JP4018076B2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeder provided with a transport path that stores a sheet body to be supplied to a main apparatus in a storage position and transports the sheet body along a transport direction from the storage position toward the main apparatus. The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that stores a sheet body.

An image forming apparatus is an example of a main apparatus that receives a sheet body such as a sheet from a sheet feeding apparatus. In recent years, multifunctional image forming apparatuses and printing processing speeds have been increased. For example, an image forming apparatus having a plurality of processing modes such as a copier mode, a printer mode, and a FAX mode and having a printing processing speed of 1 sheet / second or more has been developed. Such a high-speed image forming apparatus requires a paper feeding device capable of supplying a large amount of paper. The necessity is remarkably exhibited in the printer mode and the FAX mode in which printing is performed even when there is no user near the image forming apparatus. In particular, in the FAX mode, a large-capacity paper feeding device as described above is indispensable. When storing a large amount of information received when the user is absent at night or the like in a memory in the image forming apparatus without printing in order to prevent running out of paper, a large-capacity memory is required and the information stored in the memory is later stored. This is because a time loss occurs during printing. Under such circumstances, development of a large-capacity paper feeding device that is arranged adjacent to the image forming apparatus separately from the paper feeding unit provided in the image forming apparatus is underway (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).
JP-A-5-193766

  However, even with a large-capacity paper feeder as described above, the number of sheets stored cannot be increased without limit. The number of sheets stored is generally limited to 2000 to 4000 sheets. This is because the paper feeder has a lift-up mechanism that adjusts the height of the paper bundle at any time in order to sequentially feed the topmost paper. However, if the number of sheets stored is too large, the weight of the paper bundle becomes too high. This is because the up mechanism needs to have a sturdy configuration, which increases the size and cost of the apparatus, and makes it difficult to precisely adjust the paper height.

  In view of this, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 proposes a paper feeding device that includes a plurality of paper storage positions in order to increase the number of sheets stored, and that each storage position is arranged in several stages in the vertical direction. The paper supplied from the paper supply device is received from a paper supply port communicating with the paper conveyance path of the image forming apparatus. A paper feed port of the image forming apparatus is provided at a predetermined position so as to communicate with the paper conveyance path. Therefore, in the paper feeding device described in Patent Document 1, a bent portion is formed in the conveyance path in the paper feeding device from the storage position arranged at a height different from the paper feeding port of the image forming apparatus to the paper feeding port. Therefore, the opportunity for the sheet to be conveyed to bend in the sheet feeder increases, and the sheet is easily bent unnecessarily. Unnecessary bending of the paper causes a conveyance jam and a decrease in print quality.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device capable of supplying a large amount of sheet bodies and preventing sheet jams by conveying the sheet bodies without bending them.

  The paper feeding device of the present invention is configured as follows in order to solve the above-described problems.

(1) A sheet path to be supplied to the main device is stored in a storage position , and a plurality of transport paths are provided in parallel to transport the sheet body along a transport direction from the storage position toward the main apparatus. A sheet feeding device configured freely, a pickup member for supplying the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in a stacked state to a downstream side in the transport direction, and a downstream side of the pickup member A conveyance member that conveys the sheet body supplied by the pickup member, and the distance between the conveyance member and the pickup member that is provided in the other adjacent to the downstream side in the conveyance direction is Shorter than the size of the sheet member in the conveying direction, and the conveying path is the entire upper surface of the sheet member having a predetermined height located at the uppermost position among the sheet members stored in the storing position. Via, characterized in that the conveying along the conveying direction via a transport path to a sheet member that is received in the receiving position provided on one of said plurality provided in the conveying path and other And

In this configuration, a plurality of paper feeding devices are formed so as to be arranged in parallel on the side of the main device. The sheet bodies stored in the storage position are supplied in order from the uppermost one by the pickup member, and further conveyed by the conveying member. The distance between the conveying member and the pickup member of another sheet feeding device located adjacent to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet member is made shorter than the size of the sheet member in the conveying direction. Therefore, the sheet body is gripped by the pickup member of the sheet feeding device adjacent to the downstream side while being gripped by the conveying member. A sheet body stored in a storage position of one of the plurality of sheet feeding apparatuses arranged in parallel is transported by a sheet feeding apparatus that houses the sheet body, and transported by another sheet feeding apparatus. It is conveyed toward the main device via the road. Since the sheet feeders are arranged in parallel, the conveyance paths of the respective sheet feeders are arranged in a substantially straight line, and the sheet body is conveyed without being bent. In addition, since the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in the storage position forms a part of the transport path, the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body is transported from another sheet feeding device. The sheet body is conveyed.

( 2 ) A discharge portion opened to the outside and a discharge portion provided in addition to the discharge portion provided adjacent to the upstream side in the transfer direction and communicated with the discharge portion provided on the upstream side in the transfer direction. And a receiving unit that receives the sheet conveyed through the path.

  In this configuration, the sheet feeding device includes a discharge unit that is open to the outside of the sheet feeding device, and a receiving unit that can communicate with a discharge unit provided in another sheet feeding device located adjacent to the upstream side in the transport direction. And comprising. From the receiving unit, a sheet body conveyed via a conveyance path of another sheet feeding device positioned upstream in the conveyance direction is received.

( 3 ) A guide member for guiding the sheet body to the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in other storage positions adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction, the discharge section It prepares for.

  In this configuration, the sheet body that is being transported to the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies that are stored in the storage position of another sheet feeding device adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction of the sheet body. A guide member for guiding is provided in the discharge portion.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) Since the sheet body is conveyed without being bent and the sheet body is not bent unnecessarily, the sheet jam can be suppressed. Further, since the sheet body does not bend unnecessarily, it is possible to improve the quality of processing on the sheet body in the main apparatus that has received the sheet body. Since the top surface of the sheet body stored in the storage position functions as a part of the transport path, there is no need to provide a separate transport path as in the prior art. The apparatus can be made compact. The pickup member and the conveyance member can be sequentially conveyed from the uppermost sheet body. Since the sheet member is gripped by the pickup member of the sheet feeding device adjacent to the downstream side while being gripped by the conveying member, even when the sheet member is conveyed via a plurality of sheet feeding devices, the sheet member is conveyed. The power is not interrupted, and the conveyance jam can be suppressed.

( 2 ) Since the discharge unit and the receiving unit communicate with each other, the conveyance paths of the plurality of paper feeding devices can be continued. Further, when a plurality of paper feeding devices are arranged in parallel, the paper feeding devices are not subject to the restriction of the arrangement order, so that the paper feeding devices can be easily installed, and the number of paper feeding devices is increased. It can be inserted or added at any position.

( 3 ) The sheet body discharged from the discharge unit can be smoothly guided to the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in the sheet feeding device adjacently arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction.

  (5) The pickup member and the conveyance member can be sequentially conveyed from the uppermost sheet body.

  (6) Since the sheet member is gripped by the pickup member of the sheet feeding device adjacent to the downstream side while being gripped by the conveying member, the sheet member is used even when the sheet member is conveyed via a plurality of sheet feeding devices. The conveyance force to the body is not interrupted, and conveyance jam can be suppressed.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A sheet feeding device 1 according to this embodiment includes a placing plate 2, a lift-up mechanism (not shown), a pickup roller 3, a feed roller 4, a reverse roller 5, a transport roller 6, a discharge unit 7, and paper guides 8 and 9. , And a receiving port 10.

  A sheet S, which is an example of a sheet body, is positioned on the placement plate 2 and stored in a stacked state. The paper feeding device 1 is formed on the placement plate 2 so as to be able to store a large amount of paper. The lift-up mechanism displaces the placement plate 2 in the vertical direction so that the upper surface of the sheet S positioned at the top of the stack of sheets placed on the placement plate 2 has a predetermined height.

  The pick-up roller 3 is formed so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction, and is lowered during paper feeding to feed the paper S positioned at the top of the paper bundle placed on the placement plate 2. The feed roller 4 and the reverse roller 5 are arranged opposite to each other on the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper S from the pickup roller 3. The feed roller 4 is rotationally driven in the same direction as the pickup roller 3, and the reverse roller 5 is rotationally driven in the direction opposite to the feed roller 4. The paper S fed by the pickup roller 3 is fed by the feed roller 4 and the reverse roller 5 and supplied to the transport path R one by one.

  A transport roller 6 is disposed downstream of the feed roller 4 and the reverse roller 5 in the transport direction of the paper S. A discharge unit 7 that opens to the outside of the sheet feeding device 1 is provided on the conveyance path R on the downstream side of the conveyance roller 6. The sheet S fed by the pickup roller 3 and rolled by the feed roller 4 and the reverse roller 5 is further conveyed downstream by the conveyance roller 6 and is discharged from the discharge unit 7 to the outside of the sheet feeding device 1.

  Paper guides 8 and 9 are disposed in the discharge unit 7. Each of the paper guides 8 and 9 is formed to be freely rotatable, and is displaced between a folded state along the side surface of the paper feeding device 1 and a use state supported in the horizontal direction. The paper guides 8 and 9 guide the paper S discharged from the discharge unit 7 when set to the use state.

  A receiving unit 10 is provided on the upstream side of the transport path R of the paper S. The receiving unit 10 is provided at substantially the same height as the discharging unit 7 on the side surface opposite to the side surface of the sheet feeding device 1 where the discharging unit 7 is provided. The receiving unit 10 is open to the outside of the paper feeding device 1 and accepts the paper S supplied from the outside of the paper feeding device 1 inside the paper feeding device 1. The discharge portion 7 and the receiving portion 10 are formed so as to communicate with each other.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plurality of sheet feeding devices 1 are arranged in parallel. In this figure, an image forming apparatus 100 (see FIG. 3), which is an example of a main apparatus, is disposed on the left side, which is the downstream side in the transport direction of the paper S. Here, for convenience of description, each sheet feeding device 1 will be described with reference numerals 1a, 1b, and 1c sequentially from the left side. Although the description will be made mainly with respect to the relationship between the sheet feeding device 1a and the sheet feeding device 1b, the same applies to the relationship between the sheet feeding device 1b and the sheet feeding device 1c.

  Each of the paper feeding devices 1a and 1b is arranged in parallel in the lateral direction so that the receiving unit 10 of the downstream paper feeding device 1a in the transport direction of the paper S and the discharge unit 7 of the upstream paper feeding device 1b face each other. Arranged. The paper guides 8 and 9 of the paper feeding devices 1b and 1c are set to the use state, except for the paper feeding device 1a arranged adjacent to the main device 100, and the paper feeding devices 1a and 1a adjacent to the downstream side are respectively set. It is inserted into the receiving part 10 of 1b.

  The paper guide 9 for guiding the lower surface of the paper S is arranged in parallel with the paper feeding devices 1a and 1b, and when the paper guide 9 is inserted into the paper feeding device 1a adjacent to the downstream side, the placement plate 2 of the paper feeding device 1a. The size is such that the sheet S being conveyed can be guided to the upper surface of the uppermost sheet among the bundle of sheets placed on the top. By inserting the paper guides 8 and 9 into the receiving portion 10 of the sheet feeding device 1a adjacent to the downstream side, the conveyance path R of the upstream sheet feeding device 1b and the conveyance path R of the downstream sheet feeding device 1a Is communicated.

  In a state where the paper feeding devices 1a and 1b are arranged in parallel, the distance L1 between the pickup roller 3 of the downstream paper feeding device 1a and the transport roller 6 of the upstream paper feeding device 1b is the transported paper S Is set to be shorter than the dimension L2 in the transport direction. Specifically, for example, in the conventional paper feeding device, the pickup roller is disposed so as to feed the paper at a position of 10 mm to 20 mm from the leading edge of the paper on the placement plate 2. In the paper device 1, the pickup roller 3 is disposed so as to feed the paper at a position of 50 mm to 60 mm from the leading edge of the paper on the placement plate 2. As a result, the sheet S is gripped by the pickup roller 3 of the sheet feeding device 1 a and conveyed by the pickup roller 3 while being gripped by the conveyance roller 6 of the sheet feeding device 1 b and being conveyed by the conveyance roller 6. Therefore, even when the paper S is transported via the plurality of paper feeders 1a and 1b, the transport force with respect to the paper S is not interrupted, and the transport jam is suppressed.

  The sheet S supplied from the upstream sheet feeding device 1 b and received from the receiving unit 10 is guided and conveyed by the upper surface of the sheet positioned at the top of the sheet bundle placed on the placing plate 2. The In other words, the upper surface of the uppermost sheet among the bundle of sheets placed on the placement plate 2 constitutes a part of the transport path R.

  By the driving force of the conveyance roller 6 of the upstream sheet feeding device 1b, the sheet is conveyed on the upper surface of the uppermost sheet among the bundle of sheets loaded on the loading plate 2 of the downstream sheet feeding device 1a. The sheet S to be gripped is gripped at the leading edge by the pickup roller 3 of the sheet feeding device 1a that descends at a predetermined timing while being gripped by the transport roller 6 of the sheet feeding device 1b, and the pickup roller 3 of the sheet feeding device 1a. And is further conveyed downstream by the conveying roller 6 of the sheet feeding device 1a.

  As described above, in the paper feeding device 1 according to the present invention, the paper stored in the paper feeding device 1b is fed to the conveyance path R of the paper feeding device 1b and to the downstream side of the paper feeding device 1b. It is conveyed to the image forming apparatus 100 via the conveyance path R of 1a. That is, the conveyance path R of the downstream paper feeding device 1a is accommodated in the paper feeding devices 1b and 1c arranged for conveying the paper stored in the paper feeding device 1a and upstream of the paper feeding device 1a. Commonly used for transporting paper.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the sheet feeding device 1. The sheet feeding device 1 is arranged in parallel on the side of the image forming apparatus 100 which is an example of the main device. The number of paper feeding apparatuses 1 arranged in parallel may be one or plural, and an arbitrary number may be arranged according to the amount of paper required. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in the arrangement | positioning order of the paper feeders 1a-1c. For example, when adding one sheet feeding apparatus 1, the sheet feeding apparatus 1 to be added may be arranged between the image forming apparatus 100 and the most upstream or most downstream sheet feeding apparatus 1a, or The paper feeding device 1 and the paper feeding device 1 may be disposed.

  The image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment forms an image on the paper S through an electrophotographic image forming process. The image forming apparatus 100 includes paper feed cassettes 102 and 103 at the bottom and a paper discharge tray 104 at the top. A paper transport path F <b> 1 is provided between the paper feed cassettes 102 and 103 and the paper discharge tray 104. A photosensitive drum 105 is disposed in the vicinity of the paper transport path F1. Around the photosensitive drum 105, a charging device 106, an optical scanning unit 107, a developing unit 108, a transfer device 109, a cleaning unit 110, and a static elimination device (not shown) are disposed. In addition, a registration roller 111 that adjusts the timing of supplying a sheet to a transfer position between the photosensitive drum 105 and the transfer device 109 is disposed upstream of the photosensitive drum 105 in the sheet conveyance direction. The fixing device 112 is disposed further downstream.

  The charging device 106 charges the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 105 to a predetermined potential. The optical scanning unit 107 forms an electrostatic latent image on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 105 based on image data input from the outside. The developing unit 108 supplies toner onto the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 105 to visualize the electrostatic latent image, and forms a toner image. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 105 is transferred to a sheet by the transfer device 109, fixed to the sheet by the fixing device 111, and discharged to the sheet discharge tray 104. The toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 105 after the toner image is transferred to the paper is collected by the cleaning unit 110, and the electric charge on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 105 is removed by the static eliminator.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a reversal conveyance path F2 for reversing the front and back of the paper and conveying it to the transfer position in order to form an image on the back of the paper on which an image is formed on one side. Further, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper transport path F3 that joins the paper transport path F1 between the paper feed cassettes 102 and 103 and the transfer position. The paper transport path F3 is provided substantially horizontally. The paper transport path F3 leads to a manual feed tray 113 provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus 100 and a paper receiving unit 114 that receives paper supplied from an external device, and is supplied from the manual feed tray 113 or the paper receiving unit 114. The conveyed paper is conveyed to the transfer position.

  The paper feeding device 1 a is disposed adjacent to the image forming apparatus 100 so that the discharge unit 7 and the paper receiving unit 114 of the image forming apparatus 100 face each other. The sheets stored in the sheet feeding devices 1a to 1c are supplied from the sheet receiving unit 114 of the image forming apparatus 100 to the sheet conveying path F3 and further conveyed to the transfer position. For example, the paper stored in the paper feeding device 1c passes through the conveyance path R of the paper feeding device 1c, the conveyance path R of the paper feeding device 1b, and the conveyance path R of the paper feeding device 1a. The toner is supplied from the receiving unit 114 into the image forming apparatus 100 and conveyed to the transfer position.

  According to the sheet feeding device 1, when a plurality of sheet feeding devices 1 are arranged in the image forming apparatus 100, the plurality of sheet feeding devices 1 can be arranged in parallel to the side of the image forming apparatus 100, so that the sheet S Are formed in a substantially straight line. Therefore, the sheet S conveyed through the conveyance path R of the sheet feeding device 1 according to the present invention is less likely to be bent as compared to the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path with many opportunities for bending as provided in the conventional sheet feeding apparatus. Occurrence of a conveyance jam can be suppressed. Further, since the sheet S is not curved and has no unnecessary waist, the quality of an image formed on the sheet S by the image forming apparatus 100 can be improved.

  Further, in the sheet feeding device 1, the upper surface of the sheet positioned at the top of the stack of sheets stored on the loading plate 2 forms a part of the transport path R. Therefore, it is necessary to separately form the transport path. In addition, the paper feeding device 1 can be reduced in size.

  Further, when a plurality of paper feeding apparatuses 1 are arranged, the arrangement order of the paper feeding apparatuses 1 is not restricted, so that the installation work of the paper feeding apparatuses 1 can be made efficient. Furthermore, it is possible to easily add an arbitrary number of paper feeding devices 1 according to the amount of paper required.

  Note that the sheet body stored in the sheet feeding device 1 and supplied to the main device is not limited to a sheet, and may be an OHP film or the like.

  The main device to which the sheet feeding device 1 supplies the sheet member is not limited to the image forming device, and the sheet feeding device 1 also supplies a sheet other than the image forming device to the device that needs to supply the sheet member. The body can be supplied.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a plurality of sheet feeding devices illustrated in FIG. 1 are arranged in parallel. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage state of the sheet feeding device illustrated in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b, 1c Paper feeder 2 Loading plate 3 Pickup roller 4 Feed roller 5 Reverse roller 6 Conveying roller 7 Discharge unit 8, 9 Paper guide 10 Receiving unit 100 Image forming apparatus R Conveying path S Paper

Claims (3)

A sheet path to be supplied to the main apparatus is stored in a storage position, and a conveyance path for conveying the sheet body along the conveyance direction from the storage position toward the main apparatus is provided , and a plurality of sheets can be arranged in parallel. A paper feeding device ,
A pickup member that supplies the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in a stacked state to the downstream side in the transport direction; and
A conveying member that is disposed on the downstream side of the pickup member and conveys a sheet body supplied by the pickup member;
The distance between the conveying member and the other pickup member provided adjacent to the downstream side in the conveying direction is shorter than the dimension of the sheet member in the conveying direction,
The transport path passes through the entire area in the transport direction on the upper surface of a sheet body having a predetermined height located at the top of the sheet body stored in the storage position,
Feed, characterized in that the conveying along the conveying direction through the pre-Symbol plurality conveying path provided in the conveying path and other sheet material which is received in the receiving position provided on one of the Paper device. A discharge part open to the outside,
A sheet body that is freely communicated with a discharge portion that is provided adjacent to the upstream side in the transport direction and that is transported via a transport path that is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving unit that receives the paper feeding device.   A guide member for guiding the sheet body to the upper surface of the uppermost sheet body among the sheet bodies stored in other storage positions located adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction is provided in the discharge unit. The paper feeding device according to claim 2.

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