JPH1035919A - Sheet feeding device and recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding device of high quality with high productivity by omitting sheet presence sensors independently provided on a plurality of sheet feed ports, and providing a sheet sensor on the upstream side near a function means (recording means). SOLUTION: When a feed instruction is outputted from a control part, a recording sheet S placed and housed in a first sheet cassette 1a is immediately fed by a feed roller 3a without detecting its presence. When the delivered recording sheet S is detected by a sheet sensor 6 within a prescribed time from the rotation starting time of the feed roller 3a, the recording sheet S is carried in a prescribed quantity by a feeding roller pair 5 from the point where the end is detected by the sheet sensor 6. When no recording sheet S is detected within the prescribed time, the lack of the recording sheet S is recognized, and another sheet, when it is of the same sheet size and sheet material, is fed by a feed roller 3b. Thus, the number of part items and the number of assembling processes can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus provided in a recording apparatus for recording an image by supplying sheets from a plurality of sheet supply ports.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional recording apparatus for recording an image by supplying sheets from a plurality of sheet supply ports will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a case where the recording sheet S is fed from the first cassette 101a will be described with reference to FIGS. The presence / absence of the recording sheet S in the first cassette 101a is detected by the sheet presence / absence sensor 102a (step S101). If the recording sheet S is present in the first cassette 101a, the sheet is fed. The feed roller 103a is driven one rotation to separate and feed the uppermost recording sheet S one by one in cooperation with the separation claw 104a (step S102).

[0003] The recording sheet S fed out by the feeding roller 103a is detected by the conveyance roller is conveyed by the pair 105 (step S103), the sheet sensor 106 from the rotation start time within a predetermined time T ₁ of the feeding roller 103a Then (step S104), the transport roller pair 10
5, the recording sheet S is conveyed by a predetermined amount (step S1).
05), the leading end of the recording sheet S abuts the nip portion of the feed roller pair 107 held in a stopped state, an appropriate loop is formed on the recording sheet S, the skew of the recording sheet S is corrected, and the recording is performed. After the cueing of the sheet S is performed (step S106), the conveyance by the conveyance roller pair 105 is stopped (step S107).

Next, the feed roller pair 107 is driven to rotate to convey the recording sheet S to the recording area where the ink jet recording head 108 is opposed (step S108), and the recording of the recording sheet S conveyed by the feed roller pair 107 is performed. When the start position reaches the recording area (step S109), the recording head 108 discharges ink according to the image information to record the image on the recording sheet S (step S11).
0), the sheet is conveyed by the discharge roller pair 109 (step S111), discharged and placed on the discharge tray 110 disposed outside the apparatus, and the recording operation ends (step S11).
2).

In step S101, if the sheet presence sensor 102a does not detect the recording sheet S in the first cassette 101a, it is recognized that there is no recording sheet S in the first cassette 10a. No sheet is displayed on an operation panel (not shown) (step S11).
3), the feeding operation ends (step S114).

Further, in step S104, when the recording sheet S is not detected by the sheet sensor 106 to the feeding roller 103a a predetermined time T ₁ from the rotation start time of, recognizes that a jam has occurred conveyed The roller pair 105 is stopped (step S115), and a jam error is displayed on an operation panel (not shown) (step S1).
16), the feeding operation ends (step S117).

Next, FIG. 6 shows a flowchart when the recording sheet S is fed from the second cassette 101b. In this case, the operation is exactly the same as that in the case where the recording sheet S is fed from the first cassette 101a except that the recording sheet S passes through the pair of conveying rollers 111, and the description thereof is omitted.

In the conventional sheet feeding apparatus having the above configuration, if it is known in advance that the first and second cassettes have sheets of equal size, as shown in FIG. If there is no recording sheet in one cassette to be fed,
The presence or absence of sheets in other cassettes is detected by a sensor,
It was merely determined that if there was a sheet, it would be conveyed, and if not, it would not be conveyed.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the first and second cassettes 101a and 101a,
1b, a plurality of sensors such as the sheet presence / absence sensors 102a and 102b are individually provided corresponding to the number of the plurality of cassettes, and the number of parts and the number of assembling steps increase, leading to an increase in cost and a decrease in productivity. I was

In order to solve this problem, the present invention has proposed to omit the sheet presence / absence sensors individually provided in a plurality of sheet supply ports and to provide a sheet sensor near the functional means (recording means) upstream.

Further, in this case, even if the sheet in one sheet supply port to be fed out of the plurality of sheet supply ports is exhausted, a sheet having desired characteristics is provided in the other sheet supply ports. It has been proposed to provide a discriminating means for discriminating the characteristics of the sheet so that the sheet feeding can be started from the sheet supply port.

In particular, in recent years, there are various types of sheet materials, and the performance of the recording apparatus has been improved. Therefore, many types of sheets can be similarly recorded. In such a recording apparatus, some cassettes are often provided with sheets of the same size but different materials. In such a case, the conventional sheet feeding apparatus does not determine the material of the sheet in each cassette. Therefore, if there is no sheet in a cassette when a sheet is to be supplied from a certain cassette, the sheet is unnecessarily supplied from another cassette having sheets of the same size but of different materials. I was Therefore, it has been proposed that the discriminating means can particularly discriminate the material of the sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to satisfy the above-mentioned proposals, thereby improving the productivity and improving the quality of a sheet feeding apparatus. To provide a recording device.

[0014]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, there are provided a plurality of sheet supply ports for supplying sheets, functional means for exerting a predetermined action on the sheets, A feeding path connected to each of the sheet supply ports, a merging point, a feeding path for feeding a sheet to the functional unit at the merging point, and a sheet feeding direction downstream from the merging point, And, a sheet sensor that is disposed on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction from the functional unit and detects a sheet fed in the feeding path, among the plurality of sheet feeding ports,
Determining means for determining a sheet supply port provided with a sheet having the same characteristics as the sheet instructed to be supplied, and a predetermined time after sheet supply is started from one of the plurality of sheet supply ports. And a controller configured to start feeding the sheet from the sheet supply port determined by the determination unit when the sheet is not detected by the sheet sensor.

According to this, when there is at least one set of sheet cassettes in which sheets having the same characteristics are set among a plurality of sheet cassettes, sheet supply from one of the set of sheet cassettes is performed. After the start of feeding, when a sheet is not detected by a sheet sensor provided on the upstream side in the vicinity of the functional unit even if a predetermined time has elapsed, the sheet feeding operation is not stopped, and the sheet feeding operation is stopped from another sheet cassette in the set. , Sheet feeding can be started.

However, the characteristics mentioned here include at least the size and the material.

It is also preferable that the determination means has a storage device for storing a sheet material of each of the plurality of sheet supply ports.

According to this, not only the sheet size but also the sheet material can be determined, and the above-described sheet feeding can be started only from the sheet supply port provided with the sheet of the same material.

It is also preferable that the recording apparatus includes a sheet feeding device having the above-mentioned features, and that the functional means be constituted by recording means for recording an image on a sheet in accordance with image information. .

It is also preferable that the recording means of the recording apparatus is a recording means for discharging the ink from the discharge port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. .

[0021]

Embodiment

(Embodiment 1) An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an ink jet printer as an example of a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention and a recording apparatus including the sheet feeding apparatus will be specifically described. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of a recording apparatus provided with a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. Is a flowchart in a case where a recording sheet is fed from the printer and a recording operation is to be performed.

In this embodiment, a case where two sheet cassettes are provided as a plurality of sheet supply ports will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a case where another plurality of sheet cassettes are provided. In addition, the present invention can be appropriately applied to a configuration having various plural sheet supply ports such as a case where a plurality of sheet decks are provided instead of a sheet cassette, a case where a plurality of manual supply ports are provided, and a case where these are combined. Things.

In FIG. 1, reference numerals 1a and 1b denote first and second sheet cassettes serving as sheet supply ports for placing and storing recording sheets S made of paper, synthetic resin, or the like. The placed sheet S moves up and down.

Reference numerals 3a and 3b denote feeding rollers having a semicircular cross section serving as sheet feeding means. The feeding motor 14 is controlled by a control unit 12 shown in FIG. , 15 are driven by one rotation for each feeding operation. The feed rollers 3a and 3b rotate one rotation from a standby state where the flat portion faces the recording sheet S as shown in FIG. 1, and return to the original standby state.

Then, a pressure plate (not shown) rises and the recording sheet S is pressed against the feed rollers 3a and 3b, and the cassette 1
a, 1b are provided on the upper end side of each of the separation claws 4a, 4b,
The feed roller 3 is driven to rotate the recording sheet S, the corners of which are regulated by 4b, in the feeding direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1).
The recording sheets S are fed out by a and 3b, and are sequentially fed one by one from the uppermost recording sheet S.

A feeding path 16a connected to the first sheet cassette 1a is provided near a pair of conveying rollers 5 driven by a conveying motor 17 controlled by the control unit 12 via a motor driver 13 to feed sheets. Merging point A provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “upstream side”)
It is connected to the.

The feed path 16b connected to the second sheet cassette 1b is connected to a feed roller pair 11 which is rotated by a feed motor 18 controlled by a control unit 12 via a motor driver 13. It is connected to junction A.

Downstream of the conveying roller pair 5 in the sheet feeding direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “downstream side”), the recording sheet S
A sheet sensor 6 for detecting the front and rear ends and the presence / absence is arranged. The sheet sensor 6 is connected to the control unit 12,
The detection information of the leading and trailing edges of the recording sheet S and the presence / absence of the
To be communicated to.

The control unit 12 is located downstream of the sheet sensor 6.
And a feed roller pair 7 driven by a feed motor 19 controlled by a motor driver 13 via the motor driver 13. The feed roller pair 7 and the transport roller pairs 5 and 11 are controlled based on detection information of the sheet sensor 6. By cooperation, the leading end of the recording sheet S abuts and locks the nip portion of the feed roller pair 7 held in a stopped state, and the conveying roller pair 5
11, the recording sheet S is conveyed by a fixed amount to form a loop in the recording sheet S to correct skew, and then the feed roller pair 7 is driven to rotate at a predetermined timing to cause the recording head 8 to move the recording sheet S. The sheet is conveyed to the opposite recording area.

On the downstream side of the feed roller pair 7, a direction parallel to the sheet surface and orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction (hereinafter, referred to as a sheet conveying direction).
An ink jet recording head 8 mounted on a carriage movably supported by a guide shaft 20 disposed in the “sheet width direction” is provided.

The ink jet recording head 8 is configured as recording means for recording an image in accordance with image information on a recording sheet S as an example of a functional means for exerting a predetermined action on a sheet. A platen 21 that supports the back surface of the recording sheet S conveyed in the sheet conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) by the feed roller pair 7 at a position facing the head 8 is disposed.

The carriage on which the recording head 8 is mounted is driven by a carriage motor 23 controlled by a control unit 12 via a carriage motor driver 22 to move in a sheet width direction (main scanning direction) along a guide shaft 20. I do.

On the downstream side of the recording head 8, a discharge roller pair 9 driven by a discharge motor 24 controlled by the control unit 12 via a motor driver 13 is disposed. 7 and discharge roller pair 9
And the platen 21
The back surface is supported by the recording head 8 according to the image information sent from the control unit 12 via the head driver 25.
The recording sheet S conveyed by the discharge roller pair 9 is discharged and placed on a discharge tray 10 provided outside the apparatus.

As the recording means in this embodiment, an ink jet recording method for discharging ink from the recording head 8 for recording is used. That is, the recording head 8 has a fine liquid ejection port (orifice), a liquid path, an energy action section provided in a part of the liquid path, and an energy for generating a droplet forming energy to act on the liquid in the action section. Generating means.

As an energy generating means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element or the like, an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is irradiated to generate heat, and droplets are discharged by the action of the heat. There are a recording method using an energy generating means, and a recording method using an energy generating means for discharging a liquid by heating a liquid by an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistor.

Among them, a recording head used in an ink jet recording method for discharging a liquid by thermal energy has a liquid discharge port (orifice) for discharging a recording droplet to form a discharge droplet at a high density. Since they can be arranged, high-resolution recording can be performed.

Among them, a recording head using an electrothermal transducer as an energy generating means can be easily made compact, and has recently achieved remarkable progress in the semiconductor field and a remarkable improvement in reliability. This is advantageous because the advantages can be fully utilized, high-density mounting is easy, and the manufacturing cost is low.

In the above-described embodiment, the ink jet recording method is used as the recording means. However, a current is applied to the electrothermal transducer according to a recording signal, and a film generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. It is further preferable that the recording is performed by discharging the ink from the discharge port by the growth and shrinkage of the bubble generated in the ink by utilizing the boiling.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 47407.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 96.

Next, a control unit 1 as a control means shown in FIG.
2 will be described.

The control unit 12 includes a central processing unit (CP)
U and a ROM as a read-only memory, a RAM as a memory that can be read and written at any time, and the like.

Of these, the CPU is a central processing unit, which reads out programs and various data from external devices such as a ROM and an input device (not shown) to be described later, performs necessary calculations and judgments, and performs various controls. Things.

The CPU controls the above-described various motors via the motor driver 13 based on the detection information from the sheet sensor 6 and performs the rotation driving operation of the various rollers, thereby rotating the recording sheet S at a predetermined timing. It is designed to be transported.

On the other hand, the CPU is equipped with a counter section, and feed rollers 3a and 3b are respectively provided in the feed paths from the first and second sheet cassettes 1a and 1b to the sheet sensor 6. The recording sheets S placed and stored in the first and second sheet cassettes 1a and 1b are fed out by the feed rollers 3a and 3b from the time when the rotation operation is started, and are conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 5 and 11, respectively. The time required until detection by the sheet sensor 6 is counted. Then, the arrival time set in advance by design or actually measured is compared with the actual arrival time measured by the counter section, and a sheet-out error or a jam error is detected and provided on an operation panel (not shown). An error is displayed on the displayed display unit 26 to notify the operator.

Next, the ROM stores an operation program corresponding to the feeding operation and the recording operation, and the CPU performs a predetermined operation by the operation program based on the detection signal transmitted from the sheet sensor 6. To perform the feeding operation and the recording operation. Further, the ROM stores various programs for operating the CPU and various data necessary for a feeding operation, a recording operation, and the like.

Finally, the RAM comprises a working area for temporarily storing data in the command and operation instructions by the CPU, a buffer area for storing various data input from external equipment (not shown) and the like.

In FIG. 2, in addition to the sheet sensor 6, the input unit to the control unit 12 includes a paper size detection unit 27.
a and 27b, and a storage device 25.

The paper size detection 27a, 27b
Is to detect the size of the recording sheets of the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b.

The storage device 28 is an electrically rewritable storage device such as an E ² ROM and can store data without supplying power to the device main body.
Sheet materials such as plain paper, coated paper, glossy paper, and OHP paper are input in advance to the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b, and the data is stored. Of course, when the user changes the sheet material in the cassette, the data in the storage device 28 is also rewritten using an input device (not shown).

Here, it is also possible for the user to input the paper size to the storage device 28 using the input device. In this case, when the user changes the paper size, it is necessary to input a paper size change input to the apparatus.

These paper size detections 27a and 27b,
The storage device 28 and the control unit 12 constitute a determination unit, and determine a sheet supply port having a sheet having the same characteristics as the sheet instructed to be fed, from the plurality of sheet supply ports. .

Thus, even if there is no sheet in one sheet supply port to be fed, the feeding is started from a sheet supply port having a sheet having a desired characteristic among other sheet supply ports. This eliminates the need for replenishing sheets or changing the sheet supply port by the user.

Next, an operation of recording images by supplying sheets from the first and second sheet cassettes 1a and 1b, which are a plurality of sheet supply ports, in the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. First, the case where the recording sheets S are fed from the first sheet cassette 1a will be described.

When a feed instruction is issued from the control unit, the presence or absence of the recording sheet S placed in the first sheet cassette 1a is not detected by the sheet presence sensor as in the above-described conventional example. Immediately, the feed roller 3a is driven one rotation to cooperate with the separation claw 4a to separate and feed the uppermost recording sheet S one by one (step S1).

The recording sheet S fed out by the feed roller 3a is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 5 (Step S).
2), a predetermined time from the rotation start time of the feeding roller 3a (the leading end of the recording sheet S conveyed by the feeding roller 3a and the conveying roller pair 5 along the feeding path from the first sheet cassette 1a to the sheet sensor 6). the but the recording sheet S by the sheet sensor 6 is detected by (step S3), and the conveying roller pair 5 further from the time the leading end is detected by the sheet sensor 6 to time + alpha time) T ₁ theoretical reaching the sheet sensor 6 The recording sheet S is conveyed by a predetermined amount (Step S4), and the leading end of the recording sheet S strikes the nip portion of the feed roller pair 7 held in a stopped state, and an appropriate loop is formed on the recording sheet S. Is corrected, and after the cue of the recording sheet S is performed (step S5), the conveyance by the conveyance roller pair 5 is stopped (step S6).

Next, the feed roller pair 7 rotates to convey the recording sheet S to the recording area where the recording head 8 faces (step S7), and the recording of the recording sheet S conveyed by the feed roller pair 7 is started. When the position reaches the recording area (step S8), the carriage on which the recording head 8 is mounted is driven by the carriage motor 23 to record on the recording sheet S conveyed while moving in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 20. Ink is ejected by the head 8 in accordance with the image information, and an image is recorded (step S9).

The recording sheet S on which the image is recorded is conveyed by the discharge roller pair 9 (step S10), discharged and placed on the discharge tray 10 arranged outside the apparatus, and the recording operation is completed (step S10). S11).

[0058] Also, the recording sheet S in step S3, the rotation start time of the feeding roller 3a to a predetermined time T ₁
Is not detected by the sheet sensor 6, the control unit 12 recognizes that the recording sheet S in the first sheet cassette 1a has run out, and compares the sheet size detections 27a and 27b (step S41). Are the same, the information of the sheet material of the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b stored in the storage device 28 is compared. (Step S42) At this time, if the sheet material is the same, the feed roller 3b is immediately driven to rotate one rotation without detecting the presence or absence of the recording sheet S by the sheet presence / absence sensor as in the above-described conventional example, and the separation claw is formed. The uppermost recording sheet S is separated and fed one by one in cooperation with 4b (step S21).

Then, the recording sheet S is transported by the transport roller pair 11 (step S22), and further transported by the transport roller pair 5. (Step S23) A predetermined time from the rotation start time of the feed roller 3b (recording conveyed by the feed roller 3b and the feed roller pairs 5 and 11 along the feed path from the second sheet cassette 1b to the sheet sensor 6). When the leading edge of the sheet S is detected by the sheet sensor 6 to time + beta time) T ₂ of the theoretical reaching the sheet sensor 6 (step S24), and further transported from the point of the tip is detected by the sheet sensor 6 roller The recording sheet S is conveyed by a predetermined amount by pairs 5 and 11 (step S25).
As a result, the leading end of the recording sheet S abuts on the nip portion of the feed roller pair 7 held in a stopped state, an appropriate loop is formed on the recording sheet S, and skew of the recording sheet S is forced, and recording is performed. The cueing of the sheet S is performed (step S26).

Thereafter, when the transport by the transport roller pairs 5 and 11 is stopped (step S27), the process returns to step S7, in which the feed roller pair 7 is driven to rotate and the recording sheet S is moved to the recording area where the recording head 8 faces. After the transport, the operations from step S8 to step S11 are performed in the same manner as described above. On the other hand, in step S41, the sheet sizes of the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b are different, or
When it is determined at 42 that the sheet materials of the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b are different, the conveying roller pair 5 is stopped (step S12), and an error is displayed on the display unit 26 on the operation panel (not shown) (step S12). S13), the feeding operation ends (step S14).

[0061] Further, in step S24 of FIG. 3, when the recording sheet S from the rotation start time to a predetermined time T ₂ of the feed roller 3b is not detected by the sheet sensor 6 or second jam occurs Recognizing that the recording sheets S in the second sheet cassette 1b have run out, the process proceeds to step S33, in which the transport roller pairs 5, 11 are stopped, and an error is displayed on the display unit 26 on the operation panel (not shown) (step S34). ), End the feeding operation (step S)
35).

Conversely, when the recording sheet S is fed from the second sheet cassette 1b, the operation is substantially the same as the above operation, and the recording sheet S of the second sheet cassette 1b is fed. When the recording sheets S in the second sheet cassette 1b run out, the operation is changed to the operation of feeding the recording sheets S from the first sheet cassette 1a.

(Other Embodiments) In the above embodiment, the determination in step S41 is made based on the paper size detection 27a, 27
7b, the paper size detection 27 was performed.
The sheet sizes of the sheet cassettes 1a and 1b stored in the storage device 28 may be compared and determined in the same manner as the determination of the sheet material described above (step S42) without providing the sheets a and 27b.

Further, for example, the first
When the start of feeding of the recording sheets S from the first sheet cassette 1a is specified in a state where it is detected that there is no recording sheet S in the sheet cassette 1a, the control unit 12
Alternatively, the feeding operation of the recording sheets S from the second sheet cassette 1b may be started without performing the feeding operation of the recording sheets S from the first sheet cassette 1a.

In the above-described embodiment, the case in which two sheet supply ports are provided has been described. However, in the case where three or more sheet supply ports are provided, recording sheets S of the same size and material are accommodated. Similarly, when the recording sheet S is used up, the recording sheet S can be switched so that the recording sheet S is sequentially fed from another sheet supply port.

The form of the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus is not only used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, but also a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and further a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting / receiving function. May be used.

Although an example in which an ink jet recording method is used as the above-described recording means has been described, the present invention is not limited to the ink jet recording method, and other recording methods such as a thermal transfer recording method, a thermal recording method, and the like. Can be applied to an impact recording method such as a wire dot recording method or other recording methods. It is not necessary to limit to the serial recording method, and a so-called line recording method may be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described where the recording means is configured to record an image on a sheet in accordance with image information as the functional means. However, as another configuration, the functional means is recorded on a sheet original. It is also possible to apply the present invention to an image reading device configured to read image information of a sheet-like document fed by the above-described sheet feeding device.

[0069]

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, it is possible to provide a high-quality sheet feeding apparatus with high productivity and a recording apparatus having the same.

That is, the sheet presence sensor provided in each of the plurality of sheet supply ports is omitted, and the sheet sensor is provided on the upstream side near the functional unit (recording unit).
It is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of assembling steps to reduce costs and improve productivity.

Further, since a discriminating means for discriminating a sheet supply port having a sheet having the same characteristics as the fed sheet from among the plurality of sheet supply ports is provided, Even if there is no sheet in one sheet supply port to be fed, among the other sheet supply ports,
The feeding can be started from the sheet supply port provided with the sheet having the desired characteristics, and the trouble of replenishing the sheet or changing the sheet supply port can be omitted.

Further, regarding the material of the sheet, in particular, by discriminating the sheet supply port, it is possible to prevent a sheet of a material different from the sheet to be fed from being fed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a configuration of a recording apparatus including a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a case where a recording sheet is first fed from a first cassette to perform a recording operation.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a configuration of a recording apparatus including a sheet feeding apparatus according to a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart in a case where sheet feeding is performed only from a first cassette in a sheet feeding apparatus according to a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart in a case where sheet feeding is performed only from a second cassette in a sheet feeding apparatus according to a conventional example.

FIG. 7 illustrates a first example of a conventional sheet feeding apparatus when sheets of the same size are provided in first and second cassettes.
6 is a flowchart in the case of feeding from the cassette of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 101a First sheet cassette 1b, 101b Second sheet cassette 102a, 102b Sheet presence / absence sensor 3a, 3b, 103a, 103b Feeding rollers 4a, 4b, 104a, 104b Separating claw 5, 11, 105 Transport roller pair 6 , 106 sheet sensor 7, 107 feed roller pair 8, 108 recording head 9, 109 discharge roller pair 10, 110 discharge tray 16a, 16b feed path 20 guide shaft 21 platen A junction point S recording sheet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of sheet supply ports for supplying sheets, a function means for exerting a predetermined action on the sheets, and a feeding path connected to each of the plurality of sheet supply ports, A feeding path for merging at a point and feeding a sheet to the functional unit, disposed downstream of the merging point in the sheet feeding direction and upstream of the functional unit in the sheet feeding direction; A sheet sensor for detecting a sheet fed in a feeding path; and a determination unit for determining a sheet supply port provided with a sheet having the same characteristics as the sheet instructed to be fed among the plurality of sheet supply ports. When a sheet is not detected by the sheet sensor within a predetermined time after sheet feeding is started from one of the plurality of sheet supply ports, the sheet supply port determined by the determination unit is used. Sheet Sheet feeding apparatus, characterized in that it comprises control means for controlling to start feeding, the. 2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discriminating means includes a storage device for storing a sheet material of each of said plurality of sheet supply ports. 3. A recording apparatus comprising the sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said functional means is constituted by recording means for recording an image on a sheet according to image information. 4. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording means of the recording apparatus discharges the ink from the discharge port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. The recording device according to any one of the preceding claims.