JPH048121Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention relates to a paper feeding device that separates and feeds sheets of paper using a feeding member and a friction separation member that are pressed against each other.

Prior Art It has been well known that a recording device such as a printer, facsimile machine, printing machine, or copying machine is equipped with a paper feeding device of the above type, and the sheets are separated one by one and automatically fed to the image forming section of the recording device. be.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned recording device is equipped with a manual paper feed port so that paper can also be fed manually, and the paper that is manually inserted from this port joins the paper path from the paper feed device midway. , which is fed to the image forming section. However, if a paper path from a manual paper feed port is provided in addition to a paper path from a paper feeder, the structure of the recording apparatus inevitably increases in size.

Purpose The purpose of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding device that eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, allows manual paper feeding as well as automatic paper feeding, and can be made smaller in structure than the conventional paper feeding device.

Configuration In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a feeding member that feeds paper while being rotationally driven, supports a plurality of sheets of paper that are automatically fed, and the topmost paper is the one that feeds the paper. A paper support plate supported so as to be movable up and down so as to come into contact with and away from the feeding member; and a paper sheet that is supported so as to be able to come into contact with and be taken away from the feeding member and passes between the feeding member in pressure contact with the feeding member. a frictional separation member that prevents double feeding of the paper; a paper stopper that is retractable into the paper path on the downstream side of the frictional separation member in the paper feeding direction; When setting paper manually fed from the upper manual paper feed slot, the friction separating member is separated from the feeding member, the paper stopper is projected into the paper path, and the uppermost paper on the paper support plate is set. lower the paper support plate so that the paper is separated from the feeding member, and feed the manual paper that has been inserted from the manual paper feed port and is set with its leading edge in contact with the paper stopper, or the paper on the paper support plate. In this case, the friction separation member is brought into pressure contact with the feeding member, the paper stopper is retracted from the paper path, and the paper is moved so that the uppermost paper on the paper support plate comes into contact with the feeding member. We propose a configuration in which a regulating means for raising the support plate is provided.

Example Examples of the present invention will be described below.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a paper feed cassette, and this cassette 1 has a case body 2 and a paper support plate 3 housed in the body and having one end 3a pivoted to the bottom wall of the body 2. A plurality of sheets 5 that are automatically fed are supported on the board 3. Such a paper feed cassette 1 is detachably attached to the main body of the recording apparatus.

Further, the main body frame of the recording apparatus is provided with a feeding member configured as a feed roller 4, and this feed roller 4 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by a drive device (not shown) for feeding the paper. to do. The paper support plate 3 is supported so that it can be raised and lowered so that the uppermost paper supported thereon approaches and leaves the feed roller 4. In the state shown in FIG. Pressure lever 6 that protrudes into the case body from the notch
As a result, the uppermost sheet of paper is pressed against the circumferential surface of the feed roller 4.

Furthermore, a frictional separation member in the form of a friction pad 7 is arranged adjacent to the paper feed cassette 1. The friction pad 7 is fixed to a pad support member 8 that is supported by the main body frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the figure, and is supported so as to be able to move toward and away from the feed roller 4, and as will be described later. This serves to prevent double feeding of sheets passing between the roller 4 and the roller 4 by pressure contact. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the pad support member 8 is biased substantially upward in the figure by the pressure means consisting of the compression coil spring 9 press-fitted between the pad support member 8 and the main body frame. A friction pad 7 fixed thereto is in pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the feed roller 4.

A pin 10 is provided protruding from the lower end of the pad support member 8, and this pin 10 is fitted into an elongated hole 11 formed in the pressure lever 6. The pressure lever 6 is attached to a pivot pin 1 on a support bracket 12 fixed to the main body frame.
It is rotatably supported via 3. The lower end of the paper stopper 14 is placed on the pressure lever portion on the left side of the pin 13. The paper stopper 14 is supported so as to be able to protrude and retract from the paper path 19 on the downstream side of the friction pad 7 in the paper feeding direction. A compression coil spring 15 is wound around the paper stopper 14, and its lower end is connected to the paper stopper 14.
The upper end of the spring 15 is pressed against the main body frame, and the paper stopper 14 is pressed against the pressure lever 6 by the spring 15. An operating lever 16 is fixed to the pivot pin 13, and is supported so as to be able to rotate integrally with the pressure lever 6. In addition, the first
Although the operating lever 16 and the pivot pin 13 supported by the bracket 12 are shown separately in the figure for clarity, the lever is actually fixed onto the pivot pin 13.

Spring anchor 17 fixed to the main body frame
Then, each end of the tension spring 18 is locked to the operating lever 16, and in the state shown in FIG.
gives the operating lever 16 a counterclockwise rotation behavior in the figure. As a result, the pressure lever 6 is also given a counterclockwise rotational habit around the pivot pin 13, and the right end of the lever 6 in the figure can press the paper support plate 3 upward.

When automatically feeding the paper on the paper support plate 3,
As described above, the pressure lever 6 presses the paper support plate 3 mainly by the spring 18 to raise it. As a result, the uppermost sheet of paper on the paper support plate 3 comes into contact with the feed roller 4. Further, the friction pad 7 is pressed against the peripheral surface of the feed roller 4, and a paper stopper 14 is located downstream of the friction pad 7 in the paper feeding direction.
occupies a position evacuated from the paper path 19, that is, a position that does not affect paper conveyance in any way.
FIG. 1 shows the state at this time.

When the feed roller 4 rotates clockwise in response to a paper feed signal, the topmost paper is fed in the direction of arrow A by the frictional force with the feed roller 4, and the friction pad 7
and the feed roller 4. At this time, when the friction coefficient between the paper and the feed roller circumferential surface is μ ₁ , the friction coefficient between the paper and friction pad 7 is μ ₂ , and the friction coefficient between the sheets is μ ₃ , μ ₁ > μ ₂ > μ ₃ is set. Therefore, even if a plurality of sheets of paper are fed between the friction pad 7 and the feed roller 4, only the uppermost sheet is sent to the paper path 19, and double feeding is prevented. The fed-out sheet of paper is conveyed to the left in the figure, and passes through an image forming unit (not shown), such as a photoreceptor when the recording device is a laser printer or a copying machine, and a photoreceptor when the recording device is a daisy wheel printer. It is fed toward the printing section by a wheel. During this feeding, the paper stopper 14
As explained above, this does not affect the paper conveyance in any way.

The sheets are separated one by one and fed automatically as described above, but if the sheets need to be fed manually, the operating lever 16 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 around the pivot pin 13. and bring it to the position shown in FIG. As a result, the pressure lever 6 also rotates counterclockwise around the pivot pin 13, and the right end of the pressure lever 6 separates from the paper support plate 3.
The pressurizing effect on is released. Furthermore, since the pin 10 of the pad support member 8 is fitted into the elongated hole 11 of the pressure lever, the pad support member 8 moves downward in the figure against the action of the spring 9 as the pressure lever 6 rotates. The friction pad 7 is pulled by the feed roller 4.
distance from. Also, by rotating the pressure lever 6,
The paper stopper 14 placed on the left end is pressed at its lower end by the pressure lever 6, moves upward, and projects into the paper path 19 as shown in FIG.

The paper support plate 3 whose pressure is released from the pressure lever 6 moves down together with the paper 5 stacked thereon, and the uppermost paper on the paper support plate 3 separates from the feed roller 4 . Therefore, a gap is formed between the feed roller 4 and the paper 5, and a gap is also formed between the friction pad 7 and the feed roller 4. At this time, the operating lever 16 is given a clockwise rotation behavior as shown in the figure by the tension spring 18, but a stop member (not shown) causes the operating lever 16 to rotate more clockwise than in the state shown in FIG. rotation is prevented.

As mentioned above, the feed roller 4 and the friction pad 7
Since a gap is formed between the paper 5 and the paper 5,
The operator manually feeds the paper 5a from the manual paper feed slot above the paper 5 placed on the paper support plate 3 in the direction of arrow B while guiding it with the guide plate 20 above the paper feed cassette. Can be plugged in. The inserted paper 5a stops when its leading edge hits the paper stopper 14. In this way, the manually fed paper 5a can be positioned at a predetermined position.

Next, the actuating lever 16 is rotated counterclockwise again, and the paper support plate 3 is raised by the pressure lever 6, so that the uppermost paper supported by this plate comes into contact with the feed roller 4, and the friction Padded 7
is brought into pressure contact with the feed roller 4 via the paper 5a, and the paper stopper 14 is retracted from the paper path 19. In this state, the feed roller 4 is driven to rotate clockwise, thereby allowing the paper 5a to be fed to the left in FIG. 1 through the paper path 19 in the same way as normal automatically fed paper. The leading edge of the paper 5a fed in this way is positioned by hitting the paper stopper 14 before being fed, so that skewing during feeding can be prevented and small size paper 5a can be set. This can prevent the problem of setting it too deep or being unable to take it out when inserting it.

As mentioned above, both when paper is fed automatically and when paper is fed manually, it can be fed from the same paper feeding device. There is no need to provide a paper path following this, and the structure of the recording apparatus can be downsized.

In the illustrated paper feeder, as described above, when setting the paper 5a manually fed from the manual paper feed port above the paper 5 placed on the paper support plate 3, the friction pad 7 is moved from the feed roller 4. At the same time, the paper stopper 14 is projected into the paper path 19, and the paper support plate 3 is lowered so that the uppermost paper on the paper support plate 6 is separated from the feed roller, and on the other hand, the paper is inserted from the manual paper feed slot. When feeding the manually fed paper 5a set with the leading edge of the paper in contact with the paper stopper 14, or the paper 5 on the paper support plate 3, the friction pad 7 is brought into pressure contact with the feed roller 4, and the paper stopper 14 is moved against the paper. While withdrawing from the passage 19, the paper support plate 3 is raised so that the uppermost paper on the paper support plate 3 comes into contact with the feed roller 4. In this example, as a regulating means for regulating each member,
The structure is particularly simplified by using the pressure lever 6, the elongated hole 11 formed therein, the pin 10 protruding from the pad support member 8, the bracket 12, the pivot pin 13, the spring 15, the operating lever 16, etc. You can get the benefits that you can. Of course, it is also possible to operate the friction pad 7 and the paper stopper 14 by a member separate from the pressure lever that presses the paper support plate.
Further, instead of operating the friction pad 7 to cause the pad 7 and the feed roller 4 to come into contact with each other and separate from each other, a regulating means is provided so that the feed roller is operated or the feed roller and the friction pad are operated together to bring them into contact with and separate from each other. may be configured.

Further, in the above embodiment, the feed roller feeds out the paper stacked in the paper feed cassette, and the roller cooperates with a friction pad to separate and feed the paper. The present invention can also be applied to a paper feeding device configured to be able to press against the paper stacked in a paper cassette, to feed the paper by a feeding roller, and to separate the fed paper by a feed roller and a friction pad. Of course. In this case, when manually feeding paper, the calling roller and the stacked paper may be separated from each other, or the calling roller and the stacked paper may be kept in pressure contact with each other, and the It is also possible to manually feed paper from the feed roller, insert the paper between a friction pad and a feed roller that are spaced apart from each other, and stop the paper with a paper stopper. In addition to the feed roller, a belt or the like may be used as the feeding member, and a roller may be used as the frictional separation member. This roller can be stopped or
It may also be rotated in the opposite direction to the paper feeding direction. Furthermore, the cover of the paper feed cassette can be used as the guide plate 20 used when manually feeding paper, and this is advantageous because the structure can be particularly simplified.

Effects According to the paper feeding device of the present invention, paper can be automatically fed in the same manner as conventional paper feeding devices, and paper inserted manually can also be correctly positioned and fed reliably. can do.
Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a paper path from the manual paper feed port, making it possible to downsize the device, simplify its configuration, and reduce its cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are partial sectional views showing an example of the paper feeding device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows a state in which the friction pad and paper are in pressure contact with the feed roller and the paper stopper is retracted from the paper path. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the friction pad and paper are separated from the feed roller and the paper stopper protrudes from the paper path. 3... Paper support plate, 5, 5a... Paper, 14...
...Paper stopper, 19...Paper path.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A feeding member that feeds paper while being rotationally driven, and a system that supports a plurality of sheets of paper that are automatically fed, with the topmost paper approaching and separating from the feeding member. a paper support plate supported so as to be movable up and down; and a paper support plate supported so as to be movable toward and away from the feeding member, and press-contacted to the feeding member to prevent double feeding of sheets passing between the feeding member and the feeding member. a paper stopper that is retractable into the paper path on the downstream side of the friction separation member in the paper feeding direction; and a manual paper feeder that is above the paper placed on the paper support plate. When setting paper manually fed from the mouth, the friction separation member is separated from the feeding member, the paper stopper is projected into the paper path, and the uppermost paper on the paper support plate is removed from the feeding member. When feeding manual paper that has been inserted from the manual paper feed slot and set with its leading edge in contact with the paper stopper, or the paper on the paper support plate, lower the paper support plate so that the paper is separated from the paper support plate. Pressing the friction separation member against the feeding member, retracting the paper stopper from the paper path, and raising the paper support plate so that the uppermost paper on the paper support plate comes into contact with the feeding member. A paper feeding device comprising a regulating means.