JPH11334931A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeder, in which both reference positioning of a paper side edge and skew correcting are properly carried out, and which is especially suited to high speed processing of a continuous image. SOLUTION: This paper feeder is provided with a side guide 29 guiding a side edge of a paper (a) and an oblique feeding roller 40. The side guide 29 is provided near one width directional side of upper and lower paper feeding guide plates 27, 28 disposed on the way of a feeding path such that a position of the side guide 29 can be changed in the width direction of the guide plates 27, 28, while the oblique feeding roller 40 obliquely feeds the paper (a) toward the side guide 29. The paper feeder is also provided with covers 33, 34 made of a conductive film to close gaps L between side ends of the guide plates 27, 28 and the side guide 29. At least either of the guide plates 27, 28 and the side guide 29 is made of a metal so as to be body-earthed to a feeder body, while the covers 33, 34 are electrically conducted to the metal guide plates 27, 28 or the metal side guide 29.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electrostatographic copying machine,
Printers, paper feeders equipped in image forming apparatuses such as facsimile machines, specifically, to align the side edge of the paper to a reference position on one side of the transport path, to feed the paper The present invention relates to a configured paper feeding and conveying device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above-mentioned paper feeding and conveying device, upper and lower paper feeding guide plates are arranged in the middle of a conveying path, and a side for positioning a paper side end at a reference position on one side in the width direction of the guide plate. In addition to providing a guide, a diagonal transport roller for transporting the paper diagonally toward the side guide is provided, and the paper is transported while being shifted to the side guide side, so that the side edge of the paper is side-guided. In some cases, even if the sheet is skewed, the skew is corrected and the sheet side edge is aligned with the reference position on one side of the transport path.

Further, while the side guides are provided so as to be changeable in the width direction of the guide plate, non-conductive PET is provided on upper and lower guide plates to close a gap between a side end of the guide plate and the side guide. (polyethylene terephthalate)
(See, for example, JP-A-2-28448).

According to the paper feeder having such a configuration, by changing the position of the side guide, the reference positioning of the side edge of the sheet and the fine adjustment of the skew correction can be performed. Since the gap between the sheet and the plate is closed by the cover, it is possible to effectively prevent a sheet feeding defect and a jam from being caused by a sheet entering the gap.

[0005]

The above-mentioned cover functionally prevents the paper from entering the gap, so that the paper passing between the upper and lower guide plates comes into contact with the cover and is conveyed. Will be.

On the other hand, in the above technique, since the cover is made of a non-conductive PET film, the cover is charged with static electricity when the paper comes into contact with the cover and is conveyed. In some cases, it becomes difficult for the sheet to move to the side guide side, or the conveyance delay of the sheet side end occurs, so that the skew correction as well as the reference positioning of the sheet side end is not properly performed.

In particular, in continuous image formation by a high-speed machine,
Because the distance between the trailing edge of the preceding sheet and the leading edge of the succeeding sheet is small, when the sheet slips due to static electricity, the leading edge of the succeeding sheet overlaps the trailing edge of the preceding sheet,
There was also a problem that jams occurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is a very simple and improved technique. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding and conveying apparatus suitable for high-speed processing of continuous images.

[0009]

The technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above object are as follows. That is, upper and lower paper feed guide plates are arranged in the middle of the transport path, and a side guide for positioning the paper side end at the reference position on one side in the width direction of the guide plate is changed in the width direction of the guide plate. And a cover for closing the gap between the side end of the guide plate and the side guide, and a conductive film. And at least one of the guide plate and the side guide is made of a metal that is body-grounded to the apparatus body, and the cover is electrically connected to the metal guide plate or the side guide. There is.

According to the above-mentioned characteristic configuration, since the side guide is provided so as to be changeable in position, not only can the reference positioning of the paper side end and fine adjustment of the skew correction can be performed, but also the gap is closed by the cover. In addition, paper feeding failure and occurrence of jam are effectively prevented.

Since the cover for closing the gap is made of a conductive film and is body-grounded to the apparatus body via a metal guide plate or a side guide, the paper comes in contact with the cover and is conveyed. Since the static electricity generated when the paper is discharged flows to the main body of the apparatus, the cover is not charged with static electricity, so that the paper is more likely to move toward the side guide side and there is no delay in conveying the paper side edge. Thus, the reference positioning of the sheet side edge and the skew correction are properly performed. Particularly, even when a continuous image is formed by a high-speed machine, no jamming occurs because no slip which leads to the overlapping of the sheets occurs.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an electrophotographic copying machine (an example of an image forming apparatus) configured to be capable of forming a double-sided image, and an apparatus main body 2 provided with an automatic document feeder 1 at an upper portion thereof.
A charging device 4, a developing device 5, a transfer device 6, a sheet separating device 7, and a cleaning device 8
The exposure apparatus 9 is arranged in that order, and the optical system movable exposure apparatus 9 is arranged in the upper space of the apparatus main body 2.

[0013] A plurality of paper cassettes 10 are provided vertically.
The paper fed from the two paper feed decks 11 and 12 provided with the paper feed decks 11 is configured to be taken out to a conveyed paper feed / conveyance device 13 provided in one of the paper feed decks 11. A transport device 14 for transporting the paper to be transferred to the transfer device 6, a transport device 16 for transporting the image-formed paper to the fixing device 15, and discharge the fixing processed paper to a discharge tray 17 outside the device. A paper feed roller unit 18 is disposed in the apparatus main body 2, and the fixing processing sheet is turned over by switchback, and the sheet is fed back to the transfer device 6. 19 and a path switching means 20 are arranged so that the paper to be fixed can be switched between the discharge tray 17 and the paper feeder 19 to be fed.

The above-mentioned various transport devices 13, 14, 16, 1
9 feeds and conveys the paper in a state where one end in the width direction of the paper is aligned with a reference position on one lateral side of the conveyance path, and includes a paper feeder 13 provided in the paper feed deck 11; The switchback paper feeder 19 includes positioning means 21 and 22 for positioning one side edge of the paper at the reference position.

The positioning means 21 and 22 for the paper side edge
Have the same configuration, so that
The positioning means 21 provided in 3 will be described.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the first and second feed rollers 23, 24, 25, and 26 for nipping and transporting the sheet a are separated by a predetermined distance from the transport path. It is arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side, and the upper and lower paper feed guide plates 2
7 and 28, and a side guide 29 for guiding one side edge of the sheet to one side in the width direction of the guide plates 27 and 28.
Are provided so as to be changeable in the width direction of the guide plates 27 and 28, and two sets of oblique conveyance means 30 and 30 are provided in the direction of the conveyance path in order to convey the paper obliquely toward the side guides 29. .

A lower block member 32 whose upper surface is substantially flush with an upper surface of the lower guide plate 28, and a lower surface is formed on the upper guide plate In order to close the gap L between the side ends of the guide plates 27 and 28 and the side guide 29, the upper plate member 27 is provided with an upper block member 31 positioned slightly above the lower surface of the lower plate 27. , 28 are provided with covers 33, 34 on one side in the width direction.

According to the above configuration, by adjusting the position of the side guide 29, the reference positioning of the sheet side end and fine adjustment of the skew correction can be performed, and the gap L is covered by the covers 33 and 34. Because of the closed configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent paper feeding failure and jam.

The oblique conveying means 30 for obliquely conveying the paper a toward the side guide 29 is constructed as follows. That is, the rotating shaft 37 driven through the universal joint 36 is tilted slightly at its free end toward the upstream side of the transport path, and the bracket 3 on the apparatus body 2 side is tilted.
8 and an arm 39 is pivotally attached to the rotating shaft 37,
Further, an oblique conveyance roller 40 is attached to the tip of the arm 39.
Is provided in parallel with the rotation shaft 37.

The roller shaft 3 of the oblique transport roller 40
7 and the rotation shaft 37, the rotation transmission means 42 is provided, and the oblique conveyance rollers 40
A spring 44 for urging and contacting the oblique transport roller 40 with the lower guide plate 28 through the opening 43, and lifting the oblique transport roller 40 against the urging force of the spring 44. A solenoid 45 is provided on the bracket 38.

In the sheet feeding and conveying device 13 provided with the positioning means 21 having the above structure, the first feed rollers 23 and 24
Of these, the lower idler roller 24 is
6 and a paper detection sensor 47 is disposed immediately upstream of the first feed rollers 23 and 24.

When the sensor 47 detects the leading edge of the sheet a and detects that the leading edge of the sheet has reached the oblique transport roller 40 on the upstream side based on the lapse of time thereafter, the detection information is provided. Based on the actuator 4
6 is configured to release the nip between the first feed rollers 23 and 24.

On the other hand, in the two sets of slanting conveying means 30, 30, the solenoid 45 is demagnetized, the arm 39 swings by the urging force of the spring 44, and the slanting conveying rollers 40, 40 are set in the sheet feeding posture. It can be switched to.

Accordingly, the paper a, for which the nip has been released by the feed rollers 23 and 24, is conveyed by the oblique conveyance roller 40 on the upstream side while one side end thereof is shifted to the side guide 29 side. Thereafter, the one side edge of the sheet a is also conveyed by the downstream oblique conveyance roller 40 while being shifted to the side guide 29 side, and the sheet a conveyed by the feed rollers 23 and 24 is conveyed.
Is skewed, one side end thereof is applied to the side guide 29, whereby the skew of the sheet a is corrected and the sheet side end is positioned at the reference position.

The sheet a having been subjected to the reference positioning of the sheet side end and the skew correction is conveyed by the second feed rollers 25 and 26. On the other hand, when the sensor 47 detects the trailing end of the sheet, the sheet The end is the first feed roller 2
After a lapse of time passing through 3, 24, the actuator 4
6, the first feed rollers 23, 24 are switched to the paper nip state, and the solenoids 45, 45
Is also operated to raise the oblique transport rollers 40, 40, and the first feed rollers 23, 24 and the oblique transport means 30, 30 prepare for the transport of the next sheet a.

In the paper feeding and conveying apparatus 13 having the above-mentioned structure, the guide plates 27 and 28 are made of metal which is body-grounded to the apparatus main body 2, and the upper and lower covers 33 and 34 for closing the gap L are electrically conductive. Film (for example, trade name of Dainichi Seika Kogyo Co., Ltd .; Neocon PE-MA-7)
50 black: surface resistance of 9.3 × 10 ² Ohm), and the covers 33 and 34 are joined to the upper surfaces of the guide plates 27 and 28 using a joint 35 made of conductive double-sided tape. I have.

That is, the cover 3 for closing the gap L
3 and 34 are made of conductive film, and the cover 3
3 and 34 are electrically connected to metal guide plates 27 and 28 which are body-grounded to the apparatus main body 2 so that static electricity generated when the sheet a is conveyed in contact with the covers 33 and 34 is removed. It is made to flow to two.

Accordingly, since the covers 33 and 34 do not carry static electricity, the sheet a is easily shifted to the side guide 29 side, and there is no delay in the conveyance of the sheet side end. In addition, the skew correction is appropriately performed, and in particular, even when a continuous image is formed by a high-speed machine, no jamming occurs because no slip that leads to overlapping of sheets occurs.

In the above embodiment, the guide plate 2
7 and 28 are made of metal which is body-grounded to the apparatus main body 2, and the guide plates 27 and 28 are provided to electrically connect the covers 33 and 34 to each other.
9 and the block members 31 and 32 attached thereto are made of metal which is
3 and 34 may be provided so as to be electrically connected to the block members 31 and 32.

Further, the upper cover 33 is provided on the upper guide plate 27, while the lower cover 34 is provided on the lower block member 32. May be made of a metal that is body-grounded to the apparatus main body 2. Further, a conductive double-sided tape is used as the joint 35, but a conductive adhesive is used as the joint 35. Is also good.

Although two sets of the oblique transfer means 30 are provided in the direction of the transfer path, only one set may be provided.
Further, one set may be added, and a change such as three sets of the oblique conveyance means 30 may be used.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Although it is a very simple improvement technology, it is not affected by static electricity at all, and it is suitable for a paper feeder that properly performs reference positioning and skew correction of the paper side edge, especially for high-speed processing of continuous images And a simple paper feeder.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an electrostatographic copying machine shown together with a sheet feeding deck.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the paper feeder.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the paper feeder.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of an oblique conveying means.

[Explanation of symbols]

2. Apparatus body, 27, 28 Guide plate, 29 Side guide, 33, 34 Cover, 35 Joined body, 40 Slant conveyance roller, a Paper, L gap.

Claims (3)

[Claims] An upper and lower paper feed guide plate is disposed in the middle of a transport path, and a side guide for positioning a paper side end at a reference position is provided on one side in the width direction of the guide plate. And a cover for closing the gap between the side end of the guide plate and the side guide, and a cover for electrically conducting the sheet obliquely to the side guide. And made at least one of the guide plate and the side guide,
A sheet feeding / conveying device, wherein the cover is electrically connected to a metal guide plate or a side guide. 2. The sheet feeding and conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the joined body that electrically connects the cover to the metal cover or the side guide is a conductive double-sided tape. 3. The sheet feeding and conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the joined body for electrically connecting the cover to the metal cover or the side guide is a conductive adhesive.