JPH04159951A - Hand inserting paper feed device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the fall of a sheet material and realize certain paper feed and carriage by rotating a carrying roller pair for a short time before normal carrying to nip the top end of a sheet material from a hand inserting feed port into a roller nip part. CONSTITUTION:A pre-carrying control means 103 transmits drive instruction to a DC motor 104 to rotate a carrying roller pair 101 after 1 second after ON signal of a sensor 102 is received, and the instruction is transmitted at a timing of rotating the roller pair 101 for 0.2 seconds. When the roller pair 101 is thus rotated for 0.2 second to conduct pre-carrying before normal carrying, the top end of a sheet 14 is nipped into the nip part of a roller pair 101 and fixed. Thus, even when a sheet drooping long is fed by hand insertion, the sheet is never fallen. When the short-time rotating operation of the roller pair 101 in the precarrying is conducted in the build-up rotating area before the DC motor reaches a fixed rotating speed, the motion of nipping the top end part of the sheet material into the nip of the roller pair 101 can be gently conducted.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to, for example, laser printers, facsimile machines,
The present invention relates to a manual paper feeder used in a PPC copying machine and the like, and particularly relates to a manual paper feeder that can improve initial paper feeding performance in manual paper feeding.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, in addition to automatic paper feeding devices that use paper feeding power cents, manual paper feeding devices that feed single-cut sheets (paper) have often been used. There is. This manual paper feeder is provided, for example, to accommodate diversifying paper sizes and types.

Various conventional configurations of this type of manual paper feed device have been proposed, such as one that utilizes the upper surface of an automatic paper feed cassette, and one that separately provides a manual paper feed device.

Incidentally, recent image forming apparatuses have become smaller in size, and more and more paper feed cassettes in automatic paper feed apparatuses are of types that are completely housed in the main body of the image forming apparatus. For this reason,
Manual paper feeding devices that use the upper surface of the paper feeding power center are on the decline.

Furthermore, with the miniaturization of image forming apparatus bodies, there is naturally a demand for miniaturization of manual paper feeders. For this reason, the paper loading area (paper feed tray) of manual paper feeders tends to be reduced. Furthermore, some recent manual paper feed devices do not even have a paper feed tray and only have a manual paper feed port opening in the exterior cover of the device.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, such conventional manual paper feeding devices are no longer able to handle all paper sizes due to a reduction in paper mounting area.

That is, in the manual paper feeder configured as described above, there is a problem in that, for example, the trailing edge of B4 or A3 size paper hangs down to the outside of the manual paper feeder, and the moment the hand is released, the paper falls due to its own weight. was there.

[Purpose of the invention]

Therefore, the invention according to claim 1 rotates the pair of conveyance rollers for a short time before regular conveyance, so that the leading end portion of the sheet material inserted from the manual paper feed port is caught in the nip portion of the pair of conveyance rollers, The purpose is to realize reliable paper feeding and conveyance by preventing sheet materials from falling.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 provides a short rotation operation of the pair of conveyor rollers in the pre-conveyance in the rising rotation region before the drive motor reaches a certain rotational speed, so that the leading end portion of the sheet material is rotated by the conveyor roller. The purpose is to make the movement gentle when sandwiching between the pair of nips.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a manual paper feed port through which the sheet material is fed and a position where the leading end of the sheet material inserted from the manual paper feed port comes into contact with each other. In the manual paper feeding device, the conveyance roller pair includes a pair of conveyance rollers, and a sensor that is provided immediately before the pair of conveyance rollers and detects the leading edge of the sheet material. The present invention is characterized in that a pre-conveyance control means for rotating the pair for a short period of time is provided.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 2 has a drive motor that drives the pair of conveyor rollers, and the drive motor rotates the pair of conveyor rollers for a short period of time during pre-conveyance. This is characterized in that it is performed in the rising rotation region before reaching speed.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

1 to 5 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the invention according to claim 1 or 2. FIG.

First, the configuration will be explained.

FIG. 3 is an overall internal configuration diagram of a laser printer to which a manual paper feeder according to the present invention is applied.

In the figure, 10 is a printer body divided into an upper unit 10a and a lower unit 10b.
a is rotatably supported by the lower unit 10b around the bin 11. Reference numeral 12 denotes a paper feed cassette 7) detachably attached to the lower part of the printer main body 10. The paper 14 fed by the paper feed roller 13 from the paper feed cassette 12 is conveyed to the lower side of the belt-shaped photoreceptor 16 at a predetermined timing by the registration roller pair 15 via the conveyance roller pair 101 according to the present invention. Ru.

The photoreceptor 16 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow, the surface of the photoreceptor 16 is uniformly charged by a charging charger 17, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 16 based on an optical signal from an optical unit 18. . This latent image is made visible by toner in the developing device 19, and this visible image is transferred by the transfer charger 20 onto the paper 14 that has been conveyed.

The paper 14 is conveyed to a thermal fixing device 21 and a visible image is fixed thereon. Immediately after the paper 14 leaving the thermal fixing device 21 passes between the pair of lower paper discharging rollers 23 of the paper discharging device 22, the paper discharging direction is switched vertically by the switching claw 24. When the paper is switched upward, the paper is guided by the paper ejection guides 25 and 26, and the upper paper ejection port 29 and the upper unit 10 are guided by the upper paper ejection roller 27 and the pinch roller 28.
The image side is discharged to the stack section 30 on the upper surface of the image plane 3a. Further, when the switch is made downward, the paper 14 is ejected backward from the lower paper ejection port 31 by the lower paper ejection roller 23 with the image side facing up.

On the other hand, residual toner is removed from the photoreceptor 16 after the visible image has been transferred by a cleaning device 32, and the residual toner is removed by a static eliminator 3.
The charge is removed by light from No. 3, and the image is prepared for the next image forming cycle.

An intake fan 34 is disposed below the transfer charger 20, and after cooling the power supply unit 36 with the air sucked in from the intake port 35 provided at the bottom of the lower unit 1Ob, the air is blown around the transfer charger 20. ozone is discharged outside the machine.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the interior of the upper unit 10a in an open state, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of its exterior. The photoreceptor 16 and the cleaning device 32 are unitized and can be attached to and detached from the upper unit 10a. The optical unit 18, the static eliminator 33, and the charger 17 are also attached to the upper unit 10a side.

On the other hand, on the lower unit lOb side, an operation panel 38 is provided on the upper cover 37, and a front door 39 is attached to the lower side thereof so as to be openable and closable. The front door 39 is provided with a paper feed port 40 for manual feed and optional paper feed trays, and the inner surface of the front door 39 is provided with a paper feed kite 41 for guiding the paper 14 fed by the paper feed roller 13. It is being The developing device 19 is replaced by opening the front door 39. In FIG. 5, 42 is a controller, and 43 is a cart insertion slot for inserting an IC card.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a manual paper feeder according to the present invention applied to the laser printer.

In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a pair of conveying rollers (a pair of grip rollers), which are disposed at a position where the leading edge of the paper 14 inserted from the paper feed port 40 comes into contact with the paper 14, and synchronizes the paper 14 with the operation of the laser printer. Transport it inside the printer. 102
is a sensor provided just before the pair of transport rollers 101, which detects the leading edge of the paper 14 inserted from the paper feed port 40. 1
03 is a front conveyance control means provided in the controller 42 shown in FIG.
For example, after one second has elapsed since the tip of the transport roller pair 101 is detected,
For example, rotate for 0.2 seconds.

104 is a DC motor as a main drive motor, which drives the pair of conveyor rollers 101 via gears, clutches, etc. (not shown).
It is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure. In addition, in the present invention,
The short-time rotation operation of the pair of conveyance rollers 101 during pre-conveyance is performed in a rising rotation region before the DC motor 104 reaches a constant rotation speed.

Next, the operation will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing the operation of the DC motor 104 in the manual paper feeder according to the present invention.

First, paper 1 is manually inserted from the paper feed slot 40.
When the tip of sensor 4 passes through the sensor installation position, sensor 10
2 turns on. Then, the leading end of the paper 14 is inserted until it comes into contact with the nip of the pair of transport rollers 101.

One second after receiving the ON signal from the sensor 102, the front conveyance control means 103 sends a drive command to the DC motor 104 in order to rotate the pair of conveyance rollers 101. As is clear from FIG.
1 is rotated for 0.2 seconds. Further, this drive command is controlled so that the rotation speed of the DC motor 104 falls within a rising rotation range that is lower than a constant rotation speed V in the printing operation.

In this way, in this embodiment, the transport cola pair 101
By rotating the paper for 0.2 seconds and transporting the paper 14 forward a distance before regular transport, the leading edge of the paper 14 is caught in the nip between the transport roller pair 101 and fixed.

As a result, even when paper that hangs down for a long time outside the apparatus is manually fed, the paper will not fall.

In addition, by performing a short rotation operation of the pair of conveyor rollers 101 during pre-conveyance in the rising rotation region before the DC motor reaches a certain rotational speed, when the leading edge of the sheet material is caught in the nip of the pair of conveyor rollers 101. It is possible to make the movement gentler.

Then, in response to a print start signal from the controller 42 shown in FIG. 5, the printer starts a print operation according to the process described above.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of a laser printer to which a manual paper feeder according to the present invention is applied.

In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a manual paper feeding tray, which rotates around a shaft 202, and is integrally housed on the side surface of the upper cover 37 when manual paper feeding is not performed. The illustrated state shows a manual feeding state. In this state, the manual paper feed tray 201 is configured to insert paper toward the paper feed port 40. Further, 203 is an optional postcard feeder, which is designed to insert postcards toward the paper feed port 40 similarly to the paper feed tray 201.

As is clear from this embodiment, the manual paper feeder according to the present invention can be applied to image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, facsimile machines, and PPC copiers, regardless of the presence or absence of the manual paper feed tray 201. be.

Note that the configuration and operation of this embodiment are the same as those of the previously described embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

In the embodiment described above, the time from detecting the leading edge of the sheet material to performing the pre-conveyance is 1 second, and the time to perform the pre-conveyance is 0.
．． Although 2 seconds is given as an example, the present invention is not limited to these values, and a common value can be set as appropriate depending on the transport distance in the device configuration or the characteristics of the start-up rotation region of the main drive motor. It is.

〔effect〕

According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, by rotating the pair of conveying rollers for a short time before regular conveyance, the leading end of the sheet material inserted from the manual paper feed slot is caught in the nip of the pair of conveying rollers, and the sheet is It is possible to prevent the material from falling and ensure reliable paper feeding and conveyance.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, by performing a short rotation operation of the pair of conveyance rollers during pre-conveyance in the rising rotation region before the DC motor reaches a certain rotational speed,
The operation when pinching the leading end of the sheet material between the two knobs of the pair of conveying rollers can be made gentle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 5 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the manual paper feeder according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram thereof, and FIG. 2 is a DC motor in the manual paper feeder according to the present invention. 3 is an overall internal configuration diagram of a laser printer to which the manual paper feeder according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the interior of the upper unit shown in FIG. 3 with the upper unit opened. 5 is an external perspective view of the laser printer shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the laser printer to which the manual paper feed g position according to the present invention is applied. . 40--Paper feed port, 42--Controller, 101--Transport roller pair, 102--Sensor, 103--Previous transport control means, 104・−・・・−DC motor.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A manual paper feed port into which sheet material is fed, a pair of transport rollers disposed at a position where the leading edge of the sheet material inserted from the manual paper feed port contacts, and a pair of transport rollers immediately before the pair of transport rollers. and a sensor for detecting the leading edge of the sheet material, further comprising a pre-conveyance control means for rotating the pair of conveyance rollers for a short time after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the sensor detected the leading edge of the sheet material. A manual paper feeding device characterized by: (2) It has a drive motor that drives a pair of conveyance rollers, and the short rotation operation of the pair of conveyance rollers during pre-conveyance is performed in a rising rotation region before the drive motor reaches a certain rotational speed. A manual paper feeder according to claim 1.