JP5344019B2 - Discharge stacking mechanism, automatic document feeder, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper discharge and loading mechanism improved in the easiness of unloading of small-sized paper while suppressing an increase in the number of components, an automatic document feeder having the same, an image reading apparatus, and an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The paper discharge and loading mechanism of the ADF 23 includes: a paper discharge tray 43 for loading a document bundle (or document) from a document reference position side or a start end side according to the sizes of the paper such as B6, A5, A3, and the like; and a pair of reading outlet rollers and a pair of paper discharge rollers for conveying the documents of the sizes to the start end of the paper discharge tray 43. A first recess 210 extending from the start end of the paper discharge tray 43 to the downstream side in a sub scanning direction is formed in the paper discharge tray 43. The width (groove width) of the first recess 210 is increased from the start end to the terminal end of the first recess 210. When, for example, a document P2 of B6 size in the lateral direction (document, the size in the main scanning direction of which is minimum) is loaded on the paper discharge tray 43, the document P2 is partially overlapped with the first recess 210. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge stacking mechanism for stacking conveyed sheets, an automatic document feeder, an image reading apparatus, and an image forming apparatus having the same.

  The configuration of a conventional automatic document feeder (hereinafter also referred to as “ADF”) is shown in FIG. In FIG. 15, the ADF 230 includes a document table 240 for placing the document P in a predetermined direction, a sheet discharge roller (not shown) as a transport unit that transports the document P to the sheet discharge tray 430, and sheet discharge. A paper discharge tray 430 for stacking the originals P. Here, the document table 240 is partially rotatable (indicated by an arrow in the drawing) in order to make it easy to take out a small-size document (for example, B6 size) from the paper discharge tray 430. Further, the paper discharge tray 430 is formed with an inclined surface that rises downstream in the transport direction (paper discharge direction). This is because the discharged document P is returned to the discharge port side and aligned.

  In addition, some conventional ADFs are provided with a movable tray that slides on the inclined surface of the discharge tray in conjunction with the opening operation of the document table in order to improve the take-out property of a small-size document (for example, Patent Document 1). Since the small-size original is pushed out downstream in the transport direction by the movable tray, the visibility of the small-size original is improved and it is easy to take out.

  However, in the conventional ADF, since the document table is located above the paper discharge tray, there is a case where a sufficient space for inserting a hand cannot be secured particularly on the paper discharge port side (start end side of the paper discharge tray). In this case, there is room for further improvement in the ability to take out a small-size document. In addition, in a configuration in which a part of the document table is rotatable, when taking out a small-size document from the paper discharge tray, the document table is lifted and removed in two stages, which provides good operability. It was difficult to realize. For example, a user with a handicapped hand (for example, a user who has only one hand free) may be assumed to be unable to take out a small-size document.

  In addition, the ADF according to the invention described in Patent Document 1 requires a movable tray as another component in addition to the paper discharge tray. There is concern about the increase in size of the equipment due to space.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional problems, and is a paper discharge stacking mechanism that improves the take-out property of a small size paper (for example, a small size original) while suppressing an increase in parts, and an automatic equipped with the same. An object of the present invention is to provide a document conveying device, an image reading device, and an image forming device.

A paper discharge stacking mechanism according to the present invention includes a paper discharge tray for stacking paper discharged according to a plurality of types of sizes, and a transport unit for transporting a plurality of types of sizes of paper to the start end of the paper discharge tray. wherein said discharge tray, said a groove-shaped recess extending from the starting end of the discharge tray in the sub-scanning direction downstream, the groove-like recess is in the discharge tray by the size of the main scanning direction is minimized when loaded with a certain paper, the size is to overlap the sheet and a part is a minimum, the groove-like recess extends from the starting end of the discharge tray halfway toward the downstream in the sub scanning direction and main from midway It has a curved and widening extension toward the front side in the scanning direction, and has an opening provided on the front side in the main scanning direction and extending from the center in the sub-scanning direction to the downstream end in the sub-scanning direction. In the sub-scanning direction, the discharge tray The width of the groove-shaped recess is set so that when the sheet having a predetermined size is stacked, the sheet of the predetermined size straddles the first and second protrusions facing each other across the groove-shaped recess. In addition, the discharge tray is further provided with a second recess disposed on the rear side in the main scanning direction and on the downstream end in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the second convex portion. The downstream portion of the paper tray in the sub-scanning direction has a configuration that is convex upward when viewed from the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction .

In the paper discharge stacking mechanism according to the present invention, the second convex portion has an inclined surface inclined toward the downstream end portion in the transport direction of the groove-shaped concave portion .

In addition, the discharge stacking mechanism according to the present invention has a configuration in which the depth of the second recess is shallower than the depth of the first recess .

  The automatic document feeder according to the present invention includes a document table for placing a document, a document transport unit for transporting a document placed on the document table, and the document transport unit below the document table. A paper discharge tray on which the transported originals are stacked. The original transport means includes the transport means, and the discharge tray is used as the paper discharge tray.

  An image reading apparatus according to the present invention includes an image reading unit that reads an image of a document, and further includes the automatic document transport device described above as an automatic document transport unit.

  Further, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image reading unit that reads an image of a document, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a predetermined sheet based on the image read by the image reading unit, Further, the automatic document conveying device is provided as an automatic document conveying means.

  Note that the start end of the paper discharge tray, the start and end of the groove-shaped recess, and the front in the main scanning direction will be described later with reference to FIG.

The present invention, in the paper discharge tray, wherein a groove-shaped recess extending from the starting end of the discharge tray in the sub-scanning direction downstream, the groove-like concave portion spreads toward the end from the beginning of the groove-like recess, when the size of the main scanning direction on the sheet discharge tray is loaded with paper it is minimal, by the size which is to overlap the sheet and a part which is the minimum, an increase in the parts taking into account the shape of the discharge tray It is possible to provide a paper discharge stacking mechanism that has the effect of improving the take-out property of small-size paper while suppressing it.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a copying machine as an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an automatic document feeder as an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of a copying machine as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a paper discharge tray as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the paper discharge tray as one embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the paper discharge tray as one Embodiment of this invention. 5 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating a sheet feeding operation as an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating a sheet feeding operation as an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart (No. 3) illustrating a sheet feeding operation as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart (the 1) which shows the reading operation as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart (the 2) which shows the reading operation as one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a discharge state of a small-size document as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a medium-size original that is discharged as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a large-size document is discharged as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of a conventional automatic document feeder.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 to 14 are diagrams showing an automatic document feeder, an image reading apparatus, and an image forming apparatus provided with a paper discharge stacking mechanism as an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a paper discharge stacking mechanism is provided. An example in which an automatic document feeder, an image reading apparatus, and an image forming apparatus are applied to a copying machine is shown.

  In addition to the copying machine, the image forming apparatus can be applied to, for example, a facsimile machine, a printer device, and a multifunction machine having a copying function and a facsimile function. The image reading apparatus can be applied to, for example, a scanner apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, and a multifunction machine having a copying function and a facsimile function.

  First, the configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, a contact glass 22a (see FIG. 2) made of a translucent member is provided on the upper surface of the main body 21a of the copying machine 21, and the upper surface of the main body adjacent to the contact glass 22a is made from the contact glass 22a. A slit glass 22b made of a light-transmitting member having a small area is also provided (see FIG. 2).

  Further, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 23 is provided on the upper portion of the main body 21a, and the ADF 23 can be freely opened and closed so as to open and close the contact glass 22a via a hinge mechanism (not shown).

  The configuration of the ADF 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the ADF 23, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the ADF 23. In FIG. 2, the ADF 23 includes a document table 24 as a sheet placement table. A document bundle (or document) P serving as a sheet bundle (or sheet) is placed on the document cable 24 so that the document surface faces upward. It is supposed to be placed.

  On the table surface of the document table 24, document length sensors 25 to 27 are provided as document length detection means for detecting the length of the document, and the document length sensors 25 to 27 each have a pair of adjacent light receiving elements. An element and a light emitting element are provided.

  Accordingly, the document length sensors 25 to 27 are arranged on the table surface of the document table 24 so that at least whether the document size is vertical or horizontal can be determined. The controller 100 determines the length in the transport direction of the document bundle P placed on the document table 24 based on information input from the light receiving element.

  A stopper claw 28 as a stopper member is provided on the downstream side of the document table 24 with respect to the document conveyance direction. The stopper claw 28 is a bump position where the leading edge of the document bundle P is bumped by the calling motor 101. The position is moved between (a position indicated by a broken line) and a retracted position (a position indicated by a solid line) where the document bundle P is retracted.

  Therefore, the leading end of the document bundle P is abutted when the stopper claw 28 is in the abutting position, so that the leading ends of the document bundle P are aligned. Further, the width direction of the original bundle P is abutted against a side fence (not shown) provided on the original table 24 so that positioning in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is performed.

  When the stopper claw 28 moves downward, the stopper claw 28 is detected by the home position sensor 34, and the home position sensor 34 outputs detection information to the controller 100.

  Further, a set filler 29 and a document set sensor 30 are provided on the document cable 24 on the leading end side of the document bundle P, and the set filler 29 is disposed when the document bundle P is placed on the document table 24. When the document set sensor 30 changes from the undetected state to the detected state, the signal is output to the controller 100.

  The controller 100 is connected to a main body control unit 111 provided in the main body 21 a of the copying machine 21 via an interface (hereinafter also referred to as “I / F”) 107, and outputs a signal to the I / F 107. Based on this input signal, the main body control unit 111 shifts to a standby state for reading a document on the main body 21a side.

  A calling roller 31 as a calling means is provided above the stopper claw 28. The calling roller 31 is configured so that the driving force from the calling motor 101 is transmitted via a calling cam (not shown). The call motor 101 and the cam mechanism are moved up and down between a position retracted from the original bundle P indicated by a solid line and a position abutting on the upper surface of the original bundle P indicated by a two-dot chain line.

  Further, an operation unit 108 is provided on the main body 21 a side, and when a print key of the operation unit 108 is pressed, a document feed signal is transmitted from the main body control unit 111 to the controller 100 via the I / F 107. The controller 100 drives the calling motor 101 to rotate forward so that the stopper claw 28 is retracted downward from the document bundle P.

  When the stopper claw 28 moves to the retracted position, the stopper claw 28 is detected by the home position sensor 34. When the home position sensor 34 detects the stopper claw 28, the controller 100 turns the calling motor 101 off. By driving in reverse, the calling roller 31 is lowered to a position where it comes into contact with the document bundle P.

  At this time, the calling roller 31 starts feeding several (ideally, one) originals on the original table 24 by the forward rotation of the paper supply motor 102. The fed document is fed to the separating and conveying means by a feeding belt 32 and a reverse roller 33 provided on the downstream side of the calling roller 31.

  The paper feeding belt 32 is bridged by a driving roller 32a and a driven roller 32b, and moves around when the driving force is transmitted from the paper feeding motor 102 to the driving roller 32a.

  When the paper feed motor 102 is driven to rotate forward, the paper feed belt 32 rotates in the paper feed direction (clockwise direction), and the reverse roller 33 has a torque limiter (not shown) built therein. When 102 is driven forward, it is rotated in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction (clockwise direction). For this reason, the top document and the document below it are separated and only the top document is fed.

  Specifically, the reverse roller 33 is in contact with the paper feed belt 32 at a predetermined pressure, and is in direct contact with the paper feed belt 32 or in a state where it is in contact with one original sheet. The rotation force is set so that the rotation force is lower than the torque limiter torque when two or more originals enter between the paper feed belt 32 and the reverse roller 33. ing. For this reason, the reverse roller 33 rotates in the clockwise direction, which is the original driving direction, and pushes back an excess original, thereby preventing double feeding.

  The separated document is detected by a separation sensor 51 serving as a separation sheet detection unit provided on the downstream side of the paper feed belt 32, and the document detected by the separation sensor 51 is further conveyed by the paper feed belt 32. The controller 100 stops the forward driving of the paper feeding motor 102 when the paper is conveyed by a predetermined amount X mm from the time when the leading edge of the original is detected by the abutting sensor 35 provided on the downstream side of the paper feeding belt 32. .

  This predetermined amount Xmm is set to be larger than the distance from the abutting sensor 35 to the nip portion of the pull-out roller pair (rotating member) 36, and is constant at the nip portion of the pull-out driving roller 36a and the pull-out driven roller 36b that are in sliding contact with each other. It is stopped in a state where the bending is formed.

  At this time, the calling motor 101 is driven forward by a command from the controller 100, so that the calling roller 31 is retracted from the upper surface of the document and the document is conveyed only by the conveying force of the paper feeding belt 32, so that the leading edge of the document is It is possible to correct the bending (skew) of the document that is abutted against the nip portion of the pull-out driving roller 36a and the pull-out driven roller 36b and is generated during separation and conveyance.

  Further, the pull-out driving roller 36a and the pull-out driven roller 36b are arranged so that a document whose skew has been corrected by reverse rotation driving of the paper feeding motor 102 after separation of the document is fed to a reading inlet roller pair 37 provided on the downstream side through the reverse passage 53. Transport toward you. The reading inlet roller pair 37 is constituted by a reading inlet driving roller 37a and a reading inlet driven roller 37b.

  When the paper feed motor 102 is driven in reverse rotation, the pull-out drive roller 36a is driven, but no driving force is transmitted to the calling roller 31 and the paper feed belt 32 due to the action of a one-way clutch described later.

  A document width sensor 38 is provided downstream of the pull-out drive roller 36a and the pull-out driven roller 36b. A plurality of document width sensors 38 are arranged in the depth direction in FIG. It moves between the positions indicated by the chain line.

  When the document width sensor 38 detects a document, the document width sensor 38 moves to a position indicated by a two-dot chain line. Information on the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the document transported by the pull-out driving roller 36a and the pull-out driven roller 36b is obtained. The detection information is acquired and transmitted to the controller 100.

  Based on the combination of the document length information from the document size sensors 25 to 27 and the width information from the document width sensor 38, the controller 100 obtains the size information of the document bundle P stacked on the document table 24 in the main body control unit 111. Send.

  Further, the controller 100 calculates the more accurate length of the document by counting the number of motor driving pulses corresponding to the distance conveyed while the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document are detected by the abutting sensor 35.

  Further, when the document is conveyed to the reading entrance roller pair 37 by driving the pull-out driving roller 36a, the processing time for feeding the document to the reading position 80 on the slit glass 22b by shortening the document conveying speed is reduced. In particular, in the second and subsequent originals, productivity can be improved by shortening the paper gap with the previous original by this high-speed conveyance. When the leading edge of the document is detected by the reading entrance sensor 39, deceleration is started before the leading edge of the document enters the reading entrance roller pair 37.

  Further, the controller 100 drives and stops the paper feed motor 102 so that the conveyance distance is longer by Y mm than the distance from the reading inlet sensor 39 to the reading inlet roller pair 37, thereby stopping the stopped reading inlet roller pair. The document is stopped in a state where the leading edge of the document abuts against the nip portion 37 to form a certain amount of bending. As a result, it is possible to correct the skew generated when the document is conveyed by the pull-out roller pair 36. In the present embodiment, the reading entrance roller pair 37 constitutes a skew correcting roller pair.

  In addition, the controller 100 transmits a registration stop signal to the main body control unit 111 via the I / F 107 when the original is temporarily stopped (resist stop) at the nip portion of the reading entrance roller pair 37.

  When the registration stop signal is transmitted, the controller 100 receives a reading start signal from the main body control unit 111, and reads so that the document whose registration has been stopped is conveyed at a conveyance speed corresponding to the reading magnification. The motor 103 is driven and the original is conveyed by the reading exit roller pair 40. The reading exit roller pair 40 includes a reading exit driving roller 40a and a reading exit driven roller 40b.

  Here, when the reading start signal is received before the leading edge of the document reaches the registration sensor 41 provided on the upstream side of the slit glass 22b, the registration non-stop reading operation is performed. In the resist non-stop reading operation, reading is performed while maintaining the reading conveyance speed without stopping the registration.

  The registration sensor 41 detects the leading edge of the document. When the registration sensor 41 detects the leading edge of the document, the controller 100 starts the pulse count of the reading motor 103, and the leading edge of the document is on the slit glass 22b. At the timing when the reading position 80 is reached, a gate signal indicating an effective image area in the sub-scanning direction is transmitted to the main body control unit 111. This gate signal is normally transmitted until the trailing edge of the document leaves the reading position 80.

  The document that has passed through the reading position 80 via the reversing path 53 is inverted by the top and bottom surfaces and is conveyed by the pair of reading exit rollers 40 and the paper discharge roller 42. After one-side reading of the original is completed, the original is discharged to a discharge tray 43 as a document discharge table. Details of the paper discharge tray 43 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  The paper discharge roller 42 includes a paper discharge driving roller 42a, a paper discharge driven upper roller 42b, and a paper discharge driven lower roller 42c. A switching claw 44 as a switching means is provided on the downstream side of the paper discharge roller 42. It has been.

  When carrying a double-sided document, the switching claw 43 is driven by the reversing solenoid 105 before the leading edge of the document that has passed through the reading position 80 at the time of reading the surface of the document reaches the paper discharge roller 42, and the two-dot chain line. It is designed to switch to the position indicated by.

  At this time, the original is conveyed to the switchback passage 46a by the discharge driving roller 42a and the discharge lower driven roller 42c driven by the reading motor 103 and the reverse roller pair 45 as the switchback roller pair driven by the reverse motor 104. Is done.

  When the driving pulse of the reading motor 103 reaches a predetermined pulse after the trailing edge of the original is detected by the reading outlet sensor 47 provided on the downstream side of the pair of reading outlet rollers 40, the controller 100 causes the trailing edge of the original to be a discharge roller. It is determined that the valve 42 has exited, and the reverse solenoid 105 is turned off to move the switching claw 44 to the position indicated by the solid line.

  Further, as described above, after the driving pulse of the reading motor 103 reaches a predetermined pulse, the controller 100 drives the reverse motor 104 in the reverse direction to drive the reverse roller pair 45 in the reverse direction, thereby moving the document toward the pull-out roller pair 36. Switch back.

  At this time, the driving direction of the reading motor 103 is the same direction and the driving direction of the reversing motor 104 is reversed, and the reversing motor 104 and the reading motor 103 are driven at high speed in order to shorten the processing time.

  In addition, when the document starts to switch back, the controller 100 drives the paper feeding motor 102 at a high speed to reversely feed the document toward the pull-out roller pair 36 after the drive pulse of the reversing motor 104 reaches a predetermined pulse.

  Further, when the trailing edge of the document conveyed in the refeed path 46 b is detected by the reverse sensor 49, the controller 100 stops the reverse driving of the reverse roller pair 45 based on the detection information from the reverse sensor 49. It has become.

  Thereafter, the skew of the document is corrected by the pull-out roller pair 36, one side of the document is read as described above, switched back by the switchback path 46a, and then conveyed toward the reading position 80 through the refeed path 46b. Then, the document is discharged to the discharge tray 43 by performing a reversing operation for providing the document surface without reading the document.

  A paper discharge sensor 50 is provided on the upstream side of the paper discharge roller 42. The paper discharge sensor 50 detects the trailing edge of the document and outputs a signal to the controller 100. Determines that the document has been discharged based on the detection information.

  Further, the controller 100 is based on detection information from the bump sensor 35, reading inlet sensor 39, registration sensor 41, reading outlet sensor 47, reverse sensor 49, paper discharge sensor 50, and detection information from the document size sensors 25 to 27. Jam determination is performed, and when the jam occurs, the display unit 48 displays the jam.

  In FIG. 1, an image reading device 81 is provided in the main body 21 a of the copying machine 21, and image information read by the image reading device 81 is irradiated to the photosensitive drum 83 by the writing unit 82. It has become so.

  The image reading device 81 includes a light source 81a that illuminates a document on the contact glass 22a or the slit glass 22b, a first mirror 81b, a second mirror 81c, a third mirror 81d that reflect light reflected from the document, A lens 81e that forms an image of the light reflected from the three mirrors 81d on the CCD image sensor 81f and a CCD image sensor 81f that converts the light imaged by the lens 81e into an electrical signal are provided.

  The light source 81a and the first mirror 81b are attached to a first traveling body (not shown), and the second mirror 81c and the third mirror 81d are attached to the second traveling body, and the first traveling body and the second traveling body. 1 moves along the contact glass 22a and the slit glass 22b in FIG.

  When the first traveling body and the second traveling body read the original placed on the contact glass 22a, the first traveling body and the second traveling body are moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 below the contact glass 22a, and the original that passes through the slit glass 22b is read. When reading, it is stopped below the slit glass 22b.

  The writing unit 82 irradiates a laser beam light-modulated according to image information read by the image reading device 81, and exposes the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 83 with the laser beam.

  Around the photosensitive drum 83, a developing device 86, a transfer belt 87, a cleaning device 88, a charging device and a charge eliminating device (not shown) that form an image forming unit together with the photosensitive drum 83 are provided. In the dark, the charging device controls positively charged roller discharge by a grid to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum to a constant potential.

  The writing unit 82 irradiates a laser beam containing image information onto the photosensitive drum 83 charged at this constant potential to remove negative charges on the photosensitive drum 83 to form an electrostatic latent image.

  The developing device forms a visible image by attaching negatively charged toner to the electrically removed portion on the photosensitive drum 83. A positive bias is applied to the transfer belt 87, and the transfer belt 87 transfers a negatively charged visible image onto a transfer sheet (paper) as a recording medium for conveyance.

  The cleaning device 88 is provided with a cleaning blade, and scrapes off the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 83. The static eliminator turns on the LED to remove the residual charge on the photosensitive drum 83 and prepares to form a new image on the next transfer sheet.

The transfer paper on which the image is formed in this way is conveyed to the fixing device 90, and the toner image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing device 90.
The main body 21a is provided with storage cassettes 91 to 95 in which transfer papers S1 to S5 of different sizes are stored, and the transfer paper stored in the storage cassettes 91 to 95 is called by calling rollers 91a to 95a. After being fed, after being separated by the feed rollers 91b to 95b and the feed rollers 91b to 95b rotating in the transport direction and separated by the reverse rollers 91c to 95c rotating in the separating direction, the relay roller pairs 96, 97 Are conveyed to the registration roller pair 98, and timed by the registration roller pair 98 and conveyed to the conveyance path between the photosensitive drum 83 and the transfer belt 87.

  The shape of the paper discharge tray 43 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the paper discharge tray 43, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the paper discharge tray 43, and FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the paper discharge tray 43 stacks the originals P conveyed and discharged by the paper discharge rollers 42, so that the stacked originals P can be easily taken out on the stacking surface (stack surface). Unevenness is formed. As the irregularities, a first convex portion 208, a second convex portion 209, a first concave portion 210, and a second concave portion 211 are formed.

  The first convex portion 208 continues from the start end of the paper discharge tray 43 (below the vicinity of the paper discharge roller 42) to one end on the near side in the main scanning direction, and rises from upstream to downstream in the sub-scanning direction (conveyance direction). It has the surface 208a and the inclined surface 208b which similarly falls to the 1st recessed part 210. FIG. The second convex portion 209 is continuous from the start end of the paper discharge tray 43 to one end on the near side in the main scanning direction, and has an inclined surface 209b that rises from upstream to downstream in the sub-scanning direction, and an inclined surface that also descends to the first concave portion 210. It has surfaces 209a and 209d and an inclined surface 209c descending to the second recess 211. The first convex portion 208 is on the near side in the main scanning direction with respect to the second convex portion 209 and faces the second convex portion 209 across the first concave portion 210.

  The first recess 210 is curved and communicates from the start end of the paper discharge tray 43 to one end on the near side in the main scanning direction and the downstream end in the sub-scanning direction. That is, the first recess 210 is a groove-shaped recess formed in a groove shape. Here, the groove width of the first recess 210 is widened from the start end of the sheet discharge tray 43 toward one end on the near side in the main scanning direction. The second concave portion 211 is located on the back side in the main scanning direction with respect to the first concave portion 210 and faces the first concave portion 210 with the second convex portion 209 interposed therebetween. The second concave portion 211 is formed shallower than the first concave portion 210 and serves as a step portion of the second convex portion 209.

  A plurality of ribs 211 extending in the sub-scanning direction are formed on the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209. Moreover, the surface of the 1st convex part 208 and the 2nd convex part 209 is wrinkled (leather texture process), and has a wrinkle shape.

  In FIG. 5, the near side in the main scanning direction is the right side in the figure, and the back side is the left side in the figure. The downstream side in the sub-scanning direction is the upper side in the figure, and the upstream side is the lower side in the figure. Accordingly, the starting end of the discharge tray 43 is the lower end (the line segment including the points 301 to 304) in the drawing, and the end of the discharge tray 43 is the lower end in the drawing. The starting end of the first recess 210 is included in the starting end of the paper discharge tray 43. Further, the end of the first recess 210 is parallel to the front end of the paper discharge tray 43 in the main scanning direction and includes a line segment including the start point 306, and parallel to the downstream end of the paper discharge tray 43 in the sub scanning direction. And a line segment including the points 308 to 310.

  The size f is the front end of the first convex portion 208 in the main scanning direction and the length from the upstream end (point 304) to the downstream end (point 306) in the sub scanning direction. The size g is the upstream end in the width scanning direction of the first convex portion 208 and is the length from the near side end (point 304) to the back side end (point 303) in the main scanning direction.

  The size a is the upstream end of the second convex portion 209 in the sub-scanning direction, and is from the front end (point 302) to the back end (point 301) of the second convex portion 209 in the main scanning direction. Length. The size d is the downstream end of the second convex portion 209 in the width scanning direction, and is from the front side end (point 310) to the back side end (point 309) of the second convex portion 209 in the main scanning direction. Length. The size e is the back end of the second convex portion 209 in the main scanning direction, from the upstream end (point 301) to the downstream end (point 305) of the second convex portion 209 in the sub scanning direction. Length. The size i is the front side of the second convex portion 209 in the main scanning direction, and the bending point upstream from the downstream end (point 310) of the second convex portion 209 in the sub-scanning direction. It is the length to (point 307).

  The size b is the width (groove width) of the upstream end of the first recess 210 in the sub-scanning direction, and is the distance between the points 302 and 303. The size h is the groove width on the opening side in the first recess 210 and is the distance between the points 306 and 307. The size c is the width of the downstream end of the second recess 211 in the sub-scanning direction, and is the distance between the point 308 and the point 309.

  Here, when the width direction size of the B6 side original P2 is the minimum width size Min and the width direction size of the A3 side original P1 is the maximum width size Max, a <Min, c <Max, d <Max, The relationship Max <(a + b + g) is established. The size e is larger than the minimum length size (for example, the size in the length direction of the original document P2 on the side of B6) and smaller than the maximum length size (for example, the size in the length direction of the document P1 on the side of A3). I am doing so. Further, the size f is set to be smaller than the intermediate length size (for example, the length direction size of the A4 vertical document (not shown), the width direction size of the A4 horizontal document P3). Further, the relationship b <h is established. Here, for any of the document sizes that can be used in the copying machine 21, when the document is stacked on the discharge tray 43, a part of the document protrudes from the second convex portion 209 to the first concave portion 210, or The original is straddled across both the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209. Further, the depth and curvature of the groove in the first recess 210 are set based on experiments so that the user can grasp the stack original and further pull out the hand.

  In FIG. 6, the second convex portion 209 is inclined at a predetermined angle α with respect to the horizontal plane. Further, the first convex portion 208 is similarly inclined. Here, the angle α is set to a value (for example, 10 degrees to 20 degrees) such that the original P discharged to the paper discharge tray 43 returns to the upstream side in the width scanning direction (conveyance direction) due to its own weight. Has been. Further, in the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209, R portions 211a and 211b are formed at both ends of the rib 211 extending in the width scanning direction.

  With respect to the copying machine 21 configured as described above, the document conveying operation (paper feeding and reading) will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11 correspond to a transfer control program controlled by the controller 100. Here, for example, a single-side mode for reading only one side of an original, a double-side mode for reading both sides, and a mixed-loading mode for reading different sizes of originals are set as the operation mode. Only the single-sided mode will be described for the reading operation.

  First, in FIG. 7, the controller 100 determines whether or not the document bundle P is set on the document table 24 based on the detection information from the document size sensors 25 to 27 (step S1).

  Next, when the print key of the operation unit 108 is pressed, a document feed signal is transmitted from the main body control unit 111 to the controller 100 via the I / F 107, so the controller 100 moves the feed motor 102 in the clockwise direction. Drive forward (step S2). At this time, the stopper claw 28 is retracted from the front end of the document bundle P.

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the stopper claw 28 has moved to the retracted position based on the detection information from the home position sensor 34 (step S3). The motor 101 is driven in reverse (step S4).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the calling roller 31 has moved to the contact position (step S5). If it is determined that the calling roller 31 has moved to the contact position, the document size sensors 25 to 27 are detected. After acquiring the length of the document based on the detection information from the document (step S7), the paper feed motor 102 is rotated forward in the clockwise direction (step S8). Therefore, after the uppermost original is separated from the original bundle P by the calling roller 31, the uppermost original is separated by the paper feed belt 32 and the reverse roller 33.

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the bump sensor 35 is turned on (step S9). If the bump sensor 35 is not turned on, the controller 100 determines whether or not the jam detection time is over (step S10). If the controller 100 determines that the jam detection time is exceeded, the controller 100 determines that the jam has not been reached and displays the jam on the display unit 48 (step S11).

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S23 that the bump sensor 35 is turned on, the bump amount is counted (step S12). That is, the controller 100 starts counting the driving pulses of the paper feed motor 102 corresponding to a predetermined amount Xmm set larger than the distance between the abutting sensor 35 and the pull-out roller pair 36.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the controller 100 drives the call motor 101 in the counterclockwise direction (step S13), and then determines whether the call roller 31 has moved to the retracted position (step S14). When the calling roller 31 has moved to the retracted position, the calling motor 101 is stopped (step S15).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the pulse count of the paper feed motor 102 has reached the abutting amount (predetermined pulse corresponding to Xmm) (step S16), and if the pulse count has reached the predetermined pulse, It is determined whether or not the duplex mode, the document transport length is equal to or shorter than a predetermined length, and the transported document is the second or later (step S17). When the paper feed motor 102 reaches a predetermined pulse, the original is pressed against the pull-out roller pair 36 with a predetermined amount of deflection, and the skew of the original is corrected.

  If the controller 100 determines in step S17 that the single-side mode, the document transport length is not less than the predetermined length, and the transport document is not the second or later, the process proceeds to step S18 in FIG. If it is determined that the length is equal to or shorter than the predetermined length and the transported document is the second or later, the process proceeds to step S19 in FIG.

  In step S18, the controller 100 determines whether or not the delay time is the above-described Tdl. If it is determined that the delay time is equal to or longer than Tdl, the controller 100 proceeds to step S19.

  In step S19, the controller 100 turns on the current switching of the paper feed motor 102 and drives the paper feed motor 102 at a high speed (step S19). When the paper feed motor 102 is driven in reverse, the pull-out roller pair 36 is driven, but the driving force is not transmitted to the calling roller 31 and the paper feed belt 32 due to the action of a one-way clutch of a pulley (not shown). It is conveyed by the pull-out roller pair 36.

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the document width sensor 38 is turned on (step S20). If the document width sensor 38 is turned on, the controller 100 detects the document based on the detection information from the document width sensor 38. The width information is acquired (step S21). As a result, the controller 100 can grasp the size information of the document bundle P stacked on the document table 24 based on the combination of the document length information from the document size sensors 25 to 27 and the width information from the document width sensor 38. .

  At this time, the document is nipped between the pull-out roller pair 36 and the reading inlet roller pair 37 and conveyed toward the reading position 80. At this time, since the document transport speed is set to a high speed, the processing time for feeding the document to the reading position 80 can be shortened. In particular, productivity of the second and subsequent originals can be improved by shortening the gap between the original and the previous original by this high-speed conveyance.

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the mixed loading mode is turned off (step S22). If the mixed loading mode is turned off, the document bundle loaded on the document table 24 in the main body control unit 111 is checked. The size information of P is transmitted (step S23).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the leading edge of the document is detected by the reading inlet sensor 39 (step S24). If the reading inlet sensor 39 is not turned on, it is determined whether or not the jam detection time is over (step S24). S25). If the controller 100 determines that the jam detection time has expired, the controller 100 determines that the leading edge detection has not been reached and displays a jam on the display unit 48 (step S26).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S36 that the reading inlet sensor 39 has been turned on, the abutting amount correction count is started (step S27). That is, the controller 100 starts counting the driving pulses of the paper feeding motor 102 corresponding to a predetermined amount Ymm set larger than the distance between the reading inlet sensor 39 and the reading inlet roller pair 37.

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the pulse count of the paper feed motor 102 has reached the abutting amount (predetermined pulse corresponding to Ymm) (step S28). If the pulse count has reached the predetermined pulse, The paper feed motor 102 is stopped (step S29), a registration stop signal is transmitted to the main body control unit 111 (step S30), and the conveyance control up to the reading position 80 is ended. When the paper feed motor 102 reaches a predetermined pulse, the original is pressed against the reading entrance roller pair 37 with a predetermined amount of bending, and the original skew is corrected.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the document conveyance control program at the time of reading (single-sided mode). In FIG. 10, in the single-sided mode, the controller 100 sets the speed of the reading motor 103 from the reading magnification (step S32), and subsequently receives a reading start signal from the main body control unit 111, and starts a document reading operation.

  The controller 100 drives the reading motor 103 in the normal direction to drive the reading inlet roller pair 37 and the reading outlet roller pair 40 at a conveyance speed corresponding to the reading magnification (step S33). Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the leading edge of the document is detected by the registration sensor 41 (step S34). When the leading edge of the document is detected, the pulse count of the reading motor 103 is started (step S35).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the pulse count value of the reading motor 103 is a predetermined surface pulse corresponding to the distance between the registration sensor 41 and the reading position 80 on the slit glass 22b (step S36).

  When the controller 100 determines that the count value has reached the predetermined surface pulse, the controller 100 determines whether or not the correction pulse considering the slip ratio of the document has become the predetermined surface pulse (step S37).

  When the controller 100 determines that the correction pulse has reached the surface predetermined pulse, a gate signal indicating an effective image area in the sub-scanning direction is sent to the main body control unit 111 at the timing when the leading edge of the document reaches the reading position 80. After transmission (step S38), the count of the surface gate count is started (step S39).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the leading edge of the document has been detected by the paper discharge sensor 50 (step S40). If it is determined that the leading edge of the document has not been detected by the paper discharge sensor 50, jam detection is performed. It is determined whether or not the time is over (step S41).

  If the controller 100 determines that the jam detection time is exceeded, the controller 100 determines that the paper discharge has not reached and displays a jam on the display unit 48 (step S42).

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S40 that the paper discharge sensor 50 is turned on, the controller 100 determines whether the registration sensor 41 is off as shown in FIG. 11 (step S43). If it is determined that the sensor 41 is not off, it is determined whether or not the jam detection time is over (step S44). If the controller 100 determines that the jam detection time is exceeded, the controller 100 determines that the resist stay jam has occurred and displays a jam on the display unit 48 (step S45).

  On the other hand, when the controller 100 determines that the registration sensor 41 is off, the controller 100 starts a rear end count for counting the pulses of the reading motor 103 (step S46).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the count value of the pulse of the reading motor 103 has reached the predetermined front surface pulse (step S47). It is determined whether or not it has become larger than the length (step S48).

  If the controller 100 determines that the gate count value has become larger than the document length, the controller 100 stops transmission of a gate signal indicating an effective image area in the sub-scanning direction (step S49).

  Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the paper discharge sensor 50 has been turned off (step S50). If it is determined that the paper discharge sensor 50 has not been turned off, it is determined whether or not the jam detection time is over. It discriminate | determines (step S51).

  If the controller 100 determines that the jam detection time is exceeded, the controller 100 determines that the paper discharge stays jam and displays a jam on the display unit 48 (step S52). If the controller 100 determines that the paper discharge sensor 50 has been turned off, the controller 100 transmits a signal indicating completion of paper discharge to the main body control unit 111 (step S53), and the process is terminated.

  According to the copying machine 21 as the first embodiment of the present invention, a document bundle or a document P (corresponding to a sheet) according to a plurality of types of sizes such as B6, A5, and A3 is used as the document reference. A paper discharge tray 43 stacked from the position side and the start end side, a pair of reading outlet rollers 40 and a paper discharge roller 42 (corresponding to a transport means) for transporting a plurality of types of documents P to the start end of the paper discharge tray 43; And a first recess 210 (corresponding to a groove-like recess) extending downstream from the starting end of the discharge tray 43 in the sub-scanning direction. The width of the first recess 210 (groove) The width (width) increases from the start end (including the points 302 and 303) of the first recess 210 toward the end, and the B6 side original P2 (paper having the smallest size in the main scanning direction) is placed on the paper discharge tray 43, for example. Is loaded next to B6 P2 and the first recess 210 has a configuration which is adapted to partially overlap. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 12, when the B6 landscape original P2 as a small-size original is stacked, the original P2 protrudes from the second convex portion 209, so that the original P2 is discharged. When taking out from the paper tray 43, it is possible to take out a small-size original by inserting a hand into the first recess 210 without lifting the original table 24, thereby improving user operability (removability of a small-size original). To do. Furthermore, since the area of the first recess 210 increases from the starting end of the paper discharge tray 43, it becomes easier to insert a hand into the first recess 210, and the operability for the user is improved.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the first recess 210 further has the document take-out position (point 306, point 307, point 310) downstream from the starting end of the paper discharge tray 43 in the sub-scanning direction and in the front side in the main scanning direction. In the vicinity thereof). This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention.

  According to this configuration, since the first concave portion 210 is curved, it is easy to insert a hand therein, the operability is improved, and the user's hand is provided with the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion. It is possible to avoid a strong contact with the unit 209 and to safely take out a small-size document.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, for example, when an A4 landscape original P3 or an A4 portrait original (corresponding to a sheet having a predetermined size in the sub-scanning direction) is stacked on the paper discharge tray 43, the document Has a configuration in which the width (groove width) of the first concave portion 210 is set so as to straddle the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention.

  According to this configuration, as shown in FIG. 13, when an A4 landscape original P3 or an A4 portrait original (not shown) is stacked, it straddles the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209. Therefore, the stacking property is improved by stacking on both the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209. Further, since a hand can be easily inserted into the first recess 210, the document take-out property is also improved.

  Further, according to the ADF 23 of the present embodiment, a document table 24 on which the document P is placed, a pair of reading exit rollers 40 and a discharge roller 42 as document transport means for transporting the document P placed on the document table 24. And a discharge tray 43 on which the document P conveyed by the reading exit roller pair 40 and the discharge roller 42 is stacked under the document table 24. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention.

  With this configuration, as described above, it is possible to improve the ejectability and document stackability of the discharged document, and the operability of the ADF 23 is improved.

  The copying machine 21 according to the present embodiment includes an image reading device 81 (corresponding to an image reading unit) that reads an image of a document as an image reading device, and further includes an ADF 23 (corresponding to an automatic document conveying unit). have. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention. Further, as an image forming apparatus, an image reading apparatus 81 (corresponding to an image reading unit) that reads an image of a document, and transfer papers S1 to S5 (predetermined predetermined sizes) based on the image read by the image reading apparatus 81. A photosensitive drum 83, a developing device 86, a transfer belt 87, a cleaning device 88, a charging device (not shown) and a charge eliminating device (corresponding to image forming means). The ADF 23 (corresponding to an automatic document feeder) is provided. This configuration corresponds to an embodiment of the present invention.

  With these configurations, it is possible to improve the take-out property and the document stackability of the discharged document as described above, and the operability of the copying machine 21 as the image reading device and the image forming device is improved.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209 are inclined by 10 degrees to 20 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Then, it is scooped up by the inclined surfaces of the first and second convex portions 208 and 209, and slides down the inclined surface by its own weight and returns to the upstream in the transport direction (sub-scanning direction). This action improves the stackability of the original when discharging.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the second concave portion 211 is formed at the corner of the second convex portion 209 on the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction and on the back side in the main scanning direction, so that it is shown in FIG. As described above, the large-size original P1 on the side of A3 can be seated on the leading end side of the paper discharge, so that the large-size original can be prevented from dropping from the discharge tray 43.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the surfaces of the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209 are processed into a textured shape, it is difficult for dirt to adhere to the surfaces, and the document P is caused by static electricity. It becomes difficult to stick to the surface. By reducing the sticking due to static electricity, it is possible to improve the stackability of the original P at the time of paper discharge.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the ribs extending in the transport direction are formed on the surfaces of the first convex portion 208 and the second convex portion 209, the ribs cause static electricity as described above. The sticking of the original document can be reduced, and the stackability of the original document P at the time of paper discharge can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the document discharge tray 43 provided in the ADF 23 has been described as the discharge tray in the discharge stacking mechanism. However, the present invention also includes, for example, a transfer sheet as a recording medium. The same effect can be obtained even when applied to a transfer paper tray for discharging and stacking.

21 Copier 23 Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
24 Document table 43 Paper discharge tray 208 First convex portion 209 Second convex portion 210 First concave portion 211 Second concave portion 212 Rib

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-31927 (for example, page 5, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6)

Claims (6)

A paper discharge tray for stacking paper discharged according to a plurality of types of sizes, and a transport unit for transporting papers of a plurality of types to the start end of the paper discharge tray,
Wherein the discharge tray, the form of the groove-like recess extending from the beginning of the discharge tray in the sub-scanning direction downstream, the groove-shaped concave portion, the size in the main scanning direction on the sheet discharge tray is the smallest paper when loaded with, so the size overlap paper and part is the minimum,
Said groove-like recess extending from said leading end of the paper discharge tray halfway toward the downstream in the sub scanning direction, and extends spreads curved from middle to the front side in the main scanning direction, there in front of the main scanning direction And having an opening provided from the center in the sub-scanning direction of the paper discharge tray to the downstream end in the sub-scanning direction ,
Before when the sub-scanning direction size of the Kihaishi tray loaded with paper of a predetermined size, span the first protrusion and the second protrusion paper of the predetermined size are opposed across the groove-like recess To set the width of the groove-shaped recess,
Wherein the discharge tray is more that was further formed a second recess located at the inner side and the sub-scanning direction downstream side end of the main scanning direction with respect to the second convex portion, the sheet discharge A discharge stacking mechanism, wherein a downstream portion of the tray in the sub-scanning direction has a convex shape when viewed from the downstream side in the sub-scanning direction .   The paper discharge stacking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the second convex portion has an inclined surface that is inclined toward a downstream end portion in the transport direction of the groove-shaped concave portion.   3. The paper discharge stacking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the second concave portion is shallower than a depth of the first concave portion. A document table for placing a document, a document transport unit for transporting a document placed on the document table, a paper discharge tray for stacking a document transported by the document transport unit below the document table, With
The document conveying means includes the conveying means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and the discharge tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used as the discharge tray. An automatic document feeder characterized by the above.   An image reading apparatus comprising image reading means for reading an image of a document, and further comprising the automatic document conveying device according to claim 4 as automatic document conveying means.   5. The automatic document feeder according to claim 4, further comprising: an image reading unit that reads an image of a document; and an image forming unit that forms an image on a predetermined sheet based on the image read by the image reading unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: as an automatic document feeder.

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