JPS61211240A - Cassette with sheet counting means - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the remaining quantity of the recording paper in a cassette by providing a device conveying a change of the recording paper from a push-up lever to a pointer in the cassette pushing up the movable bottom plate of the cassette with the push-up lever in a copying machine. CONSTITUTION:A push-up lever 1 is fixed to one end of the lever shaft 2 in a copying machine and an arm 3 fitted with a roller 4 is fixed to the other end. Next, one end of a fine wire 13 is fixed to the ridge section of a roller cam 12 formed on the side face of a cassette 10, and the other end is wound and fixed on a meter shaft 15. When the cassette 10 fitted with the recording paper P is inserted into a main body, the push-up lever 1 and a bottom plate 11 are pushed up, the uppermost recording paper P is brought into contact with a paper feed roller 20, and a pointer 17 indicates zone A 18a. When the recording paper P is decreased, the push-up lever 1 is further raised, and the pointer 17 is rotated toward a zone B 18b. Accordingly, the recording paper can be supplied early by using this device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette of a copying machine, a printing machine, etc., which has a paper counting means and is equipped with a remaining amount detection and display device for recording paper stored in the paper feeding cassette. y).

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in copying machines, light printing machines, and the like, recording paper is stored in a paper feed cassette and is fed one by one for copying or printing. When copying or printing progresses and the recording paper in the paper feed cassette completely runs out, the detector is activated to issue a recording paper replenishment signal and stop the copying or printing operation. However, when making a large number of copies, it is necessary to remove the paper cassette from the copying machine or printing machine in advance and check the remaining amount.If the paper in the cassette runs out during copying, the paper When copying is restarted after replenishing the copying machine, the previous actual number of copies is invalidated and the continuous copying operation is restarted from the beginning. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 118616/1983 has proposed a conventional means for detecting and displaying the amount of recording paper remaining in a cassette. This converts the change in the number of recording sheets in the cassette into the amount of rotation, and converts the amount of rotation into an electrical signal using a potentiometer, which is displayed on a meter.This proposal is based on a mechanism for transmitting rotation to the potentiometer. It is difficult to use it in practice because it is complicated and malfunctions may occur due to poor contact of the potentiometer contacts.

Another method, proposed by C1 Utility Model Publication No. 56-130943, is to use a movable bottom plate on which recording paper is placed, which swings in the E direction around one end, as the number of recording papers in the cassette decreases. A mirror is provided on the back surface of the device, and a photoelectric converter is provided that changes the amount of light received by changing the reflection position of the mirror as the movable bottom plate swings. is connected to an ammeter and the remaining amount is displayed on the meter. However, with this proposal, detection errors may occur due to dust adhering to the mirror, and adjustment of the mounting position of the mirror may be troublesome.
There are disadvantages such as the detection device is expensive.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a cassette that is inexpensive, has a simple structure, and has a paper counter that can display the remaining amount to indicate the general situation.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is an attempt to solve the above problem, and uses a push-up lever ζ provided inside the copying machine to push up the movable bottom plate inside the cassette so that the recording paper inside comes into contact with the paper feed roller for feeding paper. This is achieved by a cassette having sheet number measuring means, characterized in that the remaining amount of recording paper in the cassette is detected based on the amount of displacement of the push-up lever.

[Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a paper feed cassette and a recording paper push-up mechanism according to the present invention. The part shown on the left side of Figure 1 is a recording paper push-up mechanism built into a copying machine or the like.

The part on the right is the paper feed cassette, and when it is attached to the main body of a copying machine, it is fixed in place by pushing it from the right to the left.

When the cassette 10 is attached to the main body, the tongue-like shape acts to constantly push the bottom plate 11 of the cassette 10 upward and press the recording paper stored in the cassette 10 against a paper feed roller (not shown). A push-up lever 1 is fixed to a lever shaft 2. A tension spring 6 is attached to a spring catch 5 protruding from one end of the push-up lever 1, and biases the push-up lever 1 clockwise.

An arm 3 to which a rotatable roller 4 is attached is fixedly attached to the other end of the lever shaft 2.

A cassette bottom hole 10a into which the push-up lever 1 is inserted is opened at the center front side (left side in the figure) of the bottom plate of the cassette IO. This cassette 1 is located at the bottom of the cassette 10.
There is a bottom plate 11 having a size similar to that of the recording paper to be accommodated in the bottom plate 11, and the recording paper (not shown) is stacked on the bottom plate 11.

A roller cam 12 with a chevron-shaped center portion is formed on the side surface of the cassette 10, and the roller 4 on the main body side slides along this roller cam 12 when the cassette 10 is mounted on the main body. A thin wire 13 made of nylon or stainless wire, one end of which is fixed to the crest of the roller cam 12, passes through a rotatable intermediate O-ra 14 and then connects to the rotatable meter shaft 1.
5 and one end is fixed to the meter shaft 15.

A spring 16, one end of which is fixed, is stretched around the meter shaft 15 and urges the meter shaft 15 in a counterclockwise direction. Of course, the spring 16 may be directly connected to the thin wire 13 via the meter shaft 15. Also, the meter shaft 15 has a pointer 1.
7 is attached to indicate the area between zone A 18a and zone B 18b of signboard 18.

The operation will be explained. When the cassette 10 is inserted into the main body, the roller 4 on the main body side rides on the cam surface of the roller cam 12 on the side of the cassette 10. When the cassette 10 is inserted and hung, the roller 4 rides on the peak of the roller cam 12. At that time, the push-up lever 1 is pushed down, and the cassette 10
The push-up lever l does not rub the bottom of the cassette 10 during loading. When the cassette 10 is completely inserted into the main body,
The roller 4 is lowered from the mountain of the roller cam 12, and the push-up lever l pushes up the bottom plate 11 of the cassette lO.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show configuration diagrams of an instruction structure for indicating the remaining amount of recording paper stored in a cassette. FIG. 2(a) shows a state in which the recording paper P is full. The bottom plate 11 is pushed up by the biased push-up lever 1, and the uppermost surface of the recording paper P stacked on the bottom plate 11 comes into contact with the paper feed roller 20.

When there is enough recording paper P, the tip of the push-up lever l is at a relatively low position. Accordingly, the tip of the arm 3 is located at a high position, and the roller 4 installed at the tip hardly suppresses the stretched thin wire 13. At this time, the pointer 17 points to the left zone A18a, indicating that there is enough recording paper inside.

Next, when the remaining amount of recording paper P in the cassette 10 as shown in FIG. roller 4
When the roller 4 lowers, the roller 4 presses the thin wire 13, and the thin wire 13 is pulled to the left. Meter shaft 15 with thin wire 13 wound around it
rotates clockwise, and the pointer 17 attached to the meter shaft 15 rotates to the right to indicate zone B18. By coloring the zone B18b in red or the like, it is possible to detect that the remaining amount of recording paper P is low when the pointer 17 points to the red zone B18b. Zone A18a, Zone B18
The part b is located at a position where it can be seen from the outside when the cassette 10 is attached to the main body of a copying machine, etc., so it is easy to check the remaining amount of recording paper P in the cassette 10, and the recording paper can be replenished early.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, each cassette has a remaining fuel gauge, so there is no need to install an indicator in the main body of the copying machine, etc., and the tension caused by the suppression of the stretched thin wire is converted into rotation of the meter. Because of this simple structure, it has become possible to provide a cassette that is inexpensive, easy to maintain, and has a paper measuring section that allows checking the remaining amount of recording paper without removing the cassette from the main body.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette and a recording paper push-up mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 2(a) shows a state in which the paper feed cassette in the present invention is full of recording paper, and FIG. 2 (bl) shows a state in which the remaining amount of recording paper in the paper feed cassette is small.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a cassette in which a movable bottom plate inside the cassette is pushed up by a push-up lever provided in the copying machine so that the recording paper inside comes into contact with a paper feed roller, the amount of displacement of the push-up lever is used to A cassette having a sheet number measuring means, characterized in that the remaining amount of recording paper is detected.