JP2726121B2 - Deck type transfer sheet feeding device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus for supplying a transfer sheet to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and more particularly, to a deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus. The present invention relates to a deck-type transfer sheet supply device capable of avoiding the danger of replenishing a transfer sheet and improving the work efficiency.

(Prior art)

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a deck-type transfer sheet feeding apparatus as a background of the present invention.

The deck-type transfer sheet supply device 51 supplies a transfer sheet such as copy paper to an image forming device 52 such as a copying machine.

The deck-type transfer sheet feeding apparatus 51, a plurality of trays deck 53 that can be drawn as shown in FIG. 7 _a, 53
_b, 53 have a _c, the respective tray deck 53 _a, 53 _b, 53 _c
8, transfer sheets 54a and _54a of various sizes are provided as shown in FIG.
Tray 55 _a for placing a _{54 b, 54 c, 55 b} , 55 c are mounted.

The trays 55 _a , 55 _b , and 55 _c are provided with a tray elevating switch 56 _a , provided on the upper surface of the deck-type transfer sheet supply device 51.
Following the procedure of 56 _b, 56 _c (FIG. 6), the motor 57 (10
Drive), and the motor 57 is controlled as shown in FIG.
The wire 58 is pulled by the rotational force of the above, and moves up and down as shown by the arrow X.

When supplying the transfer sheet during copy processing, etc.
55 _a, 55 _b, 55 respectively mounted on the _c transcription sheet 54 _a, 54 _b, 5
4 _c is a supply roller 59 _{a for} supplying the same transfer sheet,
Tray 55 _a, in contact with the _{59 b, 59 c 55 b,} 55 are held by _c, the image through the transfer sheet feeding path 60 with the rotation of the respective feed roller (FIG. 6) formed It is supplied to the device 52.

In the deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus 51, as shown in FIG. 8 and in the transfer sheet supply processing tray 55 _a, 55 _b, 55
etc. If _{the c} is in the intermediate position, the tray deck 53 _a, 53 _b, 53 _c
Lock claws 61 _a , 61 _b , 61 _c engaging with the supply device main body 51 so as not to be pulled out are attached to the back of each tray deck (FIG. 9).

Locking mechanism having the above-described lock 61 _a, 61 _b, 61 _c, etc., the tray elevating switch 56 _a, 56 _b, 56 each tray deck 53 _a by the operation of _c, 53 _b, 53 _c of the tray 55 _a, 55 _b, 55 _c is released only when it came to a predetermined lower limit position, the tray deck allows the drawer, the sheet feeding operation is performed. This allows the tray to be pulled out while the tray deck is descending,
This is because there is a danger of fingers being pinched.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Normally, the consumption of the transfer sheets in each tray deck is different, so that the amount of the transfer sheets placed on each tray is different. Further, the capacity of each tray deck may not be the same depending on the model.

Therefore, the position of each tray on each tray deck is usually different.

Therefore, when a plurality of trays are lowered by operating a plurality of tray raising / lowering switches, these trays rarely reach the respective lower limit positions at the same time, and even if the lock mechanism of one tray deck is released. , The other trays are usually descending.

Therefore, at this time, if the one tray deck is pulled out and processing such as replenishment of transfer sheets or "paper jam" is performed,
There is a possibility that fingers or the like may be pinched by the other trays that are descending, which is dangerous.

As a conventional method of avoiding the above-described danger, for example, when one of the tray decks is pulled out, forcibly stopping the lowering of the trays of the other tray decks, and after completing the processing of one tray deck, There is a method to lower the trays of other tray decks further.
For example, since the tray deck cannot be pulled out at a time when "transfer sheet replacement work" is performed, there is a problem that the work is rather complicated and work efficiency is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus capable of avoiding the danger of replenishing transfer sheets to the deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus and improving the work efficiency. It is a thing.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a plurality of tray decks each having a tray on which a transfer sheet is placed and driven to move up and down, and the tray of each tray deck comes to a predetermined lower limit position. In a deck-type transfer sheet feeder equipped with a deck lock mechanism that only allows pulling out of each tray deck, the trays in the respective tray decks are moved by a motor capable of detecting the positions of the trays. When lowering two or more trays at the same time, the rotation speed, rotation time, or rotation start time of the motor is adjusted according to the position of each tray so that all the trays to be lowered reach the lower limit position substantially simultaneously. The apparatus is configured as a deck-type transfer sheet supply device characterized in that the adjustment is performed.

[Action]

In this deck-type transfer sheet supply device, the trays are moved by motors capable of detecting the positions of the trays in the respective tray decks. Then, when two or more trays are lowered, the rotation speed, rotation time, or rotation start of the motor according to the position of each tray so that all the trays lowered reach a predetermined lower limit position almost simultaneously. The time is adjusted.

Therefore, since the deck lock mechanism that is released only when the tray reaches the lower limit position is released almost simultaneously, the danger of fingers or the like getting caught in the tray or the like is eliminated. In addition, replenishment and replacement of the transfer sheet can be performed at the same time, and work efficiency can be improved.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments are mere examples embodying the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

In the embodiment described below, a case where the rotation speed of the stepping motor is adjusted will be described first, and then a case where the rotation start time of the stepping motor is adjusted will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a deck-type transfer sheet supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a main part of the deck-type transfer sheet supply device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the transfer sheet feeding device, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a tray moving process of the deck type transfer sheet feeding device, and FIG. 5 (a) shows an operation period of a stepping motor of the deck type transfer sheet feeding device. FIG. 5B is a time chart showing an example in which the control is performed proportionally, and FIG. 5B is a time chart showing an example in which the rotation start time of the stepping motor is adjusted.

The deck-type transfer sheet supply device 1 shown in FIG.
A transfer sheet such as a copy sheet is supplied to an image forming apparatus 2 such as a copying machine.

The deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus 1 has a tray deck 3 _a, 3 _b, 3 _c that can be multiple draw, in the above respective tray deck 3 _a, 3 _b, 3 _c, transcription of various sizes sheet 4 tray 5 _a for placing a (FIG. 2), 5 _b, 5 _c is attached.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control circuit of the deck-type transfer sheet feeding device 1 is mainly configured by a control unit 6 including a microcomputer CPU and the like, and the control unit 6 includes tray decks _3a , _3b , The upper limit detection sensors 8 _a , 8 _b , and 3 _c which detect the upper limit positions of the sheet detection sensors 7 _a , 7 _b , 7 _c and the trays 5 _a , 5 _b , 5 _c which respectively detect the presence or absence of the transfer sheet in 3 _c . 8
_c (FIG. 2), the tray 5 _a, 5 _b, 5 a lower limit detecting sensor 9 detects the respective predetermined lower limit position of the _{c a,} 9 _b, 9 _c (FIG. 2), the deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus 1 provided on the upper surface respectively of the tray 5 _a, 5 _b, 5 _c tray lift switch 10 _a for giving an instruction under lifting of, 10 _b, 10 _c (FIG. 1), the deck-type transfer sheet supply apparatus 1 each from the main tray deck 3 _a, 3 _b, 3 deck set switch 11 _c detects whether or not drawn _a, 11 _b, 11 _c (FIG. 2), and the tray 5 _a, 5 _b, 5 _c is a stepping motor 13 _a for elevating respectively, 13 _b, 13 _c driver 14 for driving the (Figure 2) is connected.

The lifting switches 10 _a , 10 _b , and 10 _c each include _a lowering switch and _a raising switch.

When the tray raising / lowering switches _10a , _10b , _10c are operated, the controller 6 outputs a lifting / lowering command for each tray based on the operation command, and the respective motors _13a , _13b , _13c are _driven. The drive is controlled, and the respective trays _5a , _5b , _5c are raised and lowered.

The above trays _5a , _5b , _5c are the respective tray decks _3a , _3b ,
When comes to the lower limit position of the 3 _c, its position is respectively detected by the lower limit detection sensor _{9 a, 9 b, 9 c} . Also this time, the locking pawl of each lock mechanism described above (the eighth FIG 61 _a,
61 _b, 61 _c) is released, the tray deck allows the drawer.

Therefore, in order to prevent the tray deck that has been lowered from being pulled out during the lowering operation of another tray deck for safety, it is desirable that all the tray decks that descend at the same time reach the lower limit position almost simultaneously.

The stepping motor 13 _a, 13 _b, 13 _c is rotated respectively controlled by the pulse output from the control unit 6, by the respective number of pulses the position of each tray 5 _a, 5 _b, 5 _c is detected.

The stepping motor 13 _a, 13 _b, 13 _c is the rotational speed, as described later in accordance with the position of each tray 5 _a, 5 _b, 5 _c is adjusted.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the tray moving processing procedure of the deck-type transfer sheet feeding device 1 will be described in steps S1, S2,
… Will be described in this order.

One of the tray lift switch, for example, 10 _a is operated, is detected by the tray or deck is not in a state drawn whether deck set switch _{11 a, 11 b, 11 c} (S1), drawn If not, a flag corresponding to the operation command is set (S2).

Then either descent command, it is determined whether increased command (S3), if the increase switch of the tray elevating switch 10 _a is pressed, it is a state in which the transfer sheet has already been placed on the tray 5 _a There is detected by the sheet detection sensor 7 _a (S4).
Then, the stepping motor _13a is driven and the tray _5a
Is raised (S5).

Thereafter, the upper surface of the upper the placing transcription sheet 4 is detected reaches the upper limit position of the tray deck 3 in _a by upper limit detection sensor 8 _a (S6), the stepping motor 13 _a set of transfer sheet is stopped Is completed (S7).

When the image forming apparatus 2 (FIG. 1) such as a copying machine is operated to perform an image forming process or the like, the set transfer sheet is consumed.

Here the transfer sheets the consumed trying operator replenishment, or the like "paper jam" to any of the tray deck occurs, as the operator tries to its treatment, for example for lowering the tray lifting switch 10 _a When the side of the switch is operated, the same manner as described above S1, S2, the determination processing in S3 is made ,, stepping motor 13 _a is the same tray 5 _a is driven is lowered (S8).

Then, the other motor (13 _b, 13 _c) are determined whether they are driven (S9), because it is not driven, the stepping motor 13 _a is operated is continued as it speed. When the tray 5 _a is detected by the lower limit detection sensor 9 _a (S10), the motor 13 _a is stopped (S7), the tray deck 3 _a of the lock mechanism is released.

Then, the above-described treatment such as replenishment of the transfer sheet is performed by the operator.

Next, a case where a plurality of tray raising / lowering switches are operated, for example, when a plurality of tray decks are used to replenish the consumed transfer sheets, or when transfer sheets are exchanged between tray decks, or the like.

For example, if the descending side switch of the tray lifting switch 10 _a, 10 _b is operated, the determination processing in each tray deck 3 _a, 3 above for _b as with S1, S2, S3 is made.

Then, each of the stepping motors 13 _a, 13 _b are driven, each of the trays 5 _a, 5 _b is lowered (S8).

Then, the other stepping motor (for example 13 _b, 13 _c with respect to the stepping motor 13 _a) is judged whether it is driven, since the stepping motor 13 _b is driven (S9), the entire tray is lowered ( in this case 5 _a, 5 _b) the tray of the stepping motor in response to substantially the position of each tray so as to simultaneously reach a predetermined lower limit position (operating position of the lower limit detection sensor of each tray) (in this case 13 _a, 13 The rotation speed, rotation time, or rotation start time of _b ) is adjusted (S11).

As a method of proportionally controlling the rotation speed, there is a method of proportionally controlling the rotation speed of the stepping motor of each tray according to the distance between each tray and the lower limit position of each tray as described later. .

For example FIG. 2 (a), the tray 5 _a, 5 as shown in (b)
Assuming that the distances to the lower limit of _b are X _a and X _b , respectively, and that the rotation speed of a standard stepping motor as a reference is Y, X _b <X _{a as} shown in FIG. It distances the longer tray 5 _a, 5 _b the rotational speed of the stepping motor 13 _a of the aforementioned Y, the rotational speed Y ₁ of the stepping motor 13 _b of the tray 5 _b of the shorter of the distance Y ₁ = X _b · Y / X _a and so on.

In the above example, two stepping motors are controlled. However, the same applies to the case where the number of stepping motors exceeds two. In this case,
The stepping motor of the tray having the longest distance is controlled so as to have the highest speed.

Moreover, the constant rotation speed of the stepping motors (Y), the operation (rotation) time Stated example proportionally controlled using the same FIG. 2, for example, the tray 5 _a of the stepping motor 13 _a of and operation time T _a to _{T a = X a / Y ...} (1), the tray 5 _b stepping motor 13 _b of the operating time T _b
To T _b = X _b / Y (2).

Figure 5 (a), the above equation (1) shows the (2) on the basis of an example time chart of controlling the operation period of the stepping motor 13 _a, 13 _b. That is, in this case, the stepping motor 13 having the shorter distance to the lower limit position is used.
The rotation time of _b is intermittently controlled as shown in FIG.

Note that the same applies to the case where the number of stepping motors to be controlled exceeds two, and three cases are shown in FIG.

In the above-described example, the rotation time of the stepping motor is set to be constant (Y), and the operation time is proportionally controlled. However, the rotation speed may be controlled proportionally, for example.

As described above, when the speed of each stepping motor is controlled and each tray reaches the lower limit position (S10), each stepping motor stops (S7).

Therefore, each tray deck can be pulled out in a state where the trays of the tray deck are stopped, so that the danger of fingers or the like being pinched by the tray or the like can be avoided.

Next, a case where the rotation start time is adjusted while keeping the rotation speed of the stepping motor constant will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5 (b).

In this case, the processing of S8, S9, and S11 shown in FIG. 4 is replaced with the processing described below.

That is, after the determination process of the tray 5 _a of the stepping motor 13 _a is the S3 of the longer of the distances (X _a), immediately starting the operation (FIG. 5 (b), (b)), then the Tray _5a
(Dashed line α of FIG. 2 (a)), the tray 5 _b of the shorter of the distance stepping motor 13 when the position of the became tray 5 _b position substantially equal to the shorter of the distance (X _{b) The} operation of _b is started (FIGS. 5 (b) and (b)).

Therefore, each tray of each tray deck reaches the predetermined lower limit position almost simultaneously, so that the tray deck can be pulled out in a state where each tray is stopped.

The same is true for the case where the number of stepping motors to be controlled exceeds two, and FIG. 5 (b) shows three cases for reference.

In this embodiment, a stepping motor is used as the motor capable of detecting the position of the tray. However, another motor having the same performance, for example, a DC servo motor may be used.

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention, a plurality of tray decks each having a tray on which a transfer sheet is placed and driven up and down are provided so as to be able to be pulled out, and only when the trays of each tray deck come to a predetermined lower limit position, In a deck-type transfer sheet feeding device having a deck lock mechanism that enables pull-out, a tray in each of the tray decks is moved by a motor capable of detecting the position of the tray, and two or more trays are moved. When lowering at the same time, the rotation speed, rotation time, or rotation start time of the motor is adjusted according to the position of each tray so that all the trays to be lowered reach the lower limit position substantially at the same time. The present invention provides a deck-type transfer sheet supply device.

Therefore, when two or more trays are lowered, the deck lock mechanism is released almost simultaneously, so that sheet replenishment work or the like can be performed in a state where all the trays are not moved up and down, which is safe.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a deck-type transfer sheet supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a main part of the deck-type transfer sheet supply device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the transfer sheet feeding device, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a tray moving process of the deck type transfer sheet feeding device, and FIG. 5 (a) shows an operation period of a stepping motor of the deck type transfer sheet feeding device. FIG. 5B is a time chart showing an example in which the rotation start time of the stepping motor is adjusted, and FIG. 6 is a deck-type transfer sheet as a background of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a supply device, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a tray deck of the deck-type transfer sheet supply device pulled out, and FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the deck-type transfer sheet supply device. Figure 9 is a perspective view illustrating a place after removing the outer cover of the same deck type transfer sheet supply apparatus,
FIG. 10 is an explanatory schematic diagram showing an example of a tray elevating mechanism of the deck-type transfer sheet feeding device. [Description of Signs] 1... Deck type transfer sheet feeding device 3 _a , 3 _b , 3 _c … Tray deck 4… Transfer sheet 5 _a , 5 _b , 5 _c … Tray 6… Control unit 9 _a , 9 _b , 9 _c …… Lower limit detection sensor 13 _a , 13 _b , 13 _c …… Stepping motor (motor) 61 _a , 61 _b , 61 _c …… Lock claw

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of tray decks each having a tray on which a transfer sheet is placed and driven to move up and down are provided so as to be able to be pulled out, and each tray deck is provided only when the tray of each tray deck comes to a predetermined lower limit position. In a deck-type transfer sheet feeder comprising a deck lock mechanism capable of pulling out a deck, a tray in each of the tray decks is moved by a motor capable of detecting the position of the tray, and the two or more trays are moved. When lowering the trays at the same time, the rotation speed, rotation time, or rotation start time of the motor is adjusted according to the position of each tray so that all the trays to be lowered reach the lower limit position substantially simultaneously. A deck-type transfer sheet feeding device, characterized in that: