JPH06239474A - Paper sheet pack charging paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a paper sheet pack charging paper feeder simplifying sheet make-up feeding action and enabling the smooth, rapid separation of a packing sheet without damaging sheets inside, generating noise or winding the pulled-out end of the packing sheet around a traction roller so as to keep the expense of using sheet packs from becoming expensive CONSTITUTION:A sheet pack inserted into a paper feeder from a sheet insert opening is conveyed to the center position by a carrier roller 8. Tongue piece guide plates 16, 17 then guide the tongue piece of a packing sheet, packing the sheet pack, to a clearance provided at the axial center part of a pack unsealing drive roller 2a and a pack unsealing driven roller 2b, and in the state of the sheet pack being held down by a back fence 10, the pulled-out end of the packing sheet held between the pack unsealing drive roller 2a and pack unsealing driven roller 2b is rotatory-conveyed, so that the sheet pack is pulled and unsealed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper pack loading paper feeding device for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine, and more particularly, a paper pack for a paper pack loaded in the main body automatically. The present invention relates to a paper pack loading paper feeder that can feed removed and exposed paper sheet by sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a paper feeding device of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine which has been widely spread, all paper feeding operations are performed manually. That is, normally, the sheet replenishing operation of the sheet feeding device includes the following working steps. 1. 1. Pull out (pull out) the paper feed cassette (tray) from the paper feed device. Remove the top cover of the paper cassette 3. Open the paper pack packaging. 4. 4. Align the paper taken out from the paper pack. 5. Lift the paper pressing member (corner claw) inside the paper cassette. Load paper into cassette 7. 7. Place the paper pressing member on the loaded paper. Attaching the Paper Feed Cassette (Tray) to the Paper Feed Device As described above, in the paper feed device, a large number of paper supply operation steps as described above are required, and especially for a user who uses a large amount of paper. The work was extremely troublesome and time-consuming. Therefore, there has already been proposed a paper feeding device in which a paper pack in which a predetermined number of sheets are packed together is loaded into the paper feeding device main body as it is, and the mechanism inside the device opens the package to feed the paper. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-203534, a stack of sheets, each of which is wrapped with a predetermined number of packaging sheets, is stacked in multiple stages, and the left and right side surfaces of the packaging sheets are cut by a cutter while advancing one stage. After cutting, the upper and lower surfaces of the cut wrapping sheet are vacuum-sucked to open the wrapping sheet, and the opened sheet bundle is nipped and placed on the carrier, and then the sheet bundle is carried. There has been proposed an unsealing and stacking method and apparatus for packaging sheets, which are conveyed by the movement of the sheet to a mounting position and stacked.
Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-97145, a paper wrapping material is made of a cardboard, a resin, or other strong material into a box shape.
Proposes a technology to use the box-shaped packaging material as a cassette for feeding by mounting the feeding roller and separating claw etc. at the paper feeding position of the main body of the image forming device after separating it from the box-shaped packaging material. Has been done.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the former method employs a method in which the cutter cuts the packaging sheet and the upper and lower surfaces of the cut packaging sheet are adsorbed and opened. Even the wrapped paper may be cut by the cutter.
Such paper cutting is a fatal defect for an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine that forms an image on paper. In addition, since the suction mechanism is used to open the packaging sheet, the device becomes large in size, mechanical noise is generated, and there is a problem in the office environment. Furthermore, after opening, the opened bundle of paper is nipped and placed on the transport table, and then the sheet of paper is transported to the stacking position by the movement of the transport platform and stacked, so that the opened bundle of paper is sandwiched and transported. In the process, the stacked state of the sheet bundle may be disturbed, and in some cases, the sheet bundle may be scattered. Further, in the latter, since the box-shaped packaging material of paper is used as a paper feeding cassette, it is necessary to form the packaging material with a material having high strength such as cardboard and resin, but since these materials are generally expensive, A paper storage member that stores hundreds of sheets of paper to be used in a copying machine or the like and is discarded after use has a drawback that the cost is high and it is not economical. In addition, perforations for cutting are provided at the tip of the box-shaped packaging material, but when the paper is stored for a long time, the humidity of the outside air penetrates through the perforations and the paper absorbs the humidity. In some cases, it may adversely affect the image formation on the paper. Further, the box-shaped packaging material inevitably has a structure in which a part of the box-shaped packaging material protrudes outside the apparatus in consideration of the attachment / detachment to / from the apparatus main body, which is contrary to the recent demand for space saving in copying machines and the like. . The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, remarkably simplifies the paper supply operation, can smoothly and quickly peel off the packaging sheet, damage the internal sheet, generate noise, and package sheet. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper pack loading paper feeding device in which the withdrawing end of the paper does not wind around the traction roller and the usage fee of the paper pack is not expensive.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a small-diameter portion formed in the central portion in the axial direction, is wrapped by a packaging sheet for at least one turn, and is partially adhered by an adhesive. The pull-out end of the packaging sheet is pulled out to the one end side of the paper pack by rotating and feeding the pulling-out end of the packaging sheet to separate the packaging sheet from the paper pack, and the tip of the pulling-out end of the packaging sheet near the small diameter part of the pulling roller. Guide means for guiding the tongue extending to the small diameter part to the small diameter part, pack holding means for holding the paper pack in a fixed position while the pulling roller pulls the packaging sheet, and the packaging sheet is peeled and exposed by the pulling roller. It has a sheet feeding means for feeding the sheets of the bundle of sheets one by one.

[0005]

In the vicinity of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller, the guiding means guides the tongue piece extending to the leading end of the withdrawing end of the packaging sheet to the small diameter portion. The pulling roller peels the packaging sheet from the paper pack by rotating and transporting the pull-out end of the packaging sheet introduced subsequently to the tongue piece. The pack holding means holds the paper pack in a fixed position while the pulling roller pulls the packaging sheet. The sheet feeding unit feeds the sheets of the sheet bundle exposed by peeling the packaging sheet by the pulling roller one by one.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the outline of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The copying machine reads an image of a document and forms an image on a fed sheet according to an electrostatic photography process, and an image forming section A having a well-known structure, and a sheet feeding section B which is capable of fully automatic feeding with a sheet pack. It consists of Since the configuration and operation of the image forming unit A are the same as those of the conventional one, the description thereof will be omitted, and only the configuration and operation of the sheet feeding unit B will be described.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a dust box for storing the opened packing sheet of the paper pack, 2a and 2b are peeling drive rollers for peeling the packing sheet of the paper pack, a pack opening driven roller, 3 is an entrance guide plate, and 4 is an entrance guide plate. A drive motor of a conveyance roller, which will be described later, 5 is a drive shaft of the drive motor 4, 6 is a paper feed tray on which sheets are stacked, 7 is provided in plural according to the paper size of the paper, and A side fence that regulates the side edge, 8 a transport roller that transports the paper in the width direction, 9 a feed roller that feeds the paper toward the image forming unit A, and 10 a back that regulates the rear end of the paper in the paper pack. The fences 16 and 17 are tongue guide plates for guiding the tongue pieces of the packaging sheet of the paper pack to the gap formed in the axial center of the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b. That.

FIG. 2 shows a paper feed section B as seen from the right front side of the copying machine.
FIG. On the front side (front side) of the copying machine, sheet insertion ports 11, 12, and 13 of the sheet pack are provided for A5 size, A4 size, and A3 size, respectively.
The right end of each sheet insertion port 11, 12, 13 is set to the reference position at the corresponding position of the sheet insertion port 11, 12, 13, and
The tongue piece 21 of the paper pack is placed on the left side, and the paper pack 20 whose perspective view is an opening process is inserted in FIG. In FIG. 2, 14 is a pack opening drive motor that drives the pack opening drive roller 2a. Paper insertion slot 11,1
2 and 13 are provided with doors 31, 32, and 33 corresponding to the paper insertion openings 11, 12, and 13 shown in perspective views or sectional views in FIGS. 4 to 6, respectively.
The numeral 33 guides the paper pack 20 inserted into each paper insertion port (11, 12, 13) into the main body of the paper feed section B. For example, when the A4 size paper pack 20 is inserted into the paper insertion opening 12, only the doors 31 and 32 can be opened, and
Since the door 33 of the size insertion port 13 is not opened, the paper pack 20 can be guided so as not to shift backward. Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5 as an example of the support portion of the door 31, the doors 31, 32, 33 are automatically returned to their original vertical orientation by the urging force of the spring 34 after the paper pack 20 is inserted. I'm supposed to come back. In this embodiment, A5, A4, A
Although doors 31, 32, and 33 are provided corresponding to the paper insertion openings 11, 12, and 13 for the respective paper sizes of No. 3, by increasing the division position of the paper insertion opening as shown in the perspective view of FIG. B
It is also possible to make it compatible with series paper. Alternatively, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 8 and the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 9, for example, a sliding groove 35 is provided in the center part left and right direction of the door 31, and a guide piece 36 is fitted into the sliding groove 35 to guide the sliding groove 35. You may make it restrict | limit the paper edge part of the paper pack 20 by moving the piece 36 right and left according to a paper size. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the type detection operation of the paper pack 20 of the paper pack detection mechanism provided near the paper insertion opening 11. A reflection type sensor 40 is provided near the reference position on the right side of the paper insertion port 11, and a bar code 41 is provided on one side of the paper pack 20 that has entered the paper insertion port 11.
By reading, the type of the paper pack 20 is detected.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism of the transport roller 8, and FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a state of the press contact of the transport roller 8 with respect to the paper pack 20 having entered. In these figures, 51 is a drive gear that rotates integrally with the drive shaft 5, and 5
2 is an arm rotatable about the drive shaft 5, 53 is a planet gear that is attached to the tip of the arm 52 and meshes with the drive gear 51, and 54 is provided at a position facing the transport roller 8,
It is a driven roller formed of a low friction member to smoothly convey the paper pack 20. The transport roller 8 is located above the paper entry path so as not to obstruct the entry of the paper pack 20 when refilling the paper. The driven roller 54 is not a roller but a plate-shaped member,
For example, a Teflon (trade name) plate may be used. As shown in FIG. 12, when the drive gear 51 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, the transport roller 8 provided coaxially with the planetary gear 53 rotates in the counterclockwise direction together with the arm 52 and moves upward as shown by a broken line. When the drive gear 51 is rotated clockwise, the transport roller 8 also rotates clockwise and drops onto the upper surface of the paper pack 20. Has become. When the drive gear 51 rotates in the clockwise direction, the transport roller 8 rotates in the counterclockwise direction and transports the contacted paper pack 20 in the arrow (right) direction.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a pseudo load mechanism of the transport roller 8, FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a modification thereof, and FIG.
[FIG. 8] is a vertical sectional view of a damper of the modified example. As shown in FIG. 13, the coil spring 56 presses the friction member 55 formed of cork, felt, or the like against the planet gear 53 to generate a sliding friction force on the side surface of the planet gear 53, and to cause the conveyance roller 8 to move. Give a load. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, in the modified example, the damper 57 is attached to the arm 52 by the fixing screw 58, and the rotating shaft of the planetary gear 53 is connected to the damper 57 to create a pseudo load.
Although a hydraulic damper is used as the damper 57, for example, a pseudo load generating mechanism such as a powder torque limiter may be used. In FIG. 15 showing the configuration of the damper 57 (hydraulic damper), 60 is a rotary shaft directly connected to the planetary gear 53, 63 is oil, 61 is a seal member for preventing leakage of the internal oil 63, and 62 is a cover. Cover 62
The inside of the is filled with viscous oil 63,
Inside thereof, the impeller formed at one end of the rotating shaft 60 is adapted to rotate. As shown in FIG. 12, when the transport roller 8 contacts the paper pack 20, the pseudo load mechanism starts to rotate. As a result, the transport roller 8 that has been driven by the drive gear 51 until then starts transporting, and further transports the paper pack 20 into the inside of the apparatus. At this time, since the paper packs other than the special packs can be identified by the bar code 41 of the paper pack 20, when the paper packs other than the special pack are inserted, the transport roller 8 is reversed to move the paper pack. Can be discharged.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the moving mechanism of the side fence, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the side fence is tilted. As shown in FIG. 16, the gear portion of the side fence drive motor 70 includes a rack 71 of the front side fence 7a and a rack 72 of the rear side fence 7b.
Are in mesh. When the fence drive motor 70 is rotated, both side fences 7a and 7b move toward or away from each other. When the paper pack 20 enters the main body, as shown in FIG. 17, the front side fence 7a is pushed by the paper pack 20 and falls to the back side,
It facilitates the entry of the paper pack 20. When it is detected that the side fence 7a has fallen down, the pack opening drive roller 2a moves upward and separates from the pack opening driven roller 2b to form a gap therebetween, as described later. Therefore, the tongue piece 21 of the paper pack 20 that has entered the main body enters the gap formed between the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b. The side fence 7a is retractable, and
Since it is possible to stand up by the restoring force of the spring, when the final end of the paper pack 20 crosses the side fence 7a, the side fence 7a rises to its original position. After the side fence 7a gets up, the fence drive motor 7
0 is driven to move the side fence 7 to the central portion, which is the transport reference position of the paper pack 20. The transport roller 8 is located behind the side fence 7. When the paper presence sensor detects the absence of paper, the side fence 7 moves to the retracted position (maximum size).

The length of the tongue 21 is determined by the positional relationship between the pack opening drive roller 2a and the back fence 10. FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram for calculating the length of the tongue piece 21. L1 is the distance from the axial center of the pack opening drive roller 2a to the back fence 10, and L2 is the back fence 10
Thickness, L3 is the length of the tongue 21, L3 ≧ L1 +
The length of the tongue 21 is determined so as to satisfy the condition of L2.
As a result, the rear end of the paper pack 20 is the back fence 1
When it hits 0, the end of the tongue piece 21 is located below the pack opening drive roller 2a, so that the pack opening drive roller 2a can reliably pull the tongue piece 21 by friction.
The unpacking mechanism mainly includes a pack unpacking drive roller 2a, a pack unpacking driven roller 2b, and a drive shaft 91. When the required torque for opening the pack becomes strong, the pressing force of the pack opening drive roller 2a against the tongue 21 also increases, and as a result, the carrying force increases. In addition,
The pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b may have a structure divided into a plurality of parts.

FIG. 34 shows the positional relationship among the pack opening drive roller 2a, the pack opening driven roller 2b, the drive shaft 91 and the bottom surface of the paper pack storage section in the pack opening operation. As shown in (a) of the figure, the drive shaft 91 is located upstream of the pack opening drive roller 2a, and the distance L between the paper placement surface (paper pack storage bottom surface) 81 and the lower end of the drive shaft 91 is the pack opening. It is smaller than the diameter 2r of the drive roller 2a and larger than the radius r (r ≦ L <2r). In other words, the lower end of the drive shaft 91 is located between the axial center of the pack opening drive roller 2a and the upper end. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the tongue piece 21 is introduced into a gap portion, which will be described later, provided in the central portions of the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b by the loading operation of the paper pack 20. When the pack opening drive roller 2a is rotated, both sides of one end of the packaging sheet 20A to which the tongue 21 is attached are clamped between the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b. , The wrapping sheet 20A is pulled in the C direction. At this time, the back fence 10 plays a role of blocking the paper pack 20 pulled in the C direction together with the packaging sheet 20A. The paper pack 20 is opened by pulling one end of the packaging sheet 20A with the paper pack 20 stopped (see FIG. 3).
The packaging sheets (20A, 20B) of the paper pack 20 are opened, peeled off, moved, and then carried into the dust box 1.
20 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the back fence 10 and the bottom surface of the paper pack storage portion, and FIG. 21 is a front view of the same.
Since the back fence 10 also serves as a paper retainer when opening the paper pack 20, a gap 83 is provided between the lower end of the back fence 10 and the paper placement surface 81 so that the tongue piece 21 of the paper pack 20 can pass through. Is provided. Further, the paper placing surface 81 on which the paper pack 20 is placed and the tongue piece 21 is conveyed is made of a low friction member such as a Teflon (trade name) plate. Further, when the paper pack 20 is opened, the paper is packed through the gap 83 into the packaging sheets 20A and 20B.
A barrier 82 formed of a flexible material such as Mylar (trade name) is provided below the back fence 10 so that the barrier 82 is not sent out.

18 and 19 are a perspective view showing the pack opening mechanism together with the tongue guide plates 16 and 17, and a sectional view taken along the section line XX '. Since the tongue piece 21 is made of a highly flexible material such as mylar, the tongue piece 21 is easily bent, and when the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b fail to grip the tongue piece 21, the tongue piece 21 is driven by the pack opening drive roller. 2a and pack opening driven roller 2b
There is a risk that it will adhere to any of the above and be wrapped around. Therefore, in this embodiment, upper and lower tongue guide plates 16 and 17 for guiding the tongue 21 are provided upstream and downstream of the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b. Further, the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b are divided at the central portion to form a gap D.
And the rollers on both sides are integrated via roller shafts. The tongue guide plates 16 and 17 include a pack opening drive roller 2a and a pack opening driven roller 2
From the upstream side to the downstream side of b, it is curvedly formed in the vertical direction along the conveyance path of the wrapping sheet 20A so as to go under the upper and lower roller shafts and separate from each other as the distance from the roller shafts increases. Further, on the side of the conveying path of the packaging sheet 20A of the tongue guide plates 16 and 17, there are provided guide ridges 18 extending from both sides of the conveying surface of the packaging sheet 20A to the central gap D between the roller shafts. The tongue 21 is guided to the center side. With this configuration, the tongue piece 21 introduced immediately upstream of the gap D between the rollers 2a and 2b is smoothly guided between the saddle portions of the tongue piece guide plates 16 and 17. As described above, in this embodiment, the tongue guide plates 16 and 17 are provided from the upstream side to the downstream side of the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b so as to submerge the gap D between the roller shafts. Tongue 21 for rollers 2a and 2b
However, depending on the winding characteristics of the tongue piece 21 with respect to the rollers 2a and 2b, the tongue piece guide plates 16 ', 16', 1 shown in FIGS.
The gap D between the roller shafts, as indicated by 7 "and 17"
It may be provided only on one of the upstream side and the downstream side. Hereinafter, a packaging process and an opening process of the paper pack 20 will be described. 22 is a development view of the packaging sheet of the paper pack, FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing the opening process of the paper pack, FIG. 24 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an adhesive portion of the paper pack, and FIG.
26 and 26 are perspective views showing the packaging process. Each of the packaging sheets 20A and 20B is made of two sheet materials having different strengths. The surfaces of the packaging sheet 20A having the higher strength are divided into folds 20a, 20b, 2 respectively.
0c, 20d, 20e, 20f, 20g, 20h. The tongue piece 21 integrated with the packaging sheet 20A is attached to the packaging sheet 20A. The tongue piece 21 is reinforced with a reinforcing material such as Mylar so as not to be bent by an external force. When packaging the paper pack 20, as shown in FIG. 25, first, the bundle of sheets is rotated clockwise with the upper left corner of the packaging sheet 20A as a reference, and the upper surface 20h, the right side surface 20g, and the back lower surface 20f are brought into contact with the bundle of papers. After the winding (a) and one round, the back paste margin surface 20d is adhered to the end portion of the upper surface 20h which is the reference position (b) (see FIG. 24 (a)). Then, it is bent at one end of the back adhesive margin surface 20d and wound in the opposite direction (counterclockwise) in the order of the front adhesive margin surface 20c, the front left side surface 20b, and the front lower surface 20a, and the tongue piece 21 is placed at the diagonal position of the reference position. When it arrives, the winding is completed (c), and it is adhered again at the end portions of the front and bottom surfaces 20a (see FIG. 24 (b)). Next, as shown in FIG. 26, the wrapping sheet 20B is folded along the alternate long and short dash line, and the front and rear protruding portions are bent so that the left and right side surfaces fall inward (a). Then, the lower protruding portion is bent inward along the lower edge of the sheet bundle (b). Furthermore, the protruding portion on the upper side is folded inward and adhered (c). At the time of opening, as shown in FIG. 23, first, the end portion of the packaging sheet 20A on the side to which the tongue 21 is attached is pulled in parallel to the front and bottom surfaces 20a to bond the adhesive portion (the back adhesive margin surface) at the reference position on the upper surface 20h. 20d) is peeled off (b), and by continuing pulling, two packaging sheets 20A having different strengths,
20B is cut at the boundary position (c), and the paper pack 2
0 is opened (d) (see FIG. 3).

FIG. 28 is a control block diagram of the entire copying machine. The CPU 102 reads control information from the ROM 100, which contains programs for performing various controls of the copying machine,
Through the data bus 103, the detection information from the sensor group 104 indicated by S1 and S2 is obtained, the information is exchanged with the RAM 101, and the motor group 105 and the like indicated by M1 and M2 are controlled. Note that the sensor group 104 includes a paper presence detection sensor, a paper pack detection sensor, and the like. Further, the motor group 105 includes a transport motor for the paper pack 20, a pack opening device drive motor 14, and the like. 106 is an I / O port, 107 is a motor current detection circuit, and 108 is a motor drive circuit.

29 and 30 are a perspective view and a front view showing a door locking mechanism, and FIG. 31 is a front view showing a modification thereof. The lock mechanism of the door will be described based on these drawings. Only when the paper bottom bottom detection filler (not shown) detects the bottom bottom of the paper, the solenoid 111 is urged and the door lock member 112 retracts to the retracted position, so that the door 31 can be opened and closed. In the modification shown in FIG. 31, similarly, when the sheet is bottomed out and the sheet bottoming detection filler 110 is lowered, the door locking piece 113 coaxially attached to the sheet bottoming detection filler 110 is counterclockwise. The door 31 can be opened and closed by rotating in the rotating direction. The door lock mechanism described above also functions as a paper feed cassette lock mechanism. That is, when the paper in the paper feed cassette 120 has bottomed out, as shown in FIG.
Is urged, the door lock member 112 at the front end of the solenoid 111 withdraws from the hole in the side wall of the paper feed cassette 120, and the lock of the paper feed cassette 120 is released.
The paper feed cassette 120 can be taken out. That is, when the paper feed cassette 120 is unlocked, the solenoid 111 is urged to lock the lock member 11.
The paper feed cassette 120 can be attached / detached by retracting 2 and the lock member 112 locks the paper feed cassette 12 by cutting off the energization of the solenoid 111 when locked.
The paper feed cassette 120 is locked because it projects into the perforation on the 0 side.

FIG. 33 is a flow chart of the paper pack automatic opening control. First, it is determined whether or not there is paper in the paper feed cassette 120 (S1), and if there is, the door 31
~ 33 are locked so that the paper pack 20 cannot enter (S2). When there is no more paper in the paper feed cassette 120, a preparation operation is started in preparation for inserting the paper pack 20.
That is, first, the side fence 7 is moved to the retracted position, and the paper feed tray 6 is lowered. The retracted position of the side fence 7 is outside the maximum paper size. During this time, the doors 31 to 33 are still locked.
The paper pack 20 cannot be inserted. When the preparation for insertion is completed, a pack conveyance control subroutine is executed (S3), the doors 31 to 33 are unlocked, and then the inserted paper pack 20 is inserted into the paper feed tray 6 (paper feed cassette 1).
20) The paper is conveyed to the inside and the paper size is detected. If there is no conveyance error (NO in S4), the pack opening control subroutine is executed (S5), and further the paper setting subroutine is executed (S6).

Next, the conveyance control of the paper pack 20 executed in the pack opening control subroutine will be described. 35 and 36 are flowcharts of the pack transport control subroutine. When the paper pack 20 is inserted (S
(YES in S11), it is determined whether the paper pack 20 has been inserted to the pack transport start reference position (S12). If the determination result is No, it is further determined whether or not the elapsed time after insertion has passed a predetermined time (S13), and the result is Y.
If it is es, a transportation error is displayed (S23), for example,
If the insertion of the paper pack 20 is insufficient, the operator is prompted to insert it again. When the paper pack 20 reaches the pack transport start reference position, a message to that effect or a buzzer is issued to prompt the operator to stop pushing the paper pack 20 (S).
14). Next, after a lapse of a predetermined time (S15), the transport roller 8 is rotated to start the transport of the paper pack 20 (S16) (see FIG. 36). This is to prevent an operation error by delaying the start of conveyance by a time sufficient for the operator to let go of the paper pack 20. Further, at this time, the paper size is also detected at the same time. When the paper pack 20 is conveyed inside the side fence 7, the front side fence 7a stands up. When the sensor detects the rising of the side fence 7a, the transport roller 8 stops (S17). If the sensor cannot detect the rising of the side fence 7a even after the lapse of a predetermined time, it is determined that the paper pack 20 has not been normally conveyed, the driving of the transportation roller 8 is stopped, and a transportation error is displayed. Then, the paper pack 20 is conveyed by moving both side fences 7a and 7b inward, and the paper pack 20 is set to the central position (S18). The amount of movement of the side fence 7 at this time is determined according to the paper size detected in advance, and after the side fence 7 has moved that distance,
It is stopped (S19). If the paper size is not determined at this point, the movement is stopped by the motor current detection described later. In addition, the back side fence 7b
It is also possible to install a sensor in and to stop the movement by detecting the contact of the paper pack 20. Furthermore, if you install multiple sensors in the paper feed direction,
Even if the paper pack 20 is skewed and conveyed, it can be surely corrected by the side fence 7. After that, it is confirmed whether or not the sheet has been certainly conveyed (S20), and if the sheet has not been conveyed, after a predetermined time has passed (S21), a conveyance error display is performed (S22).

The insertion of the paper pack 20 is detected by a reflection type sensor 40 installed near the paper insertion opening shown in FIG. Further, the conveyance start position information is marked on the paper pack 20, and the marking is read by the reflective sensor 40 to determine the pack conveyance start reference position. This marking is also used as a paper size detection mark described later. In order to prevent the paper pack 20 from falling out due to its own weight, the pack conveyance start reference position is the paper pack 2
The position where 0 has reached the position of the transport roller 8 and the transport roller 8 can reliably transport it. Under the above conditions, the pack conveyance start reference position is set to a constant distance from the rear end in the insertion direction regardless of the paper size, so that the paper pack 20 is always conveyed when the operator inserts it to a constant position regardless of the paper size. Since the operation is started, it is possible to prevent the operator's operation mistake. Although the method of determining the passage of time in step S15 detects the elapsed time from the leading edge of the paper pack 20 to the detection of the marking, the opening time of the doors 31 to 33 may be detected. When the marking cannot be detected or the detected marking does not have the predetermined pattern, it is determined that the paper pack 20 is not the dedicated pack or the insertion direction of the paper pack 20 is wrong, and the conveyance is started. Instead, the reinsertion instruction may be given. Further, the paper size is detected by marking a bar code 41 corresponding to the paper size on the paper pack 20 and reading the bar code 41 by the reflection type sensor 40 installed at the paper pack insertion slot. 40
Is a method for measuring the length of the paper by measuring the transportation time from the detection of the marking of the pack transportation start reference position to the detection of the rear end of the paper pack 20, and the paper size (paper width) at the doors 31 to 33. A method of determining the paper size in combination with detection may be considered. Furthermore, if the detected paper size is the same as the size of the paper that has been used up to that point, the conveyance continues as it is, and if it is different, the conveyance is stopped and the operator is alerted to detect an operation error. it can. If the operator notices an operation error at this stage, the transport roller 8 can be reversed by a switch operation or the like, and the paper pack 20 can be returned to the original position.

Next, the opening control of the paper pack 20 will be described. FIG. 37 is a flowchart of the pack opening control subroutine. When the opening control of the pack is started, the paper feed tray 6 (or the paper feed cassette 120) is first locked (S31). This is to prevent the paper pack 20 from being pulled out during the opening operation and hindering the opening operation. Next, the normal rotation of the pack opening drive roller 2a is started (S32), and the paper pack 2 held by the pack opening drive roller 2a and the pack opening driven roller 2b.
The paper pack 20 is opened by moving the pull-out end of the packaging sheet 20A of 0 in the direction of the dust box 1. And
If the opening of the paper pack 20 is not completed (NO in S33), it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after the opening operation, for example, because the paper pack 20 is not a dedicated pack, or the paper pack 20 is not a dedicated pack. When the inserting direction of 20 is reversed and there is no tongue piece 21, and further, when the pull-out end of the packaging sheet 20A following the tongue piece 21 is not pinched, a pack opening error is detected (S34). When a pack opening error has occurred (YES in S34), the motor current of the pack opening device drive motor 14 is not increased by pulling the pull-out end of the packaging sheet 20A of the pack opening drive roller 2a, so the motor current is detected. This makes it possible to judge the pack opening error. In this case, an error message is displayed (S35), the pack opening drive roller 2a is rotated again, and the opening operation is repeated. If the pack opening error still occurs even after repeating a plurality of times, the opening operation is stopped. When the opening of the paper pack 20 is completed (YES in S33),
The rotation of the pack opening drive roller 2a is stopped. As a means for detecting the completion of opening the paper pack, a pack opening device drive motor 14 for driving the pack opening drive roller 2a is used.
It is possible to detect the completion of opening the paper pack by detecting the decrease in the motor current. That is, since the pack opening drive roller 2a rotates with a slightly high torque during the conveyance of the opened packaging sheet 20A of the paper pack 20, the current value of the motor current maintains a predetermined value, but the paper pack 20
When all of the packaging sheets 20A, 20B of No. 1 are pulled out, the load of the pack opening device drive motor 14 is removed,
The motor current of the pack opening device drive motor 14 decreases. Therefore, the completion of opening the paper pack can be detected from the difference in the current values.

If the entrance sensor 40 does not measure the paper size of the paper pack 20, the side fence 7 can also measure the paper size. For example, when the side fence 7 is moved to reach the end of the paper pack 20, the side fence 7 is further moved.
Cannot move, and the current value of the side fence drive motor 70 that drives the side fence 7 increases. Therefore, the paper size can also be measured by measuring the time from the start of the movement of the side fence 7 to the rise in the current of the side fence drive motor 70. further,
The detection of the end position of the paper pack 20 is performed by detecting the current of the side fence drive motor 70, and the side fence 7b on the back side.
It is also possible to detect the contact of the paper pack 20 by installing a sensor in the. Further, the movement amount of the side fence 7 can be measured by counting the number of rotations of the side fence drive motor 70 by attaching an encoder to the side fence drive motor 70 in addition to timing the above-mentioned time. Can be detected. Side fence 7
Even if the paper size is measured with, the opening operation is continued if the paper size is the same as the paper size used so far, and if the paper size is different, the A message is displayed to warn the operator, and the operator is prompted to select whether to continue the opening operation or to reload the paper pack 20, and prevent the erroneous opening operation of the paper pack 20 due to an operation error of the operator. .

Further, while the pack is being opened, a message "in operation" or the like is displayed so that the operator can understand the situation. Further, when the operation is completed, the operation is completed by displaying "operation completed" or a buzzer sound. It is like this. During the opening operation, it is possible to set each mode such as selection of the paper feed cassette 120, setting of the number of copies, use of a sorter, etc. After the opening operation, the copying operation is automatically performed. When the opened sheets are replenished while the sheets remain in the sheet feeding tray 6 (sheet feeding cassette 120), the bottom plate of the sheet feeding tray 6 is lowered by pressing the corresponding operation switch. The paper feed cassette 120 is locked and cannot be pulled out until the bottom plate of the paper feed tray 6 is completely moved downward. After the lowering of the bottom plate of the paper feed tray 6 is completed, the lock of the paper feed cassette 120 is released. After the paper feed tray 6 is pulled out and the paper is replenished, when the paper feed cassette 120 is set, the paper feed cassette 1 is again set.
After locking 20, the bottom plate of the paper feed tray 6 is raised to complete the paper feed preparation.

[0022]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, one end of the paper pack partially adhered by the adhesive is provided in the vicinity of the small diameter portion formed in the central portion of the pulling roller in the axial direction. The tongue extending at the tip of the pull-out end of the packaging sheet pulled out to the side is guided by the guiding means to the small diameter portion of the pulling roller, and the pull-out end of the packaging sheet is held while holding the paper pack in place. Since the wrapping sheet is rotated and conveyed by the pulling roller to separate the wrapping sheet from the paper pack, the internal paper is not damaged, no noise is generated, and the pull-out end of the wrapping sheet does not wind around the pulling roller. The usage fee of the paper pack does not become expensive, the paper supply operation is remarkably simplified, and the packaging sheet can be smoothly and quickly peeled off. According to the invention described in claim 2, since the guide means is provided in the vicinity of the conveying path of the tongue on the upstream side of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller, the tongue of the packaging sheet is prevented from being wound around the upstream side of the pulling roller. can do.

According to the third aspect of the invention, since the guide means is provided in the vicinity of the conveying path of the tongue on the downstream side of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller, the tongue of the packaging sheet is wound around the downstream side of the pulling roller. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of an entire copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paper feeding unit of the copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an opening process of a paper pack.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a door of a sheet insertion port.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a support portion of a door of a sheet insertion port.

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a sheet insertion port door.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state where a paper pack is inserted into a paper insertion opening.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a door according to a modified example.

FIG. 9 is likewise a vertical sectional view.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a paper pack type detection operation of the paper pack detection mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a drive mechanism of a transport roller.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a state of pressure contact between an entered sheet pack and a transport roller.

FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram showing a pseudo load mechanism of a transport roller.

FIG. 14 is a configuration diagram showing a pseudo load mechanism of a transport roller according to a modification.

FIG. 15 is likewise a longitudinal sectional view of a damper of the pseudo load mechanism.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a moving mechanism of a side fence.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state where the side fence has fallen down.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the pack opening mechanism together with the tongue guide plate.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section line XX ′.

FIG. 20 is a side view showing the positional relationship between the back fence and the bottom surface of the paper pack storage unit.

FIG. 21 is likewise a front view.

FIG. 22 is a development view of the packaging sheet of the paper pack.

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of an opening process of a paper pack.

FIG. 24 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an adhesive portion of a paper pack.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a packaging process of the paper pack.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a packaging process following FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram of calculating the length of a tongue piece.

FIG. 28 is a control block diagram of the entire copying machine.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing a door locking mechanism.

FIG. 30 is likewise a front view.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view showing a lock mechanism of a door according to a modified example.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a lock mechanism of the paper feed cassette.

FIG. 33 is a flowchart of a paper pack automatic opening control.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the pack opening drive roller, the pack opening driven roller, the drive shaft, and the bottom surface of the paper pack storage section.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart of a pack transport control subroutine.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart following FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of a pack opening control subroutine.

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view of a pack opening mechanism and a tongue piece guide plate according to a modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Dust Box 2a Pack Opening Drive Roller 2b Pack Opening Driven Roller 4 Drive Motor 6 Paper Feed Tray 7 Side Fence 8 Transport Roller 9 Paper Feed Roller 10 Back Fence 14 Pack Open Drive Motor 16, 17 Tongue Guide Plate 20 Paper Pack 20A, 20B Packaging sheet 21 Tongue pieces 31, 32, 33 Door 51 Drive gear 53 Planetary gear 70 Fence drive motor 81 Paper placement surface (bottom surface of paper pack storage) 100 ROM 101 RAM 102 CPU 104 Sensor group 105 Motor group 111 Solenoid 112 Lock Material 120 Paper feed cassette

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tomohito Shimizu 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Within Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masaru Shiina 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Stock company Ricoh

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. When a paper pack, in which a bundle of paper is wrapped with a wrapping sheet with an adhesive, is inserted into a main body of a paper feeding device, the wrapping sheet of the paper pack is automatically removed to remove the paper bundle inside. In a paper pack loading paper feeder that exposes and exposes the exposed paper bundles one by one, a small diameter portion is formed in the central portion in the axial direction, and the packaging sheet winds at least one turn. By rotating and conveying the pull-out end of the packaging sheet pulled out to one end side of the paper pack that is rotated and partially adhered by an adhesive,
A pulling roller for peeling the packaging sheet from the paper pack, and a guide means for guiding the tongue piece extended to the tip of the withdrawing end of the packaging sheet to the small diameter portion in the vicinity of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller, Pack holding means for holding the paper pack in a fixed position while the pulling roller pulls the packaging sheet, and sheet-by-sheet feeding of the sheets of the sheet bundle exposed by peeling the packaging sheet by the pulling roller A paper feeding device for loading a paper pack, comprising: 2. The paper pack loading paper feeder according to claim 1, wherein the guide means is provided in the vicinity of the transport path of the tongue piece on the upstream side of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller. 3. The paper pack loading paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the guide means is provided in the vicinity of the conveying path of the tongue piece on the downstream side of the small diameter portion of the pulling roller.