JP3524296B2 - Paper feeder and image forming apparatus - 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 feeding device and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a so-called ASF (Auto) for separating and feeding sheet materials such as a plurality of recording media and read originals one by one. (Sheet Feeder)
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus having a so-called manual sheet feeding mechanism that releases the separating function of the sheet feeding mechanism and the separating means of the ASF sheet feeding mechanism to feed the stacked sheet materials one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording apparatus in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile drives an energy generating body of a recording head based on image information being transferred, so that a recording medium such as paper or a thin plastic plate is formed. It is configured to record an image having a dot pattern on a sheet material.

The recording apparatus includes an ink jet method, a wire dot method, a thermal method, a laser beam method, etc., depending on the recording method. The recording mechanism is classified into a full-multi type and a serial type. The full-multi type has a recording unit over the entire recording width and performs recording by moving a sheet material as a recording medium in the sub-scanning direction. ,
The serial type performs main scanning with a recording unit mounted on a carriage that performs main scanning, and moves a sheet material in the sub-scanning direction to perform recording.

Sheet materials such as recording media and read originals used in such recording devices and so-called sheet-through type image reading devices include plain paper, thick paper such as postcards and envelopes, and thin plastic plates. There are special sheets and the like, and the sheet material feeding methods are roughly classified into the above-mentioned ASF sheet feeding and manual sheet feeding. Further, the ASF sheet feeding is a built-in type which is built in the sheet feeding device or detachable. There is an exterior type that is installed.

As a method for separating the sheet material used for the ASF sheet feeding, there is a so-called claw separation method in which a claw is brought into contact with a corner of the sheet material for separation, and a friction separation method utilizing friction of the sheet material. There is also a bank separation method that utilizes the bending of an elastic member. The bank separation method using this elastic member can separate types from thick paper such as postcards and envelopes to plain paper of 64 g / m ² typified by copy recording media.

[0006]

However, in the ASF sheet feeding by the above-mentioned conventional sheet feeding device, for example, 45 g
When feeding an extremely thin and smooth sheet material such as report paper of less than 1 m2 / m ² , for example, in the above-mentioned bank separation method, the sheet material buckles before the movable bank, which is an elastic member, is fully tilted. In some cases, separation was not performed correctly. Further, even in the separation method by friction separation or claw separation, there is a problem such that wrinkles are generated because the rigidity of the sheet material is insufficient with respect to the load resistance applied for separation.

On the other hand, in the case of manually feeding a thick sheet material such as an envelope or a postcard with a photograph, the minimum force required to hold the sheet between the conveying roller and the pinch roller facing the feeding roller. There is no other choice but to require the operator to feed the paper with a very limited force, which is a force that is larger than that and does not slip more than necessary, and improvement in operability has been desired.

As described above, there is a problem in that the operation required by the operator is complicated for the manual paper feeding.

Further, at the time of ASF sheet feeding, it is necessary for the operator to cope with a wider range of paper types, but depending on the characteristics of the sheet material, the optimum separation resistance to be added and how to apply it. There is a difference, and there is a problem that it is difficult to meet such a demand with one fixed separation mechanism.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to favorably perform manual paper feeding of sheet materials having various characteristics from thin paper to thick paper, and perform highly accurate paper feeding for a wide range of sheet materials. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus that can be used.

[0011]

The invention according to claim 1 is
A pressure plate capable of stacking a plurality of sheet materials and a pressure plate loaded on the pressure plate.
Sheet feeding roller that feeds the formed sheet material, and the sheet feeding roller
Movable soil that separates the fed sheet materials one by one
A hand and a carrier for conveying the sheet material on the downstream side of the movable bank.
A sheet feeding device having a feeding roller,
And triggered from the platen by the switching lever
The manual feed guide member that can be rotated to the position
Rotate the guide member to the position raised from the pressure plate.
Then, the tip position of the manual feed guide member is changed to the movable bank.
Make sure that the position is higher than the top edge or near the top edge.
It has a feature.

The paper feed roller has a fan-shaped cross section.
It is characterized by being.

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

The present invention also relates to an image forming apparatus, which comprises an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet material,
One of the above-mentioned sheet feeding devices for feeding the sheet material to the image forming unit is provided.

(Operation) According to the sheet feeding device of the present invention, the characteristics of the sheet material or the sheet feeding method (for example, a plurality of sheet materials stacked on the sheet material stacking means are fed one by one by the feeding means and the separating means). The first sheet feeding method (ASF sheet feeding) that separates and feeds the sheet, and the second sheet feeding method that releases the separating function by the separating unit to feed the sheet materials one by one (manual sheet feeding) )), The separation resistance varying means sets the separation resistance of the sheet material by the separation means to be optimal, so that good feeding can be performed for a wide range of sheet materials.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an information processing apparatus having an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) equipped with a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) including a paper feeding device of a processing device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of the paper feeding device. Figure 1
In the information processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.
The display unit 3 is an id crystal display, 3 is a keyboard unit that is an input unit, and 4 is a paper tray that also serves as a cover of the information processing apparatus 1. When the paper feeding device is used, it functions as a paper tray by rotating in the direction of arrow A.

In the image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 10 and the sheet feeding apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, 5 is a recording head 6 (in the present embodiment, a disposable type recording head is adopted as the recording head. ) Is mounted on the carrier for scanning, 5a is a positioning protrusion, 7 is a cable terminal portion provided on a flexible cable for connecting the recording head 6 and a control system including a CPU 201 described later, and 9 is a It is a guide shaft for scanning and guiding the carrier 5, and is inserted into a bearing 11 of the carrier 5. Reference numeral 13 is a timing belt to which the carrier 5 is fixed and which transmits power for scanning the carrier 5, and is stretched around pulleys 15a and 15b arranged at both ends. 1
7 is a carrier motor.

A conveying roller 19 regulates the height of the recording surface of the sheet S, which is a recording medium, and conveys the recording surface during printing or the like, and a driving force is applied from a paper feed motor 20 which is a stepping motor to a gear train ( It is transmitted to the LF gear 21 that is press-fitted into one end of the transport roller 19 via a (not shown). Reference numeral 23 denotes a pinch roller unit which is arranged in the feeding path of the sheet S, presses the sheet S toward the conveying roller 19 by a pinch roller spring (not shown), and conveys the sheet S. Reference numerals 25a and 25b denote metal spurs that are rotatably supported by the spur holder 27 and are attached to the guide rail 29.
The position of the print surface is regulated to stabilize the distance between the ink ejection port formed in the recording head 6 and the recording surface of the sheet S to maintain a good recording state.

Here, the spurs 25a and 25 are used as the conveying means.
The reason why b is used is that, in the ink jet recording used in the present embodiment, when the ink before drying ejected onto the sheet S comes into contact with the conveying means, the ink adheres to the conveying means. , This is the sheet S again when the sheet S is conveyed.
This is to minimize the problem that the sheet S is transferred to and the sheet S is soiled.

Reference numerals 31a and 31b denote paper discharge rollers for discharging the sheet S toward a discharge port (not shown) provided in the information processing apparatus 1. The shaft portion made of ABS resin and the roller portion made of elastomer are integrated. Is composed of spurs 25a, 2
It is arranged at a position in contact with 5b and is urged in the direction of spurs 25a and 25b by a paper discharge roller spring (not shown).

Further, the paper discharge rollers 31a and 31b and the carry roller 19 are connected to the paper feed motor 20 through a gear train, but the paper discharge roller 31a is more than the carry amount per step of the paper feed motor 20. , 31b are slightly larger than the transport roller 19 (in the present embodiment, the difference in the transport amount is set to 1.9%). Therefore, the sheet S is ejected from the sheet ejection roller 31 and the conveyance roller 1.
When the sheet S is held by both the sheet 9 and the sheet 9, proper tension is applied to the sheet S, the bending of the sheet S can be effectively prevented, and as a result, the distance between the recording head 6 and the sheet S can be stabilized. Good print quality and transport accuracy can be obtained.

Further, the spur 25a corresponding to the paper discharge roller 31a provided on the downstream side in the transport direction is more than the spur 25b corresponding to the paper discharge roller 31b provided on the upstream side in the transport direction of the sheet S. Is located near the surface of the. This is a rib (not shown) provided on the platen 33 at the rear end of the sheet S so that the rear end of the sheet S does not come into contact with and destroy the recording head 6 after the sheet S comes out of the transport roller 19. This is because the paper is conveyed while being restricted in the direction in which it is pressed against.

Reference numeral 35 is a paper sensor using a photo interrupter, and when the sheet S is inserted, a sensor lever 39 rotatably supported by an upper guide 37 which is a guide member when the sheet S is inserted rotates. , The paper sensor 35 is attached to the sheet S by the shielding plate formed on the sensor lever 39.
Detects insertion of. Reference numeral 41 denotes a home position sensor, which detects the passage of the carrier 5 to detect the carrier 5
The position of is detected. Reference numeral 45 is a head guide.

Reference numeral 61 denotes a cap made of an elastic material such as rubber, which covers the ink ejection port surface of the recording head 6 described later to prevent the ink from drying and adhering and at the same time to cover the ink ejection port surface. Pump unit 63
It is possible to eliminate the clogging of the ink discharge port by generating a negative pressure in the cap 61 and forcibly discharging the ink by the suction force of the negative pressure by controlling the pump with a cam configured in the pump gear 65.

Reference numeral 108 denotes a sheet feeding roller which is provided so as to face the sheet S and has a sectoral sectional shape in which a part of an arc is cut out, and 110 is constantly urged upward in the drawing by a pressure plate spring 109. The pressure plate for stacking the sheets S, 111 is a separation pad whose friction coefficient is controlled so as to contact the lowest sheet S, 112 is the uppermost sheet S pressed against the sheet feeding roller 108 in the sheet feeding state, and 112 in the standby state. A cam that controls the movement of the pressure plate 110 so as to separate the sheet S, and 114 is a paper guide that holds one end of the stacked sheets S.
It can be moved to the left or right depending on the size. Reference numeral 116 denotes a movable bank which is an elastic member of a bank separation system which is a separation unit of the sheet S, and the movable bank 116 can separate the sheet S by utilizing the deflection thereof.

Reference numeral 118 is a switching lever for switching the ASF sheet feeding mode and the manual sheet feeding mode by the above-mentioned ASF mechanism constituted by the pressure plate spring 109, the pressure plate 110, the sheet feeding roller 108, the separating pad 111, the movable bank 116 and the like. Yes, it is interlocked with a rotatable manual feed guide member 120 arranged on the pressure plate 110 on the upstream side in the paper feed direction. When the friction coefficient between the separating pad 111 and the sheet S is used as a reference, the friction coefficient between the sheets S is lower than the friction coefficient between the separating pad 111 and the sheet S, and the friction coefficient between the sheet feeding roller 108 and the sheet S is equal to the separation pad 111. Is set to be larger than the friction coefficient of the sheet S.

In the case of so-called copy sheets, postcards, envelopes, and other sheets S having a weight of about 64 g / m ² , the sheets S are made of elastic members and are disposed in the vicinity of the leading end position of the stacked sheets S on the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction. The movable bank 116 is
When a propulsive force is applied to the uppermost sheet S, it is elastically collapsed by the load, and the sheets S are separated one by one.

Although the bank separating means by the movable bank 116 is used in this embodiment, the invention is not limited to this, and a claw separating method or a friction separating method may be used.

For the sheet S separated by the movable bank 116, the paper sensor lever 39 is rotated to move the paper sensor 3
By controlling the number of rotations of the sheet feeding roller 108 according to the result of detecting the passage of the leading edge of the sheet S in 5, the leading edge of the sheet S reliably reaches the transport roller 19. This is because slippage with the sheet feeding roller 108 occurs depending on the type of the sheet S, and if the registration operation is performed only by the rotation amount of the sheet feeding roller 108 from the start of sheet feeding, it does not reach the conveying roller 19. This is for avoiding the problem that sufficient skew feeding is not performed or that the sheet S is excessively pressed to cause wrinkles and the like on the sheet S.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the information processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.

In this figure, reference numeral 200 is a main control unit for controlling the entire apparatus, and 210 is an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 10.
And a control unit of the sheet feeding device 100. Further, 3 is a keyboard unit of the information processing apparatus 1, 2 is a display unit, 230 is an external storage device such as an FDD or a RAM card mounted on the information processing apparatus 1, and 231 is for communicating with another information processing apparatus or internally. It is an external interface for controlling peripheral devices by directly connecting to the bus.

The main control section 200 has a CPU 201 for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, and a RAM 2 provided with an area for expanding text data and image data and an area for work.
02 and a ROM storing fixed data such as a program corresponding to the operation procedure of the entire apparatus and other font data.
203, a timer 204 that creates an execution cycle of the CPU 201 or a timing that is necessary for a printing operation, and an interface unit 205 that connects the CPU 201 to the image forming apparatus (printing apparatus) 10 and the sheet feeding apparatus 100. ing.

The control unit 210 controls various information of the recording head 6 (presence or absence of the recording head 6, type, output value of sensor for detecting temperature of the recording head 6, output of sensor for detecting presence or absence of ink in the ink tank, etc.). ) Detecting head 2
11, a line buffer 212 that stores the print data of the print head 6, a head driver 213 that sends a print signal and electric power to the print head 6, a carrier motor 17,
Motor drivers 216a, 216b, 216c that send out signals and electric power necessary for driving the paper feed motor 20 and the automatic paper feed motor 214 through the detector 215, a home position sensor 41, a paper sensor 35, and a paper feed initial. It has a sensor detection unit 220 that detects sensor outputs from the sensor 217, the paper feed switching sensor 218, the thermistor 219, and the like.

Next, the paper feeding operation of the above-described paper feeding device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 5, the operator selects the switching lever 11
8 (see FIG. 2) to change the phase of the cam 112 interlocking therewith to move the manual feed guide member 120 to the pressure plate 110.
6 shows a state in which the sheet S is inserted into the sheet feeding device 100 in the manual feed standby state by being caused by the above, FIG. 6 shows a state when the sheet S is conveyed, and FIG. 7 shows a reset after the sheet S is completely fed. It is a figure which shows time.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the cam 112 rotates about a fulcrum independent of the pressure plate 110, and the tip of the manual feed guide member 120 in the manual feed standby state is located above the upper end of the movable bank 116. Is also lifted from the pressure plate 110 to a high position or a position near the upper end.

Therefore, when the sheet S is inserted in this manual feed standby state, the front end side of the sheet S in the sheet feeding direction is on the movable bank 1.
Since it abuts at a position higher than the upper end of 16 or near the upper end, it moves over the movable bank 116 with an extremely weak force to reach the nip portion formed by the transport roller 19 and the pinch roller 23. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the separation pad 111 is disposed between the manual insertion guide portions 120a of the manual insertion guide member 120, and the sheet S and the separation pad 111 do not come into contact with each other during the manual insertion standby state, and the insertion is smooth. Is configured to take place.

Next, the operation of the sheet S in the feeding state will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 9.

At the time of inserting the sheet S, step S1
When the key input of the "print start command" is performed by the keyboard unit 3 at 01, first, the paper sensor (PE sensor) 3
5 is detected, and if it is in the OFF state (NO), the pressure plate spring 109, the pressure plate 110, the paper feed roller 108, the separation pad 1
11, ASF paper feed mode by the ASF mechanism configured by the movable bank 116 and the like, and if it is in the ON state (YES), it is determined to be the manual paper feed mode (step S102).

If the ASF paper feed mode is determined in step S102, the guide member 120 is lowered to the original position by the rotation of the cam 112, and the paper feed roller 108 is rotated in the direction of arrow B in step S103. Accordingly, the cam (not shown) is disengaged and the pressure plate 110 is lifted by the spring force of the pressure plate spring 109, so that the sheet S is fed to the sheet feeding roller 1.
The sheet S starts to be supplied with a feeding force by being pressed against 08.

Then, when the driving step amount of the motor (not shown) for rotating the sheet feeding roller 108 reaches the predetermined amount A step, the state of the paper sensor 35 is confirmed (step S104), and at the step S104, it is turned on, that is, the sheet. When it is detected that the tip of S has reached the position of the paper sensor lever 39, the process proceeds to step S107.
On the other hand, if it is not detected, it is considered that a delay has occurred due to the feeding resistance or the like, and the driving step amount of the sheet feeding motor 20 is set to the predetermined amount B steps in order to further rotate the sheet feeding roller 108 in the arrow B direction. Rotate (step S
105).

At the end of rotation, the state of the paper sensor 35 is checked again (step S106). If the paper sensor 35 remains off, an error message is displayed on the display unit 2 of the information processing apparatus 1 to inform the operator of the apparatus abnormality. Is notified (step S108).

On the other hand, if it is confirmed in step S106 that the sheet S is turned on, the feed roller 108 is further rotated in the direction of arrow B (step S107), and the leading end of the sheet S is conveyed by the conveying roller 1.
After reaching the nip portion formed by the pinch roller unit 23 and the pinch roller unit 23, the feed roller 108 is further rotated by a predetermined amount and the transport roller 19 is rotated by a predetermined amount C steps in the direction opposite to the arrow B direction (counterclockwise). By doing so, the leading edge of the sheet S can be reliably conveyed to the conveying roller 19 and the pinch roller unit 2.
Registration is performed along with the nip portion formed by 3 (step S109).

In this embodiment, since the transmission gear train from the motor (not shown) to the paper feed roller 108 is provided with a clutch by a pendulum gear (not shown), the conveying roller 19 is reversed. The paper feed roller 108 is configured to rotate normally even when rotated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the manual feed mode is selected, the flow advances to step S116 to rotate the paper feed roller 108 in the direction of arrow B, and along with this, the cam (not shown) is removed and the pressure plate 110 is removed. When the sheet S is raised by the spring force of the pressure plate spring 109, the sheet S is fed to the sheet feeding roller 10.
The sheet S starts to be supplied with the feeding force by being pressed against the sheet 8. Then, the process proceeds to step S109 and the paper feed roller 10
8 is further rotated by a predetermined amount to start rotation of the transport roller 19 in the direction of arrow C (clockwise), and continues to rotate to the mechanical stop position. The manual feed guide member 120 is lowered to its original position by the rotation of the cam 112.

Next, the operation of the sheet S in the reset state will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 9.

After the paper feeding operation, the carrying roller 19 is moved to the arrow C.
The sheet S is conveyed by rotating the sheet by a predetermined amount D steps in the direction, and cueing is performed (step S110). At this time, the paper feed roller 108 further continues to rotate in the direction of arrow B (clockwise), and after the sheet S is sandwiched between the transport roller 19 and the pinch roller unit 23, the sheet S is transported by a predetermined amount and then stopped. still,
In the present embodiment, the timing for ending the rotation of the paper feed roller 108 in the direction of the arrow B is determined by adopting a mechanism using a gear having a toothless part in a gear train.

Therefore, although the flow chart shown in FIG. 9 does not include a command for stopping the forward rotation of the paper feed roller 108, it mechanically stops after a predetermined time from step S110, and the pressure plate 110 also cams (shown in the figure). It is configured to stop in the separated state by the action of (omitted).
On the other hand, the manual feed guide member 120 is again displaced upward by the cam 112, and when it is stopped, it is again in the manual feed standby state.

Then, in accordance with the print data, step S1
Printing of one line and line feed are repeated in 11, S112, and S113. When it is detected in step S113 that the print data in one page is completed, the paper is discharged in step S114, the page break command is waited in step S115, and if there is a command, the process returns to step S103 and the next page is similarly processed. Perform printing.

If it is determined in step S102 that the mode is the manual feed mode, the flow advances to step S116 to start the rotation of the carry roller 19 in the direction of arrow C (clockwise) and continue the rotation to the mechanical stop position. .

The difference in the feeding control between the ASF sheet feeding mode and the manual sheet feeding mode in the present embodiment is the feeding amount of the sheet feeding roller 108. For example, in the ASF sheet feeding mode, the cue is usually made by rotating twice. On the other hand, the manual paper feed mode is configured to perform one rotation. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, when the difference between the stacking positions of the sheets S in the ASF paper feed mode and the manual paper feed mode is small, the conveyance amount may be set to be exactly the same.

In this way, the separation resistance of the movable bank 116, which is the separating means, can be optimally set according to the characteristics of the sheet S to be fed or the sheet feeding method (ASF sheet feeding and manual sheet feeding).

Next, a recording head mountable on the image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 10 will be described.

The function of the image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 10 is to perform one-line recording on the sheet S by the recording head 6 ejecting ink in response to a recording signal in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the carrier 5. is there. That is, the recording head 6 generates a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid passage and an energy acting portion provided in a part of the liquid passage, and a droplet forming energy that acts on the liquid in the energy acting portion. Energy generating means for

As a means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element or an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is irradiated to generate heat, and energy is generated by ejecting droplets by the action of this heat generation. There is a recording method using a means or a recording method using an energy generating means that heats a liquid by an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistance to eject droplets. Among these, the recording head used in the ink jet recording method that ejects droplets by thermal energy has a high density of liquid ejection ports for ejecting recording liquid to form ejection droplets. Therefore, it is possible to perform high-resolution recording, and among them, the recording head using the electrothermal converter as the energy generation source is easy to be compact, and the recent technological advances in the semiconductor field This is advantageous because the advantages of IC technology and microfabrication technology, whose reliability is remarkably improved, can be fully utilized, high-density mounting is easy, and manufacturing cost is low.

As the recording head 6, for example, FIG.
There are two types, a monochrome recording head shown in (a) and (b), and a color recording head (not shown), and one of them is mounted on the carrier 5 of the image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) 10.

Next, the operation for detachably mounting the two types of recording heads 6 on the carrier 5 will be described.

The carrier 5 in FIG. 2 shows a state in which the recording head 6 is not attached. When the recording head 6 is attached to the carrier 5, the recording head terminal portion 51 is electrically connected to the cable terminal portion 7. . Two recording head positioning protrusions (one of which is not shown) 5a provided on the surface on which the cable terminal portion 7 is positioned are positioned in the positioning notch 53 of the recording head 6, and the other recording head positioning protrusion is recorded. The recording holes 6 are fitted into the positioning holes 55, and the recording head 6 is accurately positioned with respect to the carrier 5.

A contact spring (not shown) is provided at a position facing the cable terminal portion 7 of the carrier 5.
A head guide 45 made of resin is fixed to the tip portion thereof. That is, the head guide 45 realizes electrical connection between the cable terminal portion 7 and the recording head terminal portion 51 by biasing the recording head 6 toward the cable terminal portion 7. Further, the head guide 45 has a function of allowing the recording head 6 to be attached and detached by being bent when the recording head 6 is replaced, and holding the attached recording head 6 so as not to come off upward.

Therefore, when the operator replaces the recording head 6, after inserting the recording head terminal 51 side of the recording head 6 so as to face the cable terminal 7 of the carrier 5, the upper surface of the recording head 6 is replaced. By pushing it downward, the head guide 45 bends, and the recording head 6 is mounted with a click feeling, and the electrical connection is completed at that point. When removing the recording head 6, the head guide 45 is bent by pulling up the attachment / detachment operation portion 57 of the recording head 6 with a finger, and the recording head 6 can be removed from the carrier 5.

Next, the case where the recording head 6 is a monochrome recording head will be described in more detail. FIG. 10 (a),
In (b), 59 is a monochrome ink tank containing ink, and the monochrome ink tank 59 is detachably inserted by a latch member 61 formed integrally and elastically. An ink ejection port surface 63 having a nozzle portion for ejecting ink for recording is formed on the surface opposite to the monochrome ink tank 59, and a print signal is input through the recording head terminal portion 51. The ink in the monochrome ink tank 59 is ejected from the nozzles of the ink ejection port surface 63 onto the sheet S for printing.

When the ink is consumed by printing and the ink in the monochrome ink tank 59 is used up, the latch member 61 is bent to remove the empty monochrome ink tank 59, and a new monochrome ink tank 59 is attached. By doing so, printing can be restarted.

Next, the case where the recording head 6 is a color recording head will be described.

In FIGS. 10A and 10B, in order to perform color recording on the portion corresponding to the ink ejection port surface 63, four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are independently ejected. Four types of nozzle groups are provided. Further, there are two ink tanks, a black ink tank which is smaller than the monochrome ink tank 59 and a color ink tank which has three independent liquid chambers inside and stores yellow, magenta and cyan inks respectively. It is removably mounted, and is connected to each of the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black nozzle groups provided on the ink ejection port surface through independent ink channels via a removable joint portion.

As can be seen from the fact that the monochrome recording head and the color recording head can be exchanged, the outer dimensions of the two are almost the same, so the size of the monochrome ink tank 59 for the monochrome recording head is The size is approximately equal to the combined size of the color ink tank and the black ink tank of the color recording head. Further, the color ink tank and the black ink tank of the color recording head can be attached and detached by the respective latch portions provided similarly to the monochrome recording head.

In this way, by mounting the color recording head on the carrier 5, recording by color printing becomes possible, and when the black ink runs out, only the black ink tank is replaced, and yellow, magenta, and cyan are also replaced. It is possible to replace only the color ink tank when any one of them or all of them disappear.

Next, the procedure for replacing the above-described recording head (for example, monochrome recording head) 6 and ink tank (monochrome ink tank 59) will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step S201, the keyboard unit 3
Key input causes an interrupt to replace the recording head 6 or ink tank, or step S
When it is determined in 202 that the print head that does not match the selection menu is mounted, or when it is determined in step S203 that there is no ink in the ink tank, the carrier motor 17 is driven in step S204 to drive the carrier 5
Is moved to a prescribed exchange position that is easy to exchange, and when exchange is confirmed in step S205, step S20
The cap 61 is opened or retracted in 6 and the carrier 5 is returned to the home position in step S207. If the recording head mounted on the carrier 5 is the proper recording head 6 in step S208, the process proceeds to step S209, and in step S209, the pump unit 63 sucks the ink from the ink ejection port of the recording head 6. .

By performing this process, the recording head 6
Alternatively, when the ink tank is replaced, fine impurities such as air and dust mixed in the ink flow path that cause ejection failure of the recording head 6 or the ink tank can be automatically sucked out of the recording head 6. It is possible to prevent occurrence of ejection failure.

Next, the procedure of the recording process by the above-described recording head (for example, monochrome recording head) 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, in step S301, it is checked whether or not a command for printing, for example, a paper feed command or data to be printed is received. If there is a print command, the process proceeds to step S302, and if not, this process ends. To do. Then, in step S302, it is checked whether or not the recording head 6 is attached to the carrier 5. If the recording head 6 is attached, the process proceeds to step S303, and if not attached, an error process is performed in step S304. Step S3
In 04, an error message is displayed on the display unit 2,
A buzzer sounds to warn you.

In step S303, a process for starting recording is performed. Specifically, the temperature of the recording head 6 is adjusted by the heater in the recording head 6, the ejection is adjusted by ejecting the recording head 6 out of the recording area, and the amount of deviation of the carrier motor 17 during forward and reverse scanning is adjusted. Is detected by the home position sensor 41 to correct the deviation during bidirectional recording, and then the process proceeds to step S305 to perform the sheet S sheet feeding process. This paper feeding process is performed based on the flowchart of FIG. 9 described above.

When the paper feed process is performed in step S305, the paper feed state is checked in step S306. If the paper sensor 35 detects the insertion of the sheet S on the recording head 6 side, for example, after 2 seconds. The paper feed motor 20 is driven in the forward direction until the front end of the sheet S reaches the paper ejection sensor (not shown) with certainty, and when the paper ejection sensor (not shown) confirms that the front end of the sheet S has arrived, the paper is fed. The motor 20 is driven in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount to perform the cueing in preparation for the next recording operation, and the process proceeds to step S307. If the insertion of the sheet S is not detected in step S306, it is considered that the sheet S is not properly inserted, and the process proceeds to step S308, the paper feed motor 20 is driven in the reverse direction, and the sheet S is ejected to the insertion side. , Displays an error message on the display unit 2.

In step S307, recording is performed on a line-by-line basis. Specifically, first, the paper feed motor 20 is driven in the forward direction by a predetermined amount to set the upper end margin of the sheet S to a set value, and then the carrier motor 17 is driven to drive the recording head 6.
The ink is ejected to perform recording by printing, and when recording for one line is completed, the sheet S is advanced by a predetermined amount, and the process proceeds to step S309. In step S309, an error in recording on the sheet S is checked, and if there is no recording error, the process proceeds to step S310. The error check in step S309 is, for example, the detection of the lower end of the paper, the detection of the paper jam, the detection of the presence or absence of ink, the scanning error of various motors, and the like.
An error message is displayed on the display unit 2 according to the detected error content.

In step S310, reception of a command indicating the end of recording, for example, a paper discharge command is checked. If recording is completed, the process proceeds to step S311. If recording is not completed, the process returns to step S307 to continue recording. In step S311, recording termination processing, specifically, the sheet S is ejected in the forward direction, capping, which is an operation of covering the ink ejection port surface 63 of the recording head 6 with the cap 61, and the present processing is terminated.

Reference Example 1 FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a configuration of a sheet feeding device 100 according to Reference Example 1 .

In this reference example , as the separating means for the sheet S, a claw separation method using a rotatable separation claw 131 is used instead of the bank separation method using the movable bank having elasticity used in the first embodiment. Is. The present reference example is a so-called one-claw separation method in which the separation claw 131 is provided only at one end on the front side of the sheet S to be fed. Separation claw 13
Reference numeral 1 has a retractable structure that is linked with a switching lever (not shown) that is a retracting means connected to the rotary shaft 137. When the operator operates the switching lever to enter the manual feed mode, the separation claw 1 is provided. When the sheet 131 rotates in the direction of the arrow D and moves down to the position indicated by the broken line, the sheet S is retracted from the conveyance path. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the reference example 1 described above. As described above, in the reference example, since the separation claw 131 is retracted from the conveyance path of the sheet S, the sheet S fed in the manual sheet feeding mode has a smooth surface and is guided so as to slide on a slope with less frictional resistance. The transport roller 19 and the pinch roller 2
The nip position formed by 3 can be easily reached.

Reference Example 2 FIGS. 14 and 15 are schematic configuration diagrams showing a configuration of a sheet feeding device according to Reference Example 2 .

In this reference example , a rotatable control cam 141 is installed above the protruding piece 110a formed on the side surface of the pressure plate 110, and the control cam 141 is driven by a gear and at a desired timing. It is transmitted from a motor (not shown) via an electromagnetic clutch (not shown) that can be switched off. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of the first embodiment described above.

In this reference example , in response to an instruction to change to the manual feed mode by key input or switch operation,
By changing the phase of the control cam 141 due to the rotation of the control cam 141, the protrusion 110a is pressed and the position of the pressure plate 110 is displaced.
The distance between the pressure plate 110 and the pressure plate 110 is narrowed, and the descending amount of the pressure plate 110 is suppressed to limit the insertion position of the inserted sheet S near the upper end of the movable bank 116.

As described above, the control cam 141 is stopped at a certain phase during manual paper feeding, but the control cam 14 at this time is stopped.
The position of the cam surface of No. 1 is in the manual feed standby state, that is, the chord portion of the sheet feeding roller 108 having a fan-shaped cross-sectional shape is the pressure plate 11.
When facing 0, as shown in FIG. 14, a gap in which at least one sheet S can be inserted is formed between the sheet feeding roller 108 and the separating pad 111, and rotation is started to cause the sheet feeding roller 108 to move. When the arc portion faces the separation pad 111, as shown in FIG. 15, the paper feed roller 108 and the separation pad 111 are in contact with each other.

In the ASF paper feed mode by the ASF mechanism including the pressure plate spring 109, the pressure plate 110, the paper feed roller 108, the separating pad 111, the movable bank 116, etc.,
The control cam 141 displaces the position of the pressure plate 110 while changing the phase angle according to the rotation of the paper feed roller 108.

The present reference example is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned configuration. For example, the control cam 14 described above is prepared in two types for manual sheet feeding and ASF sheet feeding, and these are coaxially positioned in the thrust direction. It is also possible to shift the shafts and displace this shaft in the thrust direction by a switching lever to select a desired control cam to perform optimum control of the pressure plate 110 in the manual feed mode and the ASF paper feed mode. .

[0089] those in the form of a (reference example 3) the implementation described above, the separation resistance variable means is the switching has been performed in accordance with the manual paper feed mode and ASF sheet feeding mode, which is not limited thereto Instead, in the present reference example , for example , by switching the position of the separating means in a plurality of stages according to the type of the sheet S, an optimum separation resistance according to the characteristics of the sheet S is added, and the sheet S is more reliably separated. This is an example of performing.

A sheet feeding device 10 according to the present reference example shown in FIG.
The configuration of 0 indicates a so-called plain paper feeding state,
The configuration of the paper feeding device 100 shown in FIG. 17 shows a thin paper feeding state.

When the plain paper S1 shown in FIG. 16 is fed, the separation claw 131 which is the separation means is moved to the slide hole 1 which is the movement means.
By moving the plain paper S1 toward the right side (downward of the separation bank 133) along the line 35, the amount of protrusion of the plain paper S1 into the transport path is increased to optimize the separation resistance. In addition, FIG.
In the paper feeding of the thin paper S2 shown in FIG.
1 along the slide hole 135 to the left of the figure (separate bank 1
33) to reduce the amount of protrusion of the thin paper S2 to the transport path to reduce the separation resistance and prevent wrinkles and the like from occurring. The other configurations and operations are similar to those of the above-described first embodiment.

Thus, in each of Reference Examples 1 to 3 ,
The separation resistance of the separation means can be optimally set according to the characteristics of the sheet material to be fed or the sheet feeding method.

[0093]

As described above, according to the present invention, the characteristics of the sheet material or the sheet feeding method (for example, a plurality of sheet materials stacked on the sheet material stacking means are fed one by one by the feeding means and the separating means). According to the first sheet feeding method of separating and feeding and the second sheet feeding method of releasing the separating function of the separating means to feed the sheet materials one by one Since the separation resistance of the sheet material can be changed, for example, the separation resistance by the separation means, which is an obstacle when the thin paper is fed by the second paper feeding method (manual paper feeding), can be changed. It is possible to reduce the amount of water and to perform good feeding.

Further, even when the second paper feeding method (manual paper feeding) is used, paper is fed by using the feeding means, so that the insertion force can be optimized and stabilized when feeding, for example, thick paper. it can.

Furthermore, since the separation resistance by the separation resistance varying means can be optimally controlled according to the characteristics (type) of the sheet material, highly accurate feeding can be performed for a wide range of sheet material characteristics (type). It can be carried out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an information processing apparatus equipped with an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) including a paper feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit configuration of an information processing apparatus equipped with an image forming apparatus (recording apparatus) including a paper feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a sheet feeding operation of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a sheet feeding operation of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a sheet feeding operation of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a pressure plate of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing sheet feeding control of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment.

10A and 10B are image forming apparatuses (recording apparatuses).
3 is a perspective view of the recording head of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a head replacement process of a recording head.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a recording process of the image forming apparatus (recording apparatus).

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device according to the first reference example .

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device according to the second reference example .

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device according to the second reference example .

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device according to the third reference example .

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a paper feeding operation of the paper feeding device according to the third reference example .

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Information processing equipment 2 Display 3 keyboard part 4 Paper tray 5 career 6 recording head 10 Image forming device (recording device) 19 Conveyor roller (conveying means) 35 Paper sensor 39 Paper sensor lever 100 paper feeder 108 paper feed roller (feeding means) 110 Pressure plate (sheet material stacking means) 111 separation pad 112 cam 116 Movable bank (separation means) 120 Manual feed guide member (separation resistance variable means) 201 CPU 131 Separation Claw (Separation Means) 135 Slide hole (moving means) 141 control cam (displacement means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI B65H 3/56 330 B65H 3/56 330E 11/00 11/00 J (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) ) B65H 1/00-3/68 B65H 11/00-11/02

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pressure plate capable of stacking a plurality of sheet materials,
A paper feed roller for feeding the sheet material stacked on the pressure plate,
Each of the sheet materials fed by the paper feeding roller
The movable bank to be separated and the sheet on the downstream side of the movable bank
In a paper feeding device having a transport roller for transporting material
Te, disposed in said pressure plate, pull the piezoelectric plate by the switching lever
Equipped with a rotatable manual feed guide member in the raised position
The manual feed guide member is moved to the position where it is raised from the pressure plate.
Position, the tip of the manual feed guide member will move to the above-mentioned position.
At a position higher than the upper edge of the movable bank or near the upper edge
A paper feeding device characterized in that 2. The sheet feeding roller has a fan-shaped cross section.
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeding device. 3. An image forming section for forming an image on a sheet material, and the sheet material is fed to the image forming section.
Or an image forming apparatus according to item 2.