

The right end of the bottom surface portion 34d is connected to the rear end of the right surface portion 34b, the left end is connected to the rear end of the left surface portion 34c, and the bottom surface portion 34d is bridged between the right surface portion 34b and the left surface portion 34c. The front surface of the bottom surface portion 34d is orthogonal to the normal direction and faces the opening 34a. The circumference of the opening 34a is surrounded by a right surface portion 34b, a left surface portion 34c, and a bottom surface portion 34d. The bottom surface portion 34d is provided with a locking hole 34e.

The separation piece unit 26 has a separation piece row 40a and a support portion 50. The support portion 50 has a pair of wall portions (right wall portion 51, left wall portion 52) and a bottom portion 53. The front end (upper surface 51a) of the right wall portion 51 and the front end (upper surface 52a) of the left wall portion 52 are not attached to the inclined member 30, and are attached to the rear end of the right wall portion 51 and the rear end of the left wall portion 52. Is provided with a locking claw 50b. Except for this, the support portion 50 of the separation piece unit 26 in FIG. 7 is the same as the support portion 50 in FIG.

The number of separation piece units 26 is the same as that of the groove portions 34 of the inclined member 30 (for example, four). One separator unit 26 is fitted into one groove 34. At this time, when the locking claw 50b of the separating piece unit 26 is inserted into the locking hole 34e of the inclined member 30, the separating piece unit 26 is fixed to the inclined member 30. In the separation piece unit 26 attached to the inclined member 30 in this way, the upper surface 51a of the right wall portion 51 and the upper surface 52a of the left wall portion 52 are flat without a step with the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30.

According to this configuration, since the plurality of separation pieces 40 are modularized as the separation piece unit 26, even if the separation piece 40 is damaged, it can be easily replaced. Further, when the separating piece unit 26 is attached to the inclined member 30, the upper surface 51a of the right wall portion 51 and the upper surface 52a of the left wall portion 52 are flush with the inclined surface 31, so that the upper surface of the separating piece unit 26 is formed during molding. By setting the protrusion amount of the separation piece 40 with respect to 51a and 52a, the protrusion amount of the separation piece 40 with respect to the inclined surface 31 can be set.

(Embodiment 2)
In the image recording apparatus 10 of the second embodiment, the sheet separator 25 includes a plurality of separation pieces and a plurality of support portions as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, and these are formed of a resin. The separated pieces have, for example, a first separated piece 60 and a second separated piece 70 having different shapes from each other. The support portion 50 has, for example, a first support portion 80 and a second support portion 90 having different shapes from each other. However, the sheet separator 25 has either the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80 that supports the first separation piece 60, and the second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 that supports the second separation piece 70. May be good.

A plurality of (for example, three) openings (slits 33) are opened in the inclined surface 31. The slit 33 has a rectangular shape and extends in the inclined direction. The plurality of slits 33 are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel while being spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Of the three slits 33, notches 35 are provided on the inclined surfaces 31 on both sides of the central slit 33 in the left-right direction. The notch 35 projects like a saw tooth from the inclined surface 31 and extends in the inclined direction along the slit 33.

The plurality of first separation pieces 60 form a row (first separation piece row 60a) arranged in parallel with each other while being spaced apart from each other in the inclination direction. The plurality of second separation pieces 70 form a row (second separation piece row 70a) arranged in parallel with each other while being spaced apart from each other in the inclination direction. Two second separation piece rows 70a are arranged so as to sandwich the first separation piece row 60a between them, and these are arranged next to each other with a space between them in the left-right direction. One row of separated pieces 60a and 70a is assigned to one slit 33.

As shown in FIG. 10, a reinforcing rib 36 is provided on the back surface 32 of the inclined member 30. The reinforcing rib 36 has, for example, a flat plate shape, and its front end is connected to the back surface 32, and the reinforcing rib 36 rises from the back surface 32 to the rear side in the normal direction. For example, four reinforcing ribs 36 (right reinforcing rib 36a, left reinforcing rib 36b, upper reinforcing rib 36c, and lower reinforcing rib 36d) are provided. The right reinforcing rib 36a and the left reinforcing rib 36b extend in the inclined direction at intervals from each other, and the upper reinforcing rib 36c and the lower reinforcing rib 36d extend in the left-right direction at intervals from each other. As a result, these reinforcing ribs 36 have a rectangular frame shape and surround the circumference of the first separation piece row 60a and the two second separation piece rows 70a.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the first separation piece 60 has, for example, a rod shape having a rectangular cross section, and is linearly at a constant angle from the first base end 61 toward the first tip 62. It extends upward to the front. The dimension of the first separation piece 60 in the stretching direction (arrow D1 in FIG. 9) and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction is shorter than the dimension in the stretching direction and the dimension in the left-right direction, and the dimension in the left-right direction is shorter than the dimension in the stretching direction. Is also short.

The first tip 62 is arranged in front of the inclined surface 31, and the first base end 61 is arranged behind the back surface 32. The projecting direction of the first tip 62 protruding from the inclined surface 31, that is, the extending direction extending from the first base end 61 of the first separating piece 60 to the first tip 62 is the normal direction or the normal direction. It is a direction tilted from the normal direction so as to be on the upper side toward the front. Of the extending direction of the first separation piece 60 and the protruding direction of the first tip 62 with respect to the inclined surface 31, the upper small angle θ1 is, for example, 90 degrees or less and larger than 45 degrees.

The first support portion 80 has, for example, a flat plate shape and has a U-shape recessed rearward from the front end thereof. The front end of the first support portion 80 is fixed to the back surface 32 of the inclined member 30 so that the first recess 81 from the front end thereof corresponds to the slit 33. Therefore, the first support portion 80 is arranged behind the back surface 32 so as to straddle the slit 33.

In the first support portion 80, the first base end 61 of the first separation piece 60 is connected to the upper surface on the rear side of the first recess 81, and the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80 are integrated. Is formed in. Therefore, one first support portion 80 is provided for one first separation piece 60, and the first separation piece 60 moves together with the first support portion 80. The plurality of first support portions 80 are arranged in a row while being spaced apart in the inclined direction.

The first separation piece 60 rises from the first base end 61 and extends forward in parallel or substantially parallel to the first support portion 80 at intervals. The first tip 62 projects from the front end of the first support portion 80 to the front of the inclined surface 31 via the slit 33. Therefore, in the first support portion 80 and the first separation piece 60, the first support portion 80 extends rearward from the front end thereof, and the first support portion 80 and the first separation piece 60 pass through a connection position between the first support portion 80 and the first separation piece 60. 1 Separation piece 60 makes a U-turn so as to extend forward from the first base end 61 thereof. The first tip 62 extends in the left-right direction and is curved in the inclined direction.

The second separation piece 70 has, for example, a rod shape having a substantially triangular cross section, and extends linearly upward and forward at a constant angle from the second base end 71 toward the second tip 72. The second tip 72 is arranged in front of the inclined surface 31, and the second base end 71 is arranged behind the back surface 32. In the normal direction, the dimension of the second separating piece 70 protruding from the inclined surface 31 is the same as or smaller than the dimension of the first separating piece 60 protruding from the inclined surface 31.

The projecting direction of the second tip 72 protruding from the inclined surface 31, that is, the extending direction extending from the second base end 71 of the second separating piece 70 to the second tip 72 (arrow D2 in FIG. 9) is with respect to the normal direction. It is a direction inclined from the normal direction so as to be on the upper side toward the front. Of the extending direction of the second separation piece 70 and the protruding direction of the second tip 72 with respect to the inclined surface 31, the small angle θ2 is smaller than the angle θ1, for example, less than 90 degrees and larger than 45 degrees.

The second support portion 90 has, for example, a flat plate shape and has a U-shape recessed rearward from the front end thereof. The front end of the second support portion 90 is fixed to the back surface 32 of the inclined member 30 so that the second recess 91 from the front end thereof corresponds to the slit 33. Therefore, the second support portion 90 is arranged behind the back surface 32 so as to straddle the slit 33.

In the second support portion 90, the second base end 71 of the second separation piece 70 is connected to the bottom of the second recess 91, and the second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 are integrally formed. There is. Therefore, one second support portion 90 is provided for one second separation piece 70, and the second separation piece 70 moves together with the second support portion 90. The plurality of second support portions 90 are arranged in a row while being spaced apart in the inclined direction.

The second separation piece 70 extends so as to be inclined forward with respect to the second support portion 90, and projects forward from the front end of the second support portion 90 to the front of the inclined surface 31 via the slit 33. Therefore, in the second support portion 90 and the second separation piece 70, the second support portion 90 extends rearward from the front end thereof, and the second support portion 90 and the second separation piece 70 pass through the connection position between the second support portion 90 and the second separation piece 70. The two separation pieces 70 make a U-turn so as to extend forward from the second base end 71.

<Action and effect of sheet separator>
As described above, in the sheet supply device 20, the sheet separator 25 has a plurality of resin-made first separation pieces 60 having its first tip 62 projecting from the inclined surface 31, and the first group of the first separation pieces 60. A first support portion 80 made of resin, which supports the end 61 on the back surface 32 side of the inclined surface 31, is provided. Each of the first separation pieces 60 is independent of each other, the opposite side (upper side) of the mounting surface 21a side in the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31, and the back surface 32 side (rear) in the normal direction of the inclined surface 31. It is movably supported by the first support portion 80 (to the side).

According to this configuration, the first separation piece 60 is tilted so that the first tip 62 moves upward in the inclined direction and rearward in the normal direction with the first base end 61 as the center, and the sheet A is satisfactorily tilted. Can be separated. Moreover, on the inclined surface 31, even if the first tip 62 of any first separation piece 60 moves, the first tip 62 carelessly hits another adjacent first separation piece 60 due to the movement in the sinking direction. Since contact is suppressed, it is possible to improve the arrangement density of the first separation piece 60. Further, when the fed sheet A comes into contact with the sheet separator 25, at least one of the plurality of first separation pieces 60 handles the sheet A, so that the separation performance of the sheet A is further stabilized. Can be done. The second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 have the same configuration, action and effect as those of the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80.

In the sheet supply device 20, the first separation piece 60 is positioned so that the first tip 62 is located on the opposite side (upper side) of the mounting surface 21a in the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31 from the first base end 61. , Inclined with respect to the normal direction. According to this configuration, since the first separation piece 60 moves to the upper side in the inclination direction and the rear side in the normal direction, the first separation piece 60 separates the uppermost sheet A and is separated by the first separation piece 60. It is possible to reduce the hindrance of the movement of the uppermost sheet A. The second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 have the same configuration, action and effect as those of the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80.

In the sheet supply device 20, the inclined surface 31 is provided with a plurality of openings (slits 33) for projecting the first separation piece 60 in the width direction orthogonal to the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31. .. The first support portion 80 is connected to the inclined members 30 on both sides of the opening (slit 33) so as to straddle the opening (slit 33) in the width direction on the back surface 32 side.

According to this configuration, the first support portion 80 reinforces the inclined members 30 on both sides of the slit 33 in the width direction from the back surface 32 side. As a result, the flatness of the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30 is maintained high, and the sheet A can smoothly move on the inclined surface 31. Moreover, the posture of the first separation piece 60 connected to the inclined member 30 via the first support portion 80 is stable, and the separation function of the seat A can be improved. The second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 have the same configuration, action and effect as those of the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80.

In the sheet supply device 20, the plurality of first separation pieces 60 are configured as first separation piece rows 60a arranged in a row along the inclination direction. The plurality of second separation pieces 70 are configured as a second separation piece row 70a arranged in a row along the inclination direction. In the width direction, a plurality of separate single rows 60a and 70a are arranged in parallel. In the adjacent separated piece rows 60a and 70a, the first support portion 80 and the second support portion 90 are alternately located.

According to this configuration, the first support portion 80 and the second support portion 90 are alternately arranged in the inclined direction between the adjacent separated pieces 60a and 70a. As a result, the density of the first separation piece 60 can be increased, and the rigidity of the inclined member 30 is further increased by increasing the number of the first support portions 80 that reinforce the inclined member 30.

In the seat supply device 20, on the back surface 32 side of the inclined member 30, a reinforcing rib 36 that stands at least a part around the opening (slit 33) is provided. According to this configuration, since the periphery of the slit 33 is reinforced by the reinforcing ribs 36, it is possible to facilitate the movement of the seat A on the inclined surface 31 and improve the separation function of the seat A.

In the sheet supply device 20, as shown in FIG. 11, the dimension E in the normal direction of the inclined surface 31 of the inclined member 30 on both sides of the opening (slit 33) is the dimension E of the first support portion 80 connected to the inclined member 30. It is larger than the dimension F in the tilt direction. According to this configuration, since the dimension E of the inclined member 30 is larger than the dimension F of the first support portion 80, the structure of the inclined member 30 can be further stabilized. Further, when the first support portion 80 and the inclined member 30 are integrally resin-molded, sink marks and deformation are unlikely to occur in the inclined member 30, which hinders the movement of the sheet A on the inclined surface 31. Can be reduced. The second support portion 90 has the same configuration, action and effect as the first support portion 80.

In the sheet supply device 20, the dimension of the first separation piece 60 is larger than the dimension of the first support portion 80 in the inclined direction, and the dimension of the first separation piece 60 is larger than the dimension of the first support portion 80 in the width direction. small. According to this configuration, the first separation piece 60 is configured in a relatively elongated and thick plate shape, and the first support portion 80 is configured in a relatively wide and thin plate shape. As a result, the first support portion 80 is easily bent and is not easily broken, so that the first separation piece 60 can be easily moved in the inclined direction and the back surface 32 side. Further, since the first separation piece 60 is relatively thick, it is possible to prevent the separation piece 40, which receives a load directly from the sheet A, from breaking. The second separation piece 70 and the second support portion 90 have the same configuration, action and effect as those of the first separation piece 60 and the first support portion 80.

In the sheet supply device 20, the plurality of first separation pieces 60 are arranged along the inclination direction so that the first separation piece 60 moved in the inclination direction (rear upper side) abuts on the adjacent first separation piece 60. There is. According to this configuration, the first separation piece 60 in contact with the sheet A moves to the rear upper side. At this time, the first separation piece 60 comes into contact with the first separation piece 60 adjacent to the upper side thereof and stops its movement. As a result, the contacted first separation piece 60 functions as a stopper for the moved separation piece 40, so that the movement amount of the first separation piece 60 can be regulated within a suitable range. As a result, it is possible to effectively suppress the possibility that the first separation piece 60 moves excessively in the inclined direction and breaks. The second separation piece 70 has the same configuration, action and effect as the first separation piece 60.

In the sheet supply device 20, the first separation piece 60 is movably supported on the opposite side of the mounting surface 21a side in the inclined direction along the inclined surface 31 and the back surface 32 side in the normal direction of the inclined surface 31. Supported by 50. The amount of movement of the first separation piece 60 to the opposite side in the inclination direction is larger than the amount of movement to the back surface 32 side (rear side) in the normal direction.

According to this configuration, since the amount of movement to the rear side of the first separation piece 60 is small, the first separation piece 60 is the first while the first separation piece 60 is moving so as to sink from the inclined surface 31. The tip 62 is maintained in a state of protruding from the inclined surface 31. Therefore, the time during which the first separation piece 60 is in contact with the leading end of the sheet A can be relatively long, and the load when the first separation piece 60 is in contact with the sheet A is relatively low. can do. The second separation piece 70 has the same configuration, action and effect as the first separation piece 60.

In the sheet supply device 20, the plurality of separation pieces include a first separation piece 60 located at the center in the width direction (left-right direction) and a second separation piece 70 located on both sides of the first separation piece 60 in the width direction. Have. The protrusion angle θ1 of the first separation piece 60 protruding with respect to the inclined surface 31 is larger than the protrusion angle θ2 of the second separation piece 70 protruding with respect to the inclined surface 31.

For example, the inclined surface 31 is formed of a curved surface that is curved forward toward the center in the width direction. In this case, since the thin sheet A bends along the curved inclined surface 31, the leading end of the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31 abuts on the first separation piece 60 and the second separation piece 70. As a result, since the sheet A receives the load from the three separated pieces 60 and 70, the load received by the sheet A can be dispersed and each load can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve the separation performance with respect to the sheet A while suppressing damage to the thin sheet A due to the separation pieces 60 and 70. Further, since the thick sheet A is hard to bend, the leading end of the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31 has a reduced amount of contact with the second separation piece 70 and abuts with the first separation piece 60. Since the protrusion angle θ1 of the first separation piece 60 is large, the sheet A is more reliably separated by the first separation piece 60.

<Modification 2>
In the sheet supply device 20 according to the second modification, as shown in FIG. 12, in the second embodiment, three or more separate single rows are provided in the width direction (left-right direction). The distance between the first separation piece row 60a located at the center in the width direction and the second separation piece row 70a located on both sides in the width direction is continuous from the mounting surface 21a side in the inclination direction to the opposite side. It becomes wider in a targeted or stepwise manner.

For example, the inclined surface 31 has a plurality of inclined surfaces 31 (for example, a lower inclined surface 31b and an upper inclined surface 31a) in an inclined direction. In the normal direction, a step is provided between the lower inclined surface 31b and the upper inclined surface 31a. The lower inclined surface 31b is located on the front side in the normal direction and is arranged below the upper inclined surface 31a in the inclined direction, and is parallel to the upper inclined surface 31a.

The upper inclined surface 31a and the lower inclined surface 31b may be formed on the same plane with each other without a step between them. Further, the inclined surface 31 of either the upper inclined surface 31a or the lower inclined surface 31b is a plane extending linearly in the left-right direction, and the other inclined surface 31 curves forward toward the center in the left-right direction. It may be a curved surface.

Each of the lower inclined surface 31b and the upper inclined surface 31a is provided with a plurality of (for example, three) separation piece rows 60a and 70a, and the same number of slits 33 as the separation piece rows 60a and 70a. In the inclined direction, the separated single rows 60a and 70a of the upper inclined surface 31a are longer than the separated single rows 60a and 70a of the lower inclined surface 31b. The first separation piece row 60a of the lower inclined surface 31b and the first separation piece row 60a of the upper inclined surface 31a are arranged on the same straight line extending in the inclination direction with each other.

The distance between the first separation piece row 60a and the second separation piece row 70a in the left-right direction on the upper inclined surface 31a is the distance between the first separation piece row 60a and the second separation piece row 70a in the left-right direction on the lower inclined surface 31b. Wider than the interval. Therefore, the distance between the two left-right separated piece rows 70a on the upper inclined surface 31a is wider than the distance between the two left-right separated piece rows 70a on the lower inclined surface 31b.

In the example of FIG. 12, the number of the separated piece rows 60a and 70a of the lower inclined surface 31b and the number of the separated piece rows 60a and 70a of the upper inclined surface 31a are equal to each other. However, these numbers may be different from each other. Also in this case, the distance between the second separation piece rows 70a arranged on both sides in the left-right direction may be wider toward the upper side in the inclination direction.

For example, thick paper such as postcards and glossy paper is smaller in size and thicker than printing paper such as PPC. Since the number of such thick papers usually placed on the mounting surface 21a is small, when the cardboard is fed to the inclined surface 31 by the feeding roller 22b, its position is low on the inclined surface 31 and the lower inclined surface. Corresponds to 31b. Such thick paper that is small in the left-right direction can be efficiently separated by the separation piece rows 60a and 70a of the upper inclined surface 31a that are brought to the center in the left-right direction.

Further, as the number of sheets A mounted on the mounting section increases, the position of the sheet A fed from the mounting section by the feeding roller 22b is located on the upper side of the inclined surface 31. In this case, the load received by the sheet A from the separation piece 40 is distributed in the left-right direction. On the other hand, when the number of sheet bundles is small, a stable load is applied to the central portion when the separation pieces 40 come into contact with each other. As a result, the contact load by the separation piece 40 can be changed according to the capacity of the sheet A and the thickness of the sheet A, so that the separation performance of the sheet A can be further improved.

<Other variants>
In the first embodiment and its modifications, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 has a U-shape that surrounds the tip 42 of the separation piece 40, but the shape of the auxiliary inclined surface 46 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the auxiliary inclined surface 46 has a right auxiliary inclined surface 46d and a left auxiliary inclined surface 46e, even if they are provided on both sides in the left-right direction with respect to the tip 42 of the separation piece 40. good. In this case, the right auxiliary inclined surface 46d and the left auxiliary inclined surface 46e project to the upper side and the lower side of the tip 42, respectively, and extend in the inclined direction. The tip 42, the right auxiliary inclined surface 46d, and the left auxiliary inclined surface 46e are arranged in an H shape. According to this configuration, the sheet A moving on the inclined surface 31 is placed on the auxiliary inclined surfaces 46d and 46e before abutting on the tip 42, so that the sheet A is fitted into the space between the separated pieces 40. It can be prevented and the occurrence of jam can be reduced.

In the first embodiment and its modifications, the tip 42 of the separation piece 40 is composed of two protrusions 44. However, the number of these protrusions 44 is not limited to this, and may be one or a plurality. In the second embodiment and its modifications, the tips 62 and 72 of the separation pieces 60 and 70 may be composed of one or a plurality of protrusions 44.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14A, the tip 42 of the separating piece 40 may be composed of three protrusions 44. In this case, two notches 43 are provided at the tip 42, and these extend in the left-right direction in parallel with each other while being spaced apart in the inclined direction. In the inclined direction, protrusions 44 are formed between the notches 43 and on both sides. The three protrusions 44 are arranged in the inclined direction and extend in the left-right direction in parallel with each other. As described above, by increasing the number of protrusions 44, the number of times the sheet A comes into contact with the separation piece 40 increases, and the separation performance of the sheet A can be improved.

In the first embodiment and its modifications, the two protrusions 44 constituting the tip 42 of the separation piece 40 have the same shape as each other. However, the shape of the protrusion 44 is not limited to this.

For example, as shown in FIG. 14B, of the two protrusions 44, the size of the lower protrusion 44a in the inclined direction may be larger than the size of the upper protrusion 44b. As a result, the seat A moving on the inclined surface 31 easily comes into contact with the lower protrusion 44a upstream in the moving direction, and the seat A can be separated. Further, the sheet A that moves with the upper sheet A without being separated abuts on the upper protrusion 44b downstream in the moving direction, so that the separation opportunity increases. As a result, the separation performance of the sheet A can be improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14 (c), of the two protrusions 44, the size of the lower protrusion 44a in the left-right direction may be larger than the size of the upper protrusion 44b. As a result, the seat A moving on the inclined surface 31 easily comes into contact with the lower protrusion 44a upstream in the moving direction, and the seat A can be separated. Further, the upper protrusion 44b can increase the separation opportunity. Further, since the contact area between the upper protrusion 44b and the sheet A is small, the separated sheet A can smoothly move on the inclined surface 31.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14D, of the two protrusions 44, the size of the lower protrusion 44a in the stretching direction may be larger than the size of the upper protrusion 44b. As a result, the seat A moving on the inclined surface 31 easily comes into contact with the lower protrusion 44a upstream in the moving direction, and the seat A can be separated. Further, the separated sheet A easily moves on the upper protrusion 44b.

As shown in the upper protrusion 44b of FIG. 14C, the protrusion 44 may be formed so that the dimension in the left-right direction becomes smaller toward the front side. Further, the protrusion 44 is formed so that the lower side surface 44c in the inclination direction with respect to the top thereof is smaller than the upper side surface 44d. According to this configuration, it takes a long time for the separation piece 40 to tilt (move) due to the leading end of the sheet A coming into contact with the lower side surface 44c, and the seat A easily gets over the tilted separation piece 40. .. Thereby, the generation of JAM can be suppressed.

In all the above-described embodiments and modifications, the protrusion 44 may have a rounded surface due to the rounded surface as shown in the upper protrusion 44b of FIG. 14 (d). In this case, the protrusion 44 is formed by a curved surface so as to be curved in the inclined direction. This makes it possible to reduce the damage to the sheet A due to the corners of the protrusions 44.

In the second embodiment and its modifications, as shown in FIG. 15A, the reinforcing rib 36 may further have a reinforcing rib 36e extending in the inclined direction. In this case, the reinforcing ribs 36 are provided in the first separation piece row 60a and the second separation piece row 70a adjacent to each other between the right reinforcement rib 36a and the left reinforcement rib 36b in the left-right direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, the reinforcing rib 36 may further have a reinforcing rib 36f extending in the left-right direction. In this case, the reinforcing ribs 36f are provided between the separated pieces 40 adjacent to each other in the inclined direction in the separated piece row 40a. Then, the reinforcing ribs 36f and the reinforcing ribs 36e may be connected to each other and arranged in a staircase pattern.

In addition, all the said embodiments may be combined with each other as long as they do not exclude each other. Also, from the above description, many improvements and other embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the above description should be construed as an example only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best aspects of carrying out the present invention. The details of its structure and / or function can be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The sheet supply device of the present invention imparts good elasticity to a sheet separator having a resin separator, and the sheet separator can more preferably handle the leading end of the sheet. It is useful as a supply device and the like.

20: Seat supply device 21: Accommodating unit 21a: Mounting surface 22: Feeding unit 25: Sheet separator 26: Separation piece unit 30: Inclined member 31: Inclined surface 32: Back surface 40: Separation piece 40a: Separation piece row 41 : Base end 42: Tip 44: Protrusion 46: Auxiliary inclined surface 47: Seat guide surface 50: Support portion 51a: Top surface 52a: Top surface 54: Recessed portion 55: Through hole 60: First separation piece (separation piece)
60a: First separation single row (separation single row)
61: First base end (base end)
62: First tip (tip)
70: Second separation piece (separation piece)
70a: Second separation single row (separation single row)
71: Second base end (base end)
72: Second tip (tip)
80: First support part (support part)
90: Second support part (support part)

Claims (12)

A storage unit that stores a bundle of sheets in which multiple sheets are stacked on the mounting surface and stores it.
An inclined member having an inclined surface inclined with respect to the above-mentioned mounting surface,
A feeding unit that feeds the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle on the above-mentioned mounting surface to the inclined member, and
With a sheet separator provided on the inclined surface,
The sheet separator is
A plurality of resin separated pieces whose tips protrude from the inclined surface, and
It has a resin-made support portion that supports the base end of the separated piece on the back surface side of the inclined surface.
Each of the separated pieces is independently movable to the opposite side of the previously described placing surface side in the inclined direction along the inclined surface and to the back surface side in the normal direction of the inclined surface. A seat feeder, characterized by being supported by. The sheet supply according to claim 1, wherein the separated piece is inclined with respect to the normal direction so that the tip thereof is located on the side opposite to the base end in the inclined direction. Device. The sheet supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of movement of the tip to the opposite side in the inclined direction is larger than the amount of movement to the back side. The support portion has a groove-shaped recess recessed from the inclined surface to the back surface side.
The sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the separated piece and the support portion are integrally formed so that the separated piece stands upright from the bottom surface of the recess. Supply device. The sheet supply device according to claim 4, wherein through holes are formed on at least one of both sides of the base end of the separating piece in the inclined direction of the bottom surface of the recess. The sheet separator includes a row of separated pieces in which a plurality of the separated pieces are arranged in a row along the tilted direction, and a pair of wall portions extending in the tilted direction so as to sandwich the row of separated pieces between each other. Includes a separate piece unit that integrates with,
The separation piece unit can be attached to and detached from the inclined member, and can be attached to and detached from the inclined member.
The sheet supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper surface of the wall portion attached to the inclined member is arranged flush with the inclined surface. Auxiliary inclined surfaces provided on both sides of the tip in the width direction orthogonal to the tilt direction and the normal direction are provided on the back side of the tip.
The sheet supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support portion movably supports the tip and the auxiliary inclined surface. The sheet supply device according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary inclined surface is formed so as to be flush with the inclined surface. The auxiliary inclined surface is provided on the previously described mounting surface side of the tip in the inclined direction.
The separated piece is characterized in that it has a sheet guide surface inclined toward the back surface side toward the front-described mounting surface side on the front-stated mounting surface side of the auxiliary inclined surface in the tilting direction. Item 7. The sheet supply device according to Item 7. The sheet supply device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the auxiliary inclined surface extends from the tip end to the opposite side in the inclined direction. The sheet supply device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the dimension of the separated piece excluding the tip in the width direction is equal to the dimension of the auxiliary inclined surface. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the tip is formed by a plurality of protrusions arranged in the inclined direction.

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