JPH08310687A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A mechanism for deflecting paper feed cassettes arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction in the vertical direction and feeding it to a vertical transport path is simplified, and further cost reduction is achieved. A sheet stored in a second sheet storage section 500 is fed by a sheet feed roller 502, is positioned above the first sheet storage section 400, and is adsorbed by a fan 404 by a transport belt 403 that extends substantially horizontally. In this state, it is guided to the conveyance path switching claws 151 or 152 and is guided to the first conveyance path 150a (on the image forming portion side) or the second conveyance path 150b.
You will be guided to (direction change side). On the other hand, the first sheet storage unit 4
The paper stored in 00 is fed out from the paper bundle 401 by the paper feed roller 402, separated by the pair of separation rollers 422, and is the same as the transport path switching claw similar to the paper transported from the second paper storage unit 500. Similarly, depending on 151 or 152, the first conveyance path 150a or the second conveyance path 1
You will be guided to 50b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile and a printer,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a sheet feeding device of an image forming apparatus in which sheet accommodating portions are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various types of sheet feeding devices are known which are configured to accommodate a large number of sheets in a small space to form an image. As such a sheet feeding device, for example, by converting the orientation of the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section to 90 degrees horizontally and sending it to the image forming section,
From the vertical type (the paper is stored in the paper feed unit with the longitudinal direction of the paper being the transport direction side) to the horizontal type (the paper is stored in the paper feed unit with the lateral direction of the paper being the transport direction side) In the opposite transport state, even with the same size paper, it is possible to use one technology that required two dedicated paper feed units, vertical type and horizontal type. There is a sheet feeding device (so-called tandem type sheet feeding device) having a plurality of sheet storage units. An example of the latter is, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-8632.
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 6 is known.

[0003]

In both of the above-mentioned two prior arts, the functions per sheet storage unit (sheet feeding stage; sheet feeding cassette) arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction are equivalent to those of the conventional two stages. In addition to the above-mentioned improvement, space saving and cost reduction were achieved.

However, among the above-mentioned known techniques, in a so-called tandem type paper feeding device in which paper feeding cassettes are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, the paper is fed out from the side opposite to the paper discharging direction, and the paper is inverted and transferred to the transfer section. Since the paper was supplied, a conveyance means including a paper feed roller and a conveyance roller is arranged along the reversing path, and a large number of rollers are required correspondingly, and the rollers are installed to reverse and convey the paper. I needed enough space. Therefore, there is a limit to downsizing the dimension in the thickness direction and a large number of parts are required, and no consideration has been given to simplifying the mechanism of this part.

The present invention has been made in view of such a background. A first object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for deflecting paper feed cassettes arranged in a horizontal direction in the vertical direction and feeding it to a vertical transport path. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding device that can be simplified and further reduced in cost.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device which can promote the reduction of the thickness and reduce the thickness.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means is a multi-stage sheet feeding section arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and a vertical conveyance common to each stage of the multi-stage sheet feeding section. At least two first and second sheet accommodating sections arranged in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction in the sheet feeding section, and means for feeding a sheet from the respective sheet accommodating sections to the vertical transport path. A sheet feeding device including a sheet feeding unit including a second sheet feeding unit including a second sheet feeding unit that is far from the vertical conveyance path.
A substantially horizontally extending conveyance means for feeding a sheet to the vertical conveyance path from above the first sheet storage section near the vertical conveyance path, and a sheet from the conveyance means to the vertical conveyance path. And a guide means for guiding the sheet from the first sheet storage section to the vertical transport path. The guide means is shared when the sheet is transported from the first and second sheet storage sections. It is characterized by becoming.

In the second means, the carrying member in the first means is a carrying belt having suction means,
While the sheet is being fed from the second sheet accommodating section by the sheet feeding means, the means for feeding the sheet out of the first sheet accommodating section retracts from the sheet feeding path from the second sheet accommodating section. It is characterized by being.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the entire copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the copying machine main body 1 is placed on a paper feeding device main body 100. Reference numeral 11 indicates a stored sheet bundle, 21 indicates a sheet feeding roller, and 22 indicates a separation roller pair. The sheet fed from the sheet feeding roller 21 has an image transferred by the image transfer unit 23, and is discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 25 via the fixing device 24.

In the main body 100 of the paper feeding device, another paper storage device and a paper feeding roller are provided, and a paper direction changing device 20 for deflecting the direction of the appropriately stored paper by 90 degrees.
0 is set.

When the sheet is not deflected, for example, the sheet fed from the sheet bundle 101 by the sheet feeding roller 102 passes through the vertical conveyance path 150 communicating with the main body, and the image transfer unit 2
Sent to 3. The same applies to other sheet bundles.

In the main body 100 of the sheet feeding device, a plurality of sheet accommodating portions are arranged side by side in a substantially horizontal direction, in other words, a tandem type in which the longitudinal direction of the sheet is orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. A paper feeding unit 300 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tandem type paper feed unit 300 is composed of a first paper storage unit 400 and a second paper storage unit 500. The tandem type paper feed unit 300 has another length. It is roughly aligned with the paper feed section of the column.

In each sheet accommodating section, 401 and 501 are sheet bundles, 402 and 502 are sheet feeding rollers, 403 is a conveyor belt, 404 is a fan that sucks sheets onto the surface of the conveyor belt 403, and 422 and 522 are separation roller pairs. is there.

The case of feeding from the second sheet storage section 500 will be described.

The sheet fed from the sheet bundle 501 by the sheet feeding roller 502 is separated by the separation roller pair 522, and then is adsorbed by the conveyor belt 403 stretched above the first sheet accommodating section 400. Can be sent to the separation roller pair 422 of the first sheet storage unit 400 in this conveyance state. As a result, the sheet can be fed through the first transport path 150a via the transport roller group 153. Further, while the second sheet storage section 500 is in use, the paper feed roller 402 of the first sheet storage section 400 is retracted upward. Conveyor belt 40
As for No. 3, it is preferable to use a plurality of flat belts having a slightly wide hole (see FIG. 10).

Next, the case where the sheet is deflected by 90 ° will be described (example of lateral-to-vertical deflection). Conveyance path switching claws 151, 152 and a conveyance roller group 154 for forward / reverse rotation are provided downstream of the paper feed roller 402, and the fed sheet is changed in direction.
Send to 0. The switching claws 151 and 152 have 90
° Provided for each sheet accommodating portion that can be deflected, normally set to a solid line position, and when fed to the direction changing device 200, set to a broken line position, and the forward / reverse roller group 154 also has a conveyance direction in the same direction. The rotation is controlled. The direction changing device 200 may be provided in any part of the paper feeding device main body 100, but it is also compact to be provided in a space on the side of the vertical transport path opposite to the paper storage portion, and the jammed paper can be removed even when a paper jam occurs. It is convenient because it becomes easy. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sheet is turned upside down once and the direction changing device 20 is used.
0, and after being rotated, the paper is ejected from the C direction and the vertical conveyance path 150
To join.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 150a is a first conveying path directly toward the copying machine main body 1 side, and 150b is a second conveying path toward the direction changing device 200.

3 to 6 show the configuration of the direction changing device 200.

The sheet sent in the direction of arrow B is sent by a pair of carry-in rollers 201 to a sheet rotary transport path 250 (FIG. 1) formed by a guide 202 and an upper guide plate 203. On the paper rotation conveyance path 250, a side fence 204 that stands by at a position determined in advance for each paper size by a moving unit, a feed roller 205 for feeding the paper in the traveling direction, and a side fence 20 that rotates the paper.
4, a shift roller 206 that moves the sheet to the position 4, a stopper 209 that aligns the leading edge position of the sheet before rotation, a rotary blade 210 that rotates the sheet around its axis, and the like.

The side fence 204 is normally at the home position determined by the home sensor 208, but is driven by the stepping motor 207 before the sheet is carried in and moves to the predetermined alignment position. In the case of central reference transportation, the alignment position of the side fence 204 is a / 2 from the transportation center line.
(A is the lateral dimension of the sheet, and b is the longitudinal dimension of the sheet).
That is, d = a / 2.

The side fence 204 extends in the carrying direction to serve as an alignment surface when the paper rotates, and guides the rotated paper in the carrying direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a guide portion 204c that regulates the direction perpendicular to the guide surface of the paper is provided (the guide portion 204c may be replaced by other means, a flexible film, a wire, a leaf spring, or the like).

The rotary vane 210 is provided upstream of the side fence 204 and downstream of the feed roller 205, and its rotary shaft 210c is provided on a substantially extended line of the reference surface of the side fence 204, and is rotated in the arrow direction. A plurality of pressing blades 210b having appropriate frictional force and elasticity are attached on an arm 210a extending radially from the rotation axis. The pressing blade 210b is a cut portion 203 of the upper guide plate 203.
When it is inside a, the surface of the paper in the conveyance path is brought into contact with the paper to rotate the paper by about 90 degrees about its rotation axis 210c, and the leading edge is brought into contact with the side fence 204. After the abutment, the pressing blade 210b slides on the paper and is pulled out to the side of the conveyance path.

It is desirable that the peripheral speed V _A of the pressing blade 210b has a relationship of V _A = (1 / c) rV _B when the paper feed speed of the feed roller 205 is V _B.

Where r is the radius of rotation of the pressing blade, c is the distance between the feed roller and the center of rotation, and the blade lifting portion 2 is provided near the cut portion of the upper guide plate 203.
03b is provided and the pressing blade 210b that is in contact with the transport path is pulled up onto the side upper guide plate 203. Holding blade 2
As the material of 10b, it is possible to use a rubber elastic body such as soft urethane rubber or soft foamed urethane rubber, or a material in which an appropriate friction member is attached on an elastic film, or coated. The magnitude of the frictional force is such that after the paper hits the side fence 204, buckling or wrinkling does not occur at the side edges of the paper due to the blade members.

The trailing edge of the input paper is passed to the feed roller 205 before passing through the carry-in roller pair 201. Downstream of the feed roller 205, the pressing blade rotating shaft 210c and the stopper 209 which can be inverted are juxtaposed in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, so that the leading edge of the conveyed sheet is first aligned and positioned. A torque limiter may be provided on the driving side or a driven side may be a sphere so that the feed roller 205 can slip and rotate in a state where the sheet is in contact with a stopper or the like.

A predetermined time has elapsed after the leading edge alignment, and the stopper 209
When the pressing blade 210b is released, a rotational moment about the pressing blade rotating shaft portion 210c acts on the paper, and the pressing blade 210b is pressed against the paper, so that the paper P ₁ →
It rotates as P ₂ → P ₃ and is further passed to the shifting roller 206 so that its longitudinal edge is aligned with the side fence 204. The draw roller 206 is also a spherical roller on the driven side as shown in the figure, and may be inclined by θ with respect to the traveling direction (θ = 5 ° to 30 °).
°). The rotated paper advances along the side fence 204 and is discharged in the C direction by the discharge roller pair 211.

Since the rotary blade 210 is constructed so as to be integrated with the side fence part and movable in the direction perpendicular to the carrying direction, it is possible to cope with various paper sizes (see FIG. 6). The number of blades may be one or more. Further, the shape of the blade can be variously modified.

Further, in this embodiment, the sheet is once stopped by the stopper 209 and then rotated, but
In some cases, the stopper 209 may be omitted and rotation may be performed without stopping.

In FIG. 5, it is more effective to press the pressing blade 210b while the sheet is stopped at the stopper 209 and immediately open the stopper 209 to rotate the sheet. In this case, a paper detection sensor 212 is provided in the conveyance path, and the pressing blade 210b is intermittently rotated by a stepping motor or the like, and the pressing blade 210b is rotationally controlled in association with the paper position (the paper is stopped by the stopper 20).
9 to the upper guide plate 20
3 and the sheet reaches the stopper 209, the pressing blade 210b is driven to press the sheet, and at the same time, the stopper 209 is opened and rotated by 90 °).

The method of conveying the sheet fed from the second sheet accommodating portion 500 according to this embodiment can be achieved by using various known means other than the suction conveyance by the conveyor belt of the embodiment.

For storing papers in the tandem type paper feed unit 300, usually small-sized papers such as A4 and B5 which are frequently used are laterally fed and set, and they are used by deflecting them by 90 ° if necessary. Is most effective in terms of usage and processing capacity. The tandem-type paper feeding unit 300 of this embodiment has a function comparable to that of the conventional four-stage paper feeding by installing a 90-degree rotating device.

That is, for example, conventionally, the A4 landscape paper storage unit, A
Assuming that there are four stages of a 4 vertical paper storage unit, a B5 horizontal paper transport unit, and a B5 vertical paper storage unit, in the tandem type paper feed unit 300, the first paper storage unit 400 is set to A4 horizontal and second paper storage unit 50
If 0 is set to B5 horizontal, the conventional four-step function will be provided.

FIG. 8 shows an example in which the lower stage of the tandem type paper feed unit 300 is a large capacity tray 600, and FIG. 9 shows the tandem type paper feed unit 3.
An example in which the large-capacity tray 600 is applied to the preceding stage of 00 is shown.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the paper is vertically passed from the second sheet storage section far from the vertical transport path to the first sheet storage section near the vertical transport path. A guide means for guiding the sheet to the vertical transport path from the transport means, and a guide means for guiding the sheet from the first sheet storage section to the vertical transport path are provided. Since it is shared with the means, it can perform the function of a paper feed stage twice as many as the number of paper storage units, and
The mechanism is simplified and the number of parts is reduced, so that the cost can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the conveying member is formed of a conveying belt provided with a suction means, and when the sheet is being fed from the second sheet accommodating portion by the feeding means,
Since the means for feeding the sheet from the first sheet storage section is retracted from the sheet feeding path from the second sheet storage section,
It is possible to reliably feed the sheet without disturbing the means for feeding out the sheet when the sheet is fed from the sheet storage section. Further, since the means for feeding out the paper is retracted from the paper feeding path from the second paper accommodating portion, it is possible to dispose the conveyor belt at a position close to the second paper accommodating portion, and thereby the paper is fed. Since the paper feeding unit is configured to be thin, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an entire copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a main part of a paper feeding device.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a direction changing means.

4 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an upper guide plate of the direction changing means.

FIG. 6 is a side view of an upper guide plate of the direction changing means.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line YY in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a paper feeding device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a paper feeding device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a conveyor belt.

[Explanation of symbols]

 150a 1st conveying path 150b 2nd conveying path 151,152 conveying path switching claw 200 direction changing device 400 1st sheet accommodating section 401 sheet bundle 402 feeding roller 403 conveying belt 404 fan 422 separation roller pair 500 2nd sheet accommodating section 501 Paper bundle 502 Paper feed roller 522 Separation roller pair

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A multi-stage sheet feeding section arranged in parallel in a vertical direction,
It has a common vertical conveyance path in each stage of this multi-stage paper feeding section,
The sheet feeding unit includes at least two first and second sheet storage units arranged in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction and a unit for feeding the sheet from each sheet storage unit to the vertical transport path. In the paper feeding device provided with a feeding means, the paper feeding means passes from the second paper storage portion far from the vertical transport path onto the first paper storage portion near the vertical transport path, and then the vertical paper is fed. Conveying means extending in a substantially horizontal direction for feeding the sheet to the conveying path, and a guide for guiding the sheet from the conveying means to the vertical conveying path and for guiding the sheet from the first sheet accommodating section to the vertical conveying path. Means and first
A sheet feeding device, characterized in that the guide means is shared when the sheet is conveyed from the second sheet accommodating portion. 2. The transport member comprises a transport belt having suction means, and when the feeding means is feeding a sheet from a second sheet storage section, the sheet is fed from the first sheet storage section. 2. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the feeding means is retracted from a paper feeding path from the second paper storage section to the side of the vertical transport path.