US20050017433A1 - Paper feeding apparatus - Google Patents

Paper feeding apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US20050017433A1
US20050017433A1 US10/834,364 US83436404A US2005017433A1 US 20050017433 A1 US20050017433 A1 US 20050017433A1 US 83436404 A US83436404 A US 83436404A US 2005017433 A1 US2005017433 A1 US 2005017433A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
paper
papers
housing
feeding apparatus
paper feeding
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US10/834,364
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English (en)
Inventor
Noboru Otsuki
Kazuhiko Sato
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Seiko Epson Corp
Original Assignee
Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Seiko Epson Corp filed Critical Seiko Epson Corp
Assigned to SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION reassignment SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: OTSUKI, NOBORU, SATO, KAZUHIKO
Publication of US20050017433A1 publication Critical patent/US20050017433A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/46—Supplementary devices or measures to assist separation or prevent double feed
    • B65H3/56—Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/02—Separating articles from piles using friction forces between articles and separator
    • B65H3/06—Rollers or like rotary separators
    • B65H3/0661—Rollers or like rotary separators for separating inclined-stacked articles with separator rollers above the stack
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/02—Separating articles from piles using friction forces between articles and separator
    • B65H3/06—Rollers or like rotary separators
    • B65H3/0669—Driving devices therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H3/00—Separating articles from piles
    • B65H3/46—Supplementary devices or measures to assist separation or prevent double feed
    • B65H3/56—Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile
    • B65H3/565—Elements, e.g. scrapers, fingers, needles, brushes, acting on separated article or on edge of the pile for reintroducing partially separated articles in the stack
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/10—Size; Dimensions
    • B65H2511/13—Thickness
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2511/00—Dimensions; Position; Numbers; Identification; Occurrences
    • B65H2511/20—Location in space
    • B65H2511/21—Angle
    • B65H2511/216—Orientation, e.g. with respect to direction of movement

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a paper feeding apparatus for a printer.
  • the paper feeding apparatus has a slot provided on an abutment surface for the edge of a paper, the slot is provided with a projection.
  • the surface of the projection is set to have a high coefficient of friction
  • the abutment surface is set to have a low coefficient of friction.
  • the paper abuts on the surface having the high or low coefficient of friction depending on the rigidity of the paper.
  • a paper having a low rigidity a plain paper
  • a paper having a high rigidity a postcard presses down the projection and abuts on the abutment surface having the low coefficient of friction. Accordingly, the papers having the low and high rigidities can easily be fed out by a roller.
  • the projection is simply displaced vertically and the separating property of the paper depends on the maintenance of the two surfaces having different coefficients of friction. More specifically, a separating performance obtained by utilizing a friction is determined by only a difference between the coefficients of friction of the two surfaces. For this reason, it is hard to accommodate paper having different rigidities.
  • the object of the invention can be achieved by the following structures.
  • a paper feeding apparatus comprising:
  • a paper feeding apparatus comprising:
  • a printer comprising a paper inlet for receiving papers for printing, and the paper feeding apparatus of (5).
  • the paper feeding apparatus includes a housing having a back cover for accommodating a paper bundle in an oblique erecting posture, the pickup roller for pressing a paper in an uppermost portion of the paper bundle and feeding out the paper in the uppermost portion by its own rotation while moving downward, and the movable plate having a friction member provided under the back cover and serving to separate the paper thus fed out by an abutment of a lower end of the paper bundle accommodated in the back cover.
  • the movable plate is rotatably supported by a shaft provided on the back cover side so that a portion extended in a paper feeding direction can be tilted in a vertical direction and is urged upward by the urging member. Accordingly, the movable plate is tilted depending on the rigidity of the paper which is fed out, and the paper can be separated depending on a frictional force between the friction member and the tip of the paper.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a paper feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the paper feeding apparatus of FIG. 1 is attached to a printer body portion 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the paper feeding apparatus according to the embodiment as seen from a back side;
  • FIG. 4 is a view showing the paper feeding apparatus according to the embodiment seen from an oblique back side, a portion provided with a pickup unit being cut away;
  • FIG. 5 is a view showing only the portion provided with the pickup unit in the paper feeding apparatus according to the embodiment as seen from an oblique back side, a back cover being taken away;
  • FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the relationship between the pickup unit and a friction pad
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing only the pickup unit
  • FIG. 8 is a side view showing the pickup unit
  • FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a torque transmitting member (a clutch spring 60 ) attached to the driving shaft of the pickup unit;
  • FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing the relationship between a pickup roller in the pickup unit illustrated in FIG. 6 and the paper guide surface of a back cover, FIG. 10A being a sectional side view and FIG. 10B being a plan view showing the paper guide surface;
  • FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part, illustrating the relationship between the pickup roller in the pickup unit of FIG. 6 and the paper guide surface of the back cover;
  • FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view showing the inner part of the paper feeding apparatus
  • FIGS. 13A to 13 C are explanatory views showing the proper attachment angle of a cleaning member in the paper feeding apparatus, FIG. 13A being a view showing a non-preferable attachment angle, and FIGS. 13B and 13C being views showing preferable attachment angles;
  • FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing the action of the friction pad in the paper feeding apparatus
  • FIG. 15 is an explanatory view showing an action for feeding out paper having a high rigidity in the paper feeding apparatus
  • FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing an action for feeding out paper having a low rigidity in the paper feeding apparatus.
  • FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing the case that the rear end of a paper in the paper feeding apparatus is caused to escape rearward.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the paper feeding apparatus according to the embodiment which is to be attached to a printer body portion
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing a state in which the paper feeding apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 is attached to the printer body portion
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the paper feeding apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 as seen from a back side.
  • a paper feeding apparatus 10 is an ASF (automatic sheet feeder) capable of accommodating a plurality of papers (cut-form papers) having a predetermined size and feeding the papers one by one into a printer body portion 1 .
  • ASF automatic sheet feeder
  • the paper feeding apparatus 10 is mainly constituted by a housing 13 including a lower case 11 and an upper cover 12 .
  • the lower case 11 is a box member formed integrally by a resin which has a front cover 14 , a back cover 15 constituting a paper guide wall, right and left side covers 16 and 17 , and a bottom cover 18 .
  • paper S is superposed on a paper guide surface 15 a of the back cover 15 in an oblique erecting posture, and is thus accommodated and held.
  • An upper opening 20 constituted by the front cover 14 , the side covers 16 and 17 , and the back cover 15 is provided on the upper surface side of the lower case 11 .
  • the upper cover 12 is inserted from the upper opening 20 and is fitted in the lower case 11 in order to block a part of the upper opening 20 .
  • a portion which is not blocked with the upper opening 20 is constituted as a paper inserting port through which paper S is inserted obliquely.
  • the side covers 16 and 17 are provided with hook portions 9 for attaching the paper feeding apparatus 10 to the printer body portion 1 .
  • the hook portions 9 are inverse L-shaped, are protruded toward the opposite side of the back cover 15 and are bulged downward, for example, and are caught on engagement holes (not shown) in the back face portion of the printer body portion 1 so that the paper feeding apparatus 10 is detachably fixed to the printer body portion 1 .
  • a plane-shaped paper guide 19 for supporting paper in a portion positioned above the back cover 15 , and a paper guide member 21 for inserting and guiding the paper S inserted through the upper opening 20 are provided on the upper end of the back cover 15 .
  • the paper guide member 21 is constituted slidably along the upper end of the back cover 15 .
  • a width between the paper guide member 21 and the side cover 17 is set almost equal to the width of the paper S to be inserted so that both ends of the paper S are guided by the side cover 17 and the paper guide member 21 so that the paper S can be inserted without inclination in a transverse direction.
  • a movable plate 30 having an upper surface against which the lower end of the paper S is pressed is provided at the inside of the lower part of the back cover 15 of the lower case 11 .
  • the movable plate 30 is rotatably provided so as to vary an inclination angle with respect to the back cover 15 .
  • the movable plate 30 will be described later in detail.
  • a lower opening 22 constituted by the front cover 14 , the side covers 16 and 17 , and the bottom cover 18 is provided on the bottom face side of the lower case 11 .
  • the lower opening 22 constitutes a paper discharge port for discharging the paper S inserted from the upper opening 20 and defines a paper inserting port toward a paper feeding path 5 of the printer body portion 1 .
  • a slit-shaped opening 23 for manually inserting the paper S and discharging the rear end of the paper S outside of the apparatus in the beginning of the feed of the paper S is provided on the lower end of the back cover 15 .
  • An attachment rib 12 a formed integrally with the upper cover 12 is provided on the inside of the upper cover 12 (the back cover 15 side).
  • the attachment rib 12 a has a guide end 12 b provided in the direction of insertion of the paper S.
  • the guide end 12 b of the attachment rib 12 a positions the paper S inserted from the upper opening 20 together with the back cover 15 , and guides the paper S to be discharged from the opening 22 as the paper discharge port.
  • a pickup unit 50 for paper feeding is fixed to the attachment rib 12 a.
  • FIG. 4 is a view seen from an oblique back side, showing a portion provided with the pickup unit 50 which is cut away.
  • FIG. 4 shows a state in which the pickup unit 50 is placed in a standby position.
  • FIG. 5 is a view seen from an oblique back side, showing the back cover 15 which is cut away in only the portion provided with the pickup unit 50 .
  • FIG. 5 shows the pickup unit 50 which is floated from the standby position.
  • FIG. 6 is a sectional view conceptionally showing the positional relationship between the pickup unit 50 and movable plate 30 and the other members
  • FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the pickup unit 50
  • FIG. 8 is a side view showing the pickup unit 50
  • FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a clutch spring 60 (a torque transmitting member) attached to the driving shaft of the pickup unit 50 .
  • the pickup unit 50 includes a pickup lever 51 , a driving shaft 52 to be driven by a motor 49 (which is shown in only FIG. 8 ), a pickup roller 53 for feeding the paper S toward the printer body portion 1 by pressing its peripheral surface against the paper S, and gears (rotation transmitting members) 54 to 59 which transmit a rotation driving force between the driving shaft 52 and the pickup roller 53 and are sequentially engaged.
  • the gear 54 at an input stage is integrated with the driving shaft 52 and the gear 59 at an output stage is integrated with the pickup roller 53 .
  • the pickup roller 53 has a rolling contact surface 53 b formed by wrapping a high friction material such as rubber lining around the outer periphery of a core member such as a plastic.
  • Low friction rotating members 53 a having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the rolling contact surface 53 b are provided on both end sides of the pickup roller 53 in the axial direction of the pickup roller 53 .
  • the low friction rotating member 53 a is formed by leaving the peripheral surface of the core member without wrapping the high friction material.
  • the low friction rotating member 53 a has a surface which is more slidable than the rolling contact surface 53 b.
  • the low friction rotating member 53 a can abut, with slipping, on the back cover 15 provided around a relief hole 15 b which will be described below, and constitutes an engaging mechanism which will be described below.
  • the pickup lever 51 has an upper end side (a base end side) supported rotatably on the attachment rib 12 a of the upper cover 12 constituting the housing 13 .
  • the pickup lever 51 is rotated toward the paper bundle side, thereby causing the pickup roller 53 provided rotatably on the lower end (tip side) of the pickup lever 51 to be pressed against the top paper S of the paper bundle having a plurality of papers S.
  • By rotating the pickup roller 53 in a state that the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 is pressed against the paper S it is possible to feed out the paper S one by one.
  • the driving shaft 52 is provided along a rotating support axis P 1 of the pickup lever 51 .
  • a clutch spring 60 serving as the torque transmitting member is provided between the driving shaft 52 and the pickup lever 51 .
  • the clutch spring 60 is a friction clutch for integrally rotating the driving shaft 52 and the pickup lever 51 by frictional engagement.
  • the clutch spring 60 serves to transmit a torque from the driving shaft 52 to the pickup lever 51 until a predetermined torque or more acts on the driving shaft 52 and to permit the relative rotation of the driving shaft 52 to the pickup lever 51 when the predetermined torque or more acts on the driving shaft 52 .
  • the clutch spring 60 has a spiral spring drum portion 60 a formed by a torsion coil spring to be frictionally engaged with the outer periphery of the driving shaft 52 , and has two hooks 61 which are continuously linked to the spring drum portion 60 a and can be engaged with hook receiving portions 51 p formed on the pickup lever 51 respectively.
  • the permitted transmitting torque of a torque transmitting member (a friction clutch) is set by the clutch spring 60 by a frictional engaging force between the spring drum portion 60 a and the driving shaft 52 .
  • the clutch spring 60 engaged frictionally with the outer periphery of the driving shaft 52 is rotated integrally with the driving shaft 52 and one of the hooks 61 abuts on one of the hook receiving portions 51 p.
  • the driving shaft 52 is further rotated with one of the hooks 61 abutting on the hook receiving portion 51 p, the abutting hook 61 of the clutch spring 60 rotated together with the driving shaft 52 presses the hook receiving portion 51 p in the circumferential direction of the driving shaft 52 so that the driving shaft 52 and the pickup lever 51 are interlockingly rotated integrally through the clutch spring 60 .
  • the pickup lever 51 is moved to a position in which the pickup roller 53 provided on the tip of the pickup lever 51 abuts on the paper S as shown in FIG. 6 .
  • a torque which is equal to or greater than a maximum static friction torque between the driving shaft 52 and the clutch spring 60 acts by a reaction received from the paper S by the pickup lever 51 , and the outer periphery of the driving shaft 52 is disengaged from the clutch spring 60 , that is, the interlock of the driving shaft 52 and the clutch spring 60 is released so that the driving shaft 52 is rotated with respect to the pickup lever 51 . Consequently, the rotation of the driving shaft 52 is transmitted to the pickup roller 53 through the gears (rotation transmitting members) 54 to 59 so that the pickup roller 53 is rotated.
  • the number of the intermediate gears 55 to 58 interposed between the gear 54 at the input stage and the gear 59 at the output stage is set to be even.
  • the relief hole 15 b for avoiding an interference with the rolling contact surface (rubber lining surface) 53 b of the pickup roller 53 is provided in the opposed portion to the pickup roller 53 in the back cover 15 .
  • the relief hole 15 b is provided to prevent the pickup roller 53 from locking by the frictional force generated by the direct contact of the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 with the paper guide surface 15 a when all of the paper S is gone from the paper guide surface 15 a of the back cover 15 .
  • the relief hole 15 b is set to be slightly larger than a width in the axial direction of the rolling contact surface 53 b.
  • the rocking position of the pickup lever 51 is controlled in such a manner that the pickup roller 53 does not come in contact with the back cover 15 with the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 inserting into the relief hole 15 b to some extent as shown in FIG. 10A .
  • an engaging mechanism is provided between the pickup lever 51 and the housing 13 . The engaging mechanism serves to control the rocking position of the pickup roller 53 , thereby preventing contact with the back cover 15 when the rolling contact surface 53 b enters the relief hole 15 b.
  • the engaging mechanism includes the low friction rotating members 53 a provided on both end sides in the axial direction of the pickup roller 53 , and a receiving portion 15 g on which the low friction rotating member 53 a abuts in the paper guide surface 15 a provided around the relief hole 15 b.
  • the low friction rotating member 53 a is a portion of the core member remaining without the rubber lining as described above.
  • the low friction rotating member 53 a has a smaller frictional resistance than that of the rolling contact surface 53 b and can smoothly carry out slipping even if it comes in contact with the receiving portion 15 g provided on the paper guide surface 15 a. Thus, a high frictional force can be prevented from being generated.
  • a portion shown in cross-hatching indicates a cross section of the opening surface of the pickup roller 53 and the relief hole 15 b (an opening surface on the paper guide surface 15 a side) which is obtained when the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 enters the relief hole 15 b.
  • the relief hole 15 b is sized to avoid contact with the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 as the rocking position is controlled by the engaging mechanism, and a depth and a sectional shape are not restricted but are preferably as small as possible in order for the back cover 15 to sufficiently fulfill the paper guide function.
  • a paper holding friction member 15 c such as a cork sheet which has a higher frictional resistance than that of the paper guide surface 15 a and has a lower frictional resistance than that of the rolling contact surface 53 b, is provided on the paper guide surface 15 a disposed around the relief hole 15 b.
  • the paper holding friction member 15 c is formed into a U-shape excluding a side portion in a paper feeding direction in four sides surrounding the relief hole 15 b. The reason is that there is a possibility that a frictional resistance in that portion might get in the way, and the last paper S would not be fed smoothly if the paper holding friction member 15 c is provided in the side portion in the paper feeding direction (downward in FIG. 10B ).
  • the receiving portion 15 g against which the low friction rotating member 53 a of the pickup roller 53 hits is provided inside of the paper holding friction member 15 c.
  • a cleaning member 40 formed by a high friction material for cleaning the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 by the rotation of the pickup roller 53 is positioned such that the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 53 is pressed against the cleaning member 40 when the pickup unit 50 is rotated away from the paper bundle S to a standby position.
  • the movable plate 30 is provided under the back cover 15 .
  • the lower end of the paper bundle accommodated and held in the back cover 15 abuts on the movable plate 30 .
  • the movable plate 30 separates the paper S which is fed out and is rotatably supported by a shaft 31 provided on the back cover 15 side. Consequently, an extended portion 30 a extended in the paper feeding direction can be tilted in a vertical direction.
  • the extended portion 30 a of the movable plate 30 is urged by a spring 32 so as to be lifted upward.
  • a friction member 33 constituted by a resin having a high coefficient of friction is attached to a partial region in the longitudinal direction of the movable plate 30 on an upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 .
  • the friction member 33 is a paper holding member for holding the paper by a higher frictional force than the frictional force of other regions on the upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 to which the friction member 33 is not attached.
  • the paper bundle S has a tip engaged with the friction member 33 and is thus held on the upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 .
  • the friction member 33 and the relief hole 15 b are provided on the inside of the movable range of the paper guide member 21 . It is preferable that the friction member 33 should be positioned obliquely under the relief hole 15 b, that is, under the pickup roller 53 .
  • the driving shaft 52 is rotated by the motor 49 , and the pickup lever 51 can be thus rotated through the clutch spring 60 as the torque transmitting member until a predetermined torque or more acts on the driving shaft 52 .
  • the direction of the rotation of the driving shaft 52 for feeding the paper by the pickup roller 53 is identical to the rotation direction of the driving shaft 52 in the rotation of the pickup lever 51 toward the paper S through the clutch spring 60 .
  • the driving shaft 52 is rotated in the paper feeding direction, accordingly, the pickup roller 53 is pressed against the paper bundle.
  • a torque acting on the driving shaft 52 is equal to or greater than a set torque. Consequently, the driving shaft 52 is rotated with respect to the pickup lever 51 .
  • the pickup roller 53 is rotated by the rotation of the driving shaft 52 and feeds one of the pressed papers S toward the printer body portion 1 .
  • the pressing force of the pickup roller 53 is automatically determined by the set torque of the clutch spring 60 as the torque transmitting member. Accordingly, the pickup roller 53 can be pressed against the bundle of the papers S by a constant pressing force irrespective of the thickness of the bundle of the papers S (the number of the papers).
  • the motor 49 is rotated in reverse so that the driving shaft 52 is rotated in an opposite direction.
  • the pickup lever 51 and the pickup roller 53 are automatically rotated away from the bundle of the papers S.
  • the pickup roller 53 can easily pickup the paper S out of the paper feeding apparatus 10 without holding the bundle of the papers S.
  • the spiral clutch spring 60 used as the torque transmitting member it is possible to obtain an advantage that the driving shaft 52 and the pickup lever 51 can be engaged with and disengaged from each other by using small and inexpensive components and the components can easily be arranged.
  • the pressing force of the pick-up roller 53 is automatically determined by the frictional engaging torque of the clutch spring 60 .
  • the pickup roller 53 applies a force as to move the paper S downward by when the paper is fed, the lower end of the paper S first presses the upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 , particularly, the friction member 33 provided on the upper surface 30 b.
  • the friction member 33 of the movable plate 30 is pressed, the movable plate 30 is tilted downward against the urging force of the spring 32 .
  • the pickup roller 53 feeds out the paper S so that the paper S presses the upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 , particularly, the friction member 33 . Consequently, the movable plate 30 is tilted.
  • a force for holding the paper S depends on the coefficient of friction of the friction member 33 provided on the upper surface 30 b of the movable plate 30 , the strength (rigidity) of the paper S and the angle of the movable plate 30 .
  • the paper S 1 is guided to the opening 22 along the guide end 12 b of the attachment rib 12 a formed integrally with the upper cover 12 and is delivered from the opening 22 to the paper feeding path 5 of the printer body portion 1 . More specifically, when the paper S 1 has a small strength and the paper separated from the movable plate 30 is not exactly fed toward the opening 22 , the paper S 1 is guided toward the opening 22 along the guide end 12 b and is reliably delivered to the paper feeding path 5 of the printer body portion 1 .
  • the angle of the movable plate 30 with respect to the paper bundle including the paper S 2 is decreased so that the friction angle with respect to the lower end of the paper S 2 to be fed out has a suitable value. Consequently, the paper S 2 can be smoothly separated and fed out.
  • the movable plate 30 is tilted so that the paper can be smoothly separated and supplied without the influence of the rigidity (strength) of each of the papers S 1 and S 2 . Accordingly, the movable plate 30 separates each of the papers S at a suitable friction angle for the rigidity of the paper S. For example, it is possible to reliably separate the paper S irrespective of a rigidity, e.g., obtained by a difference in the thickness of the paper S.
  • the friction member 33 is provided obliquely under the relief hole 15 b, that is, under the pickup roller 53 , the friction member 33 is disposed in the paper feeding direction based on the pickup roller 53 . Accordingly, the friction member 33 can receive a force for feeding out the paper S by the rotating force of the pickup roller 53 almost perpendicularly to the paper feeding direction, and a friction force between the tip of the paper S and the friction member 33 can be efficiently gained without torsion or flexure of the paper in the transverse direction thereof. Moreover, the paper resists being distorted or flexed in the transverse direction of the paper. Consequently, the paper can easily be delivered within an assumed range, and precision in a paper delivery position can easily be obtained.
  • the driving shaft 52 is rotated in a reverse direction and the pickup lever 51 is rotated so that the pickup roller 53 is separated from the paper bundle. Therefore, it is possible to easily take the paper or the paper bundle out of the paper feeding apparatus 10 .
  • the driving shaft 52 is continuously rotated for several seconds such that the pickup lever 51 is rotated to a standby position, the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 53 is rubbed against the cleaning member 40 and refuse on the paper and various components coating the paper which attached to the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 53 are shaved off by the cleaning member 40 so that the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 53 can be cleaned.
  • the pressing force for the cleaning member 40 is determined by the set torque of the clutch spring 60 .
  • the attachment angle of the cleaning member 40 should be set equal to the angle of a tangential line PS drawn from the rotating support axis P 1 of the pickup lever 51 to the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 53 (a state shown in FIG. 13B ) or the cleaning member 40 should be tilted in such that a closer portion to the rotating support axis P 1 . is placed on an inside from the tangential line PS (a state in FIG. 13C ).
  • a friction force M applied by the rotation of the pickup roller 53 acts as a force for locking the rotation of the pickup roller 53 .
  • the opening 23 is formed on the lower end of the back cover 15 as shown in FIG. 17 . Therefore, the rear end of the paper S can be moved rearward from the opening 23 on the back face. Therefore, when the tip of the high strength paper S is to be taken out, the rear end of the paper S is smoothly moved.
  • the opening 23 is positioned on the extended line of the paper feeding path of the printer body portion 1 as a paper supply source, and is placed in such a position that the paper S can be moved through the underside of the movable plate 30 .
  • the relief hole 15 b is not provided on the back cover 15 , there is a possibility that the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 might directly come in contact with the paper guide surface 15 a when the paper S is gone from the paper guide surface 15 a.
  • the relief hole 15 b for avoiding the interference with the rolling contact surface 53 b is provided in the opposed position to the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 in the back cover 15 , and a contact with the paper guide surface 15 a is prevented by the engaging mechanism when the rolling contact surface 53 b enters the relief hole 15 b.
  • the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 can carry out slipping without coming in contact with another member (the back cover 15 ) and friction is rarely generated between the pickup roller 53 and the paper guide surface 15 a so that the pickup roller 53 can be prevented from being locked.
  • the last paper S is stably held by the paper holding friction member 15 c provided around the relief hole 15 b, and feeding of two sheets simultaneously is prevented.
  • the relief hole 15 b is provided on the back cover 15 , and the paper holding friction member 15 c is simply provided therearound. As compared with the case in which a free rotating roller and a spring are provided as in a related paper feeding apparatus, the number of components and manufacturing costs are reduced.
  • the position of the pickup roller 53 is regulated by the abutment of the low friction rotating member 53 a.
  • clutch spring 60 is used as the torque transmitting member in the embodiment, it is not limited. It is sufficient that an engagement with the driving shaft 52 is carried out until a torque having a predetermined value or more is applied, and the engagement is released when the torque having the predetermined value or more is applied.
  • the engaging mechanism of the paper feeding apparatus 10 is not limited to the structure according to the embodiment but it is apparent that the same engaging mechanism can employ various structures to prevent contact with the back cover 15 when the rolling contact surface 53 b of the pickup roller 53 enters the relief hole 15 b.
  • the paper feeding apparatus used in the printer is described in the embodiment, the paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention may be applied to a copy machine, a facsimile and a scanner and so on.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Sheets, Magazines, And Separation Thereof (AREA)
US10/834,364 2003-05-02 2004-04-29 Paper feeding apparatus Abandoned US20050017433A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JPP.2003-127314 2003-05-02
JP2003127314A JP4206811B2 (ja) 2003-05-02 2003-05-02 給紙装置

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US20050017433A1 true US20050017433A1 (en) 2005-01-27

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US10/834,364 Abandoned US20050017433A1 (en) 2003-05-02 2004-04-29 Paper feeding apparatus

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US (1) US20050017433A1 (ja)
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JP4206811B2 (ja) 2009-01-14
CN1541921A (zh) 2004-11-03
JP2004331282A (ja) 2004-11-25
CN100588597C (zh) 2010-02-10

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