JP6670343B2 - Paper feeder, image reader having paper feeder, and image forming apparatus having image reader - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device, an image reading device including a sheet feeding device, and an image forming device including the image reading device, and more particularly, to a sheet forming device provided in an image forming device such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunction peripheral. The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds a sheet placed on a loading tray, an image reading device including the sheet feeding device, and an image forming device including the image reading device.

  An example of the background art is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The paper feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a pickup roller (paper feed unit) that feeds a document stacked on a document feed tray to a separate roller. Further, a shutter (restriction section) is provided near the downstream side of the sheet feeding position of the pickup roller to block the document from being pushed into the separate roller when the document is stacked. The shutter is rotatably provided on both sides of the pickup roller, and its rotation is regulated by a stopper which comes off in synchronization with the lowering of the pickup roller.

JP-A-2002-255363

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, printers, and multifunction peripherals thereof, business cards and postcards as well as ordinary-width paper (first width paper) such as A4 paper and A3 paper are usually used. There is a demand for a sheet that is smaller in size than the first width sheet and can also be used for a small width sheet (second width sheet). For this reason, the paper feeder is required to have a function of appropriately feeding the second width paper. However, in the technique of Patent Literature 1, the regulating portions are arranged at positions corresponding to both ends in the width direction of the normally used first width paper, and the second width such as a business card which is smaller than the first width paper. Paper regulations are not considered. For this reason, the second width paper could not be properly fed.

  Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a novel paper feeder, an image reading device having the paper feeder, and an image forming apparatus having the image reader.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeder, an image reading apparatus including a paper feeder, which can appropriately feed a second width paper such as a business card in addition to a first width paper such as A4 paper which is generally used. And an image forming apparatus provided with the image reading device.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper feeding device for feeding paper loaded on a paper loading tray, a paper feeding unit for feeding out the paper loaded on the paper loading tray, wherein the paper feeding unit feeds the paper loaded in the paper loading tray. The first width sheet loaded on the sheet tray is located downstream of the sheet feeding position of the sheet feeding unit and outside the second width sheet passing area in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction. And a first set detecting unit that detects that the first width paper is placed on the paper placing tray, and a first set detecting unit that detects that the first width paper is placed on the paper placing tray. In the downstream side of the paper feed position and in the second width paper passage area in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction, the width of the first width paper smaller than that of the first width paper placed on the paper loading tray is smaller. The second rule that regulates the movement of the second width paper in the conveyance direction Part and a second set detection unit for detecting that the second width sheet to the paper tray is mounted, the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion the sheet to the paper tray Does not have a function of detecting that a sheet has been placed, and the first set detecting section and the second set detecting section regulate the movement of the sheet placed on the sheet placing tray in the transport direction. No function.

  In the second invention, the paper feeding device may be configured such that the first regulating unit and the second regulating unit, and the first set detecting unit and the second set detecting unit are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveying direction. It is arranged with the paper feeding unit interposed.

  In a third aspect, in the paper feeder, the paper feed unit is a pickup roller movably provided between a standby position and an operation position, and each of the first restriction unit and the second restriction unit is The movement of the sheet is restricted when the pickup roller is on standby, and the restriction is released when the pickup roller is operated.

In a fourth aspect, the paper feeding device further includes a pickup holder movably provided between a standby position and an operating position, and further includes a pickup holder rotatably holding the pickup roller. while being arranged in a width outside of the pickup holder in a direction orthogonal to the direction, the second restricting portion, the in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, be in the width of the pick-up holder, the pickup roller end And the pickup holder .

In a fifth aspect, in the paper feeding device, the first set detection unit is disposed outside a width of the pickup holder in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction, and the second set detection unit is configured to detect the paper set. in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, be in the width of the pick-up holder, is disposed between the pickup holder and the pickup roller end.

In a sixth aspect, the paper feeding device includes a displacement portion that is displaced when the pickup roller is actuated, wherein the first restriction portion and the second restriction portion are integrally connected, and the displacement of the displacement portion Accordingly, the restriction on the movement of the sheet by the first restriction unit and the second restriction unit is released.

  In a seventh aspect, the paper feeder is provided with an engagement mechanism with the displacement unit for restricting or releasing the movement of the sheet in conjunction with the operation of the pickup roller in the first regulating unit. The first regulating section and the second regulating section are integrally connected so that the operation of the second regulating section is interlocked with the operation of the first regulating section.

  In an eighth aspect, the paper feeder integrally connects the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion to link the operation of the second restricting portion with the operation of the first restricting portion. When the pickup roller is actuated, the restriction on the movement of the sheet is released by the first restricting portion being pushed and displaced by the displacing portion.

  In a ninth aspect, in the paper feeding device, the first regulating portion and the second regulating portion are arranged only on one side of the paper feeding portion in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction.

  In a tenth aspect, in the sheet feeding device, the first set detecting section and the second set detecting section are arranged only on one side of the sheet feeding section in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction.

  In the eleventh invention, in the paper feeding device, a restricting member including the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion is provided outside one of the first set detecting portions in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. Not placed.

In a twelfth aspect, the paper feeding device may be configured such that, in a state before the sheet comes into contact with the first regulating portion and the second regulating portion, a contact portion of the first regulating portion with the sheet is the second regulating portion . The regulating portion is formed to be inclined in the sheet transport direction with respect to a contact portion of the regulating portion with the sheet.

In the thirteenth invention, in the paper feeding device, a contact portion of the first regulating portion with the sheet is disposed upstream of a contact portion of the second regulating portion with the sheet in the sheet transport direction. .

  In a fourteenth aspect, in the paper feeding device, the height of the first restricting portion is set higher than the height of the second restricting portion.

  In a fifteenth aspect, the present invention is an image reading device including a paper feeding device.

  In a sixteenth aspect, an image forming apparatus includes an image reading device.

  According to the present invention, since the first regulating portion is arranged outside the second width paper passage area and the second regulation portion is arranged inside the second width paper passage area, the movement of the second width paper such as a business card is performed. Can be appropriately regulated, and the second width paper can be appropriately fed in addition to the first width paper.

  The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating an internal structure of the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a sheet feeding port portion of the sheet feeding device in FIG. 1 and showing a state in which a pickup roller is raised. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a configuration of a pickup roller and a paper supply roller provided in the paper supply device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a configuration of a lower portion of a sheet loading tray and a regulating member provided in the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a regulating member provided in the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a regulating member provided in the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a positional relationship between a first regulating unit and a second regulating unit included in the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a sheet feeding port portion of the sheet feeding device in FIG. 1 and showing a state where a pickup roller is lowered. FIG. 11 is an illustrative view schematically showing a regulating member provided in a sheet feeding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a peripheral portion thereof; It is a side view which shows the control member of FIG. It is a side view which shows the guide part of FIG. FIG. 11 is an illustrative view schematically showing a regulating member provided in the sheet feeding device of FIG. 10 and a peripheral portion thereof, in which a pickup roller is lowered.

[First embodiment]
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a paper feeder 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunction peripheral thereof. As will be described later in detail, the paper feeding device 10 includes a paper loading tray 44, a pickup roller 50, a paper feeding roller 52, a first regulating unit 76, a second regulating unit 78, and the like. The placed paper (document) is automatically fed to the image reading position 34 one by one. In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which the paper feeder 10 is applied to a multifunction peripheral 100 having a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and the like.

  First, the configuration of the multifunction peripheral 100 will be schematically described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multifunction peripheral 100 includes a multifunction peripheral main body 12, an image reading device 14, and a paper feeding device 10. At a predetermined position in the MFP main body 12, a control unit 20 that controls the operation of each part of the MFP 100 is provided. The control unit 20 includes a CPU, a memory, and the like, transmits a control signal to each part of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to an input operation to the operation unit 22 such as a touch panel and operation buttons, and performs various operations on the multifunction peripheral 100. Is executed.

  In addition, the image forming unit 24 including an exposure unit, a photosensitive drum, a charger, a developing device, a fixing roller, and the like is built in the multifunction peripheral body 12. The image forming unit 24 forms an image on recording paper conveyed from a paper feed cassette 26 or the like, and discharges the recording paper on which the image has been formed to a discharge tray 28. As image data for forming an image on recording paper, image data read by the image reading unit 32, image data transmitted from an external computer, and the like are used.

In addition, the image reading device 14 includes a housing 30 having an original mounting table 30a formed of a transparent material on an upper surface. An image reading unit 32 including a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an imaging lens, a line sensor, and the like is provided in the housing 30. The image reading unit 32 exposes the surface of the document with a light source, and guides the light reflected from the surface of the document to an imaging lens by a plurality of mirrors. Then, the reflected light is imaged on the light receiving element of the line sensor by the imaging lens. The line sensor detects the luminance and chromaticity of the reflected light imaged on the light receiving element, and generates image data based on the image of the document surface. Line sensors include CCD (Charge Coupled Device) and CIS
(Contact Image Sensor) may be used.

  The image reading unit 32 has a home position at a position facing the image reading position 34, and when reading an image of a document placed on the sheet placement tray 44, the document conveyed from the sheet feeding device 10. Reads the image on the front side of the document when passing through the image reading position 34, and acquires the image data. When reading an image of a document placed on the document table 30a on the upper surface of the housing 30, the light source and the mirror move appropriately below the document table 30a to read the image on the surface of the document. To acquire the image data.

  A document holding cover 36 is attached to the document table 30a of the image reading device 14 via a hinge so as to be freely opened and closed. The paper feeding device 10 is provided on the document pressing cover 36.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the sheet feeding device 10 will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. Note that “upstream” or “downstream” in the present invention refers to “upstream” or “downstream” in the document transport direction (paper transport direction).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feeding device 10 is a device that continuously transports a document (paper) for reading an image from a paper loading tray 44 to a paper output tray 46 via an image reading position 34. And a main body case 40 made of a synthetic resin forming the outer shell. A paper feed port 42 is formed in the upper part of the main body case 40, and a paper tray 44 is provided to extend obliquely upward from the bottom of the paper feed port 42. The paper tray 44 includes an upstream portion 44a, a middle portion 44b, and a downstream portion 44c. The upstream portion 44a is formed in a plate shape, and the middle portion 44b and the downstream portion 44c are formed in a case shape. The upstream portion 44a of the paper tray 44 is rotatably connected to the middle portion 44b by an opening / closing fulcrum 44d extending in the width direction. Is done. A pair of side guides 48 that are movable in the width direction are provided on the upper surface of the midstream portion 44b of the paper tray 44. The side guide 48 regulates and aligns the original placed on the paper tray 44 from both sides.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, inside the main body case 40, above the downstream portion 44 c of the paper loading tray 44, functions as a paper feeding unit that sends out the paper loaded on the paper loading tray 44. Pickup roller 50 is provided. A paper feed roller 52 and a separating unit 54 are provided downstream of the pickup roller 50, and a pickup holder 56 is provided so as to cover above and around the pickup roller 50 and the paper feed roller 52. A locking portion 58 protruding outward is formed on one of the side walls of the pickup holder 56. When the pickup roller 50 is on standby (when the pickup roller 50 rises), the locking portion 58 is engaged with an engaging portion 80 of the first restricting portion 76 described later to restrict the rotation of the first restricting portion 76. Further, the locking portion 58 functions as a displacement portion that is displaced when the pickup roller 50 is operated (descent), and when the pickup roller 50 is operated, the locking portion 58 changes its position so that the locking portion 58 is displaced. The engagement of the first restricting portion 76 with the engaging portion 80 is released.

  A rotation shaft 60 for rotating the paper feed roller 52 is supported by a side wall of the main body case 40, and the pickup holder 56 is attached to the rotation shaft 60 so as to be vertically rotatable (up and down). Further, a rotation shaft 62 for rotating the pickup roller 50 is supported by a side wall of the pickup holder 56. That is, the pickup roller 50 is supported by the pickup holder 56 so as to be vertically movable about the rotation axis of the sheet feeding roller 52. Before feeding the document placed on the paper tray 44, the pickup roller 56 is rotated upward to raise the pickup roller 50, and the pickup roller 50 and the pickup holder 56 The pickup roller 50 is held at a standby position where the upper surface of the placed document (paper) is separated from the pickup roller 50 (see FIG. 3). When a document is fed, the pickup roller 50 is lowered by rotating the pickup holder 56 downward, so that the pickup roller 50 and the pickup holder 56 are positioned between the upper surface of the placed document and the pickup roller 50. Moves to the operating position where the document can be sent out (see FIG. 9). The pickup roller 50 is driven to rotate together with the paper feed roller 52 by receiving a drive from a paper feed motor (not shown).

  Returning to FIG. 2, a plurality of transport rollers 64 and a discharge roller 66 are provided downstream of the paper feed roller 52, and are provided in the main body case 40 from the paper feed port 42 via the image reading position 34. A document conveying path 70 extending to the paper discharge port 68 is formed. Further, a paper discharge tray 46 is provided downstream of the paper discharge port 68.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a set detecting member 72 and a regulating member 74 are provided in the downstream portion 44c of the sheet placing tray 44. The set detecting member 72 is a member for detecting that a document has been placed on the paper placing tray 44. When the set detecting member 72 is rotated forward (document conveying direction) by the front end of the document abutting, a photo sensor or the like detects this as a sheet mounted state.

  The regulating member 74 is provided near the downstream side of the sheet feeding position of the pickup roller 50 in order to prevent an unintended entry of the document into the sheet feeding roller 52 when the document is placed on the sheet placing tray 44. This is a member for restricting the movement of the document to the downstream side. In the first embodiment, not only the first width paper having a normal width such as A4 paper, A3 paper, B4 paper and B3 paper but also the first width paper such as a business card or a postcard is smaller and narrower. The restricting member 74 is configured so as to be able to appropriately cope with the second width sheet. The paper feed position means a position where the pickup roller 50 comes in contact with the document.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to 8, the restricting member 74 includes a first restricting portion 76 and a second restricting portion 76 disposed at one end (one side) of the pickup roller 50 in the axial direction. A portion 78 is provided. The first regulating portion 76 is inclined at a predetermined angle toward the downstream side, and passes through a passage area W through which the second width sheet passes (a second width sheet passage area W: for example, centered on the widthwise center of the sheet tray 44). (See FIG. 5) in the direction perpendicular to the document transport direction and outside the width of the pickup holder 56 in the direction perpendicular to the document transport direction. An engagement portion 80 that engages with the engagement portion 58 formed on the outer surface of the pickup holder 56 is formed at the distal end of the first restriction portion 76, and a cutout 82 is provided below the engagement portion 80. Is formed.

  On the other hand, the second restricting portion 78 includes a first piece 78a that is greatly inclined downstream from the first restricting portion 76, and a second piece 78b that is bent upward from the tip of the first piece 78a and extends substantially vertically upward. And is arranged inside the second width paper passage area W and within the width of the pickup holder 56 in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. Further, the second piece 78b of the second restricting portion 78 is located on the downstream side of the first restricting portion 76. Further, the height of the second regulating portion 78 is set lower than the height of the first regulating portion 76, and the second regulating portion 78 is accommodated in the pickup holder 56 when the pickup roller 50 is lowered.

As shown in FIG. 6, the proximal end of the first restricting portion 76 and the proximal end of the second restricting portion 78 are connected by a cylindrical connecting portion 84. A plate-shaped weight portion 86 protruding in the opposite direction to 76 and 78 is provided. A support shaft 88 supported by the side wall of the downstream portion 44c of the paper loading tray 44 is inserted into the connecting portion 84, and the regulating member 74 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 88. That is, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are rotatable around the support shaft 88 as a fulcrum. When no other force acts, the weight 86 descends due to its own weight, and the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are in an upright state. In this standing state, as can be clearly understood from FIGS. 5 and 8, the upper portion of the first regulating portion 76 and the second piece 78 b of the second regulating portion 78 project from the upper surface of the downstream portion 44 c of the paper tray 44. It will be in the state of having done. In other words, the upper part of the first regulating part 76 and the second piece 78b of the second regulating part 78 are abutting parts that come into contact with the document placed on the paper tray 44.
Note that the reason why the inclination angle of the second piece 78b of the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 is changed is due to the difference in the sheets to be restricted. That is, the first width paper such as A4 paper is thinner and easier to curl than the second width paper such as a business card, so that even if the first width paper is curled, the first regulating unit 76 can be appropriately fed. Are tilted in the document transport direction. On the other hand, the second piece 78b of the second restricting portion 78 that restricts the movement of the relatively thick second-width paper that is difficult to curl is formed to extend substantially vertically upward to prevent unintended entry of the second-width paper. We make sure to regulate. The height of the first regulating portion 76 (the height of the protrusion from the paper tray 44) is set higher than the height of the second regulating portion 78 even if the curled first width paper is used. This is to ensure that the first width sheet is brought into contact with the first regulating section 76 to prevent unintended entry of the first width sheet. On the other hand, the height of the second restricting portion 78 that restricts the movement of the second width sheet that is unlikely to curl is reduced so that the second restricting portion 78 can be properly accommodated in the pickup holder 56. Further, by arranging the first restricting portion 76 on the upstream side of the second piece 78b of the second restricting portion 78, the first width sheet placed on the sheet tray 44 is moved ahead of the first restricting portion 76. As a result, regulation performance is ensured.

  In such a sheet feeding device 10, when an original is placed on the sheet placing tray 44, the pickup roller 50 is held at the raised position (standby position) (see FIG. 3). At this time, the engaging portion 58 of the pickup holder 56 and the engaging portion 80 of the first restricting portion 76 are in an engaged state, and the rotation of the first restricting portion 76 is Regulated by In addition, since the rotation of the first restricting portion 76 is restricted, the rotation of the second restricting portion 78 integrally connected to the first restricting portion 76 is also restricted in the upright state.

When the first width paper such as A4 paper is placed on the paper tray 44, the first width paper is applied to the first regulating section 76 which is disposed upstream of the second regulating section 78. As a result, the movement of the first width sheet in the transport direction is regulated, and the first width sheet is aligned. On the other hand, when the second width paper such as a business card is placed on the paper loading tray 44, the second regulating portion 78 (the second piece 78 b) arranged inside the second width paper passage area W places the second width paper. The two-width sheets come into contact with each other, thereby restricting the movement of the second-width sheets in the transport direction and aligning the second-width sheets.

  Thus, in the first embodiment, the movement of not only the first width sheet but also the second width sheet such as a business card is appropriately regulated.

  When the document placed on the paper tray 44 is fed and an image is read, the pickup roller 50 is driven to rotate and the pickup holder 56 is rotated downward as shown in FIG. The pickup roller 50 moves to the lowering position (operating position). At this time, the locking portion 58 of the pickup holder 56 comes to the height position of the notch portion 82 of the first restricting portion 76, and the locking portion 58 of the pickup holder 56 and the engaging portion 80 of the first restricting portion 76. Is disengaged. That is, since the locking portion 58 comes to a position where it can pass through the notch portion 82, the first regulating portion 76 is in a rotatable state. In addition, since the first restricting portion 76 is rotatable, the second restricting portion 78 whose rotation has been restricted by the first restricting portion 76 is released from the restriction and becomes rotatable. That is, when the pickup roller 50 is lowered, the movement of the document by the first and second restriction portions 76 and 78 is released with the displacement of the locking portion (displacement portion) 58.

  When the first width paper is sent out (picked up) from the paper loading tray 44 by the pickup roller 50, the first restricting portion 76 is pushed forward by the first width paper and pivots forward, and the second regulating part 76 is thereby moved forward. The restricting portion 78 also rotates forward, and the first width sheet is sent to the sheet feeding roller 52. On the other hand, when the second width paper is sent out from the paper tray 44 by the pickup roller 50, the second restriction portion 78 is pushed forward by the second width paper and rotates forward, and accordingly, the first restriction portion 76 is rotated. Also rotates forward, and the second width sheet is sent to the sheet feeding roller 52.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the release of the movement regulation of the first width paper and the second width paper at the time of feeding the original is appropriately performed.

  The document sent to the paper feed roller 52 by the pickup roller 50 is transported to the image reading position 34 by the paper feed roller 52 and the plurality of transport rollers 64. Then, while being conveyed on the image reading position 34, the image is read by the image reading unit 32 of the image reading device 14. The document that has passed the image reading position 34 is guided to the paper discharge port 68 by the transport roller 64 and the paper discharge roller 66 and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 46.

  According to the first embodiment, the first regulating portion 76 is arranged outside the second width paper passage area W, and the second regulation portion 78 is arranged inside the second width paper passage region W. The movement of the second width sheet such as a business card to the downstream side in addition to the width sheet can also be appropriately restricted, and unintended entry of the first width sheet and the second width sheet into the sheet feeding roller 52 can be prevented. That is, in addition to the first width paper such as A4 paper, the second width paper such as a business card can be appropriately fed.

Further, in the first embodiment, when the pickup roller 50 is on standby (when the pickup roller 50 is raised), the rotation of the first restricting portion 76 is restricted (that is, the movement of the document is restricted), and when the pickup roller 50 is operated ( At the time of descending), the engaging mechanism for enabling the first restricting portion 76 to be rotatable (that is, releasing the document movement restriction), that is, the locking portion 58, the engaging portion 80, and the notch portion 82 are moved to the first position. It is provided on the regulating portion 76 and the pickup holder 56. Further, the second restricting portion 78 is integrally connected to the first restricting portion 76 by the connecting portion 84 so as to be linked with the operation of the first restricting portion 76. That is, the first restricting portion 7 disposed outside the pickup holder 56, which can easily secure a space.
6 is provided with an engagement mechanism with a locking portion (displacement portion) 58, and the operation of the second restriction portion 78 is interlocked with the operation of the first restriction portion 76 so as to be interlocked with the vertical movement of the pickup roller 50. The restriction and release of the document movement by the second restricting portion 78 can be linked to the vertical movement of the pickup roller 50 without providing the engaging mechanism of the second restricting portion 78. Thus, the shape of the second restricting portion 78 can be simplified, so that the second restricting portion 78 can be arranged even in a limited space in the pickup holder 56. That is, the second restricting portion 78 can be appropriately disposed inside the second width paper passage area W without increasing the size or complexity of the apparatus.

  Further, since the second piece 78b of the second restricting portion 78 is formed so as to extend substantially vertically upward, the height of the second restricting portion 78 is set low while the movement of the document can be reliably performed. it can. Therefore, the size and thickness of the device can be reduced. Further, since the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are arranged on one side of the pickup roller 50, the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

  In the above-described first embodiment, the second restriction portion 78 is formed by the first piece 78a that is greatly inclined to the downstream side and the second piece 78b that extends substantially vertically upward. Is not limited to this. For example, the second restricting portion 78 may be formed in a flat plate shape extending from the connecting portion 84 at a uniform inclination angle. In this case, the contact position between the first restricting portion 76 and the document (first width sheet) is set to the second restricting portion 78 by inclining the second restricting portion 78 greatly downstream of the first restricting portion 76. It is preferable to set it downstream from the contact position between the document 78 and the document (second width paper). Thereby, the regulation performance of the document is improved. However, it is not necessary to dispose the first restricting portion 76 on the upstream side of the second restricting portion 78, and the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 may be disposed in parallel.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a sheet feeding device and a sheet feeding device 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the above-described first embodiment, the regulating member 74 (the first regulating portion 76 and the second regulating portion 78) is rotated in the document conveying direction when the document is sent out. However, in the second embodiment, the regulating member 74 is rotated. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the first member 74 is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the document conveying direction. Hereinafter, the sheet feeding device 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13, and portions common to the above-described first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted. Abbreviated or simplified. In the following, only the configuration of the regulating member 74 and its peripheral members will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the regulating member 74 includes a first regulating section 76 and a second regulating section 78. The first restricting portion 76 includes a first piece 76a extending in a substantially vertical direction, and a second piece 76b that is bent downstream from the tip of the first piece 76a and inclined at a predetermined angle. The first restricting portion 76 is arranged outside the second width paper passage area W in the direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction and outside the width of the pickup holder 56 in the direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. At the lower end of the first piece 76a of the first regulating portion 76, a short columnar mounting portion 92 to which one end of a tension member 90 described later is connected is provided.

  The second restriction portion 78 includes a first piece 78c that is inclined downstream, a second piece 78d that is bent upward from the tip of the first piece 78c and extends substantially vertically upward, and a second piece 78d that is downstream from the tip of the second piece 78d. And a third piece 78e bent to the side and inclined at a predetermined angle. The second restricting portion 78 is arranged inside the second width paper passage area W and within the width of the pickup holder 56 in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. Further, the second piece 78d and the third piece 78e of the second restricting portion 78 are disposed downstream of the first restricting portion 76. Further, the height of the second restriction portion 78 is set lower than the height of the first restriction portion 76.

  The base end of the first restriction part 76 and the base end of the second restriction part 78 are connected by a cylindrical connection part 84. A rotation support shaft 94 extending in the document transport direction is provided at an end of the connecting portion 84 on the first control portion 76 side, and the control member 74 is rotated by the rotation support shaft 94 in a direction perpendicular to the document transport direction. Supported as possible. That is, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are rotatable about the rotation support shaft 94 in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. Further, one end of a tension member 90, which is an elastic member such as a spring, is connected to the attachment portion 92 of the first regulating portion 76, and the regulating member 74 is attached to the outside (pulling) in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. A pulling force acts on the member 90). Further, the regulating member 74 is held by a holding mechanism (not shown) so as to be vertically movable. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, a guide portion 96 that guides the end of the connecting portion 84 of the regulating member 74 on the second regulating portion 78 side is provided in the downstream portion 44 c of the paper tray 44. . The guide portion 96 includes two vertical walls extending vertically along the side surface of the end of the connecting portion 84 and a bottom wall connecting lower ends of these vertical walls. However, the regulating member 74 may rotate around the end of the connecting portion 84 on the first regulating portion 76 side as a fulcrum. That is, the rotation support shaft 94 and the tension member 90 may be provided on the second regulating portion 78 side, and the guide portion 96 may be provided on the first regulating portion 76 side.

  When no other force acts on the regulating member 74, the tension of the tension member 90 acts on the regulating member 74, so that the first regulating portion 76 and the second regulating portion 78 stand in the upper position. Becomes In the standing state at this upper position, as can be clearly understood from FIGS. 10 and 11, the first piece 76 a and the second piece 76 b of the first regulating part 76 and the second piece 78 d and the second piece 78 d of the second regulating part 78 are formed. The three pieces 78 e project from the upper surface of the downstream portion 44 c of the paper tray 44.

  A flat contact portion 98 protruding outward is formed at one of the side walls of the pickup holder 56 at a position corresponding to the first regulating portion 76. The contact portion 98 functions as a displacement portion that is displaced when the pickup roller 50 is operated (descent). When the pickup roller 50 is operated, the contact portion 98 pushes the distal end of the second piece 76b of the first regulating portion 76 downward, thereby pushing the first regulating portion 76 (and thus the entire regulating member 74). Displace to the lower position.

  In such a sheet feeding device 10, when an original is placed on the sheet placing tray 44, the pickup roller 50 is held at the raised position (standby position). At this time, since the contact portion 98 of the pickup holder 56 does not push down the first restricting portion 76, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are in an upright state at the upper position (see FIG. 10).

  When a first width sheet such as an A4 sheet is placed on the sheet tray 44, the first width sheet mainly contacts the first piece 76a of the first regulating portion 76. At this time, the first restricting portion 76 is rotatable in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction by a rotation support shaft 94 extending in the document conveying direction, and the first piece 76a of the first restricting portion 76 is substantially Since it extends in the vertical direction, even if the first width sheet abuts on the first piece 76a of the first restricting portion 76, the first restricting portion 76 does not rotate. Therefore, when the pickup roller 50 is at the standby position, the movement of the first width sheet in the transport direction is appropriately regulated by the first regulating section 76 and the first width sheet is aligned.

  On the other hand, when a second width sheet such as a business card is placed on the sheet tray 44, the second width sheet comes into contact with the second piece 78d of the second restricting portion 78. At this time, as in the case of the first restricting portion 76, even if the second width sheet abuts on the second piece 78d of the second restricting portion 78 extending substantially vertically, the second restricting portion 78 rotates. do not do. Therefore, when the pickup roller 50 is at the standby position, the movement of the second width sheet in the transport direction is appropriately regulated by the second regulating portion 78, and the second width sheet is aligned.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, when a document placed on the paper tray 44 is fed and an image is read, the pickup holder 56 is rotated downward and the pickup roller 50 is lowered (operating position). Go to At this time, the first restricting portion 76 is displaced to the lower position by the contact portion 98 contacting the tip of the second piece 76b of the first restricting portion 76 and pushing the first restricting portion 76 downward. Further, the second restricting portion 78 integrated with the first restricting portion 76 via the connecting portion 84 is also displaced to the lower position. That is, the entire regulating member 74 is displaced to the lower position, and the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are in an upright state at the lower position. In the standing state at this lower position, the second piece 76b of the first regulating portion 76 and the third piece 78e of the second regulating portion 78 project from the upper surface of the downstream portion 44c of the paper tray 44. .

  Then, when the first width sheet is sent out from the sheet tray 44 by the pickup roller 50, the second piece 76b of the first regulating portion 76 is pushed forward (in the document conveying direction) by the first width sheet. At this time, since the second piece 76b of the first restricting portion 76 is inclined to the downstream side, the force applied to the second piece 76b in the document conveying direction also acts downward. Due to this downward force, the first restricting portion 76 is rotated in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. Accordingly, the second regulating portion 78 also rotates in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction, and the first width sheet is sent out to the sheet feeding roller 52. On the other hand, when the second width sheet is sent out from the sheet tray 44 by the pickup roller 50, the second piece 78e of the second regulating portion 78 is pushed in the document conveying direction by the first width sheet. At this time, similarly to the case of the above-described first restricting portion 76, since the second piece 78e of the second restricting portion 78 is inclined to the downstream side, it is added to the second piece 78e in the document conveying direction. The force also acts downward. As a result, the second restricting portion 78 rotates in a direction perpendicular to the document conveying direction, and the first restricting portion 76 also rotates in a direction perpendicular to the document conveying direction to feed the second width sheet. The paper is sent to the paper roller 52.

That is, in the second embodiment, when the pickup roller 50 is operated, the first restricting portion 76 is pushed by the contact portion (displacement portion) 98 to be displaced, whereby the restriction on the movement of the first width sheet is released. You. Further, by integrally connecting the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78, the second restricting portion 78 is also displaced in conjunction with the displacement (operation) of the first restricting portion 76, and During the operation, the restriction on the movement of the second width sheet is also released.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the first restricting portion 76 is disposed outside the second width paper passage area W, and the first regulating portion 76 is disposed inside the second width paper passage area W. Since the second regulating unit 78 is disposed, the downstream movement of the second width paper such as a business card in addition to the first width paper can also be appropriately regulated, and the first width paper and the second width paper to the paper feed roller 52 can be appropriately controlled. Can be prevented from entering unintentionally. That is, in addition to the first width paper such as A4 paper, the second width paper such as a business card can be appropriately fed.

  Further, according to the second embodiment, when the pickup roller 50 operates, the first restricting portion 76 is pressed by the contact portion 98 to be displaced, thereby restricting the movement of the first width sheet by the first restricting portion 76. The restriction is released, and the restriction on the movement of the second width sheet by the second restriction unit 78 is released in conjunction with the release. For this reason, the operation of the second restricting portion 78 can be interlocked with the operation of the pickup roller 50 without providing an engagement mechanism for interlocking with the operation of the pickup roller 50 in the second restricting portion 78. Accordingly, the shape of the second restricting portion 78 can be simplified, so that the second restricting portion 78 can be appropriately disposed inside the second width paper passage area W.

  In the first and second embodiments, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are collectively arranged on one side of the pickup roller 50 from the viewpoint of miniaturization of the apparatus. The present invention is not limited to this. The first regulating portion 76 may be provided at one end of the pickup roller 50 in the axial direction, and the second regulating portion 78 may be provided at the other end.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a paper feeder 10 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described first and second embodiments, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are arranged only on one side of the pickup roller 50. However, in the third embodiment, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are arranged. The difference from the first and second embodiments is that the second regulating portions 78 are provided on both sides of the pickup roller 50. That is, in the third embodiment, although not shown, the first regulating portions 76 are provided on both sides of the pickup roller 50 outside the second width paper passage area W in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. A second regulating portion 78 is provided inside the second width paper passage area W in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. Thus, the first width paper and the second width paper come into contact with and are regulated by the first regulating portion 76 and the second regulating portion 78 at two points in a direction orthogonal to the document conveying direction. As for the other configuration, the same configuration as that of the first and second embodiments can be adopted, and thus the duplicated description will be omitted.

  According to the third embodiment, the effect of reducing the size of the apparatus is reduced, but unintended entry of the first width paper and the second width paper into the paper feed roller 52 can be more reliably prevented. However, only one of the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 may be provided on both sides of the pickup roller 50.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are integrated and interlocked, but the first restricting portion 76 and the second restricting portion 78 are not necessarily integrated. It need not be formed. However, in this case, it is necessary to provide an engagement mechanism or a rotation restricting means for interlocking with the vertical movement of the pickup roller 50 in the second restricting portion 78.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the pickup roller 50 that rises during standby and descends during operation is used as a paper feeding unit that sends out the paper placed on the paper tray, but descends during standby and rises during operation. That is, the pickup roller 50 in which the standby position and the operating position are upside down may be used as the sheet feeding unit. Further, instead of the pickup roller 50, a D-type roller or the like can be used as the sheet feeding unit.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the sheet feeding unit (pickup roller 50) is disposed at the center in the width direction of the sheet stacking tray 44, and accordingly, the second width sheet passage area W is also set at the center in the width direction. However, when the paper feeding unit is arranged at the width direction end of the paper stack tray 44, the second width paper passage area W is also set at the width direction end.

  Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the paper (document) for reading an image is conveyed (that is, the paper feeding device 10 is applied to an ADF (automatic document feeder)), but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the paper feeder 10 can be applied to a mechanism for feeding paper (recording paper) for printing an image from a manual feed tray or a paper feed cassette.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the sheet feeding device 10 is applied to the multifunction device (image forming device) 100 in which the multifunction device main body 12 including the image forming unit 24 and the image reading device 14 are integrated. It is not limited to this. For example, the image reading device 14 including the paper feeding device 10 may be an individual product. In this case, the image reading device 14 is connected to a network and transmits the read image to a personal computer or another image forming device, for example.

  It should be noted that the specific numerical values such as the dimensions described above are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed as necessary according to the specifications of the product.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Paper feeder 12 ... Multifunction machine main body 14 ... Image reading device 20 ... Control part 32 ... Image reading part 34 ... Image reading position 44 ... Paper loading tray 50 ... Pickup roller (paper feeding part)
52: paper feed roller 56: pickup holder 58: locking part (displacement part)
74 regulating member 76 first regulating portion 78 second regulating portion 80 engaging portion 82 cutout portion 84 connecting portion 98 contact portion (displacement portion)
100: Multifunction machine (image forming apparatus)

Claims (16)

A paper feeding device for feeding paper loaded on a paper loading tray,
A paper feeding unit for feeding out the paper placed on the paper loading tray,
The sheet is placed on the sheet tray on the downstream side of the sheet feeding position of the sheet feeding unit in the sheet conveying direction and outside the second width sheet passing area in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. A first regulating unit that regulates movement of the first width sheet in the transport direction, and a first set detection unit that detects that the first width sheet is placed on the sheet tray.
The sheet is placed on the sheet tray in the second width sheet passing area in a direction downstream of the sheet feeding position of the sheet feeding unit in the sheet conveying direction and in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. A second restricting portion for restricting the movement of the second width sheet having a width smaller than that of the first width sheet in the conveying direction, and a second detecting section for detecting that the second width sheet is placed on the sheet tray. for example Bei two sets detection unit,
The first regulating unit and the second regulating unit do not have a function of detecting that the paper is placed on the paper placing tray,
The sheet feeding device , wherein the first set detection unit and the second set detection unit do not have a function of restricting the movement of the paper placed on the paper loading tray in the transport direction .   The first regulating unit and the second regulating unit, and the first set detecting unit and the second set detecting unit are arranged so as to sandwich the sheet feeding unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1. The paper feed unit is a pickup roller movably provided between a standby position and an operation position,
3. The sheet feeder according to claim 1, wherein each of the first restricting unit and the second restricting unit restricts movement of the sheet when the pickup roller is on standby, and releases the restriction when the pickup roller operates. 4. apparatus. A pickup holder movably provided between a standby position and an operation position, and rotatably holding the pickup roller;
The first restricting portion is disposed outside the width of the pickup holder in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction, and the second restricting portion is configured to have a width of the pickup holder in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The paper feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the paper feeding device is disposed between the pickup roller end and the pickup holder.   The first set detection unit is disposed outside the width of the pickup holder in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction, and the second set detection unit is configured to control the pickup holder in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction. 5. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the sheet feeding device is disposed between the pickup roller end and the pickup holder. A displacement portion that is displaced when the pickup roller is actuated,
The first restricting portion and the second restricting portion are integrally connected, and the restriction of the movement of the sheet by the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion is released by the displacement of the displacement portion. The paper feeding device according to claim 2.   An engagement mechanism with the displacement section for regulating or releasing the movement of the sheet in conjunction with the operation of the pickup roller is provided in the first regulation section, and the first regulation section and the second regulation section are provided. 7. The paper feeding device according to claim 6, wherein the operation of the second restriction unit is linked with the operation of the first restriction unit by being integrally connected.   The first restricting portion and the second restricting portion are integrally connected to each other so that the operation of the second restricting portion is interlocked with the operation of the first restricting portion. 7. The paper feeding device according to claim 6, wherein the restriction of the movement of the sheet is released by being displaced by being pushed by the displacement portion.   9. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first regulating unit and the second regulating unit are disposed on only one side of the sheet feeding unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. 10.   10. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first set detecting unit and the second set detecting unit are arranged on only one side of the sheet feeding unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. apparatus.   The control member according to claim 1, wherein a restricting member including the first restricting portion and the second restricting portion is not disposed outside one of the first set detecting portions in a direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction. A paper feeding device according to any one of the above.   In a state before the sheet comes into contact with the first regulating section and the second regulating section, a contact portion of the first regulating section with the sheet is larger than a contacting section of the second regulating section with the sheet. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is formed to be inclined in the sheet conveyance direction.   13. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion of the first regulating portion with respect to the sheet is disposed upstream of a contact portion of the second regulating portion with the sheet in the sheet transport direction. Paper feeder.   14. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a height of the first regulating unit is set higher than a height of the second regulating unit.   An image reading device comprising the sheet feeding device according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising the image reading device according to claim 15.

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