JPH0526178B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder installed in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or an image reader.

[Conventional technology]

An automatic document feeder attached to an image processing device, such as a copying machine, feeds originals set in a document tray one by one, transports the originals over a platen with a conveyor belt, sets them at a reference position, and after copying is completed, The document is again discharged from the platen by the conveyor belt and stored in the storage tray.

When an original is jammed, such an automatic document feeder detects the jammed original by sequentially tracing the paper feed section that feeds the original onto the platen and the paper ejection section that ejects the original from the platen. There is.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, it is troublesome to check, and it is difficult to clear the jam because the paper feed section and paper ejection section are small.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention makes it easy to unjam a document;
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic document feeder in which the cover member does not forget to close.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus, for example, a copying machine 1 equipped with a double-sided copying function and a platen 3, are equipped with
An automatic document feeder 5 capable of conveying double-sided documents is installed.

The automatic document feeder 5 includes a document storage section, for example, a document tray 7, and a separation and feeding section 9 that separates the document set on the document tray 7 into one sheet and sends out the document.
A transport unit 11 transports the original sent out from the separation and feeding unit 9 over the platen 3, and a transport unit 11 that transports the original over the platen 3 with the double-sided original turned over and sent onto the platen 3. The original that has been copied is turned over and discharged. The apparatus is equipped with a reversing ejecting section 13, and a storage tray 15 for accommodating the originals ejected from the reversing ejecting section 13, so that the originals can be automatically fed and ejected.

Further, an opening/closing section consisting of the conveying section 11 and the reversing and discharging section 13 is integrated with the cover C, and is attached to a hinge 100 (FIG. 4) provided on the end side in the depth direction of the copying machine 1, that is, on the back of the copying machine 1. It is attached so that it can be opened and closed in the vertical direction, and a document can also be set on the platen 3 by manual operation by opening this opening and closing section upward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the document tray 7 is provided with movable side guides 17 on the left and right sides for regulating the side edges of the document.

The separation and feeding section 9 includes a lever-type sensor S1 that detects whether or not a document is set on the document tray 7, a stopper 19 that restricts the leading edge of the documents stacked on the document tray 7, and a stopper 19 that controls the leading edge of the documents stacked on the document tray 7. A feed-out roller 21 feeds out the original document, and the document fed out by the feed-out roller 21 is conveyed to a conveyance path 23.
The feeding roller 25 that feeds the feed roller 2 to
a separation roller 27 that prevents the document from moving forward following the lower surface of the document sent out by the feed roller 25; and a sensor S that detects the document sent out by the feeding roller 25.
2.

Note that the feeding roller 21 is operated by a solenoid 29.
It is designed to move up and down depending on the magnetization/demagnetization of the magnet. Further, the stopper 19 is rotated by the excitation of the solenoid 29, and the conveyance path 23 is opened.

The feeding roller 25 is rotated by the motor 31 in the direction in which the original is sent out, that is, clockwise in FIG. Further, the separation roller 27 is also driven by the motor 31 and rotated clockwise in a direction that prevents the document from moving forward following the lower surface of the sent document. Further, the separation roller 27 is moved toward and away from the feeding roller 25 by energizing/demagnetizing the solenoid 33.

At the entrance of the conveyance section 11, a sensor S3 and registration rollers 35, 37 are provided as shown in FIG. The registration rollers 35 are rotationally driven by a motor 39, and together with the registration rollers 37 pressed against them, send out the original onto the platen 3.

Further, the conveyance section 11 is provided with a conveyance belt 55 stretched between rollers 51 and 53 as shown in FIG. It is being

The conveyor belt 55 is rotationally driven by a motor 54 connected to the roller 53. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 2, a stopper 43 is provided at the right end of the platen 3 in the drawing for abutting the original and setting it at the copying position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reversing and discharging section 13 includes a transport path switching guide 65, a reversing path 71 that includes a document transport path connected to the platen 3, such as an entry path 67 and an ejection path 69, a sensor S4, and a transport roller 7.
2, 73, a pressure contact spring 74, a pressure contact roller 75,
77, 79, 80, an elastic guide 81, a discharge path 83, conveyance rollers 85, 87, pressure rollers 89, 91, a discharge sensor S5, and covers 95, 97 that can be opened and closed around a shaft 93. It is provided.

Note that the cover 95 covers the platen 3 of the approach path 67.
It is installed in the part facing the copying machine part connected to the
A hinge 10 is rotatably supported by a shaft 93 at the end farthest from the platen 3, and is provided on the back of the copying machine 1.
When the opening/closing section consisting of the conveying section 11 and the reversing and discharging section 13 is opened with centering on 0 (FIG. 4), this cover 95 opens and closes in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4). It's becoming like that. Further, unless the cover 95 is closed, the opening/closing section consisting of the conveying section 11 and the reversing and discharging section 13 cannot be closed on the platen 3.

The conveyance path switching guide 65 is connected to the switching device 9
7 allows switching to three stages. That is, when supplying the original on the platen 3 to the reversing path 71, the transport path switching guide 65 is rotated to the uppermost position, and the reversed original is fed to the reversing path 71.
1 to the platen 3, the conveyance path switching guide 65 is rotated to the intermediate position, and when the document on the platen 3 is to be fed to the ejection path 83,
Rotate the conveyance path switching guide 65 to the lowest position.

The conveyance rollers 72 and 73 are rotationally driven by a motor 99. Further, the conveying rollers 85 and 87 receive driving force from the motor 54.

<Operation> With the above configuration, this device operates as follows.

First, the case of conveying a double-sided document will be explained.

When the first page of a document is placed face down on the document tray 7, the sensor S1 is turned on and the document is detected. Next, copy conditions are set by operating an operation panel (not shown).

When a print button (not shown) is pressed in such a state, the original on the original tray 7 is fed out.

First, when the print button is turned on, the solenoid 29 of the separation and feeding section 9 is energized, and as the feed roller 21 falls onto the document, the solenoid 33 is energized, and the separation roller 27 is moved to the feeding roller 2.
5.

On the other hand, due to the excitation of the solenoid 29, the stopper 1
9 rotates downward. Therefore, feeding is possible.

When the feeding roller 21 comes into contact with the document, the motor 31 is activated, and the feeding roller 25 and the feeding roller 21 rotate in the feeding direction. As a result, the feeding roller 21 feeds out the document starting from the uppermost sheet. Then, the original is separated into one sheet by a forward-rotating feeding roller 25 and a reverse-rotating separating roller 27, and sent to a conveying path 23.

Then, the leading edge of the document is detected by sensor S2. As a result, the solenoid 29 is demagnetized, the feeding roller 21 is separated from the document, and the subsequent document feeding operation is temporarily stopped. Also, the stopper 19 rises to cut off the feeding of the original.

The fed document is further conveyed by the feeding roller 25, turning on the sensor S3. As a result, the motor 31 is stopped after a predetermined time T1.

Here, the above-mentioned predetermined time T1 is from the time when the leading edge of the document passes the sensor S3 to the registration roller 35,
The length of time is set to be sufficient for the document to come into contact with the rolling contact section 37 and bend. Therefore, the leading edge of the bent document is registered.

Then, a predetermined time T2 after sensor S3 is turned on.
After (T2>T1), rotate the motor 39 slightly,
The leading edge of the document is held between the registration rollers 35 and 37, the solenoid 33 is demagnetized, and the separation roller 27 is separated from the feeding roller 25. The original registered in this manner is placed in a standby state.

When copying preparations of the copying machine 1 are completed in this state, the motors 39 and 54 rotate, and the registration rollers 35 and 37 feed out the original. This sent out document is conveyed over the platen 3 by a conveyor belt 55.

Note that when the trailing edge of the document is detected by the sensor S3, the motor 39 is stopped, the solenoid 29 is energized, and the advance operation of the next document is started by the same operation as described above, and the registration rollers 35,
37 stands by with the leading edge of the document in its mouth. Note that when the sensor S3 detects the trailing edge of the document, the motor 99 starts rotating.

On the other hand, the switching device 97 operates at the same time as the motor 54 rotates, and the conveyance path switching guide 65 is rotated to the uppermost position. Therefore, the elastic guide 81 is pushed up by the conveyance path switching guide 65 and blocks the discharge path 83 and also blocks the entrance path 67.
Open the entrance.

Therefore, the original transported on the platen 3 is
It is guided by the lower surface of the conveyance path switching guide 65 and enters the approach path 67.

The document brought to the entry path 67 is supplied to the exit path 69 by rotation of the transport roller 73.
When the leading edge of the document is detected by the sensor S4, the switching device 97 brings the transport path switching guide 65 to an intermediate position, and the motor 5
4 rotates in the opposite direction, and the conveyor belt 55 rotates in the opposite direction.

The document passes between the transport path switching guide 65 and the elastic guide 81, is returned onto the platen 3, and is transported toward the stopper 43 by the transport belt 55 running in the opposite direction. Note that the rear edge of the document is the sensor S.
The motor 99 stops after a time T3 when the trailing edge of the document passes the conveyance roller 72 after being detected at 4. Then, the motor 54 is stopped when the document fed onto the platen 3 comes into contact with the stopper 43. As a result, the original is set at the copying position, and the back side of the original is copied.

When the copying operation for the back side of the document is completed, the conveyance belt 55 starts moving the document toward the conveyance path 71 again. At the same time as the transport belt 55 starts running, the transport path switching guide 65 is again rotated to the uppermost position, the motor 99 is rotated, and the document is reversed according to the above-described reversing operation. In this way, the document is brought onto the platen 3 with the front side facing downward. In this state, the front surface of the document will undergo a copying operation.

When the copying operation for the front side of the document is completed, the document is then ejected. That is, the conveyor belt 55 starts running to eject the original, and the switching device 9
7, the conveyance path switching guide 65 is rotated to the lowest position as shown in FIG. 3, and the approach path 67 is blocked. Therefore, the document conveyed on the platen 3 is guided by the elastic guide 81 to the ejection path 83.
is supplied to

The document brought to the discharge path 83 is discharged onto the storage tray 15 with the surface facing upward, along with the conveyance rollers 85 and 87. Note that when the leading edge of the document is detected by the sensor S5, the switching device 97 is operated to bring the conveyance path switching guide 65 to the uppermost position, and the next document that has been delivered earlier is sent onto the platen 3.

In this way, the above operations are repeated,
Copying of both sides of a plurality of original documents is performed.

On the other hand, when copying a one-sided original by setting it on the original tray 7, the conveyance path switching guide 65 is brought to the lowest position as shown in FIG. In this state, the original supplied onto the platen 3 is switched back by the conveyor belt 55, and is brought into contact with the stopper 43 and set at the copying position. Then, the copied original is transferred to the conveyor belt 5
5 is supplied from above the platen 3 to the discharge path 83 and discharged onto the storage tray 15.

<What to do when a jam occurs> Here, if a jam occurs in the vicinity from the platen 3 to the inlet passage 67 of the reversing and discharging section 13, the opening/closing section consisting of the conveying section 11 and the reversing and discharging section 13 should be closed together with the cover C. Leave it open. Then, the space above the platen 3 is opened as shown in FIG. 4, so first it is confirmed whether there is any jammed original on the platen 3. If there is no jammed document on the platen 3, it means that the document is jammed in the entry path 67.
In this case, a portion of the jammed original 101 hangs down in the direction of the platen 3, and is in an upright state. This makes it possible to immediately discover the existence of the JIAM manuscript. Therefore, when the cover 95 is opened, the restraining force of the jammed document in the upright state is reduced, making it easier to fall, and the jammed document can be easily pulled out.

Therefore, according to the lever embodiment, the approach path 67 is provided in the approach path 67 portion facing the portion continuous to the platen 3.
7 is provided, and this cover 95
The end farthest from the platen 3 is rotatably supported by a shaft 93, and the cover 95 can be opened and closed while the opening/closing section consisting of the conveying section 11 and the reversing/discharging section 13 is opened together with the cover C. Open the opening/closing part by hand to open the widest opening above the platen 3, and after checking whether there is any jammed document on the platen 3, open the cover 95 and check the entrance path 67. The jam release operation can be performed while checking the state of the jammed document while facing the user, and a series of jam release operations can be performed easily.

Furthermore, when the opening/closing section is opened, the document 101 stuck in the entrance path 67 is placed in an upright state, and when the cover 95 is further opened, the binding force of the document in the upright state is reduced, making it more likely to fall, and the jammed document Easy to pull out.

Furthermore, since the end of the cover 95 that is far from the top of the platen 3 is rotatably supported by the shaft 93, it is possible to look into the entry path 67 even when the opening/closing part is supported with one hand, and the jammed original can be placed at the end. It is easy to find the jammed original, and there is less risk of damage to the jammed original.

In addition, when closing the opening/closing part, the opening/closing part cannot be closed unless the cover 95 is closed.
I never forget to close it.

[Modified example]

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, in the embodiment described above, an automatic document feeder having a function of reversing the front and back sides of a double-sided document was shown. It can also be applied to an automatic document feeder that transports single-sided documents.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the automatic document feeder of the present invention, there is a conveyor belt that conveys the document along the platen on which the document is set in the image processing device, and a conveyor belt that is provided adjacent to the conveyor belt to convey the document between the document feeder and the conveyor belt. In the automatic document feeder, the automatic document feeder has an opening/closing section that is attached to a hinge provided at an end in the depth direction of the image processing apparatus so as to be freely openable and closable; A cover member, which can freely open the document conveyance path when the opening/closing section is open, is rotatably supported on the side of the document conveyance path facing the image processing device in the state facing the image processing device. Therefore, if a document is jammed in the document transport path, when the opening/closing section is opened, the document stuck in the document transport path will be placed in an upright position, and when the cover member is further opened, the document in this upright position will be removed. The binding force decreases, making it easier to fall, and making it easier to pull out the jammed original.

In addition, since the cover is rotatably supported at the end farthest from the platen, when the cover member is opened, the document transport path is opened toward the front center of the image processing device where the operator is located, and the jammed document is transported. It is easy to find the jammed original, and it is also easy to pull out the jammed original from the original conveyance path, and it is easy to process the jammed original.

Furthermore, since a cover member is provided on the portion of the document transport path that faces the image processing device when the opening/closing section is closed, the opening/closing section cannot be closed unless the cover member is closed, and there is no chance of forgetting to close the cover member. This prevents troubles caused by forgetting to close the cover member.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the overall structure of an automatic document feeder, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of a separation and feeding section. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the reversing and discharging section, and FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the upper part of the platen is opened to take out a jammed document. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Copying machine, 3... Platen, 5... Automatic document feeder, 7... Original tray, 9... Separation feeding section, 11... Conveying section, 13... Reversing discharge section, 15
... Accommodation tray, 67 ... Approach route, 93 ...
Shaft, 95...Cover, 100...Hinge.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A conveyor belt that conveys a document along a platen on which the document is set in an image processing device, and a conveyor belt that is provided adjacent to the conveyor belt and that transfers the document between the conveyor belt and the conveyor belt. It has a document conveyance path,
In an automatic document feeder including an opening/closing part attached to a hinge provided at a depth direction end side of the image processing apparatus so as to be openable and closable, the automatic document feeder is configured to face the image processing apparatus on a document transport path with the opening/closing part closed. The automatic document feeder is characterized in that a cover member is provided on the side where the opening/closing section is opened, the cover member being able to freely open the document conveying path when the opening/closing section is open, and rotatably supporting the end farther from the platen. Device.