JPH08188266A - Tray device for automatic document feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simplify return operation of a main tray to the containing position of an auxiliary tray by providing an energizing means to energize the auxiliary tray from an extension position toward a containing position and a lock means to lock the auxiliary tray, extended against the energizing force, in an extension position. CONSTITUTION: When an auxiliary tray 9 is situated in an ordinary containing position, the tip claw 19a of a lock lever 19 is positioned on a guide protrusion 11. When the auxiliary tray 9 is pulled out in the direction of an arrow mark against the force of a spring 16, the tip claw 19a of the lock lever 19 is slid over the guide protrusion 11 and dropped in a lock hole 18 and held in the extension position. In containing, when a containing operation button 21 is pressed, the lock lever 19 is rotated counterclockwise, the tip 19a is slipped out from the lock hole 18, and the auxiliary tray 9 is pulled through the force of the spring 16 and pulled back to a containing position. Thus, the auxiliary tray is automatically returned to a containing position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tray device of an automatic document feeder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an automatic document feeder (ADF)
Includes at least one of a paper feed tray on which a document to be fed is placed and a paper discharge tray on which a processed document is placed.

For example, the automatic document feeder 1 shown in FIG.
Then, the paper feed tray 2 is attached to the paper feed unit 3 on the upper surface of the apparatus cover.
The tray device is formed by a concave portion between the sheet discharging portion 5 and the other sheet discharging tray 41 and extends obliquely upward from the sheet discharging portion 5 at an inclination angle of about 40 °. And
The originals on the paper feed tray 2 are fed one by one to the entrance of the platen glass by the paper feed section 3, and are conveyed and localized to a predetermined position on the platen glass by the conveyance section 4 to copy the originals. Is discharged to the discharge tray 41 by the discharge unit 5. As described above, arranging the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray so as to overlap with each other in the upper and lower positions has an advantage that the device space becomes smaller than the configuration in which both trays are arranged side by side. The longer the tray constructed by the apparatus, the more difficult it is to set or remove the original document on the lower tray. That is, when the tray device is used as a paper feed tray, it is difficult to collect the discharged document, and when the tray device is used as the paper discharge tray, it is difficult to set the document at the time of feeding. Therefore, it is desired that the tray device on the upper side be constructed as small as possible to reduce the overlap.

Conventionally, as a tray device which meets this demand, a sub-tray for assisting a document of A4 length or B4 or more is attached to the main tray so that it can be pulled out, and this sub-tray is usually placed at a storage position and required. There is a configuration in which it is pulled out only at the time to be in the extended position.

However, an operator manually returns the sub tray from the extended position to the storage position with respect to the main tray. As shown in FIG. 11, the main tray 8 constituting the tray device of the paper discharge tray 41 of FIG. 10 has an L-shaped region on the side where the operator-side side edge 8a exists from the tip edge 8b side. It has a notch 10 for inserting a hand formed by partially notching it. This prioritizes the advantage that the original can be handled while being held by hand when the original is set even if the tray function is slightly deteriorated.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, in the automatic document feeder of the type that discharges the document G to the discharge tray 6 on the upper surface of the cover, it is composed of wire or the like in order to align the discharged document G. There is a method in which an aligning stopper 7 is provided and the leading end of the discharged document is brought into contact with the stopper to stop it. As a method of providing the alignment stopper 7, there is a method of fixing the position of a small-sized document so as to hold the leading end of the document, or a method of manually moving it to the left and right.

[0007]

However, as described above, in the structure in which the sub-tray is attached to the main tray in order to assist the document of A4 length or B4 or more, the sub-tray is returned from the extended position to the storage position. It is troublesome for the operator to manually perform the operation, and if the operator forgets to perform this returning operation, defective ejection occurs. Therefore, it is desired to provide a tray device that can be easily returned to the storage position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, when the main tray 8 is provided with a notch 10 for putting a hand, the main tray 8 is correspondingly cut.
The effective area of the tray decreases, and the original function of the tray is likely to be impaired. For example, if the sub tray is configured to be drawn out in parallel along the center line CL from the main tray 8 within the short width L1 of the main tray 8 (that is, the length of the leading edge 8b where the notch 10 does not exist) L1, Even if the sub-tray is pulled out to the extended position, the above lack of area cannot be compensated. Therefore, as suggested in FIG. 11, when a document of a long size such as A4R is placed on the document, the document is entirely dropped by the width of the missing portion, and stable discharging and feeding cannot be performed. There was a problem. Therefore, even when a document of a longitudinal size such as A4R is placed, it is desired that the document does not drop and the sheet can be stably discharged and fed.

On the other hand, as in the automatic document feeder of FIG.
In the configuration in which the document G discharged onto the paper discharge tray 6 on the upper surface of the cover is brought into contact with the aligning stopper 7 and aligned, in the form in which the aligning stopper 7 is fixed, the aligning stopper is suitable for a small-sized document. When the position 7 is set, the alignment stopper 7 becomes a resistance in a large-sized document, and problems such as the trailing edge remaining phenomenon of the document and the curling of the document occur.
That is, in the form of fixing the alignment stopper 7, for example, A
It is difficult to make the discharge alignment of both the first-size original up to 4 horizontal and the second-size original larger than that, such as A4 vertical, compatible with each other. For the first size original, there is a problem that the original order is changed due to the variation in ejection. Further, in the conventional type in which the position of the alignment stopper 7 is variable, the alignment stopper 7 must be manually moved to the left and right, the operation is troublesome, and if the operator forgets to move the alignment stopper 7. However, there are problems such as a document jam, a trailing edge remaining, and a change in the discharge order.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a tray device in which the operation of returning the sub tray to the storage position of the main tray is easy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tray device capable of stably discharging and feeding a document without causing the document to drop even when a document of a longitudinal size such as A4R is placed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tray device capable of ensuring good discharge alignment both for small-sized originals and large-sized originals.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a tray device of an automatic document feeder according to the present invention is constructed as follows.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic document feeder including at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray;
A main tray on which documents up to the first size can be placed; a storage position substantially stored in the main tray; and a second size document extending from the main tray and larger than the first size. A sub-tray movably provided between the extension position for loading and a urging means for urging the sub-tray from the extension position toward the storage position; and a urging force of the urging means. Locking means for locking the extended secondary tray in the extended position;
And a releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means.

In the tray device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the main tray has a notch sized so that a hand can be put in an edge region on the operator side, and the sub-tray has a notch in the extended position. The notch side corner of the tray tip is inclined at a predetermined acute angle in the direction toward the notch side (claim 2).

In the above-mentioned claim 1 or 2, the sub-tray may be linearly drawn out from the main tray (claim 3), or rotated about an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray. It may be free (Claim 4) or rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of the document on the main tray (Claim 5).

In the third aspect, the biasing means may be a tension spring (claim 6), and in the fourth or fifth aspect, the biasing means may be a torsion spring (claim). 7).

The tray device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 may be configured such that one tray utilizing the upper surface of the device cover is a paper feed tray and the other tray is a paper discharge tray. Item 9), one of the trays utilizing the upper surface of the device cover may be a paper discharge tray, and the other tray may be a paper feed tray (claim 10).

In the tray device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, the releasing means comprises an actuator which is activated when the empty sensor detects that there is no document (claim 8).

The invention of the tray device according to claim 12 is
An automatic document feeder in which a sheet discharge tray is formed by utilizing the upper surface of a device cover, and a paper feed tray is formed above the device cover by a tray device; a main tray on which documents up to a first size can be placed A sub-tray that is accommodated in the main tray so as to extend, and a storage position that is substantially accommodated in the main tray, and a second size that extends from the main tray and is larger than the first size. A sub-tray movably provided between an extension position where an auxiliary surface for the document is formed together with the main tray; a biasing means for biasing the sub-tray from the extension position toward the storage position; a biasing means Locking means for locking the sub-tray pulled out against the urging force of the locking means at the extended position; releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means; Alignment stopper to stop alignment; An interlocking mechanism that moves the paper tray to a working position that stops the alignment of the documents discharged onto the paper discharge tray when the sub tray is in the storage position, and moves the paper tray to the retracted position when the sub tray is in the extended position. And is provided.

In the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the sub-tray may be linearly drawn out from the main tray (the twelfth aspect), and the sub-tray may rotate around an axis line parallel to the width direction of the document on the main tray. The structure may be freely rotatable (claim 14). Further, the interlocking mechanism may be composed of a pinion provided on one of the sub tray and the main tray and a gear provided on the other (claim 13).

The invention of the tray device according to claim 15 is
An automatic document feeder including at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray; a main tray on which a first size original can be placed; a storage position substantially stored in the main tray; A sub-tray that extends from the main tray and is movable between an extension position for placing a second-size document larger than the first size, and the sub-tray in the extension position. Locking means for locking; releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means; moving the sub tray from the extended position to the storage position when the locking of the locking means is released by the releasing means And a moving means for urging.

[0023]

In the first aspect of the invention, the tray device constructs at least one of the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray. The main tray that constitutes this tray device has a size that allows up to a first size document (for example, up to A4 size) to be placed.
The sub-tray that can be pulled out from this main tray is
At the extended position, an auxiliary surface for a second size document larger than the first size is formed together with the main tray. The sub-tray receives a force to return to the storage position by a biasing means (for example, a spring). The sub-tray that has been extended against this return force is automatically returned to the storage position by the force of the biasing means by releasing the locking means by the releasing means.

For documents up to the first size, such as A4 horizontal sheets, which are frequently used, the tray device is in a state in which the sub tray is in the storage position, that is, in a relatively small area state in which only the main tray exists. Therefore, it is easy to set the fed document or take out the ejected document. Further, since the sub-tray is returned to the storage position by a simple operation, operability is improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the effect is that the sub-tray is drawn out linearly, and the fourth aspect is that the sub-tray is rotated around an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray. Then, a structure in which the main tray is rotated around an axis parallel to the width direction of the original is obtained.

In the tray device according to the second aspect, since the main tray has a notch having a size into which the operator's hand can be put,
The ease of work for setting the originals and removing the discharged originals is ensured. Moreover, in the extended position, the cutout side corner of the tip of the subtray enters the extension area of the cutout in the extended position (A is below B in FIGS. 2 and 6). Therefore, a supporting surface is formed in the extending region of the notch, so that the longitudinal size original can be prevented from hanging down, and by tilting it with respect to the main tray, the sub tray can be completely stored.

In claims 6 to 7, suitable biasing means configurations are obtained.

According to the present invention, when the empty sensor of the paper feeding section or the paper ejecting section detects the absence of the original, the actuator of the releasing means is activated, so that the paper feeding tray or the paper ejecting tray is automatically set. Can be returned to the storage position.

In the ninth aspect, the above effect is obtained for the paper discharge tray, and in the tenth aspect, it is obtained for the paper feed tray.

In the eleventh aspect of the invention, in the structure in which the upper surface of the apparatus cover is the discharge tray and the upper side thereof is the paper feed tray including the tray device, the stopper for aligning the documents discharged onto the discharge tray is provided. It is provided. This aligning stopper is positioned by the interlocking mechanism at a position where the originals discharged onto the discharge tray are stopped by the interlocking mechanism when the secondary tray is at the storage position, and is retracted when the secondary tray is at the extended position. Be moved to a position. That is, the alignment stopper 7 is automatically switched from the retracted position to the working position or vice versa in conjunction with the switching between the storage position and the extended position of the sub tray. For this reason, the movement of the alignment stopper is always linked to the operation of moving the sub-tray in and out, and even if the operator forgets to return it to the storage position, the phenomenon that the trailing edge of the document remains and the ejection failure such as curling of the document occurs. Does not occur. Further, as a result, the problem of the large-sized document is eliminated, and the pressing force can be set only for the small size, so that the alignment of the small size is improved.

In the twelfth aspect, these effects are
The sub-tray can be linearly pulled out from the main tray, and the sub-tray can be rotated about an axis parallel to the width direction of the document on the main tray.

According to the thirteenth aspect, a specific interlocking mechanism including a pinion and a gear can be obtained.

In the fifteenth aspect of the invention, when the releasing means releases the locking means, the moving means automatically operates to move the sub tray from the extended position to the storage position. Therefore, the sub-tray returns to the storage position by a simple operation, and the operability is improved.

[0034]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example in which this tray device is applied to the paper feed section of the automatic document feeder 1 of the electronic copying apparatus C. The automatic document feeder 1 is placed on a platen glass P of an electronic copying machine C as an image forming apparatus, and is openably and closably attached by a hinge mechanism (not shown).

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic document feeder 1 includes a paper feed unit 3 for feeding documents to a platen glass entrance while separating the originals on an obliquely arranged paper feed tray 2 one by one. , Receives a document from the paper feed unit 3, and sandwiches the document between the platen glass and sends it, and a predetermined stop reference position P1
A transport unit 4 that transports and orients to and from which the exposure process is performed.
A discharge section 5 for discharging the exposed document, a discharge tray 6 formed on the upper surface of the apparatus cover as a recess between the sheet supply section 3 and the discharge section 5, and receiving a document discharged from the discharge section 5, An aligning stopper 7 is provided for stopping the discharged document at a predetermined position and aligning the document edges.

The paper feed tray 2 is a main tray 8 on which a first-size original document, in this case, an A4 horizontal document, which is frequently used, can be placed, and a main tray 8 which can be pulled out. It is configured to have a sub tray 9. The sub-tray 9 is accommodated in the main tray 8 and the storage position where the sub-tray 9 is substantially stored, and the sub-tray 9 is pulled out from the main tray together with the first tray.
Is provided so as to be movable between an extension position and an extension position that forms an auxiliary surface for a document of a second size larger than the size of. In the case of this embodiment, the main tray 8 can be placed only on the above-mentioned first size original document, that is, up to the A4 horizontal size, and on the second size larger document, for example, vertically placed A4R, B4R. , A3R, letter size (vertical), etc., have a relationship of enlarging the paper feed tray area with the assistance of the sub-tray 9. For this reason, the paper feed tray 2 is very compact while handling a document of up to A4 size, which is normally used frequently, and can occupy a small space in the automatic document feeder and eject it. It has an advantage that it is easy to take out the discharged document from the paper tray 6.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the main tray 8 has a hand formed by partially cutting out the region on the side where the operator-side side edge 8a exists from the tip edge 8b side in an L shape. A notch 10 is provided so that the manuscript can be handled while being held by hand when the manuscript is set or the like. However, since the area of the main tray 8 is cut off by the amount corresponding to the notch 10, only the short width of the main tray 8 (that is, the notch 10
(The length of the leading edge 8b where there is no edge) L1 is configured to be pulled out in parallel from the main tray 8 within L1. Therefore, the sub-tray 9 is pulled out to the extended position and the paper feed tray 2 is extended. Even in the case of the above, when a document of a longitudinal size such as A4R is placed on the document, the document is partially dropped by the width of the missing portion and cannot be stably fed to the sheet feeding unit 3.

Therefore, the sub-tray 9 is inclined so that the pull-out center line CL2 thereof is closer to the notch 10 side with respect to the center line CL1 of the main tray 8 by a predetermined acute angle α. That is, the width L2 of the sub-tray 9 is set within the short width L1 of the main tray 8, and the operator-side side edge 9a of the sub-tray 9 is moved close to the side edge 8c of the short width L1 of the main tray 8. When the sub tray 9 is pulled out as shown in 2, the tip corner portion A of the operator side edge 9a is located inside the base portion B, that is, the main tray 8
Is located within the extension region of the notch 10 on the operator side from the extension line K of the side edge 8c having the short width L1.
Therefore, a new document supporting surface is created in the space on the operator side from the extension line K, and the sagging of the document is prevented. Therefore, the deviation angle α can be set to an arbitrary inclination angle within a range in which the document hanging prevention function and the storage of the sub tray 9 can be achieved.

3 to 5, both side surfaces 9b of the sub-tray 9 are arranged so that the sub-tray 9 can be extended in a pull-out form.
On the other hand, guide ridges 11 are formed along the side surface of the main tray 8. On the other hand, guide members 12 for guiding and supporting the sub-tray 9 are provided on both sides of the main tray 8, and inner side surfaces of the guide member 12 are provided. A guide ridge 13 is provided as a shoulder portion on which the guide ridge 11 rides.
A support frame 14 is provided between the two, and the guide ridges 11 are mounted on and slid on the support frame 14.

Further, in order to enable the automatic storage of the sub-tray 9, the sub-tray 9 is wound around a shaft 15 provided in the paper feeding section 3 as a biasing means for biasing the sub-tray 9 toward the storage position. A spring 16 and a wire 17 that connects the rear end of the sub tray 9 to one end of the spring 16 are provided, and the urging means keeps the sub tray 9 always returning to the storage position. Further, as a locking means for locking the sub-tray 9 pulled out against the biasing force of the spring 16 at the extended position, the guide ridge 11 of the sub-tray 9 is provided near the rear end of the sub-tray 9. A locking hole 18 formed of a blind hole is formed from above, and a tip claw 19a is slidable near the tip of the main tray 8 about a shaft 20 provided in the main tray 8 so that the tip claw 19a falls into the locking hole 18. A lock lever 19 capable of being operated is provided, and a rear end portion 19b of the lock lever 19 is exposed as a storage operation button 21 in an opening 22 opened on the surface of the main tray 8 so as to be pressed by a fingertip. ing.

When the sub tray 9 is in the normal storage position,
The tip claw 19 a of the locking lever 19 is located on the guide ridge 11. This sub-tray 9 is resisted against the spring 16 and shown in FIG.
When pulled out in the direction of the arrow, the tip claw 19 of the locking lever 19
a slides on the guide ridge 11 and falls into the locking hole 18. Therefore, thereafter, even if the hand is released, the sub tray 9 is held at the extended position.

When storing, the storage operation button 21 is pushed. As a result, the locking lever 19 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, and the tip claw 19a comes out of the locking hole 18. The sub tray 9 is pulled by the spring 16 and pulled back to the storage position. Thus automatic storage is possible.

As the releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means, in addition to the manual operation as described above,
For example, an electromagnetic solenoid or the like may be used to unlock the locking means. As for the control timing at that time, it is preferable to drive the electromagnetic solenoid when the detection by the empty sensor S1 described later changes from the presence of the document to the absence of the document. With this configuration, the sub-tray can be automatically returned to the storage position without the operator's operation. In this case, the release button on the paper feed tray 2 is unnecessary.

Here, the paper feed unit 3, the transport unit 4, the discharge unit 5
The configuration will be briefly described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed section 3 is provided with a paper feed path from the original placement surface of the paper feed tray 2 to the conveyance section 4 by curving and reversing, and along the paper feed path. A pickup roller 23 for feeding the lowermost original stacked on the paper feed tray 2 and feeding it, a separation roller 24 for further feeding the original fed out, and a lowermost paper which is in contact with the lowermost paper and fed out. Separation pad 25 that prevents the following document from advancing
And a registration roller 26 that feeds the sheet along the reversing portion of the sheet feeding path and stops and starts the sheet feeding timing at an appropriate time, a pinch roller 27 that rolls into contact therewith, and the like.

The paper feed unit 3 has an empty sensor S1.
Is provided, and a registration sensor for detecting a document is provided immediately before the registration roller 26.
After detecting the leading edge of the document, the registration sensor continuously rotates the separation roller 24 for a predetermined time to form a registration loop on the document. Also, the size of the document is detected by detecting from the start to the passage of the trailing edge of the document.

The original sent by the registration roller 26 is fed to the conveying section 4 along the sheet guide 28, and the sheet is delivered to the conveying section 4 side.

In the conveying section 4, a conveying belt 31 is stretched between the driving roller 29 and the driven roller 30, and the conveying belt 3 is stretched.
1. A large number of pinch rollers 32 are arranged inside 1, and a manuscript from the paper feeding unit 3 is received, and the manuscript is sandwiched between the platen glass and fed to the predetermined stop reference position P1.
Then, it is conveyed and orientated to and exposed to light.

The exposed original document is sent from the transport unit 4 to the discharge unit 5. The discharge unit 5 includes a discharge roller 34 that feeds a document along the discharge guide 33, a switching claw 35 that reversely feeds a document for copying a back side document, a reverse feed guide 36 that guides a reverse sheet, and the like. Made of Normally, the exposed document is discharged from the discharge section 5 onto the discharge tray 6.

As described above, the paper discharge tray 6 is formed as a concave portion between the paper feed section 3 and the discharge section 5.
When the original discharged from the discharge section 5 has a size up to the A4 horizontal original, which is the first size, the alignment stopper 7 is in the operating position shown by the chain line in FIGS. 1 and 3. If the document is an A4 length original or the like having a second size larger than that, it is flipped up to the retracted position shown by the solid line. This operating position is set such that when the first size originals up to the A4 horizontal original are handled, the aligning stopper 7 at the operating position is present even when the paper is ejected from the ejecting section 5 vigorously.
It is set so that the paper edges can be aligned with each other by abutting against.

However, if the aligning stopper 7 is always set at the position indicated by the chain line, it is good up to the A4 horizontal original, but when handling a larger A4 vertical original, etc. Since the position of the stopper 7 is too close, the ejected document is prevented from advancing by the aligning stopper 7, so that the trailing edge of the document remains and is curled or damaged. Therefore, in the case of a document of the second size such as A4 length, the control for flipping up the alignment stopper 7 to the retracted position shown by the solid line is performed. This alignment stopper 7
The position switching control may be performed manually by the operator, but in the present embodiment, the interlocking mechanism (38, 39,
40), the operation is automatically performed in conjunction with the operation of pulling out the sub tray 9.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the alignment stopper 7 is provided.
May be a rod member such as wire, but here, it is made of a plate member made of metal or resin. A support frame 14 is provided between the guide members 12, 12 of the main tray 8,
The standing wall 14a around it is formed in an L shape so as to surround the matching stopper 7 in the flipped-up state, and an ear portion 14b is provided at the tip. Notches 37 are formed on the front surface 9c of the sub-tray 9 so as to avoid vertical contact with the ears 14b. A shaft 38 is provided between the side wall of the guide ridge 13 of the guide member 12 and the ear 14b of the support frame 14, and the base of the alignment stopper 7 is rotatably supported by the shaft 38. Also, the guide ridge 1
On the side wall 3 side, a gear (pinion) 39 having teeth 39a only on a part of the peripheral surface is fixed to the shaft 38 so as to be located on the back surface side of the guide ridge 11, and
A rack 40 that engages with the gear 39 is provided only on the rear end region of the back surface of the guide ridge 11.

The engagement between the gear 39 and the rack 40 is set so that when the sub-tray 9 is pulled out, the tip claw 19a of the locking lever 19 starts to mesh immediately before it falls into the locking hole 18, and the sub-tray 9 is pulled out. Lock lever 19
When the tip claw 19a of the is dropped into the locking hole 18,
It is set so that the alignment stopper 7 is swung to a position (see FIG. 3) where the lower end contact portion 7a of the alignment stopper 7 is elastically in contact with the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 6 (see FIG. 3). .

Therefore, when the sub-tray 9 is pulled out to the extended position, it is judged from this that it is a case of handling a document of the second size of A4 or more in length, and the gear 39 and the rack 40 mesh with each other, and the gear 39 By the rotation of 39, the alignment stopper 7 is flipped up from the operating position to the retracted position.
For this reason, even a document of the second size of A4 length or more is smoothly advanced without being obstructed by the alignment stopper 7 and is discharged into the paper discharge tray 6. Further, when the sub-tray 9 is returned to the storage position, it is judged that it is the case of handling the first size originals up to the A4 horizontal original, the rotation of the gear 39 is returned, and the alignment stopper 7 is released. Brought to work position. Therefore, A4
When the first size originals up to the horizontal original are handled, the stopper 7 is contacted and the edges of the papers are almost aligned, so that the inconvenience that the front side in the paper discharge direction and the originals conveyed to the end are mixed is avoided. It It is preferable that the shaft 38 is provided with a spring as a biasing means for imparting a turning tendency in the direction of moving the alignment stopper 7 from the retracted position to the working position or vice versa.

To explain the operation, when the second size original is used, the sub tray 9 is extended and placed. At this time, the sub-tray 9 slides and is held at the extended position by the locking lever 19 serving as locking means. At the same time
The stopper 7 moves the rack 40 to move the pinion 39.
Rotates and is lifted upward from the biased position. Second
Documents of the same size are fed and after copying is completed, the main tray 8
The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 6 below. When all the documents are discharged and the storage operation button (release button) 21 is pressed, the tip claw 19a of the locking lever 19 serving as the locking means is released, and the sub-tray 9 is moved to the main tray 8 and the spring serving as the urging means. It is stored in the storage position by the winding torque of the (coil spring) 16.

In the above-described embodiment, the tray device is constructed such that the sub tray 9 is pulled out obliquely from the main tray 8.
However, the present invention can also be applied to a paper discharge tray as shown in FIG. The same components as those of the paper feed tray 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 41 denotes a paper discharge tray in the automatic document feeder of the form shown in FIG.
It extends diagonally upward at an inclination angle of about 40 °. Like the paper feed tray 2, the paper discharge tray 41 is pulled out in the case of the main tray 8 on which the first size originals up to A4 size can be placed and the second and larger size originals. It is composed of a sub tray 9 to be used.
The main tray 8 has a notch 10 for inserting a hand, which is formed by partially notching the region on the side where the operator-side side edge 8a exists from the tip edge 8b side. Therefore, if the sub-tray 9 is not taken into consideration, as implied in the case of A4 length in FIG. 11, in the case of a long size document such as A4 length and A3, the inclination angle of the discharge tray 41 in FIG. Even in this case, a paper discharge defect may occur.

Therefore, in the sub-tray 9, the pull-out center line CL2 is deviated from the center line CL1 of the main tray 8 by an offset angle α.
It is inclined so that it only approaches the notch 10 side. That is,
The width L2 of the sub-tray 9 is set to be within the short width L1 of the main tray 8, and the side edge 9a of the sub-tray 9 on the operator side is brought close to the side edge 8c of the short width L1 of the main tray 8. When the sub-tray 9 is pulled out as described above, the tip end portion A of the side edge 9a on the operator side is extended to the operator side from the extension line K of the short side edge 8c of the main tray 8 which is the base thereof, that is, the notch 10 is extended. It is located in the area. Therefore, a new document supporting surface is created in the space on the operator side from the extension line K, and the sagging of the document is prevented. The deviation angle α can be set to an arbitrary inclination angle within a range in which the document hanging prevention function and the storage of the sub tray 9 can be achieved.

In the above embodiment, the sub-tray 9 is extended linearly with respect to the main tray 8. However, the sub-tray 9 can be extended from the main tray 8 by any other type. .

In FIG. 7, a shaft 42 is provided in a direction intersecting with the surface of the main tray 8, and the sub-tray 9 is rotated about the shaft 42 in a plane parallel to the main tray 8 or in a plane slightly inclined therefrom. In this embodiment, the sub tray is pulled out from the main tray. The locking means for locking the extended sub-tray in the extended position is provided with a hemispherical concave portion on the back surface of the main tray 8, while elastically projecting and retracting on the base surface of the sub-tray in a direction perpendicular to the surface. Protrusions are provided as much as possible, and when the sub-tray 9 is swung and slid on the protrusions, the protrusions are fitted and locked in the recesses at the turning angle position of FIG.
The unlocking means for unlocking the locking means is a manual operation force for forcibly rotating the sub-tray 9 in the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. Will be forgiven. However, it is also possible to operate the projection by an electromagnetic solenoid by returning the sub-tray 9 with a turning force by the biasing means composed of the spring 16 and the wire 17 in the case of FIG. The swivel type configuration of FIG. 7 can be applied to both the paper feed tray 2 and the paper discharge tray 41.

In FIG. 8, a rotary shaft 43 is provided in the plane of the main tray 8, one side of the sub tray 9 is pivotally attached to the rotary shaft 43, and the sub tray 9 is rotated about the rotary shaft 43 to rotate the main tray 8. In this embodiment, the sub-tray 9 folded in the recess 44 on the surface of the tray 8 is raised and extended. The locking means for locking the extended sub-tray 9 in the extended position is configured such that the lower jaw portion of the main tray 8 beyond the rotation shaft 43 supports the base of the sub-tray 9. The unlocking means for unlocking the locking means is a manual operation force for forcibly rotating the sub tray 9 in the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. This Figure 8
The folded-back configuration can be applied to both the paper feed tray 2 and the paper discharge tray 41.

FIG. 9 shows a paper feed tray configured to extend the sub-tray 9 from the main tray 8 in the folded-back type as described above, in association with the extension operation and the storage operation of the sub-tray 9 and the automatic operation. In this embodiment, the aligning stopper 7 is moved from the operating position to the retracted position or vice versa. That is, the alignment stopper 7 has an arm portion 45 extending from the rotation center shaft 38 to the main tray 8 side, and the sub-tray 9 is pivotally attached to the rotation shaft 43 while being rotatable. A lever portion 46 for operating the arm portion 45 is provided on the opposite side. Then, when the sub tray 9 is raised as shown in FIG. 9A and extended from the main tray 8 as shown in FIG. 9B, the lever portion 46 of the sub tray 9 contacts the arm portion 45, The alignment stopper 7 is pulled up from the working position to the retracted position. Conversely, when the sub tray 9 is folded on the main tray 8, the lever portion 46 separates from the arm portion 45, and the alignment stopper 7 descends from the retracted position to the working position. Also in this embodiment, a spring is wound around the rotation center shaft 38 to give the alignment stopper 7 a slight turning habit toward the surface of the paper discharge tray 6 (or the opposite turning habit). preferable.

In short, (1) the urging means for urging the alignment stopper 7 from the retracted position to the working position is provided, and
The interlocking means may be configured to move the paper discharge stopper from the stop position to the retracted position by the biasing force as the sub tray moves from the storage position to the extended position, or (2) the alignment stopper. The urging means for urging the lock tray from the stop position to the retracted position is provided, and the interlocking means releases the locking of the locking means as the sub tray moves from the storage position to the working position, and then moves from the stop position to the storage position. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the alignment stopper is moved from the retracted position to the working position along with the movement of.

Here, the following structure can be adopted as a mode in which the biasing means is not provided.

(1) In an automatic document feeder including at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray; a main tray on which a document up to a first size can be placed and in an edge region on the operator side A main tray having a notch sized to allow a hand to be inserted; a sub-tray that is extendably accommodated in the main tray and is substantially accommodated in the main tray;
A second larger than the first size extending from the main tray
A sub-tray movably provided between the extended position for placing a document of the same size; and a locking means for locking the extended sub-tray at the extended position; The extension direction of the tray is inclined by a predetermined angle in a direction in which a corner portion on the cutout side of the tip of the sub tray is closer to the side where the cutout exists (that is, positioned in the extension region of the cutout 10). .

According to this structure, since the main tray has a relatively large notch through which the operator's hand can be put, the ease of the work of setting the original and removing the discharged original can be ensured. In other words, it is possible to increase the cutout space of the main tray, so that it becomes easy to take a fed original or a discharged original. Moreover, in the extended position, the cutout side corner of the tip of the subtray enters the extension area of the cutout (in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, A is below B). A supporting surface is formed in the extending region of the notch, so that the longitudinal size original can be prevented from hanging down, and the sub tray can be completely stored by tilting it with respect to the main tray.

(2) In this case, it is preferable that the sub-tray is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the main tray, which enables the formation of the supporting surface at the portion A in FIGS. 2 and 6 and the complete storage of the sub-tray. Become.

(3) In the constructions of (1) and (2) above, the sub-tray can be drawn out linearly from the main tray, or the sub-tray can be rotated around an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray. The sub-tray can be freely rotated, or the sub-tray can be rotated around an axis parallel to the width direction of the original on the main tray. Thus, the above-mentioned effect is obtained by linearly pulling out the sub-tray, by rotating the sub-tray around an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray, or by paralleling the width direction of the document on the main tray. It can be obtained for each of the structures which are rotated about the axis.

(4) In the automatic document feeder in which the paper discharge tray is formed by utilizing the upper surface of the apparatus cover, and the paper feed tray is constructed above the apparatus cover by the tray device;
Main tray on which up to the size of originals can be placed; a sub-tray that is accommodated in the main tray so as to extend, and a storage position that is substantially accommodated in the main tray, and a tray that extends from the main tray. A sub-tray movably provided between an extension position for forming an auxiliary surface for a second-size document larger than the first size together with the main tray; and the extended sub-tray for the extension position. Locking means for stopping; aligning stopper for stopping alignment of documents discharged onto the discharge tray; and this aligning stopper is discharged onto the discharge tray when the sub-tray is in the storage position. The interlocking mechanism is provided for arranging the coming original document at the position where it stops aligning and for moving it to the retracted position when the sub tray is at the extended position.

According to this, the alignment stopper 7 is automatically switched from the retracted position to the working position or vice versa in conjunction with the switching between the storage position and the extended position of the sub tray. For this reason, the movement of the alignment stopper is always linked to the operation of moving the sub tray in and out, and even if the operator forgets to return it to the storage position, the phenomenon that the trailing edge of the second size original remains and the original is curled up. There is no discharge failure. Further, as a result, the problem of the large-sized document is eliminated, and the pressing force can be set only for the small size, so that the alignment of the small size is improved.

(5) Under the configuration of (4), the sub-tray can be drawn out linearly from the main tray, and the sub-tray can be rotated about an axis parallel to the width direction of the original on the main tray. The configuration. The interlocking mechanism is composed of a pinion provided on one of the sub tray and the main tray and a gear provided on the other.

(6) The configurations of the tray devices (1) to (5) described above are applied in a mode in which one tray utilizing the upper surface of the device cover is a paper feed tray and the other tray is a paper discharge tray. Alternatively, one tray utilizing the upper surface of the apparatus cover may be a paper discharge tray and the other tray may be a paper feed tray.

(7) In an automatic document feeder having at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray; a main tray on which documents up to the first size can be placed; A sub-tray movably provided between a storage position and an extension position for extending a document of a second size larger than the first size and extending from the main tray; Locking means for locking in the extended position, releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means; when the locking means releases the locking of the locking means, the sub tray is moved from the extended position to the storage position. The moving means for moving is provided.

For example, the moving means may be a means for winding a wire connected to the rear end of the sub-tray with a winding member driven by a motor provided in the paper feed section, or provided on the bottom surface of the sub-tray. Alternatively, the sub tray may be moved to the storage position by engaging a pinion fixed in the paper feed unit with the rack and rotating the pinion with a motor.

According to this structure, when the locking means is released by the release means, the sub-tray automatically moves from the extended position to the storage position. Therefore, the operator manually returns the extension position to the storage position. The troublesomeness of doing so is eliminated, and the sub-tray can be easily returned to the storage position. Further, in the tray device in which the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray are arranged one above the other, it is easy to set the paper feed original below or take out the paper output original.

[0077]

In summary, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

According to the invention of claim 1, since the urging means and the locking means for accommodating the sub-tray are provided, it is not necessary to store them by hand, and they can be stored automatically. That is, when the locking means is released, the auxiliary tray automatically returns to the storage position by the restoring force of the biasing means. For originals up to the first size such as A4 horizontal that are frequently used, the tray device is in the state of storing the sub-tray, so it is easy to set the fed originals or take out the ejected originals below it. Is.

According to the tray device of the second aspect, since the main tray has the notch of such a size that the operator's hand can be put in, the ease of the work of setting the original and removing the discharged original can be ensured. Moreover, in the extended position, the cutout side corner of the tip of the subtray enters the extension area of the cutout in the extended position (A is below B in FIGS. 2 and 6). Therefore, a supporting surface is formed in the extending region of the notch, so that the longitudinal size original can be prevented from hanging down, and by tilting it with respect to the main tray, the sub tray can be completely stored. In other words, it is possible to increase the cutout space of the main tray, so that it becomes easy to take a fed original or a discharged original.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the above-mentioned effect is obtained when the sub-tray is drawn out linearly, and according to the fourth aspect when the sub-tray is turned around an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray. According to the fifth aspect, it is possible to obtain a structure in which the main tray is rotated around an axis parallel to the width direction of the original.

According to claims 6 to 7, a suitable form of the biasing means can be obtained.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the actuator of the releasing means is activated when the absence of the original is detected by the empty sensor of the sheet feeding section or the sheet discharging section.
The paper feed tray or the paper discharge tray can be automatically returned to the storage position.

According to the ninth aspect, the above effect is obtained for the paper discharge tray, and according to the tenth aspect, it is obtained for the paper feed tray.

According to the eleventh aspect, in the structure in which the upper surface of the apparatus cover is the paper discharge tray and the upper part thereof is the paper feed tray including the tray device, the stopper for aligning the originals discharged onto the paper discharge tray is provided. It is provided. This aligning stopper is positioned by the interlocking mechanism at a position where the originals discharged onto the discharge tray are stopped by the interlocking mechanism when the secondary tray is at the storage position, and is retracted when the secondary tray is at the extended position. Be moved to a position. That is, the alignment stopper 7 is automatically switched from the retracted position to the working position or vice versa in conjunction with the switching between the storage position and the extended position of the sub tray. For this reason, the movement of the alignment stopper is always linked to the operation of moving the sub tray in and out, and even if the operator forgets to return it to the storage position, the phenomenon that the trailing edge of the second size original remains and the original is curled up. There is no discharge failure. Further, as a result, the problem of the large-sized document is eliminated, and the pressing force can be set only for the small size, so that the alignment of the small size is improved.

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, these effects are brought about in the construction in which the sub-tray can be drawn out linearly from the main tray, and according to the fourteenth aspect, the axis line parallel to the width direction of the original on the main tray. It is obtained in a structure that is rotatable around.

According to the thirteenth aspect, a concrete interlocking mechanism including a pinion and a gear can be obtained.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, since the moving means and the locking means for storing the sub-tray are provided, it is not necessary to store them by hand, and they can be stored automatically. That is, when the locking means is released, the sub tray is automatically returned to the storage position by the moving means. For originals up to the first size such as A4 horizontal that are frequently used, the tray device is in the state of storing the sub-tray, so it is easy to set the fed originals or take out the ejected originals below it. Is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an automatic document feeder having a tray device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automatic document feeder of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a part of the automatic document feeder of FIG. 1 in section.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a drawer mechanism of a tray device that constitutes the paper feed tray of FIG. 2;

5 is a front view of the tray device of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a tray device that constitutes a paper discharge tray.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a sub-tray is rotatable about an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a sub tray is rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of a document on the main tray.

9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of synchronizing the retraction of the alignment stopper with the extension of the sub-tray in the configuration of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conventional automatic document feeder.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a relationship between a size of a document and a cutout of a discharge tray of a conventional automatic document feeder.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an alignment stopper of a conventional automatic document feeder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Automatic Document Feeding Device 2 Paper Feed Tray 3 Paper Feed Section 4 Conveying Section 5 Ejection Section 6 Paper Ejection Tray 7 Alignment Stopper 8 Main Tray 8a Operator Side Side 8b Tip Edge 8c Back Side Edge 9 Sub Tray 9a Operator Side edge 9b Side 9c Front 10 Notch 11 Guide ridge 12 Guide member 13 Guide ridge (shoulder) 14 Support frame 14a Standing wall 14b Ear 15 Shaft 16 Spring (biasing means) 17 Wire (biasing means) 18 Locking Hole 19 Locking Lever 19a Tip Claw 19b Rear End 21 Storage Operation Button 22 Opening 23 Pickup Roller 24 Separation Roller 25 Separation Pad 26 Registration Roller 27 Pinch Roller 28 Sheet Guide 29 Drive Roller 30 Driven Roller 31 Conveyor Belt 32 Pinch roller 33 Ejection guide 34 Ejection roller 35 Switching claw 36 Reverse feed guide 37 Notch 38 Axis (interlocking mechanism) 39 Gear (interlocking mechanism) 39a Teeth 40 Rack (interlocking mechanism) 41 Paper ejection tray 42 Axis 43 Rotating shaft 44 Recess 45 Arm part 46 Lever part C Electronic copying device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Iino Maino, 430 Kobayashi, Masuho-machi, Minamikoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. An automatic document feeder including at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray, and a main tray on which even a first size original can be placed, and the main tray is substantially accommodated in the main tray. A sub-tray movably provided between the storage position and an extension position for extending a document of a second size larger than the first size and extending from the main tray; Urging means for urging the extension tray from the extended position toward the storage position; locking means for locking the extended sub tray in the extended position against the urging force of the urging means; A tray device of an automatic document feeder, comprising: a releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means. 2. An automatic document feeder in which one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray is formed by utilizing an upper surface of a device cover, and the other tray is formed above the device cover by a tray device. A main tray capable of loading documents up to the size, a storage position substantially stored in the main tray, and a second size document that extends from the main tray and is larger than the first size. A sub-tray movably provided between the sub-tray and an extension position for biasing the sub-tray, a biasing means for biasing the sub-tray from the extension position toward the storage position, and a biasing force of the biasing means. And a releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means, and the main tray has an edge on the operator side. Has a notch large enough to reach the area (A) In the extended position, a corner portion of the tip end of the auxiliary tray on the cutout side is inclined at a predetermined acute angle in a direction toward the side where the cutout is present. . 3. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the sub-tray can be linearly pulled out from the main tray. 4. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the sub-tray is rotatable about an axis substantially orthogonal to the document surface of the main tray. 5. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the sub-tray is rotatable about an axis parallel to a width direction of a document on the main tray. 6. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 3, wherein the urging means comprises a tension spring. 7. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 4, wherein the biasing means comprises a torsion spring. 8. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein the releasing means includes an actuator which is activated when the empty sensor detects that there is no document. 9. One of the trays utilizing the upper surface of the apparatus cover is the paper feed tray, and the other tray is the paper discharge tray. The tray device of the automatic document feeder described. 10. One of the trays utilizing the upper surface of the apparatus cover is the paper discharge tray, and the other tray is the paper feed tray, according to claim 1. The tray device of the automatic document feeder described. 11. An automatic document feeder in which a paper discharge tray is formed by utilizing the upper surface of a device cover, and the paper feed tray is constructed above the device cover by a tray device to load documents up to a first size document. A main tray that can be placed, a sub-tray that is stored in the main tray so as to extend, and a storage position that is substantially stored in the main tray, and the first size that extends from the main tray. A sub-tray provided so as to be movable between an extension position where an auxiliary surface for a larger second-size document is formed together with the main tray, and the sub-tray is urged from the extension position toward the storage position. Urging means, locking means for locking the sub-tray pulled out against the urging force of the urging means at the extended position, and releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means, Documents to be output on the output tray The aligning stopper for stopping the alignment, and the aligning stopper are located at a working position for stopping the alignment of the documents discharged onto the discharge tray when the sub-tray is in the storage position, and the sub-tray is A tray device of an automatic document feeder, which is provided with an interlocking mechanism for moving to the retracted position when in the extended position. 12. The sub tray can be linearly drawn out from the main tray.
The tray device of the automatic document feeder described. 13. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 12, wherein the interlocking mechanism includes a pinion provided on one of the sub tray and the main tray and a gear provided on the other. 14. The tray device of the automatic document feeder according to claim 11, wherein the sub-tray is rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of the document on the main tray. 15. An automatic document feeder including at least one of a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray, and a main tray on which even a first size original can be placed, and the main tray is substantially accommodated in the main tray. A sub-tray movably provided between the storage position and an extension position for extending a document of a second size larger than the first size and extending from the main tray; Locking means for locking the locking means to the extended position, releasing means for releasing the locking of the locking means, and the locking position of the locking means from the extended position when the locking means is unlocked by the releasing means. A tray device of an automatic document feeder, comprising: a moving means for moving the sub tray.