JPH10152232A - Paper sheet feeding device, and printing device provided with it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent any trouble in placing or losing an auxiliary paper sheet table to support the paper sheet of the prescribed size such as a postal card, and to downsize a paper sheet feeding hopper. SOLUTION: When a wide paper sheet for business use of regular size is used, an auxiliary paper sheet table 38 is connected to an upper edge of a paper feed hopper 30, and paper sheets are loaded on a paper sheet table 31 and the auxiliary paper sheet table 38, and fed out by two paper sheet feeding rollers 41. When a narrow paper sheet is used, the auxiliary paper sheet table 38 is mounted on the paper sheet table 31 in a stacking manner, and paper sheets are loaded on the auxiliary paper sheet table 38, and fed out by one paper sheet feed roller 41.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeder for feeding sheets one by one from stacked sheets and a printing apparatus having the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a paper feeding device provided in a printing apparatus, there is a paper feeding apparatus in which a paper feeding hopper for accommodating sheets is arranged so as to protrude from a main body of the printing apparatus. This is to reduce the size of the printing apparatus main body as much as possible and to remove the paper feed hopper in the packed state to reduce the packing volume.

Further, the paper feed hopper is formed to be shorter than the total length of the paper to be accommodated, slides out an auxiliary plate provided on the back of the paper feed hopper, and pulls out the upper end portion of the paper projecting from the paper feed hopper. It is supported from the back side by a plate. As a result, the paper feed hopper is made as small as possible.

On the other hand, it is necessary to use not only ordinary office paper of A4 size or the like but also small paper such as a postcard or paper having high rigidity. In this case, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-97524 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. As described in Japanese Patent No. 6284, it has been proposed that a dedicated postcard holder is detachably provided on a paper feed hopper. Such a holder dedicated to postcards is unnecessary when ordinary office paper is used, and it is troublesome to place the postcards and sometimes lost.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the size of a paper feeding hopper while preventing an auxiliary paper table supporting a predetermined type of paper such as a postcard from being troubled or lost at a place where the paper table is placed.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a sheet feed hopper capable of stacking and storing sheets and a sheet hopper stored in the sheet hopper. A first position for supporting a predetermined type of paper at a position corresponding to the paper feed roller, and a length of the paper feed hopper in the paper feed direction; And an auxiliary paper table which can be installed at a second position for extending the paper feeding apparatus.

With this configuration, when the auxiliary paper table is placed at the first position for supporting a predetermined type of paper corresponding to the paper feed roller, the predetermined type of paper can be sent out by the paper feed roller. . Further, when the auxiliary paper tray is placed at the second position which extends the length of the paper feed hopper in the paper feeding direction, the length of the paper feed hopper is extended, and the paper feed roller accommodates the normal size paper. Can be sent out.
In this case, in the latter case, the paper is supported jointly by the auxiliary paper tray and the paper feed hopper, so that the length of the paper feed hopper can be reduced by the length of the auxiliary paper tray, and the size of the paper feed hopper can be reduced. it can. In addition, since both the normal paper and the predetermined type of paper use the auxiliary paper table, it is possible to prevent the auxiliary paper table from being troubled or lost at the place where the auxiliary paper table is placed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the auxiliary sheet support is detachably supported by the sheet supply hopper at the first position and the second position, respectively. A configuration rotatably supported by the hopper can be adopted. The former configuration can be realized with a simple configuration, and the latter configuration can more reliably prevent the auxiliary paper tray from being lost.

Further, the auxiliary paper base has a width corresponding to only a part of the plurality of paper feed rollers, so that when the auxiliary paper base is used, When the paper on the auxiliary paper tray is low, the paper feed roller outside the range of the auxiliary paper tray is held away from the paper feed hopper by the thickness of the auxiliary paper tray, and the paper feed roller feeds the paper. Rubbing the hopper can be avoided. That is, when the rotation load of the paper feed roller becomes excessive, the paper feeding force is insufficient and the paper is not sufficiently fed,
The paper can be smoothly fed without being easily inclined due to the resistance on the passage. Wear due to the paper feed roller rubbing the paper table can be eliminated, and the durability of the paper feeder can be improved.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of separating means for separating the paper fed by the paper feed roller from other papers, and wherein the auxiliary paper base is mounted at the first position. By configuring the upper sheet to correspond to one of the plurality of separating units, even if the rigidity of the sheet on the auxiliary sheet feeding tray is different from that of the normal sheet, the separating unit can be selected. Each can be separated smoothly.

As a sixth aspect of the present invention, a postcard is preferable as the type of paper using the auxiliary paper table.

The above-described paper feeder is applied to a printing device having a printing mechanism for printing on paper fed by the downstream side of the paper feed roller, thereby performing good printing on various types of paper. be able to.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings embodied in an ink jet printing apparatus.

The printing device conveys the paper S sent one by one by the paper feeding device 2 to the front surface of the printing mechanism 1 by the feeding mechanism 7 and performs predetermined printing on the paper S. Paper S
Is a so-called cut sheet cut into a rectangular shape having a certain size.

The printing mechanism 1 includes a carriage 11 reciprocating along a guide rail 10, a print head 13 supported by the carriage 11, and an ink cartridge 12. The guide rail 10 is arranged in the width direction of the paper S supplied from the paper feeding device 2, that is, in a direction parallel to the surface of the paper S and orthogonal to the feeding direction of the paper S.
At the time of printing, ink droplets are ejected from the print head 13 toward the paper S passing below the carriage 11 while the carriage 11 is reciprocated by a drive source (not shown). Printed in matrix format.

The paper feeding device 2 has a paper feeding hopper 30 for storing the paper S in a stacked state, a feeding mechanism 4 for feeding the paper S from the paper feeding hopper 3, and the paper S fed from the paper feeding hopper 30. And a stopper mechanism 6 provided on the wall 5.

The paper feed hopper 30 is provided with a frame 8 of the printing apparatus.
The hopper receiving recess 80 formed at the front end is detachably supported in a state of being inclined obliquely with its leading end side (the sending end side of the sheet S) facing down. Inside the paper feed hopper 30, a paper table 31 that supports the paper S in a stacked manner is provided. Paper tray 31
Is rotatable about a shaft 34 provided on the rear end side of the paper feed hopper 30, and the front end side is pushed up by an urging means, for example, a spring 35, and is urged toward the sending mechanism 4 side. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, a friction member 36 (FIG. 2) is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the sheet table 31, and the lowermost sheet is restrained on the sheet table 31 by the friction member 36, and when the number of sheets S is small ( For example, in the case of a few sheets), it is prevented that all the sheets S are overlapped and sent out from the upper surface of the sheet table 31. For example, cork is used as the friction member 36.
The friction member 36 is desirably disposed at a position facing each of a plurality of feed rollers 41 described later as shown in FIG. 2, but need not necessarily be located at a position facing the feed roller 41. For example, it may be between or near a plurality of paper feed rollers.

The paper feed hopper 30 has one side wall 30a (right side in FIG. 2) formed as a reference guide for positioning one side of the sheet S in contact therewith.
A movable guide 37 for positioning the other side is slidably provided in the width direction of the sheet S.

The delivery mechanism 4 has a support shaft 40 parallel to the width direction of the paper S, a plurality of paper feed rollers 41 mounted on the support shaft 40 at intervals, and a plurality of collars 42.
The support shaft 40 includes a pair of side walls 81 standing on the upper surface of the frame 8.
It is supported by a bridge therebetween, and is rotatable clockwise in FIG. 1 by a drive source (not shown). The paper feed roller 41 includes a support shaft 4
An outer peripheral portion 410 curved to draw an arc coaxial with 0;
It has a notch 411 that retreats toward the center in the radial direction from the outer peripheral portion 410. The paper feed roller 41 is rotatable integrally with the support shaft 40. The outer peripheral length of the outer peripheral portion 410 is determined by a feed roller 7 of a feed mechanism 7 to be described later.
It has a length that is longer than necessary to feed it between 0 and the guide piece 73.

The collar 42 is formed in a disk shape having an outer peripheral surface with a constant curvature, and is rotatable relative to the support shaft 40. The outer peripheral surface of the collar 42 is set to be slightly smaller in diameter than the outer diameter of the outer peripheral portion 410 of the paper feed roller 41, and is located radially outward of the notch 411 of the paper feed roller 41.
The support shaft 40 rotates clockwise in FIG.
Sheet S whose outer peripheral portion 410 is pushed up by the sheet table 31
, The uppermost sheet S of the sheet feeding hopper 30 is sent out. As the rotation of the paper feed roller 41 proceeds, the notch 41
When the sheet 1 faces the sheet feeding hopper 30, the sheet S left in the sheet feeding hopper 30 abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the collar 42. As a result, after the sheet S is completely sent, the sheet feeding roller 41
While the paper is kept away from the paper S, the feed mechanism 7
The color 42 is rotated following the sheet S conveyed by the printer. Until the feeding of the next sheet S is started, lifting of the sheet S is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 2, two paper feed rollers 41
Is positioned so as to apply a sending force to a normal office note in a laterally balanced manner in the width direction. For example, A
It is located at a predetermined distance inward from each side edge with respect to the paper of 4 size or English letter size S1, and is spaced apart from each other. The width of the sheet table 31 of the sheet feed hopper 30 is set as the maximum size on which the sheet can be placed. When a postcard is loaded in the paper feed hopper 30, the auxiliary paper tray 38 is mounted on the paper tray 31. As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary paper table 38 has a flat plate shape having a size substantially corresponding to the width and length of the postcard, and has one end at the upstream end of the paper feed hopper 30 in the paper feeding direction. The portion 30b (upper end in the figure) is provided with a bent edge 39 which is locked in the feeding direction, and has a length extending from the end to a position below the sheet feeding roller 41. Within the width of the auxiliary paper table 38, one paper feed roller 41 and at least one color 42 are located on both sides of the paper feed roller 41 (two on the left side in this embodiment). Although not shown, a friction member similar to the friction member 36 is attached and fixed to the upper surface of the auxiliary paper table 38. Note that the bent edge 39 of the auxiliary paper tray is
1 may be locked at the end on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction.

The feed hopper 30 has an opening 30c at the center in the width direction of the upper end 30b. The auxiliary paper table 38 is inserted into the opening 30c with its leading end protruding part 38a, and
Are arranged in a direction to extend the length.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wall 5 is formed integrally with the frame 8 on one side of the hopper receiving recess 80.
Details of the wall 5 are shown in FIG. The paper feed hopper 3 is provided on the wall 5.
Paper receiving surface 5 for receiving the paper S descending from the leading end of the sheet
0, and an inclined surface 51 which is continuous above the sheet receiving surface 50 and rises as it goes forward from the paper feed hopper 30 in the feeding direction. As a result, the print head 1 continues from the paper receiving surface 50 on one side of the hopper receiving recess 80.
A sheet passage for the sheet S sent from the sheet supply hopper 30 is formed along the passage wall 82 of the frame 8 extending to a position facing the sheet 3.

The above-mentioned stopper mechanism 6 is disposed in a recess 510 formed on the inclined surface 51 so as to open toward the sheet passage. The stopper mechanism 6 is provided at a position symmetrical with respect to the middle position of the plurality of paper feed rollers 41, for example, as shown in the figure, at a middle position if one is provided, and a symmetrical position if two or more. Load is applied symmetrically with respect to the feeding force of

The stopper mechanism 6 swings about a shaft 60 and can be retracted from the inclined surface 51, and a coil spring for urging the stopper 61 to project from the inclined surface 51 toward the paper feed hopper 30. 62. The shaft 60 is located on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the inclined surface 51, and is provided in parallel with the width direction of the sheet. The stopper 61 is located at the end opposite to the axis, that is, the downstream end with respect to the inclined surface 51. The portion protrudes from the inclined surface 51. In the protruding state, the surface 610 of the stopper 61 facing the paper feed hopper side is inclined at an obtuse angle with respect to the inclined surface 51 when viewed from the paper feed hopper side, and is a surface that can contact the paper S. The contact surface 610 has a larger gradient than the inclined surface 51 with respect to the feeding direction of the sheet S. In addition, the stopper 61 restricts the maximum protruding position from the inclined surface 51 by bringing the arm 63 protruding from one end (the end on the shaft side) into contact with the upper surface of one side of the recess 510.

The stopper 61 is made of the same resin as that of the frame 8, and its rigidity is set high so as to maintain a constant form against the pressing force of the sheet S hitting the contact surface 610. The force by which the coil spring 62 presses the stopper 61 is set so that the stopper 61 protrudes and retracts from the inclined surface 51 in accordance with the rigidity of the sheet S, thereby ensuring an appropriate separating effect in accordance with the rigidity of the sheet S.

That is, when the paper S having high rigidity (for example, thick paper such as a postcard) presses the contact surface 610, the stopper 61 is pushed into almost the same plane as the inclined surface 51 as shown by a solid line in FIG. After retreating from the passage, the leading end of the sheet S is sent out from the sheet feeding hopper 30 while sliding on the inclined surface 51. At this time, even if a plurality of sheets S are simultaneously sent out from the sheet feeding hopper 30, the sheets S are separated from each other by curving along the inclined surface 51. As a result, only the uppermost sheet S is pushed by the feed roller 41 and gets over the inclined surface 51.

On the other hand, when thin paper such as ordinary office paper, that is, paper S having a small rigidity, presses the stopper 61, FIG.
With the rigidity of the paper S as shown in FIG. 4A, the stopper 61 projects from the inclined surface 51 with almost no compression of the spring 62, and the paper S is curved as shown in FIGS. Over the stopper 61 to be sent out. In this case, since the leading end of the sheet S is greatly curved as compared with the case where the stopper 61 is retracted below the inclined surface 51, the sheet S having a small rigidity is sufficiently separated, and the sheet S lower than the uppermost sheet S is sufficiently separated. S is reliably restrained by the stopper 61.

Since the paper S having a small rigidity is separated exclusively by the stopper 61, the slope of the inclined surface 51 may be set so that an appropriate separating action is exerted on the paper S having a high rigidity. Thus, various papers S can be surely separated regardless of their rigidity.

The feed mechanism 7 includes a feed roller 70 and a driven roller 71, and a lever member 7 that supports the driven roller 71.
And 2. The paper fed by the paper feed roller 41 is registered by the rollers 70 and 71 and then conveyed to the printing mechanism 1 by the rollers.

When an A4 size or letter size S1 office paper is used, the auxiliary paper table 38 is
0 is inserted and connected to the opening. The office note is placed flat on a sheet table 31 and an auxiliary sheet table 38 positioned substantially in the direction of extension, and is sent out by two sheet feeding rollers 41, 41.

A4 size paper is about twice the size of a postcard in length and width.
Is approximately the same size as a postcard, the length of the paper feed hopper 30 can be formed to be about half of the A4 size. Actually, since the upper end of the sheet may slightly protrude from the auxiliary sheet table 38, the length of the sheet feeding hopper 30 can be formed to be less than half of the A4 size.

When a postcard is used, the auxiliary paper tray 38 is inserted into the paper feed hopper 30 from the upstream side, and is mounted on the paper tray 31 along the reference guide 30a. The postcard Sa (FIG. 3) is stacked and placed on the auxiliary paper table 38 and sent out by only one paper feed roller 41.
Since the collar 42 is in contact with the postcard on both sides of the paper feed roller 41, the postcard comes into contact with one paper feed roller 41 without tilting. In addition, since the auxiliary paper table 38 is locked with the paper feed hopper 31 at the upstream end 39, even if the paper feed hopper 31 is inclined forward and low as in this embodiment, The auxiliary paper table 38 does not fall,
Further, it is possible to prevent the paper from being advanced in the feeding direction by the feeding force of the paper feeding roller 41, and the paper can be fed in a stable state.

Even if the remaining number of postcards becomes small, the sheet feeding roller 41 and the sheet table 31 outside the range of the auxiliary sheet table 38 are spaced by the thickness of the auxiliary sheet table 38. Even if the paper table 31 is slightly deformed or inclined, the paper feed roller 41 does not rub the paper table 31. Therefore,
The paper feed roller 41 rubs the paper table 31 and feeds the paper
When the rotational load is excessively large, the paper can be smoothly fed without the paper feeding force being insufficient and the paper not being fed sufficiently or being easily inclined due to the resistance on the passage. In addition, wear caused by the paper feed roller 41 rubbing the paper table 31 can be eliminated, and the durability of the paper feeder can be improved.

[Other Embodiments of the Invention] FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment, in which the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment, and the description will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the sheet feeding hopper 301
Is detachably mounted in the hopper receiving recess 80 of the frame 8 and has corner claws 302 as separating means for thin paper on the left and right sides of the front end in the paper feeding direction. The corner claw, as is well known, restrains the front end corner of the paper fed by the paper feed roller and crosses the corner claw to separate it from other paper as the paper curves.

The sheet table 311 is the sheet table 3 of the above embodiment.
As in the case of 1, it is supported by a shaft 341 so as to be able to move up and down, and is urged toward the paper feed roller 41 by a spring 351.

In this embodiment, the auxiliary paper table 3
81 is rotatably connected to the paper feed hopper 301.
That is, the auxiliary paper table 381 is formed integrally with the paper supply hopper 301 by a resin material at the upper end of the paper supply hopper 301 via the thin hinge part 382, and is rotated around the axis parallel to the paper width direction by the hinge part 382. It is possible. The rotation operation of the auxiliary sheet table 381 can be performed in a state where the sheet feeding hopper 301 is removed from the hopper receiving recess 80. The auxiliary paper table 381 has a pair of side walls 383 for positioning the postcard in the left-right direction.

As shown by the solid line in FIG. 7, the back side of the auxiliary paper
Are arranged so as to extend substantially in the direction in which the side walls 383 extend.
Abuts on the rear end of the paper feed hopper 301 to be maintained in this state. In this state, thin paper having a small rigidity such as an A4 size paper sheet 311 and the auxiliary paper
1 and separated by a corner claw 302 by the rotation of the paper feed roller 41 and sent out.

In the other rotation position, the auxiliary paper table 38
As shown by a chain line in FIG. 7, 1 is placed on the sheet table 311 with the side wall 383 facing upward, and is mounted in the hopper receiving recess 80 so as to be inserted below the sheet feeding roller 41. In this position, as shown by a chain line in FIG.
Reference numerals 3 and 383 are located inside the pair of corner claws 302 in the sheet width direction, so that the corner claws 302 do not interfere with the sheet feeding direction accommodated between the side walls. In front of the sheet feeding direction, the separating inclined surface 51 of the embodiment is located as separating means,
In the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, a sheet having high rigidity such as a postcard is separated by the inclined surface 51. Also, a pair of side walls 38
The paper accommodated between 3, 383 corresponds to one paper feed roller 41 and a plurality of collars 42 on both sides thereof, as in the above-described embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the auxiliary paper table 381
It is formed wider than the pair of side walls 383 and 383 so as to protrude outward in the width direction, and when in the former position, the paper can be supported from the back by a wide surface including the center. When in the latter position, the protruding portion 384 is formed by the feeding roller 41 and the collar 42 outside the range of the pair of side walls 383, 383.
Notches 38 at the corresponding positions so as not to interfere with
4a. Thereby, the pair of side walls 383, 383
The intervening paper is sent out by the corresponding paper feed roller and separated by the inclined surface 51 as in the above-described embodiment. The paper feed roller outside the paper range is formed by the notch 384a.
The protruding portion 384 of the auxiliary paper tray 381 and the paper tray 31
Never rub one.

In each embodiment, the auxiliary paper table 38 can be used not only for postcards but also for thin paper having a small width. Alternatively, three or more paper feed rollers may be provided, and the auxiliary paper table 38 may have a width corresponding to two or more paper feed rollers.

Further, in the former embodiment, the auxiliary paper table 38 is rotatably connected to the paper feed hopper as in the latter embodiment. In the latter embodiment, the auxiliary paper table 381 is connected to the former paper table. It is also possible to make it detachable from the paper feed hopper as in the embodiment.

The paper feeding device of the present invention is not limited to an ink jet printing device, but can be applied to various printing devices such as a laser type printing device, a copying machine, and a facsimile.
The present invention can be applied to a sheet feeding device that holds sheets horizontally.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion from a paper feed hopper to a printing mechanism of an ink jet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a relationship between a sending mechanism 4 and a sheet table 3;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a sheet having low rigidity is separated.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sheet having high rigidity is separated.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a relationship between a sheet feeding hopper and an auxiliary sheet table.

FIG. 7 is a view of a part corresponding to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the paper feed hopper of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing mechanism 2 ... Paper feeder 30, 301 ... Paper feed hopper 31, 311 ... Paper table 38, 381 ... Auxiliary paper table 41 ... Paper feed roller

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising: a sheet feeding hopper capable of stacking and storing sheets of paper; and a sheet feeding roller for feeding sheets one by one in contact with the sheets stored in the sheet feeding hopper. A sheet feeding device, comprising: an auxiliary sheet table that can be installed at a first position supported at a position corresponding to a sheet roller and a second position that extends the length of the sheet feeding hopper in the sheet feeding direction. 2. The auxiliary paper tray according to claim 1,
A sheet feeding device, which is detachably supported by the sheet feeding hopper at a first position and a second position, respectively. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary paper tray is
A sheet feeding device rotatably supported by the sheet feeding hopper so as to move to a first position and a second position. 4. The paper feed roller according to claim 1, wherein the paper feed roller is provided in a plurality in the width direction of the paper, and the auxiliary paper support corresponds to only a part of the plurality of paper feed rollers. A sheet feeding device having a width. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of separating means for separating a sheet fed by the sheet feeding roller from other sheets, wherein the auxiliary sheet table is mounted at a first position. A sheet feeding device, wherein the sheet on the auxiliary sheet feeding table is made to correspond to one of the plurality of separating means. 6. The paper feeding device according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary paper support supports a postcard. 7. A printing apparatus, comprising: the paper feeding device according to claim 1; and a printing mechanism downstream of the paper feeding roller for printing on paper fed by the paper feeding roller. .