JP3136873B2 - Detection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a detecting device provided in an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a detecting device in which a reflection type sensor for detecting the state of each unit is arranged on a control board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many sensors (detection devices) are used in an image forming apparatus to detect the presence or absence of a sheet, or the passing state of a sheet, and to detect the operating states of various movable parts. ing. In addition to a normal microswitch, a proximity switch for detecting a moving state of an actuator, a photointerrupter type photoswitch, a reflection type sensor, and the like are often used in the detection device. For example, when the reflection type sensor is used to detect the presence or absence of a sheet in the sheet feeding unit, the actuator is arranged so as to be able to approach and leave the reflection type sensor according to the presence or absence of the sheet.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional structure, the actuator of the sensor section for detecting the state in the image forming apparatus has a large operation amount, and the actuator is moved closer to the reflection type sensor. When
Due to variations in those parts dimensions and assembly dimensions,
There is a problem that an accurate positioning of the actuator with respect to the reflection type sensor cannot be performed and a malfunction occurs. And
There is a problem that high dimensional accuracy is required to stabilize the positional relationship between the actuator unit and the sensor unit, which causes a cost problem.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive and accurate detection device.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a detection device according to the present invention comprises a reflection type sensor having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and a control element for processing a signal of the reflection type sensor. A control board including the actuator, the actuator being displaced in response to contact with an object to be measured which is supplied to move in the apparatus, and being provided in the actuator and being close to the reflection-type sensor means based on the displacement of the actuator. And a reflective sensor operating mechanism comprising a reflective plate for operating the reflective sensor means, wherein when the reflective plate approaches the reflective sensor, the reflective plate and the reflective sensor A regulating member for regulating the height is provided.

It is to be noted that the distal end of the regulating member has an arc shape.
Is preferred .

[0007]

According to the sensing device of the present invention having the above-described structure, the actuator section swings in response to contact with an object to be measured which is supplied to move in the image forming apparatus, and is provided on the actuator section. The reflecting plate approaches the reflection-type sensor means based on the displacement of the actuator section, and operates the reflection-type sensor means. At this time, the height of the reflection plate and the reflection type sensor is regulated by a regulation member that regulates the height.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, taking an example in which the present invention is applied to a facsimile automatic document feeder.

The facsimile apparatus is provided with a conveying means, which is constituted by a combination of a gear and a driving motor (not shown) for feeding and discharging the paper 10 composed of the original along the original chute surface 9. Further, a roller 1 for supplying a sheet and a roller 2 for discharging the sheet are connected to the transport gear, and transport the sheet separated by the separating unit 3.

In such an apparatus, the paper 10 in the transport process is
Necessary to detect there Ru. For example, the rear end of the conveyed sheet 10 is detected by the reflection sensor 4, and after a predetermined period of time based on this, the next sheet 10 is set at the copy reference position by the conveying means. The reflection type sensor 4 is directly disposed on a main control board 5 including a control element mounted in the main body device.

A mounting member 7 having an opening is provided on the lower surface of the document chute surface of the machine frame, and the mounting member 7 swingably supports an actuator 6 composed of a hanging piece. The tip of the actuator 6 is made to face the paper transport path. . In the drawing, the rotating shaft portion of a resin actuator 6 is mounted on the mounting member 7. Both ends of the rotation shaft portion of the actuator 6 have a shape provided with a groove so as to form a u-shape, and by utilizing the elasticity of the shape portion, the actuator 6 can be fitted into the open mounting member 7 and can swing. ing. At this time, the control board 5 restricts the swing amount of the actuator 6 so that the opening of the mounting member 7 is
Are parallel to each other, and serve as a detachment preventing member for preventing the actuator 6 from being detached from the mounting member 7.

The reflecting plate 8, which is the base end of the actuator 6, is engaged with the detecting means composed of the reflective sensor 4, and performs a detecting operation in accordance with the displacement of the sheet 10 in accordance with the presence or absence of the sheet 10 . At this time, the tip of the deviation between the reflecting plate 8 due to variations such as component dimensions height of the reflection type sensor 4
Is provided with an arc-shaped height regulating plate 11 and brought into contact with the main control board 5 so that the reflection type sensor 4 and the reflection plate
The height is restricted to eight . This allows
The distance between the main control board 5 and the reflection plate 8 is the height
It corresponds to the radius of the arc-shaped portion of the regulating plate 11, and
Reliable even if the contact position between the plate 5 and the height regulating plate 11 is slightly shifted
It is configured so that it can be detected. Also,
From the arc-shaped portion at the tip of the height regulating plate 5, its tangent direction
To extend to the reflector 8 in a linear shape in the direction
And the reinforcement of the height regulating plate 11 is performed.
You.

[0013] The paper 10 as shown in the drawing roller 1
When the paper 10 moves along the original chute surface 9 and the paper 10 comes into contact with the leading end of the actuator 6,
The actuator 6 swings about a rotation axis of the actuator 6 supported by the mounting member 7. Accordingly, the reflection plate 8 provided at the end of the actuator 6 separates from the reflection type sensor 4 and the paper 10
Performs detection.

After the sheet is conveyed and the rear end of the sheet passes,
The actuator 6 approaches the reflection sensor by its own weight about the rotation axis. At this time, the height regulating plate 11 provided on the reflection plate 8 is
And the height of the reflection plate 8 and the reflection type sensor 4 is regulated. Therefore, the reflection type sensor 4 and the reflection plate 8
Can be stabilized, so that the passage of paper can be accurately detected.

The reflection type sensor 4 is provided when the paper does not arrive within a predetermined time from the start of the paper feeding means when the paper feeding means ejects the paper 10 on the document chute surface.
The operation of the apparatus is stopped as a paper jam.

In the above embodiment, the trailing end of the sheet is detected. However, the present invention can be used for various kinds of detection such as a detecting device for detecting the leading end of the sheet and a detecting device for detecting opening and closing of a cover or the like.

As a modification, in the above embodiment, the regulating plate is provided on the lower surface of the reflection plate, but may be provided on the upper surface of the control board. Also, the shape of the regulating plate is semicircular.
It may be.

[0018]

As is apparent from the above description, it is possible to regulate the height of the reflection type sensor and the reflection plate in the displacement by the actuator for detecting the operation state, and the optimum height of the reflection type sensor is obtained. The operation can be stabilized because the reflection plate can be arranged at the center. Further, a slight displacement can be sufficiently absorbed by enlarging the reflector, so that accurate positioning is not required. Furthermore, because we use a reflective sensor,
It is less expensive than a conventional type in which a substrate is attached to a photointerrupter.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory cross-sectional view for explaining an internal structure of a facsimile apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sheet detecting device.

FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating a structure of an actuator of the sheet detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Reflection type sensor 5 Control board 6 Actuator 8 Reflector 10 Paper 11 Height regulation plate

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A reflection type sensor means having a light emitting part and a light receiving part, a control board including a control element for processing a signal of the reflection type sensor means, and an object to be measured supplied to move in the apparatus. A reflection-type sensor operation mechanism comprising: an actuator portion that is displaced in response to a contact; and a reflection plate that is provided in the actuator portion and that is close to the reflection-type sensor device and that operates the reflection-type sensor device based on the displacement of the actuator portion And a regulating member that regulates the height of the reflection plate and the reflection type sensor when the reflection plate approaches the reflection type sensor. 2. The detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the regulating member has an arc shape .