JPH0418991Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a paper storage cassette is detachably provided in a paper feeding section of the apparatus main body.

[Conventional technology and its problems]

In an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper feed cassette,
When the paper in the paper feed cassette runs out, it is necessary to display the information to notify the operator and replenish the paper.

Conventionally, when a micro switch or photo switch was used to run out of paper in the paper cassette,
The image forming apparatus is stopped by operating the microswitch or photo switch using a notch provided in the paper feed cassette or black tape, etc. to display information such as paper replenishment. In this case, there are problems such as the display is often difficult to see and make a judgment, the cost of electrical parts and control is high, the display does not appear unless the power is turned on, and it is inconvenient. When using this method, there was a drawback that it was impossible to detect color paper or film for OHP (overhead projector).

[Purpose of invention]

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional paper, the present invention provides a clear and easy-to-see indication when there is no paper left in the paper feed cassette, does not require the use of electrical components, is therefore low cost, can be displayed without turning on the power, To provide an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper feed cassette lid capable of indicating that there is no paper regardless of the type of paper.

[Key points of the idea]

According to the present invention, the above object is an image forming apparatus in which a paper storage cassette is removably attached to a paper feed section of an apparatus main body through an insertion port, and the paper storage cassette is engageable with the paper storage cassette. a moving lever that engages with the paper storage cassette and moves to the installed position when the paper storage cassette is installed, and moves to the uninstallation position when the cassette is not installed; a detection lever that is opposed and supported in a contact position so as to contact the paper, and rotates depending on the presence or absence of paper so as to be displaced from the contact position to a non-contact position when no paper is present; and the insertion opening. provided nearby, is rotatable between a first position in which at least a portion of the opening of the paper storage cassette can be closed and a second position in which it is opened when the paper storage cassette is installed, and is biased toward the second position. The detection lever is capable of engaging with the cassette lid, the other end of the detection lever, and an engaging portion formed on the cassette lid, and is freely movable with respect to the movable lever that is biased in the direction of engaging with the engaging portion. and an engaging member supported by the movable lever, the engaging member being in the non-abutment position when the movable lever is in the unattached position or when the detecting lever is in the non-contacting position. When the cassette lid is engaged with the detection lever, the cassette lid is moved to a position where it is disengaged from the engagement portion, thereby allowing the cassette lid to rotate to the second position, and the paper storage in which the paper is stored is moved to a position where it is disengaged from the engagement portion. Provided is an image forming apparatus, wherein when the movable lever is moved to the mounting position in response to a cassette mounting operation, it engages with the engaging portion and rotates the cassette lid to the first position. This is achieved by

[Example of idea]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a printer using electrophotographic technology as an example.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a printer to which such a paper feeding device according to the present invention is applied.

The printer 1 includes a drum-shaped photoconductor 2 that rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow A, a recording section 3 that forms recorded information as an image on the surface of the photoconductor 2, and a recording section 3 that forms recorded information as an image on the surface of the photoconductor 2. The apparatus includes a paper feed section 5 that transports the paper 4 in accordance with the timing of the captured image, and a transport section 6 that transports the paper 4, reverses it, and discharges it to a predetermined position.

The recording unit 3 includes a charger 7 that is disposed close to and above the photoconductor 2 and uniformly charges the photoconductor 2.
an image information exposure unit 8 that records recording information on the photoreceptor 2 to form an electrostatic latent image; and a developer 9 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 2.
It is comprised of a transfer device 10 that transfers developed recorded information onto the paper 4, a cleaner 11 that removes residual toner on the photoreceptor 2 that was not transferred by the transfer device 10, and the like. The image information exposure section 8 uses, for example, a liquid crystal light shutter (not shown) in which a large number of microshutters are assembled in the main scanning direction, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 2 by light that enters from a light source (not shown) through a light guide. to form.

The paper feed unit 5 stores paper 4 of a predetermined size in a stacked manner, and includes a paper feed cassette 12 that is detachably attached to the main body of the printer 1, and a paper cassette 12 that takes out the paper 4 one by one from the top. A feed roller 13 that feeds the paper and a turn guide 14 that guides the paper 4 in the conveyance direction.
, a transport roll 15 for transporting the paper 4 along the turn guide 14 , and a stopper 15 a for transporting the paper 4 in synchronization with the recorded information on the photoreceptor 2 . A cassette lid 16 that covers the top and can be rotated to open and close is provided above the protrusion that protrudes from the main body, as will be described in detail later.

The conveyance section 6 transfers recorded information on the photoreceptor 2 to the transfer device 1.
a separation roll 17 that separates the paper 4 transferred at 0 from the photoreceptor 2; and a guide plate 1 that receives the paper 4.
8, a fixing device 19 that fixes the transferred recorded information by heat and pressure, a guide plate 20 that guides the paper 4 upward, and discharges the paper 4 to a paper output tray 21 with the image facing downward. It is composed of a paper discharge roll 22 and the like.

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing the main parts of the printer 1 with the paper feed cassette 12 installed;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the rotating opening/closing mechanism of the cassette lid 16.

The paper feed cassette 12 has a rectangular case shape with an opening 12a at the top, and has a bottom part 23 on which sheets 4 are stacked, a long side part 24, and a short side part 2.
It is composed of 5. On one long side 24,
A side protrusion 24a that protrudes outward is formed. A flat top 2 is provided on the upper surface of this side protrusion 24a.
4b, and an inclined portion 24c from which the rear side of the paper feed cassette 12 descends from the top portion 24b. Further, the bottom portion 23 has a groove 23 a near the long side portion 24 and along the long side portion 24 . This groove 23a is connected to the flat valley portion 23b and the paper feed cassette 1.
A sloped portion 23c whose rear side is raised is formed. Furthermore, the paper feed cassette 12 has downward legs 12b protruding from the lower part thereof, and when inserted from the cassette insertion opening 1a, the legs 12b are formed in the main body of the printer 1 and fit into the recesses 1b to be in a predetermined position. is set.

The cassette lid 16, the paper detection lever 26 and the cassette detection lever 27 constituting the rotating opening/closing mechanism are both rotatably attached to a shaft 28 fixed to the main body of the printer 1.

The paper detection lever 26 is located at a position corresponding to the groove 23a of the paper feed cassette 12, and has one end of a tension spring 29 hooked to a small protrusion 26a protruding from the side surface, so that the paper detection lever 26 always maintains a vertical posture. When there is no paper 4 in the paper feed cassette 12, the tip fits into the groove 23a and stands still in a vertical position, and can swing along the groove 23a.

The cassette lid 16 has a character display 30 shown in FIG.
a flat upper surface portion 16a for closing the paper feed cassette 12, left and right side portions 16b, 16b corresponding to the long side portion 24 of the paper feed cassette 12, and a short side portion 2 of the paper feed cassette 12.
5, and an engaging portion 31 that projects upward from the upper surface portion 16a, and is provided by a torsion spring 32 externally fitted on the shaft 28, as indicated by arrow B in FIG. It is urged to rotate in the direction that opens the opening 12a. Cassette lid 16
A notch 16 is provided at one end of the upper surface portion 16a at a position corresponding to the groove 23a in the bottom portion 23 of the paper feed cassette 12.
b is provided. The engaging portion 31 has a tip end having a circular arc 31a and a protrusion 31c that forms a stepped portion 31b from the circular arc 31a and projects outward, and is pivoted to the shaft 28 through a hole 31d.

The cassette detection lever 27 has a horizontal protrusion 27a at its tip that engages with the side protrusion 24a of the paper feed cassette 12, and a small shaft 27b protrudes from the middle in parallel with the protrusion 27a. , small axis 2
It is pivoted by 7b. This small lever 33 is always urged to rotate in the direction shown by arrow c in FIG. The left end 33a of the tip is the cassette lid 16.
The right end portion 33 engages with the protrusion 31c of the engaging portion 31.
b is engaged with the upper end of the paper detection lever 26.

Next, the operation of the rotating opening/closing mechanism for the cassette lid 16 having the above configuration will be explained.

When the paper feed cassette 12 containing paper 4 is inserted from the cassette insertion slot 1a of the main body of the printer 1, the paper detection lever 26 first detects the paper feed cassette 1.
Since the groove 23a of the bottom 23 of the paper 4 is covered by the paper 4, the lower end cannot enter the groove 23a and resists the urging force of the tension spring 29 in FIG. 1 through the top surface of the paper 4. Then, the small lever 33 is rotated counterclockwise, and the engagement between the upper end and the right end portion 33b of the small lever 33 is released. At the same time, the cassette detection lever 27
The protrusion 27a at the tip engages with the inclined portion 24c of the side protrusion 24a of the paper feed cassette 12. The left end 33a of the small lever 33 rotates counterclockwise while reaching the top 24b from the inclined portion 24c, and is biased counterclockwise by the small torsion spring 34 at this time to engage the cassette lid 16. Protrusion 3 of part 31
1c, and the cassette lid 16 is rotated in the closing direction. Thus, the paper feed cassette 12
is the opening 12 that protrudes from the main body of the printer 1.
The predetermined setting is completed with the cassette a closed with the cassette lid 16 and the foot 12b inserted into the recess 1b. Then, the paper in the paper feed cassette 12 is sequentially used starting from the topmost paper, and as the number of papers 4 decreases, the paper detection lever 26 gradually lowers its lower end that is in contact with the top surface of the paper 4, and moves clockwise in FIG. When the paper 4 is no longer in the paper feed cassette, the lower end enters the groove 23a in the bottom 23 of the paper feed cassette 12 and becomes vertical due to the biasing force of the tension spring 29, and the upper end touches the small lever. 33, and rotates the small lever 33 clockwise against the biasing force of the small torsion spring 34, so that the left end 33a of the small lever 33 and the protrusion of the engaging portion 31 of the cassette lid 16 31
c is released, and the cassette lid 16 is rotated open as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 by the biasing force of the torsion spring 32, and as shown in FIG. A display 30 appears. As a result, the operator, who knows that there is no paper 4, puts his hand on the handle part 12c, pulls out the paper cassette 12 from the cassette insertion slot 1a, refills the paper 4, and then inserts the paper cassette 12 in the same way as above. It is sufficient to insert the cassette through the cassette insertion opening 1a. As described above, the cassette detection lever 27 can detect whether the paper feed cassette 12 is attached or not, and the paper detection lever 26 can detect the presence or absence of paper 4.

Note that the biasing force of the small torsion spring 34 may be small, and the protrusion 3 of the engaging portion 31 of the cassette lid 16
1c, the paper 4 is present in the paper feed cassette 12 because the moving direction of the tip of the small lever 33 and the moving direction of the protrusion 31c are approximately perpendicular to each other. When the state is
The left end 33a of the small lever 33 can be brought into contact with the protrusion 31c of the engaging part 31 to rotate the cassette lid 16 in the direction of closing. Further, the biasing force of the torsion spring 32 may be slightly larger than the rotational force caused by the cassette lid 16's own weight in the closing direction.

[Effect of idea]

According to the present invention, the first detection means is located near the insertion opening of the paper feed cassette and automatically rotates in a direction to close the opening of the paper feed cassette when the image forming apparatus is attached to the apparatus main body. A cassette lid is provided that automatically rotates in a direction to open the opening when at least one of the paper feed cassette is not installed or the second detection means detects the absence of paper. Opening the cassette lid when the paper runs out,
Furthermore, by the display on the back side, it is possible to clearly know that there is no paper, regardless of the type of paper. Further, if the first detection means and the second detection means are provided with lever members that are rotatably pivoted and engage with each other, the lever members can be used without using electrical parts, and therefore at low cost. The absence of paper can be detected and displayed regardless of the installed state and type of paper feed cassette without turning on the power due to cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings are all related to embodiments of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side view showing the main parts with the paper feed cassette installed in the printer, and Fig. 2 shows the rotating opening and closing of the cassette lid. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the mechanism, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the printer when there is no paper in the paper feed cassette, and FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the entire printer. 1...Printer, 1a...Cassette insertion slot, 1
b...Concavity, 2...Photoreceptor, 3...Recording section, 4...
... Paper, 5 ... Paper feed section, 6 ... Conveyance section, 7 ... Charger, 8 ... Image information exposure section, 9 ... Developer, 1
0...Transfer device, 11...Cleaner, 12...Paper feed cassette, 12a...Opening, 12b...Legs, 1
2c... Handle part, 13... Paper feed roller, 14...
Turn guide, 15... Conveyance roll, 15a...
Stopper, 16...Cassette lid, 16a...Top part, 16b...Side part, 16c...Front side part, 16
d... Notch, 17... Separation roll, 18... Guide plate, 19... Fixing device, 20... Guide plate, 2
1... paper output tray, 22... paper output roll, 23...
...bottom, 23a...groove, 23b...trough, 23c
... Sloped part, 24 ... Long side part, 24a ... Side projection, 24b ... Top part, 24c ... Slanted part, 25 ...
...Short side part, 26...Paper detection lever, 26a...Small protrusion, 27...Cassette detection lever, 27a...
Projection, 27b...small shaft, 28...shaft, 29...tension spring, 30...display, 31...engaging portion, 31
a...Circular arc, 31b...Step, 31c...Protrusion,
31d... Hole, 32... Torsion spring, 33... Small lever, 33a... Left end, 33b... Right end, 3
4...Small torsion spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Utility Model Registration Claim] An image forming apparatus in which a paper storage cassette is removably installed in a paper feed section of the apparatus main body through an insertion slot, the image forming apparatus being capable of engaging with said paper storage cassette, and capable of being engaged with said paper storage cassette. A moving lever that engages with the paper storage cassette when installed and moves to the installed position and when not installed, moves freely to the uninstalled position; a detection lever that is biased and supported in an abutting position so as to be in contact with the paper, and rotates depending on the presence or absence of paper so as to be displaced from the abutting attitude to a non-abutting attitude when no paper is present; a cassette lid, which is provided on the paper storage cassette and can be opened and closed between a first position in which at least a portion of the opening of the paper storage cassette is closed and a second position in which it is opened when the paper storage cassette is attached, and is biased toward the second position; and a movable lever that can engage the other end of the detection lever and an engaging portion formed on the cassette lid, and is movably supported by the movable lever that is biased in a direction to engage the engaging portion. an engaging member, the engaging member is configured to operate when the movable lever is in the unattached position or when the detecting lever is in the non-contacting position. When engaging with the detection lever, the cassette lid is moved to a position where it is disengaged from the engaging portion, thereby allowing rotation of the cassette lid to the second position, and opening the paper storage cassette containing paper. An image forming apparatus characterized in that when the moving lever moves to the mounting position in response to a mounting operation, it engages with the engaging portion to rotate the cassette lid to the first position.