JPS6293155A - Device for detecting amount of stacked paper sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make possible to recognize the amount of stacked paper sheets without affecting the traveling performance of the paper sheets, by attaching rotating angle detectors on a rotatable rotary shaft for a sheet urging and detecting arms, and by allowing the urging arm to enter into a tray. CONSTITUTION:A rotary shaft 5 provided thereon with a paper sheet urging arm 8 and detecting arms 8a, 8b is rotatably arranged and is coupled with an actuating arm 10 in a solenoid 9 with the use of a braided rope, etc., in the rotating direction. Further, detectors 14, 15 for the rotating angle of the rotary shaft 5 are arranged corresponding to the detecting arms 8a, 8b, and the paper sheet urging arm 8 is arranged, reaching the inside of a tray 1. A solenoid 9 is energized between the feeds of paper sheets to rotate the rotary shaft 5 toward the tray 1, and therefore, the front end of the paper urging arm 8 is pressed against paper sheets 2 on the tray 1. The detectors 14, 15 are turned on and off in association with the rotating angle of the rotary shaft 5 to recognize the amount of the paper sheets 2 on the tray 1. Accordingly, the amount of the paper sheets 2 may be recognized without affecting the travel performance of the paper sheets.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the stack amount of sheets stacked on a tray such as a feeder of a copying machine.

In a bottom vacuum corrugation feeder, which is an example of a conventional copying machine feeder, there is a need to constantly recognize the amount of paper stacked on a tray.

Conventional paper stack amount detection devices of this type have been designed to recognize the presence or absence of paper, but none have been designed to recognize changes in the stack amount.

Example of the problem to be solved by the invention: t In the Habottom vacuum corrugation feeder, air is blown onto the leading edge of the stacked sheets using an air knife to lift up the second and more sheets at the leading edge of the stacked sheets. The paper is separated and only the bottom layer of paper is conveyed by a bottom feeder, but in such a feeder, due to the wind pressure of the air knife, the remaining amount of paper on the stacker f: g As must be understood, the conventional method of detecting only the presence or absence of paper is of no use.

Means and Effects for Solving the Problems The present invention was conceived in view of the above, and is capable of recognizing the amount of paper stacked on a tray such as a feeder without affecting paper feeding performance. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a paper stack amount detection device capable of accurately recognizing the paper amount at 5 Vct, and its configuration includes a rotating rod equipped with a paper pressing arm and a detection arm. In addition to being rotatable, the rotary rod is connected in the rotational direction to the operating rod of the solenoid via a string, and a detector is provided corresponding to the detection arm to detect the rotation angle of the rotary rod. The above-mentioned paper pressing arm is arranged so as to face inside the tray, and the solenoid is activated between paper feeds to rotate the rotary rod toward the tray to push the paper on the tray. The tip of the paper pressing arm is pressed, and the detector is turned on or off depending on the rotation angle of the rotating rod at this time, and the amount of paper on the tray is recognized.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a tray. This tray 1 is of a side resist type, and sheets 2 are stacked with one side thereof abutting one side wall 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a stack amount detecting device according to the present invention provided on the outside of the side wall 3 on the resist side of the tray 1, the details of which will be explained below.

In the figure, numeral 5 is a next movement lever rotatably supported by a support shaft 6.
The rotating rod 5 includes a cylindrical member 7 fitted onto a support shaft 6, a paper pressing arm 8 whose one end is fixed to the cylindrical member 7 and whose tip faces downward into the inside of the tray 1, and the paper pressing arm 8. It consists of two detection arms 8cL and Bb, one end of which is fixed to the cylindrical member 7 facing in a different direction from the arm g. These two detection arms 8cL and 8gb have different mounting angles in the rotation direction. Reference numeral 9 denotes a solenoid mounted so that an operating rod 10 operates in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical member 7, and the tip of the solenoid 9 is connected to the frame 12 via a return spring 11 to the operating rod 10. The string 13 is connected to form a reed, and the middle portion of the string 13 is wound once around a groove 7α provided in the cylindrical member 7 of the rotating rod 5. 14.15 indicates each detection arm 8α, Bb of the rotating rod 5.
Detector corresponding to the tip of each detection arm 8eL, 8b
When K approaches the detector, it becomes ON and a detection signal is emitted. +6 is a detector position adjustment mechanism, by which the position of the detectors 14, 15 is adjusted with respect to the rotating rod 5.

In the above configuration, the solenoid 9 operates and the operating rod 10
When the lever moves downward, the string I3 is pulled downward against the return spring +1, thereby rotating the rotating rod 5.
The tip of the pressing arm ε is brought into contact with the stacked sheets 2.

At this time, the detector 14 or 15 is turned on depending on the rotation angle of the detection arm 8 a e 8 b.
A stack of paper 2 is detected.

Detection by the detectors 14 and 15 is performed after a signal at the time when the solenoid 9 mechanically and reliably ends its operation is detected.

Further, the timing of the above-mentioned detection operation is such that it is performed between paper feedings so as not to interfere with paper feeding.

Figure 3 (B) shows the timing of the above detection operation, so the bottom bar corrugation feeder 17
When the pacuum transport device 18 is stopped and the air from the air knife 19 is stopped, the detection device 4 is turned on (Fig. 3 IAI), the pacuum transport device 18 is activated, and the air for separation is supplied from the air knife 19. When the lowest layer of paper is being fed, the detection device 4 is turned off (Fig. 3 e+).

A case in which two detection arms gα, 8b of the rotating rod 5 and two detectors 14, 15 are used will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The rotation rod 5 shown in FIG. 4 is rotated by the operation of the solenoid 9, and the rotation angle when the paper pressing arm 8 presses the top surface of the paper 2 determines the position of the tenth second detector 14.15. The ON and OFF' states appear as shown in FIG. That is, with respect to the activation timing of the solenoid 9, (1) both detectors 14.15 are OFF' (2) only the first detector 14 is 0N (3) both detectors 14.15 are both 0N (4) the first The detection arm εα passes through the first detector 14 and this detector 14 is turned off, and the second detection arm ε
When b is close to the second detector 15, it is turned on. As mentioned above, four stages of recognition are possible, (1)→(4
) detects whether the stack amount is large or small. Note that in FIG. 5, L#: indicates the detection range.

Note that when there is only one detection arm, two-stage recognition is possible.

If more detailed recognition is required, a large number of slits Ig are provided in the detection arm g' of the rotating rod as shown in FIG. You can do it like this.

The above-mentioned detection operation is carried out every time one sheet of paper 2 is fed, or every several sheets of paper 2, as required.

Further, the rotating rod 5 may be biased by a spring in the return direction as necessary.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to recognize the amount of paper 2 stacked on a tray such as a feeder without affecting the feeding performance of the paper 2. Since the amount of remaining paper is detected by pressing the detection rod, the amount of paper can be accurately recognized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a front view;
Figure 2 is a side view;
The figure is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment. l is the tray, 5 is the rotating rod, g is the paper pressing arm s
gam8b is a detection arm, 9 is an lenoid, IO is an operating rod, and 14.15 is a detector. Figure 1 Figure 2 (A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A rotary rod 5 provided with a paper pressing arm 8 and detection arms 8a and 8b is rotatably provided, and this rotary rod 5
is connected to the operating rod 10 of the solenoid 9 in the rotational direction, and detectors 14 and 15 for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating rod 5 are provided corresponding to the detection arms 8a and 8b, and the pressing arm 8
1. A paper stack amount detection device, characterized in that the paper stack amount detection device is provided so as to face inside a tray 1 of a feeder or the like.