JPH09150995A - Hand paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the accuracy of positioning so as to improve carrying accuracy by providing a contact part for positioning both of a portion for bearing a hand paper feeding unit and the hand paper feeding unit in a unit supporting member. SOLUTION: A unit supporting member (U) 10 is caused to a pair in form by sandwiching a hand paper feeding unit (T) 3 from both sides of a width direction and fixed to a structure. The fixing of this U 10 to the main body structure is performed by fastening the same with a screw in an upper end hole 11 and fitting a boss part protruded to the main body structure side in the recessed part of the structure. Further, the U 10 is provided with an edge frame 13 for regulating the opening/closing position of the T3 by coming into contact with the tip part 8 of the stopper arm 7 of the T3 and an elastic guiding piece 14 bent toward the unit side so as to guide a unit fulcrum 6 when the T3 is loaded and prevent the pulling out of the unit fulcrum 6 after the loading of the T3. Thus, since the number of part items is reduced, positioning accuracy is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manual paper feed mechanism in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a laser printer, etc., and more particularly to a manual paper feed mechanism having an improved mounting support structure for the manual paper feed unit. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus uses a cassette containing a large number of frequently used paper sheets of a size or paper quality, and the cassette is mounted on the apparatus and a sheet feeding means provided in the apparatus. In addition to the mechanism that automatically feeds paper from the cassette, the paper is inserted one by one from the outside of the image forming apparatus into the main body of the apparatus, and other than the paper stored in the cassette. A so-called manual sheet feeding mechanism is provided which can appropriately feed sheets of different types or sizes.

In this manual feeding mechanism, it is not realistic to prepare a cassette for all sizes or paper quality sheets, and an attempt is made to feed a paper size or paper quality that is not compatible with a limited number of cassettes. Therefore, it is required that it can be easily operated when necessary, and that the paper feeding mechanism is installed so as not to interfere with other device mechanisms of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, since it is installed in the main body of the device, and it also feeds special types and sizes of paper that cannot be fed from the cassette, it has the function of reliably feeding even those papers that are troublesome to feed. What you are doing is required.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-27
In Japanese Patent No. 2053, a manual feed tray pivotally supported is provided at a fulcrum near a paper feed roller, and a plurality of idler rolls provided so as to pivotally support the manual feed tray are pushed by an idler. There is disclosed a sheet feeding device that is configured to be able to pressurize a sheet feeding roller with a spring, and in which a tray tip portion that pushes down a separating member and a cassette base pressing rib that pushes down a cassette base are integrally configured.

In such a conventional manual paper feeding unit, pins are set up on the side plate of the image forming apparatus main body, the unit fulcrum is inserted, and then fixed by an E ring, a snap ring, a screw or the like to prevent the unit from coming off. Is being done. Further, in order to maintain the closed state of the manual feed tray, a magnet catch is provided on the apparatus main body or the unit side, and a sheet metal is provided on the corresponding other side for adsorption and fixation. Further, when the tray is opened, a part of the unit is brought into contact with the exterior cover to stop it, or another pin is erected on the main body side as an abutting member to stop the position.

However, the manual sheet feeding unit having such a structure as described above requires a large number of parts for attaching the manual sheet feeding tray, resulting in a high cost of parts and a troublesome assembling process, and further, the number of parts is large. Since the number of them is large, the positioning accuracy is deteriorated, which causes a problem in the accuracy of sheet conveyance.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of parts for attaching the manual paper feeding unit, to suppress the parts cost and the assembly cost, and to improve the positioning accuracy and the transfer accuracy by reducing the number of parts. An object of the present invention is to provide such a manual paper feeding device.

[0008]

In order to solve the problems, according to the present invention, in a paper feeding apparatus including a manual paper feeding unit that can be in an open position and a closed position with respect to an image forming apparatus main body, The unit support member is configured to include a portion for bearing the unit and an abutting portion for positioning both positions of the unit.

The manual paper feeding unit comprises a paper feeding tray and a stopper arm located on at least one side in the width direction of the tray, and abuts on the stopper arm at both the portion bearing the unit and the position of the unit. If a unit support member having an end face is provided, the above problem is solved.

The unit support member is formed symmetrically around the unit bearing portion on the contact portion side for the unit open position and on the contact portion side for the closed position.
It is suitable.

It is even more effective if the unit support member is provided with a raised portion that presses the unit toward the image writing reference side when the unit is in the open position. It is also convenient that the unit support member is provided with a raised portion whose engagement resistance varies depending on the state immediately before the unit is located at least in the closed position and the open position, and the state where the unit is housed in each predetermined position. is there.

It is preferable that the unit supporting member is provided with an elastic guide portion that guides the rotation fulcrum of the unit when the unit is mounted and prevents the fulcrum from coming off after the unit is mounted.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a manual sheet feeding device of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a paper feed roller for taking in the paper supplied from the outside into the image forming apparatus, and reference numeral 2 is a friction member for separating the overlapping paper into only one and feeding it to a guide unit (not shown). These members are located substantially at the center in the paper transport direction.

The manual paper feed unit 3 has a paper feed tray 5 provided with side guides 4 which are slidable in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and unit fulcrums 6 provided at both widthwise ends of the paper feed tray 5. And a stopper arm 7 attached to the unit fulcrum 6. On the other hand, the unit supporting members 10 are paired so as to sandwich the manual paper feeding unit 3 from both sides in the width direction, and the apparatus main body side plate (not shown), etc.
It is fixed to the structure. The unit support member 10 is fixed to the main body structure by screwing at the upper end hole 11, and as shown in FIG. 2, the boss portion 12 protruding toward the main body structure side is provided with a recess (not shown) in the structure. ) Is done by fitting. When the manual paper feeding unit 3 is attached to the apparatus, the boss portion 12 and the unit fulcrum 6 are arranged coaxially. A line connecting the centers of the upper end hole 11 and the boss portion 12 coincides with a vertical line, and the unit support member 10 is formed line-symmetrically and three-dimensionally mirror-symmetrically as viewed in FIG.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the unit support member 10 further comprises a stopper arm 7 for the unit.
The edge frame 13 that defines the opening / closing position of the unit by abutting the front end 8 of the unit guides the unit fulcrum 6 when the manual paper feeding unit is mounted, and prevents the fulcrum 6 from coming off after mounting. And an elastic guide piece 14 warped toward the unit side. When removing the manual paper feed unit, use a tool such as a screwdriver to remove the elastic guide piece 1.
4 Push the lower end to the right side as seen in FIG. 2, and pull out the unit upward. Since it is necessary to provide such an elastic piece, the unit supporting member 10 is made of an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) resin,
Polystyrene (PS), Polyoxymethylene (PO
M) and polyamide (PA).
Particularly, POM and PA, which have excellent elastic properties, are preferable. It is also possible to use a plurality of these resins in two-color molding or the like.

Within the range of the edge frame 13 of the unit supporting member 10, there is arranged a protruding piece 15 that is raised so as to rub against the tip of the stopper arm 7 of the manual paper feeding unit 3.
Press the unit when it is opened. The projection piece 15 is attached only to the unit supporting member on the front plate side when the image writing reference is on the rear side of the apparatus main body, and is attached only to the unit supporting member on the rear side plate side when the image writing reference is on the front side of the apparatus main body. May be.
With such a projection piece, the mounting play in the thrust direction is eliminated and the writing position is not displaced.

When the manual paper feeding unit 3 is not used, it is shown in FIG.
Is in the A position (closed position), and in use is in the B position (open position). At the position B, although the inclination of the paper feed tray 5 differs depending on the paper feed separation method adopted by the paper feed device, the layout of the inside of the main body, etc., it is set so that the tip of the tray is tilted slightly obliquely upward. When the unit is in the A position, the tip portion 8 of the stopper arm 7 is shown in FIG.
When it is located at the position B by contacting with the left portion, the tip 8 is positioned by contacting with the right portion of the edge frame 13 as shown in FIG. As is clear from FIG. 1, the upper side of the edge frame 13 is open and the tip ends of the edge frame swell inward. As a result, when the unit is moved between the A position and the B position, the operation resistance increases as shown by the curve b in FIG. 3 immediately before the unit is set in the A position and the B position, respectively. By continuously providing the bulge above the edge frame, the unit is moved to the A position, B
It is also possible to keep the operating resistance high except when it is in position. By giving a change to the resistance force at the time of such a position movement, a click feeling can be transmitted to the operator at the time of operation, and a conventional position holding mechanism such as a magnet is unnecessary. Although the arm tip portion 8 is illustrated as a cylindrical shape, it may have another shape such as a flat plate shape or a plurality of cylindrical shapes as long as it can change the resistance at the time of operation.

[0018]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a sheet feeding device including a manual sheet feeding unit that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the unit supporting member is the unit. And a contact portion that positions both positions of the unit, and in the invention according to claim 2, the manual sheet feeding unit unit includes a sheet feeding tray and a width of the tray. A unit supporting member having a stopper arm located on at least one side in the direction and having a portion for bearing the unit and an end surface abutting the stopper arm at both positions of the unit is provided. The number of parts for mounting the unit can be reduced, and the parts and assembling costs can be reduced. Further, since the number of parts is small, the positioning accuracy is improved.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the unit support member is symmetrical about the unit bearing portion on the contact portion side for the unit open position and on the contact portion side for the closed position. Since it is formed, when arranging unit support members on both ends in the width direction of the unit, it is sufficient to place the same member on both ends, and it is possible to reduce the types of parts, reduce assembly mistakes, and improve mass production efficiency. You can

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the unit supporting member is provided with the raised portion that presses the unit toward the image writing reference side when the unit is in the open position, The mounting play in the thrust direction can be suppressed, the deviation of the writing position in the main direction of the paper can be prevented, and once the setting is made, there is no deviation after that, so that adjustment work becomes unnecessary.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the raised portion, the engagement resistance of which changes when the unit is at least in the closed position and the open position, and when the unit is in the predetermined position. Since the unit support member is provided, it is possible to give a feeling of click when the unit is opened and closed, and it is possible to improve the operation feeling of the operator and prevent the unit from being set incorrectly. Moreover, the conventional holding mechanism such as a magnet is unnecessary.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the unit support member is provided with an elastic guide portion for guiding the rotation fulcrum of the unit when the unit is mounted and preventing the fulcrum from coming off after the unit is mounted. Since it is provided, it is easy to remove the unit when it is replaced, and it is possible to avoid the situation where the unit comes off after the mounting.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a manual sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a unit support member.

FIG. 3 is a graph of two examples showing changes in operation resistance when the unit is operated to the A position and the B position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Manual Paper Feeding Unit 4 Side Guide 5 Paper Feed Tray 7 Stopper Arm 10 Unit Supporting Member 13 Edge Frame 14 Elastic Guide Piece

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display part H04N 1/00 108 H04N 1/00 108C

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sheet feeding device comprising a manual sheet feeding unit that can be placed in an open position and a closed position with respect to an image forming apparatus main body, and a portion for bearing the unit and a contact for positioning both positions of the unit. A manual sheet feeding device characterized by a unit supporting member having a portion. 2. A paper feeding device comprising a manual paper feeding unit that can be placed in an open position and a closed position with respect to the image forming apparatus main body, wherein the unit is provided on a paper feeding tray and at least one side in the width direction of the tray. A manual sheet feeding device, comprising: a stopper arm that is positioned, the unit supporting member having a portion that bears the unit and an end surface that abuts the stopper arm at both positions of the unit. 3. The unit support member is formed symmetrically around the unit bearing portion on the contact portion side for the unit open position and on the contact portion side for the closed position. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The unit support member according to claim 1, wherein the unit support member includes a raised portion that presses the unit toward the image writing reference side when the unit is in the open position. Paper feeder. 5. The unit supporting member is provided with a raised portion, the engagement resistance of which changes when the unit is in the closed position and the open position, respectively, and immediately before the unit is housed in each of the predetermined positions. The paper feeding device according to claim 1 or 2. 6. The unit supporting member is provided with an elastic guide portion that guides a rotation fulcrum of the unit when the unit is mounted and prevents the fulcrum from coming off after the unit is mounted. Item 3. The paper feeding device according to item 1 or 2.