JPH028145A - Automatic original feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for a copying machine, and particularly to an automatic document feeder suitable for a document circulation type.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been an automatic document feeder equipped with an inversion mode in which a supplied document is switched back and reversed in a direction opposite to the discharge direction of a paper discharge roller, and then the document is discharged outside the machine.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, such an automatic document feeder has a switchback paper path 1 formed separately from a paper path 2 used in the non-reversing mode, and a switchback paper path 1 that is placed on a document table 3. The document P placed on the paper sheet A is sent from the turn paper path 4 over the platen glass 5, and once sent from the paper path 2 to the switchback paper path 1 via the branch claw 6 which has been switched to the document reversal side, and then the switch is pressed. In some cases, the original P is ejected onto the original table 3 again by the ejecting roller 8 which rotates only in one direction as shown by the arrow via the reversing paper ejecting roller 7 after being reversed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, a reverse paper discharge path 11 is provided branching from the paper passage path 9 used in the non-reversal mode, and a switchback paper passage path is provided above the paper discharge port 9a of the paper passage path 9. 12, and its switchback paper path 12 in the reversal mode.
There is also an automatic document feeder that switches back the document that has been conveyed to the original state and discharges the document from the paper discharge port 9a through the reverse paper discharge path 11.

Furthermore, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-80144, for example, the switchback paper passage path is not formed independently, but is also used as the paper passage path in the non-reversing mode during switchback. There is also an automatic document feeder that has a reverse-rotatable paper ejection roller that rotates in the reverse direction when in the reversal mode, and then rotates the paper ejection roller in the forward direction once again to eject the document after it has been reversed. .

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, these automatic document feeding apparatuses have a problem in that when the switchback paper passage is formed independently, the size of the apparatus as a whole increases accordingly.

In addition, in the case of an automatic document feeder (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-80144) that does not form a paper passage independently and instead uses the paper passage in the non-reversing mode during switchback. This has the problem that the operation of the drive system related to paper ejection becomes extremely complicated because the rotation direction of the paper ejection roller must be changed when the document is reversed and when the document is ejected after it has been reversed. there were.

Furthermore, in the case of an automatic document feeder that does not form the above-mentioned paper path independently, if the documents that are being fed one after another slip during the conveyance process and are delayed, the distance between the documents will be jammed and the documents will be reversed. The document whose paper path is switched back in mode and the next document fed in the opposite direction are simultaneously conveyed in the same paper path in different directions, rubbing against each other (hereinafter referred to as "overlap"). However, there was a problem in that it was not possible to overlap.

This invention was made in view of the above problems,
To simplify the contents of a paper ejecting operation in a reversal mode, downsize the device itself, and to enable a document to be ejected smoothly and effortlessly.

Another object of the present invention is to enable the documents to overlap each other in the paper path even if a slip or the like occurs during the document conveyance process in the reversal mode, causing a delay in the documents.

[Means to solve the problem]

Therefore, in order to miniaturize the device itself and eject documents smoothly and effortlessly, two modes are available: a reversal mode in which the supplied document is switched back and reversed in the direction opposite to the ejecting direction of the ejection roller, and a non-reverse mode in which the document is not reversed. In an automatic document feeder that outputs paper by selecting the reverse mode.

A common paper path through which originals pass during both the non-reversing mode and the reversing mode, a reversing paper ejection path branching from the common paper path through which the original is ejected in the reversing mode, and the common paper path. a movable pressure member that can selectively enable or disable conveyance of the original in the paper ejection direction by applying pressure to the paper ejection roller, and a reversible paper that passes through the paper path; and a fixed pressure member that always applies pressure to the paper ejection roller, and in the reversal mode, the movable pressure member disables the document from being conveyed in the paper ejection direction in the common paper path and reversely ejects the document. The paper is ejected through a paper path.

In addition, even if a slip occurs during the document conveyance process in reverse mode, the document can be switched back so that the document can overlap in the paper path, so that the document can be switched back in the direction opposite to the ejection direction of the paper ejection roller. In an automatic document feeder that has two paper ejection modes: a reversal mode in which the document is returned and reversed, and a non-reverse mode in which the document is not reversed, there is a common paper path through which the document passes in both the non-reverse mode and the reversal mode, and the reversal mode. an inverted paper ejection path branched from the common paper path for ejecting documents in the mode;
An entrance roller is provided at the branching portion and rotates at least in a direction to feed the document into the common paper path; and a plate-shaped feed pressure guide piece that is brought into pressure contact with the inlet roller, and guides the document transported in the return direction from the common paper path to the reversing paper ejection path without being brought into pressure contact with the inlet roller. It is better to do this.

[For production]

According to the automatic document feeding device according to claim 1 of the present invention,
The discharged document is conveyed to a common paper path, and if the non-reversal mode is selected there, the movable pressure member presses the document against the discharge roller and the document is discharged as is.

Similarly, when the 1 reversal mode is selected, the document is conveyed to the common paper path, but since the movable pressure member is in a position to release the pressure on the document from the paper ejection roller, The paper is not ejected in the paper ejection direction as it is, but is switched back and sent to the reversing paper ejection path, and is smoothly ejected in an inverted state by being pressurized by a paper ejection roller by a fixed pressure member.

Furthermore, according to the automatic document feeder of claim 2, the document conveyed in the direction of entering the common paper path at the time of paper ejection is pressed against the entrance roller by the feed pressure guide piece, and the conveyance force is applied to the common path. Documents that are transported into the paper path and then returned from the common paper path are guided to the reversing paper ejection path by the feed pressure guide piece without being pressed against the inlet roller. Even if they overlap in the path, they are smoothly conveyed in their respective desired directions.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic document feeding apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In this automatic document feeder, when the document P fed from the table 15 is subjected to a predetermined exposure and is discharged onto the document table 15 again from the paper discharge port 16, the document passes through the common paper path 18. Instead of being ejected in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
It is now possible to select between a reversal mode in which the sheet is returned to the direction opposite to the ejecting direction (arrow B) of step 7, reversed, and then ejected through the reversing sheet ejection path 19, and a non-reversal mode in which the sheet is ejected as is without reversing. There is.

The automatic document feeder includes a common paper path 18 through which the document P passes in both the non-inversion mode and the inversion mode, and a common paper path 18 used to eject the document in the 1-inversion mode. A reverse paper discharge path 19 is provided branching off from the reversing paper discharge path 19, and an inlet is provided at the branching portion and rotates forward and backward in the direction of arrow C for feeding the document P into the common paper path 18 and in the direction of arrow C2 opposite thereto. A roller 36 is provided corresponding to the entrance roller 3B, and the document P conveyed in the direction of the arrow entering the common paper path 18 is brought into pressure contact with the entrance roller 36 and returns from the common paper path 18. For documents conveyed in the opposite direction to the direction indicated by the arrow, the document is not brought into pressure contact with the inlet roller 36 and is transferred to the reverse paper discharge path 1.
A plate-shaped feed pressurizing guide piece 38 is provided to guide the feed pressurizing member 9 .

In addition, this automatic document feeding device presses the document passing through the common paper path 18 against a paper ejection roller 17 that is provided near the paper ejection port 16 and rotates only in the direction of the arrow in FIG. A movable pressure member 22 that rotates in the direction of arrow E and a reversible paper discharge path 1 that can be released from pressure to selectively enable or disable conveyance of the document in the paper discharge direction (arrow B). A fixed pressure member 23 and the like is provided to constantly press the document P against the paper ejection roller 17 as it passes through the paper, and in the 1 reversal mode, the movable pressure member 22 moves the document P in the common paper path 18 as shown in the arrow in FIG. Conveyance in the paper discharge direction shown in FIG. B is made impossible, and the document is discharged from the paper discharge port 1 through the reverse paper discharge path 1.

Furthermore, this automatic document feeder includes a document table 15.
An end plate 24 and a side plate 25 that set and align the bundled originals P in a fixed position, and a blower that lifts the bundled originals P by blowing out compressed air in the direction of the arrow from a blowing nozzle. -Tank 2
6, and a conveying device 27 that sucks only the lowest document by suction force from a vacuum tank, adsorbs it to a paper feed belt, and separates it into one sheet by ejecting it.

Further, on the paper feeding downstream side of the conveyance device 27, a first turn roller 2 for conveying the document P to the first turn paper passage 28, and a
A horizontal conveyance path '51 which has a pair of conveyance rollers to convey the document to the second turn paper passage path 32; a second turn roller 33 provided in the two-turn paper passage path 32; A conveying device 35 with a portion of the conveying belt in contact with a platen glass 34 provided therein, and a switching claw 37 provided at a branch portion serving as an entrance portion of the common sheet passage path 18 are provided.

Furthermore, a reversing paper pull-out roller 39 is installed at the branching part of the reversing paper ejection path that branches from the common paper path 18, and another part of the document to be switched back from the common paper path 18 is placed on the reverse side. A branching claw 48 that is switched to guide the sheet toward the horizontal conveyance path 31 during copying is provided, and a reversing drive roller 41 that can rotate in forward and reverse directions is provided in the middle of the common paper path 18.

Document table 1 of the automatic document feeder configured in this way
When copying is started with a bundle of documents P placed on the top of the first turn roller 29, only the lowest document is separated by the blower tank 2 and the conveyance device 27, and it is separated by the conveyance force of the first turn roller 29. The paper is sent from the first turn paper path 2nd to the horizontal conveyance path 31 via the second turn paper path 32.
By the conveying force of the turn roller 33 and the conveying device 35, it is sent to a predetermined exposure position on the platen glass 34 and stopped.

When the exposure is completed, the 1M document P is sent out from the platen glass 34, picked up by the switching claw 37, and conveyed to the common paper path 18 while being pressed against the entrance roller 36 by the feed pressure guide piece 38.

When the non-reversing mode is selected for ejecting the original, the original P is transported by the reversing drive roller 41 that rotates in the direction of arrow F1 in FIG. 1, and further rotates in the same direction. The paper is pressed against the paper discharge roller 17 by the movable pressure member 22, and is discharged onto the document table 15 from the paper discharge port.

In addition, when the inversion mode is selected for document ejection, the document P is not directly ejected from the paper ejection port 16, and the document P
When the rear end portion passes the entrance roller 36, the reversing drive roller 41 reversely rotates in the direction of arrow F2 to switch back the document P.

As a result, the document P is guided by the upper surface of the feed pressure guide piece 38 and is drawn into the reverse paper discharge path 19 by the conveyance force of the reverse pull-out roller 39 rotating in the direction of the arrow, and is pulled into the reverse paper discharge path 19 by the fixed pressure member The document is pressed against the paper discharge roller 17 by the paper discharge port 16 and is discharged onto the document table 15 with the image surface reversed.

Note that during this switchback reversal, the movable pressure member 2
2 is moved away from the paper discharge roller 17 and retracted upward (as shown in the figure) so as to apply almost no conveying force in the direction of arrow B to the document P that is switched back in the direction of arrow A in FIG. There is.

Next, the vicinity of the branching portion of the reverse paper discharge path 19 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail using FIGS. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of entrance rollers 36 (five in this example) are provided, and one (lower) guide forming the common sheet passage path 18 corresponds to each entrance roller 36. A cutout hole 45 is provided in the plate 45. are formed, respectively, and the entrance roller 36 is made to protrude beyond the upper surface of the guide plate 45.

Then, between each of the protruding entrance rollers 36, each tongue part 58a of the feed pressure guide piece 38 formed of, for example, an elastic thin plate-like piece is inserted, and as shown in FIG. The tip portion thereof is brought into contact with the guide plate 45 by the elastic force of the plate itself with a predetermined pressing force that does not impede the conveyance of the document P conveyed from the direction.

The feeding pressure guide piece 38 is fixed to the tip of a reversing paper guide 42 whose rear end is fixed to a device fixing part (not shown).
A pair of drive rollers ES9. and driven roller 39
The shaft portion on the driven roller 39b side of b is also supported.

Therefore, only the document P that is conveyed from the direction of the platen glass 34 in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. The document P' that is reversely transported is transported to the reversing paper discharge path 1st.

Therefore, for example, when the reverse mode is selected and the originals are ejected, if there is a delay due to slipping or the like during the transport process of the originals that are being fed sequentially, the originals that are being fed in the direction of the arrow will be The document P' is switched back in the direction of arrow G.
However, on the 3rd day of the entrance roller, the feeding force is applied by the feeding pressure guide piece 38 only to the document P being conveyed from the direction of the arrow G, and the conveyance force is applied only to the document P conveyed from the direction of the arrow G.
′ has almost no effect, so even if the next document is fed into the branching section before the (preceding) document before being switched back has completed its reversal operation, the documents before and after the first document will overlap and contact each other. Normal transportation is performed only by

Incidentally, the entrance roller 36 is configured to move the document P' which is switched back in the direction of the arrow G within the common paper path 18 as shown in FIG.
until the tip reaches the reversing paper pull-out roller 39.
It rotates in two directions, and then reversely rotates in the direction of arrow C. Until the artificial roller 36 rotates in the opposite direction (in the direction of arrow C1), the next document to be conveyed in the direction of arrow '56 is rotated in the direction of arrow '56. Try not to reach it.

Further, the entrance roller 36 may rotate only in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 3.

Next, the peripheral portion to which the movable pressure member 22 and fixed pressure member 23 of FIG. 1 are attached will be described in more detail using FIGS. 4 and 5.

The movable pressure member 22 is formed of, for example, an elastic thin plate piece, and is fixed to the upper shaft 43 with a screw. The shaft 43 is rotatably supported by a device fixing portion (not shown) in the direction of arrow H in FIG. 4, and is rotated by a driving source (for example, a solenoid) (not shown).

The fixed pressure member 23 is formed, for example, from a thin plate piece having the same elasticity as the movable pressure member 22, and has one end fixed to one of the lower guide plates 44 forming the common sheet passage path 18, and the other end fixed to the lower guide plate 44 forming the common paper passage path 18. As shown in FIG. 4, a paper holding portion 2'5a is formed at the tip by cutting out corresponding to each paper ejection roller 17, and its position is lower than the top 17a of the paper ejection roller 17 shown in FIG. I keep it low.

Then, a movable pressing member 22a is formed in the movable pressing member 22 in correspondence with each sheet pressing portion 23a (most clearly shown in FIG. 6), and the movable pressing member 22a is formed as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 22 is rotated in the direction of arrow E2 via the shaft 43 by a drive source (not shown), each movable holding part 22a does not interfere with the paper ejection roller 17 and is lower than the top 17a of the paper ejection roller 17. I'm trying to get into position.

Therefore, the document P□ conveyed from the reversing sheet discharge path 19 in the direction of arrow T in FIG. The document P2 in the common paper path 18 is in the reversal mode in which the movable pressure member 22 rotates in the direction of arrow E and force as shown by the solid line.
Since the document P2 is not suppressed by the paper ejection roller 17 rotating in the direction of the arrow, almost no feeding force is applied in the direction of the arrow B, and therefore it is switched back to the direction of the arrow A (the reversal drive roller 41 in FIG. (depending on the conveyance force), the original document P1 is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow from the reverse sheet discharge path 19 and discharged outside the machine.

In addition, the movable pressure member 22 is indicated by the arrow E2 as shown in the phantom line.
In the non-reversing mode in which the document P2 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B, the document P2 is pressed against the discharge roller 17 which rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow B.
A conveying force is applied in the direction, and the material is ejected out of the machine without switching back.

In this way, in this embodiment, the common paper passing path 18 is used both in the reversing mode and the non-reversing mode, without providing a separate paper passing path for switchback, so that automatic document feeding is possible. The device can be made that much smaller.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, if the total distance of the common paper passage path 18 and the reverse paper ejection path 19 (distance R from paper ejection roller 17 to paper ejection roller 17) is shortened, the distance will be longer than that. When a long document PLO is used, both ends of the document come into contact with the discharge roller 17.

In this case, as seen in conventional automatic document feeders,
If the structure is such that the document is constantly pressed against the paper ejection roller, the seventh
As shown in the figure (the document is not shown in the structure in which the document is always pressed against the paper ejection roller because the explanation is based on the drawing according to the present invention), arrows are shown on both the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document PLO. B
Since the conveying force in the paper ejection direction is applied from the paper ejection roller 17 rotating in the direction of the arrow, a force acting in the opposite direction to the direction of the arrow A acts on the edge of the document on the switchback side. Paper cannot be ejected smoothly.

However, as described above, in this embodiment, a movable pressure member 22 is provided which can selectively enable or disable the conveyance of the document in the paper ejection direction (arrow B in FIG. 7). Therefore, even if the total distance per day between the common paper path 18 and the reverse paper ejection path is shortened, a long document PLO whose leading and trailing ends are both located on the paper ejection roller 17 as shown in FIG. Even if A conveying force in the direction of arrow B is applied from the paper discharge roller 17 only to the document on the paper path 19 side, and the document is smoothly discharged out of the machine without applying excessive force to the document pto.

Therefore, it is possible to further downsize the apparatus itself as much as possible to shorten the length of the common sheet passage path 18 and the reverse sheet discharge path per day.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the automatic document feeder of claim 1, the document can be ejected with a simple ejecting operation of only rotating in one direction even when the ejecting roller is in the inversion mode, and the document can be ejected with a simple ejecting operation of only rotating in one direction. Since there is no need to provide an independent paper passage path for the document, the apparatus itself can be made smaller, and the document can be smoothly ejected without applying excessive force to the document during ejection.

Further, according to the automatic document feeder of the second aspect, even if a slip or the like occurs during the document conveyance process in the reversal mode and a delay occurs in the preceding document.

Since the preceding original and the following original can overlap each other in the paper passage, they can be smoothly conveyed in the desired direction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic document feeder showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are branch portions of the reversing paper discharge path of the automatic document feeder shown in FIG. 1. An enlarged perspective view and an enlarged sectional view showing the surrounding area; FIGS. 4 and 5 are an enlarged perspective view and an enlarged sectional view showing the surrounding area where the movable pressure member 22 and the fixed pressure member 23 of FIG. 1 are attached; , FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the positional relationship between the movable pressure member 22, the fixed pressure member 23, and the paper discharge roller 17. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where both ends of the document are in contact with the paper ejection roller 17. FIGS. 8 and 9 are schematic configuration diagrams showing examples of conventional automatic document feeding devices, respectively. 15... Original table 16... Paper ejection port 17
...Paper discharge roller 18...Common paper passage path 1st...Reverse paper discharge path 22...Movable pressure member 2
3...Fixed pressure member 3rd...Entrance roller 3
8... Feed pressure guide piece P... Manuscript Figure 4 Cup Figure 5 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 116 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 Automatic document feeding in which the supplied document is switched back and discharged by selecting either a reversal mode in which the supplied document is returned in a direction opposite to the discharge direction of the paper discharge roller and reversed, or a non-reversal mode in which the document is not reversed. In the apparatus, a common paper path through which a document passes both in the non-reverse mode and in the reverse mode; a reverse paper discharge path branching from the common paper path through which the document in the reverse mode is discharged; a movable pressure member capable of releasing the pressure by applying pressure to the paper ejection roller to selectively enable or disable conveyance of the original in the paper ejection direction; and the reversing paper ejection member. A fixed pressure member is provided that always presses the document passing through the paper path against the paper ejection roller, and the movable pressure member is unable to convey the document in the common paper path in the paper ejection direction during the reversal mode. An automatic document feeding device characterized in that the document is discharged through the reversing paper discharge path. 2. In the automatic document feeder having two paper ejection modes: a reversal mode in which the supplied original is switched back and returned to the direction opposite to the ejection direction of the ejection roller and then reversed, and a non-reversal mode in which the supplied original is not reversed. a common paper path through which documents pass during both non-reversal mode and inversion mode; a reversal paper ejection path branched from the common paper path for ejecting documents in the inversion mode; An entrance roller provided at the branching portion and rotating in a direction to feed at least the original into the common paper path; and an entrance roller provided corresponding to the entrance roller for the original to be transported in the direction into the common paper path. is brought into pressure contact with the inlet roller,
It is characterized by having a plate-shaped feed pressure guide piece that guides a document conveyed in the return direction from the common paper path to the reversing paper discharge path without being brought into pressure contact with the entrance roller. Automatic document feeder.