JPH10129887A - Sensor unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of screwing strokes as well as to make the promotion of low cost come to fruition by setting a screwed position for a sensor mounting part on a sensor base to one spot alone. SOLUTION: In constituting a feeler type sensor unit S, one end of a sensor base 2 is screwed in a sensor mounting horizontal plane A of a sensor mounting member by a machine screw 5, and the other end is fitted in and engaged with a horizontal groove 1e of a feeler shaft supporting perpendicular part C of the sensor mounting member. A feeler shaft 4a is fitted and inserted of its end part 4b into a hole 1d of another feeler shaft supporting perpendicular part B and its end part 4c is fitted and inserted into a vertical groove 1f of the feeler shaft supporting perpendicular part C, and thereby its upward motion is checked by a photoelectric part 3 being mounted on the sensor base 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a copying machine,
The present invention relates to a mounting structure of each member of a feeler type sensor device applied to a paper feed cassette or the like provided in an image recording apparatus or the like having both a facsimile function and a copying function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a copying machine or an image recording apparatus having both a facsimile function and a copying function, a type equipped with a paper feeding cassette configured to feed paper sheets one by one from recording paper to be stacked. This paper cassette is known to detect the presence or absence of paper in the paper cassette, or to recognize the conveyance drive timing of the later recording paper conveyance process, the presence or absence of paper jam, and the like. To this end, a device to which a feeler-type sensor device is applied is known. This is a structure in which the movement of the feeler accompanying the contact of the paper is sensed by the photoelectric unit.

[0003]

However, in the conventional feeler-type sensor device, both ends of the sensor substrate on which the photoelectric unit is mounted are screwed to the sensor mounting portion, so that there is a problem that the number of mounting steps and cost are increased. Was. Therefore, only one end of the sensor substrate is screwed to the sensor mounting portion. However, in this case, there is a problem that the sensor substrate is bent and a detection error occurs. In addition, the process of pivotally supporting the feeler shaft (the feeler swing fulcrum shaft provided integrally with the feeler) on the sensor mounting portion is also complicated.

[0004]

The present invention employs the following means in order to solve the above-mentioned problems relating to the feeler-type sensor device. That is, one end of the sensor substrate is screwed to the sensor mounting portion, and the other end is fitted and locked in a groove formed in the sensor mounting portion.

In the structure for mounting a feeler to the sensor device, one end of the feeler shaft is inserted and supported in a hole formed in the sensor mounting portion, and the other end is inserted and supported in a vertical groove communicating with the groove. At the same time, the upward movement of the feeler shaft is suppressed by the photoelectric unit mounted on the sensor substrate.

Further, this sensor device is applied to a recording paper feed cassette.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is an assembled perspective view of the feeler-type sensor device, FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing the same mounting process of the feeler, FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing a detected state and a non-detected state of the feeler 4, and FIG. Overall perspective view of FIG. 5,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a recording paper feed cassette.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembly structure of the feeler-type sensor device S according to the present invention will be described. The components are a sensor mounting member (sensor mounting portion) 1, a sensor substrate 2 on which the photoelectric unit 3 is mounted, a feeler 4, and a screw 5. First, the configuration of the sensor mounting member 1 will be described.
The metal plate material is bent to form a horizontal surface portion A for mounting the substrate, vertical surface portions B and C for supporting the feeler shaft, a horizontal surface portion D for installation, and the like. The horizontal surface portion A for mounting the substrate is a surface on which the sensor substrate 2 is mounted. A notch 1a, a screw hole 1b, and a positioning protrusion 1c are provided. A hole 1d is formed in the feeler shaft supporting vertical surface portion B, and a T-shaped groove connecting the horizontal groove 1e and the vertical groove 1f is provided in the opposite side of the feeler shaft supporting vertical surface portion C. ing. Furthermore, the horizontal plane D for installation
Are provided with screw holes 1g and positioning holes 1h and 1i.

A feeler shaft 4a, which is a swing fulcrum shaft of the feeler 4, is protruded horizontally on both sides so as to swing each time the feeler 4 is directly touched with the object to be detected.
One end is 4b and the other end is 4c. At the time of mounting to the sensor mounting member 1, first, as shown by X in FIG. 2, the end 4b is inserted downward through the notch 1a from above the sensor mounting member 1, and the end 4b is inserted into the hole 1d. insert. This end 4
With the b as a pivot point, the end 4c is lowered downward while being inserted into the vertical groove 1f, and finally the end 4c is pivotally supported at the lower end of the vertical groove 1f as shown in Y in FIG. . The end 4c
Before inserting into the vertical groove 1f, the end 4b is necessarily inserted into the hole 1d.
Does not need to be inserted, and after the end 4c is slid downward in the vertical groove 1f or when the end 4c is lowered to the lower end,
The end 4b may be inserted and supported in the hole 1d.

The feeler 4 thus pivotally supported has its end 4b inserted into the hole 1d and fixed in position.
The end 4c is slidable up and down in the vertical groove 1f. Therefore, in this state, the feeler 4 may vibrate up and down to cause a detection error.
This is suppressed by the photoelectric unit 3 and will be described later in detail.

The sensor substrate 2 is mounted on the sensor mounting member 1 on which the feeler 4 is pivotally supported in a swingable manner. First, one end of the sensor substrate 2 is inserted into the lateral groove 1e of the sensor mounting member 1. The sensor substrate 2 is provided with a screw hole 2a and a positioning hole 2b. When one end is inserted and the positioning protrusion 1c of the sensor mounting member 1 is fitted into the positioning hole 2c, positioning is performed. 1b matches. Therefore, the screw 5 is screwed into the screw holes 2a and 1b, and the sensor substrate 2 is screwed to the horizontal surface of the sensor mounting member 1. As described above, the screwing of the sensor substrate 2 to the sensor mounting member 1 is performed at only one place, and the screwing process can be reduced.
Even if there is only one screw stop, the opposite end is inserted into the lateral groove 1e and suppressed, so that the sensor substrate 2 does not warp.

A photoelectric unit 3 is mounted on the lower surface of the sensor board 2 thus mounted, and the photoelectric unit 3 is vertically suspended downward through a cutout 1a of the sensor mounting member 1. The portion 3 is provided with a notch 3a, one side of which serves as a light emitting portion and the other side serves as a light receiving portion, and an optical path crossing the notch 3a is formed. L in FIG. 3 is a cross section of this light path. The head of the feeler 4 that is pivotally supported below the cutout 3a is fitted into the cutout 3a. When the paper does not hit the feeler 4, the lower end of the feeler 4 is lowered by its own weight, as shown by α in FIG. 3, and the head of the feeler 4 fits into the notch 3a, The light path in the photoelectric unit 3 is blocked, and the sensor device does not detect the presence of paper. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the paper P comes into contact with and hits the lower end of the feeler 4, and when the lower end of the feeler 4 is pushed up, the head of the feeler 4 moves as shown by β in FIG.
On the other hand, the pivot 3a is pivoted downward about the pivot shaft, and the notch 3a
It is in a lower position. As a result, in the photoelectric section 3, the light from the light projecting section reaches the light receiving section via the cutout section 3a, and the presence of paper is detected.

As an application example of the feeler type sensor device S configured as described above, an application example to a recording paper feed cassette of an image recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the configuration of the cassette unit 6 will be described. The cassette unit 6 has a recording paper feed cassette 6A inserted into a cassette unit main body 6B.
The illustrated paper supply cassette 6 shows a state in which the recording paper paper supply cassette 6A is inserted into the cassette unit main body 6B, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the recording paper paper supply cassette 6A is removed from the cassette unit main body 6B. In the recording paper feed cassette 6A, a pivot 7a of a recording paper push-up plate 7 is pivotally supported on the front and rear inner surfaces, and the recording paper push-up plate 7 is vertically rotatably mounted. As shown in FIG. 8, a spring 8 is interposed between the lower surface of the recording paper feed cassette 6A and the recording paper feed cassette 6A to urge the rotation side end of the recording paper push-up plate 7 upward. In addition, a vertical guide member 9 is provided on the bottom of the recording paper push-up plate 7 so as to extend along a pivot side end of the recording paper feed cassette 6A toward the bottom of the recording paper feed cassette 6A. It is slidable according to the length of the recording paper placed on the push-up plate 7.

Before and after the recording paper push-up plate 7, a vertical paper width is set so as to contact the front and rear ends (both sides when viewed from the recording paper) of the recording paper placed on the recording paper push-up plate 7. The guide plates 10 are erected. On the bottom surface of the recording paper feed cassette 6A, there are formed several positioning grooves 6a for fitting the lower end of the paper width guide plate 10, and any one of the positioning grooves 6a is positioned according to the standard size of the recording paper. The lower end of the paper width guide plate 10 is inserted into the groove 6a and stands upright.
・ Adjust the interval between 10 to the paper width. Further, the upward movement of the rotating end of the recording paper push-up plate 7 is regulated by suppressing both corners thereof by claw members 10a laid on the end of the paper width guide plate 10, and The uppermost corners of the recording paper deposited on the recording paper push-up plate 7 also have the claw members 10a.
-Suppressed at 10a.

The recording paper feed cassette 6 having the above-described configuration.
A is mounted in the cassette unit main body 6B, and the cassette unit 6 capable of feeding recording sheets one by one is completed.
The cassette unit main body 6B is provided with an upper frame plate 11 disposed above the recording paper push-up plate 7 of the loaded recording paper feed cassette 6A. , A pickup roller shaft 12a around which the pickup roller 12 is arranged is supported. Also,
A paper feed guide surface 6b is formed on the recording paper discharge side from the upper frame plate 11 so as to be inclined in a front view, and paper feed rollers 16 and 17 are provided in the middle thereof. A gear mechanism G is interposed between both ends of the roller shaft (paper feed roller shaft 16a) of the paper feed roller 16 and both ends of the pickup roller shaft 12a.
Is mounted on the bottom of the apparatus main body 18, the gear provided with the paper feed roller shaft 16a meshes with the gear transmission mechanism in the apparatus main body 18, and the paper feed roller shaft 16a is transmitted by the driving device in the apparatus main body 18, The power is transmitted to the pickup roller shaft 12a via the gear mechanism G. Therefore, the rotation of the pickup roller 12 and the rotation of the paper feed rollers 16 and 17 are synchronized. However, the rotation of the pickup roller 12 is controlled to one rotation by a one-rotation clutch 13 described later.

Further, a transfer control section E is formed in one section of the cassette unit main body 6B, in which a one-turn clutch 13 is attached to one end of the pickup roller shaft 12a. In response to transmission from the feed roller shaft 16a via the gear mechanism G, the pickup roller shaft 1
2a makes one rotation under the control of the one-rotation clutch 13, and during one rotation, the pickup roller 12 is pressed against the uppermost sheet of the recording paper stacked on the recording paper push-up plate 7. Since the frictional force between the pickup roller 12 and the recording paper exceeds the frictional force between the recording papers, the uppermost sheet is extruded, and both corners thereof are further extruded by disengaging from the claw members 10a. The recording paper extruded by the pickup roller 12 along the paper feed guide surface 6b passes between the rotating paper feed rollers 16 and 17 and is fed upward.

In this embodiment, since the feeler type sensor S is mainly used for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper, it is disposed immediately before the pickup roller shaft 12a (upstream of the conveyance). If the main purpose is to detect paper passing (paper jam), the downstream side of the pickup roller shaft 12a is better. Further, if the purpose is to synchronize with the recording section H (for example, the photosensitive drum 24 of the recording section H starts to rotate some seconds after the sheet is fed), the recording sheet in the apparatus main body 18 is used. What is necessary is just to arrange | position to the conveyance path F. The mounting structure of the feeler type sensor S in the present embodiment will be described.
1, a feeler fitting insertion hole 11a for fitting the feeler portion of the feeler type sensor S is formed at a position immediately before the pickup roller shaft 12a, and screw holes 11b and positioning protrusions 11c and 11d are provided in the vicinity thereof. Is provided. The feeler-type sensor S inserts the feeler 4 and the feeler-supporting vertical surfaces B and C into the feeler insertion hole 11a from above, with the feeler 4 facing down and the sensor substrate S facing up. The positioning projections 11c are inserted into the positioning holes 1h and 1i of the horizontal surface portion D for installation.
11d is fitted and positioned, and screws are screwed into the screw holes 1g and 11b and fixed. A transport controller 14 is provided in the transport controller E, and a harness 1 is provided between the sensor substrate 2 and the transport controller 14.
5 is connected, and the light passing state is converted into an electric signal by the photoelectric unit 3 and is input to the transport controller 14. Based on this input, the control of the one-rotation clutch 13 is further performed. The sheet feeding transmission device and the alarm device are controlled.

The feeler 4 thus mounted is
The recording paper feed cassette 6A below the upper frame plate 11 faces the recording paper push-up plate 7, and the recording paper push-up plate 7 has a portion corresponding to the feeler 4 as shown in FIG. A notch 7b is provided. When there is recording paper on the recording paper push-up plate 7, the feeler 4 comes into contact with the recording paper and is in the state of β in FIG. 3, that is, the detection state. Then, when the recording paper is removed from above the recording paper push-up plate 7, the feeler 4 rotates by its own weight and falls into the notch 7b, and enters the state α in FIG. 3, that is, the non-detection state. At this time, an output signal is issued from the transport controller 14 so as to issue a warning regarding a later stop of the recording paper transport control means or the like and a supplement of the recording paper.

Finally, the image recording apparatus shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 to which the cassette unit 6 is attached will be described. The cassette unit 6 can be attached to the bottom of the apparatus main body 18 of the image recording apparatus as shown in FIG. 5 and the like.
Inside, a recording paper transport path F is formed upward from the upper end of the paper feed guide surface 6b of the cassette unit 6. The recording paper transport path F also communicates with a recording paper manual feed tray 19 formed at the bottom of the image recording apparatus, and the recording paper loaded on the recording paper manual feeding tray 19 or the recording paper filled in the cassette unit 6 is used. Either of them is selected and transferred to the recording paper transport path F.

A recording section H is formed along the recording paper transport path F. That is, on the recording paper transport path F, a transfer roller 20 and a fixing device 21 are provided, and a laser unit 22 is provided. And
A toner cassette 23 and a photosensitive drum 24 are detachably provided. The photosensitive drum 24 is disposed so as to be in pressure contact with the transfer roller 20 (specifically,
The recording paper passes between the recording medium and the photosensitive drum 24. In addition, the toner cassette 23 is disposed so that the toner adheres to the surface of the photosensitive drum 24. The recording on the recording paper will be described. Based on an electric signal of a document image stored in a document reading unit J described later, or a signal by facsimile reception, the laser unit 22 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 24 with laser, An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 24, toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image, and when the recording paper passes between the photosensitive drum 24 and the transfer roller 20, the photosensitive drum 24 The toner adhering to the top adheres to the recording paper. Further, the recording paper is conveyed and heated when passing through the fixing device 21, so that the attached toner is fixed on the recording paper. Thus, the recording is performed on the recording paper, and the recorded recording paper is discharged to the recorded recording paper discharge tray 25 disposed at the uppermost portion of the apparatus main body 18.

When viewed from the front, the recorded recording paper discharge tray 2
Reference numeral 5 also serves as a part of the document transport cover 18a formed on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 18, and the document transport cover 18a
As shown in FIG. 8, an automatic document feeder unit I for forming an inverted U-shaped document feed path is provided therein. A document supply port is formed above and a document discharge port is formed below the document supply cover 18a on the right outer side, and a document supply tray 26 is attached to the document supply port so as to be inclined when viewed from the front. In the apparatus main body 18, a document transport cover 18a
Below the image reading cover 18b, a document discharge tray 27 is attached to the right outside of the image reading cover 18b so as to be substantially horizontal when viewed from the front. The inside of the image reading cover portion 18b corresponds to a lower portion of the automatic document feeding unit I disposed in the document feeding cover portion 18a, and forms an image reading portion J composed of an optical image reading device. Here, the image of the document conveyed by the automatic document conveyance unit I is optically read and converted into an electric signal.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the recording paper feed cassette having the above-described configuration has the following effects. First, the screwing process can be reduced and the cost can be reduced by setting the screwing position of the sensor substrate to the sensor mounting portion at one position. Even if the screwing position is only one end, the other end is fitted and locked in the groove of the sensor mounting portion, so that both ends of the sensor are fixed to the sensor mounting portion and no warping occurs.

[0023] Further, with the configuration as described in claim 2, the mounting process of the feeler shaft to the sensor mounting portion can be simplified, and the upward movement of the feeler shaft can be restricted without providing a special member. It is possible to avoid a detection error caused by the upward movement of the shaft.

By applying such a feeler-type sensor device to a recording-sheet feeding cassette, a recording paper having a simpler and lower-cost feeler-type sensor device without any detection error is provided. A paper feed cassette can be provided, which helps to reduce the number of assembly steps and cost of the recording paper feed cassette itself.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a feeler-type sensor device S according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the feeler-type sensor device S showing a detected state and a non-detected state of the feeler 4;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a process of assembling the feeler type sensor device S to the cassette unit 6.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus in which the cassette unit 6 is mounted.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus in a state where the cassette unit 6 to which the feeler-type sensor device S of the present invention is attached is removed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cassette unit 6 with the recording paper feed cassette 6B removed from the cassette unit main body 6A.

FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the image recording apparatus in which the cassette unit 6 is mounted.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sensor mounting member 1a Notch 1b Screw hole 1c Positioning protrusion 1d hole 1e Horizontal groove 1f Vertical groove A Horizontal plane part for board mounting B Vertical plane part for feeler shaft support C Vertical plane part for feeler shaft support D Horizontal plane part for installation 2 Sensor board 2a Screw Hole 2b Positioning hole 3 Photoelectric unit 3a Notch 4 Feeler 4a Feeler shaft 4b End 4c End 5 Screw 6 Cassette unit 6A Recording paper feed cassette 6B Cassette unit body

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sensor device, wherein one end of a sensor board is screwed to a sensor mounting portion, and the other end is fitted and locked in a groove formed in the sensor mounting portion. 2. A structure for mounting a feeler to the sensor device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the feeler shaft is inserted and supported in a hole formed in the sensor mounting portion, and the other end is formed in a vertical groove communicating with the groove. A sensor device, wherein the sensor device is configured to be inserted and supported, and to suppress upward movement of the feeler shaft by a photoelectric unit mounted on the sensor substrate. 3. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor device is applied to a recording paper feed cassette.