JPH04144841A - Paper storing mechanism - 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 a paper storage mechanism, for example, a paper storage mechanism for a large capacity paper feeding device such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine.

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Generally, it is desirable for electronic photocopying and recording devices, image recording devices, facsimile machines, copying machines, etc. to be on standby in a movable state at all times. In particular, with facsimiles, documents are obtained by the other party at irregular times, so if the device cannot operate when the other party receives input, or is in a so-called machine down state, the other party's document will not be received at all. .

Examples of conventional paper storage mechanisms include those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Paper storage mechanism 1 shown in FIG.
has a spring 4 at the bottom of a deep box-shaped tray 3 containing a large amount of stacked sheets 2, which pushes up the sheets 2,
The spring 4 presses the pink roller 5 above the tray 3, and the frictional force between the topmost sheet 2 and the pick roller 5 causes the sheet 2 to be hit and fed one by one from the tray 3.

However, in the conventional paper storage mechanism 1, when replenishing the paper 2, the remaining paper 2 is pushed downward and separated from the pink roller 5, and a new paper 2 is supplied.
Although it is temporary, there is a problem that the machine will go down during this time.

Further, the paper storage mechanism 6 shown in FIG. It feeds one sheet at a time.

However, in the conventional paper storage mechanism 6, there is a large difference in the stacked amount of paper 2 in the tray 3 before and after replenishing the paper 2, and the contact pressure of the paper 2 pressing the pink roller 5 changes greatly. There is a problem in that the frictional force varies greatly during paper feeding, making it difficult to control the operating conditions for paper feeding.

In addition, as a conventional paper storage mechanism, JP-A-64-298
There is one described in Publication No. 73. In this system, many storage chambers for storing paper 2 are provided in the tray 3, and movable gates between the storage chambers are opened and closed to move the paper 2 downward.

However, in this conventional device, when replenishing the paper 2 into the tray 3, it is necessary to open and close the movable gate of each storage chamber to separate and replenish the small amount of paper 2 to each chamber. There is a problem that it takes time to open and close the gate and the operability is poor.

[Purpose of the invention]

Therefore, the present invention has been made against the background of the problems of the prior art as described above, and includes providing a paper amount detection means at the bottom of a tray that accommodates paper, and providing a support member for supporting the stacked papers on the upper side. As a result, when a certain amount of paper is always held at the bottom of the tray and the lowest layer of paper is taken out one by one through frictional contact with the pick roller, a nearly constant contact pressure is maintained on the pick roller, ensuring reliable paper feeding. In addition, it is possible to replenish paper to the tray in large quantities at one time even during operation without causing the machine to go down, and it is easy to operate and replenish paper to the tray. An object of the present invention is to provide a paper storage mechanism that can improve operability.

(Structure of the Invention) A paper storage mechanism according to claim 1 of the present invention is a paper storage mechanism that sequentially takes out sheets stacked and stored in a tray starting from the lowest sheet, in which sheets are stacked upward in the middle of the tray. The present invention is characterized in that a supporting member is provided to support the stacked sheets of paper, and the supporting member replenishes the sheets so that a predetermined amount of sheets are stacked at the bottom of the tray.

In the paper storage mechanism according to claim 1, the support member includes a plurality of protruding members protruding from the peripheral wall side of the tray toward the center of the tray, and the protruding members can be supported horizontally and downwardly. Preferably, it is rotatable.

Further, in the paper storage mechanism according to claim 1 or 2,
The projecting member is made of a flat belt that can be rotated in both forward and reverse directions between two rolls, and a paper amount detection means is provided at the bottom of the tray to detect the amount of paper so that the amount of paper at the bottom is within a certain range. It is characterized by

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

1 to 5 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a paper storage mechanism according to the present invention.

First, the configuration will be explained. In Figure 1.2, 1
1 is a paper storage mechanism, and the paper storage mechanism 11 includes a vertically deep rectangular tray 13 that can stack and store a large amount of paper 12; It has an opening 11a through which it can be taken out. Near the opening 11a, there is a pick roller 15 and a pair of conveyance rollers 16 that convey the paper 12 taken out by the pick roller 15 so as to be in pressure contact with the paper 12.
and is provided.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a paper amount sensor which is a paper amount detection means, and the paper amount sensor 17 is provided near the bottom of the tray 13.
The paper amount d is detected so that the amount of paper 12 at the bottom of the tray 13 is within a certain range and the contact pressure between the big roller 5 and the paper 12 does not greatly affect the frictional force. That is, when the paper amount d at the bottom of the tray 13 becomes less than a predetermined lower limit paper amount dl (for example, 50 sheets), the paper amount sensor 17 detects it and sends a paper amount lower limit signal S, and the paper amount d becomes the predetermined value. Upper limit paper amount dZ (for example, 200 sheets)
When the amount increases, a paper amount upper limit signal S2 is transmitted.

A gate 20 is a support member, and the gate 20 is provided below the middle of the tray 13 in the vertical direction.

The gate 20 is composed of belt structures 21 that are two protruding members that protrude from the opposing peripheral wall surface portions 13a of the tray 13 toward the center portion 13b of the tray 13.

The belt structure 21 includes two horizontal and parallel rolls 22,
A flat belt 2 that can rotate between two rolls 22 in both forward and reverse directions.
3, and a drive motor (not shown) that drives the flat belt 23 in both forward and reverse directions. Two belt structures 2
1 are arranged parallel to each other, one belt structure 21 is connected to one outer roll 22A.
(22 when representing) is on the peripheral wall surface portion 13a side,
The other roll 22B (represented as 22) is arranged on the center side of the tray 13, and the two rolls 22B on the center side are arranged so as to be separated by a constant distance D0 at the center of the tray 13. has been done. As shown in FIG. 3, the two belt structures 21 each have a peripheral wall surface 1
The belt structure 21 rotates downward so that the inner roll 22B descends around the outer roll 22A on the 3a side, gradually expanding the constant interval D0 to the interval D1, and conversely, the belt structure 21 rotates upward. The distance D1 can be reduced to the distance D0 by gradually rotating the body 21 until it becomes horizontal. When the belt structure 21 is positioned horizontally, the two belt structures 21 are capable of supporting the sheets 12 stacked on the upper side of the belt structure 21. When the belt structure 21 rotates downward, the inclination of the upper surface 23a of the horizontal flat belt 23 increases, and the upper surface 23a of the flat belt 23 moves from the peripheral wall surface portion 13a side to the center portion 13b side, and the roll 22, and when the belt structure 21 rotates upward, the inclination of the upper surface 23a of the flat belt 23 decreases, and the upper surface 23a of the flat belt 23 rotates from the center 13b side to the periphery. It can move toward the wall portion 13a and rotate between the rolls 22.

The start of downward rotation of the belt structure 21 and the movement of the center portion 13 from the peripheral wall surface portion 13a side of the upper surface 23a of the flat heald 23.
The movement and rotation toward the b side is started by the paper amount lower limit signal S1 of the paper amount sensor 17, and the belt structure 21 starts to rotate upward and the center portion 1 of the upper surface 23a of the flat belt 23 starts.
The above-mentioned drive motor is driven by the paper amount upper limit signal S2 of the paper amount sensor 17 to start the movement and rotation from the side of the peripheral wall surface portion 3b to the side of the peripheral wall surface portion 13a.

Next, the effect will be explained.

In the present invention, the paper amount sensor 17 is located near the bottom of the tray 13.
is provided, and a gate 20 is provided below the middle of the tray 13, so that the tray 1
3 is fed by the big roller 15, and when the amount of stacked sheets 12 decreases and reaches a predetermined lower limit paper amount d, the paper amount sensor 17 sends a paper amount lower limit signal Sl, Downward rotation of belt structure 21 and flat belt 2
3 starts to rotate inward, and the distance D0 between the gates 20 gradually increases. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the center of the stacked sheets of paper 12 on the gate 20 falls downward under its own weight, and the center of the lower sheet of paper 12 also moves to the belt structure 2.
1, and finally the tray 13 is curved so as to protrude downward.
The paper falls under its own weight into the bottom of the paper 12 and is stacked on the paper 12 at the bottom. As the paper 12 falls and the stacking on the paper 12 progresses,
The number of stacked sheets of paper 12 increases, and the upper limit paper amount d2
When the paper amount sensor 17 is activated, the paper amount upper limit signal S
Send 2. Gate 20 is activated by paper amount upper limit signal S2.
As shown in FIG. 5, the belt structure 21 starts to rotate upward, and the upper surface 23a of the flat belt 23 starts to rotate outward, and as the paper 12 stops falling, the two belt structures The paper 12 between 21 and 21 is on the flat belt 2
3 is pulled upward by the outward rotation of gate 2.
0 horizontally stacked on top.

Since the falling of the paper 12 from the top of the game) 20 to the bottom of the tray 13 is automatically performed by the signal from the paper amount sensor 17, the amount of paper 12 in the tray can be maintained within a certain range, and the tray A large amount of paper 12 can be replenished into the tray 13 at once from above the tray 13 even while the pick roller 15 is in operation, and the replenishment operation can be performed extremely easily and quickly, greatly improving the operability of replenishment. can.

Further, since the amount d of paper in the tray 13 is maintained within a certain range, the contact pressure between the pick roller 15 and the paper 12 does not greatly affect the frictional force, so that the operating conditions can be easily controlled.

〔effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a paper amount detection means is provided at the bottom of the tray that stores the paper, and a support member that supports the stacked papers is provided above this, so that the amount of paper is always kept constant at the bottom of the tray. When holding the amount of paper within a range and taking it out sequentially by frictional contact between the bottom layer of paper and the pick roller, almost constant contact pressure is maintained on the pick roller, ensuring reliable paper feeding, and controlling operating conditions. can be easily done.

In addition, a large amount of paper can be replenished to the tray at one time even during operation without causing the apparatus to go down, and the operation is simple and the operability of replenishment can be improved.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Figs. 1 to 5 are views showing an embodiment of the paper storage mechanism according to claims 1 to 3 of the present invention, and Fig. 1 is a sectional view thereof, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line ■--■ in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 to 5 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation thereof. 6.7 are sectional views showing conventional paper storage mechanisms. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11...Paper storage mechanism, 12...Paper, 13...Tray, 17...Paper amount sensor (paper amount detection means), 20.
...Gate (supporting member), 21...Belt structure (projecting member), 22...Roll, 23...Flat belt, d...・Amount of paper.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a paper storage mechanism that sequentially takes out sheets stacked and stored in a tray starting from the lowest sheet, a support member is provided in the middle of the tray to support the sheets stacked on the upper side, and the bottom of the tray A paper storage mechanism characterized in that the support member supplies paper so that a predetermined amount of paper is stacked on the paper storage mechanism. (2) The support member is comprised of a plurality of protruding members that protrude from the peripheral wall side of the tray toward the center of the tray, and the protruding members can be supported horizontally and rotated downward. The paper storage mechanism according to claim 1. (3) The protruding member is made of a flat belt that can be rotated in both forward and reverse directions between two rolls, and a paper amount detection means for detecting the amount of paper at the bottom of the tray so that the amount of paper at the bottom is within a certain range. 3. The paper storage mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a paper storage mechanism.