JPH04169424A - Paper feeding cassette and image formation device using this paper feeding cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store paper sheets of different sizes in a single box in such a way that they can be picked up preferentially by providing a plurality of loading means for loading recording sheets of different sizes into one box, in such a way that they are arranged in a layered manner, and that they can be extracted from one offtake. CONSTITUTION:A feeding cassette 50 is composed of a cassette case 51 and a cover that can be freely removed, and its inner bottom part 51a is formed into the size, for example, for storing an A3 size paper sheet P1, whereupon first and second loading plates 54, 53 for loading, for example, an A4 size paper sheet P3, and a B5 size paper sheet P2 are arranged into a vertical two steps in a layered form. An offtake opening 50b for these paper sheets P1-P3 is formed. The loading plates 53, 54 are vibrated upward around pivots 53a, 54a as a center at the time of re-filling paper sheets. A recording sheet drawing means 30 is vibrated correspondent to the paper sheets P1-P3 to be drawn, so as to position a pickup roller 37.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette and an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying machine or a laser printer using this paper feed cassette. .

(Prior art) Conventionally, in electronic copying machines etc. using paper feed cassettes,
Currently, paper feed cassettes that are attached to the main body of the apparatus are prepared for each version size of predetermined recording paper (hereinafter referred to as copy paper).

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) For this reason, conventionally, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of sets of paper feed cassettes according to the plate size of the copy paper, which increases costs.

In addition, as a result, it is necessary to replace the paper cassette with the main body of the apparatus for each plate size of the copy paper that you want to use, which makes feeding the paper into the main body of the apparatus troublesome. I also have trouble finding a place to put the case.

Furthermore, with such conventional paper feed cassettes, it is necessary to prepare similar paper feed cassettes in order to ensure the convenience of installation in the main body of the device, regardless of the frequency of use of copy paper. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and its purpose is to make it possible to store recording papers of different plate sizes in one housing (hereinafter referred to as a cassette case), and to An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feed cassette that can selectively take out and feed plate-sized recording paper, and an image forming apparatus using this paper feed cassette.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the paper feed cassette of the present invention is arranged in a stacked state, each of which can hold recording papers of different plate sizes. A device comprising: a plurality of mounting means; and a casing having an opening formed in the direction in which the recording paper is taken out from each of the plurality of mounting means, and surrounding the plurality of mounting means. In this case, the plurality of mounting means are rotatable.

The present invention also provides an apparatus main body equipped with an image forming process means, and a plurality of mounting means that are detachably attached to the apparatus main body and are arranged in a stacked state, each of which is capable of mounting recording paper of a different plate size. a paper feeding means comprising a housing that has an opening in the direction in which the recording paper is taken out from each of the plurality of mounting means and surrounds the plurality of mounting means; The apparatus further includes a recording paper take-out means for selectively taking out recording papers of different plate sizes and sending them to the image forming process means of the apparatus main body.

(Function) That is, in the present invention, a plurality of mounting means are arranged in a stacked state in one housing, and recording sheets of different plate sizes are respectively mounted on these mounting means. Recording papers of different sizes can be stored in one housing.

Also, since the multiple mounting means are rotatable,
Recording paper can be easily taken in and out of each mounting means.

Furthermore, the above-described paper feed cassette is installed in the main body of the apparatus equipped with the image forming process means, and the recording paper of different plate sizes placed on the plurality of mounting means of the paper feed cassette are transferred to the recording paper ejecting means. Since the sheets are selectively taken out and sent to the image forming process means, one sheet feeding cassette can feed recording sheets of each plate size desired to be used.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the overall configuration of an electronic copying machine as an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a main body of the apparatus, and this main body 1 is equipped with an image forming process means 2. There is.

The image forming process means 2 has a photoreceptor drum 3 as an image carrier rotatably supported substantially in the center of the apparatus body 1, and a developing device 4 is provided around the photoreceptor drum 3. , a transfer device 5, a peeling device 6, a cleaning device 7, a static eliminator 8, and a charging device 9 are arranged in this order.

The photosensitive drum 3 rotates in the direction of arrow a shown in FIG. 3, and is uniformly charged by the charging device I9.

That is, on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1, an original placing table 10 made of transparent glass is provided.
The image of the original document placed on the exposure holder 12 whose back is surrounded by a reflector 11, the first, second, and third reflecting mirrors 13, 14, and 15, the lens 16, and the The image is formed on the photosensitive drum 3 through an optical system including fourth, fifth, and sixth reflecting mirrors 17, 18, and 19, and an electrostatic latent image is formed.

The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3 is developed by a developing device 4, and a copy sheet made of plain paper as recording paper is fed from a paper feed cassette 50 (described later) via a registration roller 20. The developed image is transferred onto P by the transfer device 5.

The copy paper P after the transfer by the transfer device 5 is peeled off by a peeling device 6 using AC corona discharge, and conveyed to the fixing device 22 via the conveyance belt 21.

The copy paper P on which the developed image has been melted and fixed by the fixing device 22 is transferred to the paper ejection tray 2 by a pair of paper ejection rollers 23.
is discharged to the top.

On the other hand, the developer remaining on the photoreceptor drum 3 after the transfer and peeling off of the developed image onto the copy paper P is cleaned by a cleaning device 7, and the electric potential on the photoreceptor drum 3 is kept at a certain level by a static eliminator 8. The following copy operations are enabled.

Furthermore, when copying a designated area of a document image, an erasing array 25 installed close to the photoreceptor drum 3 along the rotational axis direction between the charging device 9 and the exposure section ph causes the photoreceptor drum to be copied. A part of the original image on 3 can be erased.

Further, reference numeral 30 in the figure represents a recording paper ejecting means for feeding copy paper P stored in a paper feed cassette 50, which will be described later, and which is detachably attached to the main body l of the apparatus, to the registration roller 20 side.

As shown in FIG. 4, this recording paper ejecting means 30 consists of a pair of upper and lower guides 2 provided upstream of the registration rollers 2o.
A pair of upper and lower guides 31a, 31 whose downstream end portions are slidably inserted in the front-rear direction X between 6a and 26b.
It has b.

At the rear ends of the guides 31a and 31b on the upstream side, an upper paper feed roller 33 and a lower separation roller 34, which are rotated by a first drive motor 32, and a second drive motor 3 are provided.
5, a pickup roller 37 provided on an arm 36 that rotates in the vertical direction y is disposed.

The pickup roller 37 rotates in synchronization with the upper paper feed roller 33 via belts 38 and 39, and the lowering movement of the arm 36 selectively selects copy paper sheets stored in a paper feed cassette 50 (described later). is picked up and sent between the upper and lower rollers 33 and 34.

Further, a guide 3'l constituting the recording paper ejecting means 30
a, 31b, the upper and lower rollers 33, 34, and the pig-up roller 37 are assembled and supported by a support frame 40.

As shown in FIG. 5, rack parts 41, 41 are provided at both ends of this support frame 40, and these rack parts 4
1.41, pinions 44 and 44 provided at both ends of a rotating shaft 43 rotated by a third drive motor 42 mesh with each other, making the support frame 40 movable in the front-rear direction X.

Further, lead screws 45.45 are screwed into both ends of the support frame 40, and these lead screws 45.45 are rotated by a toothed belt 47 rotated by a fourth drive motor 46 to support the support frame 40. The frame 40 is movable in the vertical direction y.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6, and 7, the paper feed cassette 50 installed in the apparatus main body 1 includes a cassette case 51 and a cassette case 51.
1 is provided with a removable cover 52 that covers the top open portion of the device.

An opening 50a is formed in the end surface of the paper feed cassette 50 on the side that is attached to the apparatus main body 1 in the direction in which paper is taken out.

Further, the front half 52a of the cover 52 can be opened and closed so that the side from which the copy paper P is taken out is exposed when the cover 52 is attached to the main body 1 of the apparatus.

The cassette case 51 has an inner bottom surface 51
a has a size that can accommodate, for example, copy paper P of the A3 version size, and the copy paper P1 of the A3 version size is the main body, and on top of it, the copy paper P of different version sizes ( First and second mounting plates 53 and 54 on which a 85th edition), P (for example, an A4 edition) can be placed are arranged in a stacked manner in two stages, upper and lower.

As shown in FIG.
4a, and the inner bottom surface portion 5 of the cassette case 51
1a, facilitates refilling of the respective copy sheets P1, P3, P onto the first and second mounting plates S3.54.

Therefore, the paper feed cassette 50 is installed in the above-mentioned apparatus main body 1, and the state of selectively taking out each of the copy sheets P1, Pyo, and P stored in the paper feed cassette 50 is changed to the ninth state.
This will be explained based on FIGS. 11 to 11.

First, in order to take out the upper copy paper P stored in the first loading plate 53 of the paper feed cassette 5o, as shown in FIG. Fourth
It is raised by driving the drive motor 46.

Next, this support frame 40 is connected to a third drive motor 42.
This is performed by controlling the pickup roller 37 to be positioned on the uppermost surface of the copy paper P3 by moving the pickup roller 37 in the rear direction by driving the copy paper P3.

Similarly, in order to take out the middle copy paper P stored in the second loading plate 54, as shown in FIG. The pickup roller 3 is moved forward by the drive of the pickup roller 3 and lowered by the drive of the fourth drive motor 46.
7 is positioned on the uppermost surface of the copy paper P'.

In addition, in order to take out the lower copy paper P of the main size stored in the inner bottom surface portion 51a of the cassette case 51,
As shown in FIG. 11, the support frame 40 of the recording paper take-out means 30 is further moved forward by the drive of the third drive motor 42 and lowered by the drive of the fourth drive motor 46, and the pickup roller 37 This is performed by controlling the copy paper P so that it is positioned on the top surface of the copy paper P.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since recording papers of different plate sizes are arranged in one housing, it is possible to feed paper according to recording papers of different plate sizes. There is no need to prepare a cassette, which helps reduce costs, and there is no need to secure a place for the paper feed cassette.

Furthermore, in claim 2, the paper feed cassette is configured such that the plurality of mounting means on which the recording paper is mounted are rotatable, so that the recording paper can be easily taken in and out of each mounting plate. I can do it.

Further, in claim 3, the paper feed cassette is installed in an apparatus main body equipped with an image forming process means, and the recording sheets of different plate sizes placed on the plurality of placement means of the paper feed cassette are loaded. Since the paper is selectively taken out by the recording paper take-out means and sent to the image forming process means, it is possible to easily feed recording paper of different plate sizes to be used in one paper feeding cassette. There is no need to perform the troublesome operation of replacing paper cassettes for each plate size, which was required in the past.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a paper feed cassette according to the present invention with the cover removed and one side frame omitted, and Fig. 2 is a cross section taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1. 3 and 3 are explanatory diagrams schematically showing the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper feed cassette according to the present invention, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams schematically showing recording paper ejecting means. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the paper cassette with the cover attached, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the paper cassette with the cover open, and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the paper cassette with the cover attached. FIGS. 9 to 11 are explanatory diagrams showing the rotating state of the placing plate, and FIGS. 9 to 11 are also explanatory diagrams showing the feeding state of the recording paper. l... Apparatus body, 2... Image forming process means, 3o... Recording paper ejection means, 5o... Paper feed cassette, 50a... Opening, 51... Housing, 51a...・Inner bottom part, 53
...First mounting plate, 53a... Pivotal portion, 54...
Second mounting plate, 54a... Pivotal portion, F... Rotation direction, □□--□- Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Concave Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of mounting means are arranged in a stacked state, each capable of mounting recording paper of a different plate size, and an opening is formed in the direction in which the recording paper is taken out from each of the plurality of mounting means, A paper feed cassette comprising: a casing that surrounds the plurality of loading means. (2) A plurality of rotatable loading means arranged in a stacked manner each capable of loading recording sheets of different plate sizes, and an opening in the direction in which recording sheets are taken out from each of the plurality of loading means. 1. A paper feed cassette, comprising: a casing in which a portion is formed, and a casing surrounds the plurality of loading means. (3) An apparatus main body equipped with an image forming process means, and a plurality of mounting means that are detachably attached to the apparatus main body and are arranged in a stacked manner, each capable of mounting recording paper of different plate size. A paper feeding means comprising a casing having an opening in the direction for taking out the recording paper and surrounding the plurality of placement means, and different plates placed on the plurality of placement means of the paper feeding means. 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: recording paper take-out means for selectively taking out recording papers of various sizes and sending the sheets to an image forming process means of the apparatus main body.