JPH06263272A - Automatic sheet feeder and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform adequate sheet feeding in a sheet feeder which has the shade portion to detect the rotating position of a feeding roller, even if the press contact force of the feeding roller on sheets is unbalanced, by providing an auxiliary roller near the shade portion on a shaft. CONSTITUTION:A recorder has a loader 26 at the rear to store recording sheets therein and a guide slope 27 to align the ends of the recording sheets. A pressure plate 29 is supported around an upper supporting shaft so as to be oscillatable in the loader 26 and elastically energized to a feeding roller 39 side. With the rotation of the feeding roller 39, the uppermost sheet in contact therewith is fed to the downstream side. At this time, the rotating position of the feeding roller 39 is detected in the way that a shade plate 37 provided on a supporting shaft 35 shades light from a photosensor, so that the recording portion can be controlled. An auxiliary roller 38 is provided on the supporting shaft 35 near the shade plate 37 to allow sheets to be floated to hit the shade plate 37 and to be adequately fed even if press contact force is unbalanced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic sheet feeder for automatically separating and feeding sheets one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in recording devices such as printers, copying machines and facsimiles, in addition to plain paper, thick paper such as postcards and envelopes and special sheets such as plastic thin plates have been used as recording sheets. The recording sheets are supplied one by one by hand, or automatically and continuously fed by an automatic feeding device.

An example of this type of automatic paper feeder is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

In FIG. 1, a recording apparatus 101 includes an automatic paper feeding apparatus 105 for separating recording sheets S and feeding them one by one.
And a recording unit 103 for recording image information on the recording sheet S fed. Recording sheet S on the pressure plate 129
Is pressed against a roller 140 coaxial with the feeding roller 139 by a pressure spring 136, and separation claws 130 are engaged with the corners thereof.

The recording sheet S fed by the rotation of the feeding roller 139 is separated by the separating claw 130 and guided by the guide slope 127 and the guide 141 to cause the recording section 10 to be separated.
3 is inserted onto the platen 117. The recording sheet S in the recording unit 103 is intermittently conveyed by the conveying roller 119 and the pinch roller 120, while being conveyed by the carriage 10.
Image information is recorded by the inkjet recording head 106 which is supported by 7 and reciprocates along the width scanning direction. The recording sheet S after the image formation has the discharge roller pair 12
2,123 discharged to the outside of the machine.

The rotary shaft provided with the feeding roller is
A light blocking plate for blocking the light of a photo sensor provided on the apparatus main body side and detecting the rotational position of the feeding roller is attached.

[0007]

In the above-described conventional automatic feeding device, the feeding roller 139 starts to rotate due to the warp of the pressure plate 129, the stacking state of the recording sheets S, and the like, and then the light shielding plate 137 is removed. The recording sheet S may come into contact. When the light shielding plate 137 comes into contact with the sheet S, the pressure plate 129 is pushed down, and the pressure contact force (paper feeding pressure) between the feeding roller 139 and the recording sheet S decreases, and the feeding amount of the recording sheet S becomes unstable. Occur.

In particular, the separating claw 150 as a means for separating the recording sheets S one by one and regulating the leading edge of the recording sheets S.
In the single-claw separation method in which the leading edge of the recording sheet S is provided only on one side, the unregulated end portion is stacked in a state of being shifted toward the downstream side, or is not regulated, so that the stacked recording sheet S is It may be in a state of being lifted from the pressure plate 129. In such a loading state,
When feeding by a plurality of feeding rollers 139 coaxial with the shaft 135, the raised portion of the recording sheet S easily comes into contact with the light shielding plate, and if it comes in contact, the light shielding plate 137 will press the pressure plate 129 through the sheet S. Light-shielding plate 1
The pressure contact force (feeding pressure) between the feeding roller and the recording sheet S in the vicinity of 37 is reduced. Therefore, there is a problem that the balance of the pressure contact force of the left and right paper feed rollers 139 with respect to the recording sheet S is deviated, and the oblique feeding of the recording sheet S is likely to occur.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately feed a sheet even if the pressure contact force of the left and right feeding rollers with respect to the sheet is deviated by the light shielding plate. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic sheet feeding device capable of feeding.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet and a sheet mounted on a rotary shaft and supported by the sheet supporting means are fed. A feeding roller, a separating unit for separating the sheets fed by the feeding roller one by one, and a photo sensor attached to the rotating shaft to block light from a photo sensor provided on the apparatus main body side. In an automatic sheet feeding device including a light shielding unit that detects a rotation position of a feeding roller, an auxiliary roller capable of feeding a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the light shielding unit of the rotating shaft.

It is preferable that the sheet supporting means has an elastic portion for urging the supporting sheet toward the feed roller.

Further, the separating means is composed of a separating claw which regulates one front side corner of the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, and the auxiliary roller is different from the separating claw with respect to the light shielding part. It is preferably provided on the opposite side.

The sheet supporting means for supporting the sheet, the feeding roller attached to the rotating shaft for feeding the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, and the sheet fed by the feeding roller are Separation means for separating the sheets one by one, recording means for recording an image on the separated sheets, and a feeding sensor of the feeding roller by blocking light of a photo sensor attached to the rotation shaft and provided on the apparatus main body side. In a recording apparatus including a light-shielding portion that detects a rotational position, an auxiliary roller capable of feeding a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the light-shielding portion of the rotation shaft.

[0014]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, even if the light-shielding portion comes into contact with the floating sheet to reduce the pressure contact force between the sheet and the feeding roller and the sheet feeding becomes unstable, the auxiliary The roller can secure the sheet feeding force. Especially, in the single-claw separation method, even if the pressure contact force of a plurality of feeding rollers with respect to the sheet is deviated to one side, the auxiliary rollers keep the feeding force in balance and prevent the sheet from skewing. can do.

[0015]

【Example】

(First Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus provided with an automatic sheet feeding apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof. In the figure, the recording apparatus 1 is a recording sheet S as a sheet.
A recording unit 3 for recording an image corresponding to image information on the sheet, and an automatic sheet feeding device 5 for feeding a recording sheet to the recording unit 3.
It consists of

The recording unit 3 is reciprocally movable along the width direction of a recording sheet, which will be described later, along guide shafts 9 and 10 fixed to the apparatus main body 2, and recording mounted on the carriage 7. The inkjet recording head 6 is provided as a means, and the inkjet recording head 6 is provided.
Uses the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter to eject ink from an ejection port (not shown) corresponding to image information. The carriage 7 is driven by a belt 11 wound around a drive pulley 13 and a driven pulley 15, and the drive pulley 13 is attached to an output shaft of a motor 12.

Around the upper portion of the conveying roller 19, the recording sheet is intermittently conveyed to the carriage 7 side by the conveying roller 19 and the pinch roller 20 which is in contact with the platen 17 and protrudes from the platen 17. The recording sheet after printing is discharged to the outside of the machine by a pair of discharge rollers composed of a discharge roller 22 and a spur 23 that is rotated by the discharge roller 22. This discharge roller 2
2 is driven in conjunction with the transport roller 19. Further, the spur 23 does not come into point contact with the recording sheet after recording so that excess ink is not transferred to the recording sheet.

On the rear side of the apparatus main body 2 of the recording apparatus 1, a stacking table 2 as a sheet supporting means for storing the recording sheets S is provided.
6 and the guide slope 27 for aligning the leading end of the recording sheet S
Is fixedly mounted, and the base of the pressure plate 29 is rotatably mounted in the loading table 26 by a support shaft 29a. The automatic paper feeding device 5 has a feeding roller 39 fixed to a support shaft 35 as a rotation shaft and a roller 40 rotatably mounted on the support shaft 35. Generally, the feeding roller 39 is made of a high friction member (rubber member or the like), and the roller 40 is made of plastic.

The recording sheet on the pressure plate 29 is pressed against the roller 40 by a pressure spring 36 as an elastic portion. Separation claws 30 as separation means for separating the recording sheets S one by one abut and engage with the corners of the recording sheet S.

When the feeding roller 39 is rotated in order to perform recording on the recording sheet S, the uppermost one sheet in contact with the sheet is fed to the downstream side by a frictional force. The second recording sheet S and the subsequent recording sheets S that are in contact with the uppermost recording sheet S are subjected to the action of being fed out by the frictional force of each other. , A force that resists the feeding of the recording sheet S is applied. The first recording sheet S, to which the feeding roller 39 exerts a frictional force larger than the frictional force between the recording sheets S, can move to the downstream side by overcoming the restriction force of the separation claw 30. The separation of the recording sheets S is completed.

The recording sheet S after separation has a guide slope 27.
The upper guide member 41 fixed to the support member 16 guides and inserts it into the recording unit 3, and the conveying roller 19 and the pinch roller 20 convey the recording unit 3 below the carriage 7, and the carriage 7 forms an image corresponding to the image information. Is recorded. In order to prevent the load of the automatic paper feeder 5 from affecting the transport performance of the transport roller 19 and the pinch roller 20 when recording an image, the feed roller 39 includes an arc portion 50 and a chord portion 51. A circular shape (half-moon shape) having an incomplete cross-sectional shape is formed, and the recording sheet S after separation is stopped in a non-contact state as illustrated so that a frictional force does not act on the recording sheet S. This is managed by detecting the rotational position by the photo sensor 61 provided on the electric substrate 60 and the light shielding plate 37 provided on the support shaft 35. Further, at the time of recording, the roller 40 rolls following the recording sheet S.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are views best showing the features of the first embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a view as seen from A in FIG.
1 is a front view of the automatic paper feeding device 5, showing two main feeding rollers 39 and an auxiliary roller having the same cross-sectional shape as the feeding rollers 39 and having an O-ring 62 fitted on the outer periphery thereof. Three
8, a light blocking plate 37 as a light blocking portion, and four rollers 40 for pressing the recording sheet S are provided. Auxiliary roller 3
Numeral 8 is provided on the side B opposite to the axial feeding roller 39 arrangement with the light shielding plate 37 in between, at a position close to the light shielding plate 37, and when recording on a wide recording sheet S, the end portion on the recording sheet S side is shielded from light. When the plate 37 reaches the plate 37, its side end floats up, comes into contact with the light blocking plate 37, and the main feeding roller 39 near the light blocking plate 37 floats up from the recording sheet S and loses the feeding force, near the light blocking plate 37. Then, the auxiliary roller 38 provided at a position closer to the end portion of the recording sheet S generates a feeding force, so that the recording sheet S is stably fed.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 is a view best showing the features of the second embodiment, in which the sectional shape of the auxiliary roller 38 is made similar to the sectional shape of the light shielding plate 37. The sheet is fed by the individual main feeding rollers 39, and the feeding force is supplemented by the auxiliary rollers 38 only when the light shielding plate 37 contacts the recording sheet S.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Depending on the stacking condition of the recording sheets, or the end that is not regulated in the one-claw separation method is shifted to the downstream side, or the one side is not regulated, the stacked sheets may not be regulated. If the sheet is in a floating state, the floating portion of the sheet comes into contact with the light shielding member, and the feeding roller located on the axial direction feeding roller arrangement side of the light shielding member rises, and the sheet of the plurality of feeding rollers Even if the balance of the pressure contact force with the bias is biased, the balance is maintained by the feeding force generated by the auxiliary roller in the vicinity of the light shielding member, and the oblique feeding can be avoided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording device using an automatic feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of FIG. 2 viewed from a direction of an arrow A.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the automatic feeding device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of essential parts of an automatic feeding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a recording device in which a conventional automatic feeding device is used.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the conventional automatic feeding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 26 Stacking Table (Sheet Supporting Means) 30 Separation Claws (Separating Means) 35 Support Shafts (Rotating Shafts) 36 Pressure Springs (Elastic Parts) 39 Feeding Rollers 61 Photosensors 37 Light Shading Plates (Light Shading Parts) 38 Auxiliary Rollers 6 Inkjet Recording Head (recording means) S Recording sheet (sheet)

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, a feeding roller attached to a rotating shaft for feeding the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, and a sheet fed by the feeding roller. A sheet automatic device including a separating unit that separates the sheets one by one, and a light shielding unit that is attached to the rotation shaft and detects the rotation position of the feeding roller by shielding the light of a photo sensor provided on the apparatus main body side. A sheet feeding device, wherein an auxiliary roller capable of feeding a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the light shielding portion of the rotating shaft. 2. The sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet supporting means has an elastic portion for urging the supporting sheet toward the feeding roller. 3. The separating means comprises a separating claw that regulates one corner of the front side of the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, and the auxiliary roller is different from the separating claw with respect to the light shielding part. The sheet automatic feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet automatic feeding device is provided on the opposite side. 4. A sheet supporting means for supporting a sheet, a feeding roller attached to a rotating shaft for feeding the sheet supported by the sheet supporting means, and a sheet fed by the feeding roller. Separation means for separating the sheets one by one, recording means for recording an image on the separated sheets, and a feed sensor for the feeding roller by blocking light from a photosensor attached to the rotation shaft and provided on the apparatus main body side. A recording apparatus comprising: a light-shielding portion that detects a rotational position, wherein an auxiliary roller capable of feeding a sheet is provided in the vicinity of the light-shielding portion of the rotation shaft.