JPH11322131A - Manual paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an operation defective of an equipment main body caused by skew of paper, in a manual paper feeder for receiving paper fed one by one by the hand of an operator from the outside of an equipment and supplying paper to the inside of the equipment. SOLUTION: This device is provided with carrier means 1, 2 capable of receiving fed paper 9 and carrying this paper 9 in a forward direction (+X direction) toward the inside of an equipment or in a backward direction (-X direction) toward the outside of the equipment. The device is provided with skew amount detection means A, B, C detecting skew amount of fed paper 9. The device is provided with a control means 10 controlling the operations of the carrier means 1, 2 based on skew amount of paper 9 that the skew amount detection means A, B, C detect.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a manual sheet feeding device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a manual sheet feeding device that receives sheets fed one by one from outside the apparatus by an operator and supplies the sheets to the inside of the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this type of manual paper feeder, for example, the one shown in FIG. 6 is known. The manual paper feeder includes a roller 101 that is driven to rotate around a horizontal axis 107 by a motor (not shown), and is pressed against the roller 101 from below, and is driven around a horizontal axis 108 as the roller 101 rotates. A rotating roller 102 is provided. When one sheet of paper 109 is sent along the manual feed tray 103 by the operator's hand, the sheet
Front end 109f of the paper sensor 104 is the cantilever 10
By tilting 4a, insertion of paper 109 is detected. Then, a control unit (not shown) rotates the roller 101 for a relatively short period of time in a direction (X direction) in which the sheet 109 is transported to the image forming unit 105 inside the device. As a result, the front end 109f of the paper 109 fed by hand is sandwiched between the nip portions n of the roller pairs 101 and 102. After waiting for a while in this state, the control unit again synchronizes with the image forming operation in the image forming unit 105 and
1 is rotated in the X direction. As a result, the roller pair 101,
The paper 109 is conveyed to the image forming unit 105 by the
The image is transferred onto the sheet 109 by the image forming unit 105.

[0003]

When the sheets 109 are fed one by one by the operator as described above, guides (suppression) on the side edges of the sheets become insufficient.
Skew of paper 109 (specifically, by-pass tray 10
3 may occur in the plane along the direction No. 3 with respect to the direction in which the sheet 109 is fed. However, in the above-described manual paper feeder, even when the skew amount of the paper is large, the paper 109 is directly transported to the inside of the apparatus. There is a risk that the device itself will malfunction, such as when a jam (paper jam) occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a manual sheet feeder capable of preventing a malfunction of an apparatus main body due to a skew of a sheet.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a manual sheet feeder which receives sheets fed one by one from outside the apparatus and supplies them to the inside of the apparatus. Manual feeder for
Receiving means for receiving the fed sheet and transporting the sheet in a forward direction toward the inside of the device or in a reverse direction toward the outside of the device; and a skew amount for detecting a skew amount of the fed sheet. And a control unit for controlling the operation of the transport unit based on the skew amount of the sheet detected by the skew amount detection unit.

In the manual paper feeder according to the first aspect, when a sheet is fed by an operator's hand, the conveying means receives the fed sheet, and the skew detecting means detects the skew amount of the fed sheet. Is detected. The control unit controls the operation of the transport unit based on the skew amount of the sheet detected by the skew amount detection unit. For example, when the skew amount of the paper is below a certain reference value, the control means operates the transport means in a direction for transporting the paper in a forward direction toward the inside of the apparatus. Thus, the paper can be taken into the device. On the other hand, when the skew amount of the paper exceeds a certain reference value, the control means operates the transport means in a direction for transporting the paper in a reverse direction toward the outside of the device. Thereby, the paper can be discharged to the outside of the device. Therefore, the malfunction of the device main body due to the skew of the sheet is prevented beforehand.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the manual sheet feeding apparatus according to the first aspect, the control means controls the sheet feeding when the skew amount of the sheet exceeds a predetermined reference value. The conveying means is operated in a direction in which the conveying means is conveyed in the reverse direction.

In the manual paper feeder according to the second aspect, when the skew amount of the paper exceeds a predetermined reference value, the control means controls the transport in a direction for transporting the paper in a reverse direction toward the outside of the apparatus. Since the means is operated, the paper can be discharged out of the apparatus. Therefore, the malfunction of the device main body due to the skew of the sheet is prevented beforehand.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the manual sheet feeding apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the skew amount detecting means includes at least two skew amount detecting means at positions opposite to the conveying means in the opposite direction. A sheet sensor is provided, and the positions at which the two sheet sensors detect a sheet are different from each other in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction in a plane along the sheet conveying path. It is characterized in that it is determined whether or not the skew amount of the paper exceeds the reference value based on the position of the paper sensor and the timing when each paper sensor detects the front end of the paper.

According to the manual paper feeder of the third aspect,
It is reliably determined whether the skew amount of the paper exceeds the reference value.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the manual sheet feeding apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the skew amount detecting means is located on the reverse side and the forward side of the transporting means. Each of the paper sensors has a paper sensor, and the position at which each of the paper sensors detects a paper is different from each other in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction in a plane along the paper transport path. The skew amount of the sheet is set to the reference value based on the speed at which the sheet is fed by the operator, the speed at which the sheet is conveyed by the conveying means, and the timing at which each sheet sensor detects the front end of the sheet. Or not.

According to the manual paper feeder of the fourth aspect,
It is reliably determined whether the skew amount of the paper exceeds the reference value.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the manual paper feeder according to the present invention will be described below in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a manual paper feeder 90 according to an embodiment of a printer which is an apparatus for forming an image on a rectangular sheet.
2 shows a configuration example to which is applied. 2A shows the vicinity of the manual feeder 90 when viewed from above, and FIG. 2B shows the same as FIG. 1A when viewed horizontally from the front.

The manual paper feeder 90 includes a pair of rollers 1 and 2, a rectangular manual tray 3, and a roller 3 provided near the end 3 e of the manual tray 3 near the roller pair 1 and 2.
Paper sensors A, B, and C, and these paper sensors A,
A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 10 is provided as control means for controlling the entire apparatus in response to the output signals of B and C.

The roller 1 is driven to rotate about a horizontal shaft 7 by a motor (not shown) controlled by the CPU 10. The roller 2 is pressed from below by the roller 1 and is driven to rotate around the horizontal shaft 8 with the rotation of the roller 1.

The manual feed tray 3 extends from the left side of the roller 1 to the vicinity of the nip portion n of the roller pair 1 and 2, and guides the sheets 9 fed one by one by an operator's hand to guide the rollers 1 and 2. It leads to the nip n. Small holes 11, 12, and 13 are provided in portions of the manual feed tray 3 corresponding to positions directly above the sheet sensors A, B, and C, respectively, and penetrate the tray in the vertical direction.

The roller pairs 1 and 2 function as conveying means for conveying the paper. That is, the paper 9 fed along the upper surface of the manual feed tray 3 is sandwiched between the nip portions n,
The paper 9 can be transported in the forward direction (+ X direction) toward the inside of the printer or in the reverse direction (−X direction) toward the outside of the printer according to the forward rotation and the reverse rotation of the motor. In this example, an image forming unit 5 for forming an image on the sheet 9 is disposed at a position inside the printer corresponding to the forward direction with respect to the roller pairs 1 and 2. Roller pairs 1 and 2
It is used as a timing roller for feeding the paper 9 to the image forming unit 5 in synchronization with the image forming operation in the image forming unit 5.

Each of the sheet sensors A, B, and C is a non-contact type which incorporates a light emitting element and a light receiving element (not shown) in this example and irradiates light to detect the presence or absence of a sheet. For example, the paper sensor A emits light upward from the built-in light emitting element through the corresponding small hole 11 of the manual feed tray 3, and the built-in light receiving element reflects the amount of reflected light received from an object on the small hole 11 to form a paper. It is detected whether or not the sheet 9 passes over the small hole 11 (whether or not the sheet 9 exists at a position on the small hole 11). Similarly, the remaining paper sensors B and C are also separated from the built-in light emitting elements by the manual feed tray 3 respectively.
The light is emitted upward through the corresponding small holes 12, 13,
In accordance with the amount of reflected light received by the built-in light receiving element, it is detected whether or not the paper 9 has passed over the small holes 12 and 13, respectively.

The paper sensors B and C are connected to the manual feed tray 3
Along the roller pair 1, 2 side end 3e, different positions in the direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the transport direction of the sheet 9, more specifically, the left half 91 and the right half 9r of the sheet 9 to be fed.
Are arranged at positions (Y-coordinates Y1 and Y2 shown in FIG. 2) to be opposed to. The paper sensor A is arranged at a position separated from the paper sensor B in the -X direction. FIG.
As shown schematically, the center distance between the paper sensors A and B is set to La, and the center distance between the paper sensors B and C is set to Lb. The sizes of the paper sensors A, B, and C are sufficiently smaller than the distances La and Lb.

When one sheet of paper 9 is sent from the outside to the pair of rollers 1 and 2 along the manual feed tray 3 in FIG. 1 by the operator's hand, the front end 9f of the paper 9 is fed to the paper sensors A, B, The positions of the sheet 9 at the time when the sheet front end 9f is detected by the sheet sensors A, B, and C are indicated by P1, P2, and P3 in FIG. Then, the CPU 10 shown in FIG. 1 receives the output signals of the paper sensors A, B, and C and recognizes that the paper 9 has been fed. Then, the roller 1 is rotated for a relatively short period of time in a direction (+ X direction) for transporting the sheet 9 to the image forming unit 5. As a result, the front end 9f of the sheet 9 fed by hand is sandwiched between the nip portions n of the pair of rollers 1 and 2, and in this state, the pair of rollers 1 and 2 temporarily stop.

At this time, the CPU 10 determines the position of each of the paper sensors A, B, and C, and
Is calculated based on the timing at which the front end 9f of the sheet is detected.

S = (La × Tb) / (Lb × Ta) (1) where La is the distance between the paper sensors A and B shown in FIG. 2, and Lb is the paper sensor shown in FIG. The distance between B and C,
Ta indicates the time difference when the paper sensors A and B detect the front end 9f of the paper, and Tb indicates the time difference when the paper sensors B and C detect the front end 9f. As can be seen, when the paper front end 9f is fed in a state perpendicular to the X direction,
Since Tb = 0, S = 0. As shown in FIG. 2, the right side portion 9r of the paper 9 leads the paper front end 9
If f is fed obliquely to the Y direction, Tb
Since <0 and Ta> 0, S <0. On the other hand, if the front end 9f of the sheet 9 is fed obliquely with respect to the Y direction in a mode in which the left portion 9l of the sheet 9 precedes, S> 0 because Tb> 0 and Ta> 0.

Next, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the actually measured absolute value | S | of the skew amount exceeds a preset reference value SL. If | S | <SL, it is determined that the skew amount of the paper 9 is within the allowable range,
U10 is synchronized with the image forming operation in the image forming unit 5,
The roller 1 is again rotated in the + X direction. As a result, the sheet 9 is conveyed to the image forming unit 5 by the roller pairs 1 and 2, and the image is transferred onto the sheet 9 by the image forming unit 5.

On the other hand, when | S | ≧ SL, the paper 9
Is determined to be outside the allowable range, and the CP
U10 rotates the roller 1 in the -X direction for a certain time. As a result, the sheet 9 once sandwiched between the nip portions n of the roller pairs 1 and 2 is returned to the manual feed tray 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the device main body due to the skew of the sheet 9 such as an image being transferred to the rectangular sheet 9 at a slant or a conveyance jam. When the sheet 9 is returned, the operator
The sheet 9 may be sent again to the pair of rollers 1 and 2 while paying attention to the skew of the sheet 9.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a configuration in which a manual paper feeder 91 according to another embodiment is applied to a printer which is an apparatus for forming an image on a rectangular sheet. The same figure
(a) is a view of the vicinity of the manual feeder 91 from above,
FIG. 2B shows the same in FIG. 1A as viewed horizontally from the front. For the sake of simplicity, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description is omitted.

The manual paper feeder 91 includes a manual feed tray 4 instead of the manual feed tray 3 in FIG.
The paper sensors D and E are respectively disposed at positions on the −X direction side and the + X direction side.

The manual tray 4 is a rectangular plate extending from the left side of the roller 1 to the vicinity of the nip portion n of the roller pair 1 and 2 similarly to the manual tray 3 described above. The paper 9 fed one by one is guided to the nip n of the rollers 1 and 2. A small hole 14 is provided in a portion of the manual feed tray 3 corresponding to a position directly above the paper sensor D, and penetrates the tray in the vertical direction.

Each of the paper sensors D and E includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element similarly to the paper sensors A, B and C described above.
It is a non-contact type that detects the presence or absence of a sheet by irradiating light. The paper sensor D includes a pair of rollers 1 of the manual feed tray 4.
Immediately below the second side end 4e, it is provided at a position to be opposed to a substantially central portion of the sheet 9 to be fed. See Figure 4 for details.
As shown in (a), the roller pair is provided at a position separated from the nip portion n of the pair of rollers 1 and 2 by the distance La in the −X direction and the Y coordinate is Y3. On the other hand, the paper sensor E
Is + X for the distance Lb from the nip n of the roller pairs 1 and 2.
Are provided in such a position as to be separated in the direction and the Y coordinate is (Y3-c) (where c> 0). Note that the size of each paper sensor D, E is the distance La, Lb, c.
Shall be sufficiently smaller than

When one sheet of paper 9 is sent from the outside to the pair of rollers 1 and 2 along the manual feed tray 4 in FIG. 3 by the operator, as shown in FIG. Is detected by the paper sensor D. Then, the CPU 10 receives the output signal of the paper sensor D and recognizes that the paper 9 has been fed. Then, FIG. 5 (b)
, The direction in which the paper 9 is transported to the image forming unit 5 (+ X
Direction), the roller 1 is rotated at a constant transport speed Vr. Thereby, the sheet 9 fed by hand is conveyed in the + X direction while being sandwiched between the nip portions n of the roller pairs 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 5C, when the front end 9 of the paper 9 is detected by the paper sensor E, the CPU 10 temporarily stops the roller pair 1 and 2 at that time.

At this time, the CPU 10 moves the sheet front end 9f from the position on the sheet sensor D to the position on the sheet sensor E based on the timing at which the sheet sensors D and E detect the front end 9f of the sheet 9. Travel time T
Is measured. Next, the CPU 10 determines whether or not the actually measured movement time T is within a preset allowable range (Tmin, Tmax).

Here, the allowable range (Tmin, Tmax)
Will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the front end 9f of the paper 9 is Y
When the paper is fed at an angle to the direction, the paper front end 9f
Is required to move from the position on the paper sensor D to the position on the paper sensor E is represented by the following equation (2).

T = (La−0.5 × w × sin θ) / Vi + (Lb + (0.5 × w−c) sin θ) / Vr (2) where w is the width of the paper 9 and θ is The skew angle (absolute value) formed by the front end 9f of the sheet in the Y direction, Vi represents the speed at which the sheet is fed by the operator, and Vr represents the transport speed of the sheet 9 by the roller pairs 1 and 2.

For the sake of easy understanding, in FIG. 4A, when the sheet front end 9f is detected by the sheet sensor D, when the sheet front end 9f reaches the nip portion n of the roller pair 1, 2, the sheet front end The positions of the sheet 9 when 9f is detected by the sheet sensor E are represented by Q1, Q2, and Q3, respectively.
As can be understood from the movement of the sheet 9 on the line Y = Y3, the first term on the right side of the equation (2) represents the movement time Ti until the sheet front end 9f reaches the position Q2 from the position Q1.
The second term on the right side of the equation (2) represents the movement time Tr until the front end 9f of the sheet reaches the position Q3 from the position Q2.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), when the front end 9f of the paper 9 is fed with the front end 9f inclined with respect to the Y direction in a mode in which the left portion 91 of the paper 9 precedes, the front end 9f of the paper 9 becomes the paper sensor D. The movement time T required to move from the upper position to the position on the paper sensor E is expressed by the following equation (3).

T = (La−0.5 × w × sin θ) / Vi + (Lb + (0.5 × w + c) sin θ) / Vr (3) As in the above case, FIG. The position of the sheet 9 at the time when the sheet front end 9f is detected by the sheet sensor D, the time when the sheet front end 9f reaches the nip portion n of the roller pair 1 and 2, and the time when the sheet front end 9f is detected by the sheet sensor E are respectively shown. They are represented by Q1 ', Q2', and Q3 '. Y = Y3
As can be understood from the movement of the sheet 9 on the line, the first term on the right side of the equation (3) represents a movement time Ti 'until the front end 9f of the sheet reaches the position Q2' from the position Q1 '.
The second term on the right side of the equation (3) represents a moving time Tr 'until the sheet front end 9f reaches the position Q3' from the position Q2 '.

Then, the skew angle θ in the equation (2)
Is the maximum value of the allowable skew angle θmax, the allowable value of the moving time T required for the front end 9f of the paper to move from the position on the paper sensor D to the position on the paper sensor E is Becomes the minimum value Tmin. Similarly,
The value of T when the skew angle θ in Expression (3) is the maximum allowable skew angle θmax is the maximum value Tmax of the allowable allowable range of the moving time T. As shown in FIG. 5C, the actually measured movement time T is T0, and Tmin <T0
If <Tmax is satisfied, it is determined that the skew amount of the paper 9 is within the allowable range. Then, the CPU 10 executes the processing in FIG.
The roller 1 is again rotated in the + X direction in synchronization with the image forming operation in the image forming unit 5 shown therein. As a result, the sheet 9 is conveyed to the image forming unit 5 by the roller pairs 1 and 2, and the image is transferred onto the sheet 9 by the image forming unit 5.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5D, when the actually measured movement time T is T1 and T1 ≦ Tmin, it is determined that the skew amount of the paper 9 exceeds the allowable range.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (e), the actually measured movement time T is T2.
Similarly, when Tmax ≦ T2, it is also determined that the skew amount of the sheet 9 exceeds the allowable range. Then, the CPU 10 rotates the roller 1 shown in FIG. 3 in the -X direction for a certain time. As a result, the sheet 9 once sandwiched between the nip portions n of the roller pairs 1 and 2 is returned to the manual feed tray 4. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the device main body due to the skew of the sheet 9 such as an image being transferred to the rectangular sheet 9 at a slant or a conveyance jam. When the sheet 9 is returned, the operator should pay attention to the skew of the sheet 9 and send the sheet 9 toward the roller pairs 1 and 2 again.

For example, Vr = 50 mm / s, La = 6 m
m, Lb = 30 mm, c = 100 mm, w = 210 mm
And θmax = 3 °, Tmin = 0.6 s and Tmax = 0.8 when Vi ≧ 40 mm / s is assumed.
s. Therefore, by actually measuring the movement time T required for the front end 9f of the paper to move from the position on the paper sensor D to the position on the paper sensor E, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the skew amount is within an allowable range. Can be determined.

Each of the paper sensors A, B, C, D,
E is a reflection type, but it may be a transmission type as a matter of course. In that case, the light emitting element and the light receiving element of each paper sensor are arranged above and below the paper transport path. Also, assuming that the paper is a transparent film, each paper sensor is
It may be a contact type having a cantilever.

The case where the manual sheet feeder of the present invention is applied to a printer has been described above. Needless to say,
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The manual paper feeder of the present invention can be widely applied to various devices that perform some processing on paper taken from outside.

[0042]

As is apparent from the above description, in the manual paper feeder according to the first aspect, the control means controls the operation of the transport means based on the skew amount of the sheet detected by the skew amount detection means. When the skew amount of the paper exceeds a certain reference value, the paper can be discharged to the outside of the device by transporting the paper in the reverse direction toward the outside of the device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the device main body caused by the skew of the sheet.

In the manual paper feeder according to the present invention, when the skew amount of the paper exceeds a predetermined reference value,
The control means operates the transport means in a direction for transporting the paper in the reverse direction toward the outside of the device, so that the paper can be discharged to the outside of the device, and therefore, the operation of the device main body due to the skew of the paper Defects can be prevented beforehand.

According to the manual paper feeder described in claim 3 or 4, it is possible to reliably determine whether the skew amount of the paper exceeds the reference value.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which a manual sheet feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a printer.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the manual paper feeder.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which a manual sheet feeder according to another embodiment of the present invention is applied to a printer.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the manual paper feeder.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing signal output timings of the manual sheet feeding device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional manual sheet feeding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A, B, C, D, E Paper sensor 1, 2 Roller 3, 4 Manual feed tray 5 Image forming unit 9 Paper sensor 10 CPU

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A manual sheet feeding device for receiving sheets fed one by one from outside of a device by an operator and supplying the sheets to the inside of the device. A transport unit capable of transporting in a forward direction toward the inside of the device or a reverse direction toward the outside of the device, a skew amount detecting unit for detecting a skew amount of the fed sheet, and the skew amount detected by the skew amount detecting unit. A manual paper feeder, comprising: a control unit that controls the operation of the transport unit based on a skew amount of a sheet. 2. The manual sheet feeder according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to convey the sheet in the reverse direction when a skew amount of the sheet exceeds a predetermined reference value. A manual sheet feeding device characterized by operating a conveying means. 3. The manual sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the skew amount detecting unit includes at least two sheet sensors at a position on the opposite side of the transport unit, and the two sheet sensors. Are different from each other with respect to a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction in a plane along the sheet conveying path, and the control means includes: a position of each of the sheet sensors; and a position of each of the sheet sensors. Determining whether the skew amount of the sheet exceeds the reference value based on a timing at which the front end of the sheet is detected. 4. The manual paper feeder according to claim 1, wherein the skew amount detecting means includes a paper sensor at a position on the reverse direction and a position on the forward direction of the transport means, respectively. The position at which the sensor detects the paper is different from each other in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper in a plane along the transport path of the paper, and the control unit controls a speed at which the paper is fed by an operator. Determining whether or not the skew amount of the paper exceeds the reference value, based on a transport speed of the paper by the transport unit and a timing at which each of the paper sensors detects a front end of the paper. A manual paper feeder characterized by the following.