JPH0114133B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sheet storage container that is detachably attached to a main body of a copying machine or the like and is used for feeding transfer paper in a copying machine or the like.

A paper feeder for copying paper, etc. has a bottom plate that is pivoted at a certain point on the bottom of the container and on which a stack of sheets is placed, and this is inserted into a copying machine, etc., and the bottom plate is pushed up with a push-up member. A removable paper feed cassette is widely used in which the upper surface of a bundle of paper sheets placed on a bottom plate is brought into pressure contact with a paper feed roller of a photographic machine, etc., and the sheets are fed one by one from above.

When the paper in the paper feed cassette runs out, it is necessary to immediately issue appropriate commands to the operation of the entire apparatus, for example, in the case of a copying machine, to stop the next copying process and to indicate that the paper has run out. Conventionally, this means uses a rotatable paper detection lever whose tip touches the top surface of the paper stack on the bottom plate of the cassette pushed up by a push-up member, and when the paper runs out, the tip drops into a hole made in the bottom plate. It is known that the lever is provided in the main body of the machine or the like, and a switch or the like is actuated by the lever or an actuator that rotates together with the lever.

If you want to replenish paper into the paper cassette based on the paper out indication, you would normally have to remove the cassette from the copying machine, replenish it, and then reinstall it. A paper feeding device has been proposed in which the paper feeding roller and the paper detection lever are temporarily released upward by a cam provided on the side of the cassette so as not to interfere with the ejection. However, in this device, the paper detection lever does not separate from the bottom plate unless the cassette is removed, so paper cannot be replenished with the cassette attached. Also, it is easy to touch the paper detection lever when inserting/removing the paper feed cassette or maintaining the paper feed roller, etc.
There are drawbacks such as the delicate detection lever being susceptible to deformation and damage.

In order to make it possible to replenish paper into the cassette while the cassette is attached to the main body of a copier, etc., the cassette is provided with a top cover that can be opened and closed by flipping up the rear part when the cassette is inserted, and the top cover is linked with the opening and closing operation of the top cover. A paper feed cassette in which the bottom plate is lowered to separate it from the paper feed roller has been proposed in Utility Model Application No. 155975/1985, but this proposal does not give any consideration to the retraction of the paper detection lever. do not have.

This invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional paper feed cassette, not only does it reliably detect the presence or absence of paper in the cassette, but it also makes it possible to replenish paper even when the cassette is inserted into the main body of a copying machine. It is possible and
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet storage container, that is, a paper feed cassette, which does not cause damage to a detection member during maintenance.

For this purpose and in accordance with the present invention, the container is provided with a top lid that can be opened and closed by flipping up the rear while attached to the main body of a copying machine, etc., and the tip of the container comes into contact with the paper on the bottom plate that has been pushed up, and the paper is A rotatable paper detection lever is provided on the cassette side, the tip of which drops into a hole in the bottom plate when the paper runs out, and the lever rotates integrally with the lever to activate a paper detection sensor installed in a copying machine, etc. A member is provided, and the detection lever is rotated in a direction away from the bottom plate when the top cover is opened, and the actuation member is interlocked so that the paper detection sensor is rotated to a position where it detects that there is no paper. This is achieved by

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the bottom plate 2 on which sheets of paper (hereinafter referred to as paper) P are placed is rotatable about points 1-5 at the bottom of the container 1. The container 1 is moved by a lifter 51 that rotates counterclockwise together with a shaft 50 by a drive source (not shown) provided on the main body to which it is attached (hereinafter referred to as a copying machine), such as a copying machine. As the bottom plate 2 is pushed up through the holes 1-4, the top surface of the topmost paper of the paper bundle P comes into pressure contact with the paper feed roller 100, and the paper feed roller 100 rotates in the direction of the arrow in response to the paper feed signal. Paper is fed by this. On the upper surface of the container, except for a part of the front part, a cover 5 is pivoted at its front end to a support shaft 20, and can be opened and closed by holding the rear end and flipping it up in the direction of the arrow. A roller 8 is provided on the side surface near the front end of the cover 5, and a roller 8 is provided on the side surface near the front end of the cover 5.
When the roller 8 is pulled out from the copying machine main body or when the cover 5 is opened, the roller 8 retreats with respect to the copying machine, operates a release lever (not shown), and cuts off the drive of the lifter 51, thereby removing the bottom plate 2 and the bottom plate 2. The placed paper P falls to the bottom of the container 1. A damper D is attached to the front end of the bottom to reduce the impact when dropped.

As shown in FIG. 3, protrusions 1-1 are provided in the front and rear direction near the front ends of both sides of the storage container side 1, and a recess 1 is provided on the lower edge.
-2 is provided, and the groove 30-1 of the guide block 30 fixed to the container mounting part on the copying machine side, the pin 30
-2, respectively, and are set in a predetermined state.
To remove container 1 from the copying machine main body, slightly lift the rear end of container 1 (right end in the figure) and remove pin 30-2 and recess 1.
-2 can be disengaged and then pulled out. A shaft 24 rotatably supported on both sides of the container slightly forward of the front end of the cover 5 has a feeler 25 for detecting the presence or absence of paper on the bottom plate 2, and a sensor S provided on the copying machine side. An actuator 26 for actuation is fixed. In this embodiment, a photocoupler is used for the sensor S, and the actuator 26 is formed as a light-shielding plate that blocks the optical axis of the sensor. The first one in contact with its top surface.
In the state shown in the figure, the actuator 26 blocks the optical path of the sensor S, and in the state shown in FIG. In the state shown in FIG. 5 in which the actuator 26 is opened and the upper end A of the feeler 25 is pushed down by its front end, the actuator 26 does not block the optical path of the sensor S. As a result, the presence or absence of paper on the bottom plate and the open/closed state of the cover 5 are detected. When the container is pulled out from the copying machine main body, the actuator 26 is removed from the sensor S without interfering with each other. A roller 2 provided at the tip of an arm 21 integrally attached to both sides of the front end of the cover 5
2 fits into the recesses formed at both ends of the V-shaped leaf spring 23 provided at the bottom of the container, and the decante is applied.
The cover 5 is adapted to be held in both open and closed positions.

Since this device is constructed as described above, when paper feeding continues in the state shown in FIG. 1 and the last paper on the bottom plate 2 is discharged from the container, the state shown in FIG. The tip of the hole 2 in the bottom plate 2
-1, the actuator 26 separates from the sensor S, and the signal indicates that the paper is out by means of a lamp, etc. At the same time, an appropriate command is issued for the operation of the entire device, for example, in the case of a copying machine, the next copy is to be made. Prohibit start.

When the operator knows from the indicator lamp that the paper has run out, he opens the cover 5 to replenish the paper, and as shown in FIG. Rotate it significantly clockwise so that the tip of the paper feed roller 10
While the lifter 51 rises to around 0, the lifter 51 descends due to the action of the rollers 8 shown in FIG. 2 as described above, and the bottom plate 2
descends. The rotation of the shaft 24 causes the actuator 26 to move away from the sensor S, and the sensor S controls the machine, such as prohibiting its operation, as described above. If another sensor (not shown) for detecting that the cover 5 is opened is provided, the above-mentioned control such as prohibition of operation of the machine does not have to be performed by the operation of the sensor S. Therefore, when the cover is opened, the actuator 2
6 does not necessarily have to be separated from the sensor S.
Therefore, paper can be refilled safely, and by closing the cover, the roller 8 moves, the lifter 51 rises, pushes up the bottom plate 2, and the filler 25
The actuator 26 contacts the upper surface of the paper placed on the bottom plate which has descended and risen, and the actuator 26 causes the sensor S to determine that there is paper, and becomes ready for operations such as copying.

Note that paper can also be replenished by removing the container from the copying machine. In this case as well, the feeler 25 and actuator 26 rise significantly by opening the cover 5, so paper can be easily replenished, and there is no risk of the feeler 25 being touched and deformed or damaged.

Conventionally, paper feed cassettes were prepared for each paper size, and the cassettes had to be attached and detached each time the paper size used or when replenishing paper. Even when replenishing supplies, the purpose can be achieved simply by opening the cover without removing the cassette.

Note that good copying can be achieved by installing a heat source for humidity adjustment below the cassette in the cassette mounting section of the device to control the humidity of normal paper, but in this case, the cover provided on the cassette is not necessary for the outside. The device of the present invention is effective for protecting paper from changes in the environment, and controls the sensor S so that it does not operate when the cover is open and prohibits copying operations.The device is effective in preventing deterioration of paper and improving copy quality. be.

The present invention has been described above using a transfer paper feeding cassette for a copying machine as an example, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to other printers, facsimile machines, and copying machine paper document storage containers.

As described above, according to the present invention, it becomes easy to replenish and replace paper in sheet storage containers used for these various purposes, and the delicate actuator can be easily replaced when replenishing paper or when maintaining the device on the main body side. The cover protects the paper from the external environment without risking damage to the paper feeder or the feeler, resulting in significant effects such as stable paper feeding and improved copy quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sheet storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a main body, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a front view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state in which the paper continues to be fed from the state shown in the figure and there is no paper left in the container. FIG. 1...Storage container, 2...Bottom plate, 5...Top lid, 2
5... Paper detection lever (feeler), 26... Operating member (actuator), 51... Bottom plate push-up member,
100... Paper feeding means (paper feeding roller), P... Sheet stack, S... Paper detection sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A container provided at the bottom of the container, which has a bottom plate that is pivotally supported on a fulcrum at the bottom of the container and on which a stack of sheets is placed, and an upper lid that can be opened and closed by flipping up the rear part when inserted into the main body to which it is attached. By rotating the bottom plate upward by the push-up member, the topmost paper of the stack of sheets on the bottom plate is brought into pressure contact with the paper feeding means of the main body, so that the sheets are sequentially pulled out from above. A sheet storage container is rotatable so that the tip touches the top surface of the paper placed on the bottom plate that is pushed up, and if there is no paper, the tip falls into a hole provided in the bottom plate. a paper detection lever, and an actuation member that operates a paper detection sensor provided to rotate integrally with the paper detection lever, and the detection lever is separated from the bottom plate when the top cover is opened. A sheet storage container characterized by being interlocked so as to rotate in a direction.