JP2603692B2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper feeder, and more particularly, to a paper feeder having a plurality of stages of paper mounting units.

[Prior art and problems to be solved]

Generally, in a paper feeder equipped with a multi-stage paper loading unit, each stage is independent and the tray automatically moves down to the lower limit sensor ON when the paper out sensor is ON, and the tray is pulled out and the paper is pulled out. When the tray is refilled and loaded, it rises to the upper limit sensor ON.

Further, a switch for lowering the loaded sheet bundle is provided for each stage or concentrated at one location, and only the stage corresponding to the activated switch is lowered. I have.

However, in the conventional one as described above,
Each stage is provided with a switch for moving it down, so that the same number of switches and bundles for signal transmission are required as the number of stages, and all switches are arranged in one place. In some cases, the switch of the stage to be moved down may be mistakenly pressed, and when replenishing paper in all stages, all switches must be pressed, and work such as paper reinforcement must be performed. There was a problem that it was very complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and has as its object to provide a paper feeder that can easily perform paper loading / unloading operations and can reduce the overall manufacturing cost. Aim.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a paper feeder having a plurality of trays, and adapted to supply sheets stored in a desired tray to an electrophotographic copying machine and the like which are continuously provided. A passage sensor that detects when paper is fed from the tray and issues a signal, a lower sensor that detects when the tray is at the lower limit and issues a signal, and a sensor that detects when the tray is at the lower limit. An upper limit sensor that detects and issues a signal, and a paper-less sensor that detects when the tray is out of paper and emits a signal when detecting that there is no more paper in each stage, respectively,
One down switch and a control circuit are provided, and when all the pass sensors detect that there is no paper, when the down switch receives a signal from the down switch, all the up switches are provided. This means employs a means for lowering the tray in which the paper is stored, and thereafter, when the paper supply tray is inserted, the tray with all the papers is raised.

[Action]

According to the present invention, by adopting the above-described means, all the steps are lowered to the lower limit position only by pressing the switch, so that the tray can be pulled out and the paper can be taken in and out.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described.

1 shows a state in which the paper feeding device according to the present invention is connected to the electrophotographic copying apparatus, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the upper tray is pulled out, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the lower tray is drawn out. FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section of the sheet feeding device.

The paper feeder 1 is connected to the paper feed side of the electrophotographic copying machine 2 and has three trays 3, 4, 5, upper, middle, and lower.
The lower switch 7 is provided on the upper surface cover 6 on the upper surface, and the inside of the trays 3, 4, and 5 of each stage has a bundle of sheets on the upper surface as shown in FIGS. A plate 8 on which both sides of the sheet bundle 13 are supported and a rear end thereof are supported. A rear end guide 11 is provided, and a support plate 12 is provided on the upper front side.

As shown in FIG. 4, a feed roller unit 15 having a double feed prevention roller 14 is provided in front of each of the trays 3, 4, and 5, and a feed guide is provided in front of those feed directions. 16 are provided such that they are led together to the electrophotographic copying machine.

Then, in front of each of the feed roller units 15, a passage sensor S ₁ that detects that a sheet has passed and emits a signal,
S _2, S ₃ is arranged, also, the upper limit detection sensor S ₄ which emits a signal by detecting that reaches the upper limit position, respectively in each tray 3, 4, and detects that reaches the lower limit position lower limit detection sensor S ₅ which emits a signal Te, further, is disposed the sensor S ₆ no paper that emits a signal by detecting that the paper runs out in the sheet mounting plate, respectively, each of the sensors S _1, S _2, S _3, S _4,
Down switch 7 provided on S ₅ , S ₆ and top cover 6
Is connected to the control circuit.

 Next, the operation of the above will be described.

First, when the trays 3, 4, and 5 are pulled out and the sheet bundle 13 is loaded on each of the paper loading plates 8, 8, and 8 and then pushed in, a detection member that is turned ON when the tray enters is provided at each stage. In addition, since each detection member is connected in series, the signal to insert the tray is turned ON only when all the trays have been inserted.

The sensor S ₆ without paper with emits a signal of OFF, it emits a signal OFF so the upper limit sensor S ₅ the sheet bundle is not the upper limit position, therefore, the control circuit increases the trays 3, 4, 5 Then, the motor is turned on to move up and the uppermost one of the sheet bundle is set as the upper limit position, and the flowchart at this time is as shown in FIG.

Then, it is intended to supply to the electrophotographic copying apparatus adjacent a roller unit 15 feeds the desired paper in this state, and, when the paper runs out, emits no paper sensor S ₆ the signal, The lower lower limit sensor when the sensor S ₅ has the motor is started to lower the tray by this because it emits a signal OFF, the tray is a lower limit position
S ₅ stops lowering emits a signal, thus, which allows pull out the tray at this lower limit position, the flow of time is as shown in Figure 6, the tray of each stage is independently It is supposed to work.

Further, with no paper sensor S ₆ is OFF is when the one of the upper paper by the paper feed is fed, the upper limit sensor S
_{4 is} also turned off, thereby raising the paper loading plate 8,
The upper sheet is fed, and the flowchart in this case is as shown in FIG. 7, and the trays at each stage operate independently.

On the other hand, when the down switch 7 provided on the upper cover 6 is pressed, at this time, any of the passage sensors S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃
When it is not ON, that is, the passage sensor S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ is OFF because the passage of the paper is detected during the copying operation, and when the paper is not fed from any tray, When the lower limit sensor is OFF, that is, only the drive source of the tray not at the lower limit position is activated to lower the tray, and the lowering switch 7 automatically returns after the tray is at the lower limit position. Things.

The above operation is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

Therefore, if any of the passage sensors S ₁ , S ₂ , and S ₃ detects that the sheet has passed, all the trays are not lowered.

〔The invention's effect〕

The present invention is a paper feeder having a plurality of trays as described above and adapted to supply sheets stored in a desired tray to an electrophotographic copying apparatus and the like connected in series, wherein sheets are supplied from the tray. A pass sensor that detects when a paper is fed and issues a signal, a lower limit sensor that detects when the tray is at the lower limit and emits a signal, and an upper limit that detects when the tray is at the upper limit and emits a signal. A sensor and a paper-out sensor for detecting that the paper has run out are provided at each stage, and one down switch and a control circuit are provided. It is configured to lower the ascending tray when receiving the signal of the lowering switch when detecting that it is not at the position and detecting all the passing sensors that there is no paper. So one sui All trays can be lowered with the switch, which reduces the number of components and makes the entire system inexpensive. Things.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a paper feeding device according to the present invention is connected to an electrophotographic copying machine, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an upper tray is pulled out, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the entire sheet feeding device, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation when all the trays of each stage are inserted, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation when the paper runs out, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation when the number of sheets is reduced by paper feeding, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation when the down switch is pressed. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Paper feeder 2 ... Electrophotographic copying machine 3, 4, 5 ... Tray 6 ... Top cover 7 ... Down switch 8 ... Paper loading plate 9 ... Accuride rail 10 ... Side guide 11 ... ... rear guide 12 ...... support plate 13 ...... sheet bundle 14 ...... double feed prevention roller 15 ...... feeding roller unit 16 ...... conveyance guide _{S 1, S 2, S 3} ...... passage sensor S ₄ ...... upper limit sensor S ₅ …… Lower limit sensor S ₆ …… Paperless sensor

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sheet feeding device having a plurality of trays for feeding sheets stored in a desired tray to an electrophotographic copying machine or the like, wherein sheets are fed from the trays. A passage sensor that detects the case and emits a signal, a lower limit sensor that detects that the tray is located at the lower limit and emits a signal, an upper limit sensor that detects that the tray is located at the upper limit and emits a signal, A paper-out sensor that detects when the tray has run out of paper and emits a signal is provided at each stage, and one down switch and a control circuit are provided. A sheet feeding device, wherein a sensor detects that a sheet is not passing, and lowers all trays that are not at a lower limit position when receiving a signal from the lowering switch. 2. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein when all the trays are inserted in the paper feeding device, all the trays on which the sheets are mounted are raised.