JPH0626984B2 - Paper cassette structure - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a sheet feeding cassette structure in a copying machine or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it has been customary that a sheet feeding cassette of a copying machine or the like is individually dedicated according to a sheet size.

Both FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a conventional paper feed cassette C. That is, the structure shown in FIG. 7 is one in which a width guide 2 and a height guide 3 for restricting and positioning the paper P from the vertical and horizontal directions in the cassette body 1 are fixedly provided. Therefore, the detection protrusions 4 having different shapes are provided on the side surface of the main body 1. When the paper feed cassette C having such a structure is inserted into the main body of the copying machine 7 from the insertion direction shown by the arrow A, the detection projections 4 come into contact with the detectors 5 and 6 such as micro switches provided on the machine body 7 side. In contact with this detector 5,
The machine 7 side recognizes the type of the paper feed cassette C, that is, the paper size, by the detection signal from the operation of 6.

Therefore, such paper feed cassettes C are prepared by the number of types of paper sizes, and a large space is required for storing all of these, which is a cause of increasing the bulk volume of the entire apparatus.

As a means for eliminating this, there is a system in which vertical and horizontal width guides 2 and 3 are movable in directions orthogonal to each other so as to correspond to a change in sheet size, and the moving positions of the width guides 2 and 3 are detected on the machine body 7 side. . However, in this case, since it is necessary to provide the number of detecting means corresponding to each moving point of the width guides 2 and 3 on the machine body 7 side, there is a problem that the control mechanism becomes complicated.

That is, FIG. 8 shows a conventional example in which such width guides 2 and 3 are moved. According to this, the vertical and horizontal width guides 2 and 3 are provided in the guide grooves 1a and 1b provided on the cassette body 1 side.
The sheet P is slidable in the widthwise direction and the widthwise direction of the paper P, respectively, and is guided by the main body 1 in correspondence with these sliding directions.
Engagement pieces 2a, 3a of the width guides 2, 3 are fitted into the slits 1c, 1d bored on the side and project outward.

On the other hand, on the machine body 7 side, for example, "B5", "A4", "letter size (81/2" × 1
1 ″) ”and“ legal (81/2 ″ × 14 ″) ”, these paper width dimensions are detected by engaging with the engagement section 2a of the width guide 2. The three detectors 8, 9 and 10 and the detection of the length dimension of the paper are performed by one detector 11 which operates by engaging with the engaging section 3a of the width guide 3. Thus, at least four detectors 8, 9, 10, 11 are required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional structure, and can cope with several kinds of paper of different sizes with a single cassette without requiring complicated detecting means on the machine side. The purpose is to provide a paper feed cassette structure that can be used.

To achieve this object, in the sheet cassette structure of the present invention, the paper is regulated in the lengthwise direction and the widthwise direction so that it can accommodate several kinds of papers having different sizes. A paper feed cassette structure for positioning, wherein an abutting piece that positions the paper in the vertical width direction and positions it, and a vertical guide slidably guided in the vertical width direction in response to movement of the abutting piece. A vertical guide having a sliding piece and having a plurality of through holes for detection provided in the vertical sliding piece, and an abutting piece for restricting and positioning the paper in the width direction; A horizontal sliding piece which is provided so as to intersect with the vertical sliding piece and which is slidably guided in the lateral width direction in response to the movement of the abutting piece, Sideways provided with at least one detection through-hole having a size capable of encapsulating any of the through-holes for detection. The guide and the detection through holes of the vertical slide piece and the horizontal slide piece, which are guided corresponding to the abutting pieces of the vertical guide and the horizontal guide that move according to the type of the paper, overlap with each other. It is configured to include a detection unit that detects the size of the portion.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, a paper cassette structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Note that common reference numerals used in the description of the conventional examples refer to the same or similar members.

In FIG. 1, a lateral guide 2 and a longitudinal guide 3 for restricting the width direction and the length direction of a sheet are slidably guided by guide grooves 1a and 1b formed in the bottom of a cassette body 1.

The vertical and horizontal guides 2 and 3 are both guide grooves 1a and 1b on the main body 1 side.
The vertical and horizontal sliding pieces 2b and 3b which are fitted to the above are bent and formed at right angles, and the sliding pieces 2b and 3b partially overlap and overlap with each other.

Further, each of the sliding pieces 2b and 3b is provided with, for example, one sliding piece 2b provided with a substantially fan-shaped or slit-shaped detection hole H ₁ which penetrates through, and the other sliding piece 2b. 3b the provided detection holes H _2, H _3, H ₄ was three through of different sizes, the detection hole H ₁ is only may encompass any of the detection hole H ₂ to H ₄ other It has a shape and size.

It was but connexion, by connexion to the movement of the vertical and horizontal guides 2,3, varying sliding piece 2b relatively intersection, 3b each other, detecting hole H ₁ is one of the detection hole H ₂ to H ₄ partner One match or
Alternatively, it is set so that none of the detection holes H _{2 to} H ₄ match the detection hole H ₁ .

On the other hand, the cassette body 1 is provided with a hopper plate 12 shown by a broken line in the figure, and a back surface thereof, that is, a surface facing the detection holes H ₁ and H _{2 to} H ₄ is provided with a reflection plate (not shown). It is connected.

On the side of the machine body 7 such as a copying machine, the above-mentioned hopper plate 1
2 of the reflection by the plate connexion sliding piece 2b, at the intersection of 3b together, allowed reflecting the magnitude of the time one or the other party of the detection hole H ₂ to H ₄ for the detected hole H ₁ were overlapped Gotsu One detector 13 such as a reflection type photo sensor for detecting the reflected light is installed.

Therefore, the four detection holes H _{1 to} H ₄ on the cassette body 1 side and the one detector 13 on the airframe 7 side are used to set the positions shown in FIGS.
4 types of paper size indicated by the figure, for example, Te cowpea the detection of the light amount difference by the detector 13 "Letter", "Legal" is being recognized as "A _4" and "B _5".

That is, in the case of the "letter" size shown in FIG. 2, the sliding piece 2b,
If the detection hole H ₁ on the sliding piece 2b side is set to match the detection hole H ₂ on the sliding piece 3b side by overlapping operation of 3b, the detector 13 passes through the detection hole H _{1 and the} detection hole H ₁ is detected. The magnitude of the reflected light of H ₂ is detected, and the “letter” size is discriminated as shown in FIG.

With the same setting, in the "legal" size shown in FIG. 3, the detector 13 detects the size of the detection hole H ₄ which is matched with the detection hole H ₁ and determines the size. In the case of the "A ₄ " size shown in FIG. 4, the detection hole H ₃ is detected through the detection hole H ₁ . In the case of “B ₅ ” size in FIG. ₅ , it is when none of the detection holes H _{2 to} H ₄ match the detector H ₁ , and when the detection by the detector 13 is not performed. In this way, each paper size is determined.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As will be understood from the above, according to the sheet cassette structure of the present invention, a single cassette having a simple structure can handle several kinds of sheets having different sizes, and the detector can be installed. Since only one is required, the entire device does not become complicated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 5 are schematic plan views of respective usage modes corresponding to various paper sizes, and FIG. 6 is detection of various paper sizes. FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 showing the mode are perspective views of a conventional structure. Description of main part symbols 1 ... Cassette body, 1a, 1b ... Guide groove 2 ... Horizontal guide, 2b ... Horizontal sliding piece 3 ... Vertical guide, 3b ... Vertical sliding piece 7 ... Copying machine , 13, 14 ...... Detector H ₁ ...... Detection through hole H _{2 to} H ₄ ...... Detection through hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A paper feed cassette structure for restricting and positioning the paper in the lengthwise direction and the widthwise direction so as to accommodate several kinds of paper having different sizes. It has an abutment piece that is regulated and positioned from the width direction and a vertical slide piece that is slidably guided in the vertical width direction in response to the movement of the abutment piece, and is large in the vertical slide piece. A vertical guide provided with a plurality of through holes for detection having different heights, an abutment piece for regulating and positioning the paper in the lateral width direction, and an abutment piece provided to intersect the vertical sliding piece. And a lateral sliding piece that is slidably guided in the lateral width direction in response to the movement of the lateral sliding piece, and has a size capable of incorporating any of the detection through holes in the lateral sliding piece. A horizontal guide having at least one through hole for detection, and a vertical guide and a vertical guide that move according to the type of the paper. The vertical sliding piece guided corresponding to the abutting piece of each of the horizontal guides, and a detection means for detecting the size of the portion where the through holes for detection of each of the horizontal sliding pieces overlap. Paper feed cassette structure.