JPS5939638A - Paper feed device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the supply operation of the paper by providing a member intermitting a transmission means transmitting the motor power to a bottom plate lift member on a cassette in conjuction with the opening/closing operation of a top cover in the cassette with its bottom plate raised or lowered in conjuction with the top cover. CONSTITUTION:When a cassette 1 is inserted and set at a predetermined position and the operation is started, a lifter 15 is rotated in the arrow F direction from a solid line position through a gear 11, a sector gear 13 and a shaft 12 by means of the rotation of a motor 10, thus raising a bottom plate 3. Accordingly, the uppermost paper of the paper stack is brought into contact with a paper feed roller 20 and fed out by the rotation of the roller 20. When no paper is left in the cassette and the paper is to be supplied, a top cover 2 is opened upward around the fulcrum 2', thereby the lug 2'' at its front end is removed from the rear end of a slider 6. Accordingly, a swing shaft 12 is displaced to a position in contact with the right end of a long hole of a side plate by a spring to disengage the coupling of gears 11, 13, the lifter 15 is lowered by its weight, thus allowing the supply of the paper.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention involves inserting a cassette for storing a bundle of sheets into a copying machine, etc., and feeding the sheets in the cassette one by one using a paper feeding means provided in the copying machine, etc. The present invention relates to a paper feeding device for copying machines and the like.

As a paper feeding device for transfer paper, etc. of a copying machine, a paper feeding cassette, which is pivoted on a fulcrum at the bottom of the container and has a bottom plate on which a stack of sheets is placed, is inserted into the copying machine and installed in the main body of the copying machine. The bottom plate is rotated upward by the bottom plate push-up member, and the top surface of the stack of sheets placed thereon is brought into pressure contact with a paper feed roller provided in the copying machine, and the sheets in the cassette are moved in response to a paper feed signal. Paper feeding devices that feed sheets one by one from the top are widely used because they are easy to operate.

Conventionally, the above-mentioned paper feeding pressure was generally applied by pressing a push-up member against the bottom surface of the bottom plate using a tension spring, and when a cassette was attached to or detached from the main body of a copying machine, etc., the pressure member was pulled up by operating a switching lever. You can either move it to the non-operating position against the force of the spring and return it to the active position by operating the lever after inserting it, or you can temporarily move the push-up member against the force of the tension spring using a cam installed on the side of the paper feed cassette. When the cassette is inserted into a predetermined position, the push-up member is pushed up again by the force of the tension spring. Therefore, a considerable amount of operating force is required to attach and detach the cassette, and The method of using a switching lever is time-consuming and has poor operability.Furthermore, the paper feeding pressure is generated by the load of this tension spring being applied between the paper and the paper feeding roller, but this pressure is caused by the displacement of the spring and the weight of the paper itself. Therefore, there is a drawback that the paper feeding pressure becomes unstable depending on the amount of sheets on the bottom plate and the size of the paper.

By the way, in the past, it was common practice to remove the cassette from the main body of the copying machine each time to replenish paper, and when manually feeding paper of a different type than the one stored in the cassette, Not only was the device complicated, as it required releasing the paper pressure and using a separate manual paper feed tray, but it was also not easy to operate. In order to improve this, the cassette is equipped with a top cover that can be opened and closed by flipping up the rear part when the paper cassette is inserted into the main body of the copying machine. For example, there is a paper feed device that can replenish paper or manually feed different types of paper between a paper feed roller with a gap and the top surface of a stack of sheets or the top surface of a bottom plate from under the open top lid. It is proposed by No. 155975.

However, even in this device, a tension spring is used to apply paper feeding pressure, so although the force is doubled through a link mechanism, a considerable amount of operating force is required to open and close the top cover. As mentioned above, fluctuations in paper feeding pressure are unavoidable depending on the amount of paper and the paper size.

This invention solves the above-mentioned problem of the conventional paper feed device in which the cassette bottom plate lowers and rises in conjunction with opening and closing of the top cover.
To provide a paper feeding device for a copying machine, etc., which has good operability, stable paper feeding pressure, and facilitates paper replenishment and manual paper feeding when a cassette is inserted into the copying machine.

According to the present invention, in a paper feeding device in which a bottom plate lowers and rises in conjunction with the opening and closing of the top cover of a cassette, a motor is installed in a copying machine or the like to drive a bottom plate push-up member, and the power is transferred to the push-up member. This is achieved by providing a transmission means that can be disconnected and connected to the cassette, and providing a member on the cassette that connects and disconnects the transmission means in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the top cover.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom plate 3 on which the sheets/paper bundles are placed is located at a certain point at the bottom of the cassette 1 (
(a point outside the range of the figure).

The cassette case) l is provided with an upper lid 2 that can be opened and closed by flipping up the rear part using two points as fulcrums. A protruding piece 2'' extending downward is provided on one side of the front end of the upper lid 2.
A slider 6 having two elongated holes 6' is movably provided, and when the top cover 2 is closed in the direction of arrow A, the protrusion 2''
The slider 6 is pushed in the direction of arrow B by the tip of the elongated hole 6.
When the rear end of the upper lid 2 comes into contact with the bottle 7 and the rear end of the upper lid 2 is lifted and opened, the protruding piece 2'' separates from the slider 6 and the slider 6 can move to the right. The top cover 2 can be opened and closed by the operator's hand when it is inserted into the main body of the copying machine as shown in the figure.The top cover 2 is indicated by the reference numeral 5 when the side of the stack of sheets placed on the bottom plate is brought into contact with the top cover 2. This is a guide for aligning the cassettes.Escape holes are provided in the bottom and front plate 4 of the cassette through which a glue lid 15 (described later) can pass.

On the other hand, the front side 4 of the inserted cassette 1 is placed in the main body of the copying machine.
With one side plate (not shown) as a fulcrum, place the second
A swing shaft 12 that moves freely within a long hole 18 provided in the side plate 19 shown in the figure and rotates around its own axis.
is swingably provided, a tension spring 17 is tensioned between the end passing through the side plate 19 and the stand 16 planted in the side plate 19, and the shaft 12 is always in contact with the right end of the elongated hole 18. biased in the direction. An L-shaped cross-section glue lid 15 is fixedly provided on the swing shaft 12 at a position where the cassette bottom plate 3 can be pushed up, and a roller 14 is installed at a position facing the front end of the slider 6 attached to the cassette side plate. It is sandwiched between E-rings 23 attached to the shaft on both sides, positioned in the axial direction, and rotatably provided.

Note that the rollers 14 may be fixed to the shaft 12.

A sector gear 13 is fixed near the outer shaft end of the side plate 19 and engages with a gear ii driven by a bottom plate drive motor 10 attached to the side plate 19 in a disconnectable manner.

Above the front end of the cassette 3 inserted into the copying machine, a paper feed roller 20 is pivotally supported by an arm rotatably provided with a shaft 21' as a fulcrum. It is rotatable in the direction of the arrow together with one roller 21 of the roller pair. The other roller 22 of the pair of separation rollers is in pressure contact with the roller 21, sandwiching the paper path. The roller 22 is always rotating in the stop or return direction, and when multiple sheets of paper are fed in parallel, Friction coefficient of 1 paper and roller 21, 22
Only one sheet in contact with the roller 21 is fed by utilizing the difference in the coefficient of friction between the roller 21 and the roller 21.

To explain in more detail the engagement between the gear 11 and the sector gear 13 described above, as shown in FIGS. When the slider 6 is pushed forward (to the left in the figure) by the protruding piece 2' and the right end of the elongated hole 6' is in contact with the guide pin 7, the front end of the slider 6 pushes the roller 14 to the left. The swing shaft 12 occupies a position in contact with the left end of the elongated hole 18 of the side plate 19. In this position, the sector gear 13 meshes with the gear 11.

When you flip up the rear end of the top cover 2 of cassette) 1 and open it, you will see a protrusion f.
is separated from the rear end of the slider 6Q, and the force of the tension spring 17 moves the swing shaft 12 to a position where it abuts the right end of the elongated hole 18, so that the sector gear 13 and the gear 11 are disengaged.

Since this device is constructed as described above, when the cassette is not inserted, the swing shaft is brought into contact with the right end of the elongated hole 18 by the tension spring 17, and the sector gear 13 and the gear 11 are disengaged, and the lifter 15 has descended below the position corresponding to the bottom of the cassette due to its own weight. Therefore, when attaching or detaching the cassette, there is no need to operate other levers or the like to lower the beam cover, and once the cassette is inserted and set to the specified position, the sector gear 13 and gear 11 will automatically engage. Fit.

When the main switch of the copying machine is turned on, the drive motor IO rotates, and the pinion gear provided on its output shaft rotates the gear 11 in the direction of the arrow, and the sector gear 13 meshing with this rotates in the direction of the arrow E. 1, the lift goo 15 is rotated via the shaft 12 in the direction of arrow F from the position shown by the solid line in FIG. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the top surface of the top sheet of paper contacts the paper feed roller 20 and that the top surface of the stack of sheets (or the paper feed roller) has reached a predetermined height, the drive motor IO stops. In this state, the paper feed roller presses the east upper surface of the paper with its own weight to obtain a predetermined paper feed pressure and can feed paper, and the paper feed roller 20 and separation roller 21 rotate intermittently every time a copy signal is output. Then, feed the paper one by one starting from the topmost paper. As the paper placed on the bottom plate 3 is fed out, the east upper surface of the paper descends, and when it comes off the sensor, the drive motor 10 rotates again and pushes the bottom plate 3 up until the upper east surface of the paper reaches a predetermined position. Stop. This is repeated to feed paper while maintaining a constant paper feeding pressure. When the paper on the bottom plate 3 runs out, a paper end sensor (not shown) detects the paper end and the machine stops.

Therefore, paper is replenished, and with this device, it is possible to replenish the paper without having to pull out the cassette from the copying machine. With the cassette l inserted into the copying machine main body, the front end 2 of the top cover 2
When the rear part is flipped up and opened, the protruding piece 2' at the front end of the slider 6 is detached from the rear end of the slider 6, which is attached by fitting the elongated hole C into the guide pin 7 of the cassette side plate. The swing shaft 12, which has been pressed to the left via the rollers 14, is displaced by the spring 17 to a position where it contacts the right end of the elongated hole 18 in the side plate. As a result, the sector gear 13 and the gear 11 are disengaged, and the lifter 15 descends together with the bottom plate 3 due to its own weight, and the gap between the paper feed roller 20 and the top surface of the bottom plate 3 opens, allowing paper to be supplied.

It is of course possible to replenish paper by pulling out the cassette l. When cassette L is pulled out, slider 6 moves to roller 1.
4, the swing shaft 12 is moved to the right by the spring 17, and the sector gear 13 and the gear 11 are disengaged, as described above.

Also, if you want to copy on paper different from the paper stored in the cassette l, by opening the top cover 2 of the cassette l,
Since there is a gap between the paper stack on the bottom plate 3 and the paper feed roller 2o, it is possible to manually insert the desired number of sheets onto the normal paper stack.

In addition, as mentioned above, the drive motor IO is controlled so that it always rotates when the main body of the machine is turned on and stops only when the paper height sensor detects it. The motor may be controlled to rotate only when the paper height center is not detected when the paper height center is closed (or when the paper height is almost closed).

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily replenish paper without pulling out the paper feed cassette, and it is also possible to manually feed any paper without providing a separate manual paper feed means, improving operability. In addition, stable paper feeding pressure can be obtained at all times.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially omitted plan view. l...Paper feed cassette 2°°°Top lid 3...Bottom plate 6...Slider (transmission means disconnection member) 10...Motor 11.12, 13...Transmission means 15...Bottom plate push-up Member 20...Paper feeding roller (paper feeding means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A paper feed cassette is pivotally supported on a fulcrum at the bottom of the container and has a bottom plate on which a stack of sheets is placed, and a top lid that can be opened and closed when inserted into a copying machine, etc., and is inserted into the copying machine. The above-mentioned bottom plate is rotated upward by the bottom plate push-up mechanism provided on the cassette, and the top surface of the stack of sheets placed thereon is brought into pressure contact with the paper feeding means provided on the copying machine, etc., to feed the paper in the cassette. In a paper feeding device such as a copying machine that feeds sheets one by one from the top and lowers and raises the bottom plate in conjunction with the opening and closing of the top cover, the bottom plate pusher is driven. A copying machine or the like is provided with a motor for the purpose of transferring the motor and a transmission means that can be disconnected and transmitted to the bottom plate push-up member, and the transmission means is connected to the cassette in conjunction with the opening/closing operation of the lid. A paper feeding device characterized by being provided with a heating material that connects and disconnects.