JPH0459520A - Sheet feed cassette discriminating device for picture recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To discriminate a number of kinds by means of a discriminating member having the low number of parts and to cope with various sheet sizes by selectively connecting the discriminating member to a sheet size detecting means to generate a discriminating signal after a sheet feed cassette is mounted on a sheet feeding part. CONSTITUTION:A discriminating member 121 is inserted in a vertical state in an engaging part 11 to resiliently lock the discriminating member by means of a lock claw part 11F. The other discriminating member 122 is inserted in a horizontal state in the engaging part 11 to resiliently lock it by means of lock claw parts 11G and 11H. Thereafter, a sheet feed cassette 10 is mounted through a cassette insertion slot 2 of a picture recording device body 1 and mounted in a position. In which case, three protrusion parts 12A-12D, arranged in one row at an upper stage, of the cylindrical protrusion parts of the discriminating members 121 and 122 inserted in the engaging part 11 press switches 3A-3D, respectively, in the body 1 to actuate the switches. Since through energization of the switches, a kind of a sheet feed cassette charged in the body 1 is discriminated, a desired sheet is delivered from a sheet feed cassette selected through operation of a key on a control panel 5 or by means of a command for an automatic feed sheet selecting function.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a paper cassette identification device for identifying and detecting the type of paper cassette installed in an image recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine, facsimile machine, or printer. This is related to the improvement of.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in image recording devices such as copying machines and printers, there is a paper feeding device that sequentially takes out sheets of paper stored in a stack in a paper cassette, etc. one by one, starting from the top, and sends them to an image recording section, etc. It is a provision.

2. Description of the Related Art Copying machines and the like are equipped with multistage paper feeding devices and a plurality of paper feeding cassettes so that originals of various sizes can be selectively copied onto copy sheets of various sizes. In addition, copiers equipped with an automatic paper source selection function (APS) that automatically selects copy paper appropriate for the original size and copy magnification conditions,
For example, if you set an A4 size original, the copy paper will also be A4 size.
When paper is automatically selected and fed from the size paper feed cassette and an 86% reduction copy is made of an A4 size original, the copy paper is
Paper is automatically selected from the 85-size paper feeder and fed.

Alternatively, if you select the paper size you want, a copying machine equipped with an automatic magnification selection function (AMS) that automatically selects the appropriate magnification can copy all A3, 84, and A4 originals onto B5 paper. If you want to make a copy, just specify the size and the magnification will be automatically calculated and the copy will be made, allowing you to unify originals of different sizes to the same size.

Furthermore, when optically scanning originals of various sizes by placing them on the platen glass at the top of the copying machine, the size and length of the copy paper in the paper cassette set in the paper feeding section of the copying machine By switching the scanning exposure length, wasted optical scanning time is saved.

As a means of detecting the size of copy paper and transmitting it to the switching means that switches the optical scanning length, we created paper feed cassettes with different shapes for each size of paper, and used the actuator to determine the difference in structure and shape. There are known means for operating a microswitch by performing the function of . However, with this method, it is necessary to manufacture various paper feed cassettes with different shapes depending on the paper size, which increases costs and complicates production management.

As a means to improve this problem, Utility Model Application No. 531185
Publication No. 31 discloses a paper size detection mechanism in which a single type of paper feed tray accommodates paper of various sizes, a plurality of plates for identifying the paper are prepared, and the plates are replaced. There is. However, with this mechanism, for example, 20 types of plates must be prepared for 20 types of paper feed trays, which still poses a problem.

Further, as other paper feed cassette type detection devices, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 175330/1982, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-60828, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-22172! No., Utility Model Publication No. 1-129137,
However, the devices disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 183733 are complicated.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

An object of the present invention was to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, and therefore, it is possible to provide an identification member that identifies different types of paper feed cassettes for each size of paper stored therein, making it possible to identify a wide variety of paper feed cassettes with a small number of parts. The present invention provides a paper feed cassette identification device that can be easily set and can handle various paper sizes.

[Means to solve the problem]

A paper feed cassette identification device for an image recording apparatus according to the present invention, which achieves one of the above objects, is an image recording apparatus that selectively feeds recording paper of various sizes by loading a plurality of types of paper feed cassettes containing sheet-shaped recording paper. In a recording apparatus, a paper size detection means provided in a paper feed section of the image recording apparatus, and a fitting formed on a part of a side wall forming a housing of the paper feed cassette and provided opposite to the paper size detection means. and a plurality of paper feed cassette type identification members that are fitted and locked in the fitting portion and are detachable, the paper feed cassette type identification members having a plurality of protrusions, The type of the paper feed cassette is identified by selectively inserting the paper feed cassette into the fitting portion, and the identification member is attached to the paper size detection means by attaching the paper feed cassette to the paper feed portion. It is characterized in that it is selectively connected and generates an identified paper size identification signal.

Further, in the paper feed cassette identification device according to the present invention, the paper feed cassette type identification member has a plurality of protrusions arranged in a row, and the identification member can be selectively inserted into the fitting portion vertically and horizontally. It is characterized by the following.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A paper cassette identification device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the image recording apparatus showing a state in which a plurality of paper feed cassettes 10 are attached to the paper feed section of the main body 1 of the image recording apparatus.

The paper feed cassette identification device according to the present invention includes a paper feed cassette 1 that is removably provided at the lower front of the main body of an image forming apparatus.
It is applied to a front-loading paper feeding device that feeds out recording paper (transfer paper) from a stack of recording paper stored in a stack of recording paper and conveys it to the circumferential surface of an image forming body, or it is applied to a paper feeding cassette I from the side of the recording device main body. Of course, it can also be applied to a side-loading paper feeder in which a paper feeder is inserted and removed.

The paper feed cassette IO is inserted and stored through a cassette insertion slot 2 formed on the front surface of the main body 1 of the image recording apparatus. At the innermost side of the insertion slot 2, paper size detection means consisting of a plurality of tact switches 3 and a control board 4 is fixedly installed.

Additionally, on the top of the image recording device, there is a paper feed cassette size type selection gear and an automatic paper feed selection function (APS).

An operation panel 5 on which magnification setting keys and the like are arranged is provided.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view 7 of the paper feed cassette 10 and paper size detection means according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded partial perspective view of the paper feeding power center, FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the paper feeding cassette identification device showing an example of the attachment form, and FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the paper feed cassette and the fitting portion.

The plurality of switches (for example, tactile switches) 3 arranged on the control board 4 consist of, for example, the four switches 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D shown in the figure, and are arranged in a row.

A frame-shaped fitting portion 11 is integrally provided in a part of the rear wall 10a forming the housing of the paper feed cassette IO.

The fitting portion 11 has four concave notches 11A, 1l1.
11C, the LID, the pocket LIE inside the LID, and the locking claw 11 on the upper part of the partition wall adjacent to the recessed notch.
F, IIG, and 111 (and are formed from the support arm portion of these locking claw portions are flexible, and one end surface of the base portion of the identification member (identification block) 121 and 122, which will be described later). Lock elastically.

The two identification members 121. ．． 122 is a block material having the same shape. Each of the identification members 121 and 122 has a base portion having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and two cylindrical protrusions (
12A, 12B, 12C, 12D). the two identification members 121;
As shown in the figure, the base portion of 122 can be inserted into the pocket portion 11E of the fitting portion 11 freely in vertical and horizontal positions, and its cylindrical projection portion is inserted into the recessed cut portions 11A and IIB.
, protrudes outward from IIC and IID. At this time, the identification member 121. ．． 122 three cylindrical protrusions 12
A, 12C, 12D are the switches 3A, 3C, 3
They are arranged so as to face each other.

Here, one identification member 121 is placed in the vertical position as shown in the figure and inserted into the fitting part 11 to be elastically engaged with the locking claw part 11r, and the other identification member 122 is placed in the horizontal position and inserted into the fitting part 11. After elastically locking with the locking claws 11G and IIH, insert the paper feed cassette 10 from the cassette insertion slot 2 of the image recording apparatus main body l and place it in a predetermined position.
Among the two cylindrical projections of the identification members 121 and 122 inserted into the identification member 1, three projections 12 are arranged in a row in the upper row.
A, 12C, and 120 press switches 3A, 3C, and 3D in the image recording apparatus main body 1 to actuate them.

The type of paper feed cassette loaded in the apparatus main body 1 is identified by the conduction of these switches, so the operation panel 5
By operating the above keys or commanding the automatic paper feed selection function, etc.
The desired paper is fed out from the selected paper feed cassette. Furthermore, the two identification members 121 of the paper feed cassette 10
．． By making the switch 122 conductive, a cassette type signal is generated, transmitted to the operation panel 5, and a paper size display is displayed, so that the operator can easily select the desired paper size using the keys on the operation panel 5. I can do it.

The four protrusions 12A, 12B, 12C, and 12D formed by the two identification members 121 and 122 have a total of 2'-1
=15 types of paper feed cassettes can be identified.

Figure 7 Honey 4 TV protrusions 12A, 12B
, 12C.

FIG. 12D is an explanatory diagram showing an identification pattern, and O marks in the diagram indicate the presence of protrusions. In this figure, 1lk15 is a schematic representation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

As another example, if three identification members each having two protrusions are used, the presence or absence of a total of six protrusions (2
@-1=) It is possible to identify paper feed cassettes that accommodate 63 types of paper sizes and paper types. Generally, it is possible to identify (21-1) types of paper feed cassettes using n identification members.

The paper feed cassette identification device of the present invention configured as described above is capable of handling a wide variety of paper sizes and paper types by using a common large paper feed cassette housing and fitting part, and replacing only a small number of identification members. This can make the response even easier.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a fitting portion is formed in a part of the side wall forming the housing of the paper feed unit cassette, and n pieces (for example, two pieces) of the paper size detection portion are detachably attached. By preparing an identification member, forming two protrusions on the identification member, and replacing the identification member, (2”-1) species (
For example, if n1=4, it becomes possible to identify 15 types of paper feed cassettes. Therefore, one type of paper feed cassette housing and one
By preparing different types of identification members, it becomes possible to easily identify various paper sizes. As a result, there is no need to prepare and stock many types of paper feed cassettes or a large number of identification plates, which is a great advantage in terms of production, inventory management, and service.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette and paper size detection means according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the paper feed cassette, and FIG. 3 is a portion of a paper feed cassette identification device showing an example of the installed state. A perspective view, FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view, FIG. 5 is a rear view of the paper feed cassette and the fitting part, and FIG. 6 is an image showing the paper feed cassette installed in the paper feed part of the main body of the image recording apparatus. FIG. 7, which is a perspective view of the recording device, is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the identification pattern by the identification device. 1... Image recording device main body 2... Cassette insertion slot 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D... Switch 4.
...Control board 5...Operation panel 10...Paper feed cassette 10a...Rear side wall 11...Fitting part 11A, IIB, IIC, LID...Concave notch LLE...Pocket part

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an image recording apparatus that selectively supplies recording paper of various sizes by loading a plurality of types of paper feed cassettes containing sheet-like recording paper, the paper size provided in the paper feed section of the image recording apparatus a detection means; formed on a part of a side wall forming a housing of the paper feed cassette;
and a fitting portion provided opposite to the paper size detection means, and a plurality of detachable paper feed cassette type identification members that are fitted and locked in the fitting portion and are removable, and the paper feed cassette type identification member The set type identification member has a plurality of protrusions, and is selectively inserted into the fitting portion to identify the type of the paper feed cassette, and when the paper feed cassette is attached to the paper feed portion, A paper feed cassette identification device for an image recording apparatus, characterized in that the identification member is selectively connected to the paper size detection means to generate an identified paper size identification signal. (2) The paper feed cassette type identification member has a plurality of protrusions arranged in a row, and the identification member can be selectively inserted into the fitting portion vertically and horizontally. 1. A paper feed cassette identification device for an image recording apparatus according to 1.