JPH059335B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Application) The present invention relates to a cassette module storage case/cabinet that can be used both as a storage case for a cassette module such as a copying machine and as a normal cabinet.

(Prior Art) In conventional copying machines, the number of cassettes that can be attached to the main body of the copying machine is generally one or two. For example, in the conventional copying machine shown in FIG. 1, only one cassette 1a is installed, and paper can be fed by a feed roller 1b. In addition, if a customer wants to install more cassettes at the same time than the number of cassettes that can be installed in the copier main body, we can provide a special cassette module 2 as an option, as shown in Figure 1. I answered that request. As is clear from FIG. 1, this cassette module 2 is a module to which only a cassette can be attached, and in the illustrated example, two cassettes 2a and 2b can be attached.

However, since the conventional cassette module of this type is constructed as shown in FIG. 1, when the cassette module 2 is added to the main body 1 of the copying machine, its bottom surface is not level. For this reason, we added a special cabinet 3 to make the bottom horizontal.
The drawback was that the copying machine had to be installed in a stable condition. Further, this dedicated cabinet 3 has a space for the cassette module 2, and for customers who do not need the cassette module 2, this space is a huge waste.

(Objective) An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art described above, to enable the installation space of the cassette module to be used as a cabinet when the cassette module is not installed, to eliminate wasteful empty space, and to easily install the cassette module. The objective is to make Yule wearable.

(Summary) The present invention is characterized by a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container having a height lower than the length of its sides and having at least one side open, a holding and positioning member provided at a corner of the container, and a holding and positioning member provided at a corner of the container; The storage case has a rail provided on the bottom surface from the side entrance toward the back, and a stopper portion provided on the bottom surface, and when the cassette module is installed, the storage case can be used as a storage case for the cassette module. The main feature is that it can be used as a cabinet when not installed.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same parts as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows the state when the cassette module (optional paper feeding device) is not installed. As is clear from the figure, the dedicated cabinet 5 has cassette module mounting spaces 7a and 7b, and when no cassette module is mounted, these cassette module mounting spaces 7a and 7b can be used as a cabinet. I can do it.

Figure 3 shows the cassette module installation space 7.
This shows the state when the cassette module 6 is attached to a.

When the cassette module 6 is installed in the cassette module installation space 7a, the outlets of the first chute 6a and the second chute 17a are arranged to face the main body inlet chute portion 12.

The cassette module 6 is mounted in the cassette module mounting space 7a from, for example, the right direction in the figure. In this cassette module 6, first and second paper feed cassettes 8 and 9 are set. The first paper feed cassette 8 transports the paper by the feed roller 10 to the main body entrance chute section 12 of the copying machine main body 1 through the first chute 16a. The conveyed paper is conveyed toward the photosensitive drum 4. Similarly, the second paper feed cassette 9 is fed one by one by the feed roller 11 through the second chute 17a. The paper is conveyed into the interior of the copying machine main body 1 through the main body entrance chute section 12.

4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the structure of the cassette module 6 in detail, with FIG. 4 showing a side view and FIG. 5 showing a plan view.

The cassette module 6 is arranged on a frame 29, and the first and second paper feed cassettes 8 and 9 inserted on the frame 29 are arranged on the frame 29.
cassette positioning members 15a, 15b in the vertical direction provided on both sides of the cassette, and side positioning members 30.
It is positioned at points a and 30b. A paper pushing member 13 is located near the bottom of the center of the frame 29.
a, 13b are provided. The sheets stored in the first and second paper feed cassettes 8 and 9 are pushed up by the push-up members 13a and 13b,
Contact pressure of the first and second feed rollers 10 and 11 is applied to the paper. Therefore, by the rotation of the first or second feed roller 10 or 11, the paper is transferred from the first or second paper feed cassette 8 or 9 to the first feed roller 10 or 11.
The sheets are sent out one by one, pass between the first chute (paper guide) 16 and 16' or between the second chute 17 and 17', and are sent to the main body entrance chute section 12.

The second chute 17, 17' is provided with an auxiliary roller 18 and a pinch roller 19 in order to make the paper run smoothly.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the cassette module 6 is provided with a latch handle 25 having a hook portion 25a on its back surface. This latch handle 25 is biased with clockwise rotational force. This rotational force is blocked by a stopper 26 projecting from the rear surface of the cassette module 6, and the latch handle 25 normally remains at the position shown. Further, a connector 27 for electrically connecting to the copying machine main body 1 is provided at the end of the cassette module 6 (upper right in the figure).

Furthermore, a rail fitting member 28 is provided on the back surface of the cassette module 6.

The driving of the first and second feed rollers 10 and 11 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 6 shows the driving force transmission mechanism when the portion indicated by arrow A-A in FIG. 5 is viewed from the side.

When the cassette module 6 is installed in the cassette module installation space 7a, the driving force is transmitted to the gear 22 by driving the gears 51 and 52 of the copying machine main body 1, as shown in FIG. . The driving force transmitted to the gear 22 is transmitted to the electromagnetic clutch 21 via the gear sprocket 23. Therefore, by controlling the electromagnetic clutch 21 on and off at appropriate timings based on commands from the copying machine main body 1, the second feed roller 11 can be rotated at appropriate timings.

On the other hand, the first feed roller 10 is driven as follows. A chain 24 is stretched between the gear sprocket 23 and the gear sprocket 55 via auxiliary roller drive sprockets 53 and 54. Further, the gear of the gear sprocket 55 and the gear 56 mesh with each other, and the gear 56 and the electromagnetic clutch 20 are in a relationship that allows power to be transmitted.

Therefore, the driving force from the copying machine main body 1 transmitted to the gear sprocket 23 as described above is transmitted by the gear sprocket 23 to the gear sprocket 55 via the chain 24, and further to the gear sprocket 56. The signal is then transmitted to the electromagnetic clutch 20.
For this reason, the electromagnetic clutch 20 is connected to the electromagnetic clutch 21.
Similarly, by performing on/off control at appropriate timing, the first feed roller 10 rotates at appropriate timing.

Next, the structure of the cabinet 5, which is an embodiment of the present invention, will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 shows a sectional view taken along the line B--B in FIG. 8, and FIG. 8 shows a plan view.

As is clear from both figures, a holding member 31 on which the legs 1c of the copying machine main body 1 rest, and a positioning recess 1d of the copying machine main body 1 are fitted inside the cassette module mounting space 7 of the cabinet 5. A positioning member 32 is provided. Note that the holding members 31 are provided at three corners of the cassette module mounting space 7, and the holding members 32 are provided at two diagonal corners. Further, reference numeral 31' in FIG. 8 is a friction portion for making it difficult for the copying machine main body 1 and the cabinet 5 to be misaligned.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom surface of the cassette module mounting space 7 includes a rail 36 extending from right to left for guiding the cassette module 6 to be mounted, a guide 33, and a guide 33 for guiding the cassette module 6 to be mounted. A tip positioning member 37 of the Yule 6 is provided. Further, a first stopper 34 that engages with the handle 25 provided on the cassette module 6 is provided protruding from the bottom surface of the cassette module 6.
A second stop 35 is provided.

Next, the structure when the cassette module 6 explained in FIGS. 4 and 5 is installed in the cassette module installation space 7 of the dedicated cabinet 5 explained in FIGS. 7 and 8 will be explained in FIGS. 9 and 10. do. 9th
The figure shows a sectional view of the copying machine main body 1 and dedicated cabinet 5, and a side view of the cassette module 6. FIG. 10 shows a plan view taken along line CC in FIG. 9.

When the cassette module 6 is inserted into the cassette module mounting space 7 of the dedicated cabinet 5 from right to left in the figure, the rail fitting member 2 provided on the back side of the cassette module 6
8 fits into a rail 36 provided on the bottom of the cassette module mounting space 7, and the cassette module 6 slides on the rail 36 and is guided into the cassette module mounting space 7.

When the cassette module 6 is inserted to an appropriate depth, the tip of the cassette module 6 hits the tip positioning member 37 provided on the bottom of the cassette module mounting space 7 and stops. At this time, the hook portion 25a of the handle 25 attached to the back surface of the cassette module 6 is connected to the stopper 34 that protrudes from the bottom surface of the cassette module mounting space 7.
, the cassette module 6 will not come out of the cassette module mounting space 7, and the cassette module 6 will be fixed in the space 7.

After the cassette module 6 is installed in the cassette module mounting space 7, when the stopper 35 is raised, the handle 25 is released from the stopper 34, so that the cassette module 6 can be moved to the proper position without being removed from the space 7. You will be able to slide it. In other words, the stopper 35 restricts the sliding of the cassette module 6 to the right in the figure. Therefore, when a paper jam or the like occurs, the paper jam can be easily removed by the above operations.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8 indicate the same components as those in these figures. Further, the area around the handle 25 and the stopper 35 in FIG. 10 is shown in a partially cutaway view of the bottom surface of the space 7.

In the dedicated cabinet 5 of the above-described embodiment, inside the cassette module mounting space 7, as is clear from FIG. 8, there are holding members 31 at three corners, positioning members at two diagonal corners,
A rail 36 protrudes several mm from the bottom of the space 7,
There are only a tip positioning member 37, a guide 33, a stopper 34, etc. Therefore, there is no problem in using the cassette module mounting space 7 as a cabinet when the cassette module 6 is not mounted.

(Effects) As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

(1) Since the cassette module mounting space in the cabinet can be used as a cabinet when the cassette module is not mounted, wasteful empty space can be eliminated.

(2) The case module can be easily attached to and detached from the cabinet.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a paper feeding mechanism having a conventional optional paper feeding device, FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention when a cassette module is not installed in the cabinet, and FIG. The figure is a schematic side view when a cassette module is installed in a cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side view of the cassette module, FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the driving force transmission mechanism when viewed from the direction of line A-A, FIG. 7 is a side view of a cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 9 is the same as described above. FIG. 10 is a side view of the cassette module installed in the cabinet, and FIG. 10 is a plan view taken along the line C--C in FIG. 9. 5... Dedicated cabinet, 6... Cassette module, 7, 7a, 7b... Cassette module installation space, 8, 9... First, second paper feed cassette, 10, 11... First, second feed roller, 1
2...Main body entrance chute section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A storage case comprising a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped container with a height lower than the length of one side and with at least one side open, for storing a cassette module;
A storage case and cabinet for a cassette module which also serves as a cabinet, comprising a holding member and a positioning member for holding and positioning a copying machine body provided at a corner of the container; a rail provided on the bottom surface of the container from the entrance portion on one side toward the inner part; and a rail provided on the bottom surface for fixing the cassette module to the container when the cassette module is inserted into a predetermined position. A storage case/cabinet for a cassette module, further comprising a stopper part that can release the fixation at will, and wherein the container is used as a cabinet when the cassette module is not attached.