JPH11334920A - Sheet conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To block easily and surely a paper feeding port and a paper discharging port, and improve soundproofing. SOLUTION: Sheets piled on a paper feeding tray 8 are guided in a device main body from a paper fed opening part 5b. The paper fed opening part 5b is closed by a shielding member 12 according to the load capacity of the sheets piled on the paper feeding tray 8. A paper discharged opening part 5c is opened by the shielding member 34 interlocking with the rotation of a paper discharging direction of a paper discharging roller pair 33 for discharging the sheets toward a storing tray 5a from the paper discharged opening part 5c.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device such as an automatic document feeder (ADF) of a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a device equipped with various drive systems, there is a problem that noise such as drive noise generated inside the device leaks to the outside of the device and harms the environment.

When an opening is provided in such an apparatus main body, a shielding member that opens and closes the opening as necessary is required to prevent noise generated inside the apparatus from leaking from the opening. Provision is also generally performed.

[0004]

However, the ADF
In a device that continuously feeds and discharges sheets, such as a sheet transport device, it is difficult to shield the paper feeding opening and the discharge opening through which noise inside the device leaks while the device is driven. Met.

[0005] For example, when the discharge port is normally closed by a discharge shielding member and the discharge port is opened by rotating the discharge port shield member by the conveying force of the conveyed sheet, it is possible to cope with thin paper or the like. A problem arises that it is difficult and the stackability is not good.

It is also conceivable that the discharge port is normally closed by a discharge shielding member and the discharge port is opened based on the detection result of a detecting means provided in the transport path.
In this case, since a time lag occurs before the opening of the blocking member, the blocking member may not be in the open state when the paper reaches the discharge port.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a sheet conveying apparatus capable of easily and reliably shutting off a supply / discharge port and improving soundproofing. With the goal.

[0008]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeding opening for guiding sheets stacked on a sheet feeding tray into an apparatus body. Sheet feeding means for feeding the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray to a predetermined processing position for each sheet, and the sheet feeding opening provided above the uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray The gist of the invention is that a shielding member for shielding the sheet and the shielding member move in accordance with the amount of sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage tray for storing sheets processed at a predetermined processing position, a discharge roller for discharging the processed sheets toward the storage tray, A discharge opening for discharging a sheet onto the storage tray by the discharge roller, and a shielding member that moves to a position that opens the discharge entrance in conjunction with rotation of the discharge roller in the discharge direction. The gist is that it is provided.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as applied to an automatic document feeder of a copying machine.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a copying machine main body, 2 denotes a platen glass provided on the copying machine main body 1, 3 denotes an abutting member adjacent to the platen glass 2, and 4 denotes an automatic document feeder as a sheet conveying device. is there.

The automatic document feeder 4 includes a main body cover 5 partially including a storage tray 5a, a paper feed side cover 6 held on one side of the main body cover 5 so as to be openable and closable, and an open / close state on the other side of the main body cover 5. A paper discharge side cover 7 movably held and a paper feed tray 8 detachably held on the main body cover 5 are provided. A paper feed opening 5b is formed above one end of the main body cover 5 and the paper feed side cover 6 above the downstream end of the paper feed tray 8 in the sheet conveying direction (see arrow A). Storage tray 5a by the paper discharge side cover 7
A sheet discharge opening 5c is formed above the upstream end in the sheet conveying direction (see arrow B).

A paper feed drive unit 10 is provided in the paper feed side cover 6, a transport unit 20 is provided below the storage tray 5a, and a paper discharge drive unit 30 is provided in the paper output side cover 7. Have been.

The paper feed drive unit 10 includes a detection sensor 11 for detecting when sheets are stacked on the paper feed tray 8,
The shielding member 12 which normally opens the sheet feeding opening 5b, the weight plate 13 which comes into contact with the uppermost sheet surface when sheets are stacked on the sheet feeding tray 8, and the sheet is stacked on the sheet feeding tray 8. Rotary positioning plate 1 against which the leading end of sheet abuts
4. A semi-lunar roller 15 for feeding out the lowermost sheet of the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 8, a paper feed roller pair 16 for feeding the sheet fed by the half-moon roller 15, and paper feeding by a paper feed roller pair 16. Registration roller pair 17 and registration roller pair 17 for performing registration adjustment of the sheet
A sheet detection sensor 18 for detecting an upstream end of the sheet conveyed by the registration in the sheet conveyance direction.

The half-moon roller 15 and the feed roller pair 1
6. The registration roller pair 17 constitutes a sheet feeding unit.

The shielding member 12 has its downstream end 12 a fixed to the sheet feeding side cover 6, and its upstream end 12 b is located above the upstream end of the weight plate 13 in the sheet conveyance direction. I'm on Also, the shielding member 1
Reference numeral 2 is biased in a direction in which the sheet feeding side opening 5b is closed by rotating about the downstream end 12a in the sheet conveying direction as a pivot point.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the weight plate 13 is vertically movable by a solenoid 19 driven based on the detection result of the detection sensor 11, and as shown in FIG. In conjunction with this variable, the shielding member 1
The second sheet conveying direction upstream end 12b rotates about the sheet conveying direction downstream end 12a.

Therefore, when a sheet is stacked on the sheet feeding tray 8, the detection sensor 11 detects the stacked sheet, and at the same time, the solenoid 19 is driven to contact the upper surface of the uppermost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray 8. The weight plate 13 is displaced downward.

Further, the shielding member 12 is rotated in conjunction with the downward displacement of the weight plate 13 so that the sheet-side opening 5b is moved so that the amount of sheets stacked on the sheet-supply tray 8 (the thickness of the entire sheet).
Therefore, the existing weight plate 13 can be used as a moving means of the shielding member 12.

The shielding member 12 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a sheet stacked on the sheet feeding tray 8 as a shielding member 42 integrated with a weight plate is provided. The sheet feeding opening 5b may be closed according to the amount. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The conveying section 20 conveys the sheet conveyed from the sheet feeding driving section 10 onto the platen glass 2 and conveys the sheet to the sheet discharging driving section 30 after reading is completed.
An endless belt 21 and a plurality of drive rollers 22 for rotating the endless belt 21 are provided. The endless belt 21 also rotates in the reverse direction to convey the sheet reversely fed from the sheet discharge drive unit 30 to read both sides of the sheet to a reading position on the platen glass 2.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the sheet discharge drive section 30 transfers the sheet conveyed from the conveying section 20 to a sheet discharge opening 5c.
Transport roller pair 31 that transports the paper so that it is reversed toward
A path switching lever that guides the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller pair 31 to the sheet discharge opening 5c when the sheet is conveyed, and reverses the sheet when the conveyed sheet is returned to the conveying unit 20 again. And a discharge roller pair 33 for discharging the sheet from the discharge opening 5c onto the storage tray 5a.
And a shielding member 34 for opening and closing the paper discharge opening 5c.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the shield member 34 rotates the driven gear 35 meshing with the drive gear 34 fixed to the drive shaft 33 a of the sheet discharge roller pair 33 to the belt 37 via the shaft 36. The belt 37 is fixed to the shaft 38 so as to open the paper discharge opening 5c in conjunction with the rotation of the belt 37.

Incidentally, the shielding member 34 is provided with a torque limiter (not shown) so as to regulate the rotation range in the opening and closing direction. Further, a detection sensor 39 for detecting the upstream end of the sheet discharged from the paper discharge opening 5c in the sheet conveying direction is provided near the paper discharge opening 5c.
The sheet discharge opening 5c is closed again by the shielding member 34 by rotating the sheet discharge roller pair 33 in the reverse direction based on the detection result of the detection sensor 39.

Therefore, the sheet discharge opening 5c is opened by the shielding member 34 only while the sheet is actually discharged onto the storage tray 5a. Further, the shielding member 34 also serves as a guide member for discharging the sheet.

As described above, the automatic document feeder 4 of the present invention
In the paper feed side, the paper feed opening 5b is closed in accordance with the amount of sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 8, and the paper discharge side is used only when the sheets are discharged to the storage tray 5a. Since the paper discharge opening 5c is open, noise accompanying the driving of the driving units 10, 20, and 30 from the sheet feeding to the paper discharge leaks from the paper supply opening 5b or the paper discharge opening 5c. Can be prevented.

Since the opening and closing of the paper discharge opening 5c is linked to the driving of the paper discharge roller pair 33, the sheet is not required to be controlled when the sheet is discharged from the paper discharge opening 5c. The downstream end in the transport direction does not contact the shielding member 34.

[0028]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of a sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet supply side in a state where a sheet supply opening is closed.

FIG. 3A is an explanatory view of a main part before a sheet is pressed by a weight plate, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory view of a main part in a state where the sheet is pressed by a weight plate.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a modified example of the paper feed opening in a closed state in which the paper feed opening is closed.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a main part on the discharge side,
FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram illustrating a drive system of a shield member on the paper discharge side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4 ... Automatic document feeder (sheet conveying apparatus) 5 ... Body cover 5a ... Storage tray 5b ... Feeding opening 5c ... Discharge opening 8 ... Feeding tray 12 ... Shielding member 13 ... Weight plate 34 ... Shielding member

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A sheet feeding opening for guiding sheets stacked on a sheet feeding tray into an apparatus main body, and a sheet stacked on the sheet feeding tray being moved to a predetermined processing position for each sheet. A sheet supply unit for supplying, and a shielding member provided above an uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet supply tray to shield the sheet supply opening, and the shielding member is provided on the sheet supply tray. A sheet conveying device that moves according to a stacked amount of stacked sheets. 2. The sheet feeding means according to claim 1, wherein said sheet feeding means includes a sheet feeding roller in contact with a lowermost sheet among the sheets stacked on said sheet feeding tray, and a vertically movable sheet for pressing said sheet against said sheet feeding roller. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing unit, wherein the shielding member moves in conjunction with a vertical movement of the pressing unit. 3. The paper feed means includes: a paper feed roller contacting a sheet located at the lowest position among sheets stacked on the paper feed tray; and a movable member for pressing the sheet against the paper feed roller. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing unit, wherein the blocking member is also used as the pressing unit. 4. The sheet feeding means includes a vertically movable sheet feeding roller in contact with an uppermost sheet among sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray, and the shielding member moves the sheet feeding roller up and down. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet conveying device moves in conjunction with the sheet conveying device. 5. The paper feed means includes a paper feed roller for feeding the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray, and the shielding member moves in conjunction with the rotation of the paper feed roller in the paper feed direction. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein: 6. A storage tray for storing sheets processed at a predetermined processing position, a discharge roller for discharging the processed sheets toward the storage tray, and a discharge roller on the storage tray by the discharge rollers. A sheet discharge opening for discharging a sheet, and a shielding member that moves to a position to open the sheet discharge port in conjunction with rotation of the sheet discharge roller in the sheet discharge direction. Sheet transport device. 7. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: urging means for urging the shielding member in a direction for shielding the paper discharge opening when the paper discharge roller is stopped. . 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said shielding member is moved to a position for shielding said sheet discharge opening in conjunction with rotation of said sheet discharge roller different from rotation in the sheet discharge direction. Sheet transport device.