JPS627630Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a cassette loading device for an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine, a copying machine, or a recording device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cassette loading device that facilitates the operation of storing transfer materials into a cassette.

Below, in order to make it easier to understand the contents of this invention,
This will be explained using a copying machine as an example.

In copying machines, the paper feeding method is based on dimensions and
Sheet-like materials (transfer paper, photosensitive paper, copy paper, etc.) as transfer materials of different paper quality are stored in each cassette in advance, and the cassettes containing the required sheet-like materials are loaded into the copying machine. Paper feeding methods for loading have been widely put into practical use. The sheet materials stored in these cassettes are supplied to the image forming section of the main body of the copying machine by rotation of a sheet material delivery roller attached to the copying machine.

Here, a conventional cassette loading device will be explained with reference to the drawings. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the feed roller R, which constantly rotates in the direction of the arrow, is lowered during paper feeding to bring it into contact with the sheet material P loaded in the cassette 1. The sheet paper P is fed one by one. In addition, 3 in the figure is a spring, which constantly pushes up the intermediate plate 4 on which the sheet-like material P is placed. Reference numeral 5 denotes a swinging arm which pivotally supports the roller R. In the cassette of the cassette loading device according to this embodiment, the middle plate 4 is constantly subjected to upward force, so it is very troublesome to pull out the cassette from the copying machine body and store the sheet material in the cassette box. It was hot. That is, in this case, as shown in Fig. 2, force is generally applied from the upper part of the separating claw in the direction of arrow a to push it in and store the material. The part that comes into contact with the separation claw may be bent.
Furthermore, loading disorder may occur, which is undesirable in subsequent feeding.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional example, and it is easy to insert sheet material into the cassette box-shaped body, and loading of the cassette box-shaped body into the support member is extremely easy. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cassette feeding device capable of carrying out this operation.

In order to achieve the above object, the cassette feeding device of the present invention includes a cassette box-shaped main body for storing sheet-like material, and a vertically movable cassette-like body disposed within the cassette box-like main body, on which the sheet-like material is placed. A supporting member supports the middle plate to be loaded, the cassette box-shaped main body within the feeding device, and is vertically movably supported by the cassette box-shaped main body so as to move the middle plate up and down, and the feeding device an elastic push-up means that is lowered by pulling out the cassette box-shaped body from inside; and a push-up means provided in the feeding device, which is lowered by the loading of the cassette box-shaped body into the feeding device; The device is characterized in that it has a lifting control member that engages with the lifting means to raise the lifting means, and feeding means that feeds the sheet material contained in the cassette box-shaped body.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings.

In FIG. 3, there is a middle plate 7 inside the cassette box 6.
is provided, and with the transfer material P stored on the intermediate plate 7, it is loaded into the cassette support member 8 on the main body side of the copying machine. During this loading process, the leaf spring 9 moves along the bottom plates 8a, 8b, and 8c of the support member 8 to the position indicated by the dotted line, and pushes up the middle plate 7. More specifically, an opening 6 is formed on the feeding side of the bottom plate 6a of the cassette box 6.
c, and a plate spring 9 is provided at the opening 6c, with its feeding side end 9a engaging with the bottom plate 6a. This leaf spring 9 has a downward slope from the feeding side to the non-feeding side, and the other end 9b is connected to the bottom plate 6.
It's listed in a. Therefore, as the cassette box 6 is inserted into the support member 8, the slope of the leaf spring 9 is sequentially lifted upward along the bottom plates 8a, 8b, and 8c, and when the cassette box 6 reaches the bottom plate 8c, The slope of the leaf spring 9 reaches approximately the same position as the bottom plate 6c of the cassette 6 (indicated by a dotted line in the figure), and the other end 9b holds the middle plate 7 in an upward direction. Therefore, the transfer material P loaded on the intermediate plate 7 comes into contact with the feed roller R on the main body side and can be fed.

In addition, when the cassette 6 is pulled out from the main body, the leaf spring 9 becomes free and falls to the lowest position where one end 9b abuts the bottom plate 6a due to its own weight, so that no upward force is applied to the middle plate 7. not give.
Note that 10 is a separation claw, and the non-feeding side of the middle plate 7 is engaged with the cassette 6.

Therefore, when storing the transfer material P in the cassette 6 with the cassette 6 pulled out from the main body, the transfer material P can be stored without receiving any lifting force, so the separation claw 10 is not damaged. It is also possible to prevent the leading edge of the transfer material from bending. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, after inserting the tip of the transfer material in the direction of arrow b and passing it under the claw 10,
If the rear end of the transfer material is inserted in the direction shown in FIG.

Further, FIG. 5 shows another embodiment.

This embodiment is an example in which a coil spring is used instead of a leaf spring. In the figure, the bottom plate 6 of the cassette box 6
A recess 6b is provided on the feeding side of a, and a cylinder 6c is held in this recess 6b so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The coil spring 11 is held in the cylinder 6c and housed in the recess 6b. Therefore, in this embodiment, as the cassette box 6 is inserted into the support member 8, this cylinder 6c is inserted into the bottom plate 8 of the support member 8.
It slides upward as it passes through a, 8b, and 8c. When the cassette box 6 is loaded into the machine, the lower end of the spring 11 rises to the bottom plate 8c, so the coil spring 11 holds the feeding side of the intermediate plate 7 in an upward direction. And cassette box 6
When the cylinder 6c is pulled out from the support member 8, the cylinder 6c falls under its own weight and the coil spring 11 does not push up the intermediate plate 7 (the state shown in FIG. 5). Therefore, if the transfer material P is inserted into the cassette box 6 in this state, the leading edge of the transfer material P will not be damaged, and the transfer material P
No loading disorder will occur.

The leaf spring 9 and coil spring 11 used in each embodiment may be provided over the entire width of the cassette box 6, or may be provided at a plurality of locations, such as at both ends of the cassette. In addition, as a means of pushing up,
The push-up means is not limited to a leaf spring or a coil spring, and may be provided on the support member side.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the advantage that it is extremely easy to load the cassette box-shaped body into the support member, and it is also easy to insert sheet-like materials into the cassette box-shaped body. .
In other words, this is because there are no members that would be an obstacle when loading the cassette box body into the support member, and furthermore, the push-up is released immediately when the cassette box body is removed from the support member. .

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, it is easy to insert the sheet material into the cassette, and the cassette can be loaded into the support member very easily. This eliminates the possibility of malfunctions such as pressing the print button without lifting the material, and eliminates the need to switch the lifting means.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional cassette loading device, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the insertion of a transfer material into the cassette of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional cassette loading device. 3 is a side view showing the insertion of the transfer material into the cassette of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1...cassette, 2...separation claw,
3... Spring, 4... Middle plate, 6... Cassette box, 7
... middle plate, 8 ... cassette support member, 9 ... leaf spring, 10 ... separation claw, 11 ... spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) A cassette box-shaped body for storing sheet-like materials, and an intermediate plate provided in the cassette box-shaped body so as to be movable up and down, on which the sheet-like materials are loaded. a supporting member for supporting the cassette box-shaped body within the feeding device; a resilient pushing-up means that descends when the box-shaped body is pulled out; and a push-up means provided in the feeding device that engages with the pushing-up means when the cassette box-shaped body is loaded into the feeding device. A cassette feeding device comprising: a push-up control member for lifting the pushing-up means; and a feeding means for feeding sheet-like material stored in the cassette box-shaped body. (2) The cassette according to claim (1) of the utility model registration claim, wherein the lifting means is a coil spring housed in a vertically slidable cylinder provided on the bottom plate of the cassette box-shaped main body. Feeding device. (3) The cassette feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the pushing up means is a leaf spring provided in the bottom plate opening of the cassette box-shaped main body.