JP4550032B2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds stacked sheets one by one from the top to the next stage. In particular, the position of the stacked sheets in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction can be changed. The present invention relates to a paper feeding device.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a paper feeding device that supplies stacked sheets one by one from the top to the next stage. In this paper feeding device, before the paper is supplied to the next stage, the paper feeding table on which the paper is stacked can be moved by an arbitrary amount in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction.

  In stencil printing machines, the following paper discharge mechanism is well known.

14 to 21 show a first known example of the paper discharge mechanism.
FIG. 14 is a side view of the paper discharge mechanism, which peels the printed paper from the drum and discharges it onto the print tray. In FIG. 14, reference numerals are attached to a paper peeler claw 801, an escape cam 802, a jam sensor (light emitting PCB) 803, a jam sensor (light receiving PCB) 804, a top blow fan unit 805, and a top blow fan 806. A paper discharge fan unit 807, a paper discharge fan 808, a paper discharge belt motor 809, and an encoder sensor 810.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a mechanism of a paper peeler claw. The paper peeler claw 801 is composed of a central main peeler claw (paper peeler claw) 812 and auxiliary peeler claws 813 on both sides thereof, and an air blowing hole is formed at the tip of each claw. Compressed air sent from an air pump 814 in the printing press is blown out from this hole, and the leading edge of the paper is lifted from the drum 815 (FIG. 16). As shown in FIG. 16, in order to reliably peel the paper from the drum 815, the gap t between the paper peeler claw 801, the drum 815 and the master clamp is adjusted to about 0.5 mm.

  FIG. 17 is a side view showing the top blow fan, and FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the top blow fan. The top blow fan 806 always blows air from the back of the paper peeler claw 801 during printing, thereby helping to remove the paper and pressing the paper against the paper discharge belt to stabilize the discharge. As shown in FIG. 18, two top blow fans 806 are provided side by side.

  19 and 20 are side views showing the jam sensor. A jam sensor (light emitting PCB) 803 is provided in the top blow fan unit 805, and a jam sensor light receiving element (light receiving PCB) 804 is provided in the paper discharge fan unit 807, and detects whether or not the paper is normally discharged. When it is detected that the paper has not been properly ejected, “Right paper jam” is displayed on the LCD panel of the operation panel.

  The jam sensors 803 and 804 are “HIGH” when the optical path is blocked, and “LOW” when the light is passing. There is a case where the light is blocked by the paper and a case where light is not transmitted because the top blow fan unit 805 is opened.

  There are two types of paper jam indications: right side paper jam on the paper output side and left side paper jam on the paper feed side.

If "Right paper jam" appears:
(1) The case where the trailing edge of the sheet is not discharged. Specifically, a certain angle from the drum stop position is detected by software, and the jam sensors 803 and 804 are shielded from light at that timing.
(2) This is a case where the leading edge of the sheet is not discharged. Specifically, this is a case where the jam sensors 803 and 804 are not shielded even while the press roll sensor 817 transmits light (press ON).
(3) This is a case where the jam sensors 803 and 804 are shielded from light, such as when the top blow fan unit 805 is open when the machine is stopped. The display is canceled when light is transmitted.

If “Jam left” is displayed:
This is a case where the paper does not pass the signal sensor even though the paper feeding operation is performed. During printing, jamming is detected when the press roll sensor 817 does not transmit light continuously for two rotations of the drum after a paper feed command is issued.

  FIG. 21 is a side view showing the paper discharge belt. The paper peeled off from the drum by the paper peeler claw 801 is sent out to the paper receiving plate by the paper discharge belt 822. The paper discharge belt 822 is driven by a paper discharge belt motor 809, and the speed is detected by the encoder sensor 810.

22 to 29 show a second known example of the paper discharge mechanism.
As in the first known example, the paper discharge mechanism peels off the printed paper from the drum and discharges it onto the paper receiving plate. FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view showing a paper peeling mechanism. The paper peeler mechanism is composed of a paper peeler claw 901 and a paper discharge roller 902 provided at the rear thereof, and an air blowing hole is provided at the tip of the paper peeler claw 901. The compressed air sent from the air pump 903 in the printing machine is blown out from the blowout hole, and the leading end of the paper is lifted from the drum. The paper peeled off from the drum by the paper peeler claw 901 is discharged onto the paper receiving plate by the paper discharge roller 902.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the gap t1 between the paper peeler claw 901 and the drum 905 is adjusted to about 0.5 mm, and as shown in FIG. 24, the gap t2 between the paper peeler claw 901 and the master clamp 906 is , Adjusted to about 3 mm.

  FIG. 25 is a side view showing the jam sensor. The jam sensor light emitting PCB 908 is provided in the plate discharge unit 910, and the jam sensor light receiving PCB 909 is provided in the paper discharge unit 911 so as to detect whether or not the paper is normally discharged. When it is detected that the paper has not been discharged normally, “Kamimari Migiwa” is displayed on the self-diagnosis display section of the operation panel.

  When the optical path of the jam sensors 908 and 909 is interrupted, it becomes “HIGH”, and when it passes, it becomes “LOW”. The jam sensors 908 and 909 may be blocked by paper, or may not pass through because the discharge unit 910 is opened.

  26 is a side view showing a paper jam detection mechanism, and FIG. 27 is a control sequence diagram for paper jam detection. There are two types of paper jams: “Kami-Marigamigawa” (discharge side) and “Kami-Marihigawa” (paper-feed side), which are determined under the following conditions. When a paper jam is detected, the “Paper Level” message is displayed on the operation panel, the paper discharge side and paper supply side lamps are lit, and printing stops. Thereafter, the display can be canceled by removing the cause and pressing the stop key or restarting printing. In addition, the code | symbol 916 in FIG.

In the case of “Kamidon Marimigigawa”:
(1) The case where the trailing edge of the sheet is not discharged. Specifically, this is a case where the jam sensors 908 and 909 are shielded from light at the timing of the jam detection edge 914 of the drum stop / jam detection position sensor 913 (light transmission → light shielding).
(2) This is a case where the leading edge of the sheet is not discharged. Specifically, this is a case where the jam sensors 908 and 909 have never been shielded from light while the press roll sensor 915 transmits light (press ON).
(3) When the jam sensors 908 and 909 are shielded from light, such as when the discharging unit 910 is open when the machine is stopped. The display is canceled when light is transmitted.

In the case of “Kamidon Marihidarigawa”:
This is a case where the paper does not pass through the signal lever even though the paper feeding operation is performed. Specifically, this is a case where the press roll sensor 915 does not transmit light continuously for two rotations of the drum after the command to turn on the paper feed solenoid is issued.

  FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing the structure of the sorting print operation. In the sorting printing operation, a certain length of sorting tape 921 is discharged from the tape cluster 920 and cut until the set number of prints is completed. This operation is performed until the number of set groups is completed.

  For example, when printing four sets of ten sheets, three sets of 20 sheets, and two sets of 30 sheets, a sorting tape 921 is provided as shown in FIG.

  A specific operation will be described. The tape cluster 920 starts to feed the sorting tape 921 from the remaining tenth set number of sheets, and when the set number of prints is completed after sending out the specified length, the tape cluster 920 is cut. . This operation is repeated until the number of sets is completed.

  There are two types of tape feed amount, which are automatically divided at the end of the number of sets (longer classification) and at the end of the number of sets (shorter classification). The delivery amount of the sorting tape 921 is about 250 mm (± 15%) in the small classification, and about 370 mm (± 15%) in the large classification.

When the set number is 10 or less, the sorting tape 921 is sent out simultaneously with the start of printing. When printing for the set number of sheets is completed before the specified amount is sent out, the printing operation is interrupted for the next set number of sheets until the sending is completed (only the paper feed is stopped, and the drum rotates at a low speed). Note that printing does not stop even if the cluster tape runs out during printing. The number of sets can be set from 1 to 9999, and the number of sets can be set from 1 to 99.
JP 2000-264448 A

  In the paper feeder of Patent Document 1, before moving the paper feed table in the orthogonal direction, the paper feed table is lowered to release the contact between the uppermost paper and the paper feed roller. Yes. That is, the sheet feed table is moved in the orthogonal direction after being lowered. Therefore, the paper feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it takes time to complete the movement of the paper feed table in the orthogonal direction.

  Further, in the paper feeder of Patent Document 1, since the paper feeder is lowered, the paper feeder is detected by the lower limit sensor depending on the amount of paper loaded, and an operation error is determined. It was necessary to remove some of the paper that was being used. For this reason, there was a problem that work efficiency fell.

  Further, a paper feed separating means for separating and feeding the paper stacked on the paper feed sheet one by one from the top includes a paper feed roller, and a friction separating member biased to come into contact with the paper feed roller from below , The next sheet to be fed out remains sandwiched between the sheet feeding roller and the friction separating member. Then, the sandwiched paper does not move down even if the paper feed table is lowered as in the paper feeder of Patent Document 1, and therefore the paper moves even if the paper feed table is moved in the orthogonal direction. Therefore, if the paper feeding device is operated in that state, there is a risk of jamming.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding device that can complete the movement of the sheet feeding table in the orthogonal direction in a short time and can prevent a reduction in work efficiency due to an operation error. To do.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper feeding device that feeds stacked sheets one by one from the top to the next stage, wherein the sheets are stacked and are movable in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction. A paper table; a moving means for moving the paper supply table in the orthogonal direction; a paper supply tray on which the paper supply table is placed and which can be raised and lowered; a lifting means for raising and lowering the paper feed tray; A roller is provided, and the sheet loaded on the sheet feeding table is separated one by one from the top and sent out, and an instruction to move the sheet feeding table by an arbitrary amount in the orthogonal direction is input. In a paper feeding apparatus, comprising: a movement instruction input means; and a movement control means for controlling the operation of the movement means based on an instruction input by the movement instruction input means. Release contact with the top of the loaded paper Retract, provided with a paper feed roller retreating means, said movement control means, after retracts the feed roller by the feed roller retracted means are adapted to actuate the moving means, the paper separation unit The friction separating member is urged so as to come into contact with the sheet feeding roller from below, and the urging of the friction separating member is controlled so as to maintain a gap with the retracted sheet feeding roller. It is characterized by that.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the paper feed roller retracting means is configured to rotate the entire rotary shaft up and down with one end of the rotary shaft of the paper feed roller as a fulcrum. is there.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the movement instruction input means has a movement instruction key for setting the movement direction and the movement amount at the same time.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, by retracting the paper feed roller by the paper feed roller retracting means, the contact between the paper feed roller and the uppermost paper of the stacked paper can be released. Even without lowering the paper feed tray on which the paper feed table is placed, the paper feed table can be moved in a direction orthogonal to the paper supply direction. Therefore, the following effects can be exhibited.
(1) Since the paper feed tray can be moved without lowering the paper feed tray, the time required to complete the movement of the paper feed tray is reduced by the time required to lower the paper feed tray. it can. Therefore, the movement of the sheet feed table in the orthogonal direction can be completed in a short time.
(2) Since there is no need to lower the paper feed tray, the paper feed tray is not detected by the lower limit sensor and determined as an operation error. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a reduction in work efficiency due to the need for a work to cancel the operation error.

Further, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the sheet feeding table is moved after the contact between the sheet feeding roller and the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets is released, the sheet feeding table is loaded. It can be reliably moved together with the paper.
In the case where the paper feed separating means is composed of a paper feed roller and a friction separation member, the paper feed roller is placed between the uppermost paper of the stacked paper, that is, between the paper feed roller and the friction separation member. Since the sheet sandwiched between the sheets can be retracted, the sheet feeding table can be reliably moved together with the sheet sandwiched between the sheet feeding roller and the friction separating member and the stacked sheet. it can.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the paper feed roller can be retracted easily and reliably.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the movement direction and the movement amount of the paper feed table can be set by a simple operation, so that workability can be improved.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an image forming apparatus provided with a paper feeding device of the present invention. In the image forming apparatus 1, the sheet feeding device 2 supplies the stacked sheets 101 one by one from the top to the next stage. An arrow X indicates the supply direction of the paper 101. In the image forming apparatus 1, the paper 101 supplied from the paper feeding device 2 passes through a pair of transport rollers 11, an image forming unit 12, and a paper discharge belt 13 that is stretched over a paper discharge roller 131. The paper is discharged to the section 14. At this time, the image forming unit 12 prints an image on the paper 101.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the sheet feeding device 2 of FIG. The sheet feeding device 2 includes a sheet feeding / separating unit 21 for separating and feeding the stacked sheets 101 one by one from the top. The paper feed separating unit 21 includes a paper feed roller 211 and a friction separating member 212 urged so as to come into contact with the paper feed roller 211 from below.

  FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow III in FIG. In FIG. 3, the paper 101 is not shown. The paper feed roller 211 is fixed to the rotation shaft 213. Here, three paper feed rollers 211 are provided in the central portion of the rotation shaft 213 in the axial direction. The rotating shaft 213 is rotatably supported by both side walls 191 and 192 of the image forming apparatus 1 at both ends thereof.

  The paper feeding device 2 includes a paper feeding tray 22. The paper feed tray 22 is supported at both edge portions thereof on both side walls 191 and 192 of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be movable up and down.

  Further, the paper feeding device 2 includes an elevating unit 23 that elevates and lowers the paper feeding tray 22. The elevating means 23 includes a sprocket 231 arranged at the upper part and the lower part, an annular belt 232 stretched over both sprockets 231, and a motor (not shown) for driving the sprocket 231. The both edge portions of the sheet feeding tray 22 are fixed to the belt 232 through vertical elongated holes 233 formed in both side walls 191 and 192. Thereby, the paper feed tray 22 is moved up and down along the long hole 233 by driving the sprocket 231 by the motor and rotating the belt 232.

  FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view of the paper feed tray 22 and the paper feed table 24. A paper feed tray 24 on which a large number of sheets 101 are stacked is placed on the paper feed tray 22. The paper feed table 24 includes a main body 241 that overlaps the paper feed tray 22 and an overhang 242 that projects forward from the main body 241. The overhanging part 242 is rotatably provided at a connecting part 243 with the main body part 241. On the main body 241, two guide plates 244 and 245 that guide both edges of the paper 101 to be placed are erected.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective plan view of the paper feed tray 22 and the paper feed table 24, and shows the main body 241 in a transparent manner. The two guide plates 244 and 245 are movable in a direction orthogonal to the arrow X direction (arrow Y direction). FIG. 5 shows the moving means. The two guide plates 244 and 245 are fixed to racks 2442 and 2452 that are slidable along rails 2441 and 2451 that extend and are fixed to the main body 241 in the direction of the arrow Y, respectively. The racks 2442 and 2452 are opposed to each other with the pinion 2443 interposed therebetween. Thus, when the guide plate 244 is picked by the lever 2444 and slid inward along the rail 2441, the guide plate 245 also slides inward along the rail 2451 by the same distance. When the guide plate 244 is slid outward along the rail 2441, the guide plate 245 is also slid outward along the rail 2451 by the same distance. Therefore, the interval between the two guide plates 244 and 245 can be freely changed.

  FIG. 6 is also a perspective plan view of the paper feed tray 22 and the paper feed table 24, but the main body 241 is further seen through than in the case of FIG. FIG. 7 is a transparent rear perspective view of the paper feed tray 22 and the paper feed table 24. The paper feed table 24 is movable on the paper feed tray 22 in the arrow Y direction. That is, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show the moving means of the paper feed table 24. The moving means includes a drive screw shaft 221, a motor 222, a screwing portion 223, two slide shafts 224 and 225, and a movement amount detection sensor 226.

  The drive screw shaft 221 is provided at the center of the paper feed tray 22 in the direction of arrow X and extends in the direction of arrow Y. One end of the drive screw shaft 221 is rotatably fixed to the side wall 228 of the paper feed tray 22. The motor 222 is provided at the other end of the drive screw shaft 221 so as to rotate the drive screw shaft 221. The screwing part 223 is fixed to the side wall 2418 of the main body part 241 of the paper feed table 24. The drive screw shaft 221 is screwed into the screwing part 223 and penetrates the screwing part 223. The slide shafts 224 and 225 are provided on the paper feed tray 22 in parallel with the drive screw shaft 221 on both sides of the drive screw shaft 221. Accordingly, when the motor 222 is operated to rotate the drive screw shaft 221, the screwing portion 223 moves on the drive screw shaft 221 while rotating relative to the drive screw shaft 221. It moves along the slide shafts 224 and 225 on the paper feed tray 22.

  The movement amount detection sensor 226 includes a disk 2261 that rotates with the rotation of the drive screw shaft 221 and a slit counter 2262. The circular plate 2261 has a large number of slits at the periphery thereof at equal intervals, and the slit counter 2262 obtains the number of slits passing through the counter unit. Thereby, the amount of rotation of the drive screw shaft 221, that is, the amount of movement of the screwing portion 223, that is, the amount of movement of the paper feed table 24 is detected.

  FIG. 8 shows a support mechanism for the paper feed roller 211 of the paper feed separating means 21. One end 2131 of the rotation shaft 213 of the paper feed roller 211 constitutes the shaft rotation fulcrum 31 and is supported on the side wall 192 of the image forming apparatus 1. The other end 2132 of the rotating shaft 213 is supported on the side wall 191 of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be movable up and down.

  FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shaft rotation fulcrum 31. The shaft rotation fulcrum 31 includes one end 2131 of the rotation shaft 213, a spherical shaft portion 311 that is rotatably supported by the side wall 192, a connection ring 312 that connects the one end 2131 and the shaft portion 311, and a shaft portion 311. A roll pin 313 for connecting the connection ring 312 and a fixing screw 314 for connecting the one end 2131 and the connection ring 312 are configured. The connection ring 312 is externally fitted to the shaft portion 311, and the roll pin 313 is inserted into the shaft portion 311 through the connection ring 312 from one side. A gap 3131 is provided between the roll pin 313 and the connection ring 312. The roll pin 313 is a pipe-like pin, has a slit in the axial direction, and is urged in the diameter increasing direction. The connection ring 312 is also externally fitted to the one end 2131, and the fixing screw 314 is fixed through the both. As a result, in the shaft rotation fulcrum 31, the shaft portion 311 is spherical and the roll pin 313 is provided with a gap 3131, so that the connection ring 312 has the arrow R with the shaft portion 311 as a fulcrum. It can be rotated in the direction. That is, in the shaft rotation fulcrum 31, the rotation shaft 213 can rotate in the arrow R direction with the shaft portion 311 as a fulcrum.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the other end 2132 of the rotating shaft 213 is rotatably supported by one end 3221 of a lever 322 having a fulcrum 321 as a rotation center. A drive shaft 324 of a solenoid 323 is connected to the other end 3222 of the lever 322. Accordingly, when the solenoid 323 is activated and the drive shaft 324 is retracted, the other end 3222 of the lever 322 is lowered, one end 3221 of the lever 322 is raised, and the other end 2132 of the rotating shaft 213 is raised. Further, when the solenoid 323 is activated and the drive shaft 324 moves forward, the other end 2132 of the rotating shaft 213 is lowered.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the rotary shaft 213 rotates up and down around the shaft rotation fulcrum 31 by moving the other end 2132 up and down. That is, this constitutes a paper feed roller retracting means.

  FIG. 11 is a lower perspective view of the friction separating member 212. The frictional separation member 212 includes a contact member 2121 that contacts the paper feed roller 211 from below, a rod portion 2122 that extends downward from the contact member 2121 through the cradle 2127, and a rod portion 2122 that is attached upward. And a support portion 2123 that supports the device in a biased state. The support portion 2123 integrally includes a cradle 2127 and a restriction portion 2126. Rod portion 2122 is biased upward (in the direction of arrow Z) by spring 2124. The spring 2124 has one end connected to the piece 2128 of the support portion 2123 and the other end connected to the piece 2129 of the rod portion 2122. FIG. 11 shows a state before the other end of the spring 2124 is connected to the piece portion 2129 of the rod portion 2122. A screw portion 2125 is fixed to the lower end of the rod portion 2122. The rod portion 2122 is restricted in the upward movement distance by the screw portion 2125 coming into contact with the restriction portion 2126 of the support portion 2123 from below. That is, the abutting member 2121 is restricted from being biased upward. Accordingly, the abutting member 2121 moves upward following the paper feed roller 211 when it rotates upward, but does not move upward beyond a limited moving distance. The limited moving distance is set so that a clearance of 1 mm or more is secured between the sheet feeding roller 211 and the sheet feeding roller 211 when the sheet feeding roller 211 moves to the maximum. That is, the urging upward of the contact member 2121 is limited so as to maintain a gap of 1 mm or more between the retracted paper feed roller 211.

  FIG. 12 shows a movement instruction key 41 displayed on a liquid crystal display screen of an operation panel (not shown). The operation panel has setting keys for inputting various settings. When the setting keys are pressed, keys corresponding to the various settings are displayed on the liquid crystal display screen, and when the printing position key is pressed, Then, a movement schematic key 41 and a schematic plan view of the paper 101 as shown in FIG. 12 are displayed. Here, the movement instruction key 41 moves and moves the sheet 101 in one of the arrow X direction, the opposite arrow X direction, the arrow Y direction (arrow Y1 direction), and the other in the arrow Y direction (arrow Y2 direction). , 412, 413, 414 for inputting. The arrow Y1 direction and the arrow Y2 direction are shown in FIGS.

  Further, the sheet feeding device 2 includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation thereof. The operation panel is connected to the control unit. The control unit includes a movement control unit that controls the movement unit of the paper feed table 24 based on an instruction input by the movement instruction key 41.

Next, the operation will be described.
The paper feeding device 2 according to the present invention has a case where the input by the movement instruction key 41 is accepted during the printing operation and a case where the input is operated during the printing operation.

[When input by the movement instruction key 41 is accepted during printing]
When the printing position key on the operation panel is pressed while the image forming apparatus 1 is in operation, the sheet feeding device 2 sequentially operates from (i) to (vii) while being controlled by the control unit. .
(I) It is detected whether the printing operation is being performed. When the printing operation is being performed, the process proceeds to the next (ii), and when the printing operation is not being performed, the process proceeds to (iii) without proceeding to (ii).
(Ii) The operation of the paper feed roller 211 of the paper feed separating means 21 is stopped.
(Iii) Operate the paper feed roller retracting means. That is, the rotation shaft 213 is rotated upward with the shaft rotation fulcrum 31 as a fulcrum. As a result, the paper feed roller 211 is retracted from the uppermost paper 101 stacked on the paper feed table 24. At this time, the contact member 2121 of the friction separating member 212 moves slightly upward following the retracted paper feed roller 211, but a position that secures a gap of 1 mm or more between the paper feed roller 211. Stop at.

(Iv) In response to an input from the movement instruction key 41, the movement direction and movement amount of the paper feed tray 24 are set. Specifically, this setting is performed as follows.
That is, when, for example, the key 413 in the movement instruction key 41 is pressed once and released, the display of the M1 portion in FIG. 12 changes from “0.0 mm” to “0.5 mm”. This indicates that the paper feed table 24 is moved 0.5 mm in the direction of the arrow Y1. If the key 413 is held down, the display number of the M1 portion is incremented by 0.5 mm in proportion to the length of the pressing time. For example, 0.5 mm is added every time the pressing time is 300 milliseconds. Therefore, when the key 413 is pressed for 1 second, the display of the M1 portion is “1.5 mm”. This indicates that the paper feed table 24 is moved by 1.5 mm in the arrow Y1 direction. When the key 414 is pressed, the amount of movement in the direction of the arrow Y2 is set similarly. If the displayed movement amount becomes too large because one key 413 (or key 414) is pressed too much, the other key 414 (or key 413) is continuously depressed to reduce the movement amount. Can be reduced. For example, when the key 413 is pressed down and the amount of movement in the direction of the arrow Y1 becomes “2.0 mm”, and this is desired to be “1.5 mm”, the key 414 may be pressed down once and released. When the OK key in FIG. 12 is finally pressed, the movement direction and movement amount determined by the keys 413 and 414 are set.

  (V) The paper feed table 24 is moved based on the set moving direction and moving amount. That is, when the set moving direction is the arrow Y1 direction, the motor 222 rotates the driving screw shaft 221 in one direction so that the screwing portion 223 moves on the driving screw shaft 221 in the arrow Y1 direction. When the set moving direction is the arrow Y2 direction, the motor 222 rotates the drive screw shaft 221 in the other direction. Further, the rotation amount of the motor 222, that is, the rotation amount of the drive screw shaft 221 is limited based on the set movement amount. The restriction is performed by the movement amount detection sensor 226 detecting the rotation amount, the control unit receiving the detection signal, and the control unit stopping the motor 222. In this way, the paper feed tray 24 is moved by the set movement amount in the set movement direction.

(Vi) Release the paper feed roller retracting means. That is, the rotation shaft 213 is rotated downward with the shaft rotation fulcrum 31 as a fulcrum, and the paper feed roller 211 is brought into contact with the uppermost paper 101 loaded on the paper feed table 24.
(Vii) The operation of the paper feed roller 211 is started. As a result, the sheet 101 is supplied to the next stage from the position where it has moved a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow Y1 or the direction of the arrow Y2.

[When operating without accepting input from the movement instruction key 41 during printing]
When the printing position key on the operation panel is pressed while the image forming apparatus 1 is in operation, the sheet feeding device 2 is sequentially operated from (a) to (f) while being controlled by the control unit. .
(A) It is detected whether the printing operation is being performed. If the printing operation is in progress, the input by the movement instruction key 41 is not accepted and the printing operation is continued. When the printing operation is not being performed, the process proceeds to (b).
(B) In the same manner as in (iv) above, in response to an input from the movement instruction key 41, the movement direction and movement amount of the paper feed tray 24 are set.
(C) When the print key on the operation panel is pressed, the paper feed roller retracting means is operated as in (iii) above.
(D) Similarly to (v) above, the paper feed table 24 is moved based on the set movement direction and movement amount.
(E) Similarly to (vi) above, the paper feed roller retracting means is released.
(F) Start the printing operation. That is, the paper 101 is supplied to the next stage from the position moved by a predetermined amount in the direction of the arrow Y1 or the direction of the arrow Y2 and printed by the paper feeding device 2.

According to the sheet feeding device 2 of the present invention, the following operational effects can be exhibited.
(1) By retracting the paper supply roller 211 by the paper supply roller retracting means, the contact between the paper supply roller 211 and the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets 101 can be released, so that the paper supply tray 22 is not lowered. Even in such a case, the sheet feeding table 24 can be moved in the arrow Y direction. Therefore, the following effects can be exhibited.
(I) Since the paper feed tray 24 can be moved without lowering the paper feed tray 22, the time required to complete the movement of the paper feed tray 24 is the time required to lower the paper feed tray 22. It can be reduced by minutes. Therefore, the movement of the sheet feed table 24 in the arrow Y direction can be completed in a short time.
(Ii) Since there is no need to lower the paper feed tray 22, the paper feed table 24 is not detected by the lower limit sensor and determined as an operation error. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a reduction in work efficiency due to the need for a work to cancel the operation error.

(2) Since the sheet feed table 24 is moved after the contact between the sheet feed roller 211 and the uppermost sheet 101 of the loaded sheets 101 is released, the sheet feed table 24 is surely placed together with the loaded sheets 101. Can be moved to.

(3) Since the configuration and operation of the sheet feed roller retracting means are simple, the sheet feed roller 211 can be easily and reliably retracted.

(4) In the case where the paper feed separating means 21 is composed of the paper feed roller 211 and the friction separating member 212, the paper feed roller 211 is placed on the loaded paper 101 as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. Since the uppermost sheet 101, that is, the sheet 101 sandwiched between the sheet feeding roller 211 and the contact member 2121 of the friction separating member 212 can be retracted, the sheet feeding table 24 is moved to the sheet feeding roller 211. The sheet 101 sandwiched between the contact member 2121 and the stacked sheet 101 can be moved reliably.

(5) Since the movement direction and movement amount of the paper feed tray 24 can be set by a simple operation of simply depressing the movement instruction key 41, workability can be improved.

  It should be noted that the present invention can be applied even when the sheet feeding / separating means is of the separation roller separation type. Here, the separation roller separation method is composed of a paper feed roller and a reverse roller, and when the paper is overlapped between the two rollers, the lower paper is reversely fed back by the reverse roller. Thus, the sheets are prevented from being supplied while being overlapped.

[About other technologies]
The present inventors have further obtained the following technique in the stencil printing apparatus, and will be described here. The technique relates to the relationship between the speed of the printing drum and the speed of the paper discharge belt. The printing drum performs printing on the fed paper, and the paper discharge belt places the printed paper and conveys it to the paper discharge tray. The paper discharge belt is stretched between at least two paper discharge rollers, and moves at a linear speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the paper discharge rollers.

(Background technology and issues)
Conventionally, the rotation speed of the printing drum has been set in five stages from the first speed to the fifth speed. That is, the printing speed was set at five levels. However, in recent years, a further increase in printing speed has been demanded, and a sixth speed that is faster than the fifth speed has been set.

  Incidentally, in the conventional case where the printing speed is five stages, the linear speed of the paper discharge belt is set to be the same for all the stages of the printing speed. Therefore, it has been proposed to set the linear speed of the paper discharge belt to be the same as the speed set for the conventional first to fifth speeds even when the printing speed is the sixth speed. However, in that case, the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt in the sixth speed is too low, and in the sixth speed, the paper to be printed peels off from the print drum, and the paper rolls up. There was a problem.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the roll-up of the paper, it has been proposed that the linear speed of the paper discharge belt is the same between the first speed to the sixth speed but is larger than the conventional five-stage case. . However, in that case, the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt in the first speed is too high, and in the first speed, the discharged paper strongly collides with the stopper of the paper discharge tray. Next, there is a problem that the paper alignment is worsened by colliding with the discharged paper.

  The technique described below can solve the above-described problems.

(Technical contents)
1. For 1st to 5th speeds a. About the printing drum The printing speed, that is, the rotation speed of the printing drum is set by the printing speed setting key on the operation panel. As shown in FIG. 13, the printing speed setting key 45 includes five LEDs 451 to 455 arranged side by side, and an acceleration key 45A and a deceleration key 45B on both sides thereof. The initial speed display is set to, for example, the third speed according to user specifications.

  The operation for setting the speed at the start of printing is as follows. That is, for example, in order to set the fifth speed, the speed increasing key 45A may be pressed twice to light the LED 455. Then, the rotational speed of the printing drum is increased in two steps, from the first speed to the third speed to the fifth speed. Further, for example, when setting the first speed, the LED 451 may be turned on by pressing the deceleration key 45B twice. Then, the rotation speed of the printing drum becomes the first speed.

  The operation when changing the speed during printing is as follows. That is, for example, when changing to the fifth speed while printing at the third speed, the speed-up key 45A may be pressed twice to light the LED 455. Then, the rotational speed of the printing drum is increased in two steps, from the third speed to the fifth speed. Further, for example, when changing to the first speed while printing at the third speed, the LED 451 may be turned on by pressing the deceleration key 45B twice. Then, the rotation speed of the printing drum is decelerated in two steps from the third speed to the first speed.

b. About the discharge belt The linear velocity of the discharge belt is always maintained at a constant speed (referred to herein as A speed). That is, even if the acceleration key 45A or the deceleration key 45B is pressed, the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt does not change.

2. For 6th speed a. Regarding the Printing Drum The printing speed, that is, the rotation speed of the printing drum is set to the sixth speed by a sixth speed setting key provided on the operation panel separately from the printing speed setting key 45.
Then, when setting the sixth speed at the start of printing, the sixth speed setting key may be pressed. Then, the rotation speed of the printing drum is increased in two steps from the second speed to the fourth speed to the sixth speed.
In addition, when printing at any one of the first speed to the fifth speed, the sixth speed setting key may be pressed when changing to the sixth speed. For example, when the 6th speed setting key is pressed when printing at the 1st speed, the rotation speed of the printing drum is increased from 1st speed → 3rd speed → 5th speed → 6th speed. The

b. About the discharge belt The linear velocity of the discharge belt is maintained at the A speed while the rotation speed of the printing drum is increased between the first speed to the fifth speed, and the rotation speed of the printing drum is the first speed. When the sixth speed is reached, the speed is increased to a speed larger than the A speed (referred to herein as the B speed). That is, the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt in the sixth speed is the B speed that is higher than the A speed.

According to the above technique, the linear speed of the paper discharge belt in the sixth speed is set larger than the linear speed of the conventional paper discharge belt in the first speed to the fifth speed. Can be effective.
(1) Since the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt in the sixth speed is not too small, the printed paper will be well peeled off from the printing drum and rolled up even in the sixth speed. Absent.
(2) Since the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt in the first speed is never too high, the discharged paper does not collide strongly against the stopper of the paper discharge tray in the first speed. In addition, there is no collision with the next discharged paper, and therefore the paper alignment is not deteriorated.

(Concrete example)
Table 1 shows an example of the relationship between the speed of the printing drum and the speed of the paper discharge belt when the first speed to the sixth speed are set as the printing speed.

  As shown in Table 1, the linear velocity of the paper discharge belt is constant when the printing speed is the first speed to the fifth speed (here, 1533.7 mm / sec), and when the printing speed is the sixth speed. Is set slightly larger (here, 1772.8 mm / sec).

  The sheet feeding device of the present invention has great industrial utility value because the sheet feeding table can be moved in the direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction without lowering the sheet feeding tray.

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus including a paper feeding device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of the sheet feeding device in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow III in FIG. 1. It is a whole perspective view of a paper feed tray and a paper feed stand. FIG. 6 is a perspective plan view of a paper feed tray and a paper feed table. FIG. 6 is a further perspective plan view of a paper feed tray and a paper feed table. It is a see-through | perspective back surface perspective view of a paper feed tray and a paper feed stand. It is a perspective view which shows the support mechanism of the paper feed roller of a paper feed separation means. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an axis rotation fulcrum. It is a model front view which shows the mode of rotation of a paper feed roller and a rotating shaft. It is a downward perspective view of a friction separation member. It is a figure which shows the movement instruction | indication key displayed on the operation panel. It is a figure which shows the printing speed setting key of an operation panel. It is a side view of a paper discharge mechanism. It is a perspective view which shows the mechanism of a paper peeler nail | claw. It is a side view which shows the clearance gap between a paper peeler nail | claw and a drum. It is a side view which shows a top blow fan. It is a perspective view which shows a top blow fan. It is a side view which shows a jam sensor. It is a side view which shows a jam sensor. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a paper discharge belt. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a paper peeling mechanism. It is a side view which shows the clearance gap between a paper peeler nail | claw and a drum. It is a side view which shows the clearance gap between a paper peeler nail | claw and a master clamp. It is a side view which shows a jam sensor. FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a paper jam detection mechanism. FIG. 6 is a control sequence diagram for paper jam detection. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a division | segmentation printing operation | movement. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a sorting tape 921 is inserted into a discharged sheet.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Paper 2 Paper feeder 21 Paper feed separation means 211 Paper feed roller 212 Friction separation member 213 Rotating shaft 22 Paper feed tray 23 Lifting means 24 Paper feed table 31 Axis rotation fulcrum 41 Movement instruction key

Claims (3)

A sheet feeding device that supplies stacked sheets one by one from the top to the next stage,
A sheet feeding table on which sheets are stacked and movable in a direction orthogonal to the supply direction;
Moving means for moving the sheet feed table in the orthogonal direction;
A paper feed tray on which a paper feed stand is placed and which can be raised and lowered;
Elevating means for elevating and lowering the paper feed tray;
A paper feed separating unit that includes a paper feed roller, and separates and feeds the sheets stacked on the paper feed table one by one from the top;
A movement instruction input means for inputting an instruction to move the sheet feed table by an arbitrary amount in the orthogonal direction;
In a paper feeding device comprising a movement control means for controlling the operation of the movement means based on an instruction input by the movement instruction input means.
A paper feed roller retracting means for retracting the paper feed roller so as to release contact with the uppermost paper of the paper stacked on the paper feed tray;
The movement control means operates the movement means after the paper supply roller is retracted by the paper supply roller retracting means ,
The paper feed separating means includes a friction separating member biased to come into contact with the paper feed roller from below;
The paper feeding device, wherein the urging of the friction separating member is controlled so as to keep a gap between the paper feeding roller and the retracted paper feeding roller .   The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding roller retracting means is configured to rotate the entire rotating shaft up and down with one end of the rotating shaft of the sheet feeding roller as a fulcrum.   The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the movement instruction input unit includes a movement instruction key for simultaneously setting a movement direction and a movement amount.

Images