JPH08108944A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To excellently separate and feed a printing paper sheet even when pressure contact force between the printing paper sheet and a separating claw is excessive since the size of the printing paper sheet is small or the number of sheets is few when the printing paper sheet is separated and fed by a semicircular roller and the separating claw. CONSTITUTION: A projecting part 16 is formed on a cylinder surface 14 of a semicircular roller 13, and the semicircular roller 13 is rotated, and a printing paper sheet 3 to be fed by the cylinder surface 14 is pressed downward by the projecting part 16, and pressure contact force between the printing paper sheet 3 and a separating claw 9 is reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device used in copying machines, facsimiles and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a paper feeder is used in equipment such as a copying machine and a facsimile. This paper feeding device separates and feeds a large number of printing papers prepared in advance to the device body one by one, and is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-4-260550 and JP-A-63.
-225035, JP-A-3-216421, JP-A-4-1979
No. 30, JP 4-197939 JP, JP 5-286585 JP, JP 60-145133 JP, JP 60-145136 JP,
Various methods have been devised as such.

In a paper feeding device, a paper feeding roller for feeding the printing paper is a half-moon roller, and the printing paper fed by the half-moon roller is separated by a separating claw. More specifically, the front edge of the paper feed table, on which a large number of printing papers are stacked, is movably supported in the vertical direction and is biased upward by a spring. A pair of separation claws are arranged at positions where both front edge corners of the printed printing paper are pressed against each other from below. The half-moon roller has a part of the cylindrical surface formed into a flat surface, and is rotatably supported at a position where the cylindrical surface separates from the printing paper and abuts on the printing paper.

With such a structure, the half-moon roller is rotated to separate the printing paper to be fed into one sheet by the separating claw, so that a large number of printing papers stacked on the paper feed table are separated and fed to the apparatus main body. To send. Note that, here, the description is given assuming that the feeding direction of the printing paper is the front.

As a sheet feeding device having another structure, there is one in which a sheet feeding roller has a simple cylindrical shape and can be brought into and out of contact with a printing sheet. Further, there is also one that separates the printing paper by pressing the conveying roller and the separating roller that rotate in the same direction.

For example, when these mechanisms are combined, the paper feed roller is supported by the roller support mechanism so as to be movable in the vertical direction so that the paper feed roller can be brought into contact with and separated from the front edge of the printing paper, and at the feeding position of the printing paper. The conveying roller and the separating roller are rotated in the same direction as the paper feeding roller, and the printing paper conveyed by the paper feeding roller and the conveying roller is separated into one sheet by the separating roller.

With such a structure, normally, the paper feed roller is arranged above and separated from the printing paper, and the paper feed roller is moved downward at the time of paper feeding to contact the printing paper. When the printing paper fed by the paper feeding roller is carried by the carrying roller, the printing paper is separated into one sheet by the separating roller.

Some of the above-described sheet feeding devices are provided with a sheet feeding cassette for storing a large number of printing sheets, and a sheet feeding table is provided at the bottom of the sheet feeding cassette. In such a paper feeding cassette, the front edge of the paper feeding table is vertically movable about the rear edge of the paper feeding center, and the front edge is biased upward by a spring. A lock mechanism is provided to fix the paper feed tray to the bottom of the paper feed cassette against the elastic force of the spring.

The paper feed roller is arranged inside the main body of the apparatus, and when the paper feed cassette is arranged inside the main body of the apparatus, it faces the front edge of the printing paper from above.

In such a paper feeding device, when the paper feeding cassette is arranged inside the main body of the device, the locking mechanism is released and the paper feeding table is urged upward by the elastic force of the spring to feed the printing paper. Be free. For this reason, when pulling out the paper feed cassette from the outside of the apparatus main body, it is necessary to position the paper feed tray downward against the elastic force of the spring and hold it by the lock mechanism.

Some of the sheet feeding cassettes are slidably supported by guide rails in the left-right direction so as to project to the side of the apparatus main body, and those that can be detached from the apparatus main body.

[0012]

The paper feeding device for feeding the printing paper by the half-moon roller has a simple structure because it is not necessary to position the half-moon roller in the vertical direction. Further, the paper feeding device that separates the printing paper by the separating claw does not need to rotate and drive the conveying roller and the separating roller, so that the structure is simple.

Some of the above-mentioned sheet feeding devices are capable of feeding printing sheets of a plurality of sizes. However, since a large number of printing sheets are stacked on the sheet feeding table, if the printing sheets have different sizes, the sheets are fed. The weight acting on the platform is also different. When the printing paper is pressed against the separating claw by urging the paper feed table by the elastic force of the spring, the pressing force of the separating claw is different when the weight of the printing paper is different, and the separation performance is changed.

Generally, the separating performance is best when the pressure contact force between the separating claw and the printing paper is about 300 (g), and in other cases, double feeding and non-feeding are likely to occur. For example, 500 A
Designed so that the press contact force between the print paper and the separation claw is 300 (g) when the print paper of 3 size is stacked on the paper feed table, and the press contact force with the separation claw is A5 when the print paper is A5 size. Is 900 (g)
Since the pressure contact force is three times the design value, the separation performance deteriorates.

Even in a paper feeding device that uses only one type of printing paper, the weight is greatly different between when the printing paper is large and when the printing paper is small. Feeding occurs.

Further, since the paper feed roller comes into contact with and separates from the printing paper, it is contaminated and worn out significantly, and maintenance such as cleaning and replacement is required. However, since the paper feed roller is located inside the apparatus main body, its maintenance work is complicated. For this reason, it is difficult for the user to perform maintenance on the paper feed roller, and a service engineer performs it.

Further, in the paper feeding device capable of pulling out the paper feeding cassette from the main body of the apparatus, since the paper feeding table is biased upward by the spring inside the paper feeding cassette, when pulling out the paper feeding cassette from the main body of the apparatus. It is necessary to hold the paper feed tray at the bottom of the paper feed cassette by the lock mechanism.

For this reason, the structure of the paper feed cassette is complicated, which hinders reduction in size and weight and improvement in productivity. Furthermore, such a locking mechanism is normally released automatically when the paper cassette is pushed into the main body of the device, but at the time of this release, the elastic force of the spring causes the paper feed table to bounce, causing noise and vibration. To do.

Further, some users may try to move the paper feed cassette without holding the paper feed tray by the lock mechanism, and the paper feed tray may collide with the main body of the apparatus and be damaged. Further, a paper jam may be generated by starting the paper feeding operation while the paper feeding table is held at the bottom of the paper feeding cassette by the lock mechanism.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
A front edge of a paper feed table, on which a large number of printing papers are stacked, is movably supported in the vertical direction and is biased upward, and the front of the print papers placed on the paper feed tray and biased upwards. Both edges are pressed against a pair of separating claws from below, and a half-moon roller with a part of the cylindrical surface being flat is arranged at a position where it is separated from the flat surface by the flat surface and abutted by the cylindrical surface, and the half-moon roller feeds the half-moon roller. In the paper feeding device for separating the printing paper by the separating claw, a roller support mechanism for elastically holding the half-moon roller so as to be vertically displaceable is provided, and a projecting portion is formed on the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the roller support mechanism is displaced upward without the uppermost surface of the printing paper being displaced downward when the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller is in contact. When the protrusion of the half-moon roller abuts, the displacement of the roller support mechanism is stopped, and the upward displacement of the roller support mechanism is restricted to a position where the uppermost surface of the printing paper is displaced downward.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper feed cassette having a paper feed base for accommodating a large number of printing papers, and the roller support mechanism and the half-moon roller are provided in the paper feed cassette. And.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, a unit support mechanism for supporting the roller support mechanism so as to be movable in the vertical direction is provided, and the unit support mechanism is positioned on the paper feed cassette. A mechanism was set up.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the invention, at least one of the pair of separation claws is movably supported in the left-right direction, and at least one of the pair of half-moon rollers is movably in the left-right direction. The separating claw that is supported and movable is connected to the half-moon roller.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a paper feed cassette having a paper feed tray for storing a large number of printing papers is provided, and one support shaft provided in the paper feed cassette. Rotatably supports the first turning lever and the second turning lever, and the first turning lever and the second turning lever are linearly connected by an elastic member to provide the first turning lever. The front end of the lever is connected to the front edge of the paper feed tray, and the inclined surface that descends in the direction of inserting the paper feed cassette into the main body of the apparatus comes into contact with the front end of the second rotating lever from above. Formed on the device body.

[0026]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the half-moon roller having a cylindrical surface having a protrusion is made to face the printing paper with a flat surface, and the printing paper is fed by the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller which is driven to rotate. When the separation paper is used for separation, even if the weight of the printing paper is light and the pressing force with the separation paper is too large, the printing paper is pressed downward by the protrusion of the half-moon roller, and the printing paper is too large on the separation paper. The uppermost printing paper is separated by the separating claws.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the upward displacement position of the roller support mechanism is regulated, when the half-moon roller is rotated and the printing paper is pressed downward by the protrusion,
The printing paper is not pressed against the separating claw excessively, and the uppermost printing paper is separated by the separating claw.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the half-moon roller and the roller support mechanism are provided in the paper feeding cassette. Therefore, when the paper feeding cassette is set in the apparatus main body, the half-moon roller can feed the printing paper. , When the paper feed cassette is pulled out from the device body, the half-moon roller is located outside the device body.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the roller supporting mechanism is supported by the unit supporting mechanism so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the unit supporting mechanism is positioned on the paper feeding cassette by the positioning mechanism. The half-moon roller can be placed in a position where the printing paper can be fed freely when set in the main body of the device, and the half-moon roller can be placed in a position where it does not interfere with the supply of printing paper when the paper cassette is pulled out from the main body of the device. .

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the half-moon roller is moved in the left-right direction corresponding to the lateral width of the printing paper, the separating claw also moves so that the positional relationship between the half-moon roller and the separating claw is always constant. Maintained at.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the process of setting the paper feed cassette in the main body of the apparatus, the tip end portion of the second rotary lever is pressed downward by the inclined surface of the main body of the apparatus, and the first rotary lever. The tip end portion of the first turning lever is biased upward by the elastic member connected to the sheet feed table, and the tip end portion of the first turning lever pushes the paper feed tray upward.

In the present invention, the front, rear, left, and right are defined with the paper feed direction of the printing paper as the front, but this is defined for the sake of convenience for simplification of explanation, and the actual installation and use of the apparatus will be described. It does not limit the direction.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the paper feeding device 1 of the present embodiment is
It is formed as a part of a copying machine (not shown), and the printing paper 3 is separately fed to the main body 2 of the copying machine. Further, the sheet feeding device 1 of the present embodiment has a sheet feeding cassette 4 that stores a large number of printing sheets 3.

Since the paper feed cassette 4 is slidably supported in the device body 2 in the left-right direction, it can be set at a predetermined position of the device body 2 and protrudes rightward from the device body 2. You can also let it. Inside the paper feeding cassette 4, a paper feeding table 5 is arranged. Since the paper feeding table 5 is rotatably supported by a rear edge portion, a front edge portion is vertically movable. is there. A coil spring 6, which is an elastic mechanism, is arranged between the lower surface of the front edge of the paper feed tray 5 and the upper surface of the front edge of the paper feed cassette 4. The front edge of 5 is biased upward.

Further, the paper feeding cassette 4 is provided with a lock mechanism (not shown) for holding the paper feeding table 5 at the bottom of the paper feeding cassette 4 against the elastic force of the coil spring 6. There is also provided a position regulation mechanism (not shown) that regulates the upper limit position of the paper feed table 5 against the elastic force of the coil spring 6. A pair of side fences 7 and 8 are mounted on the bottom of the paper feed cassette 4 so as to be slidable in the left and right directions so as to come into contact with and separate from each other with reference to the center. Located on the top surface.

At the front edges of the side fences 7 and 8,
Separation claws 9 and 10 are mounted rotatably in the vertical direction, and the upper limits of these separation claws 9 and 10 are restricted so as to stop substantially horizontally. When the paper feed cassette 4 is placed inside the apparatus main body 2 and the lock mechanism is released, the printing paper 3 is urged upward together with the paper feed table 5 by the elastic force of the coil spring 6, and its uppermost The upper surface is positioned by contacting the separation claws 9 and 10 from below.

An internal frame 11 is provided inside the main body 2 of the apparatus, and a pair of half-moon rollers 13, which are sheet feeding rollers, are supported by the internal frame 11 by a roller support mechanism 12. . In these half-moon rollers 13, a part of a cylindrical surface 14 is formed as a flat surface 15, and a semicircular projection 1 is formed on the cylindrical surface 14 as a protrusion.
6 is formed.

The roller support mechanism 12 comprises a support arm 17, a coil spring 18, a support shaft 19 and a drive shaft 20. A rear end portion of the support arm 17 is pivotally supported on the rear end portion of the inner frame 11 by the support shaft 19 so as to be vertically swingable.
It is biased downward by 8. The half moon roller 13 is rotatably supported by a drive shaft 20 at the front end of the support arm 17, and a drive motor (not shown) is mounted on the drive shaft 20 via a universal joint 21 and an electromagnetic clutch 22. No) is connected. The front end of the support arm 17 is formed with a convex portion 23 in the left-right direction, and an opening hole 24 with which the convex portion 23 engages is formed in the inner frame 11. Since the upper and lower limits of the vertical movement of the front end of the support arm 17 are restricted by the engagement of the convex portion 23 and the opening hole 24, the vertical movement of the half-moon roller 13 also has the upper and lower limits. It is regulated.

For this reason, the half-moon roller 13 supported by the roller support mechanism 12 is usually separated from the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 on the flat surface 15, and the cylindrical surface 14 is separated.
Is located at the abutting position. Further, when the cylindrical surface 14 and the projection 16 of the rotating half-moon roller 13 press the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3, the reaction arm causes the support arm 17 to rotate upward against the elastic force of the coil spring 18. However, when the protrusion 16 of the half-moon roller 13 contacts, the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 causes the elastic force of the coil spring 6 to move. To move downwards against
Each part is formed.

In such a structure, first, in the normal state of waiting for sheet conveyance, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet feeding table 5 is biased upward by the elastic force of the coil spring 6, and the uppermost sheet is fed. The uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 is positioned by pressing the front edge of the printing paper 3 against the separation claws 9 and 10. The support arm 17 is urged downward by the elastic force of the coil spring 18.
The half-moon roller 13 is positioned at the lower limit by engaging the convex portion 23 of No. 7 with the opening hole 24 of the internal frame. Since the rotation angle of the half-moon roller 13 is regulated so that the flat surface 15 is substantially parallel to the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3, the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 and the flat surface 15 of the half-moon roller 13 are separated from each other. ing.

When the printing paper 3 is separately fed from the paper feed cassette 4 to the apparatus main body 2, the half-moon roller 13 is rotationally driven so that the cylindrical surface 14 contacts the printing paper 3 and the printing paper 3
Press forward. At this time, printing paper 3 and half-moon roller 1
The support arm 17 is displaced upward by the reaction force of the pressure contact with the coil spring 3 against the elastic force of the coil spring 18. In this state, the convex portion 23 of the support arm 17 contacts the opening hole 24 of the inner frame 11. Don't touch In other words, the half-moon roller 13 is properly pressed against the printing paper 3 by the elastic force of the coil spring 18, and the half-moon roller 13 is kept in this state.
By rotating, the uppermost printing sheet 3 is fed forward and separated into one sheet by the separating claws 9 and 10.

As described above, one sheet of printing paper 3 is separated and fed from the paper feed cassette 4 to the apparatus main body 2. But,
In order to perform good separation and feeding as described above, it is necessary that the pressure contact force between the separation claws 9 and 10 and the printing paper 3 be a substantially designed value. Since this pressure contact force is the difference between the weight of the printing paper 3 loaded on the paper feed table 5 and the elastic force of the coil spring 6, it changes when the size or the number of printing papers 3 changes.

More specifically, the pressure contact force between the printing paper 3 and the separating claws 9 and 10 is 300 (g) in a state where 500 A3 size printing papers 3 are stacked on the paper feed table 5. If the coil spring 6 etc. are designed so that the separation performance is the best, the press contact force with the separation claws 9 and 10 is 900 (g) when the printing paper 3 is A5 size.
It also becomes.

Therefore, in order to deal with the above, the projection 16 is formed on the cylindrical surface 14 of the half-moon roller 13 in the sheet feeding device 1 of this embodiment. That is, when the size of the printing paper 3 is small or the number of the printing papers is small and the pressure contact force with the separating claws 9 and 10 is excessive, the half-moon roller 13 that is rotationally driven as described above prints the highest level on the cylindrical surface 14. Even if the sheet 3 is pressed forward, the separation by the separation claws 9 and 10 is not performed.

When the half-moon roller 13 is driven to rotate as it is, the projection 16 thereof comes into contact with the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3. The support arm 17 is further displaced upward against the elastic force of the coil spring 18 by the reaction force of the press contact between the printing paper 3 and the half-moon roller 13, so that the convex portion 23 thereof is in the opening hole 24 of the inner frame 11. Abut and stop at the upper limit.
Therefore, the reaction force of the pressure contact between the printing paper 3 and the half-moon roller 13 acts on the coil spring 6, and the printing paper 3 is pressed downward against the elastic force of the coil spring 6. Therefore, the pressure contact force between the printing paper 3 and the separation claws 9 and 10 is reduced, and the printing paper 3 fed by the half-moon roller 13 is favorably separated by the separation claws 9 and 10.

More specifically, as described above, the printing paper 3
When the press contact force between the separating claws 9 and 10 is 300 (g) and the press contact force is 900 (g) because the printing paper 3 is small in the proper paper feeding device 1, this press contact force is half a month. It is 900 (g) until the projection 16 of the roller 13 comes into contact with the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3, but the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 is sequentially pressed by the projection 16 as the half-moon roller 13 sequentially rotates. At this lowest point, the uppermost surface of the printing paper 3 is the separation claws 9 and 1.
If it falls below the upper limit of 0, the separating claws 9, 1
0 only comes into contact with the printing paper 3 by its own weight.

That is, in the process in which the rotating half-moon roller 13 feeds the printing paper 3 by the cylindrical surface 14, the half-moon roller 1
Excessive pressure contact force between the printing paper 3 and the separating claws 9 and 10 is sufficiently reduced by the projections 3 of 3, so that the printing paper 3 is favorably separated and fed by these separating claws 9 and 10.

As described above, the sheet feeding device 1 of this embodiment is
Even if the size or the number of the printing paper 3 changes, the pressure contact force between the printing paper 3 and the separating claws 9 and 10 can be appropriately corrected, so that the printing paper 3 can always be separated and fed well. . Moreover, since such a thing is realized by forming the projection 16 on the cylindrical surface 14 of the half-moon roller 13 and restricting the upper limit of the roller support mechanism 12,
Its structure is simple and its productivity is good.

When the printing sheet 3 is replenished to the sheet feeding device 1, the sheet feeding table 5 is pushed down by the manual lever (not shown) and fixed by the lock mechanism. Pull out from 2 to the right. When the printing paper 3 is replenished on the paper feed tray 5 of the paper feed cassette 4 in such a state and the paper feed cassette 4 is pushed into the apparatus main body 2 after the replenishment, the lock mechanism is automatically released and the printing paper 3 Can be fed freely.

When the printing papers 3 having different sizes are used, the side fences 7 and 8 are manually operated when the printing papers 3 are replenished to the paper feed cassette 4 pulled out from the apparatus main body 2 as described above. The printing paper 3 is moved and held.

Further, in the paper feeding device 1 of the present embodiment, the front edge of the paper feeding table 5 is shown to be movable in the vertical direction and biased upward, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. However, it is sufficient that at least the front edge of the paper feed table is vertically movable and biased upward. For example, the entire paper feed tray is vertically movable and biased upward. It is also possible.

Further, in the sheet feeding device 1 of this embodiment, a semicircular projection 16 is formed on the cylindrical surface 14 of the half-moon roller 13 as a projecting portion.
However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller may be formed continuously in an elliptical shape to form the protruding portion.

Further, in the sheet feeding device 1 of the present embodiment, the separation claws 9 and 10 are movably supported in the vertical direction, and the projection 16 of the half-moon roller 13 lowers the uppermost surface of the printing sheet 3 to cause the printing sheet 3 to move. Although it has been shown that the separating claws 9 and 10 come into contact with the uppermost surface of 3 by its own weight, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the separating claws 9 and 10 can be fixed. .

In the sheet feeding device 1 of this embodiment, the roller supporting mechanism 12 for elastically holding the half-moon roller 13 is formed by the swingable supporting arm 17 and the like.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening hole 26 of the inner frame 25
A slider 27 is slidably mounted in the vertical direction, the slider 27 is urged downward by a coil spring 28, and a roller support mechanism 29 having such a structure elastically holds the half-moon roller 13 and the like. Is also feasible. In this case, the upper limit and the lower limit of the slider 27 are restricted by the engagement with the opening hole 26, so that the sheet feeding device 30 functions similarly to the sheet feeding device 1 described above.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those of the paper feeding device 1 described as the first embodiment are designated by the same names and reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the paper feeding device 31 of this embodiment, the rotary frame 3 as a unit supporting mechanism is provided at the front edge of the paper feeding cassette 4.
2 is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by a support shaft 33, and a roller support mechanism 34 is attached to the rear edge of the rotary frame 32. The roller support mechanism 34 includes a support arm 35, a support shaft 19, a drive shaft 20, and a leaf spring 36. The leaf spring 36 is attached to the front edge of the rotating frame 32 and swings in the vertical direction. Free support arm 3
The front edge of No. 5 is pressed downward.

Further, locking claws 37 made of bent leaf springs are projected from the rear of the lower surface of both sides of the rotating frame 32, and these locking claws 37 are releasably engaged. By forming the recesses 38 on the upper surfaces of both sides of the paper feed cassette 4, the locking claws 37 and the recesses 38 form a positioning mechanism 38a. Therefore, the locking claw 37 of the rotating frame 32 is engaged with the concave portion 38 of the paper feeding cassette 4, whereby the half-moon roller 13 is positioned at the paper feeding position where the printing paper 3 can be fed. The upper and lower limits of the swing of the roller support mechanism 34 are regulated by engaging the convex portion 39 protruding from the front edge of the roller support mechanism 34 with the concave portion 40 of the rotating frame 32. Has been done.

Further, the pair of meniscus rollers 13 are mounted on the drive shaft 20 so as to be movable in the left and right directions, and a concave groove 42 is formed in a cylindrical portion 41 protruding from the outside thereof. A pair of holders 43 are mounted on the rotating frame 32 so as to be movable in the left-right direction.
A pair of separation claws 45 are mounted on the upper and lower sides of the linear roller bearings 44 so as to be vertically slidable. These separation claws 4
The coil spring 5 is urged downward by a coil spring 46, and a locking claw 48 of the holder 43 is formed in a recess 47 on the front surface thereof.
The upper limit and the lower limit are regulated by the engagement of.

Then, the convex portion 49 protruding rearward from the holder 43 engages with the concave groove 42 of the half-moon roller 13, so that the slide mechanism 5 having such a structure is formed.
0, the pair of half-moon rollers 13 and the pair of separating claws 45 are supported so as to be movable integrally in the left-right direction.

In the sheet feeding device 31 of the present embodiment, not only the sheet feeding table 5, the side fences 7 and 8 and the separating claw 45 but also the rotating frame 32 and the roller supporting mechanism are provided in the sheet feeding cassette 4. 34, half-moon roller 13, and drive shaft 20 are provided. Therefore, the drive shaft 20 is detachably connected to the universal joint 21 by the coupling joint 49a, and the attaching / detaching direction matches the moving direction of the sheet feeding cassette 4.

In the sheet feeding device 31 of this embodiment having such a configuration, the projection 16 is formed on the cylindrical surface 14 of the half-moon roller 13.
Since the upper and lower limits of the roller support mechanism 34 are regulated, similar to the sheet feeding device 1 of the first embodiment, the printing sheet 3 has a simple structure regardless of size or number of sheets. Can be fed separately.

When the printing paper 3 is replenished to the paper feeding device 31, the manual lever (not shown) pushes down the paper feeding table 5 to fix it with the lock mechanism (not shown), and the paper is fed in this state. The cassette 4 is pulled out from the main body 2 to the right. Next,
The locking claw 37 of the rotating frame 32 is disengaged from the recess 38 of the sheet feeding cassette 4, and the rotating frame 32 is rotated from the upper side to the front side. Then, the rotating frame 32, the roller support mechanism 34, the half-moon roller 13, and the separating claw 45 also move forward from above the paper feed table 5, so that the print paper 3 can be easily replenished on the paper feed table 5. You can After this replenishment, the rotating frame 32 is rotated downward from the rear to engage the locking claw 37 with the recess 38 of the sheet feeding cassette 4, and the sheet feeding cassette 4 is pushed into the apparatus main body 2 to release the lock mechanism. By doing so, the printing paper 3 can be fed separately.

When the printing papers 3 having different sizes are used, when the printing papers 3 are replenished in the paper feeding cassette 4 pulled out from the apparatus main body 2 as described above, the widths of the printing papers 3 are made to correspond to each other. The side fences 7, 8 and the half-moon roller 13 and the separating claw 45 are moved. At this time, since the pair of half-moon rollers 13 and the pair of separation claws 45 move integrally, the separation claws 45 follow if only the half-moon roller 13 is moved, and it is not necessary to move both. Is simple. Moreover, the half-moon roller 13 and the separating claw 45
Since the positional relationship between and is always maintained constant, good performance of separation and feeding is ensured.

Further, since the half-moon roller 13 comes into contact with and separates from the printing paper 3 and is therefore significantly soiled and worn, it moves to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 together with the paper feed cassette 4, so that maintenance such as cleaning and replacement is easily performed. be able to. Particularly, in the sheet feeding device 1 of the present embodiment, the sheet feeding cassette 4 is fed from the main body 2 of the device.
When the rotating frame 32 is rotated from the upper side to the front side in the state of being pulled out to the right, the half-moon roller 13 is exposed to the upper side, so that the maintenance work of the half-moon roller 13 can be performed by a general user.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The same parts as those of the paper feeding device 1 described as the first embodiment are designated by the same names and reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

First, in the sheet feeding device 51 of this embodiment, the sheet feeding table 5 is arranged at the bottom of the sheet feeding cassette 4 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. The sheet feeding table 5 is biased upward. The coil spring 6 and the lock mechanism for holding the paper feed table 5 below are not provided. As shown in FIG. 7, a support shaft 52 is provided on the front surface of the paper feed cassette 4 so as to project therefrom.
2, a first rotating lever 53, a second rotating lever 54, and a coil spring 55, which is an elastic member, are mounted so as to be vertically and horizontally rotatable. By connecting the rotating levers 53 and 54 linearly by the coil spring 55, the rotating levers 53 and 54 are formed as one rotating lever 56 which is elastically bendable in the vertical direction. ing.

The right turning lever 53 forming the turning lever 56 is formed in a crank shape and has an end located inside the paper feed cassette 4, and a roller 57 mounted at this end. Is in contact with the front edge of the paper feed table 5 from below.
The left turning lever 54 forming the turning lever 56 projects to the left of the front surface of the paper feed cassette 4, and a roller 58 is also attached to the end thereof.

A guide plate 59 is arranged in the apparatus main body 2 at a position facing the front surface of the paper feed cassette 4, and the lower surface of the guide plate 59 causes the inclined surface 60 to descend sequentially to the left. And a horizontal surface 61 are continuously formed. Since the rotation lever 56 contacts the inclined surface 60 and the horizontal surface 61 from below by the roller 58, the left end of the rotation lever 56 is moved in the process of moving the paper feed cassette 4 from the outside to the inside of the apparatus main body 2. It is pressed downward by the inclined surface 60 and positioned on the horizontal surface 61.

In such a structure, the paper feed cassette 4
In the state in which the
The left end of 6 is positioned by the horizontal surface 61 of the guide plate 59. At this time, the left end of the rotating lever 56 is pressed downward against the elastic force of the coil spring 55, so the right end of the rotating lever 56 is fed by the elastic force of the coil spring 55. The front edge of the table 5 is urged upward. Therefore, the printing sheets 3 stacked on the sheet feeding table 5 are pressed against the separation claws 9 and 10 from below, and the sheet feeding device 51 of this embodiment is the same as the sheet feeding device of the first embodiment. As in the case of 1, the printing paper 3 can be separately fed.

When the printing paper 3 is replenished to the paper feeding device 51 of this embodiment, the paper feeding cassette 4 is pulled out from the main body 2 to the right. Then, the left end of the rotating lever 56 slides rightward on the horizontal surface 61 and the inclined surface 60 of the guide plate 59 and sequentially rises, so that the right end of the rotating lever 56 sequentially descends. Therefore, the paper feed table 5 is lowered inside the paper feed cassette 4, and the printing paper 3 can be easily replenished on the paper feed table 5 of the paper feed cassette 4 pulled out from the apparatus main body 2.

After this replenishment, the paper feed cassette 4 is attached to the main body 2 of the apparatus.
When pushed in, the left end of the turning lever 56 slides leftward on the inclined surface 60 and the horizontal surface 61 of the guide plate 59 and sequentially descends, so that the right end of the turning lever 56 sequentially rises. Therefore, the paper feed table 5 rises inside the paper feed cassette 4, and when the paper feed cassette 4 is arranged inside the apparatus main body 2, the paper feed table 5 moves upward due to the elastic force of the coil spring 55. The printing paper 3 is urged to be separated and fed.

In the sheet feeding device 51 of this embodiment, the sheet feeding table 5 is urged upward by the coil spring 55 inside the apparatus main body 2 in order to favorably feed the printing sheet 3 as described above. However, this urging force is automatically released when the paper feed cassette 4 is pulled out of the apparatus main body 2, and is automatically generated when the paper feed cassette 4 is pushed into the apparatus main body 2. For this reason, since it is not necessary to hold the paper feed tray 5 by the lock mechanism when moving the paper feed cassette 4, the structure is simple and the productivity is good, and noise and vibration when the lock mechanism is released do not occur. Therefore, the work can be performed quietly.

Further, the damage is not caused by moving the paper feed cassette 4 without holding the paper feed tray 5 by the lock mechanism, and the paper feed operation is started while the paper feed tray 5 is held by the lock mechanism. No jam occurs.

Moreover, in the sheet feeding device 51 of this embodiment, since the roller 58 is attached to the right end of the rotating lever 56 that slides on the inclined surface 60 and the horizontal plane 61, the sliding is performed well. The resistance of movement of the paper cassette 4 is small.

[0075]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the half-moon roller is rotated by providing a roller support mechanism for elastically holding the half-moon roller in a vertically displaceable manner and forming a protrusion on the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller. When feeding the printing paper with a cylindrical surface, the uppermost surface of the printing paper can be pressed downward by the protruding portion, so that the size of the printing paper is small or the number of sheets is small, so Even if the pressure contact force with the separation claw is excessive, this pressure contact force can be sufficiently reduced, and the printing papers of various sizes can always be favorably separated and fed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the upper displacement of the roller support mechanism is restricted to a position where the uppermost surface of the printing paper is displaced downward when the protrusion of the half-moon roller abuts, so that the separation is separated from the printing paper. When pressing the printing paper with the protrusion of the half-moon roller to reduce the pressure contact force with the nail, this pressing can be performed reliably, so that it is possible to always separate and feed the printing paper of various sizes in good condition. it can.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the paper feed cassette is provided with the roller support mechanism and the half-moon roller, when the paper feed cassette is pulled out from the apparatus main body, the paper feed roller is also arranged outside the apparatus main body. Therefore, the maintenance work of the paper feed roller can be easily performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a unit supporting mechanism for supporting the roller supporting mechanism so as to be movable in the vertical direction is provided, and a positioning mechanism for positioning the unit supporting mechanism on the sheet feeding cassette is provided. When setting the paper cassette in the main body of the device, the paper feed roller can be placed at a position where the print paper can be fed freely, so the print paper can be separated and fed well, and the paper feed cassette was pulled out from the main body of the device. In this case, since the paper feed roller can be arranged at a position where it does not interfere with the supply of the print paper, the print paper can be satisfactorily supplied to the paper feed cassette.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the pair of separating claws is movably supported in the left-right direction, and at least one of the pair of half-moon rollers is movably supported in the left-right direction. By connecting the half-moon roller and the half-moon roller, the separation claw will follow when the paper feed roller is moved in the left-right direction corresponding to the width of the printing paper, so there is no need to operate both of these and the work is simple, Since the positional relationship between the paper feed roller and the separation claw is always kept constant, the performance of the separation and feeding of the printing paper can be always ensured to be good.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the first rotation lever and the second rotation lever are rotatably supported by one support shaft provided in the paper feeding cassette, and the first rotation lever and the second rotation lever are supported. The two rotating levers are linearly connected by an elastic member, the front end of the first rotating lever is connected to the front edge of the paper feed tray, and the inclined surface descends in the direction of inserting the paper feed cassette into the main body of the apparatus. Is formed on the main body of the device at a position where it comes into contact with the tip of the second turning lever from above, the paper feed tray moves down when the paper feed cassette is pulled out from the main body of the device. The paper feed tray can be replenished, and when the paper feed cassette is set in the main body of the device, the paper feed tray rises, so that the printing paper can be separated and fed well, and when moving the paper feed cassette, the paper feed tray is locked by the lock mechanism. Since it does not need to be held, the structure is simple and productivity is good. , And the noise and vibration of the cancellation of the lock mechanism is not generated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a sheet feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention,
(A) And (b) is a vertical cross-sectional side view from which a cross-sectional position differs.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a sheet feeding device.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a sheet feeding device of a modified example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a paper feeding device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional side view showing a paper feeding device.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional side view with different sectional positions.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view showing a paper feeding device of a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional front view of the sheet feeding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,30,31,51 Paper feeding device 2 Main body 3 Printing paper 4 Paper feeding cassette 5 Paper feeding table 9,10 Separation claws 12,29,34 Roller support mechanism 13 Half moon roller 14 Cylindrical surface 15 Flat surface 16 Protruding portion 32 Unit support mechanism 38a Positioning mechanism 52 Support shaft 53 First rotation lever 54 Second rotation lever 55 Elastic member 60 Slope

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A front edge portion of a paper feed table on which a large number of printing sheets are stacked is movably supported in an up-down direction and is biased upward, and is placed on the paper feed tray and biased upward. The front edges of the printing paper are pressed against the pair of separation claws from below, and the half-moon roller having a flat cylindrical surface is arranged at a position where the printing paper is abutted on the printing surface by the flat surface. In a paper feeding device for separating printing paper fed by a half-moon roller by the separating claw, a roller support mechanism for elastically holding the half-moon roller in a vertically displaceable manner is provided, and a projecting portion is provided on a cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller. A sheet feeding device characterized by being formed. 2. The roller support mechanism is displaced upward without the uppermost surface of the printing paper being displaced downward when the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller is in contact with the cylindrical surface of the half-moon roller. 2. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the upward displacement of the roller support mechanism is restricted to a position where the displacement of the mechanism is stopped and the uppermost surface of the printing paper is displaced downward. 3. A paper feed cassette having a paper feed table for storing a large number of printing papers, and a roller support mechanism and a half-moon roller are provided in the paper feed cassette.
The paper feeder described. 4. The unit supporting mechanism for supporting the roller supporting mechanism so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and the positioning mechanism for positioning the unit supporting mechanism on the sheet feeding cassette. Paper feeder. 5. A pair of separating claws is movably supported in the left-right direction, and at least one pair of half-moon rollers is movably supported in the left-right direction. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, wherein the sheet feeding device is connected to the sheet feeding device. 6. A paper feed cassette having a paper feed base for storing a large number of printing papers is provided, and a first rotation lever and a second rotation lever are provided by a single support shaft provided in the paper feed cassette. The first rotary lever and the second rotary lever are linearly connected by an elastic member, and the tip end of the first rotary lever is connected to the front edge of the paper feed table. 2. The apparatus main body is formed with an inclined surface that descends in the direction in which the paper feed cassette is inserted into the apparatus main body at a position where the inclined surface abuts against the tip end portion of the second rotation lever from above. Paper feeder.