PH26595A - Paper feeding device for a copying machine - Google Patents

Description

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Se 20095

PAPER FEEDING DEVICE

FOR A _COPYING MACHINE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a paper feeding device which can optionally be attached to a main body of copying machines or the like. 2. Description of the Prior Art

In conventional copying machines, the number of cassettes which can be attached to a main body thereof is generally one or two. For example, in a conventional copying machine 1 shown in Fig. 1, only one cassette 1a is attached thereto, and papers can be fed towards a photoreceptor 4 by means of a feed roller 9. On the other hand, an extra cassette module 2 " has been optionally employed as shown in Fig. 1 in the case when a user wishes to attach cassettes the number of which is more than that of cassettes which may be attached to the mzin body of a copying machine.

As is apparent from Fig. 1, the cassette module 2 is one for merely attaching cassettes and two cassettes 2a and 2b can be attached in this illustrated example.

However, since such conventional type of the cassette module 2 has a construction as shown in Fig. 1, when the cassette o module is mounted to the copying machine main body 1, the ‘ bottom of the resulting assembly cannot be flattened. For - BAD ORIGINAL

. J . } . . : . |= a r co "2c 26595 this reason, there is such a disadvantage that it is necessary for additionally using a cabinet 3 for exclusive use to flatten the bottom of the assembly so that such copying machine is installed in a stable condition. In addition, there is also a disadvantage such that when two or more cassette modules are piled up, the height of such main body of a copying machine thus assembled becomes considerably high so that the operation capability thereof reduces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of prior art as described above and to provide a compact paper feeding device which is required no cabinet for exclusive use.

The present invention is characterized in that a copying machine main body is supported by a paper feeding device itself comprising a supporting frame and a cassette module, and such paper feeding device is adapted to be constructed in such that paper feeding cassettes may be inserted thereinto through the both sides thereof besides,such paper feeding devices may be optionally provided to copying machine main bodies.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description : BAD ORIGINAL [TE iN et

PB , ; pe ! - 3 - + O 9 ¢) taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic constructional view showing a copying machine provided with a conventional paper feeding device;

Fig. 2 is a schematic constructional view showing a copying machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied;

Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating in detail an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating the embodiment of the invention in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a driving force transmitting mechanism when viewed from the direction along line A - A of Fig. 4. :

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described hereinbelow in conjunction with an embodiment by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 2 is a schematic constructional view showing the whole of a copying machine to which the paper feeding device of an embodiment according to the present invention is attached wherein a copying machine main body 1 is the same main body shown in Fig. 1, and papers are fed from a paper feeding cassette la inserted into the copying machine main body 1 to a photoreceptor 4 by means of a feed roller 9. The paper feeding device of the present embodiment comprises a cassette module and a supporting frame.

The cassette module 5 is constructed inside the supporting frame as described hereinbelow, and said supporting frame supports the copying machine main body 1. First and second paper feeding cassettes 6 and 7 are constructed in such that they can inserted into the cassette module 5 through both the right and left sides thereof.

Each one paper in the first paper feeding cassette 6 is delivered by means of a feed roller 10, the paper so delivered is passed through a main body inlet chute portion 12 existing at a bottom of the copying machine main body 1 and fed to the photoreceptor 4. On one hand, papers contained in the second paper feeding cassette 7 are !

BAD ORIGINAL ean commie delivered respectively by means of a roller 11, each paper delivered is passed through the main body inlet chute portion 12 and fed to the photoreceptor 4.

The cassette module 5 will be described in detail by referring to Figs. 3 and 4 wherein Fig. 3 is a side view showing the cassette module 5 and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the same cassette module, respectively.

The supporting frame 8 formed on the outside of the cassette ~ module 5 is of a thin substantially rectangular parallelepipedic shape as is clear from both Figs. 3 and 4, and holding members 13a - 13d are disposed in the vicinities of four corners of the supporting frame. These holding members 13a - 13d support foot portions 30a - 30d (wherein 30c and 304 are not shown) of the copying machine main body 1, respectively. Furthermore locating members 14a and 14b are provided on said supporting frame 8 for locating the copying machine main body 1 and the cassette module 5 in predetermined relation, respectively. These locating members 14a and 14b fit in concave portions 31a and 31b (wherein 31b is not shown) of the copying machine main body i to locate the main body and the cassette module,

The first and second paper feeding cassettes 6 and 7 inserted from both the right and left sides of the cassette module 5

BAD ORIGINAL en io 26590 are located by means of vertically locating members 15a and 15b as well as horizontally locating members 27a and 27b, respectively. Contact pressure is given to papers as well as the first and second feed rollers 10 and 11 by means of paper pushing-up members 17, 17 so that each paper is passed through either chute 18 or 19 (paper guide) by means of rotations of the first and second feed rollers 10 and 11, and the paper is delivered to the main body inlet Chute portion 12. In Fig. 3, reference numerals 16, 16 designate paper sensing means, respectively.

Next, driving of the first and second feed rollers 10 and 11 will be described hereinbelow by referring to Figs. 4 and 5 wherein Fig. 5 shows a driving force transmitting mechanism viewed from the side of a part indicated by arrow A - A of

Fig. 4.

The second feed roller 11 is driven by transmitting driving force to a rotating shaft 11a of said second feed roller 11 through an electromagnetic clutch 24. A driving source for this driving force is a driving gear 34 of the copying machine main body 1 shown in Fig. 5, the driving force of said driving gear 34 is transmitted to a gear 22 by way of a , gear 33, and further to the electromagnetic clutch 24 through a gear sprocket 23. Thus when the electromagnetic clutch 24 : is on-off controlled with a suitable timing, the feeding

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To 26595 roller 11 can be rotated with a pertinent timing.

On the other hand, the first feeding roller 10 is driven as described hereinbelow. A chain 26 is stretched between the gear sprocket 23 and a gear sprocket 37 through sprocket 36 for driving an auxiliary roller 20. Furthermore a gear for the gear sprocket 37 meshes with a gear 38. Thus the driving force from the copying machine main body 1 transmitted to the gear sprocket 23 as described above is transmitted to the electromagnetic clutch 25 by means of the gear sprocket 23 through the chain 26. In these circumstances,. when the electromagnetic clutch 25 is on-off controlled with a suitable timing, the driving force of the electromagnetic clutch 25 is transmitted to a rotating shaft 10a of the first feeding roller 10 in case of on-condition so that said first feeding roller 10 is rotated with a pertinent timing.

The chute 19 is provided with an auxiliary roller 20 and a pinch roller 21 for travelling smoothly papers.

According to the present invention, two more paper feeding cassettes may be inserted into a copying machine main body, whilst exclusive use for an extra cabinet becomes unnecessary besides, height of the resulting copying machine main body can remarkably be reduced as compared with that of conventional copying machines.

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Claims (1)

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   - 1. A paper feeding device comprising a cassette module provided with first and second chutes {paper guides) each of which has a common outlet of a shape corresponding 10 that of a main body inlet chute portion formed On a bottom of a copying machine : main body, inlets of which are disposed to opposite sides of said outlet and paper feeding mechanisms <or delivering each one paper to the inlets of said first and second chutes, respectively, each of szid paper feeding mechanisms consisting of at least a feed roller, a paper pushing-up member for contacting paper tO said feed roller with suitable contact Co pressure, and a locating member for locating said paper feeding cassettes, and a means for supporting said copying machine main body formed on an upside of said cassette module, said cassette ) module being constructed in such that paper feeding cassettes may be attached thereto from the both sides thereof.

   : 2. A paper feeding device as claimed in claim 1 wherein driving force of said feed roller is given from said copying machine 29 main body. } 3, A paper feeding device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said paper feeding device has a thin substantially rectangular Bi parallelepipedic shape. : AKTO KABASHIMA ; Inventor

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