JP2838236B2 - Automatic paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic sheet feeding apparatus detachably connected to a recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc., which is used in combination with a computer or a word processor, or used alone, feeds and conveys a sheet-shaped recording material such as paper or a plastic thin plate. The image is recorded on the recording material based on the image information. The recording apparatus can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type and the like according to a recording method.

Among them, the ink jet type (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material, and can record a high-definition image at high speed. Advantages include recording on plain paper without special processing, non-impact method, low noise, and easy recording of color images using multi-color inks. have. Above all, a line-type apparatus using a line-type recording means in which a large number of discharge ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further increase the recording speed.

[0004] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) utilizing heat as ink ejection energy includes:
Through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, sputtering, etc., an electrothermal converter, an electrode,
By forming the liquid path wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement).

[0005] In the above-described recording apparatus, the recording sheet used as a recording material (recording medium) includes, in addition to plain paper,
Examples include cardboard such as postcards and envelopes and special sheets such as thin plastic plates. In order to supply recording sheets, the recording sheets are directly inserted into the recording apparatus one by one by hand, or automatically and continuously fed by an automatic sheet feeding apparatus.

An automatic paper feeder generally includes a paper feed drive unit for rotating a feed roller to feed out recording sheets, a paper feed cassette unit for stacking recording sheets, and a stack of discharged recording sheets. And a sheet discharge tray unit for driving the sheet feeding drive unit using the driving force of a sheet conveying system of the recording apparatus to separate and feed the recording sheets one by one. Have been. The automatic paper feeder includes a built-in type that is incorporated in the recording apparatus and an external type that is detachably coupled. In general, the paper feed cassette unit urges the stacked sheets in the direction of the feed roller by a spring-pressed pressure plate (middle plate) and presses the stacked sheets against the inside of the separation claw to separate the sheets one by one during sheet feeding. It is configured to send out.

[0007]

However, in the conventional external type automatic sheet feeding apparatus, when the recording sheet is loaded by releasing the pressure plate, the recording sheet is set correctly below the separation claw. There was no case. Also, if a paper guide is provided for proper mounting, the recording sheet and the paper guide slide when feeding the paper by pressing the pressure plate, increasing the feeding load, and causing multiple feeds and the like. In some cases, paper could not be fed, resulting in poor handling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and it is an object of the present invention to easily and correctly load a recording sheet by releasing a pressure plate. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic sheet feeder capable of greatly reducing a load at the time of feeding when separating and feeding by pressure contact and feeding smoothly and accurately.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic paper feeder having a paper feed cassette unit and a paper feed drive unit, which is detachably connected to a recording apparatus. A separation claw member mounted in the cassette case, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets on the inside of the separation claw, and for restricting a stacking height of the recording sheets on both sides of the pressure plate. By providing a guide, the height of the guide is set to be lower than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed down, and to be higher than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed up, The above object is achieved.

[0010]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a recording apparatus 10 and an automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30.
FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a state in which the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30 shown in FIG. 1 are separated from each other. When the operating portion 133 protruding from both sides of the automatic sheet feeding device 30 is operated in the coupled state of FIG. 1, a hook member described later moves against a spring force, and hooks 73 and 74 formed on the hook member are moved. (Fig. 2)
And the recording device 10 are released from engagement, and the two can be easily separated as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the recording apparatus 10, FIG. 4 shows a case where recording is performed on a recording sheet (recording material such as paper or plastic thin plate) 16 by the recording apparatus 10 alone, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a view as seen from the paper device coupling surface (rear surface).
(View from the arrow X in the middle). 2 to 5,
11 denotes a lower case, 12 denotes an upper cover, and 13 denotes an input door. The input door 13 is closed when not in use, but is rotated and opened by pulling the knob 14 as shown in FIG. 4 when in use, and the edge 15 of the knob 14 is used as a side positioning of the recording sheet 16. By utilizing the recording sheet 16, the recording sheet 16 can be pressed into the recording apparatus (in the direction of arrow A) to enable recording. Recorded recording sheet 16
Is discharged in the direction of arrow B through a paper discharge roller composed of rollers 17 and 18 provided thereon. 19 is an operation key, and 20 is a release lever. The release lever 20 is used to release the sheet transport mechanism and take action when the recording sheet 16 causes a paper jam or the like in the recording apparatus 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower case 11 is provided with a projection 21 for housing a circuit board. The projection 21 has a structure in which a circuit board is mounted on a bottom surface 83 integrated with the lower case 11, and a cover 79 is mounted thereon. By providing the convex portion 21, the recording device 10 has an L-shape as a whole, and can be placed alone in a stable posture.

As the recording device, for example, an ink jet recording device is used, and by opening the upper cover 12, a recording head, an ink cartridge, and the like can be installed or replaced. In FIG. 5, holes 22 and U-grooves 23 are used for positioning the automatic feeding device 30 when they are connected to each other. Reference numeral 24 denotes a paper feeding port for feeding the recording sheet 16 from the automatic paper feeding device 30 to the recording device 10. Reference numeral 25 denotes a drive gear for transmitting power to the automatic paper feeder 30 having no drive source.
In the coupled state, it is in mesh with the transmission gear 62 of the automatic paper feeder 30. As a recording unit (recording head) of the ink jet recording apparatus, a recording head that discharges ink by using thermal energy and that includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy is used. You.
Further, the recording means performs recording by discharging ink from a discharge port using a pressure change generated by growth and shrinkage of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. is there.

FIG. 6 shows the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic paper feeder 30.
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the principal part structure in the state which combined. The driving force to the automatic paper feeder 30 is taken out, for example, from the paper feed (conveyance) mechanism of the recording device 10. Here, a conveying roller (not shown) of the recording apparatus 10 is supported by a rigid chassis (not shown), and the U-groove 2 for positioning is used.
3 is formed in this chassis. The positioning hole 22 also performs a positioning function integrally with the coaxial hole formed in the chassis. Further, a dowel 81 for positioning abutment formed on the chassis is formed inside the hole 22. The drive gear 25 is also supported by the chassis or a transport roller shaft (not shown). In this way, the recording apparatus 10 can perform automatic paper feeding in accordance with recording by being connected to the automatic paper feeding apparatus 30 as shown in FIGS.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the automatic paper feeder 30, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the automatic paper feeder 30 exploded for each main constituent unit. 7 and 8,
The automatic paper feeder 30 can be roughly divided into four paper feed cassette units 31, a paper feed drive unit 32, a frame 33, and a support base 34. Note that a paper discharge tray unit 35 is built in the support table 34 so as to be able to be pulled out, and the support table 34 also has a function as a paper discharge tray unit. The frame 33 is fixed to the upper surface of the support base 33 by two screws 36, and the paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 are respectively connected to the frame 33 by snap fastening. The frame 33 includes a sheet cassette unit 31.
The paper cassette receiving portion 80 for supporting the paper at a predetermined inclination angle is formed.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet cassette unit 31. FIG. In FIG. 9, the paper feed cassette unit 31
Is for stacking and storing the recording sheets (cut sheets) 16, and each component is incorporated in a cassette case 38 serving as a base. The pressure plate 40 is a pressure plate spring 41
6, the recording sheet 16 stacked between the pressure plate 40 and the feeding roller 42 is interposed between the pressure plate 40 and the feeding roller 42, and the recording sheet 16 is rotated by the feeding roller 42. Then, the sheets are fed one by one. In the cassette case 38, a slider 43 for guiding one side edge (side) of the stacked recording sheets (stacked sheets) 16 is slidably mounted in the paper width direction.

The slider 43 has a side guide portion 44 which can be brought into contact with the edge of the stacking sheet 16. The slider 43 is provided with a slide roller 45 for smooth sliding. The slide rollers 45 are attached at a total of four locations at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions.
Are rotatably engaged along a slide guide portion 46 formed at the corresponding position of. In this way, the slider 43 is mounted so as to be movable left and right according to the paper width size of the stacking sheet 16. In this case, the slide roller 45 on one side in the vertical direction is pressed by the slide guide portion 46 by the roller pressing spring 47 to remove the backlash of the slider 43 in the vertical direction, and does not move the slider 43 with a small external force after setting the paper width. It has a positioning function.

A separation claw member 48 having a separation claw 49 is fixed to the slider 43.
Reference numeral 9 is movable together with the slider 43 according to the paper width. The side guide portion 59 opposite to the movable side guide portion 44 is paired with the cassette case 38.
Therefore, in the illustrated example, only one side guide portion is moved to guide the both edges of the stacking sheet 16. A separation claw member 50 having another separation claw 51 is fixed to the cassette case 38. The pressure plate 40 and the feeding roller 4
The stacking sheet 16 interposed between the feeding roller 42 and the feeding roller 42
When the paper is fed by the rotation of these two, these two separation claws 49,
The sheets 51 are separated one by one and fed one by one.

When the recording sheet 16 is not present, the pressure plate 40 is pushed by a pressure plate spring 41 and both end portions 52, 53 thereof.
Abuts against the back sides of the separation claws 49 and 51. On the other hand, the recording sheet 16 to be stacked is on the back side of the separation claws 49 and 51 and the pressure plate 4.
0, the pressure plate 4
0 can easily push down by overcoming the pressure plate spring 41. When the pressure plate 40 is pressed down, a hook portion (not shown) provided on the back side of the pressure plate is locked by the hook portion 55 of the pressure plate release lever 54, and
Is held in a depressed state (down state).

After the recording sheet 16 is set (stacked), the pressure plate release button 56 is pressed in the direction of arrow C in order to bring the pressure plate 40 into a paper feeding state (a state in which the recording sheet 16 is pressed against the feed roller 42). When the pressure plate release button 56 is pressed down, the hook 55 of the pressure plate release lever 54 rotates in the direction of arrow D, and the lock of the pressure plate 40 is released. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 8, a paper support form 37 is attached to the upper end of the paper feed cassette unit 31 to prevent the stacked sheets 16 from falling under their own weight. I have.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeding drive unit 32 viewed from the direction of the arrow E in FIG. 8 (from the back side) so that the components can be clearly seen. Paper feed drive unit 32
Is a unit in which rollers for feeding the recording sheet 16, hooks for coupling with the recording device 10, gears for transmitting the driving force of the recording device 10 to the automatic paper feeding device 30, and the like are provided. And has a structure in which each component is incorporated in a chassis 57 serving as a base.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 58 denotes a feed roller shaft, on which a plurality of feed rollers 42 are provided. These feeding rollers 42 apply a feeding force to the loaded recording sheet 16, cooperate with the separation claws 49 and 51 to separate the recording sheets 16 one by one, and to enter the recording apparatus 10 one by one. It has a function of feeding the recording sheet 16. The feed roller shaft 58 is driven by using the driving force of the driving gear 25 (FIG. 5) of the recording apparatus 10.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 60 denotes a sliding roller shaft, on which a plurality of sliding rollers 61 are provided. The sliding roller shaft 60 is disposed downstream of and in parallel with the feeding roller shaft 58 in the feeding direction. The sliding roller 61 has a function of guiding the recording sheet 16 fed by the feeding roller 42 into the recording apparatus 10. The sliding contact roller 61 is also driven in conjunction with the driving force of the driving gear 25 of the recording apparatus 10.

The driving force of the drive gear 25 (FIG. 5) of the recording apparatus 10 is first transmitted to the transmission gear 62 (FIGS. 2, 7, 8, and 10) of the automatic sheet feeder 30. In FIG. 10, the driving force transmitted to the transmission gear 62 is
And transmitted to the sliding roller gear 64 of the sliding roller shaft 60 via the intermediate gear 65 and further to the feeding roller gear 66 mounted coaxially with the feeding roller shaft 58. Here, the feed roller gear 66 is connected to the feed roller shaft 58.
, But is connected to the feed roller shaft 58 via a one-way clutch (for example, a spring clutch) 67.

The one-way clutch 67 is constituted by a spring clutch which is always closed (off) in the reverse rotation direction, but is controlled to be on / off in the normal rotation direction. As the one-way clutch 67, for example, one that operates as follows is used. First, when a not-shown conveyance roller (platen roller) of the recording apparatus 10 reverses by a small amount (rotation in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction) based on a paper feed signal, the one-way clutch 67 reversely rotates the feeding roller gear 66 (clutch trigger). Is switched on. In this ON state, the forward rotation of the transport roller causes the feed roller 42 to be in a state capable of normal rotation. At this time, the feeding roller 42 formed of a D-shaped (or half-moon) inequality roller is at a reference position (or an initial position) apart from the stacked sheets 16.

Next, when the transport roller is rotated forward by a predetermined amount, the feed roller 42 rotates in conjunction therewith, and one recording sheet 16 is fed to a position beyond the drawing-in portion of the transport roller. The fact that the recording sheet 16 has reached the pull-in section is detected by a sensor, and the stop position of the transport roller at this time is controlled by the detection signal of the sensor. Next, the conveying roller is rotated by a predetermined amount, and the leading end of the recording sheet 16 is retracted to a position where the recording sheet 16 has come out of the sheet retraction unit. By the reverse rotation of the transport roller at this time, a loop is formed at the leading end of the recording sheet 16 and registration is performed (operation for making the leading end of the recording sheet parallel).

The one-way clutch (for example, a spring clutch) 67 is still on by the clutch trigger, and is in a state where rotation can be transmitted in the normal rotation direction. Then, the transport roller is rotated forward by a predetermined amount, and the forward rotation of the transport roller and the feed roller 42 causes the recording sheet 1 to rotate.
6 is conveyed to a recording start position (a cueing position). During the normal rotation, when the D-shaped feed roller 42 separates from the recording sheet 16, that is, when the feed roller 42 returns to the reference position (initial position) after substantially one rotation, the one-way clutch 67 is switched off and the feed roller 42
Stops at the reference position.

In this way, during one rotation of the feeding roller 42, only one recording sheet 16 is fed into the recording apparatus 10 and set in the cueing state. Thereafter, recording on the recording sheet 16 is performed based on the image information. During this recording, the one-way clutch 67 remains off, and despite the forward rotation (paper feed) of the transport roller,
The feed roller 42 remains stopped at the reference position.

In FIG. 10, the gear groups 62, 63,
The roller shafts 64, 65, 66 and the roller shafts 58, 60 are positioned and held by a bearing plate 68 so as not to come off. The bearing plate 68 is snap-fastened to the chassis 57 and further fixed by screws 69.

Hook 7 for coupling with recording device 10
The hook members 71 and 72 are formed at the distal ends of the hook members 71 and 72. The hook members 71 and 72 are disposed on both sides of the chassis 57 in a substantially symmetrical relationship, and are swingable and located in the front-rear direction. It is mounted so that it can be moved quantitatively. The hook members 71, 72 are attached so as to be urged inward by the tension springs 75, 75 and to exert a predetermined pressure contact force in a state where the hook members 71, 72 are coupled to the recording apparatus 10. The other end of each of the hook members 71 and 72 has an operating portion 13 protruding outside.
3 and 133 are provided, and by operating the operation unit 133, the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30 can be connected to and separated from each other.

In FIG. 8, a paper discharge tray unit 35 is built in the lower cavity of the support table 34 so as to be able to be pulled out. When the automatic paper feeder 30 is used, the paper discharge tray unit 35 is brought forward. By pulling out to the side, the recorded recording sheet 16 can be stocked. Further, the frame 3 is fixed on the upper surface of the support base 34 with screws 36.
The paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 are positioned and mounted on the frame 33 by snapping. In this manner, the automatic sheet feeding device 30 has a structure in which each unit is mounted on the base 34 and the frame 33, and is configured to stand alone and stably by itself.

Next, a structure and a method for connecting the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. The hooks 73 and 74 are integral with the hook members 71 and 72,
The hooks 73 and 74 are locked by inserting the hook members 71 and 72 toward the user by inserting the hook members 3 and 74 into the square holes 76 and 77 (FIG. 5) of the printing apparatus and engaging the internal members. The automatic paper feeder 30 is connected. The locking force at this time is obtained by the tension springs 75, 75.

For positioning during connection, the dowel 78 of the chassis 57 of the automatic paper feeder 30 is fitted into the hole 22 of the recording apparatus 10 and abuts against the dowel 81, and the U-shaped projection 82 of the chassis 57 is formed. To the U-groove 23 on the recording apparatus 10 side. In the illustrated example, auxiliary projections 96 are provided at lower portions on both sides of the chassis 57.
The auxiliary projections 96 and 97 come into contact with the lower case 11 of the recording device 10 to prevent the inclination when the coupling surface is inclined. In the above positioning state, each hook 73, 7
4 enters the square holes 76 and 77 (FIG. 5) of the lower case 11 of the recording apparatus 10.

By the time both are positioned at the time of joining,
A guide (rough guide) for guiding both to the positioning state is required, and the function is obtained by the following configuration. A convex portion 21 is provided on the back surface (joining surface) of the recording device 10.
Is provided. The convex portion 21 is formed by mounting a cover 79 on a bottom surface 83 integrated (extended portion) with the lower surface of the lower case 11, and has a rectangular shape as a whole as shown in FIG. The projection 21 has side surfaces 84, 84 on both sides and upper surfaces 91, 91 on both sides. Note that a circuit board (not shown) mounted on the bottom surface 83 is provided inside the projection 21.
Is stored.

On the other hand, a concave portion (opening) 85 for guiding and storing the convex portion 21 of the recording device 10 is formed on the automatic paper feeder 30 side. The opening 85 is provided on the support base 3.
4 and the sheet feeding drive unit 32 and the frame 3
3 and has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 21. The opening 85 has a guide surface composed of an upper surface 86 of the support table 34 and side surfaces 87 and 8.
7, a ceiling surface 88, and upper guide surfaces 90, 90 on both sides.

Further, the upper surface (guide surface) 86 of the support table 34
Are formed with a plurality of guide ribs (beads) 92 extending in the insertion direction.
Is formed with a groove (not shown) that slidably guides and engages with the rib 92. Generally, rubber feet (not shown) are provided on the bottom surface of the lower case 11 and the convex portion 21 forming the bottom surface of the recording device 10. Therefore, when the rubber feet contact the upper surface 86 of the support base 34 when the device is connected, the sliding resistance is greatly increased, and workability is deteriorated. Is set to be higher than the height of the rubber foot, so that the convex portion 21 is inserted while slightly floating from the guide surface 86.

The following configuration is adopted to further easily and surely guide the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30 at the time of connection. That is, the upper surfaces of the hooks 73, 74 of the automatic sheet feeding device 30 are inclined, and when the hooks 73, 74 and the square holes 76, 77 of the recording device 10 enter a fitted state, the hooks 73, 74 The upper surface and the square hole 76,
77, the upper end surface slides, and the recording device 10 and the automatic sheet feeding device 3
0 gradually approaches the relative position in the positioning state.

Further, both positioning means, that is, the hole 22 and the U-groove 23 of the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic paper feeder 30
The dowel 78 is chamfered, and the U-shaped projection 82 of the automatic sheet feeding device 30 has a U-shaped tip,
Eventually, the guide means is provided with the hooks 73 and 74 and the square holes 7.
From the sliding guides 6, 77, these positioning means 22, 2,
3, 78, and 82, and will be connected only by the positioning means of both devices. At this time, the rubber feet on the bottom surface of the recording device 10 are configured to further float from the upper surface (guide surface) of the support base 34. The lift amount of the rubber foot is selected to be, for example, about 2 mm. In this embodiment, the side surfaces of both devices are not perpendicular to the installation surface,
It is inclined about 5 degrees.

The positioning at the time of the connection is performed by the transfer section of the recording sheet 16 of both apparatuses, that is, the sheet feeding port 24 (FIG. 5) of the lower case 11 of the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus
This is performed in the vicinity of the slit 95 of the chassis 57 on the side, so that a highly reliable sheet feeding property can be obtained. Further, since the positioning means is provided in the vicinity of the drive gear 25 (FIG. 5) and the transmission gear 62 of both devices, the backlash of the gears can be easily managed, and the paper feeding accuracy can be improved. .

According to the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30 described above, the joining and detachment are easy, and the reliability of the sheet feeding property including the sheet feeding accuracy of the recording sheet 16 can be improved. Since the projection 21 for accommodating the circuit board of the recording apparatus 10 can be inserted and accommodated in the depression 85 of the automatic sheet feeding apparatus 30, it is possible to reduce the size and space when coupling, and furthermore, the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic In both of the paper feeding devices 30, the stability when separated can be greatly increased, and the space required for individual storage can be reduced.

The automatic paper feeder 30 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG.
The paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 are attached to each other, and have an integrated structure. The overall side shape is substantially L-shaped or inverted T-shaped. But it is extremely stable. Further, a paper discharge tray unit 35 is built in the support base 34 so as to be able to be pulled out, and is excellent in space saving. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the discharge tray unit 35 is stored, and FIG.
FIG. 13 shows a state in which the sheet ejection tray unit 35 is pulled out to a use state, and FIG.
FIG. 14 shows a use state in which the paper discharge tray unit 35 is pulled out while being attached (coupled) to the recording apparatus 10.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the paper discharge tray unit 35. In FIG. 11, the paper discharge tray unit 35 has a structure in which tray components are foldably attached to a paper discharge tray 103 serving as a base. On both sides of the rear end of the paper discharge tray 103, protrusions 10 protruding from the rear surface of the support mounting device 30 in the stored state.
1, 102 are provided (FIGS. 1, 6, 8,
Figure). When pulling out to the use state, first, two projections 1
By pressing either one of 01 and 102,
The discharge tray 103 is pushed forward by that amount. Then, the user puts his / her finger on the concave portion 104 of the paper discharge tray 103 from which the tip protrudes, and pulls out to a position where there is a click feeling and the stopper is engaged. This state is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 11, seats 141 and 142 are provided on both left and right sides of the lower surface of the support base 34. These seats 141 and 142 are respectively
These tray guides are fixed to the lower surface of the support base 34 by screws 145 and 145. Rubber feet 146 and 146 are attached to the lower surfaces of the tray guides 143 and 144 to prevent vibration and prevent slippage when the automatic sheet feeding device 30 is placed. The tray guides 143 and 144 are provided in the discharge tray 1.
It is a guide member on the lower surface when sliding in order to put in and out 03, and has a function to prevent it from slipping out when sliding.

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 14, the discharge tray 10
At the front end of the sheet No. 3, a sheet discharging support 105 of a wire member that is foldable so as to be rotatable in the sheet discharging direction is attached. Further, the paper discharge support 105 is provided with two-stage slide paper stoppers 106 and 107 which can slide and extend in the paper discharge direction. A contact portion 110 for regulating the leading end position of the discharged recording sheet 16 is formed at the leading end of the paper stopper 107 on the leading end side.

The paper discharge tray 103 has two left and right sub-plates 108 and 109 that are rotatable between a folded position and a standing position. These sub-plates 108 and 109 are pivotally supported by the paper discharge tray 103 at the shaft portions at the front and rear ends thereof, and are urged in the standing position direction by springs 119 and 119 mounted on the paper discharge tray 103. I have.

Then, when the discharge tray 103 is pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 12 and the discharge support 105 is rotated upward, the left and right sub-plates 108 and 109 are automatically turned by the spring force of the springs 119 and 119. Then, it turns (opens) to the standing position shown in FIG. When the sub-plates 108 and 109 are opened in a standing posture (substantially vertical), the sub-plates 108 and 109 also serve as stoppers for preventing the discharge tray 103 from being retracted into the support table 34.

The paper ejection support 105 is provided in the paper ejection tray 1
Approx. 180 to the open position (Fig. 13) which is almost parallel to 03
Rotate degrees. Next, the paper stoppers 106, 10 having a two-stage slide mechanism
7 is pulled out and brought into the use state shown in FIGS.

In this case, the first-stage paper stopper 106 is pulled out until the stop mechanism is engaged. However, the second-stage paper stopper 107 is provided with a click mechanism for preventing misalignment according to the size of the recording sheet 16. And is drawn out to a predetermined length position. The recording sheet size includes, for example, letter size, A4, B5, legal size, and the like. A click mechanism is provided at the position of these sizes, and a display indicating a drawing position of each size is provided. I have.

In a state in which the recording sheet 16 is ejected in the direction of arrow B from the recording apparatus 10 when used in combination with the recording apparatus 10 shown in FIG.
The ink is discharged while landing while being in contact with the upper ends 121 and 122 of the 109. At this time, the landing height of the recording sheet 16 is regulated by the height of the sub-plates 108 and 109.

If the sub-plates 108 and 109 are mounted so as to be position-adjustable in the paper width direction with respect to the discharge tray 103, the sub-plates can be adjusted when the landing height regulation is not necessary depending on the type of the recording sheet 16. By moving 108 and 109 to a position corresponding to the paper width, the discharged recording sheet 16 can be used as a side guide member for preventing displacement of the discharged recording sheet 16 in the paper width direction. When the recording sheet 16 is completely discharged from the recording apparatus 10, the leading end 123 of the recording sheet 16 abuts on the contact portion 110 of the paper stopper 107, and the position of the recording sheet 16 in the discharging direction is regulated.

As described above, the sub-plate 10
8 and 109 and the paper stoppers 106 and 107 are provided so that the contact height, the paper width direction, and the paper discharge direction (paper advancing direction) of the recording sheet 16 are appropriately adjusted (or regulated) according to the type of the recording sheet. As a result, the alignment property and the paper discharge property of the recording sheet 16 could be improved.

When the discharge tray unit 35 is stored from the use state (pull-out state) shown in FIGS.
First, the paper stoppers 106 and 107 are slid and pushed into the paper discharge support 105. Next, the paper discharge support 105 is rotated in a direction to fold it onto the paper discharge tray 103. Protrusions 112 and 113 (FIG. 1) that can be engaged with the paper ejection support 105
1, FIG. 13).

Therefore, when the paper ejection support 105 is rotated onto the paper ejection tray 103, the paper ejection support 105 comes into contact with the protrusions 112 and 113, and is further rotated to nearly 180 degrees in the contacted state. As a result, the paper discharge support 105 and the sub-plates 108 and 109 are simultaneously folded (dropped) into the concave portion 111 of the paper discharge tray 103. The state at this time is the same as the state shown in FIG. 12, and at the same time, the stopper in the retracting direction of the paper discharge tray 103 is released, and the paper discharge tray 103 is
4 can be slid. Then, by pushing it in, the paper discharge tray unit 35 is stored in the support base 34, and is returned to the built-in state shown in FIGS.

In FIG. 6, the sliding direction (drawing direction) of the paper discharge tray unit 35 is provided on both left and right sides (two sides in the paper width direction) of the back surface of the support table 34 (the side where the paper discharge tray unit 35 is stored). Rack gear 11 extending to
4 and 115 are provided. This rack gear 114,
115 can be provided by fixing a separate member.
4 and can be provided integrally. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG.
A shaft 118 extending in the paper width direction is rotatably supported on a shaft, and the rack gear 11 is provided at both ends of the shaft 118.
Gears 116 and 117 that mesh with the gears 4 and 115 are fixed.

When the paper discharge tray unit 35 is moved in and out of the support table 34, the gears 116 and 117 are slid while being engaged with and rotated along the rack gears 114 and 115. By such a mechanism that slides in the gear meshing state, it is possible to improve the left / right balance when the paper discharge tray unit 35 is slid (in / out). The smooth operation is eliminated, and the discharge tray unit 3 is smoothly and easily.
5 can be pulled out and stored, thereby improving operability.

In the automatic paper feeder 30, the paper feed cassette unit 31 is a portion in which the recording sheets (stacked sheets) 16 are loaded, and the paper feed drive unit 32 feeds out the recording sheets 16 one by one to form the recording apparatus. This is a section for feeding paper to the printer 10. The automatic paper feeder 30 is provided with a manual paper feed path in addition to the paper feed path from the paper feed cassette unit 31. In FIGS. 1 and 6, the paper feed port 124 for this manual feed is provided in the paper feed cassette unit 3.
1 is provided below. As shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed path from the manual paper feed port 124 is formed in a substantially straight shape without being curved, so that a thick recording sheet such as a postcard or an envelope or a special rigid material such as plastic is used. There is an advantage that a recording sheet can be easily fed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8,
Paper feed cassette unit 31 and paper feed drive unit 32
The mounting state of will be described. In these figures, the sheet cassette unit 31 is attached to a frame 33 fixed to a support table 34 at a predetermined inclination angle. On the other hand, a substantially linear paper path surface 125 (FIGS. 6 and 10) is provided below the paper feed cassette unit 31 as a paper feed path leading to the recording apparatus 10. The paper path surface 125 serves as both a paper feed path from the paper feed cassette unit 31 and a paper feed path of the manual paper feed port 124. Therefore, the mounting inclination angle of the sheet cassette unit 31 to the frame 33 is for regulating the angle of entry from the sheet cassette unit to the paper path surface 125 to a value suitable for smooth sheet feeding.

Contact ribs 126 and 127 (FIGS. 6 and 10) are provided on the left and right sides of the chassis 57 of the sheet feeding drive unit 32, while the right and left lower portions of the cassette case 38 of the sheet cassette unit 31 are provided. Abutment surfaces 128 on both sides,
129 (FIGS. 6 and 9). The contact ribs 126 and 127 and the contact surfaces 128 and 129 are in contact with each other as shown in FIG. 6 so that the positional relationship between the sheet cassette unit 31 and the sheet feed drive unit 32 when mounted is accurately regulated. It is for doing. That is, a half-moon-shaped feeding roller 42 for feeding the recording sheet 16 is mounted at a position facing the sheet feeding cassette unit 31 of the sheet feeding driving unit 32. This is for accurately positioning the positional relationship with the components such as the separation claws 49 and 51 of the cassette unit 31.

In the illustrated example, the contact ribs 126 and 127 have a rounded tip, and the contact surfaces 128 and 129
Is formed with a substantially V-shaped concave surface, and has flexibility in terms of angle. However, the feeding roller 42 supported by the chassis 57 and the separating claws 49, 5 mounted on the cassette case 38.
With respect to the distance in the height direction and the degree of parallelism with the number 1 and the like, the structure is such that it is precisely regulated.

The mounting inclination angle of the sheet cassette unit 31 with respect to the frame 33 is regulated by the cassette case receiving portion 80 (FIG. 8) on which the frame 33 is formed. By the positioning means of the sheet cassette unit 31 and the sheet feeding drive unit 32 as described above, the positional relationship between the sheet feeding roller 42 and the sheet cassette unit components such as the separation claws 49 and 51 is easily and accurately determined. The stability of paper feeding was improved.

In FIGS. 6 and 9, the paper feed cassette unit 31 is supplied with a feed roller 42 by a pressure plate spring 41.
A pressure plate 40 that is spring-biased toward is mounted. When the recording sheet 16 is loaded, the pressure plate 40 is pressed down against the pressure plate spring 41, and the feeding roller 42 and the separation claw 4 are pressed.
The recording sheet (stacking sheet) 16 is inserted in a state where the recording sheet (stacking sheet) 16 is separated from the recording sheets 9 and 51. Therefore, on both sides of the pressure plate 40 in the paper width direction, U-shaped paper guides 131, 1 for regulating the number of recording sheets 16 loaded (the height of the stacked sheets) are provided.
32 are provided.

The height of the guide surfaces of the paper guides 131 and 132 is lower than the separation claws 49 and 51 when the pressure plate 40 is set in a depressed state (when a recording sheet is loaded), and the pressure plate 40 is pushed up. At the time of release (at the time of release), it is set to be higher than the separation claws 49 and 51. According to such a configuration of the paper guides 131 and 132, the recording sheet is lower than the separation claws 49 and 51 when the recording sheet is loaded.
The recording sheet can be reliably guided inside the separation claws 49 and 51, and can be reliably and easily loaded.

On the other hand, when the recording sheet 16 is fed by the feed roller 42 by urging the pressure plate 40 toward the separation claws 49 and 51 (the feed roller 42 side), the paper guide 13 is used.
Since the guide surfaces 1 and 132 are higher than the separation claws 49 and 51, the stacking sheet (recording sheet) 16
The height of the paper guide 1 is limited only by the height of the paper guide 1.
There is no pressure contact at 31 and 132. For this reason, the feeding load of the recording sheet 16 at the time of paper feeding can be reduced. Therefore, the paper guide 13 of the pressure plate 40 as described above
1, 132 and separation claws 49, 51 on cassette case 38
, The separation performance and the paper feeding performance of the recording sheet 16 can be improved and stabilized.

[0064]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in an automatic paper feeder having a paper feed cassette unit and a paper feed drive unit and detachably connected to a recording apparatus, a paper feed cassette is provided. The unit includes a cassette case, a separation claw member mounted in the cassette case, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets on the inside of the separation claw, and stacking the recording sheets on both sides of the pressure plate. Provide a guide for regulating the height, the height of the guide is lower than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pressed down,
When the pressure plate is pushed up, it is set to be higher than the separation claw, so that when the pressure plate is released and the recording sheet is loaded, it is possible to easily and correctly load the recording sheet using the guide. When the sheet is separated and fed by pressing with a pressure plate, the stacked sheet is pressed against only the separation claw, and the load at the time of feeding can be greatly reduced, and the sheet is fed smoothly and accurately. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing a state where an automatic sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention is coupled to a recording apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the automatic sheet feeding apparatus of FIG. 1 is separated from a recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording apparatus in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which paper is fed from a manual paper feed port of the recording apparatus in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the recording apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view in a state where the automatic sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention is coupled to a recording apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an automatic sheet feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the automatic sheet feeding device of FIG. 7 for each unit.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet cassette unit in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sheet feeding drive unit in FIG.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the support base and the discharge tray unit in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the discharge tray unit is pulled out halfway in the automatic sheet feeder according to the present invention.

13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a discharge tray unit is pulled out in the automatic sheet feeding device of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the automatic sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention is connected to a recording apparatus and the sheet discharge tray unit is pulled out.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Recording device 11 Lower case (recording device) 16 Recording sheet 17 Discharge roller 21 Convex part (recording device) 22 Positioning hole 23 Positioning U-groove 24 Paper feed port 25 Drive gear 30 Automatic paper feeder 31 Paper feed Cassette unit 32 Paper feed drive unit 33 Frame 34 Support table 35 Paper discharge tray unit 38 Cassette case 40 Pressure plate 42 Feed roller 43 Slider 49 Separation claw 51 Separation claw 57 Chassis 58 Feed roller shaft 61 Sliding contact roller 62 Transmission gear 71 Hook Member 72 Hook member 78 Dowel for positioning 80 Cassette case receiving part 82 U-shaped projection 85 Recess (opening) 86 Guide surface 92 Rib 95 Slit 101 Projection 102 Projection 103 Paper ejection tray 105 Paper ejection support 106 Paper stopper 107 Paper stopper 108 Sub play 109 Sub-plate 114 Rack gear 115 Rack gear 116 Gear 117 Gear 121 Upper end (sub-plate) 122 Upper end (sub-plate) 124 Manual feed port 125 Paper path surface 126 Contact rib 127 Contact rib 128 Contact surface 129 Contact surface 131 Guide (paper guide of pressure plate) 132 Guide (paper guide of pressure plate)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Kashimura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Yasuhiro Unosawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Hagiwara 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Tetsuhiro Nitta 3-30-2, Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP 41842 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65H 1/00-3/68

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] In an automatic paper feeder having a paper feed cassette unit and a paper feed drive unit and detachably connected to a recording apparatus, a paper feed cassette unit includes a cassette case and a cassette case. Separation claw member, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets on the inside of the separation claw, and a guide for regulating the stacking height of the recording sheets is provided on both sides of the pressure plate. The automatic sheet feeding device is characterized in that the height is set to be lower than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed down, and to be higher than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed up. 2. The recording device of the recording device, wherein the recording device is a recording device that discharges ink using thermal energy, and is an inkjet recording device that includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. The automatic sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the recording means discharges ink from a discharge port by utilizing a state change caused by growth of bubbles caused by film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. The automatic paper feeder according to claim 2.