JPH04251035A - Automatic sheet feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the smooth and accurate feed of a sheet by reducing a load during delivery when sheets are separated for a feed in a way that the height of a loading height regulating guide for recording sheets on both sides of a pressure plate is reduced to a value lower than that of a separating claw during press down of the pressure plate and is increased to a value higher than that of the claw during push up of the plate. CONSTITUTION:When a pressure plate 40 is set in a press down state, the guide surface level of each of sheet guides 131 and 132 is reduced to a value lower than that of each of separating claws 49 and 51, and when the pressure plate 40 is pushed up, the level of the guide surface is increased to a value higher than that of each of the claws 49 and 51. In the so formed guides 131 and 132, since the level of the guide surface of the sheet guide is reduced to a value lower than that of each of the claws 49 and 51 during charging of recording sheets, the recording sheets can be reliably guided to the both sides of each of the claws 49 and 51, and reliable and easy charge is practicable. Meanwhile, when the pressure plate 40 is energized to the claws 49 and 51 side through the force of a spring and a recording sheet 16 is fed by means of a sheer feed roller 42, the level of the guide surface of each of the guides 131 and 132 is increased to a value higher than that of each of the claws 49 and 51, whereby the height of the sheet 16 is only regulated by means of the claws 49 and 51 but not brought into pressure contact by means of the guide 131 and 132. The feed load of the sheet 16 during the feed of sheets can be reduced and separation performance and sheet feed performance of the sheets 16 can be improved.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic paper feeder which is detachably connected to a recording apparatus.

0002

[Prior Art] Recording devices such as printers, copiers, and facsimile machines, which are used in conjunction with computers, word processors, etc., or used independently, feed and convey sheet-like recording materials such as paper and thin plastic plates. , and is configured to record images on the recording material based on image information. The recording device may be an inkjet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, or
It can be divided into laser beam type, etc.

Among these, the inkjet type (inkjet recording device) performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material, and is capable of recording high-definition images at high speed. Advantages include the ability to record on plain paper without requiring any special processing, the non-impact method that produces less noise, and the ease of recording color images using multi-colored ink. have. Among these, a line-type apparatus that uses a line-type recording means in which a large number of ejection ports are arranged in the width direction of the paper can achieve even higher recording speeds.

In particular, inkjet recording means (recording heads) that use heat as ink ejection energy,
Electrothermal converters, electrodes, etc. formed on a substrate through semiconductor manufacturing processes such as etching, vapor deposition, and sputtering,
By forming the liquid path walls, the top plate, etc., it is possible to easily manufacture a device having a high-density liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement).

[0005] In the recording apparatus, recording sheets used as recording materials (recording media) include, in addition to plain paper,
There are special sheets such as thick paper such as postcards and envelopes and thin plastic sheets. Recording sheets are supplied by manually inserting them one by one directly into a recording apparatus, or by automatically and continuously feeding them using an automatic paper feeder.

[0006] Automatic paper feeders generally include a paper feed drive unit that rotates a feed roller to feed out recording sheets, a paper feed cassette unit that stacks recording sheets, and a stack unit that stacks ejected recording sheets. The recording sheet is configured to separate and feed the recording sheets one by one by driving the paper feed drive unit using the driving force of the sheet conveyance system of the recording apparatus. has been done. In addition, automatic paper feeding devices include a built-in type that is built into a recording device, and an external type that is detachably connected. In addition, the paper feed cassette unit generally uses a pressure plate (middle plate) biased by a spring to urge the stacked sheets in the direction of the feed roller and press them against the inside of a separation claw, so that the sheets are separated one by one when feeding the sheets. It is configured to be sent out.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional external type automatic paper feeder, when the pressure plate is released and the recording sheet is loaded, it is difficult to properly set the recording sheet under the separation claw. There were cases where it was not done. In addition, if a paper guide is provided to ensure proper installation, when the pressure plate is in pressure contact with the paper guide, the recording sheet and paper guide will slide, increasing the feeding load and causing double feeding, etc. Sometimes paper could not be fed, making it difficult to handle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to easily load the recording sheet correctly when releasing the pressure plate and to load the recording sheet without using the pressure plate. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic paper feeding device that can significantly reduce the load during feeding when paper is separated and fed by pressure contact, and can feed paper smoothly and accurately.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an automatic paper feeding device that includes a paper feeding cassette unit and a paper feeding drive unit and is removably connected to a recording device. It consists of a separation claw member installed in the cassette case, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets against the inside of the separation claw, and a pressure plate on both sides of the pressure plate for regulating the stacking height of the recording sheets. By providing a guide, the height of the guide is set to be lower than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed down, and higher than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed up, This aims to achieve the above objectives.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a recording device 10 and an automatic paper feeder 30.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing a state where the recording apparatus 10 and automatic paper feeder 30 of FIG. 1 are separated. In the coupled state shown in FIG. 1, when operating the operation section 133 protruding from both sides of the automatic paper feeder 30, the hook member, which will be described later, moves against the spring force, and the hooks 73, 74 formed on the hook member move. (FIG. 2) and the recording device 10 are released, and the two can be easily separated as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the recording device 10, FIG. 4 shows the case where only the recording device 10 is used to record on a recording sheet (recording material such as paper or a thin plastic plate) 16, and FIG. View from the paper device connection surface (back side) (Figure 4
(view from arrow X inside). In FIGS. 2 to 5,
11 is a lower case, 12 is an upper cover, and 13 is an input door. This input door 13 is closed when not in use, but when in use, it is rotated and opened by pulling the knob 14 as shown in FIG. The recording sheet 16 can be pressed into the recording device (in the direction of arrow A) to enable recording. The recorded recording sheet 16 is discharged in the direction of arrow B through a discharge roller consisting of rollers 17 and 18 provided thereon. 19 is an operation key, and 20 is a release lever. This release lever 2
0 is for canceling the sheet conveying mechanism and taking measures when the recording sheet 16 causes a paper jam or the like in the recording apparatus 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower case 11 is provided with a protrusion 21 for accommodating a circuit board. The convex portion 21 has a structure in which a circuit board is mounted on a bottom surface 83 that is integral with the lower case 11, and a cover 79 is mounted from above. By providing the convex portion 21, the recording device 10 has an L-shape as a whole, and can be placed in a stable posture even when alone.

[0013] As the recording device, for example, an inkjet recording device is used, and by opening the upper cover 12, the recording head, ink cartridge, etc. can be installed or replaced. In FIG. 5, the hole 22 and the U-groove 23 are for positioning both when combined with the automatic paper feeder 30. Reference numeral 24 denotes a paper feed port for feeding the recording sheet 16 from the automatic paper feeder 30 to the recording apparatus 10. Further, 25 is a drive gear for transmitting power to the automatic paper feeder 30 which does not have a drive source,
In the coupled state, it meshes with the transmission gear 62 of the automatic paper feeder 30. Note that the recording means (recording head) of the inkjet recording apparatus is a recording head that ejects ink using thermal energy and is equipped with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. Ru. Further, the recording means performs recording by ejecting ink from the ejection port using pressure changes caused by growth and contraction of bubbles due to film boiling caused by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. be.

FIG. 6 shows the recording device 10 and automatic paper feeding device 30.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of main parts in a state where the two are combined. The driving force for the automatic paper feeder 30 is extracted from, for example, a paper feed (conveyance) mechanism of the recording apparatus 10. Here, the conveyance roller (not shown) of the recording device 10 is mounted on a highly rigid chassis (
(not shown), and the positioning U groove 23
is formed on this chassis. Further, the positioning hole 22 also serves a positioning function in conjunction with a coaxial hole formed in the chassis. Further, a dowel 81 for positioning and abutting formed on the chassis is formed inside the hole 22. Further, the drive gear 2
5 is also supported by the chassis or the conveyance roller shaft (not shown). In this way, the recording apparatus 10 is coupled to the automatic paper feeder 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, thereby making it possible to automatically feed paper in accordance with recording.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the automatic paper feeder 30, and FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the automatic paper feeder 30 into its main constituent units. In FIGS. 7 and 8,
The automatic paper feeder 30 can be roughly divided into four parts: a paper feed cassette unit 31, a paper feed drive unit 32, a frame 33, and a support stand 34. It should be noted that a paper discharge tray unit 35 is removably housed inside the support base 34, and the support base 34 also has a function as a paper discharge tray unit. The frame 33 is fixed to the upper surface of the support base 33 with two screws 36, and the paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 are each coupled to the frame 33 by snap fastening. Note that the frame 33 has a paper feed cassette unit 31.
A paper feed cassette receiving portion 80 for supporting the paper at a predetermined inclination angle is formed.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the paper feed cassette unit 31. In FIG. 9, the paper feed cassette unit 31
is for stacking and storing recording sheets (cut sheets) 16, and each component is assembled in a cassette case 38 serving as a base. The pressure plate 40 is a pressure plate spring 41
The recording sheet 16 is always pressed toward the feeding roller 42 (FIG. 6, FIG. 10), and the stacked recording sheet 16 is interposed between the pressure plate 40 and the feeding roller 42, and the recording sheet 16 is rotated by the feeding roller 42. By doing this, the paper is fed one by one. A slider 43 for guiding one edge (side) of the stacked recording sheets (stacked sheets) 16 is mounted inside the cassette case 38 so as to be slidable in the paper width direction.

The slider 43 is formed with a side guide portion 44 that can come into contact with the edge of the stacked sheet 16. Furthermore, slide rollers 45 are attached to the slider 43 for smooth sliding. The slide rollers 45 are attached at a total of four locations at predetermined intervals in the vertical and horizontal directions, and are engaged with each other so as to be able to roll along slide guide portions 46 formed at corresponding positions on the cassette case 38. There is. In this way, the slider 43 is attached so as to be movable left and right according to the paper width size of the stacked sheets 16. In that case, the slide rollers 45 on one side in the vertical direction are pressed against the slide guide part 46 by the roller pressing springs 47, and remove the vertical looseness of the slider 43, and prevent the slider 43 from being moved by a light external force after being set to the paper width. It has a positioning function.

Further, a separation claw member 48 having a separation claw 49 is fixed to the slider 43.
9 is movable together with the slider 43 according to the paper width. The side guide section 59 on the opposite side that is paired with the movable side guide section 44 is connected to the cassette case 38.
Therefore, in the illustrated example, only one side guide portion is moved to guide both edges of the stacked sheets 16. Furthermore, a separation claw member 50 having another separation claw 51 is fixed to the cassette case 38 . The pressure plate 40 and the feeding roller 4
The stacked sheet 16 interposed between the feeding roller 42 and
When the paper is fed by the rotation of the paper, these two separation claws 49,
51, the sheets are separated one by one and fed one by one.

When there is no recording sheet 16, the pressure plate 40 is pushed by the pressure plate spring 41 and its both ends 52, 53
comes into contact with the back sides of the separation claws 49 and 51. On the other hand, the stacked recording sheets 16 are separated from the back side of the separating claws 49, 51 and the pressure plate 4.
It is necessary to store it between the pressure plate 4 and the pressure plate 4.
0 can overcome the pressure plate spring 41 and easily be pushed down. When the pressure plate 40 is pushed down, a hook portion (not shown) provided on the back side of the pressure plate is locked by the hook portion 55 of the pressure plate release lever 54, and the pressure plate 40 is
is held in the pushed-in state (lowered state).

After the recording sheets 16 have been set (stacked), the pressure plate release button 56 is pushed in the direction of arrow C in order to bring the pressure plate 40 into the sheet feeding state (the state in which it is pressed against the feeding roller 42 side). When the pressure plate release button 56 is pressed down, the hook portion 55 of the pressure plate release lever 54 rotates in the direction of arrow D, and the pressure plate 40 is unlocked. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 8, a paper support form 37 is attached to the upper end of the paper feed cassette unit 31 in order to prevent the stacked sheets 16 from falling down due to their own weight. There is.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the paper feed drive unit 32 viewed from the direction of arrow E in FIG. 8 (from the back side) so that the component parts can be clearly seen. Paper feed drive unit 32
is a unit incorporating rollers for feeding the recording sheet 16, hooks for coupling with the recording device 10, gears for transmitting the driving force of the recording device 10 to the automatic paper feeding device 30, etc. It has a structure in which each component is assembled into a chassis 57 that serves as a base.

In FIG. 10, 58 is a feed roller shaft, and a plurality of feed rollers 42 are provided on this shaft. These feeding rollers 42 feed the loaded recording sheet 1.
It has a function of applying feeding force to the recording sheet 6, separating the recording sheets 16 one by one in cooperation with the separation claws 49 and 51, and feeding the recording sheets 16 one by one into the recording apparatus 10. This feed roller shaft 58 is connected to the drive gear 25 of the recording device 10 (see FIG. 5).
) is driven using the driving force of

In FIG. 10, 60 is a sliding roller shaft, and the sliding roller shaft 60 is provided with a plurality of sliding rollers 61. The sliding roller shaft 60 is disposed downstream of and parallel to the feeding roller shaft 58 in the feeding direction. This sliding roller 61 has a function of guiding the recording sheet 16 sent out by the feeding roller 42 into the recording apparatus 10. Further, this sliding roller 61 is also driven in conjunction with the driving force of the driving gear 25 of the recording apparatus 10.

The driving force of the drive gear 25 (FIG. 5) of the recording device 10 is first applied to the transmission gear 62 (FIG. 2) of the automatic paper feeder 30.
, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, FIG. 10). In FIG. 10, the driving force transmitted to the transmission gear 62 is transmitted to the sliding roller gear 64 of the sliding roller shaft 60 via the intermediate gear 63, and further transmitted to the sliding roller gear 64 of the sliding roller shaft 60 via the intermediate gear 65.
It is transmitted to a feed roller gear 66 mounted coaxially with 8. Here, the feed roller gear 66 is mounted coaxially with the feed roller shaft 58, and is connected to the feed roller shaft 58 via a one-way clutch (for example, a spring clutch) 67.

The one-way clutch 67 is constituted by a spring clutch that is always disconnected (off) in the reverse rotation direction, but is controlled to be turned on and off in the forward rotation direction as well. As the one-way clutch 67, for example, one that operates as follows is used. First, when a conveyance roller (platen roller, not shown) of the recording device 10 reverses a small amount (rotation in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction) based on a paper feed signal, the one-way clutch 67 reverses the feed roller gear 66 (clutch trigger). is switched on by In this on state, the feeding roller 42 is in a state where it can rotate normally due to the forward rotation of the conveying roller. At this time, the feeding roller 42, which is a D-shaped (or half-moon-shaped) scalene roller, is at a reference position (or initial position) away from the stacked sheets 16.

Next, when the conveying roller is rotated forward by a predetermined amount, the feeding roller 42 rotates in conjunction with this, and one recording sheet 16 is fed to a position beyond the retracting portion of the conveying roller. A sensor detects that the recording sheet 16 has reached the retracting portion, and the stop position of the conveyance roller at this time is controlled by a detection signal from the sensor. Next, the conveyance roller is rotated by a predetermined amount, and the recording sheet 16 is
Retract the tip of the sheet to the position where it comes out of the sheet retracting section. At this time, due to the reversal of the conveyance roller, the recording sheet 1
A loop is formed at the leading edge of the recording sheet 6, and registration (operation of making the leading edge of the recording sheet parallel) is performed.

The one-way clutch (for example, a spring clutch) 67 is still in an on state due to the clutch trigger, and is in a state in which rotation can be transmitted in the normal rotation direction. Therefore, the conveying roller is rotated forward by a predetermined amount, and the recording sheet 1 is rotated forward by the forward rotation of the conveying roller and the feeding roller 42.
6 to the recording start position (cue position). During this forward rotation, when the D-shaped feeding roller 42 separates from the recording sheet 16, that is, when the feeding roller 42 makes approximately one rotation and returns to the reference position (initial position), the one-way clutch 67 is switched off and the feed roller 42
stops at the reference position.

In this manner, only one recording sheet 16 is fed into the recording apparatus 10 during one rotation of the feeding roller 42, and is set in the cue state. Thereafter, recording is performed on the recording sheet 16 based on the image information. During this recording, the one-way clutch 67 remains off, and the feed roller 42 remains stopped at the reference position despite the forward rotation (paper feeding) of the transport roller.

In FIG. 10, the gear groups 62, 63,
64, 65, 66 and the roller shafts 58, 60 are positioned and held by a bearing plate 68 so as not to slip out. This bearing plate 68 is snapped onto the chassis 57 and further fixed with screws 69.

Hook 73 for coupling with recording device 10
, 74 are formed at the tips of the hook members 71, 72, and each of the hook members 71, 72 is disposed in a substantially symmetrical relationship on both sides of the chassis 57, and is swingable and swingable by a predetermined amount in the front-rear direction. movably mounted. Each hook member 7
1 and 72 are urged inward by tension springs 75 and 75, and are attached so as to exert a predetermined pressure contact force when coupled to the recording device 10. Further, at the other end of each hook member 71, 72, an operating portion 133 that protrudes to the outside is provided.
, 133 are provided, and by operating the operating section 133, the recording apparatus 10 and automatic paper feeder 30 can be coupled and separated.

In FIG. 8, a paper output tray unit 35 is built into the lower hollow part of the support base 34 so that it can be pulled out. By pulling it out to the side, recorded recording sheets 16 can be stored. In addition, the frame 33 is attached to the upper surface of the support stand 34 with a screw 36.
is fixed, and a paper feed cassette unit 31 and a paper feed drive unit 32 are positioned and attached to the frame 33 with snaps. In this way, the automatic paper feeder 30 has a structure in which each unit is attached to a base-like support 34 and a frame 33, and is configured to stably stand on its own.

Next, the structure and method for coupling the recording apparatus 10 and the automatic paper feeder 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 5, and 7. The hooks 73 and 74 are integrated with the hook members 71 and 72, and the hooks 73 and 74 are integrated with the hook members 71 and 72.
, 74 into the square holes 76, 77 (FIG. 5) of the recording device and engage with the internal members, and by pulling the hook members 71, 72 toward you, the hooks 73, 74 are locked, and the recording device 10 and A paper feeder 30 is coupled. The locking force at this time is obtained by the tension springs 75, 75.

Positioning at the time of coupling is carried out by fitting the dowel 78 of the chassis 57 on the automatic paper feeder 30 side into the hole 22 on the recording device 10 side, abutting it against the dowel 81, and pressing the U-shaped protrusion 82 of the chassis 57. This is done by abutting and fitting into the U groove 23 on the recording device 10 side. In the illustrated example, auxiliary protrusions 96,
97 are provided, and when the coupling surface is tilted, these auxiliary protrusions 96 and 97 come into contact with the lower case 11 of the recording device 10 to prevent the tilt. In the above positioning state, each hook 73, 7 of the automatic paper feeder 30
4 enter into the square holes 76 and 77 (FIG. 5) of the lower case 11 of the recording device 10.

[0034] Before both are positioned at the time of joining,
A guide (rough guide) is required to guide both to the positioning state, and its function can be obtained by the following configuration. A convex portion 21 is provided on the back surface (joint surface) of the recording device 10.
is provided. The convex portion 21 is formed by attaching a cover 79 to a bottom surface 83 that is integral with the lower surface of the lower case 11 (an extension portion), and has a rectangular shape as a whole as shown in FIG. This convex portion 21 has side surfaces 84, 84 on both sides and upper surfaces 91, 91 on both sides. Note that a circuit board (not shown) mounted on the bottom surface 83 is inside the convex portion 21.
is stored.

On the other hand, on the automatic paper feeder 30 side, a recess (opening) 85 is formed for guiding and accommodating the projection 21 of the recording device 10. This opening 85 is
4 upper surface 86, paper feed drive unit 32 and frame 3
3, and has a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 21. The opening 85 includes a guide surface consisting of the upper surface 86 of the support base 34 and both side surfaces 87, 8.
7, a ceiling surface 88, and upper guide surfaces 90, 90 on both sides.

Furthermore, the upper surface (guide surface) 86 of the support stand 34
A plurality of guiding ribs (beads) 92 extending in the insertion direction are formed on the bottom surface 83 of the convex portion 21, and a groove (non-slip bead) that slidably guides and engages with the ribs 92 is formed on the bottom surface 83 of the convex portion 21. ) is formed. Generally, rubber feet (not shown) are provided on the bottom surfaces of the lower case 11 and the convex portion 21 that form the bottom surface of the recording device 10. Therefore, in consideration of the fact that if the rubber feet come into contact with the upper surface 86 of the support base 34 when the devices are connected, the sliding resistance will increase significantly and the workability will deteriorate, so the ribs 92 formed on the upper surface 86 are is set higher than the height of the rubber feet, so that the convex portion 21 is inserted slightly above the guide surface 86.

In order to further facilitate and ensure guidance when the recording apparatus 10 and automatic paper feeder 30 are connected, the following configuration is adopted. That is, the upper surfaces of the hooks 73 and 74 of the automatic paper feeder 30 are sloped, and when the hooks 73 and 74 and the square holes 76 and 77 of the recording device 10 are in a fitted state, the hooks 73 and 74 the upper surface and the square hole 76,
The upper end surface of 77 slides, and the recording device 10 and automatic paper feeder 3
0 gradually approaches the relative position of the positioning state.

Also, the positioning means for both of them, that is, the hole 22 and U groove 23 of the recording device 10 and the automatic paper feeder 30
The dowel 78 is chamfered, and the U-shaped protrusion 82 of the automatic paper feeder 30 has a U-shaped tip.
Finally, the guide means includes hooks 73, 74 and square holes 76.
, 77 from the sliding guides of these positioning means 22, 23.
, 78, and 82, and are coupled only by the positioning means of both devices. At this time, the rubber feet on the bottom surface of the recording device 10 are configured to further float above the top surface (guide surface) of the support base 34. The amount of lift of the rubber feet is selected to be about 2 mm, for example. In this embodiment, the side surfaces of both devices are not perpendicular to the installation surface, but are inclined by about 5 degrees.

The above-mentioned positioning at the time of coupling is performed at the transfer section of the recording sheet 16 of both devices, that is, the paper feed port 24 (FIG. 5) of the lower case 11 of the recording device 10 and the automatic paper feed device 30.
Since this is performed near the slit 95 of the side chassis 57, highly reliable paper feeding performance can be obtained. Furthermore, since the positioning means is provided near the drive gear 25 (FIG. 5) and the transmission gear 62 of both devices, it is easy to manage gear backlash, and it is also possible to improve paper feeding accuracy. .

According to the recording device 10 and the automatic paper feeding device 30 described above, it is easy to combine and detach the recording sheet 16, and the reliability of the paper feeding performance including the paper feeding accuracy of the recording sheet 16 can be increased. Since the convex portion 21 for storing the circuit board of the recording device 10 can be inserted and stored in the concave portion 85 of the automatic paper feeder 30, it is possible to achieve compactness and space saving when combining the recording device 10 and the automatic paper feed device 30. Both of the paper feeders 30 can significantly increase their stability when separated, and also reduce the space required when they are stored individually.

The automatic paper feeder 30 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
As shown in FIG.
The paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 are attached via the paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 have an integrated structure, and the side shape as a whole is approximately L-shaped or inverted T-shape, and when placed alone. However, it is extremely stable. Further, a paper output tray unit 3 is provided in the support stand 34.
5 is built-in and can be pulled out, making it an excellent space saver. 7 shows the paper ejection tray unit 35 in a stored state, and FIG. 12 shows the paper ejection tray unit 35 in a stored state.
13 shows a state in which the paper ejection tray unit 35 is pulled out to a state in which it is used, and FIG. Indicates the condition.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the detailed configuration of the paper discharge tray unit 35. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the paper discharge tray unit 35 has a structure in which tray components are foldably attached to a paper discharge tray 103 serving as a base. On both sides of the rear end of this paper discharge tray 103 are protrusions 10 that protrude from the rear surface of the support mount device 30 in the stored state.
1, 102 are provided (Figure 1, Figure 6, Figure 8, Figure)
. When pulling it out for use, first remove the two protrusions 101.
, 102, the paper discharge tray 103 is pushed forward by that amount. Then, hook your finger on the recess 104 of the paper output tray 103 from which the tip has protruded, and
Pull it out until you feel a click and the stopper engages. This state is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 11, seat portions 141 and 142 are provided on both left and right sides of the lower surface of the support base 34. As shown in FIG. These seats 141 and 142 are each connected to a tray guide 143.
, 144, and these tray guides are fixed to the lower surface of the support base 34 with screws 145, 145. Further, rubber feet 146, 146 are attached to the lower surface of each tray guide 143, 144 to prevent vibration and prevent slipping when the automatic paper feeder 30 is placed thereon. The tray guides 143 and 144 are connected to the paper output tray 103.
It serves as a guide member on the lower surface when sliding in and out, and also has a function to prevent it from coming off when sliding.

In FIGS. 11 to 14, the paper output tray 10
A paper ejection support 105, which is a foldable wire member and is rotatable in the paper ejection direction, is attached to the front end of 3. Further, two-stage sliding paper stoppers 106 and 107 are attached to the paper ejection support 105 and can slide and extend in the paper ejection direction. A contact portion 110 for regulating the position of the leading edge of the discharged recording sheet 16 is formed at the leading end of the paper stopper 107 on the leading edge side.

Further, two left and right sub-plates 108 and 109 are attached to the paper discharge tray 103 so as to be rotatable between a folded position and a standing position. These sub-plates 108 and 109 are supported by the paper output tray 103 at their front and rear end shafts, and are urged toward the standing position by springs 119 and 119 attached to the paper output tray 103. There is.

Then, when the paper ejection tray 103 is pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 12 and the paper ejection support 105 is rotated upward, the left and right sub-plates 108 and 109 are automatically moved by the spring force of the springs 119 and 119. rotate (open) to the standing position shown in Figure 13. Note that by opening these sub-plates 108 and 109 to a standing position (substantially vertical), they also act as stoppers to prevent the paper discharge tray 103 from retracting into the support base 34.

[0047] The paper ejection support 105 has the paper ejection tray 1
Approximately 180 degrees until the opening position (Fig. 13) is almost parallel to 03.
Rotate it once. Next, the paper stoppers 106 and 10 having a two-stage sliding mechanism are moved from the paper ejection support 105.
7 and put it into the usage state shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

In this case, the paper stopper 106 in the first stage is pulled out until the stop mechanism is engaged, but the paper stopper 107 in the second stage is provided with a click mechanism to prevent misalignment according to the size of the recording sheet 16. It is designed to be pulled out to a predetermined length position. Recording sheet sizes include, for example, letter size, A4, B5, legal size, etc., and a click mechanism is provided at the position of each of these sizes, and a display is provided to indicate the pull-out position of each size. There is.

When the recording sheet 16 is used in combination with the recording apparatus 10 of FIG.
109 and is ejected while touching the upper ends 121 and 122. At this time, the landing height of the recording sheet 16 is regulated by the heights of the sub-plates 108 and 109.

Note that if each of the sub-plates 108 and 109 is attached to the paper output tray 103 so that its position can be adjusted in the paper width direction, if the landing height regulation is not necessary depending on the type of recording sheet 16, the sub-plates By moving 108 and 109 to positions matching the paper width, they can also be used as side guide members for preventing the ejected recording sheet 16 from shifting in the paper width direction. When the recording sheet 16 is completely ejected from the recording apparatus 10, the leading edge 123 of the recording sheet 16 abuts against the contact portion 110 of the paper stopper 107, and the position of the recording sheet 16 in the ejection direction is regulated here.

As explained above, the sub-plate 108
, 109 and paper stoppers 106, 107, the ground height, paper width direction, and paper ejection direction (paper traveling direction) of the recording sheet 16 can be appropriately adjusted (or regulated) according to the type of the recording sheet. Yes, record sheet 1
It was possible to improve the alignment properties and paper ejection properties of No. 6.

When storing the paper ejection tray unit 35 from the usage state (drawn out state) shown in FIGS. 13 and 14,
First, slide the paper stoppers 106 and 107 and push them all the way into the paper discharge support 105. Next, the paper ejection support 105 is rotated in a direction in which it is folded onto the paper ejection tray 103. Each sub-plate 108, 109 has protrusions 112, 113 (see FIG.
1, Fig. 13) is provided.

Therefore, when the paper ejection support 105 is rotated onto the paper ejection tray 103, the paper ejection support 105 comes into contact with the protrusions 112 and 113, and while in contact, the paper ejection support 105 can be further rotated nearly 180 degrees. As a result, the paper ejection support 105 and each sub-plate 108, 109 are folded (dropped) into the recess 111 of the paper ejection tray 103 at the same time. The state at this time is the same as the state shown in FIG.
It can be slid inward. By pushing this in, the paper discharge tray unit 35 is housed in the support base 34 and returned to the built-in state shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and the like.

In FIG. 6, on the left and right sides (two locations on both sides in the paper width direction) of the back surface of the support stand 34 (the side where the paper ejection tray unit 35 is housed), there are guides in the sliding direction (drawing direction) of the paper ejection tray unit 35. ) extending to the rack gear 11
4,115 are provided. This rack gear 114,
115 can also be provided by fixing a separate member, and the support base 3
It can also be provided by integral molding with 4. On the other hand, on the paper output tray unit 35 side, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 11,
A shaft 118 extending in the paper width direction is rotatably supported, and the rack gear 114,
Gears 116 and 117 that mesh with 115 are fixed.

Therefore, when the paper discharge tray unit 35 is moved in and out of the support base 34, the gears 116 and 117 are meshed with and rotated along the rack gears 114 and 115 to slide. This sliding mechanism with gears meshing can improve the left-right balance when sliding (putting in and taking out) the paper ejection tray unit 35, and therefore prevents jamming and the like when the paper ejection tray unit 35 is inserted and taken out. Unsmooth operation is eliminated, and the paper output tray unit 3 can be removed smoothly and easily.
5 can be pulled out and stored, improving operability.

In the automatic paper feeder 30, the paper feed cassette unit 31 is a part into which recording sheets (stacked sheets) 16 are loaded, and the paper feed drive unit 32 feeds out the recording sheets 16 one by one to the recording apparatus. This is the part that feeds paper to 10. The automatic paper feeder 30 is provided with a paper feed route for manual feeding in addition to a paper feed route from the paper feed cassette unit 31. In FIGS. 1 and 6, the paper feed port 124 for manual feeding is the paper feed cassette unit 3.
It is provided below 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the paper feed path from the manual paper feed port 124 is not curved but is configured in a substantially straight line. It has the advantage that even recording sheets can be easily fed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8,
Paper feed cassette unit 31 and paper feed drive unit 32
The installation state of the will be explained. In these figures, the paper feed cassette unit 31 is mounted at a predetermined inclination angle to a frame 33 fixed to a support stand 34. On the other hand, on the lower side of the paper feed cassette unit 31, a substantially linear paper path surface 125 (FIGS. 6 and 10) serving as a paper feed path leading to the recording apparatus 10 is provided. This paper path surface 125 serves both as a paper feed path from the paper feed cassette unit 31 and a paper feed path for the manual paper feed port 124. Therefore, the installation inclination angle of the paper feed cassette unit 31 to the frame 33 is for regulating the plunge angle from the paper feed cassette unit to the paper path surface 125 to a value suitable for smooth paper feeding.

Contact ribs 126 and 127 (FIGS. 6 and 10) are provided on the left and right sides of the chassis 57 of the paper feed drive unit 32, and on the left and right sides of the lower part of the cassette case 38 of the paper feed cassette unit 31. A contact surface 128 on both sides,
129 (FIGS. 6 and 9) is provided. The contact ribs 126, 127 and the contact surfaces 128, 129 contact each other as shown in FIG. 6, thereby accurately regulating the positional relationship between the paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 when they are installed. It is for the purpose of That is, a half-moon-shaped feed roller 42 for feeding the recording sheet 16 is installed at a position facing the paper feed cassette unit 31 of the paper feed drive unit 32. This is to accurately determine the positional relationship between the separation claws 49, 51, and other components of the cassette unit 31.

In the illustrated example, the abutting ribs 126 and 127 have rounded tips, and the abutting surfaces 128 and 129
The other side is formed with a concave surface having a substantially V shape, and has flexibility in terms of angle.
1, etc., and the parallelism thereof in the height direction are precisely regulated.

Note that the installation inclination angle of the paper feed cassette unit 31 with respect to the frame 33 is regulated by a cassette case receiving portion 80 (FIG. 8) in which the frame 33 is formed. With the positioning means for the paper feed cassette unit 31 and the paper feed drive unit 32 as described above, the positional relationship between the feed roller 42 and the paper feed cassette unit components such as the separation claws 49 and 51 is easily and accurately determined. We were able to improve the stability of paper feeding.

In FIGS. 6 and 9, the paper feed cassette unit 31 is provided with a feed roller 42 by a pressure plate spring 41.
A pressure plate 40 is attached which is biased by a spring toward the front. When loading the recording sheet 16, the pressure plate 40 is pushed down against the pressure plate spring 41, and the feeding roller 42 and separation claw 49 are pressed down.
, record sheet (loading sheet) in a state separated from 51.
Insert 16. Therefore, on both sides of the pressure plate 40 in the paper width direction, there are U-shaped paper guides 131 and 132 for regulating the number of loaded recording sheets 16 (height of the stacked sheets).
is provided.

The height of the guide surfaces of the paper guides 131 and 132 becomes lower than the separation claws 49 and 51 when the pressure plate 40 is set in the depressed state (when loading a recording sheet), and the height of the guide surfaces of the paper guides 131 and 132 becomes lower than the separation claws 49 and 51, and when the pressure plate 40 is pushed up When it is released (released), it is set to be higher than the separation claws 49 and 51. According to such a structure of the paper guides 131 and 132, when loading a recording sheet, the paper guides are lower than the separating claws 49 and 51.
The recording sheet can be reliably guided inside each of the separation claws 49 and 51, and it can be reliably and easily loaded.

On the other hand, when the pressure plate 40 is biased by the spring toward the separating claws 49 and 51 side (toward the feeding roller 42 side) and the recording sheet 16 is fed by the feeding roller 42, the paper guide 13
1 and 132 are higher than the separation claws 49 and 51, the stacked sheets (recording sheets) 16 are separated by the separation claws 49 and 51.
51, the height is only regulated by paper guide 1.
31 and 132 are not pressed together. Therefore, the load on feeding the recording sheet 16 during paper feeding can be reduced. Therefore, the paper guide 13 of the pressure plate 40 as described above
1, 132 and separation claws 49, 51 on the cassette case 38
The separation performance and paper feeding performance of the recording sheet 16 can be improved and stabilized due to the height relationship between the recording sheet 16 and the recording sheet 16.

[0064]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in an automatic paper feeder that has a paper feed cassette unit and a paper feed drive unit and is removably connected to a recording device, the paper feed cassette The unit is composed of a cassette case, a separation claw member installed in the cassette case, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets against the inside of the separation claw, and the recording sheets are stacked on both sides of the pressure plate. A guide for regulating the height is provided, and the height of the guide is lower than the separating claw when the pressure plate is pushed down;
Since the pressure plate is set to be higher than the separating claw when pushed up, when the pressure plate is released and the recording sheet is loaded, the guide can be used to easily and correctly load the recording sheet. When the sheets are separated and fed by pressure on the pressure plate, the stacked sheets are only pressed against the separation claw, which greatly reduces the load during feeding and feeds the sheets smoothly and accurately. be able to.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view showing a state in which an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention is coupled to a recording device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the automatic paper feeder of FIG. 1 separated from the recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording device in FIG. 1;

4 is a perspective view showing a state in which paper is being fed from the manual paper feed port of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 3; FIG.

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the recording device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the automatic paper feeder according to the present invention coupled to a recording device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an automatic paper feeder according to the present invention.

8 is an exploded perspective view of the automatic paper feeder of FIG. 7 into units; FIG.

9 is an exploded perspective view of the paper feed cassette unit in FIG. 8. FIG.

10 is an exploded perspective view of the paper feed drive unit in FIG. 8. FIG.

11 is an exploded perspective view of the support stand and paper ejection tray unit in FIG. 8. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which the paper ejection tray unit is partially pulled out in the automatic paper feeder according to the present invention.

13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the paper ejection tray unit is pulled out in the automatic paper feeder of FIG. 12. FIG.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the automatic paper feeder according to the present invention is coupled to a recording apparatus and the paper discharge tray unit is pulled out.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Recording device 11 Lower case (recording device) 16
Recording sheet 17 Paper ejection roller 21 Convex portion (recording device) 22 Positioning hole 23 Positioning U groove 24 Paper feed port 25 Drive gear 30 Automatic paper feed device 31 Paper feed cassette unit 32
Paper feed drive unit 33 Frame 34 Support stand 35 Paper ejection tray unit 38 Cassette case 40 Pressure plate 42 Feed roller 43 Slider 49 Separation claw 51 Separation claw 57 Chassis 58 Feed roller shaft 61 Sliding roller 62 Transmission gear 71 Hook member 72 Hook Member 78 Positioning dowel 80 Cassette case receiving part 82
U-shaped protrusion 85 Recess (opening) 86 Guide surface 92 Rib 95 Slit 101 Protrusion 102 Protrusion 103 Paper ejection tray 105 Paper ejection support 106 Paper stopper 107 Paper stopper 108 Sub-plate 109 Sub-plate 114 Rack gear 115 Rack gear 116 Gear 117 Gear 121 Upper end (Sub-plate) 122 Upper end (sub-plate) 124 Manual feed slot 125 Paper path surface 126 Contact rib 127 Contact rib 128 Contact surface 129 Contact surface

Claims (3)

[Claims] Claim 1. An automatic paper feeder that includes a paper feed cassette unit and a paper feed drive unit and is removably coupled to a recording device, the paper feed cassette unit being attached to a cassette case and installed inside the cassette case. The separating claw member is composed of a separation claw member, and a pressure plate for abutting the stacked recording sheets on the inside of the separation claw, and guides are provided on both sides of the pressure plate for regulating the stacking height of the recording sheets, and the guide An automatic paper feeder characterized in that the height is set to be lower than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed down, and higher than the separation claw when the pressure plate is pushed up. 2. The recording means of the recording apparatus is an inkjet recording means that discharges ink using thermal energy, and is equipped with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy. The automatic paper feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The recording means utilizes a state change caused by the growth of bubbles due to film boiling caused by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter,
3. The automatic paper feeder according to claim 2, wherein ink is ejected from an ejection port.