JPS6387426A - Paper feeding cassette device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To get rid of any contact trouble at the time of setting, by keeping paper and a paper feed roller in a nonpressure-contact state by interference between the depressing member installed in a cassette holder and a cam member of a cassette at the time of cassette insertion, while setting them in a pressure- contact state at the time of completion of the cassette insertion. CONSTITUTION:A cassette 2 is going to be inserted at the same time that an upper incline of the cam member 5 installed in the cassette 2 is depressed against a spring 3g by the depressing member 3j locked to a cassette holder 3. Therefore, a paper feed roller 8c and transfer paper P in the cassette are kept in noncontact. At the time of insertion completion, the depressing member 3j is fitted in the concave groove 5b installed in the cam 5 whereby interference is released, and the cassette 2 goes up by the spring 3g, thus the paper feed roller 8c and the transfer paper P are made contact with each other under pressure. Accordingly, any hindrance such as bending or the like in paper at the time of setting is eliminated with simple constitution and, what is more, operation also becomes simplified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette device installed in an automatic paper feeder such as a printer or a copying machine.

Conventional technology In printers, copying machines, etc., when paper is automatically fed one by one, the frictional force between the paper and the paper feed roller is used, so the two are kept in pressure contact at the paper feeding position. There is a need. However, when a cassette that stores paper is placed in the paper feed position of a device such as a printer, the leading edge of the paper may come into strong contact with the paper feeding roller when the cassette is moved, causing the leading edge of the paper to bend or bend. There was a problem in that it interfered with subsequent operations.

For this reason, conventionally, as seen in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 57-72527, a magnet that attracts the bottom plate on which the paper is placed is disposed inside the cassette, and the cassette is inserted with the bottom plate attracted to the magnet. When the leading edge of the paper placed on the bottom plate passes the paper feed roller, suction on the bottom plate is released and the paper is pressed against the paper feed roller, thereby avoiding bending of the leading edge due to contact with the paper. That's what I do.

However, since the conventional automatic paper feeder described above uses a magnet to attract the bottom plate on which the paper is placed, it requires the use of ferromagnetic permanent magnets, making it expensive to manufacture. In addition, permanent magnets generally have a problem in that their attractive force decreases over time, making it necessary to replace them.

Furthermore, when storing paper in the cassette, the paper must be placed against a spring that pushes up the lower surface of the bottom plate, making handling operations cumbersome.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention avoids contact failure such as bending of paper when inserting a cassette without using a permanent magnet to attract the bottom plate, and has a simple and inexpensive mechanism for feeding paper that is easy to handle. The purpose is to provide a cassette device.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object to solve the problems, the present invention provides a cassette that is elastically biased in a direction to press against a paper feed roller, a cam member attached to this cassette, and a cassette that houses the cassette. The cassette holder includes a push-down member provided on the cassette holder and interferes with the cam member, and when the cassette is inserted, the interference between the push-down member and the cam member causes the cassette to be pushed down and the paper and paper feed roller to be separated. It is characterized in that the paper is kept in pressure contact with the paper feed roller, and when the insertion of the cassette is completed, the interference of the push-down member is released so that the paper comes into pressure contact with the paper feed roller.

When the cassette is inserted into the paper feed side, the cam member interferes with the push-down member, the cassette is pushed down, the paper and the paper feed roller are kept in non-pressure contact, and the paper moves below the paper feed roller. At the same time as the insertion of the cassette is completed, the interference of the push-down member is released, the cassette rises, and the paper comes into pressure contact with the paper feed roller.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the paper feed cassette device of the present invention.

The paper feed cassette device 1 includes, as main parts, a drop-off prevention member 4 and a cam member 5 disposed on a cassette 2 for storing transfer paper P, and a push-down member disposed on a cassette holder 3 for housing the cassette 2. 3j, a separation claw 6, a support stand 7, etc., and is installed in a thermal transfer printer 8 shown in FIG.

The cassette 2 is for storing and storing the transfer paper P and feeding it to the thermal transfer printer 8 side. As shown in FIG. It includes a paper discharge tray 9 and the like, and is housed in a cassette holder 3, which will be described later. This cassette 2 includes a bottom plate 2a, a left side wall 2b,
A right side wall 2C and a rear side wall 2d are erected, and two falling-off prevention members 4 are disposed on the side facing the rear side wall. The falling-off prevention member 4 is rotatably supported via a hinge in the inner part of a notch 2f formed in the front edge 2e of the bottom plate 2a at a predetermined interval in an abbreviated shape. support stand 7
The bottom surface is placed on the top surface.

As shown in FIG. 4, the leading edge of the transfer paper P is hooked to the L-shaped leading edge 4a, and when the cassette 2 is set, the transfer paper P falls from the support base 7 under its own weight. The structure is such that the transfer paper P can be slid down to the paper feed side by changing the posture of the transfer paper P to the unlatched state.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam member 5 has a curved upper surface with a stepped portion 5a and a concave groove 5b formed thereon, and has two measuring portions on the back surface of the transfer paper receiving plate 2g placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 2a. Each cam member 5
A part of the upper surface is fixed, and the lower surface is in contact with a cam slide plate 3f, which will be described later.

A projection 6C of a separation claw 6, which will be described later, engages with the step 5a on the upper surface, and a push-down member 3j fixed to the cassette holder 3 can be fitted into the groove 5b. Further, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped transfer paper guide 2h is fixed on both sides of the transfer paper receiving plate 2g that holds the cam member 5, and a compression spring is interposed between the transfer paper guide and the left and right side walls 2b, 2c. It is designed to prevent horizontal misalignment when feeding transfer paper. A coil spring 21 is disposed near the transfer paper guide 2h, and a transfer paper pressing rod 2j is hooked to the upper end of the coil spring to apply a pressing force to the transfer paper P. There is. Furthermore, a handle 2k for operating the cassette 2 is fixed to the rear wall 2d.

The paper discharge tray 9 is a substantially rectangular housing, and is attached to the upper part of the cassette 2 via a support pin, and has a left side wall 9b, a right side wall 9C, and a front side wall 9d erected on a bottom plate 9a. A platen roll 8a, which will be described later, is attached to the bottom plate 9a which is arranged at an angle.
The paper is ejected from the paper ejection roller 8h and the paper guide 8.
The transfer paper P conveyed through 1 is stacked thereon.

The cassette holder 3 accommodates the cassette 2, and as shown in FIG. 3, includes a separation claw 6, a support base 7, etc.
It is disposed on the side of the thermal transfer printer 8 shown in FIG. 5 with a support plate 10 interposed therebetween. This cassette holder 3 has a bottom plate 3.
It is constructed by standing a left side wall 3b and a right side wall 3C on the left side wall 3b, and the rear ends of both side walls 3b and 3c are connected by a single bar 3d. Furthermore, two separation claws 6 are provided at the front of the cassette holder. As shown in FIG. 3, the separating claw 6 has a tip 6a having an abbreviated shape and a protrusion parallel to the front edge of the bottom plate 3a, and the transfer paper P is attached to the tip 6a of the falling-off prevention member. 4 is released from the latch, the transfer paper P is held at the paper feeding position. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end portion 6b is semicircular and has a protrusion 6C, and the left and right side walls 3b, 3
It is pivotally supported by a fixed shaft 3e projecting from c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support stand 7 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with a bottom plate 3a
The fall prevention member 4 is fixed to the upper surface of the cam slide plate 3f, and the fall prevention member 4 slides on the upper surface protruding from a long hole 3k formed in a cam slide plate 3f, which will be described later. The cam slide plate 3f is placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 3a via a compression spring 3g (see FIG. 4), is movable up and down, and has the cam member 5 on the upper surface.
are in contact with each other.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support plate 10 is substantially fan-shaped and has an upper end 10a supported by the fixed shaft 3e. And the bottom end 10
b is a guide member 11 having a horizontal kite hole 11a;
The cassette holder 3 is rotatably supported through a sliding connecting shaft 11b through the guide hole, and supports the cassette holder 3 in a variable angle state. Further, one end of the cassette holder 3 is connected to the left and right side walls 3.
It is pivotally supported by the thermal transfer printer 8 via a mounting shaft 31 that is inserted through a shaft hole 3h provided at the front end of the printer 3B and 3C.

In addition, a pin-shaped push-down member 3j is provided protruding from the inner surfaces of the left and right side walls 3b, 3c in the vicinity of the shaft hole 3h.

FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing the thermal transfer printer.

The thermal transfer printer 8 records images, data, etc. in multiple colors, and includes a platen roll 3a, a thermal head 8b, a paper feed roller 8C, and the like as main parts. The platen roll 8a is arranged approximately in the center of the thermal transfer printer,
The platen roll 8a is rotated at a predetermined speed by a motor 8d via a belt, and the transfer paper P sent out by the paper feed roller 8C is wound around the circumferential surface of the platen roll 8a. The paper feed roller 8C is arranged at the lower end side of the paper feed cassette device 1, and is adapted to come into pressure contact with the transfer paper P stored in the cassette 2, and feeds the transfer paper P one sheet at a time by rotation of the motor 8e. It is fed out and conveyed to the platen roll 8a via a paper guide 8f and a conveyance roller 8g.

Next, the operation of the paper feeding force centering device of this embodiment will be explained.

■As shown in FIG. 6(a), a cassette 2 containing a plurality of sheets of transfer paper P with the leading edge of the transfer paper P in contact with the falling-off prevention member 4
When the cassette 2 is pushed diagonally downward, the cam member 5 slides on the cam slide plate 3f, and the cassette 2 is moved toward the bottom plate 3a by being regulated by the push-down member 3j that comes into contact with the curved upper surface.

(2) As the cam member 5 slides, the rear end side 6b of the separation claw 6 that engages with the stepped portion 5a rotates, and the front end side 6a is raised upward as shown in FIG. 6(b).

(2) On the other hand, due to the movement of the cam member 5, the engagement between the cam member 5 and the separation claw 6 is released, and the separation claw 6 rotates and returns to the normal position as shown in FIG. 6(C).

(2) When the cam member 5 is further lowered by the push-down member 3j in contact with the upper surface of the cam member 5, the cam slide plate 3f is lowered and the entire cassette 2 is pushed down. At this time, since there is a gap l between the leading edge of the transfer paper P and the paper feed roller 8C, the transfer paper P passes under the paper feed roller 8C without any hindrance (see Fig. 6(c)). ).

(2) As shown in FIG. 6(d), when the push-down member 3j is fitted into the groove 5b of the cam member 5, the cassette 2 is raised by the pushing force of the compression spring 3g. At the same time as rising, support platform 7
The drop-off prevention member 4 that was sliding on the top surface comes off the support base 7 and falls under its own weight, changing its posture and removing the transfer paper P.
is released and slides downward.

■When the transfer paper P slides, it comes into contact with the tip 6a of the separation claw 6, and then, as the cassette 2 rises, the paper feed roller 8c
The transfer paper P is pressed with a predetermined pressing force. At this time, since the drop-off prevention member 4 is removed from the leading end of the transfer paper P, only the paper feed roller 8c is in pressure contact with the transfer paper P (see FIG. 5).

■When the paper feed roller 8c rotates, the transfer paper P is transferred to the cassette 2.
Paper guide 8f, conveyance roller 8g
The paper is wound around the platen roll 8a via the paper, and printing is sequentially performed.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the angular paper feeding device is mounted on the thermal transfer printer at an angle in order to make the entire device compact and compact. However, if the installation space can be secured, the angular paper feeding device can be mounted horizontally. It is also possible to have a configuration in which

The present invention provides a cam member on the cassette and a push-down member on the cassette holder, so that the cam member and the push-down member interfere with each other when inserting the cassette, but when the insertion of the cassette is completed, the interference between the two is released. This avoids contact problems such as bending that occur when setting paper, so a simple mechanism consisting of a cam and a push-down member is sufficient.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a paper feeding device that is inexpensive to manufacture.

In addition, there is no need to push down the bottom plate of the cassette every time you change a cassette as in the past, and you only need to insert the cassette into the cassette holder, making handling extremely easy.In addition, there is the problem of deterioration of magnetic force. It can be used semi-permanently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette device showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cassette holder, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the paper feed cassette device shown in Fig. 1. ■A cross-sectional view of the paper feed cassette device taken along the line; Figure 5 is a side view, partially in cross section, of the paper feed cassette device installed in a thermal transfer printer; and Figure 6 is the paper feeding operation of the paper feed cassette device. It is an explanatory diagram. 1...Paper feed cassette device, 2...Cassette, 3...
・Cassette holder, 3j...Pushing down member, 4... Falling prevention member, 5... Cam member, 6... Separation claw, 8...
・Thermal transfer printer. Patent applicant: Minolta Camera Co., Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] A cassette that is elastically biased in a direction to press against a paper feed roller, a cam member attached to the cassette, a cassette holder that stores the cassette, and a push-down member that is provided on the cassette holder and interferes with the cam member. When the cassette is inserted, the cassette is pushed down due to interference between the push-down member and the cam member, and the paper and paper feed roller are kept in a non-pressure state, and when the cassette is inserted, the interference of the push-down member is released. A paper feed cassette device characterized in that the paper is configured so that paper comes into pressure contact with a paper feed roller.