JPS60232337A - Sheet housing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable the carrying-out of sheets of paper from an exposed container, by using the selected operation of a coupling means and the operation of a drive means to divide plural containers into two groups along the aimed container as boundary, and by moving the upper group of containers obliquely upward to expose the carry-out end of the aimed container. CONSTITUTION:When paper is to be carried out from sheet containers 42-45 except for the uppermost sheet container 41, a coupling means 71 is operated so that the containers 42-45 can be separately moved in a lower group including an aimed container and in an upper group located over the aimed container. A drive means (motor) 34 is then operated to displace the upper and the lower groups relative to each other obliquely upward and downward on oblique guide rails 5 to expose the carry-out end of the aimed container. A vertically moved member 15 is then stopped at the place of the aimed container. Sheets of paper in the aimed container are thereafter carried out to a copying machine by operating a paper carry-out means 16 and a paper feed means 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a multi-stage sheet storage device that is applied to image recording devices such as copying machines and facsimile machines, and particularly relates to a multi-stage sheet storage device for storing sheets cut into various sizes. A sheet paper storage container capable of stacking a large number of individually stored sheet storage containers vertically in multiple stages, and exposing the upper surface of the paper sheet delivery side end of any sheet storage container as necessary. This invention relates to a storage device.

Conventional Image Recording Devices, such as electrophotographic copying machines, are becoming increasingly popular with models equipped with 7 multi-step reduction and enlargement functions, and such models require a wide variety of paper sizes and a large number of paper storage containers. A structure has come to be adopted in which copy sheets are arranged in multiple stages, and copy sheets of a desired size are automatically selected and transported by a paper transport means.

However, when paper storage containers are arranged in multiple stages, it is necessary to secure space between the upper and lower paper storage containers for the paper ejection means provided for each paper storage container, and the paper storage containers The paper storage depth becomes shallow, and the binding mechanism becomes cumbersome due to the need to move a large number of paper delivery means. If you want the paper storage depth to be large enough, prepare a number of cassette-type paper storage containers, make it possible to install a few of them into the copying machine, and select the paper storage container you need as appropriate. It is necessary to replace and install it, which impairs the efficiency of copying work.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention was devised against this technical background, and its aim is to improve the paper storage density in a multi-stage sheet storage device.

Means and Effects for Solving the Problems In the present invention, in a sheet storage device for an image recording apparatus in which sheet storage containers are arranged in multiple stages, each sheet storage container is It is configured so that it can be moved diagonally upward on the opposite side from the paper delivery side, and in order to transport paper from storage containers other than the sheet storage container located at the top level, each sheet storage container must be moved diagonally upward. The binding means is operated so as to be able to separate and move the upper group located one stone above the target storage container and the lower group containing the target storage container, and by the subsequent operation of the drive means, the upper group and lower group are separated. The group is relatively displaced diagonally upward or diagonally downward, and a sheet conveying means is provided at a partially exposed target storage container position, and the sheet is conveyed out.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a paper feeder 3 attached to a dry type electrophotographic copying machine 1. As shown in FIG. The paper feed device 3 is configured with a multi-stage paper storage device 3A and a paper delivery/supply device 3B as main parts. Steel paper trays V 4 in the paper storage device 3A (from the top 4+S 4s, 4s- respectively)
4<-45), 88-A4"5,"4SB
Copy paper (demand sheet paper) P of various sizes such as 5, etc. are stacked and stored.

Then, the bottom paper tray V4. The paper is fed by a support means (not shown)! 2, but other paper trays V4I, 42, and 4. -44 are each supported by the paper tray V directly below.

That is, the paper size 4. On the front and rear sides of the paper trays other than The paper tray 45 is attached at the same slope and
A guide rail 5 passes through each pair of sliding pieces 6 that are inclined and attached to the front and rear sides of the other paper trays, respectively.

Therefore, each of the paper trays 4+, 42-43-44 is supported by the paper tray V directly below it when it is in contact with the paper tray directly below it, but it is lifted diagonally along the guide rail 5. In this state, it is held by the lifting force and the guide rail 5.

Further, a column 7 is vertically fixed on the side opposite to the paper tray 4, and an image lifting rod 9 is connected to the column 7 via four parallel connecting links 8 attached in the vertical direction. Copy paper P
It is installed so that it can be freely displaced within a vertical plane along the carrying-out direction in a range from a diagonally upper position on the opposite side to the carrying-out side (the position shown in Figure 1) to a diagonally lower position on the carrying-out side (the position shown in Fig. 2). In order to ensure free movement of the lifting rod 9, a certain amount of leeway is provided in the connection relationship between the connecting link 8 and the lifting rod 9.

And, on the unloading side of the pulling rod 9, there is a steel paper tray V4.
Five electromagnets M, which can be removably attracted to d7, are attached to the opposite side surface of the paper trays 4+, 4*, 4a-4, -4,
It has been attached accordingly.

Also, move the lowest connecting link 8 to the diagonally upper position on the opposite side (
A cam 10 is provided which rotates in contact with the cam 10 so as to raise the cam 10 to the position shown in FIG.
1 and the paper tray 4.1 via the clutch C1. It is connected to the motor 12 below.

Furthermore, a paper delivery/supply device 3B is provided on the delivery side of the paper tray 4. This paper delivery and supply device 3B
includes a pair of vertically erected front and rear guide rods I3, a stator 14 of a linear motor along the guide rods 13,
Equipped with a linear motor head and a guide rod 1
The main body includes an elevating body 15 that moves up and down along the vertical axis 3, and a paper ejecting means 16 and a paper ejecting means attached to the elevating body 15. The paper transport means 16 is an elevating body [
5 to the paper tray 4 side and can come into contact with the uppermost paper in the paper tray 4; and a transport roll 18 that sends the paper taken out by the carry-out roll 17 to the paper supply means concave side. , a paper guide plate L9, and the paper supply means side includes three pairs of connecting links 21 and 22 that are swingably connected to each other, and a flexible guide shoe that can move upward and downward. , three pairs of conveyor rolls 5, 26, 27 that protrude into the defined space of the guide shoe 24 at the ends of each joint and connecting link A and come into contact with each other.

Each of the transport rolls [8, 5, 26, 27 is driven by a motor (not shown), and is synchronously driven and rotated via a clutch or the like. Further, the carry-out roll 17 is interlocked with the conveyance roll [8 via a clutch and rotated synchronously.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, when the carry-out roll 17, conveyance roll, [8, 5, The paper is then conveyed and supplied to the paper receiving section 2 of the copying machine 1. Regardless of the height position of the elevating body 15 corresponding to the paper tray L/I 4 (see the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1), it is not possible to move the elevating body 15 to the paper receiving section 2 on the paper supplying means side as described above. Copy paper is supplied.

Therefore, when taking out copy paper from a paper tray other than the paper tray 43, the elevating body 15 is moved to the upper limit standby position (the first
(see the two-dot chain line in the figure), the motor 12 is operated to rotate the cam 10 (see the two-dot chain line in the figure).

When the cam 10 rotates, the paper tray 4. Along with the paper
42 descends along the guide rail 5, the lifting rod 9 is displaced to the lower right as shown in FIG. 2, and all the paper trays are aligned in the vertical direction.

Next, the paper tray 4jcj to be selected is the paper tray 4+ that is higher than
, 42 , . . . , an electromagnet Ml in contact with 43-I,
When M2,...Mj-, are excited, the remaining electromagnet Mj-
...With M5 demagnetized, motor 12 is operated (
The paper tray 40 is rotated by the electromagnets M3, .
...4 and -7 are lifted along the guide sole 5 toward the opposite side. In this way, the unloading side end of the paper tray 4 is exposed, so operate the linear motor and move the guide rod 1.
3, the elevating body 15 is lowered.

When the carry-out roll 17 comes into contact with the top surface of the uppermost copy sheet in the paper tray 4j, stop the descent of the elevating body I5. After this, the carry-out roll 17 and each conveyance roll [8, 5, 26
, 27, the copy paper can be supplied to the paper receiving section 2 along the guide shoe.

The above-mentioned lifting and lowering operations of the paper tongue 4 are carried out as part of the copying operation by a computer built into the apparatus. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the paper ton 4 selection routine.

In the figure, B indicates the order counted from the top of the paper tray 4t that has already been opened. First, in step (1), the storage container selection switch on the operation panel of the copying machine 1 selects the paper tray V4j containing -1 size copy paper, and the paper tray V4j that is open at that time is selected. The positions of tray 4t, ie, t and 3, are compared in step (2).

(I) If i=j, the process jumps to step (9) and the paper delivery means 16 and paper supply means are activated to supply paper to the copying machine 1.

(II) i 4 j - In other words, if a paper tray 4j different from the previously selected paper tray 4t is selected, the elevating body 15 rises to the upper limit standby position (step (3)),
The motor 12 is reversed (step (4)) - paper V
B4. ...4□ is returned to the top of the paper tray L/I4, and the electromagnet ML-"Mi-1, which had been in the energized state until then, is demagnetized (step (5)), and then the electromagnets M, - ...
MJ + is excited (step (6)) - motor 1
2 rotates forward, step (7)) - paper tray V i 4 Is...
・After 4j-1 is lifted upwards on the opposite side - lifting body 15
step (8)).
The process moves to step (9), where paper is fed to the copying machine 1 and A0
In this way, according to this embodiment, each paper tray 4I,...
Since the paper tray 44 is configured to be able to be lifted diagonally upward along the guide sole 5 on the opposite side to the delivery side, the paper tray 41,
44 as appropriate to expose the target paper tray 4j, and move the elevating body 15 up and down to take out the copy paper in the target paper tray 4i. It is possible to have each side on each side, which not only simplifies the structure, but also saves space and increases the paper storage capacity of the paper tray.

In the above embodiment, the guide rail 5 and the sliding piece 6 are provided on the front and rear walls of the paper tray 4, but either one of them may be attached to the frame of the paper feeder 30.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, by displacing the lifting rod 9 equipped with one electromagnet M, one paper tray 4+%...4A can be moved diagonally upward on the opposite side to the unloading side, and from that position can be moved diagonally downward on the unloading side. In addition, paper tray 4. -...4. Think of a mechanism that moves each of them relative to the opposite side (from a different perspective, it can be called the unloading side). The number rows are shown in FIGS. 4 to 8. however,
The same reference numerals are given to the same members as those in the above embodiment, and the explanation thereof will be omitted. (1) Regarding FIG. It is fixed in a vertical position, and electromagnets M, .
4. In addition, there are four paper feeders fixedly installed on the front and rear walls near the bottom of the paper feeder 300 machine frame, each extending diagonally upward from the unloading side (right side in Figure 7) to the opposite side (left side in the figure). A pair of parallel slide means 32 are fixedly provided, and a tray support plate 33 is slidably engaged and supported by the four parallel slide means 32.

This tray support plate 33 is lifted by a hydraulic cylinder that uses a motor 34 (including a speed reduction mechanism) and a hydraulic pump 35 as a driving source, and when the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder 36 is released, its own weight and the paper tray 4 are lifted. Descends with 1 weight.

Moreover, on the tray L/I support plate 33, there is a lowermost paper tray 4. The paper tray 4. is placed so that it does not shift.
Above each paper tray 44.43, 47.4 is arranged in a mounting relationship similar to that of the previous embodiment. Each paper tray 4 is made of steel and has electromagnets Ml, M, -M, -
M, each paper tray paper 4. ,4. ．． 4. ．． 4
．． The corresponding electromagnets M, +, . . . , M4 can attract the sheets of paper 40, .

Next, the operation of the paper feeding device 30 will be explained.

In the state shown in FIG. 4, the elevating body 15 is at the paper tray 4 position and is in a state where the stored copy paper can be taken out. However, if the copy paper stored in the paper tray 45 is not used anymore, To do this, first raise the elevating body 15 to the upper limit standby position, then operate the motor 34 to activate the hydraulic cylinder 36.
Operate to raise the tray support plate 33. and,
Energize all electromagnets M8,...M4? In the rs state, the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic cylinder 36 is released and the paper tray 4.
Lower the chisel together with the tray support plate 33, thus
Since the steel part on the paper tray 41 on the paper tray 41 is exposed, the elevating body 15 is lowered and stopped at the paper tray 4 position, and the copy paper is loaded into the copying machine 1 by the paper delivery means 16 and the paper delivery means. can be supplied.

In this way, to select the paper tray 4i, all the paper trays 41, . . . , 45 must be lifted, and the electromagnets M1,
...With only J-+ in an excited state, the paper tray 43,
...°4. All you have to do is lower it.

Note that since the paper tray 45 at the lowest stage does not necessarily need to be moved, a structure may be adopted in which a piston of a hydraulic cylinder is directly connected to the paper tray 44 to move it up and down.

(2) i 5 Regarding the figure: In the sheet feeding device 4o, the tray support plate 33 is connected to the motor 4 via the power transmission means 42.
A structure is adopted in which the cam 43 is driven and rotated by the cam 43 to move it up and down.

(3) Regarding FIG. 6: In the paper feeder blade, a bracket 33A equipped with a female screw is attached to the lower surface of the tray support plate 33, and the female screw is connected to a motor via a force transmission means 52. A male screw 53 driven and rotated at 51 is screwed together, and the rotation of the female screw 53 causes the tray support plate 33 to move upward and downward.

(4) Regarding FIG. 7: In the paper feeder 6o, the tray support plate 33 is configured to move up and down by the swinging of the swinging arm 65. That is, the swinging arm 65 has its base end swingably supported by the fixed bracket 63 , and one end of the male screw 62 driven and rotated by the motor 61 is rotatably supported by the fixed bracket 63 . A female screw member 64 screwed into the swing arm 65 is connected by a link 66. When the male screw 62 rotates forward and backward, the female screw member 64 reciprocates and the swing arm 65 swings.

(5) Regarding FIG. 8: In the paper feeding device 70, a support frame 75 is fixed to the front and rear machine frames above the uppermost paper tray 41, and the paper tray 4. is removably connected and held to the support frame by a pair of front and rear binding means 71. Each of the paper trays 41, . In this example, the lowest paper tray 4. Only - is fixed to the machine frame side.

The binding means 71 is composed of a solenoid 72, a locking pawl 73 that is swung by the solenoid 72, and a locking piece 74. ．．
．． The binding means 71 between 44 is in a released state.

Also, the top paper tray 4. A piston of a hydraulic cylinder 36 is connected to the piston, and by its operation, only the paper tray 41 or the four paper trays 41 and 44 can be moved up and down.

In the above configuration, when it is desired to use the copy paper stored in the paper tray 46, the uppermost solenoid 7 is activated in the state shown in the figure.
2 to disconnect the locking piece 74 and the locking claw 73,
Paper tray 4. ．． 4. then lower the paper ton 44
The binding means 71 between 2 and 45 and between 43 and 44 are operated to diagonally pull up the four paper trays 4I, . . . :44, and the uppermost binding means 71 is brought into operation. In addition, to use the copy paper stored in paper tray 4□, from the state shown in the figure, press paper tray 4□. ．． 4. What is necessary is to put the binding means 71 between them in a non-operating state (open state).

In this case as well, various lifting means can be used instead of the hydraulic cylinder 36.

In each of the embodiments described above, the paper feeding device is separate from the copying machine 1, but it is also possible to incorporate the paper feeding device into the copying machine.

More than the effects of the invention, as is clear from the description of the embodiments, in the present invention, in an image recording apparatus in which sheet storage containers are arranged in multiple stages, each sheet storage container is Since the sheet storage container is configured so that it can be moved obliquely upward on the opposite side from the paper delivery side, the end of the delivery side of any sheet storage container can be exposed and set by the selective operation of the binding means and the operation of the drive means. It is possible to bring the sheet transport means to the exposed position of the sheet storage container and transport the sheets. Therefore, there is no need to provide a sheet ejecting means for each storage container, which greatly saves space compared to conventional multi-stage sheet storage containers, and allows for high-density storage of many types of sheets. This also simplifies the device structure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are schematic operational front views of a paper feeding device equipped with a sheet storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a paper tray selection routine in the built-in computer system. , and FIGS. 4 to 8 are schematic front views of sheet feeding devices equipped with sheet storage devices according to other embodiments, respectively. 1... Dry electrophotographic copying machine, 2... Paper receiving section,
3... Paper feed device, 4... Paper tray, 5... Guide rail, 6... Sliding piece, 7... Support column, 8... Connecting link, 9... Pulling rod, 10...cam, 11.
...Reduction gear, I2...Motor, I3...Guide rod, 14...Stator, 15...Elevating body, I6...
... Paper delivery means, 17... Delivery roll, 18...
Conveyance roll, [9...Paper guide plate, addition...Paper supply means, 21.22, Swamp...Connection link, U...Guide shoe, 5.26.27...Conveyance roll. Agent Patent Attorney Ehara Mogai 2 Mebi 10 3 Foot 2 Tail 5 Shoulder 6 Hiko / 忽7 fig■ / 忽8 fig.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image recording apparatus provided with a sheet carrying means for selectively carrying out a sheet in one of a plurality of sheet storage containers provided in the vertical direction, each of the sheet storage containers An inclined nullide means for supporting each container in a relatively movable manner diagonally upward on the opposite sheet delivery side, a drive means for moving the sheet storage container, and a connection for removably connecting the sheet storage container. A sheet storage device characterized by comprising a storage means.