JPS59114241A - Picture image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve copy efficiency while to simplify structure by moving a housing for holding a casset in corresponding to specific feed path for leading a sheet fed from the casset. CONSTITUTION:When selecting a casset 26 or 28 in case where reset mode is set up, a housing 21 is lowered by an elevating motor 41 through gear 40, gear sprocket 39 and chain 37 and when the position of casset 26 or 28 has matched with the position of feed path 20, it is stopped and copied on to feed a selected sheet thus to perform copying and upon completion of a series of copy operations the casset housing 21 will move to up stage set in reset mode. When a casset 27 or 29 is selected in reset mode up stage, the positions of feed paths 19, 20 and casset are matched thereby paper feed of selected casset is performed without motion of housing 21 to feed the sheet out of feed path.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a cassette-fed image forming apparatus that can be equipped with a plurality of cassettes to facilitate image formation on a wide variety of sheet sizes. be.

Hereinafter, an explanation will be given using an electronic copying machine as an example.

Traditionally, common multi-tier cassettes often have two tiers, upper and lower.
Each paper has an independent paper feeding path and is switched mechanically or electrically to copy onto a selected transfer paper.

Due to the increased use of sheets and the increase in paper size due to magnification changes such as reduction and enlargement, the number of transfer papers used has increased, and the frequency of attaching and detaching cassettes has increased, and further improvements in operability have been desired. Therefore, copying machines that can install many cassettes have been considered, but these machines have independent paper feed paths corresponding to the number of cassettes installed, and their structures are complex and the devices are also large. It has become a thing.

Alternatively, there is a configuration in which multiple cassettes can be raised and lowered up and down by the number of stages for a single paper feed path, but this means that the time it takes to select a cassette is longer and longer depending on the number of stages. It is structurally complex and the device is large.

Therefore, in recent years, it has been desired to improve operability, simplify the structure, and downsize the device.

In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention has a configuration in which a plurality of cassettes can be mounted, the cassettes can be displaced, and the moving distance is minimized, thereby providing an image with a simplified structure. Our objective is to provide a forming device.

That is, the present invention, which achieves the above object, provides an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cassettes can be installed, and includes a feeding means for feeding sheets in the cassette into the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a feeding means for feeding sheets from the inside of the cassette by the feeding means. a feeding path that guides the ejected sheets; a movable housing that holds the cassette;
The present invention provides an image forming apparatus characterized by having a driving means for moving the casing and causing the cassette to correspond to a predetermined feeding path.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, an outline of an embodiment of the present invention, which will be described in detail later, will be explained.

This embodiment has a plurality of paper feed paths, a plurality of cassettes are installed corresponding to each of the paper feed paths, and the case in which the cassettes are installed is connected to the main unit by a selection operation. hand,
The housing is configured to be able to be raised and lowered by one or more steps vertically and so that the housing returns to a predetermined position after the image forming operation is completed.
An image forming apparatus is provided.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, there are two paper feeding paths, and a total of four cassettes are installed so that two cassettes correspond to each paper feeding path. Shows what to wear.

First, FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of this embodiment. In the figure, l is a table for placing an original made of a transparent member, L is a light source for illuminating the original, and 2 is a first mirror. 3 is a second mirror, and 4 is a third mirror. moreover,
5 is an exposure lens, 6 is a slit for regulating the amount of exposure, 7 is a fourth mirror, and 8 is a photosensitive drum for forming an electrostatic latent image. 9 is a charger for uniformly charging the I/'i photosensitive drum; 10 is a developer for converting the latent image into a facial image; 1 is a charger for uniformly charging the photosensitive drum;
This is a transfer discharge device that transfers a toner image onto a sheet of transfer paper.

Furthermore, 12 is a cleaning device that removes residual toner on the drum, 13 is an optical static eliminator that removes the drum surface potential, and 14 is a register roller that aligns the timing of the toner image on the drum 8 with the transfer paper and conveys it. . Ti
, is is a conveyance device that guides the transfer paper to a fixing device 15, 16 is a fixing device that fixes the toner image on the transfer paper, 17 is a paper discharge roller, and 18 is a paper discharge tray. Furthermore, 19 is an upper paper feeding path, and 20 is a lower paper feeding path. Also, 21 is a housing that holds the cassette, 4fi, 22-2
5 is the paper feed roller that feeds the transfer paper in the cassette;
Reference numerals 26 to 29 are cassettes into which transfer paper is loaded.

Now, FIG. 2 shows an example of a cassette elevating means and a transfer sheet feeding means of the copying apparatus according to this embodiment.

First, numeral 30 is an electromagnetic solenoid that locks a spring clutch 31, and numeral 31 is a spring clutch that interrupts the rotation of the paper feed roller. Furthermore, 32 is a sprocket that transmits the drive on the main body side, and 33 is a chain that transmits the drive to the lower sheet feeding device. Further, 34 is a chain connecting the main body side sprocket 42 and the cassette side sprocket 32, and 35 is an outer ring that holds the cassette housing 21 in the main unit and serves as a guide for vertical movement. Furthermore, 36 is the main body (1111 chain sprocket), 37 is a lifting chain, 38 is an idler sprocket, 39 is a gear sprocket that transmits the drive from the lifting motor 41, and 40 is a driving gear, It meshes with the sprocket 39. Furthermore, 42 is a double tin rocket that transmits the drive on the main body side to the paper feeding device.

First, in the above configuration, when the cassette housing 21 is in the lower stage in the return mode setting, the case where the uppermost cassette is selected and paper is fed will be described. In operation, first, an operator's operation (for example, pressing a button, etc.) generates a signal, and a control device (not shown) puts the paper feeding lead 30 corresponding to the paper feeding path 19 in the main body into a standby state. .

The main motor (not shown) is driven by the copy ON operation, and the paper feeding sprocket 32 is also driven by the main body. At this time, the solenoid 30, which is on standby, starts operating, and the drive is transmitted to the paper feed roller 22 via the spring clutch 31, thereby feeding the transfer paper P to the register roller 14. At this point, the lunoid is turned off once.
be done. At this time, the members of each optical system have already started to move, and the original is exposed and scanned, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the entire surface of the photosensitive drum 8 is visualized by the developing device 10. Then, at the timing when the toner image on the surface of the drum 8 and the transfer paper coincide, the solenoid 30 is driven again, the paper feed roller 22 and the registration roller 14 rotate, the transfer paper P is sent, and the transfer paper P is transferred to the transfer discharger 11. The toner image is transferred onto the paper P, and then the transfer paper PFi is guided to the p-fixer 16 by the transfer device 15. Here, the toner image on the transfer paper P is fixed and discharged onto the paper discharge tray 18, and copying is completed. This is a series of copy operations. At this time, since the return mode is set to the lower stage, the cassette housing 21 remains in the same state.

Next, if the cassette housing 21 is set to the lower recovery mode and the third cassette from the top is selected, the transfer paper is fed from the lower paper feed path 20 through the same series of operations as described above. It is printed on paper and copied.

The same is true when it comes to returning to work.

Next, when the return mode is set to upper, the first stage (
cassette 26) or the third stage (cassette 28), that is, if the paper feed path position does not match the position of the selected cassette, the operator's cassette selection operation (for example, by pressing the cassette operation button) Multiple control signals are issued and a controller (not shown) is actuated to operate various parts to lower the cassette housing.

First, the lifting motor 41 is driven, and the gear 40. G-'r
, < Drive the chain 37 via the hooket 39. Both ends of this chain 37 are fixed to the cassette casing 21, and as the chain 37 moves, the casing 21 descends, changing the position of the cassette (26 or 28) and the paper feed path 2.
It stops when the 0 positions match, and when copying is turned on, the selected transfer paper is fed and copying is performed. When a series of copying operations is completed, the control device performs a return operation, and the cassette housing 21 moves to the upper stage set in the return mode and stops at a predetermined position. At this time,
The driving of the lifting motor 41 is controlled by a micro switch (not shown) so that the cassette housing 21 is stopped at an appropriate position. Also, double sprocket 3 for paper feeding.
The chain 34 connecting 2 and the main body side sprocket 42 is
The main body sprocket 42 is properly driven in both the upper and lower positions of the cassette 21, and for this reason, the main body sprocket 42 is positioned at the same position as the center of the paper feeding double sprocket 32 when the cassette casing 21 is in the lower position 19. It is located on the horizontal line of the upper blade, which is 1/2 of the moving distance of the housing.

Next, select the second stage (cassette 27) or the fourth stage in the upper stage of the return mode.
When the cassette 29 is selected, that is, when the paper feed path position and the cassette position match, the housing 21
There is no moving operation, the selected cassette is fed, the transfer paper passes through the paper feeding path, and copying is performed. In addition, when the return mode is set to the lower stage, the cassette housing 21 is raised by the cassette selection operation, and after a series of copying operations is completed, the housing is lowered and stops at a predetermined position, completing the entire operation. .

The above-mentioned cassette selection and return mode selection are performed on the main unit's operation panel (not shown), and the paper size in the installed cassette is clearly displayed on the panel. This is selected by the operator, and in this embodiment, four types of paper can be used by simply operating a button without having to attach or detach a cassette.

As described above, one object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that improves copying efficiency, shortens working time, simplifies the structure, and reduces the size of the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a multi-stage cassette paper-fed electronic copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of its paper feeding means and cassette lifting means. In the figure, 14 is a register roller, 15 is a conveying device, 19 is a top paper path, 20 is a bottom paper path, 21 is a cassette housing, 22 is a paper feed roller, 26 is a cassette, 30 is a paper feed solenoid, 31 is a spring clutch, 37 is a lifting chain, 39 is a gear sprocket, and 41 is a lifting motor.0 Applicant: Canon Co., Ltd. Agent, Gi Marushima -.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of cassettes can be installed, a feeding means for feeding sheets in the cassette into the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a feeding means for guiding the sheets fed out from inside the cassette by the feeding means. An image forming apparatus comprising: a feeding path; a movable housing that holds a cassette; and a drive unit that moves the housing and causes the cassette to correspond to a predetermined feeding path.