JP2706206B2 - Paper cassette - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper cassette provided with a spring pressure switching mechanism for switching the contact pressure of paper on a paper supply roller according to the type of paper in a printing apparatus or a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which a conventional paper cassette disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-97955 is mounted on a printing apparatus (only the printing apparatus is shown with a paper supply roller). In the drawing, 1 is a cassette housing, 2 is a paper plate supported by the cassette housing 1, 3 is a spring for pushing up the paper plate 2, 4 is a paper separation claw, 5 is a paper supply roller, and 6 is a paper plate. The set sheet, 7 is a sheet guide for regulating the width direction of the sheet 6, and 8 and 9 are pins for supporting the sheet separation claw 4.

Next, the operation will be described. The paper 6 set on the paper plate 2 is pressed against the paper supply roller 5 by the spring 3, and the top sheet of the paper 6 is separated from the paper separation claw 4 by the rotation of the paper supply roller 5, and the printing device The sheet is sent to a predetermined position (not shown) to complete sheet feeding.

At this time, if the spring 3 for pressing the paper 6 against the paper supply roller 5 via the paper plate 2 is too strong, the paper 6 is simultaneously separated from the paper separation claw 4 by a plurality of papers to cause double feeding. Is too weak, the sheet conveying force of the sheet supply roller 5 becomes smaller than the separating force of the sheet 6 separating from the sheet separating claw 4, and a sheet feeding error occurs. Therefore, the spring 3
Use a paper having a strength corresponding to the type of paper 6.

As described above, the paper cassette requires the spring 3 having a strength corresponding to the type of the paper 6.
Paper quality. Therefore, there is no problem if a dedicated paper cassette is used, but if the dedicated paper cassette is used, there are many types of paper cassettes, and thus problems such as price and storage of the paper cassette occur. For this reason, 2-15
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 928, there has been proposed a device in which sheets of different sizes are accommodated by one type of sheet cassette.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13,
The spring pressure changes according to the size of the sheet. As a means therefor, there is provided a setting plate 24 which can be moved according to the size of the paper 26, and the movement of the setting plate 24 is transmitted to the sliding member 29 via the rack 27 and the pinion 28, and the sliding is performed. The spring support 30 is moved up and down by the slope of the moving member 29 so that the strength of the spring 23 can be changed. In the figure, 2
1 is a housing, 22 is a paper plate, and 25 is a paper supply roller.

[0007]

The conventional paper cassette has been constructed as described above. Therefore, it is possible to cope with paper sheets having different sizes, but it is difficult to cope with paper sheets having the same paper size but different paper qualities. For example, plain paper
When the paper quality is clearly different, such as a film color print paper for an OHP (Over Head Projector), the influence of the strength of the spring is large, and a paper feed error is likely to occur in the same paper cassette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a single-touch spring for switching the switching lever without using a special tool on the front side of a paper cassette according to the type of paper. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a paper cassette capable of switching pressure.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems] paper cassette according to the present invention, the paper a switching lever for switching the spring pressure of the spring pressing the paper plate to the paper separation claw of the paper cassette
Side, that is, on the front side.

[0010] The paper cassette according to the present invention, also, use
Cassette housing that supports paper separation tab via paper guide
And separated by a spring supported by the cassette housing.
Paper cassette having a paper plate pressed against the claws
In the cassette, between the spring and the cassette housing.
The cassette housing supports the spring and
A lever supported so as to be inclined with respect to
Bullets fixed to a bar and extending toward the paper side of the cassette housing
The lever is tilted and the
Control the spring pressure of the
Elastically engaging one of the plurality of stoppers
Thus, the lever can be maintained in a predetermined inclined state.
This is provided with a switching lever .

[0011]

According to the present invention, the switching lever is gradually turned off.
By changing, the lever is inclined with respect to the cassette housing.
Since the angle changes and the lower end of the spring is displaced, the spring pressure
There results that change, it is possible to supply a multi several sheets in one kind of the paper cassette.

[0012]

【Example】

Embodiment 1 FIG. An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a paper cassette, 10 is a cassette housing formed of synthetic resin, 11
Is a switching lever formed of a metal plate having a spring property;
Is a paper guide fixed to the housing 10; 13 is a paper separation claw supported on the paper guide 12 so as to be rotatable;
Is a paper plate supported by the housing 10.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1. Reference numeral 15 denotes a lever formed of a metal plate, which has a semispherical concave fulcrum 15a, a semicircular concave fulcrum 15b, and a spring seat 15c. This lever 1
The switching lever 5 and the switching lever 11 having a spring property are integrally joined by a small screw 17. Reference numeral 16 denotes a spring for outputting a contact pressure of the sheet to a sheet supply roller (not shown). The housing 10 has a hemispherical convex fulcrum 10a, a semicircular convex fulcrum 10b, and a spring seat 10c corresponding to the lever 15. The hemispherical convex fulcrum 10a and the semicircular convex fulcrum 1
The semicircular concave fulcrum 15a and the semicircular concave fulcrum 15b of the lever 15 are fitted into the lever 0b. A pair of springs 16 fit into the spring seat 10c, and the lower side of the spring 16 is received by the spring seat 15c of the lever 15. The upper side of the spring 16 is configured to press the back surface of the paper plate 14. Note that one end of the paper plate 14 is supported by a cylindrical fulcrum 10 f formed on the housing 10, and the other end is pushed up by a spring 16.

The paper guide 12 is screwed to a screw seat 10d of the cassette housing 10 by a small screw 18. The paper guides 12 are arranged on both sides of the paper plate 14, but only one side is shown in FIG. One end of the lever 15 is pressed by a spring 16, and the other end (on the side of the switching lever 11) is connected to a fulcrum 1 provided on the paper guide 12.
2d, and the switching lever 11 is engaged with the switching stopper 12a or 12b.
5 does not fall off from the hemispherical convex fulcrum 10a and the semicircular convex fulcrum 10b. In the configuration state as described above, the lever 15 the switching lever 11 is joined is hemispherical凹支point 15a, to rotate only in the theta x direction around the semicircular凹支point 15b in a state inclined at a predetermined angle In other directions.

Next, the operation will be described. 3 to 6 are views showing a state where the spring pressure is small (the length of the spring 16 is long). In FIG. 3, the switching lever 1 joined to the lever 15 is shown.
1 has a spring force acting in the X direction due to its own spring property. In FIG. 4, since the lever 15 has escaped to the retracting portion 10e of the cassette housing 10 around the hemispherical concave fulcrum 15a, the spring 16 is connected to the paper plate 14 and the spring seat 1 of the cassette housing 10.
0c is shown. FIG. 5 shows a stopper 1 of the switching lever 11 fixed to the lever 15.
1a shows a state in which 1a is held in contact with the switching stopper 12a of the paper guide 12.

The switching lever 11 is shifted from the state shown in FIGS.
In the direction of arrow 19 (see FIG. 6).
When the switch lever 11 moves beyond the switching stopper 12b, the switching lever 11 itself moves in the direction of arrow 20 by the spring force in the X direction, and the switching lever 11 can be set to the state shown in FIG. 7 with a clicking sound. . FIGS. 7 to 10 are views showing states where the spring pressure is large (the length of the spring 16 is short). Then, when the state is switched again to the state where the spring pressure is small (the length of the spring 16 is long), arrows 21 and 21 shown in FIG.
When the switching lever 11 is moved in the direction of 2 until the stopper 11a exceeds the switching stopper 12b, the spring force of the spring 16 moves to the position shown in FIG.
The switching lever 11 returns to the position at which a hits the switching stopper 12a, and the spring pressure can be set to be small (the length of the spring 16 is long).

Embodiment 2 FIG. In the above configuration, the hemispherical concave fulcrum 15a and the semicircular concave fulcrum 15b of the lever fit into the hemispherical convex fulcrum 10a and the semicircular convex fulcrum 10b of the housing 10, respectively. The semicircular convex fulcrum 10b may be the same hemispherical convex fulcrum as the hemispherical convex fulcrum 10a, and the semicircular concave fulcrum 15b may be correspondingly a semispherical concave fulcrum. That is, in the first embodiment, the biconvex fulcrum 10
If there is a difference between the dimensional accuracy between the a and 10b and the dimensional accuracy between the bi-concave fulcrums 15a and 15b, the state of the inset mounting becomes unstable.
Is formed in a semicircular shape so that the fitting state is stable even if a difference occurs in the dimensional accuracy. On the other hand, if the dimensional accuracy of the product is improved, the semicircular fulcrum 10b,
15b can be formed on the same fulcrum as the hemispherical fulcrums 10a and 15a. In this case, it is also possible to make the housing side a concave fulcrum and the lever side a convex fulcrum.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, since a spring pressure switching mechanism is added, a plurality of types of paper can be supplied by one type of paper cassette .

A spring pressure switching mechanism changes the inclination angle of a lever supporting the spring , and switches the switching lever.
By using the elasticity of the lever, the lever can be held in a predetermined inclined state.
As a result, a spring pressure switching mechanism having a simple structure and excellent operability can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a paper cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line wo in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG.

7 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 1, which is a view switched from FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, showing the state of FIG. 7;

9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in FIG. 2 and is a view of the state of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line wo in FIG. 2, showing the state of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view partially showing an example of a conventional paper cassette.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing another embodiment of the conventional paper cassette.

FIG. 13 is a plan view illustrating a main part of the paper cassette of FIG. 12;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cassette housing 11 Switching lever 12 Paper guide 13 Paper separation claw 14 Paper plate 15 Lever 16 Spring 10a Semispherical convex fulcrum 10b Semicircular convex fulcrum 15a Semispherical concave fulcrum 15b Semicircular concave fulcrum

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A cassette casing for supporting 1. A sheet separating nail through the paper guide, the paper cassette and a against which the paper plate pressing by a spring supported on the cassette housing to said separation claw, and the spring The cassette
And provided between the housing and supporting the spring,
Mounted to be tiltable with respect to the cassette housing
A lever and a cassette housing fixed to the lever.
It is constituted by an elastic member extending to the paper side, and the lever is
In addition to controlling the spring pressure of the spring by tilting it,
The bullet is inserted into one of the multi-stage stoppers provided on the paper guide.
The lever is in a predetermined tilted state.
Characterized in that the paper cassette is provided with a switching lever capable of holding a sheet.