JP3321716B2 - Sheet member transport device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device for an image forming machine such as an electrostatic copying machine or an electrostatic printing machine, and more particularly to a sheet member such as a document set on a table to a registration roller pair. The present invention relates to a sheet member conveying device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, a first conventional example of a sheet member conveying device will be described. This sheet member conveyance device includes a shaft of a paper feed roller driven to rotate by a driving source. One end of a pair of arms is rotatably supported on the shaft. The other end is vertically movable about the axis, and is usually located at a predetermined upper position. One shaft is rotatably supported between the other ends of the arms, and two forward rollers are mounted on the shaft. The shaft of the feed roller and the shaft of the paper feed roller are connected by a pair of timing belts. As viewed in the sheet feeding direction, a table for setting a sheet member such as a document is arranged on the upstream side of each of the advance rollers, and the sheet feeding roller is arranged on the downstream side. A reversing roller is arranged in a known manner corresponding to the sheet feeding roller, and these two rollers constitute a separation roller pair. For example, a reversing roller is arranged close to the paper feeding roller, and is combined with each other in a comb-like shape to form a separation roller pair. On the upstream side of the separation roller pair, a stopper lever of the sheet member, a sheet feeding actuator (lever), and the like are arranged so as to protrude above the passage of the sheet member.

When a sheet member is set on a table, its leading end is aligned by a stopper lever. At the same time, the paper feed actuator falls down below the sheet member,
The feed switch is turned on to detect that the sheet member has been set on the table. When the print key of the image forming machine provided with the sheet member conveying device is pressed, the other end of each arm is lowered, and each of the forward feed rollers rides on the sheet member. At the same time, the stopper lever at the front end of the sheet member is also lowered. At this time, since the shaft of the paper feed roller is also driven to rotate, each of the feed rollers is rotated via the timing belt. The sheet member is sent toward the separation roller pair. At a predetermined timing, the other end of each arm is returned to the original upper position. In the separation roller pair, the paper feed roller rotates in the direction of feeding the sheet member, and the reversing roller rotates in the same direction as the paper feed roller. Therefore, only one sheet member among the sheet members sent to the separation roller pair is sent downstream, and feeding of many sheets is prevented.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional sheet conveying apparatus, each of the advance rollers is mounted on one common shaft. A timing belt is connected between both ends of the shaft and the shaft of the sheet feeding roller. The timing belt is a toothed belt. That is, toothed pulleys are provided at both ends of the shaft of the forward feed roller and the shaft of the paper feed roller, respectively, and the timing belt is wound between the toothed pulleys. By the way, it is practically impossible to match the phases of the teeth of the toothed pulleys provided at both ends of the shaft of the forward feed roller completely without errors. As described above, when the print key is pressed, the forward feed roller moves down and rides on the sheet member, and the driving force is applied to each of the timing belts applied to both ends of the advance feed roller shaft via the feed roller shaft. Is transmitted. At this time, one of the toothed pulleys provided at both ends of the shaft of the feed roller (earlier in phase) due to the phase difference of each tooth of the toothed pulley and thus the phase difference of each timing belt. First, a load (driving force) accompanying the driving of the timing belt is applied. As a result, a phenomenon occurs in which the side of the forward feed roller on which the driving force is applied falls and the other side floats, and a slight inclination occurs between both ends of the forward feed roller shaft. Therefore, in the first conventional example, due to this inclination,
There has been a problem that the sheet member is liable to be fed obliquely, and there is a possibility that uneven wear may occur because only one of the forward feed rollers is shaved.

On the other hand, as a second conventional example of the sheet member conveying device, there is a device in which two forward feed rollers are provided independently of each other. That is, each feed roller is supported by a pair of sheet metal guide plates, one end of which is rotatable relative to the shaft of the paper feed roller and the other end of which is vertically movably supported, by pins (shafts). ing. Each pin and the shaft of the paper feed roller are connected by a timing belt. In this sheet member conveying device, since each of the forward feed rollers is driven independently of the other, a large load is applied to one pin and the other pin floats as in the first conventional example. This phenomenon does not occur. However, since each forward feed roller is individually supported by a pin made of a sheet metal guide plate, each pin is liable to be inclined, and there is a possibility that uneven wear may occur in each forward feed roller. Therefore, in the second conventional example, in order to reliably prevent such a problem, it is necessary to make the entire structure have a high rigidity.
As a result, there is a problem that the weight increases and the cost increases.

The present invention has been made on the basis of the above facts, and has as its object to prevent oblique feeding of a sheet member due to imbalance of a driving force acting on a shaft of a forward feed roller, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved sheet member conveying apparatus capable of maintaining a uniform wear balance between individual feed rollers and preventing partial uneven wear of the individual feed rollers.

[0007]

Order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of, according to the present invention, one axis at one end is relatively rotatably and the other end of one of the paper feed rollers driven rotated by a drive source A pair of arms whose parts are vertically movable, two forward feed rollers rotatably supported between the other ends of each of the arms, and a pair of timing belts for driving the forward feed rollers In the sheet member conveying device having: the forward feed rollers are respectively provided on shafts which are independent of each other and arranged on the same axis, and one end of each of the shafts is connected to the other end of each of the arms. It is rotatably supported, and the other end is connected via a cylindrical member fitted to be rotatable relative to each other, each of the shafts of the forward feed roller and the one feed roller.
Between the axes are connected by the pair of timing belts, round the axis of the paper feed roller of one the is the drive source of the one
When driven in rotation, a driving force is applied to each of the timing belts.
And each of the shafts of the advance roller is rotationally driven.
That, the sheet conveying device according to claim and this, is provided.

[0008]

According to the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention,
The advance rollers are respectively provided on shafts which are independent of each other and arranged on the same axis. One end of each of the shafts is rotatably supported by the other end of each of the arms, and the other ends thereof are connected via a cylindrical member rotatably fitted. Each of the shafts of the feed roller and the shaft of the paper feed roller are connected by a pair of timing belts. As described above, when the print key of the image generating machine provided with the sheet member conveying device is pressed, each forward feed roller is lowered and rides on the sheet member, and the feed roller shaft is moved through the feed roller shaft. The driving force is transmitted to each timing belt applied to each end. At this time, since the respective axes of the forward feed roller are independent of each other (split), a biased load (driving force) is not applied to only one of the forward feed rollers. Even if there is a slight phase difference between the toothed pulleys mounted on the respective shafts of the feed roller, the sheet member is not actually fed obliquely because the feed roller shaft is divided. . Further, since the other end of each of the shafts of the forward feed roller is connected via a cylindrical member, the rigidity between the two shafts is sufficiently ensured even though the shafts are divided. As a result, the balance of the driving force acting on each of the forward feed roller shafts is secured, and the inclination of each of the forward feed roller shafts as described above does not occur. As a result, a stable and stable paper feeding force can be obtained, the oblique feeding of the sheet member is prevented, and the wear balance between the two feed rollers is kept uniform. Wear is prevented from occurring .
Configuration as a whole is simple, but which can be practically used at a low cost. The increase in weight is also slight.

[0009]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a sheet member conveying device 2 is configured such that one end is rotatable relative to a shaft 6 of a sheet feeding roller 4 that is rotationally driven by a driving source which may be an electric motor (not shown), and the other end is A pair of arms 8 and 10 movably supported up and down, and two forward rollers 12 and 1 rotatably supported between the other ends of the arms 8 and 10
4 and a pair of timing belts 16 and 18 for driving the advance rollers 12 and 14. A table 20 for setting a sheet member such as a document is disposed on the upstream side of the forward feed rollers 12 and 14 when viewed in the paper feeding direction (substantially right to left in FIG. 1), and on the downstream side, A roller 4 is provided. The paper feed roller 4 includes three rollers,
Corresponding to this, a reversing roller (not shown) is arranged close to and combined in a comb-like shape. These two rollers constitute a separation roller pair. Paper feed roller 4
A stopper lever of a sheet member (not shown), a sheet feeding actuator 22 (see FIG. 1), and the like are arranged so as to protrude above the passage of the sheet member.

The advance rollers 12 and 14 are mounted on shafts 24 and 26 which are independent (divided) and arranged on the same axis. One ends of the shafts 24 and 26 are rotatably supported by the other ends of the arms 8 and 10. The other ends of the shafts 24 and 26 are connected via a cylindrical member (collar) 28 fitted so as to be relatively rotatable. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, small diameter portions having the same diameter are formed at the other ends of the shafts 24 and 26, and the cylindrical member 28 is fitted over each of the small diameter portions. . Cylindrical member 28
Is formed of a synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal. The outer diameter of the cylindrical member 28 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of each of the large diameter portions of the shafts 24 and 26 adjacent to each of the small diameter portions. In a state where the cylindrical member 28 is fitted and assembled, both end portions of the cylindrical member 28 are substantially in contact with shoulder portions formed between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion of each of the shafts 24 and 26. . An appropriate gap is provided between the other ends of the shafts 24 and 26 connected by the cylindrical member 28 (see FIG. 2). Shaft 24 of advance rollers 12 and 14
And 26 and the shaft 6 of the feed roller 4 are connected by timing belts 16 and 18 which are toothed belts. That is, the shafts 24 and 2 of the advance rollers 12 and 14
6 are provided with toothed pulleys 30 and 32, respectively.
Toothed pulleys 34 and 36 are provided at positions corresponding to the shaft 6 of the paper feed roller 4, respectively. Toothed pulley 3
The timing belt 16 is wound between 0 and 34, and the timing belt 18 is wound between the toothed pulleys 32 and 36.

Arms 8 and 1 having substantially the same configuration
Numeral 0 is integrally formed of a synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal. As shown in FIG. 3, one side in the longitudinal direction of each main body portion extends linearly, and the other side has a concave shape that is gradually curved. I have. With the arms 8 and 10 mounted on the shaft 6 of the paper feed roller 4 , each side is positioned on the upper side and the other side is positioned on the lower paper feed path side. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 3, one end of each of the arms 8 and 10 is provided with a protruding portion 8a and 10a that form a substantially L shape with one side thereof. The protrusions 8a and 10a are inclined at an angle smaller than 90 ° with respect to one side. The other ends of the arms 8 and 10 are provided with other projections 8b and 10b, respectively, which form a substantially L shape with one side thereof. Each of the protruding portions 8b and 10b is formed with a hole (not shown) located on one axis parallel to the axis of the feed rollers 12 and 14 (the common axis of the shafts 24 and 26). Both ends of an interval regulating member (stay) 38 made of one round bar member are fitted and supported in each of the holes so as to protrude from each of the holes. The interval regulating member 38 is formed of a SUS round bar in this example. A stop ring (snap ring) 40 for restricting (preventing) the other ends of the arms 8 and 10 from opening is attached to the outer peripheral portion of each of the projecting ends of the interval regulating member 38. The stop ring 40 is shown only on one side in FIG. In addition, as is apparent from FIG.
In the shaft 6, the axial movement of the arm 8 and the toothed pulley 34 and the arm 10 and the toothed pulley 36 are regulated by stop rings. On the other hand, the shafts 24 and 26 of the advance rollers 12 and 14 are connected to the arms 8 and 10 respectively.
The movement in the axial direction is restricted by a stop ring. The toothed pulleys 30 and 32 are also restricted from moving in the axial direction with respect to the shafts 24 and 26 by stop rings, respectively.

In FIG. 1, a cam shaft 42 is disposed above the shaft 6 of the paper feed roller 4, and the cam shaft 42 is integrally provided with a paper feed roller cam 44. Paper feed roller cam 44
Is formed of a plate member, one end of which is attached to the camshaft 42, and the other end of which is in contact with the inclined surfaces of the protruding portions 8a and 10a of the arms 8 and 10. The cam shaft 42 is also integrally provided with a cam release lever 46. A solenoid 48 is arranged near the cam release lever 46. A lever 50 is rotatably provided near the solenoid 48, and the lever 50 and the iron core 5 of the solenoid 48 are provided.
2 is operatively connected. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the other ends of the arms 8 and 10 are positioned at a predetermined position above, so that the advance rollers 12 and 14 are positioned above the table 20 at intervals.
Even if the maximum number of sheet members is set on zero, it does not contact the uppermost sheet member. When the solenoid 48 is energized, the iron core 52 moves in the direction of the arrow. This movement is performed by the cam shaft 42 via the lever 50 and the cam release lever 46.
And the camshaft 42 rotates in the direction of the arrow (counterclockwise in FIG. 1). At the same time, one end of the feed roller cam 44 is lowered as shown by the arrow, and the protrusions 8a and 10a of the arms 8 and 10 are rotated clockwise in FIG. As a result, the arms 8 and 10 rotate in the same direction around the axis 6 of the paper feed roller 4. The forward feed rollers 12 and 14 at the other ends of the arms 8 and 10 are lowered as indicated by arrows, and are placed on a sheet member placed on the table 20. The above operation mechanism and operation are known.

After the sheet member is placed on the table 20, when a print key of an image generator (not shown) is pressed, the forward feed rollers 12 and 14 are lowered to ride on the sheet member as described above. The driving force is transmitted to the timing belts 16 and 18 that are applied to the ends of the shafts 24 and 26 of the feed rollers 12 and 14 via the shaft 6 of the paper feed roller 4. At this time, each shaft 2 of the advance rollers 12 and 14
4 and 26 are independent of each other,
A biased load is not applied to only one of 2 and 14. Toothed pulleys 30 and 32 mounted on shafts 24 and 26 of advance rollers 12 and 14, respectively.
Even if there is a slight phase difference between the two, the shaft members 24 and 26 of the forward feed rollers 12 and 14 are divided, so that the sheet member is not actually fed obliquely. Further, since the other ends of the shafts 24 and 26 of the forward feed rollers 12 and 14 are connected via the cylindrical member 28, sufficient rigidity between the shafts 24 and 26 is ensured even though the shafts 24 and 26 are divided. Is done. As a result, the balance of the driving force acting on the shafts 24 and 26 of the forward rollers 12 and 14 is ensured, and the shafts 24 and 26 of the forward rollers 12 and 14 are not inclined as described above. , Forward roller 1
A stable and stable paper feeding force can be obtained between the rollers 2 and 14, the oblique feeding of the sheet member is prevented, and the wear balance between the two forward rollers 12 and 14 is kept uniform. The occurrence of partial uneven wear of the rollers 12 and 14 individually is prevented. On the other hand, arm 8
And 10 are connected by an interval regulating member 38 so as to regulate the opening of each of the other ends. Therefore, even when the driving force is transmitted to the timing belts 16 and 18, the arms 8 and 10 are prevented from opening and the forward rollers 12 and 14 are prevented from moving in directions away from each other. Function is guaranteed. The structure is simple as a whole, and can be put to practical use at low cost. The increase in weight is also slight.

Although the present invention has been described in detail based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes or modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. .

[0015]

According to the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention described above based on one embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (1) Since each shaft of the forward feed roller is independent of each other, when a driving force is transmitted to each timing belt applied to each end of the shaft of the forward feed roller, it is applied to one of the forward feed rollers. It is no longer possible to apply only a load. Even if there is a slight phase difference between the toothed pulleys mounted on each shaft of the forward feed roller, since the respective shafts of the forward feed roller are divided, the sheet member is actually fed obliquely. There is no. Further, since the other end of each of the shafts of the forward feed roller is connected via a cylindrical member, the rigidity between the two shafts is sufficiently ensured even though the shafts are divided. As a result, the balance of the driving force acting on each of the forward feed roller shafts is ensured, and each of the forward feed roller shafts is not inclined as described above.
A well-balanced and stable paper feed force can be obtained between the preceding feed rollers, preventing the sheet member from being skewed, and
The wear balance between the two advance rollers is kept uniform,
In addition, the occurrence of partial uneven wear of each of the advance rollers is also prevented. (2) The other ends of the arms are connected by an interval regulating member so as to regulate the opening of the other ends. Therefore, even when the driving force is transmitted to each timing belt, each arm is prevented from opening and each forward feed roller is prevented from moving in a direction away from each other, so that the above-described function is guaranteed. (3) The configuration is simple as a whole and can be put to practical use at low cost. In addition, the increase in weight is slight, which is extremely useful in practice.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a sheet conveying apparatus improved according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a main part of the sheet member conveying device of FIG. 1 as viewed from below.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2 viewed from the direction of arrow A;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 sheet member conveying device 4 feed roller 6 shaft of feed roller 4 8 and 10 arm 12 and 14 forward feed roller 16 and 18 timing belt 24 shaft of forward feed roller 12 26 shaft of forward feed roller 14 28 cylindrical member 30, 32, 34, and 36 toothed pulley 38 interval regulating member 40 stop ring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-232643 (JP, A) JP-A-62-100334 (JP, A) JP-A-5-310332 (JP, A) JP-A-64 14744 (JP, U) Real opening 61-25340 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 1/00-3/68

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A single rotationally driven by a driving source
Two one end to the shaft of the paper feed roller is rotatably supported a pair of arms relatively rotatably and the other end is supported to be vertically movable, between said other end of each of said arms In a sheet member conveying device including a forward feed roller and a pair of timing belts for driving the forward feed roller, the forward feed rollers are respectively provided on axes that are independent of each other and arranged on the same axis, One end of each of the shafts is rotatably supported by the other end of each of the arms, and the other end is connected via a relatively rotatably fitted cylindrical member,
Each of the shafts of the feed roller and the shaft of the one sheet feed roller are connected by the pair of timing belts ,
The shaft of one paper feed roller is rotationally driven by the one drive source
Then, the driving force is transmitted to each of the timing belts.
And each of said shafts of said forward feed roller is driven to rotate . 2. An opening between said other ends of each of said arms.
The arms are connected to each other by an interval regulating member, and the other end of each of the arms is provided with a projection that forms an L-shape with its main body, and each of the projections has Holes are formed on the same axis parallel to the axis of the forward feed roller, and are fitted in each of the holes such that both end portions of the space regulating member formed of one round bar member project from each of the holes. 2. The sheet member conveying device according to claim 1, wherein a stop ring for restricting the opening of the arm is mounted on an outer peripheral portion of each of the both ends which are supported and protruded from the interval regulating member.