JP2895333B2 - 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 a paper feeder provided in, for example, a copying machine and having a rotary paper tray which accommodates paper and is rotatable between a vertical feed position and a horizontal feed position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A copying machine is provided with a paper feeding device for feeding paper. In this paper feeder, a paper tray for storing paper is provided in a vertical feed position, and the paper
Some can be rotated between the traverse position rotated by 0 °.

[0003] In this type of conventional paper feeding apparatus, a rotary paper tray 52 is provided inside a rotary paper tray unit 51, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, which is an explanatory view of the present embodiment, the end of a sheet stacking plate 54 inside the rotating sheet tray 52 is (The lift plate 16 in the figure).

[0004] The rotating operation of the rotating paper tray 52 and the lifting operation of the lift plate 55 are performed by two clutches 56.
7 and one motor 58. That is, when transmitting the driving force of the motor 58 to the rotation driving belt 53, the tray rotation driving clutch 56
Is connected, and only the rotary drive belt 53 is rotationally driven by disconnecting the tray lifting drive clutch 57. Further, in order to rotate the lift plate elevating shaft 59 for causing the lift plate 55 to perform the elevating operation, the tray rotation driving clutch 56 is disconnected, and the tray elevating driving clutch 57 is connected, so that the motor 58 The driving force is transmitted only to the lift plate elevating shaft 59. The switching between the tray rotation driving clutch 56 and the tray lifting / lowering driving clutch 57 is performed by a rotating paper tray unit controller (not shown).

On the other hand, in order to change the direction of the rotating paper tray 52 to the ready state, first, the paper stacking plate 54
, The rotating paper tray 52 must be rotated, and then the paper stacking plate 54 needs to be lifted up.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional construction, the transmission mechanism of the driving force of the motor 58 includes a gear mechanism comprising a number of gears, a tray rotation driving clutch 56 and a tray lifting / lowering driving clutch 57. Since two electromagnetic clutches are required, there is a problem that a large space is required in the sheet feeding device, which hinders reduction in the weight of the entire sheet feeding device and simplification of the structure.

Further, since these clutches 56 and 57 are electromagnetic clutches, the cost is high, so that there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the cost of the entire sheet feeding apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to eliminate the electromagnetic clutch, thereby simplifying the structure of the sheet feeding device and reducing the cost of the entire device. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a paper feeder according to the present invention includes a paper loading plate on which paper is loaded, and is rotated to a vertical feed position and a horizontal feed position. A rotating paper tray, a paper loading plate driving member for lifting and lowering the paper loading plate between a paper feeding position and a lowering position by pressing and releasing the pressing operation on the paper loading plate, and a vertical feeding position and a horizontal feeding position for rotating the paper tray. A rotating paper tray driving member for rotating the paper stacking plate driving member and a common motor for driving the rotating paper tray driving member are provided,
In a paper feeder having switching means for switching the driving force of the motor to one of a sheet loading plate driving member and a rotating paper tray driving member, the switching means includes a sun gear to which the driving force of the motor is transmitted; A loading plate gear whose rotational force is transmitted to the paper loading plate driving member, a tray rotating gear whose rotational force is transmitted to the rotating paper tray driving member, and a planet meshing with the sun gear and rotating around the sun gear. A gear, a positioning plate for meshing the planetary gear with the loading plate gear or the tray rotating gear, and a positioning plate control means for operating the positioning plate so that the planetary gear meshes with either the loading plate gear or the tray rotating gear. While the above
The positioning plate control means comprises a solenoid and a biasing means,
When the above solenoid operates, the planetary gear
Move the positioning plate so that it meshes with the tray rotating gear.
On the other hand, when the solenoid is not operating,
Bias the positioning plate so that the star gear meshes with the loading plate gear
It is characterized by doing.

[0010]

In the above construction, when the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the rotating paper tray driving member by the switching means, the solenoid in the positioning plate control means operates when the solenoid operates.
Then, the position of the positioning plate is operated so that the planetary gear meshes with the tray rotating gear. As a result, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the rotating paper tray driving member via the sun gear, the planetary gears, and the tray rotating gear, and the rotating paper tray rotates.

When the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the sheet stacking plate driving member, the positioning plate control means controls the solenoid.
The non-operating state is at the time of non-operation. At this time, the urging means urges the position of the positioning plate to operate so that the planetary gear meshes with the loading plate gear. As a result, the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the paper loading plate driving member via the sun gear, the planetary gears, and the loading plate gear, and the paper loading plate is raised to the paper feeding position.

As described above, since the conventional expensive electromagnetic clutch is not used for the means for switching the driving force of the motor, the cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced. Further, by eliminating the electromagnetic clutch, the gear mechanism can be simplified, so that the structure of the sheet feeding device can be simplified.

Also, with this configuration, the loading plate gear can be
The loading plate can be disconnected from the
The path from the gear to the paper loading plate driving member can be simplified.
Therefore, the driving force of the motor is
When it is on the tray side, the pressing operation against the paper loading plate
The sheet stacking plate is lowered to the lowering position by the release.

As a result, the lowering of the sheet stacking plate
Since the lower operation does not need to depend on the motor, the paper loading plate
The descent time of the paper can be shortened,
It is possible to shorten the change time when changing the direction
You.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feeder 1 of this embodiment is provided, for example, below the main body 2 of the copying machine. The paper feeding device 1 is provided with four tray units for paper feeding, and the second and third rotating paper tray units 3 and 4 from the upper side can rotate paper. It has become.

That is, the rotary paper tray units 3 and 4 are provided so as to be able to be pulled out from the front side (the front side of the paper surface in FIG. 3) with respect to the main body of the paper feeding device 1, and as shown in FIG. , A tray storage box 5, and a rotary paper tray 6 stored in the tray storage box 5. A fulcrum 7 is provided substantially at the center of the lower side of the rotary paper tray 6, and an arm 9 extending from a fulcrum 8 fixed to the tray housing box 5 is attached to the fulcrum 7. Are rotatably supported in the directions of arrows MN. The rotating paper tray 6 is detected by a position sensor (not shown) at a vertical feed position or a horizontal feed position.

A rotating drive belt 10 as a rotating paper tray driving member for rotating the rotating paper tray 6 is provided below the rotating paper tray 6 in the paper feeding direction (the direction of the arrow X). 3 are provided in parallel with the mounting / dismounting direction (arrow YZ directions). A pulley 1 is provided behind the rotary drive belt 10 (in the direction of arrow Z).
A worm gear 13 and a worm wheel 14 connected to the two shafts are provided, and a coupling 15 is provided on a motor side (not shown) of the worm wheel 14.

A fulcrum 11 formed at a corner of the rotary paper tray 6 is attached to the rotary drive belt 7. Then, as shown in FIG.
6, the fulcrum 11 of the rotary paper tray 6 moves together with the rotary drive belt 10, and thereby, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
It can rotate to the A4 vertical feed state rotated by degrees. The reverse rotation of the motor makes it possible to change from the A4 vertical feed state to the A4 horizontal feed state.

FIG. 3 shows the inside of the rotary paper tray 6.
And a sheet stacking plate 16 for stacking sheets, as shown in FIG.
Is provided. This sheet stacking plate 16 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, one end is connected to and supported by the rotating paper tray 6 at the connecting portion 16a, and the sheet stacking plate 16 is connected to the connecting portion 16a.
By rotating around “a”, the sheet feeding direction of the sheet stacking plate 16 can be moved up and down between the sheet feeding position and the descending position.

Below the sheet stacking plate 16, a lift plate 17 is provided as a sheet stacking plate driving member.
The lift plate 17 is fixed to a lift shaft 18, and a coupling 19 is provided at an end of the lift shaft 18. When the lift plate 17 is rotated, the driving force from the motor exerts a rotational force on the lift shaft 18, thereby rotating the lift plate 17 in the direction of arrow P as shown in FIG. Therefore, the end of the sheet stacking plate 16 is pushed up, and the sheet is guided in the sheet feeding direction.

On the other hand, a gear switching section 20 as switching means of the sheet feeding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided on the rear side of the tray housing box 5, and as shown in FIG.
5, a cassette rotation gear 21 connected to the coupling 19 via an idle gear (not shown), and a lift gear 22 connected to the coupling 19 via an idle gear (not shown). A two-stage gear 25 as a sun gear that rotates integrally with a worm wheel 26 that meshes with a worm gear 24 fixed to the rotation shaft of a motor 23 is provided between the cassette rotation gear 21 and the lift gear 22. A moving gear 28 as a planetary gear that meshes with the two-stage gear 25 and is rotated by the regulating angle 27 around the two-stage gear 25 is provided. Further, the moving gear 28
Gear shaft 28a and the gear shaft 22a of the lift gear 22
A moving gear positioning plate 29 as a substantially fan-shaped positioning plate is provided between the two.

In the moving gear positioning plate 29 described above,
A guide hole 30 is formed around the gear shaft 28 a of the moving gear 28, and a spring 31 for applying a tensile force is provided at an end of the moving gear positioning plate 29. Further, the lifting gear 2 of the moving gear positioning plate 29
The end on the second side is loosely fitted to the gear shaft 22a of the lift gear 22, and further extends to form a solenoid mounting portion 29a. The movable piece 32a of the solenoid 32 is attached to the solenoid attachment part 29a, and the ON / OFF operation of the solenoid 32 and the spring 3
1, the movable gear positioning plate 29 is rotated in the direction of the arrow QR. Therefore, the solenoid 32 and the spring 31 constitute a positioning plate control unit. The solenoid 32
Has an electromagnet (not shown) inside, and is a pull-type solenoid that pulls in the movable piece 32a when a current flows through the electromagnet (when it is turned ON).

In the above configuration, when the driving force of the motor 23 is transmitted to the rotary drive belt 10 by the gear switching unit 20, the solenoid 32 is turned on as shown in FIG.
Then, the movable piece 32a retreats and rotates the movable gear positioning plate 29 in the direction of the arrow R. As a result, the position where the moving gear 28 meshes with the cassette rotating gear 21 is set. As a result, the driving force of the motor 23 is
It is transmitted to the rotary drive belt 10 via the moving gear 28, the cassette rotating gear 21 and an idle gear (not shown),
The rotating paper tray 6 rotates.

On the other hand, the driving force of the motor 23 is
When transmitting to the solenoid 32, as shown in FIG.
Is turned off, the movable piece 32a can be moved forward and backward. At this time, the spring 31 provided at the end of the moving gear positioning plate 29
9 is pulled in the direction of arrow Q, whereby the gear shaft 28a of the moving gear 28 is guided by the guide hole 30, and the moving gear 28 meshes with the lift gear 22. As a result, the driving force of the motor 23 is transmitted to the lift plate 17 via the two-stage gear 25, the moving gear 28, the lift gear 22, and the idle gear (not shown), and the sheet stacking plate 16 is raised to the sheet feeding position.

With the above operation, the handling of the original in the rotary paper tray unit 1 is completed, and thereby the paper can be fed, and thereafter the copying is performed.

As described above, since the paper feeder 1 of the present embodiment does not use an expensive electromagnetic clutch as a conventional means for switching the driving force of the motor 23, the cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced. Can be. In addition, the elimination of the electromagnetic clutch allows the gear mechanism to be simplified, so that the structure of the sheet feeding device 1 can be simplified.

Further, the lift gear 22 is separated from the motor 23 and the lift gear 22 to the lift plate 17 can be simplified, so that when the driving force of the motor 23 is cut off, the lift plate 17 is rotatable, and the lift plate 17 is moved by the weight of the paper stacking plate 16.
Rotates naturally, and the paper stacking plate 16 descends. As a result, the rotation of the lift plate 17 is controlled by the motor 2 as in the prior art.
Since it is not necessary to depend on the number 3, the descent time of the sheet stacking plate 16 can be reduced, and the change time when changing the direction of the sheet can be reduced.

By stopping the motor 23, the lift plate 17 and the paper stacking plate 16 can be fixed at any positions during paper feeding.

[0030]

As described above, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the switching means includes the sun gear to which the driving force of the motor is transmitted, and the loading plate gear to which the rotating force is transmitted to the sheet loading plate driving member. ,
A tray rotating gear whose rotational force is transmitted to a rotating paper tray driving member, a planetary gear meshing with the sun gear and rotating around the sun gear, and meshing this planetary gear with a loading plate gear or a tray rotating gear. And a positioning plate control means for operating the positioning plate such that the planetary gear meshes with either the loading plate gear or the tray rotating gear, while the positioning plate control means includes a solenoid and
It consists of biasing means.
So that the planetary gear meshes with the tray rotating gear
While operating the positioning plate, when the solenoid is not operating
So that the planetary gear meshes with the loading plate gear by the biasing means.
In which the positioning plate is biased .

As a result, the cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced because an expensive electromagnetic clutch as in the prior art is not used for the means for switching the driving force of the motor. In addition, the elimination of the electromagnetic clutch allows the gear mechanism to be simplified, so that the structure of the sheet feeding device can be simplified.

Further, the lowering operation of the sheet stacking plate depends on the motor.
The lowering time of the paper loading plate.
To change the orientation of the paper.
This has the effect of shortening the change time.
You.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a structural diagram showing a state in which a moving gear meshes with a lift gear in a gear switching unit of a sheet feeding device.

FIG. 2 is a structural view showing a state in which a moving gear meshes with a cassette rotating gear in the gear switching section of the sheet feeding device.

FIG. 3 is an overall structural diagram showing the sheet feeding device described above.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a structure of a rotary paper tray unit in the paper feeding device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a structure for attaching a rotary paper tray to a rotary drive belt in the paper feeding device.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are plan views showing an arrangement state of the rotating paper tray in the rotating paper tray unit, wherein FIG. 6A shows a horizontal feeding state of the rotating paper tray, and FIG. is there.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing a vertically moving state of a sheet stacking plate provided inside the rotating sheet tray; FIG. 7A is a state in which the sheet stacking plate is lowered; This indicates a state in which paper can be fed.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of a conventional rotary paper tray unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper feeder 3.4 Rotating paper tray unit 5 Tray storage box 6 Rotating paper tray 10 Rotary driving belt (Rotating paper tray driving member) 16 Paper loading plate 17 Lift plate (Paper loading plate driving member) 18 Lift shaft 20 Gear switching Section (Switching Means) 21 Cassette Rotating Gear (Tray Rotating Gear) 22 Lift Gear (Loading Plate Gear) 23 Motor 25 Two-Step Gear (Sun Gear) 27 Restriction Angle 28 Moving Gear (Planetary Gear) 28a Gear Shaft 29 Moving Gear Positioning plate (positioning plate) 30 Guide hole 31 Spring (positioning plate control means , biasing hand
Stage ) 32 solenoid (positioning plate control means) 32a movable piece

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A rotating sheet tray provided with a sheet stacking plate on which sheets are stacked and rotated to a vertical feeding position and a horizontal feeding position; and a sheet stacking operation by pressing the sheet stacking plate and releasing the pressing operation. A sheet stacking plate driving member for raising and lowering the plate between a sheet feeding position and a lowering position, and a rotating sheet tray driving member for rotating a rotating sheet tray to a vertical feeding position and a horizontal feeding position; And a common motor for driving the rotating paper tray driving member, and a switching device for switching the driving force of the motor to one of the paper stacking plate driving member and the rotating paper tray driving member. The means includes a sun gear to which the driving force of the motor is transmitted, a loading plate gear to which the rotating force is transmitted to the paper loading plate driving member, and a tray to which the rotating force is transmitted to the rotating paper tray driving member. A rotating gear, a planetary gear that meshes with the sun gear and rotates around the sun gear, a positioning plate that meshes the planetary gear with the loading plate gear or the tray rotating gear, and a planetary gear that matches the positioning plate Positioning plate control means for operating so as to mesh with either the loading plate gear or the tray rotating gear, while the positioning plate control means comprises a solenoid and a biasing means.
When the above solenoid operates, the planetary gear
Move the positioning plate so that it meshes with the tray rotating gear.
On the other hand, when the solenoid is not operating,
Bias the positioning plate so that the star gear meshes with the loading plate gear
A sheet feeding device.