JPH0518348Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a paper feeding device for a copying machine, and in particular,
A paper feed device for a copying machine configured to move paper in forward and reverse directions within a paper conveyance path and perform side registration of the paper when conveying the paper toward a photosensitive drum. Regarding.

(Prior Art) In a conventionally commonly used copying machine, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of paper trays 10, 10a, 10b... are provided inside the copying machine, and each paper tray is The paper P is taken out by the paper feed roller 11 provided correspondingly to the
The sheets are sent one by one through the paper handling mechanism 12 to the conveyance roller device 13, and sent out toward the paper conveyance path 15 via the conveyance roller device 13. Then, the paper is transported toward the image transfer section by the transport roller device 16 provided in the paper transport path 15. An alignment roller 3 is disposed at the upper end of the paper conveyance path, and the paper is fed through the alignment roller 3 with the timing matching the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 1. The image is transferred in the image transfer section 2 by electric discharge from a transfer corotron, etc., and the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed by a conveyance device 4 toward a fixing device to complete the copy. .

However, since the paper transport path in the copying machine described above is not provided with a side registration device for the paper, when the paper is transported through the long paper transport path, the paper is moved in a biased direction and the image is transferred onto the paper. A defect may occur, such as a toner image being transferred with misalignment.

In order to eliminate such drawbacks, in large copying machines, etc., the paper transport path is configured so that the branch paths from each paper tray are concentrated, as shown in FIG. There is also a method in which a paper transport path for registration is provided following the paper transport path, and an aligner device 20 is provided in the paper transport path for registration to perform side registration of the paper. be.

In addition, in the paper conveyance path of the copying machine as described above, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8,
A conveyance roller 16 is provided along a guide plate constituting the paper conveyance path 15, and an aligner device 20 is integrally provided with the conveyance roller 16. As the aligner device 20, a plurality of rollers 23 are provided on a drive shaft 21 driven in one direction, and
A universal joint 2 is provided at the end of the drive shaft 21.
An aligner roller 24 is provided through the aligner roller 2, and these rollers are configured to rotate together.

In the paper transport path for registration, when transporting the paper P, the aligner roller 24 aligns the paper P with the alignment guide 25.
With the side of the paper P aligned with the alignment guide 25, the paper P is conveyed toward the alignment roller 3, and the image transfer unit 2 accurately aligns the paper P with the alignment guide 25. Toner images can be transferred to appropriate positions.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional apparatus as described above, providing a paper transport path for registration in the paper transport path to which the paper tray is connected is difficult to achieve. The road will be very long.
By configuring the paper transport path to be long,
The drawbacks are that devices such as conveyance rollers become complicated, the structure of the copying machine becomes larger, and the manufacturing cost of the copying machine increases.

Additionally, as the paper transport path becomes longer and its structure becomes more complex, it naturally becomes difficult to maintain the paper in a stable state while transporting the paper, resulting in jams within the paper transport path. It is often the cause. Furthermore, if a jam occurs in the paper conveyance path, the operation to recover from the jam becomes complicated, placing an extra burden on the operator.

(Purpose of the invention) The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventionally used devices as described above. It shortens the paper conveyance path from the paper tray, and also improves the side registration of the paper. The purpose is to provide a device that can easily perform its functions.

(Means and effects for solving the problem) The paper feeding device of the copying machine of the present invention feeds paper from a plurality of paper trays through a paper feed roller and a paper handling mechanism provided in each tray, and The present invention relates to a device configured to transport paper through a paper transport path, perform registration with an alignment roller, and transport the paper to an image transfer section to transfer a toner image formed on a photoreceptor drum.

In the present invention, the paper feed path for feeding paper from the paper tray is connected to the paper transport path in a state that moves the paper in a direction away from the image transfer unit, and the paper feed path and the paper transport path are A gate member is disposed at the connection portion of the paper to allow the paper to move from the paper feed path to the paper transport path.
Further, the paper conveyance path is configured as a reversal conveyance path with an alignment guide arranged on one side, and the reversible conveyance path is provided with a reversible conveyance roller device driven by a reversible motor, and each roller device is provided with a reversible conveyance roller device driven by a reversible motor. An aligner roller is provided on the drive shaft via a universal joint, and the angle of the aligner roller can be changed when the reversible conveyance roller device rotates forward and backward. Then, the paper sent out from the paper tray is transported in the direction away from the image transfer unit within the reversing transport path, and the angle of the aligner roller is adjusted with the trailing edge of the paper entering the reversing transport path from the paper feed path. The configuration is modified so that the paper can be conveyed along the alignment guide toward the alignment roller.

With the above-mentioned configuration, in the apparatus of the present invention, the paper is once transported in a direction away from the image transfer section in the paper transport path configured as a reversal transport path, and then the paper is registered by the aligner roller. Since the paper is conveyed toward the image transfer section while performing the following actions, side registration for the paper can be performed accurately. In addition, in the paper feeding device of the copying machine of the present invention, since the paper transport path provided in a conventional copying machine is used as a reversing transport path, the configuration of the paper transport path of the copying machine is As a result, the structure of the paper conveyance path can be simplified compared to a copying machine or the like which has a conventional bypass path.

(Embodiment) The configuration of a paper feeding device of a copying machine according to the present invention will be described according to an illustrated embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine of the present invention houses a plurality of paper trays 10, 10a, . A sorting mechanism 12 and a conveyance roller 13 are provided. Further, in the present invention, the paper conveyance path to which the paper feed path from the paper tray is connected is configured as a reversal conveyance path 30, and the reversible conveyance path 30 includes a reversible aligner roller as a conveyance roller device. Devices 35 are arranged at predetermined intervals. Then, after the paper is fed from the paper feed path in the direction of arrow A by these reversible aligner roller devices 35, it is conveyed in the direction of arrow B, and directed to the image transfer section from the photoreceptor drum 1. It is configured to feed paper by

Furthermore, a positioning roller 3 is provided at the upper end of the reversing conveyance path 30 of the present invention, and the positioning roller 3 is rotated in a state in which the timing matches the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 1. A sheet of paper is fed through the image transfer unit 2, and the image is transferred by electric discharge from a transfer corotron, etc., and the sheet with the toner image transferred thereto is conveyed by the conveyance device 4 toward the fixing device, where it is completed as a copy. It is like that.

FIG. 2 shows in detail the structure of the paper feed path from the paper tray of the present invention and the confluence of the reversing conveyance path 30. As shown in this figure, paper tray 1
A gate member 33 made of a relatively thin resin sheet is provided at the junction of the paper feed path 32 from 0 and the reversal conveyance path 30. And the second
As shown in FIG. A and FIG. 2B, the gate member 33 guides the paper from the paper tray into the reversing conveyance path 30, but vice versa. The situation is such that it is impossible to move towards.

Further, a sensor 34 for detecting the paper is provided at the end of the conveyance path from the paper tray, and the reversible aligner roller device 35
Forward and reverse driving is performed. Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, the paper P sent out from the paper feed path 32 toward the reversing conveyance path 30 is transported after a certain period of time after the trailing edge of the paper is detected by the sensor 34. It passes through the position of the gate member 33 and enters the reversing conveyance path. Thereafter, the aligner roller device is driven in the reverse direction to convey the paper in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2B, but the gate member 33 prevents the paper from entering the paper feed path. It is transported upward in the figure.

The reversible aligner roller device 35 provided in the reversing conveyance path 30 of the present invention has the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. The example shown in FIG. 3 is a rear view seen from the direction of arrow EE in FIG. 2, and as shown in this figure, the reversible aligner roller device 35 of the present invention
roller 3 provided at a predetermined interval to 7;
9, 39... constitute a conveyance roller, and an aligner roller 40 is provided at the end of the drive shaft 37 via a universal joint 38. Then, the aligner roller 40 is swung between the position shown by the solid line and the position shown by the chain line,
Paper transport and registration operations can be performed.

FIG. 4 shows the reversing conveyance path 30 shown in FIG.
is explained in more detail. As seen in this figure, the paper conveyance path is constituted by a guide plate 31, and the paper feed path 32 from the paper tray is connected to the guide plate 31.
Connect. Further, an alignment guide 25 is provided on one side of the reversing conveyance path 30, and registration of the paper is performed by conveying the paper while bringing the side surface of the paper into contact with this guide. . In the reversing conveyance path 30, the guide plate 31 is provided with holes through which the rollers 39 protrude toward the paper conveyance path, and the rollers 39 protruding from the respective holes into the conveyance path move the paper in the paper conveyance path. It is set in such a state that it holds the

To explain in more detail the structure of the supporting portion of the aligner roller 40, as shown in FIG. A guide 42 is provided on the bracket to engage a pin 43 protruding from the guide plate 31. Further, a pin 41a is projected from the back of the roller holder 41, and the pin 41 is engaged with the long hole 44a of the arm member 44, and the aligner roller 40 is swung by the vertical movement of the arm member. Become so. These roller devices can be driven in a predetermined direction by a reversible motor 36 by engaging a transmission member such as a chain with a sprocket attached to the end of the drive shaft 37. The aligner roller 40 has its roller holder 41
is moved up and down by the spring 46 and the solenoid 45, and the aligner roller 4 is moved up and down through the universal joint 38 by the up and down movement.
It is designed to oscillate 0.

Next, the operation of the paper feeding device of the copying machine according to the present invention will be explained. First, when a copying signal is input through the control panel of the copying machine, an optical device (not shown) reads the image of the original, and the optical information is irradiated onto the photoreceptor drum 1, which creates a latent image. is formed as a toner image by the developing device, and is moved toward the image transfer section 2.

Simultaneously with the optical scanning of the document, a paper feed signal is output to the paper feeder of the paper tray 10, and a paper P of a specified size is fed by the paper feed roller. At this time, the reversible motor 36 that drives the reversible aligner roller device 35 of the reversing conveyance path 30 is driven to a reverse state in which the paper is conveyed in the direction of arrow A, and the is conveyed downward within the reversing conveyance path 30 through the gate member 33. Of course, in embodiments of the present invention, during reversal of the reversible aligner roller device 35, the solenoid 45 is not actuated so that the axis of the aligner roller 40 is in a straight line with the drive shaft 37.

Then, when the trailing edge of the paper P is detected by the sensor 34 while the paper P is introduced from the paper feed path 32 into the reversing conveyance path 30, after the detection, for a predetermined period of time, The reversible aligner roller device 35 is driven in the reverse direction. This time is
Since this is the time required for the trailing edge of the paper to be completely conveyed into the reversing conveyance path 30, it can be done in a very short time.

After the predetermined time has elapsed, the reversible motor 36
is driven in the normal rotation direction, and rotates its reversible aligner roller device 35 in the paper conveyance direction.
At this time, the solenoid 45 is energized to tilt each aligner roller 40 via the arm member 44. Therefore, the aligner roller 40 performs a registration action on the sheet P being conveyed toward the photosensitive drum within the reversing conveyance path 30 at the same time as the sheet P is conveyed by the roller 39 . Then, the sheet P conveyed within the reversing conveyance path 30 is conveyed in such a state that its side surface slides on the alignment guide 25 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and is passed through the alignment roller 3. and sent to the image transfer section 2.

In addition, in the above embodiment of the present invention, an example is shown in which the aligner roller is provided swingably through a universal joint, but in the case of the present invention, the aligner roller is not necessarily swingable. It is not necessary to configure this structure, and it is also possible to set it at a fixed position in a state inclined with respect to the paper conveyance path without using a swinging member.

In other words, when the paper is transported in the reverse direction within the reversing conveyance path 30, the aligner roller, which is set to be inclined from the beginning, moves the paper to the side, but then it is moved to the side by the photoreceptor drum. When the sheet is conveyed in the opposite direction, the distance over which the sheet contacts the aligner rollers and registration is performed is much longer than when the sheet is conveyed in the opposite direction. Therefore, even if the sides of the paper once move away from the alignment guide 25 when moving the paper in the opposite direction, they are then moved toward the alignment guide by the aligner rollers. In fact, in some cases, such conveyance can more accurately perform the registration action.

(Effects of the invention) Since the paper feed device of the copying machine of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to improve the registration by slightly improving the paper transport path that has been used in the past. This makes it possible to perform the functions without complicating the configuration of the copying machine. In addition, since the paper feed device of the copying machine of the present invention does not require a long paper transport path, the copying machine can be made smaller, paper jams can be easily cleared, and the number of parts is reduced. I'm going to work on it, so
Regular maintenance can also be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the paper feeding device of the copying machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of the main part of the paper feed section of the present invention, and FIGS. 2A and 2B are the paper and An explanatory diagram showing the relationship with the gate member, FIG. 3 is a rear view of the reversing conveyance path of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the reversing conveyance path, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the structure of the aligner roller and its support member. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a paper feeding device of a conventionally used copying machine, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional example in which an aligner roller is provided, and FIG. A in Figure 7
- It is a back view at part A. Symbols in the figure: 1... Photosensitive drum, 2... Image transfer section, 3... Alignment roller, 4... Conveyance device, 10... Paper tray, 11... Paper feed roller,
12... Paper handling mechanism, 13... Conveyance roller device, 15... Paper conveyance path, 16... Conveyance roller,
25... Alignment guide, 30... Reversing conveyance path,
31... Guide plate, 32... Paper feed path, 33... Gate member, 34... Sensor, 35... Reversible aligner roller device, 36... Reversible motor, 37
... Drive shaft, 38 ... Universal joint,
39...roller, 40...aligner roller, 4
1...Roller holder, 42...Guide, 43...
...Pin, 44...Arm member, 45...Solenoid, 46...Spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] Paper is fed through a paper feed roller and a paper handling mechanism provided in each of a plurality of paper trays,
The paper is transported through the paper transport path via a transport roller device,
In an apparatus configured to perform registration using an alignment roller and to transfer a toner image formed on a photosensitive drum by transporting the paper to an image transfer section, the paper feed path for feeding the paper from the paper tray is provided. ,
A gate member connected to the paper transport path so as to move the paper in a direction away from the image transfer unit, and a gate member for guiding the paper in one direction at a connecting portion between the paper feed path and the paper transport path. The paper transport path is configured as a reversing transport path with an alignment guide arranged on one side, and the reversing transport path is provided with a reversible transport roller device driven by a reversible motor, and each roller device An aligner roller is installed on the drive shaft via a universal joint, and when the reversible conveyance roller device rotates forward and reverse,
The angle of the aligner roller is configured to be changeable, and the paper sent out from the paper tray is transported in a direction away from the image transfer unit within the reversing conveyance path, so that the trailing edge of the paper is moved from the paper feed path into the reversing conveyance path. A paper feeding device for a copying machine, comprising a mechanism for changing the angle of an aligner roller in a state in which the aligner roller is inserted and conveying the paper toward the alignment roller along an alignment guide.