JPH1179421A - Mass feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a large-volume sheet feeding device with improved use efficiency by shortening a machine stop time as much as possible. SOLUTION: A large amount of print data created by a user is output as a printed matter from a copying machine or a printer, and when the paper loaded on the tray 2 runs out, the MPU 10 lowers the tray 2 at high speed. When the lower limit detection sensor 16 detects the tray 2, the tray motor 5 stops. When the user replenishes the paper and sets the paper size, the MPU 10 preliminarily obtains R from the signals of the paper remaining amount sensor 18 and the paper size sensor 17.
The rotation speed of the tray motor 5 is set from arbitrary speed data stored in the OM 11, the tray motor 5 is rotated at an arbitrary low speed according to the load, and the tray 2 is raised.
By making the moving speed of the tray 2 of the large-volume paper feeder variable, the use efficiency as the large-volume paper feeder is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a high-volume sheet feeding device used for a copying machine, a printer, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art
In a large-volume paper feeder for a copying machine, a printer, or the like, the moving speed of a tray for loaded paper is fixed or is changed depending on the inherent speed of a tray motor (when a brush motor or the like is used). For example, JP-A-6-263
In the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 263, the elevation speed of the paper feed tray is kept constant irrespective of the amount of printing paper stored in the paper feed tray, and furthermore, the elevation of the paper feed tray at a low speed is smoothly performed. For this purpose, the operation of the motor lock protection circuit is canceled so that damage to the device due to occurrence of a failure can be avoided.

However, in the case of a large-volume paper feeder, the greater the loading capacity, the longer the moving distance and the moving time of the tray. When replenishing or adding paper, the longer the machine stop time, the lower the use efficiency. , Increasing user dissatisfaction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a high-efficiency, high-volume paper feeder which solves these problems and reduces user dissatisfaction by minimizing machine downtime.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a high-volume sheet feeding apparatus which can be mounted on a copying machine or a printer. And means for changing the moving speed of the camera.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the moving speed changing means changes the moving speed when the tray is raised and when the tray is lowered.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the moving speed changing means changes the moving speed of the tray according to the size of the paper stacked on the tray.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the moving speed changing means changes the moving speed of the tray in accordance with the remaining amount of sheets stacked on the tray.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of one embodiment of a large-volume sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of the large-volume sheet feeding device, and reference numeral 2 denotes a tray on which sheets are stacked. Fulcrum shaft 4
Is a tray motor 5 for moving the tray 2 and a wire 6
The rotation drive of the tray motor 5 is transmitted to the fulcrum shaft 4 by the wire 6, and the rotation causes the tray 1 to move up and down by the wire 2.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of one embodiment of the large-volume sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention. In the main body 1 of the large-volume paper feeder, an MPU 10 for controlling the entire system and a ROM 11 for storing a control program, a RAM 12 for storing control data, a motor driver 13 for controlling a tray motor (for example, a stepping motor) 5, and various sensors to be described later An I / O control unit 14 for controlling a signal is provided. The tray motor 5 is connected to the motor driver 13, and an upper limit detection sensor 15, a lower limit detection sensor 16, a paper size sensor 17, and a paper remaining amount sensor 18 are connected to the I / O control unit 14. Each device in the large-volume sheet feeding device is controlled based on the data of these external devices and the data of the main body such as a copying machine or a printer.

FIG. 3 shows user operation and MPU.
10 is a flowchart of the control by T10 and the operation of the tray motor 5. The large amount of print data created by the user is output as a printed matter from a copying machine or a printer (step 1). The sheets for producing the printed matter are stored in a large-volume sheet feeding device, and are fed one by one according to a command from a user. Then, when the sheets loaded on the tray 2 are exhausted, the MPU 10 performs control to lower the tray 2 at a high speed (step 2). By this control, the tray motor 5 rotates at a high speed, and the tray 2 descends at a high speed (step 3). Then, the tray motor 5 continues to rotate until the lower limit detection sensor 16 detects the tray 2, and when the lower limit detection sensor 16 detects the tray 2 (step 4), the stop control of the tray motor 5 is performed (step 5). The motor 5 stops (step 6).

Next, when the user replenishes the paper and sets the paper size (step 7), the MPU 10 preliminarily reads out the ROM
The rotation speed of the tray motor 5 is set based on arbitrary speed data stored in the storage 11 and control is performed (step 8). The tray motor 5 rotates arbitrarily at a low speed under the control, and the tray 2 moves up (step 9). The arbitrary speed data is determined based on the output torque of the tray motor 5, and is set so that the speed becomes lower as the load becomes larger and the speed becomes higher as the load becomes lighter. If a stepping motor is used for the tray motor 5, it is determined from its characteristics. As described above, the moving speed of the tray 2 of the large-volume sheet feeding device can be changed,
In addition, by enabling movement at a higher moving speed than before, the use efficiency as a large-volume sheet feeding device is increased.

[0013]

As described above, the mass feeder according to the first aspect enables the user to shorten the stop time of the machine as much as possible even when replenishing sheets by enabling the tray moving speed to be changed. There is an effect that can be.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the moving speed is different when the tray is raised and lowered, so that in addition to the same effects as those of the first aspect, it is possible to optimize the load on the tray. There is an effect that a different moving speed can be set.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, as described above, by changing the moving speed of the tray according to the size of the paper stacked on the tray, in addition to the same effects as those of the first aspect, There is an effect that an optimum moving speed can be provided for the load on the tray.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, as described above, the moving speed of the tray is changed in accordance with the remaining amount of the sheets stacked on the tray, thereby achieving the same effects as those of the first aspect. In addition, there is an effect that an optimum moving speed can be provided for the load on the tray.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of one embodiment of a large-volume sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the embodiment device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control of the embodiment apparatus of FIG. 1 and operation of a tray motor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mass feeder main body 2 Tray 3, 6 Wire 4 Tray fulcrum axis 5 Tray motor 10 MPU 11 ROM 12 RAM 13 Motor driver 14 I / O control unit 15 Upper limit detection sensor 16 Lower limit detection sensor 17 Paper size sensor 18 Paper remaining Quantity sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A mass feeder which can be mounted on a copying machine, a printer, or the like, wherein the mass feeder has means for changing a moving speed of a tray. 2. The large-volume sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving speed changing means changes the moving speed of the tray when moving up and when moving down. 3. The large-volume sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein said moving speed changing means changes the moving speed of said tray in accordance with the size of the paper stacked on said tray. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving speed changing means changes the moving speed of said tray in accordance with the remaining amount of sheets stacked on said tray.