JP4819604B2 - Mounted body moving device and paper feeding device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting body moving device and a paper feeding device.

A post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing such as binding processing and bookbinding processing is supplied with paper on which image recording has been performed by printing, electrophotography, or inkjet. As a system including such a post-processing device and a paper feeding device that supplies paper to the post-processing device, for example, in Patent Document 1, a paper feeding operation is performed from a paper that has been image-recorded and stacked in a paper feeding unit. There has been proposed a multi-function document integration device that feeds a sheet to a section and performs post-processing on the sheet in a post-processing section.
JP-A-5-319669

  In a device that performs a paper feeding operation that sequentially feeds papers from image-recorded and stacked papers, such as the multifunction document integration device proposed in the above patent document, it is easy to stack papers on a paper feed tray. In some cases, the paper feed table may be detachable from the apparatus main body. The attached paper feed tray is raised to a height at which, for example, the paper loaded on the paper feed tray can be sent out. In this case, in order to ensure stable mounting of the paper feed table, for example, a sensor that detects that the paper feed table has been sufficiently inserted into the apparatus main body to be mounted on the main body may be provided.

  When this sensor is fixed to the apparatus main body, it becomes difficult to cope with various insertion heights of the paper feed table. On the other hand, when a sensor is attached to a place where the paper feed table is mounted, the sensor moves up and down together with the paper feed table. Since the sensor is normally connected to the apparatus main body by a wire, it is necessary to secure a movable range of the sensor and the wire in the apparatus when the sheet feeding table is raised and lowered, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus.

  In addition, when a large amount of sheets can be stacked on the sheet feeding table, the range of raising and lowering the sheet feeding table is also increased, so that the movable range of the sensor and the wire is further increased. The movable portion of the wire is usually coated with a surface to suppress damage to the wire. Thus, since the movable range of the wire becomes large, it is necessary to coat the wire for a long time, and it becomes difficult to suppress the cost for coating.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its purpose is to provide a sensor for detecting that a mounting body is disposed at an appropriate position so that the mounting body can be mounted on the mounted portion. The purpose is to suppress the space to be secured for the movement of the sensor.

  In order to solve the above problems, a mounting body moving device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a movable mounting portion, a mounting body that is detachable from the mounting portion, and a position of the mounting portion within a predetermined range. When it is coupled with the mounted part so that it moves together with the mounted part in some cases, and when the position of the mounted part is outside the predetermined range, the coupling with the mounted part is released and when it is coupled with the mounted part And a sensor for detecting that the mounting body is disposed at a predetermined position so as to be mounted on the mounted portion. According to this aspect, it is possible to limit a wide range in which the mounting body moves together with the mounted portion. For this reason, the space which should be ensured for the movement of a sensor, such as a sensor passage space and a wire passage space when the sensor moves, can be suppressed.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a paper feeding device. The apparatus includes a mountable portion that can be moved up and down, a paper feed table that can be attached to and detached from the mountable portion, a paper feed portion that feeds the topmost paper among the sheets stacked on the paper feed stand, and the position of the mounted portion. When the position of the mounted portion is above the predetermined position, the connection with the mounted portion is released, and when the position of the mounted portion is above the predetermined position, the connection with the mounted portion is released. And a sensor that detects that the paper feed table is disposed at a predetermined position so as to be mounted on the mounted portion when coupled to the mounting portion.

  In a paper feeding device that feeds the uppermost paper, the paper feeding table is generally mounted below the device and then raised. According to this aspect, since the movement range of the sensor can be limited to the lower side of the apparatus to which the paper feed table is mounted, the space to be secured for the movement of the sensor can be suppressed.

  The sheet feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention further includes an urging unit that urges the sensor upward, and a regulation unit that restricts the movement of the sensor from the uppermost position with the predetermined position as the uppermost position. May be. The sensor comes into contact with the mounted portion when the mounted portion descends from above while being held at the uppermost position, and the mounted portion is lower than the position when contacting the sensor held at the uppermost position. When the attached part is above the position where it is pressed against the attached part by the urging force and coupled to the attached part and abuts against the sensor held at the uppermost position, By restricting the upward movement, the coupling with the mounted portion may be released, and the uppermost portion may be held by the urging force.

  The sheet feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention may further include a regulation unit that regulates the movement of the sensor from the top to the top with the predetermined position as the top. The sensor may include a first magnetized portion that contacts with the restricting means and couples by magnetic force, and a second magnetized portion that contacts the attached portion and couples by magnetic force. When the mounted part comes down from above while being held in the uppermost position and comes into contact with the mounted part, and when the mounted part is below the position where it comes into contact with the sensor held at the uppermost position Is coupled to the mounted part so that it moves together with the mounted part when the coupling between the first magnetized part and the restricting means is released and the second magnetically bonded part is coupled to the mounted part, and is held at the uppermost position. When the attached portion is above the position when contacting the sensor, the coupling between the second magnetic attachment portion and the attachment portion is released, and the first magnetic attachment portion is coupled to the regulating means, It may be held at the top.

  The mounted portion may have an arm that protrudes in the attachment / detachment direction of the paper feed table. The sensor detects that the paper feed table has been pushed to a predetermined position above the arm, and the arm is raised when it is detected that the paper feed table has been pushed to a predetermined position. The paper feed table may be mounted by placing

  According to the present invention, when a sensor for detecting that the mounting body is disposed at an appropriate position to be mounted on the mounted portion is provided, a space to be secured for the movement of the sensor is suppressed. Can do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a front view of the paper feeding device 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the paper feeding device 10 taken along the line P-P. In FIG. 1, for ease of understanding, an outer cover or the like is represented by a two-dot chain line so that the internal structure of the sheet feeding device 10 is represented.

  The paper feeding device 10 includes a device main body 12 and a paper feeding table 14. The paper feeding device 10 includes a paper feeding unit 16, an air blowing mechanism 57, a first air blowing member 52, a second air blowing member 54, a paper height sensor 20, and a buffer mechanism 22. Near the center of the apparatus main body 12, a paper storage unit 15 that is a space region that opens forward and downward is provided. Sheets are stacked on the sheet supply table 14, and a sheet storage unit 15 stores the sheet supply table 14 and sheets stacked thereon.

  The paper feed base 14 is detachable from the apparatus main body 12. The paper feed table 14 includes a paper feed plate 51 and casters 48. The sheet feeding plate 51 is formed in a flat plate shape having a rectangular outer shape. The sheet feeding plate 51 is attached to the apparatus main body 12 so that the upper surface is horizontal, and a sheet placement surface 50 on which sheets are stacked is provided on the upper surface of the sheet feeding plate 51. The caster 48 is provided below the sheet feeding plate 51. The caster 48 is grounded when the paper feed table 14 is detached from the apparatus main body 12 and allows the paper feed table 14 to move.

  When the user attaches the paper feed tray 14 to the apparatus main body 12, the user moves the sheets stacked on the paper feed stand 14 so as to abut against the frame 13 on the back side of the apparatus as necessary. Further, if necessary, the paper loaded on the paper feed tray 14 is moved in the paper feeding direction so as to abut against a predetermined abutting portion. Thus, the sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 14 are positioned at a position suitable for feeding out the sheets. Further, the sheet to be sent out is prevented from being inclined by the frame 13.

  The paper feed unit 16 is provided in the upper right part of the paper storage unit 15. The paper feed unit 16 includes a plurality (eight in the first embodiment) of paper feed belts 17 and two rollers 18. Each of the plurality of paper feeding belts 17 has the same width and the same circumferential length, and is mounted on the outer circumferences of the two rollers 18 so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the axial direction. The paper feed unit 16 is disposed on the upper side and the right side of the paper storage unit 15 so that the axial direction of the roller 18 faces in the front-rear direction and the two rollers are arranged in the left-right direction, and is fixed to the frame 13 of the apparatus main body 12. Is done.

  One of the rollers 18 is driven by a motor (not shown), and all the paper feed belts 17 are also driven by this. At this time, the motor drives the roller 18 so that the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17 moves in the paper feeding direction. The paper feed unit 16 also has an air suction mechanism (not shown). The air suction mechanism sucks air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17. When the sheet feeding belt 17 is driven with the sheets stacked to a predetermined height and air is sucked from the lower surface of the sheet feeding belt 17, the uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets is placed on the sheet feeding belt 17. Adsorbed to the lower surface and sent out to the right of the device. In the first embodiment, the air suction mechanism has a fan, and an air flow for sucking air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17 is formed by the operation of the fan.

  The paper feeding device 10 has an electronic control unit (not shown). The electronic control unit includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and controls operations of various actuators such as a motor and a solenoid mounted on the sheet feeding device 10.

  A motor for driving the paper feed belt 17 is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls on / off of the operation of the paper feed belt 17. The air suction mechanism is provided with a solenoid that drives a lid member that opens and closes an opening provided in the air flow path. When the solenoid is off, the opening is opened and the suction of the paper to the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17 is suppressed by weakening the suction of air from the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17. When the solenoid is on, the opening is closed and the suction of air from the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17 is strengthened, so that the paper is adsorbed on the lower surface of the paper feeding belt 17. This solenoid is also connected to the electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the adsorption of the paper to the paper feeding belt 17 by controlling the on / off state of the solenoid. As described above, the electronic control unit controls the feeding of the uppermost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding table 14 by controlling the driving of the sheet feeding belt 17 and the adsorption of the sheet to the lower surface of the sheet feeding belt 17. .

  An air blowing mechanism 57 serving as an air blowing means is disposed below the paper feeding unit 16 and in the vicinity of the upper end on the downstream side of the stacked sheets. The air blowing mechanism 57 blows air to the upper end of the stacked paper from the downstream side in the paper feeding direction. When the air is blown out from the air blowing mechanism 57, the uppermost sheet is lifted with respect to the sheet below it, the frictional force between them is reduced, and it is possible to improve the sheet transportability. The air blowing mechanism 57 has a fan (not shown), and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the fan to control the air blowing by the air blowing mechanism 57.

  The paper height sensor 20 detects the height of the topmost paper among the papers stacked on the paper feed table 14. The apparatus main body 12 is disposed on the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as “upstream side”) of the paper feed unit 16 in the paper conveyance direction. The paper height sensor 20 includes a rotating plate 20a, an optical sensor 20b, and a sensor frame 20c. The rotation plate 20a is rotatably supported by the sensor frame 20c. The optical sensor 20b is fixed to the sensor frame 20c and detects that the rotating plate 20a has been rotated to a predetermined angle. The paper height sensor 20 is disposed around the left side of the paper feed unit 16 and is fixed to the frame 13 so that the rotating plate 20 a protrudes slightly below the lower surface of the paper feed belt 17. As will be described later, the stacked sheets can be raised and lowered together with the sheet feed table 14, and the rotating plate 20a is stacked in a state where the uppermost sheet is in contact with the stacked sheets. The paper rotates as the paper rises. The optical sensor 20b and the rotation plate 20a detect the rotation of the rotation plate 20a to a predetermined angle when the uppermost sheet among the stacked sheets is lifted to a height suitable for feeding. Each is arranged.

  The first air blowing member 52 is disposed in the vicinity of the right side of the stacked sheets and in the vicinity of the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets, and blows air forward by supplying air. Therefore, the first air blowing member 52 functions as an air blowing means for blowing air to the upper end side surface of the stacked paper. The second air blowing member 54 is disposed in the vicinity of the front side on the left side of the stacked sheets and in the vicinity of the uppermost sheet of the stacked sheets, and blows air backward when supplied with air. Therefore, the second air blowing member 54 also functions as an air blowing means for blowing air to the upper end side surface of the stacked paper. When air is blown out from the first air blowing member 52 and the second air blowing member 54, the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked together with the air blowing by the air blowing mechanism 57 described above and the lower sheet thereof An air layer is more effectively formed between the sheets. As a result, the frictional force between the sheets is reduced, and the uppermost sheet is easily fed out.

  A curved paper transport path that reverses the paper transport direction from the right to the left while moving up is provided at the paper delivery destination of the paper feed unit 16. In this curved sheet conveyance path, the sheet is conveyed by the roller 19.

  A roller unit 58 is provided on the left side, which is the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction (hereinafter referred to as “downstream side”) of the curved paper conveyance path. The roller unit 58 includes a conveyance belt 64, a roller 60, and a roller 62. The conveyor belt 64 is attached to the outer periphery of the roller 60 and the roller 62, and forms a sheet conveyance path that moves obliquely downward by the lower surface of the conveyor belt 64.

  A buffer mechanism 22 is provided on the downstream side of the roller unit 58. The buffer mechanism 22 includes a conveyance belt 26, a roller 24, and a stop roller 28. The conveyance belt 26 is attached to the outer periphery of the two rollers 24, and a sheet conveyance path that runs obliquely upward is formed by the upper surface of the conveyance belt 26.

  The stop roller 28 is in contact with the upper surface of the transport belt 26. Below the stop roller 28, a stop member (not shown) having a length similar to the length of the upper surface of the transport belt 26 in the sheet transport direction is attached to the frame 13 so as to be rotatable about the upstream side. When the paper is retained in the buffer mechanism 22, the retaining member is rotated so as to move upward and is brought into contact with the retaining roller 28. At this time, the stationary member is rotated until the upper surface of the stationary member is positioned above the upper surface of the conveying belt 26. As a result, the sheet can be stopped above the conveyor belt 26 while the conveyor belt 26 is driven.

  The third air blowing member 56 blows air along the upper surface of the conveyor belt 26 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the buffer mechanism 22. As a result, the leading edge of the paper entering the buffer mechanism 22 can be lifted upward. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the progress of the conveyed paper from being impeded by the rear end of the paper already stopped on the upper surface of the stop member and the front end of the paper to be stopped on the paper. The In addition, an air layer can be formed between the upper surface of the paper already retained on the upper surface of the retaining member and the lower surface of the paper to be retained on top of the paper, and the frictional force between the sheets is also reduced. Can be reduced. As described above, it is possible to realize the smooth stoppage of the sheet in the buffer mechanism 22 by blowing out the air from the third air blowing member 56.

  The paper conveyance path provided on the downstream side of the buffer mechanism 22 is formed so as to first proceed obliquely downward and then proceed in the horizontal direction. The paper transported to the paper transport path is transported by the roller 30 and discharged out of the apparatus main body 12. When sheets are stacked by the buffer mechanism 22 to form a sheet bundle, the sheet bundle is conveyed in the same manner. The paper discharged from the apparatus main body 12 is conveyed to a post-processing device such as a paper folding device, a paper binding device, or a paper punching device.

  The paper feeder 10 further includes an air pump 42, a first pipe 34, a second pipe 36, a third pipe 38, a second air valve 40, a first air valve 44, and a door 32. The door 32 is provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body 12 in the right direction from the paper storage unit 15.

  The air pump 42 is provided inside the apparatus main body 12 positioned to the right of the paper storage unit 15. A first air valve 44 is connected to the air pump 42. The first pipe 34, the second pipe 36, and the third pipe 38 are also provided inside the apparatus main body 12. The first pipe 34 is connected to the third air blowing member 56. The second pipe 36 is connected to the first air blowing member 52. The third pipe 38 is connected to the second air blowing member 54. The first pipe 34, the second pipe 36 and the third pipe 38 are all connected to a single second air valve 40. The air pump 42, the first air valve 44, and the second air valve 40 are disposed at positions that can be accessed by the user by opening the door 32.

  One end of a hose (not shown) is connected to the first air valve 44, and the other end of the hose is connected to the second air valve 40. When the air pump 42 is turned on, air is supplied to the first air blowing member 52, the second air blowing member 54, and the third air blowing member 56, respectively.

  FIG. 3 is a left side view of the sheet feeder 10 according to the first embodiment. The apparatus main body 12 further includes two arms 72, two chains 80, and a single motor 84. The two arms 72 have the same elongated plate shape.

  The two arms 72 are fixed to each other so as to extend in parallel while being separated from each other by a connecting shaft (not shown). Rollers 76 are arranged in the vertical direction behind the frame 13. A chain 80 is attached to the outer periphery of the roller 76. Two sets of such rollers 76 and chains 80 are juxtaposed in the left-right direction of the apparatus. Each of the two arms 72 is coupled to each of the two chains 80 via an arm support portion 74. At this time, the arm 72 is provided so as to protrude from the frame 13 toward the front of the apparatus in the paper storage unit 15. The paper feed table 14 is mounted on the arm 72. Therefore, the arm 72 functions as a mounted portion on which the sheet feed table 14 is mounted. Further, the paper feed table 14 functions as a mounting body that is mounted on the arm 72.

  A central axis of the upper roller 76 is connected to a motor 84 via a speed reducer 82. When the motor 84 operates, the chain 80 is driven, and the arm 72 moves in the vertical direction. The motor 84 is connected to an electronic control unit, and the electronic control unit controls the operation of the motor 84 by supplying a drive signal to the motor 84. Thus, the electronic control unit uses the detection result of the paper height sensor 20 so that the uppermost paper among the stacked papers becomes a height suitable for the paper feeding by the paper feeding unit 16. Is raised and lowered to control the height of the topmost sheet.

  In the sheet feeding device 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, sheets on which image recording by printing, electrophotographic method, ink jet method, or the like is performed are stacked on a sheet feeding table 14. Normally, such an image recording apparatus itself or, if there is a stacker or the like connected to the image recording apparatus, stacks sheets on which image recording has been performed. Hereinafter, these apparatuses for stacking sheets on which image recording has been performed are collectively referred to as a sheet processing apparatus.

  A sheet processing apparatus generally has a sheet receiving tray, and stacks sheets on the sheet receiving tray. The paper loaded on the paper receiving tray is transferred to the paper feeding tray 14 by the user's manual work. However, there is a possibility that the loaded state changes, for example, the loaded paper collapses when it is replaced. Such a change in the stacking state may lead to problems such as double feeding and feeding failure when feeding from stacked sheets. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving productivity, it has become possible to load a large number of sheets on the sheet tray and the sheet feeding tray in recent years, and it has become increasingly difficult for users to replace sheets. Yes.

  For this reason, the paper feed tray 14 of the paper feed device 10 according to the first embodiment can be attached via the adapter 102 above the paper receiving tray of the paper processing device. It is possible to load paper directly on the paper placement surface 50. This will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the paper feed base 14, the adapter 102, and the paper receiving base 106 before being attached to each other. FIG. 4 shows the state seen from the left front.

  A positioning pin 110 is provided on the lower surface of the sheet feeding plate 51 so as to protrude vertically downward. A total of two positioning pins 110 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the front side when the paper feed base 14 is mounted on the paper feed device 10.

  The adapter 102 has a projection area when viewed in the vertical direction substantially the same as the paper feed table 14. The adapter 102 is formed in a shape in which the center of a plate-like member is bent into a convex shape when viewed from the front. As a result, caster accommodating spaces 102b are formed in the left and right recessed portions of the adapter 102, respectively.

  A positioning hole 102 a is provided in the upper surface of the convex mold at the center of the adapter 102. A total of two positioning holes 102 a are provided on both the left and right sides of the front side of the adapter 102.

  A locking member 104 is provided on the front side of the adapter 102. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a locking member 104 similar to the locking member 104 provided on the front side is also provided on the rear side of the adapter 102. The locking member 104 is formed by bending a plate-shaped spring material. The locking member 104 has a flat portion perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and an inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the flat portion is provided below the locking member 104. The inclined portions of the front and rear locking members 104 are inclined so as to expand in the downward direction.

  The paper receiving tray 106 also has a projected area when viewed in the vertical direction substantially the same as the paper feeding tray 14. The paper tray 106 is formed in a plate shape whose outer shape has a square thickness. A sheet receiving surface 106c on which sheets are stacked by the sheet processing apparatus is provided on the upper surface of the plate-like portion. Further, leg portions 106a extending in the front-rear direction are projected downward near the left and right end portions on the lower surface of the plate-like portion. A space 106b is formed by the lower surface of the plate-like portion and the two legs 106a.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the paper feed tray 14, the adapter 102, and the paper receiving tray 106 after being attached to each other. FIG. 5 also shows the state seen from the left front as in FIG.

  The paper feed table 14 is placed on the adapter 102 and assembled to the adapter 102. The paper feed table 14 is positioned relative to the adapter 102 in the horizontal direction by inserting the positioning pin 110 of the paper feed table 14 vertically downward into the positioning hole 102a of the adapter 102. Of course, the adapter 102 may be provided with a positioning pin, and the paper feed base 14 may be provided with a positioning hole. Thus, since the positioning pin 110 is vertically inserted into the positioning hole 102a and the paper feed table 14 is positioned on the adapter 102, when the paper feed table 14 is detached from the adapter 102, the paper feed table 14 is moved vertically upward. It is possible to easily remove the paper feed base 14 from the adapter 102 by moving the adapter 102 to the position.

  The adapter 102 is formed such that when the paper feed table 14 is placed on the upper surface, a space portion 108 as an arm insertion space into which the arm 72 can be inserted is provided between the lower surface of the paper feed table 14. . When the paper feed base 14 is attached to the arm 72, the arm 72 is inserted into the space portion 108.

  The adapter 102 is placed on the paper tray 106 and assembled to the paper tray 106. When the adapter 102 moves toward the lower paper tray 106, each of the inclined portions of the locking member 104 provided at the front and rear of the upper portion of the front side of the paper tray 106 and the rear It slides with the upper end part of the side part, and it deform | transforms so that the locking member 104 may mutually expand.

  When the adapter 102 is placed on the locking member 104, the locking members 104 that are spread out to each other are restored so as to be closed again by the elastic force of the spring. At this time, each of the inner side surfaces of the locking member 104 comes into contact with the front side portion and the rear side portion of the paper receiving tray 106, and the paper receiving tray 106 is held by the elastic force of the locking member 104. As a result, the adapter 102 is positioned in the horizontal direction with respect to the paper tray 106. Therefore, the locking member 104 functions as adapter positioning means for positioning the adapter 102 with respect to the paper tray 106.

  There are various forms of the paper cradle 106, and it may be designed and manufactured without the adapter 102 being originally attached. For this reason, there may be a case where the paper receiving tray 106 is not provided with positioning pins or positioning holes for positioning the adapter 102. By positioning the adapter 102 using the side portion of the paper tray 106 in this manner, the adapter 102 and the paper tray 106 can be positioned horizontally without providing positioning pins or positioning holes in the paper tray 106. Relative positioning of directions is possible.

  As described above, the paper feed table 14 and the adapter 102 are mutually positioned in the horizontal direction by the positioning pins 110 and the positioning holes 102a. Further, the locking member 104 positions the adapter 102 and the paper tray 106 in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the paper feed table 14 is positioned in the horizontal direction with respect to the paper receiving table 106. Accordingly, for example, the paper feed table 14 can be positioned with respect to the paper receiving tray 106 so that the paper is stacked at a position suitable for sending out the paper in the paper feed device 10 or a position close thereto.

  The locking member 104 is provided with a locking portion that protrudes inward. When the adapter 102 is placed on the paper receiving tray 106, the locking members 104 are restored so as to be closed with each other, whereby the locking portion of the locking member 104 advances below the paper receiving tray 106, and the paper receiving tray 104 is received. The detachment of the adapter 102 from the table 106 is suppressed.

  FIG. 6 is a front view of the periphery of the arm 72 in a state where the arm 72 is lowered in order to mount the paper feed table 14 in the paper feeder 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the first embodiment. 6 is a front view of the periphery of the arm 72 in a state where the arm 72 is raised in the paper feeding device 10 according to FIG.

  The sheet feeding device 10 includes a sensor 130, a restriction bracket 140, and a spring 144. The restriction bracket 140 is formed in a U-shape in which long and thin plate-like members are bent in the same direction in the vicinity of both ends. The restriction bracket 140 is arranged on one side of the arm 72 (viewed from the front in the first embodiment) so that the two bent ends are arranged vertically and the U-shaped opening side faces the arm 72 side. To the right).

  The uppermost restriction surface 140 a is formed on the lower surface of the upper end portion of the restriction bracket 140, and the lowermost restriction surface 140 b is formed on the upper surface of the lower end portion of the restriction bracket 140. The ends of the columnar guide shaft 142 are fixed to the uppermost restriction surface 140a and the lowermost restriction surface 140b, respectively. As a result, the guide shaft 142 extends in the vertical direction.

  The sensor 130 includes a sensor part 132, a sensor frame 134, a first sliding member 136, and a second sliding member 138. The sensor frame 134 is formed in a shape in which a plate-like member is bent in a U shape. The sensor unit 132 is fixed to the sensor frame 134 so as to protrude from the sensor frame 134 on the side opposite to the U-shaped opening side. The paper feed table 14 has a magnet (not shown) for detection by the sensor 130 on the lower surface. The sensor unit 132 is connected to the electronic control unit, and outputs a detection signal to the electronic control unit when the magnet provided on the lower surface of the paper feed table 14 is positioned in the vicinity of the upper side. Of course, the sensor 130 may be of a type using an optical sensor or a microswitch instead of such a magnetic proximity type.

  Of the two bent ends of the sensor frame 134, a cylindrical first sliding member 136 is provided at one end, and a cylindrical second sliding member 138 is provided at the other end. Provided. The insertion holes formed in each of the first sliding member 136 and the second sliding member 138 have an inner diameter that is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the guide shaft 142. The first sliding member 136 and the second sliding member 138 are arranged such that the centers of the respective insertion holes are located on the same axis.

  The insertion holes of the first sliding member 136 and the second sliding member 138 are inserted into the guide shaft 142 so that the first sliding member 136 is positioned above and the second sliding member 138 is positioned below. The Accordingly, the sensor 130 is arranged such that two bent ends of the sensor frame 134 are arranged vertically, and the U-shaped opening side of the sensor frame 134 faces the arm 72 side. At this time, the lower end of the sensor frame 134 protrudes more toward the arm 72 than the upper end of the sensor frame 134, and the arm lower surface 72b is positioned above the frame upper surface 134a of the projected lower end. A sensor 130 is arranged.

  Further, the sensor 130 slides on the guide shaft 142, so that the lower end of the second sliding member 138 is the lowest from the position where the upper end of the first sliding member 136 contacts the uppermost restriction surface 140 a of the restriction bracket 140. It can move in the vertical direction to a position where it comes into contact with the lower regulation surface 140b. Therefore, the restriction bracket 140 has a position when the sensor 130 contacts the uppermost restriction surface 140a as the highest position and a position when the sensor 130 comes into contact with the lowermost restriction surface 140b as the lowest position. It functions as a regulating means that regulates upward movement and downward movement from the lowest position.

  A locking member 146 is fixed to the frame 13 above the restriction bracket 140. One end of the spring 144 is attached to the locking member 146 and the other end is attached to the sensor frame 134 of the sensor 130. The spring 144 as an urging means urges the sensor 130 upward when it is in any position within the movable range of the sensor 130.

  With the above configuration, when the arm 72 is raised, the sensor 130 is urged upward by the spring 144 and is pressed against the uppermost restriction surface 140a and held at the uppermost position. When the arm 72 is lowered from this state, the arm lower surface 72 b comes into contact with the frame upper surface 134 a of the sensor 130.

  When the paper feed table 14 is attached to the arm 72, the arm 72 is lowered in advance so that the arm upper surface 72a is positioned below the lower surface of the paper feed table 14 to be inserted. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, when the arm 72 moves downward from the position where it comes into contact with the sensor 130 held at the uppermost position so that the paper feed table 14 can be mounted, the sensor 130 is moved to the spring 144. The arm 72 is pressed against the arm 72 by the urging force, and is coupled to the arm 72 so as to move up and down together with the arm 72.

  The sensor unit 132 outputs a detection signal when detecting the magnetic force of the magnet provided on the lower surface of the paper feed table 14, so that the paper feed table 14 can be attached to the arm 72 and positioned in an appropriate insertion direction. It is detected that it has been inserted up to. However, the height of the paper feed tray 14 to be inserted varies depending on the adapter, paper tray, and shape of the transporting vehicle provided below the paper feed tray 14. Therefore, it can be considered that the arm 72 is lowered to a height different from the example shown in FIG. 6 according to the height of the paper feed table 14 to be inserted.

  In the sheet feeding device 10 according to the first embodiment, even when the arm 72 is lifted or lowered according to the height of the sheet feeding table 14 inserted in this way, the sensor 130 moves to the arm 72 so as to move up and down together with the arm 72. Join. For this reason, a decrease in relative positional accuracy in the height direction between the paper feed base 14 and the sensor 130 to be inserted is suppressed, and a decrease in detection accuracy of the sensor unit 132 can be suppressed.

  After the paper feed table 14 is properly inserted, the arm 72 is raised, so that the paper feed table 14 is placed on the arm upper surface 72 a, and the paper feed table 14 is mounted on the arm 72. The electronic control unit gradually feeds the sheets from the stacked sheets so that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet supply table 14 is positioned at the sheet feeding position having a predetermined height. 14 is raised. The electronic control unit repeats this operation until there are no more sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 14. Accordingly, the paper feed table 14 is raised to the vicinity of the paper feed unit 16.

  The sensor unit 132 is connected to the electronic control unit by a wire (not shown). Therefore, it is difficult to dispose another part in the movable range of the sensor 130 and the wire. Assuming that the paper feeder 10 is configured such that the sensor 130 is coupled to the paper feeder 14 in the entire range in which the paper feeder 14 is movable, the sensor 130 is also raised to the vicinity of the paper feeder 16. Become. For this reason, since the movable range of the sensor 130 and the wire connected to the sensor 130 is increased, it is difficult to reduce the size of the sheet feeding device 10. On the other hand, no matter what adapter, paper receiving tray, or transport vehicle is used, the paper feeding base 14 is generally inserted into the paper feeding device 10 below the apparatus. For this reason, the necessity of moving the sensor 130 to the upper part of the apparatus is low.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, when the arm 72 moves upward from the position at which the sensor 130 is held at the uppermost position, the sensor 130 comes into contact with the uppermost regulation surface 140 a. By restricting the upward movement from the uppermost position, the coupling with the arm 72 is released. At this time, the sensor 130 is pressed against the uppermost restriction surface 140a by the urging force of the spring 144 and is held at the uppermost position. As a result, the movement range of the sensor 130 can be limited to a range necessary to detect insertion of the paper feed base 14 to an appropriate position. For this reason, it can suppress that the movable range of the sensor 130 and the wire connected to this can become large, and the enlargement of the paper feeder 10 can be suppressed.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8F, a process of supplying the sheets stacked by the sheet processing apparatus 120 to the sheet feeding apparatus 10 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet feeding table 14, the adapter 102, and the sheet receiving tray 106 are mounted on the sheet processing apparatus 120. The paper receiving tray 106 is attached at a position where it is normally attached in the paper processing apparatus 120 for stacking paper. In order to load paper directly on the paper placement surface 50 of the paper feed table 14, the paper feed table 14 is attached above the paper receiving table 106 via the adapter 102. The paper processing device 120 stacks paper directly on the paper placement surface 50 of the paper feed tray 14. FIG. 8A shows a state after the sheet 2 is stacked on the sheet feed table 14.

  The user inserts the transport vehicle 86 into the space 106 b below the paper receiving tray 106 and pulls it out of the paper processing apparatus 120, so that the paper 2 is loaded on the paper feeding tray 14 and the adapter 102. , And the paper tray 106 can be pulled out simultaneously. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet feeding table 14, the adapter 102, and the sheet receiving tray 106 are pulled out from the sheet processing apparatus 120 using the conveyance vehicle 86. The sheet feed table 14, the adapter 102, and the sheet receiving table 106 pulled out from the sheet processing apparatus 120 are conveyed to the sheet feed apparatus 10 by the conveyance vehicle 86.

  FIG. 8C is a diagram illustrating a state before the sheet feeding table 14, the adapter 102, and the sheet receiving table 106 are inserted into the sheet feeding device 10. The sheet feeding device 10 is provided with a control panel (not shown), and the user can input the height of the arm 72 on the control panel, or arbitrarily select from the height of the arm 72 displayed in advance so as to be selectable. By selecting the height of the arm 72, the height of the arm 72 can be designated. The control panel is connected to the electronic control unit, and the height of the arm 72 input or selected by the user is output to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit operates the motor 84 to move the arm 72 to the input or selected height.

  The user inputs or selects the height of the arm 72 using the control panel so that the arm 72 can be inserted into the space 108 formed below the paper feed table 14. When the arm 72 moves to a height at which the arm 72 can be inserted into the space portion 108, the user pushes the conveyance vehicle 86 toward the paper feeding device 10, and inserts the arm 72 into the space portion 108 while inserting the arm 72. , And the paper tray 106 are inserted into the paper storage unit 15 of the paper feeder 10. As shown in FIG. 8D, the user inserts these until the rear end portion of the paper feed table 14 comes into contact with the frame 13 behind the paper storage portion 15.

  The user inserts the paper feed tray 14, the adapter 102, and the paper tray 106 into the paper storage unit 15 of the paper feed device 10, and the sensor 130 detects that the paper feed base 14 has been inserted into an appropriate predetermined position. Then, the electronic control unit raises the arm 72 by a sufficient distance for the positioning pin 110 to be pulled out from the positioning hole 102a. As a result, the sheet feed table 14 is placed on the arm upper surface 72 a, and the sheet feed table 14 is mounted on the arm 72 so as to move up and down together with the arm 72.

  FIG. 8E is a diagram illustrating a state in which the arm 72 is lifted in a state where the paper feed table 14, the adapter 102, and the paper receiving tray 106 are inserted into the paper feed device 10. The paper feed base 14 is positioned by inserting a positioning pin in the vertical direction into the positioning hole with respect to the adapter 102, and is not locked out of the adapter 102 by a locking member or the like. On the other hand, the adapter 102 is prevented from being detached from the paper tray 106 by the locking member 104. For this reason, when the arm 72 moves upward, the paper feed table 14 can be easily detached from the adapter 102 while preventing the adapter 102 from being detached from the paper receiving tray 106.

  The positioning pin 110 of the paper feed table 14 is pulled out from the positioning hole 102a of the adapter 102 in the process of moving the arm 72 upward. As a result, the restriction on the horizontal movement of the adapter 102 relative to the paper feed table 14 is released. When the raising of the arm 72 is completed, the user moves the transport vehicle 86 so as to be separated from the paper feeder 10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8 (f), the adapter 102 and the paper tray 106 can be pulled out from the paper feeder 10 while the paper feeder 14 is attached to the paper feeder 10.

  When the adapter 102 and the paper tray 106 are pulled out, the user moves the paper 2 stacked on the paper feed tray 14 in the horizontal direction so that the paper 2 is placed on the paper placement surface 50 at a position suitable for paper feeding. Thereafter, when the user presses the start button, the sheet storage unit 15 is raised so that the uppermost sheet of the sheets 2 is in a position suitable for feeding, and the uppermost sheet of the sheets 2 is sequentially moved by the sheet feeding unit 16. Sent out.

  As described above, in the paper feeding system including the paper feeding device 10 and the adapter 102 according to the first embodiment, the paper stacked on the paper receiving tray 106 of the paper processing device 120 is fed to the paper feeding platform 14 of the paper feeding device 10. The sheets can be stacked on the sheet feeding table 14 of the sheet feeding device 10 without changing to the above. As a result, it is possible to easily stack sheets on the sheet feed table 14.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a front view of the periphery of the arm 72 in a state where the arm 72 is lowered in order to mount the paper feed table 14 in the paper feeding device 10 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the second embodiment. 6 is a front view of the periphery of the arm 72 in a state where the arm 72 is raised in the paper feeding device 10 according to FIG. In addition, except the location mentioned especially, the paper feeder 10 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment has the structure similar to the paper feeder 10 which concerns on 1st Embodiment.

  The paper feeding device 10 according to the second embodiment includes a first magnet 150 and a second magnet 152 instead of the spring 144 of the paper feeding device 10 according to the first embodiment. The first magnet 150 is provided on the upper surface of the upper end portion of the sensor frame 134. In the second embodiment, when the sensor 130 is moved up, the first magnetic attachment surface 150a that is the upper surface of the first magnet 150 is brought into contact with the uppermost restricting surface 140a instead of the upper end portion of the first sliding member 136. The uppermost restricting surface 140a is formed of an iron-based material, and the sensor 130 is held at the uppermost position by the first magnetic attachment surface 150a coming into contact with the uppermost restricting surface 140a.

  The second magnet 152 is provided on the frame upper surface 134a of the sensor frame 134 at a location where it contacts the arm lower surface 72b. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the arm 72 is lowered, the arm lower surface 72b comes into contact with the second magnetized surface 152a that is the upper surface of the second magnet 152, not the lowest-order restricting surface 140b. The arm 72 is also made of an iron-based material, and the sensor 130 is movably coupled together with the arm 72 when the second magnetized surface 152a comes into contact with the arm lower surface 72b.

  Also in the second embodiment, similarly to the description related to FIG. 6, the arm 72 has an arm upper surface below the lower surface of the paper feed table 14 to be inserted so that the paper feed table 14 is attached to the arm 72. It is lowered in advance so that 72a is positioned. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, when the arm 72 moves downward from the position where it comes into contact with the sensor 130 held at the uppermost position so that the paper feed base 14 can be mounted, the first magnetic attachment surface 150 a is moved. And the uppermost restricting surface 140 a are released by the magnetic force, the second magnetic attachment surface 152 a abuts on the arm lower surface 72 b and is connected by the magnetic force, so that the sensor 130 moves up and down together with the arm 72. Join.

  As described above, also in the sheet feeding device 10 according to the second embodiment, when the arm 72 is moved up and down according to the height of the sheet feeding table 14 to be inserted, the sensor 130 moves to the arm 72 so as to move up and down together with the arm 72. Join. For this reason, it is possible to suppress a decrease in detection accuracy of the sensor unit 132 due to a decrease in relative positional accuracy in the height direction between the paper feed table 14 and the sensor 130 to be inserted.

  After the paper feed table 14 is properly inserted, the arm 72 is raised, so that the paper feed table 14 is placed on the arm upper surface 72 a, and the paper feed table 14 is mounted on the arm 72. The electronic control unit gradually feeds the sheets from the stacked sheets so that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet supply table 14 is positioned at the sheet feeding position having a predetermined height. 14 is raised. The electronic control unit repeats this operation until there are no more sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 14. Accordingly, the paper feed table 14 is raised to the vicinity of the paper feed unit 16.

  Also in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, when the arm 72 moves upward from the position at which it comes into contact with the sensor 130 held at the uppermost position, the second magnetized surface 152a and the arm lower surface 72b. The first magnetic attachment surface 150a is held at the uppermost position by being coupled to the uppermost restricting surface 140a by the magnetic force. For this reason, the movable range of the sensor 130 can be limited similarly to the first embodiment, and the movable range of the sensor 130 and the wire can be suppressed from becoming large.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and an appropriate combination of the elements of each embodiment is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications such as design changes can be added to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added can also be included in the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  In a modification, the adapter 102 can be replaced with a positioning member for positioning with the paper cradle, such as the locking member 104, so that the adapter 102 can be positioned on a plurality of types of paper cradles. Note that the position of the positioning member for positioning with the paper tray may be changeable according to a plurality of paper trays. For example, the locking member 104 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction of the apparatus, and can be fixed to the adapter 102 at a position corresponding to the size of the paper tray. As a result, the adapter 102 can be made to correspond to a plurality of types of paper receiving trays, so that even when there are a plurality of types of paper processing apparatuses, it is possible to load paper directly on the paper feeding tray 14.

  In another modification, the user presses a predetermined button for instructing ascending of the arm after inserting the paper feed table 14, the adapter 102, and the paper tray 106 into the paper storage unit 15 of the paper supply device 10. Alternatively, the rising distance of the arm 72 that is sufficient for the positioning pin 110 to be pulled out from the positioning hole 102a may be input or selected using the control panel. Even in this case, when such an operation is performed by the user, the electronic control unit raises the arm 72 by a sufficient distance for the positioning pin 110 to be pulled out from the positioning hole 102a.

  In another modification, the arm 72 and the sensor 130 are coupled to each other or the sensor 130 is held at the uppermost position by a latch mechanism. In this case, when the arm 72 is below the position at which it contacts the sensor 130 held at the uppermost position, the sensor 130 is coupled to the arm 72 by a latch mechanism. Further, when the arm 72 is above the position at which it contacts the sensor 130 held at the uppermost position, the sensor 130 is restricted from moving upward from the uppermost position by contacting the uppermost restriction surface 140a. Thus, the coupling with the arm 72 is released and the uppermost position is held by the latch mechanism.

  In the second embodiment, the first magnet 150 may be attached to the uppermost restricting surface 140a, and the second magnet 152 may be attached to the arm lower surface 72b. In this case, the upper surface of the upper end of the sensor frame 134 functions as a first magnetized surface, and the frame upper surface 134a functions as a second magnetized surface.

1 is a front view of a sheet feeding device according to a first embodiment. It is PP sectional drawing of the paper feeder which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the paper feed stand, adapter, and paper receiving stand before attaching each other. It is a perspective view which shows the paper feed stand, adapter, and paper receiving stand after mutually attaching. FIG. 3 is a front view of the periphery of the arm in a state where the arm is lowered in order to mount the paper feed table in the paper feed device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a front view of the periphery of the arm in a state where the arm is raised in the paper feeding device according to the first embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the state by which the paper feed stand, the adapter, and the paper receiving stand were mounted | worn with the paper processing apparatus, (b) is a paper feed stand, an adapter, And (c) is a diagram showing a state before the paper feed table, the adapter, and the paper tray are inserted into the paper feeding device, and (d) It is a figure which shows the state after inserting a paper feed stand, an adapter, and a paper cradle into a paper feeder, (e) is a state with a paper feed pedestal, an adapter, and a paper cradle inserted in a paper feeder (F) is a diagram showing a state in which the adapter and the paper cradle are pulled out from the paper feeder using the transport vehicle. FIG. 10 is a front view of the periphery of an arm in a state where the arm is lowered in order to mount a paper feed table in the paper feed device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a front view of the periphery of an arm in a state where the arm is raised in the paper feeding device according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Paper feeder, 14 Paper feed stand, 15 Paper storage part, 16 Paper feed part, 86 Carrier vehicle, 102 Adapter, 102a Positioning hole, 102b Caster storage space, 104 Locking member, 106 Paper receiving stand, 108 Space part, 110 positioning pin, 120 paper processing device, 130 sensor, 134a frame upper surface, 140 restricting bracket, 140a uppermost restricting surface, 144 spring, 150a first magnetized surface, 152a second magnetized surface.

Claims (5)

A movable mounted part; and
A mounting body detachable from the mounted portion;
When the position of the mounted portion is within a predetermined range, it is coupled with the mounted portion so as to move together with the mounted portion, and when the position of the mounted portion is outside the predetermined range, the mounted portion A sensor that detects that the mounting body is disposed at a predetermined position to be mounted on the mounted portion when the connection with the mounted portion is released.
A wearing body moving device comprising: A mounted part that can be raised and lowered,
A paper feed table detachably attached to the mounted portion;
A paper feed unit that feeds the topmost paper among the papers stacked on the paper feed tray;
When the position of the mounted portion is lower than a predetermined position, it is coupled with the mounted portion so as to move together with the mounted portion, and when the position of the mounted portion is higher than the predetermined position, the mounted portion A sensor that detects that the paper feed table is disposed at a predetermined position to be mounted on the mounted portion when the connection with the mounted portion is released and is connected to the mounted portion;
A sheet feeding device comprising: Biasing means for biasing the sensor upward;
A regulating means for regulating the movement of the sensor above the highest position, with the predetermined position as the highest position, and further comprising:
The sensor is
In contact with the mounted part by lowering the mounted part from above while being held at the uppermost position,
When the mounted portion is below the position when contacting the sensor held at the uppermost position, the mounted portion is pressed against the mounted portion by a biasing force and coupled to the mounted portion,
When the mounted part is above the position when contacting the sensor held at the top, the connection with the mounted part is released by restricting the upward movement from the top, The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the sheet feeding device is held at the uppermost position by an urging force. A predetermined position as the top, further comprising a restriction means for restricting the movement of the sensor above the top,
The sensor is
A first magnetized portion that abuts on the restricting means and is coupled by magnetic force; and a second magnetized portion that abuts on the mounted portion and is coupled by magnetic force;
In contact with the mounted part by lowering the mounted part from above while being held at the uppermost position,
When the mounted part is below the position at which the sensor is held at the uppermost position, the coupling between the first magnetized part and the restricting means is released, and the second magnetized part is By coupling to the mounting part, coupled with the mounted part to move with the mounted part,
When the attached part is above the position when contacting the sensor held at the uppermost position, the coupling between the second magnetized part and the attached part is released, and the first magnetized part is The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the sheet feeding device is held at the uppermost position by being coupled to the regulating means. The mounted portion has an arm that protrudes in the attachment / detachment direction of the paper feed table,
The sensor detects that the paper feed table has been pushed to a predetermined position above the arm,
The arm is mounted when the arm is raised when it is detected that the sheet feeder is pushed to a predetermined position and the arm is placed on the arm. Item 5. The sheet feeding device according to any one of Items 2 to 4.

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