JP7017101B2 - Seat tray, feeding device and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seat tray, a sheet feeding device, and an image forming device.

The sheet feeding device is provided with a tray (sometimes called a cassette) capable of accommodating, for example, a plurality of sheets as a sheet. The tray is rotatably provided so that the downstream side of the bottom plate in the sheet transport direction is lifted, and when it is attached to the main body of the device, the bottom plate is lifted diagonally and placed above the paper (including a bundle of paper). It is configured to come into contact with the feed roller (feed roller). If the bottom plate is slanted, the paper (paper bundle) will shift to the upstream side in the sheet transport direction, so on the upstream side of the tray in the sheet transport direction, there is an end fence that comes into contact with the edge of the paper and regulates its position. It is provided.
Since the amount of paper placed on the bottom plate varies in the amount of paper that slides upstream in the sheet transport direction due to changes in its own weight due to use, for example, in Patent Document 1, the contact surface with the paper provided on the end fence. Discloses a configuration in which when the weight of the paper becomes equal to or less than the threshold value, the paper is moved in the direction of pushing out toward the downstream side in the sheet transport direction.

In the configuration of Patent Document 1, paying attention to the weight of the paper, the contact surface of the end fence is moved in the direction of pushing the paper toward the downstream side in the sheet transport direction according to the change in the weight. However, the factors that cause the paper to slide upstream in the sheet transport direction may differ depending on the size, paper type, and angle (height) of the bottom plate, in addition to the weight, and as a result, the positional relationship between the paper and the feed roller varies. May become a factor in the occurrence of.
An object of the present invention is to suppress variations in the positional relationship between the seat and the feed roller.

In order to achieve the above object, the seat tray according to the present invention includes a bottom plate that is rotatable in a direction in which a sheet is loaded and a portion on the downstream side in the sheet transport direction is close to and separated from the feed roller that feeds the sheet. The bottom plate is located on the bottom plate and has an end fence with a contact surface that abuts on the upstream end of the sheet in the sheet transport direction , and the bottom plate is based on at least one piece of information: sheet size information, sheet type information, or bottom plate height information. An end fence or an end fence so that the distance between the downstream end of the top sheet in the sheet transport direction and the center of the nip formed by the feed roller and the separation roller when moving in a direction close to the feed roller is constant. It has a moving means for moving the contact surface and a detecting means for detecting the position of the bottom plate and outputting height information, and the moving means approaches the feed roller at which the bottom plate sends out the sheet by the detecting means. When the movement in the direction is detected, the end fence or the contact surface is characterized in that the end portion of the sheet is moved in the direction of pushing out toward the downstream side in the sheet transport direction .

According to the present invention, the end fence or the contact surface of the end fence is moved by a moving means based on at least one information of the height information of the bottom plate, the size information of the sheet loaded on the bottom surface, or the sheet type information. It is less affected by the height of the bottom plate, the sheet size, the sheet type, etc., and it is possible to suppress variations in the positional relationship between the sheet and the feed roller.

The schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the image forming apparatus and the paper feeding apparatus which concerns on this invention. The perspective view explaining the structure of the seat tray which concerns on this invention. An enlarged view illustrating the configuration of the seat tray. The perspective view explaining the structure of the bottom plate of a seat tray. The figure explaining the rotation range of the bottom plate. The figure explaining the schematic structure and operation of the end fence provided in a seat tray. An enlarged perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of an end fence, a storage position, and a configuration of transportation means. Enlarged perspective view illustrating the configuration and open position of the end fence. An enlarged perspective view illustrating a state in which a seat tray is attached to an image forming apparatus main body. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart explaining the movement control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The enlarged view explaining the mounting form of the detection means which detects the height of a bottom plate. The enlarged view explaining the structure of the transportation means which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the data of the movement amount of the pressure plate and the pressure plate set according to the height of the bottom surface which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the movement control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The perspective view explaining the structure of the detection means which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data of the movement amount of the pressure plate and the pressure plate set according to the height of the bottom surface which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the movement control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. The figure explaining the relationship between the height of the bottom plate and the position of the tip of a sheet. The figure which shows an example of the relationship between the movement amount of the end fence and the bottom plate height which concerns on a conventional structure and 1st and 3rd Embodiment. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data of the end fence movement amount according to the bottom plate height and the sheet type which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the variable control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 4th Embodiment. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 5th Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data of the end fence movement amount according to the bottom plate height and the sheet size which concerns on 5th Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the variable control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 5th Embodiment. The block diagram explaining the structure of the operation control system of the end fence which concerns on 6th Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data of the bottom plate height and the sheet size and the end fence movement amount according to the sheet type which concerns on 6th Embodiment. The flowchart explaining the variable control of the contact surface of the end fence which concerns on 6th Embodiment. The figure explaining an example of the data of the movement amount of the end fence according to the type of a sheet. The figure explaining an example of the data of the movement amount of the end fence according to the type of a sheet. The figure explaining an example of the data of the movement amount of the end fence according to the type of a sheet and the size of a sheet. The figure explaining another configuration of a means of transportation.

Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, those having the same function or configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted as appropriate. The drawings may be partially omitted or schematically shown to aid in understanding the composition.
The seat tray according to the present embodiment has a bottom plate that is rotatable in a direction in which a portion on the downstream side in the sheet transport direction toward the feed roller that feeds the sheet is close to and separated from the sheet, and a bottom plate that is upstream in the sheet transport direction. It is provided with an end fence arranged on the side and having an abutting surface that abuts on the end of the sheet, and a moving means for moving the end fence or the abutting surface. Then, the end fence or the contact surface is moved based on at least one piece of information such as sheet size information, sheet type information, or bottom plate height information to suppress variations in the positional relationship between the sheet and the feed roller. be.

The configuration of the image forming apparatus common to each embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a color printer 1 as an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The color printer 1 uses an electrophotographic process, and is a quadruple tandem type intermediate capable of selectively forming a color image and a monochrome image by using toner as a developer of four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. It is a transfer method. In the figure, Y, M, C, and K are subscripts given to the constituent members related to the colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and may be omitted.
The color printer 1 is provided with a plurality of new toner accommodating portions (developerable agent accommodating containers) 19 for individually accommodating four colors of new toner in the upper part on the front side of the apparatus main body 2 which is a housing. In the substantially center of the apparatus main body 2, four process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K, which are image forming portions for forming each monochrome toner image from four colors of toner, and an intermediate in which the toner image of each color is transferred. An intermediate transfer unit 4 provided with a transfer body (image carrier) is arranged. The color printer 1 includes a control unit 200 capable of controlling the operation of each unit in the apparatus main body 2.

The process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K are arranged below the intermediate transfer unit 4. An optical unit 5 as an exposure means is arranged below the process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K.
The process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K are drum-shaped photoconductors 30Y, 30M as image carriers on which an electrostatic latent image is formed by being scanned by the exposure light emitted from the optical unit 5, respectively. It is equipped with 30C and 30K. The process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K have charging devices 31Y, 31M, 31C, 31K, developing devices 32Y, 32M, 32C, 32K, and cleaning devices 33Y, 33M around the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, and 30K. , 33C, 33K and well-known static eliminators. The process cartridge units 3Y, 3M, 3C, and 3K are well known to form and support monochromatic toner images on the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, and 30K by executing an electrophotographic process using these devices. It is a composition. That is, the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, and 30K are a plurality of image carriers capable of supporting toner images of each color.

The intermediate transfer unit 4 is configured by winding a transfer belt 45 composed of an endless belt member which is an image carrier and an intermediate transfer body around rollers 41, 42, 43, 44 as a plurality of rotation support members. It was done. The intermediate transfer unit 4 is configured such that the transfer belt 45 is rotationally conveyed in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing by rotationally driving the roller 44. The roller 41 is a tension applying member that applies tension from the inside to the outside of the transfer belt 45 by a tension coil spring 48 as an urging means, and is slidably supported by a side plate so as to function as a tension roller. The roller 42 functions as a backup roller, and the roller 43 constitutes an inlet roller for the secondary transfer unit 8.

In the inner loop of the transfer belt 45, primary transfer rollers 6Y, 6M, 6C, 6K as primary transfer members are arranged at positions facing the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K. The primary transfer rollers 6Y, 6M, 6C, 6K pressurize the transfer belt 45 toward the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K, and between the photoconductors 30Y, 30M, 30C, 30K and the transfer belt 45. The primary transfer portions 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K for transferring the toner image on each photoconductor to the transfer belt 45 are formed. That is, the transfer belt 45 is a belt-shaped transfer member on which the toner image is transferred. The transfer belt 45 is tensioned by a pressing roller 46 as a pressing member.

A transfer bias for primary transfer is supplied to the primary transfer units 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K. The secondary transfer unit 8 is formed on the downstream side in the belt transport direction from the primary transfer units 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K. The secondary transfer unit 8 is formed between the secondary transfer roller 9 and the transfer belt 45 as a secondary transfer member which is arranged to face the roller 44 and comes into contact with the transfer belt 45. A transfer bias for secondary transfer is supplied to the secondary transfer unit 8.

Below the optical unit 5, a feeding device 10 provided with a sheet tray 100 for storing a plurality of sheets P, which are sheets, is arranged, and constitutes a sheet feeding unit 11. The plurality of sheets P may be referred to as a bundle of sheets. The paper P stored in the sheet tray 100 is separated from the sheet tray 100 into one sheet by the feed roller 101 and the separation roller 102 that perform feeding and separation, and is fed toward the secondary transfer unit 8, and is fed by the transport roller pair 70. The transport path 71 connected to the secondary transfer unit 8 is transported.
In the secondary transfer unit 8, the toner image transferred to the transfer belt 45 by the primary transfer units 7Y, 7M, 7C, and 7K is transferred onto the paper P. The paper P on which the toner image is transferred is transferred to the fixing device 12 arranged on the downstream side in the paper transport direction from the secondary transfer unit 8.
In the fixing device 12, heat and pressure are applied to the paper P to fix the toner image on the paper P and convey it toward the discharge port 13. The paper P conveyed to the discharge port 13 is discharged and stacked by the roller pair 15 in the discharge tray 14 formed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 2.
The transfer belt 45, which has finished transferring the toner image, is cleaned by sandwiching the transfer belt 45 with cleaning members such as blades and rollers, and the transfer residual toner, paper dust, and the like are removed by the belt cleaning means 16.

Next, the configuration of the seat tray 100 will be sequentially described.
(First Embodiment)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seat tray 100 includes a bottom plate 103 on which a plurality of sheets P are loaded, a pair of side fences 104 and 104 located in the sheet width direction indicated by an arrow Y, and a side fence 104. It is equipped with an end fence 105 located between 104. The seat tray 10 is detachably provided with respect to the apparatus main body 2 (see FIG. 1).
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the bottom plate 103 is individually attached to the tray base 106 together with the side fences 104 and 104 and the end fence 105. The bottom plate 103 has a size capable of loading the maximum size paper P that can be loaded on the sheet tray 100. In the bottom plate 103, arms 103B and 103C extending toward the upstream side in the sheet transport direction indicated by the arrow X1 are formed in the sheet width direction Y, respectively. In the bottom plate 103, the ends of the arms 103B and 103C are rotatably supported by the tray base 106 about the axes 107 and 107. A feed roller 101 is arranged above the bottom plate 103. The feed roller 101 is rotatably supported by the tray base 106 on the downstream side in the sheet transport direction indicated by reference numeral X2 with respect to the end fence 105. When the seat tray 100 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2, the feed roller 101 is connected to a drive source provided on the apparatus main body 2 side so that a rotational driving force can be obtained.

The bottom plate 103 is configured so that when the seat tray 100 is attached to the device main body 2, it is lifted in the proximity direction (upward direction) Z1, and when the seat tray 100 is pulled out from the device main body 2, it is pushed down in the separation direction (downward direction) Z2. There is. In the figure, reference numeral Z indicates a direction of contact separation (contact separation direction).
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom plate 103 has the shafts 107 and 107 as fulcrums so that the front end 103A side, which is the end located on the downstream side X1 in the sheet transport direction, can move toward the feed roller 101 in the proximity separation direction Z. It is said to be rotatable. In this embodiment, the proximity separation direction Z is an ascending / descending direction and also a vertical direction. A coil spring 108 as an urging means is provided between the tray base 106 and the bottom plate 103 to urge the bottom plate 103 in the proximity direction Z1.
FIG. 5 shows the lower limit position and the upper limit position of the bottom plate 103. The bottom plate 103 moves between the lower limit position and the upper limit position in the proximity separation direction Z. In FIG. 5, reference numeral α is an angle that becomes a parameter when moving the end fence 105 or the contact surface 1052a of the end fence, which will be described later, and is used here as height information of the bottom plate 103.

The pair of side fences 104, 104 are provided so as to be slidable in the sheet width direction Y, for example, by a rack and pinion mechanism, and the position in the sheet width direction Y can be arbitrarily changed according to the size of the paper P. ing. The side fences 104 and 104 adjust the position in the sheet width direction Y according to the width of the paper P to sandwich the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 from both sides and end the paper P located in the sheet width direction Y. It guides the club. As shown in FIG. 3, the side fences 104 and 104 are formed so that the height H in the proximity separation direction Z is higher than the height of the maximum number of sheets of paper P to be loaded on the bottom plate 103.

As shown in FIG. 2, the end fence 105 is slidably mounted on the tray base 106 on the upstream side X1 in the seat transport direction and the downstream side X2 in the seat transport direction, which intersect with the seat width direction Y in a plan view, and is loaded. It is configured to be movable to any position according to the length of the paper P. As shown in FIG. 6, the end fence 105 has a fence main body 1051 provided on the tray base 106 and a pressure plate 1052 rotatably supported by the fence main body 1051. In this embodiment, the fence body 1051 is slidably attached to the tray base 106. The fence body 1051 is located on the downstream side X2 in the seat transport direction.
It is provided with seat loading surfaces 1051a and 1051b extending in the direction Z and having a step in the proximity separation direction Z.
The pressure plate 1052 is composed of a rectangular plate-shaped member, the upper end 1052b is rotatably supported by a pin 1054 on the fence main body 1051, and the lower end 1052c is arranged so as to be located above the seat loading surface 1051a. Has been done. The pressure plate 1052 is formed so that the height (total length) H1 in the proximity separation direction Z is higher than the height of the maximum number of sheets of paper P to be loaded on the bottom plate 103. The pressure plate 1052 has a facing surface facing the end portion of the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 and the rear end PA, and this surface constitutes the contact surface 1052a.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a pedestal portion 1053 is formed on the back surface 1051c of the fence main body 1051 located on the upstream side X1 in the sheet transport direction. The pedestal portion 1053 is provided with a moving means 90. The moving means 90 has an electromagnetic solenoid 1070 which is an actuator, a tension coil spring 1080 as an elastic member for returning, and a link mechanism 109. The electromagnetic solenoid 1070 is a pull type that pulls the plunger 1071 into the solenoid body 1072 when energized. The tip of the plunger 1071 is pin-coupled to the pressurizing plate 1052 via the link mechanism 109, and when the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 is activated and the plunger 1071 is pulled in, the rear end of the paper becomes the end of the paper P (paper bundle). The pressure plate 1052 is moved in a direction that pushes PA toward the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction. The end of the paper P (recording bundle) loaded on the bottom plate 103 located on the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction is referred to here as the paper tip PB for convenience.
One end of the tension coil spring 1080 is hooked on the pedestal portion 1053, and the other end is hooked on the pressure plate 1052, so that the pressure plate 1052 is corrected to return to the upstream side X1 (storage position) in the sheet transport direction. There is. The pressure plate 1052 normally occupies a storage position where the fence main body 1051 and the contact surface 1052a are parallel to each other by the tensile coil spring 1080 as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6 and FIG. When the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 is activated, the pressurizing plate 1052 rotates about the pin 1054 from the fence main body 1051 toward the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 and the contact surface. At 1052a, the paper rear end PA is moved to an open position where it is pushed out toward the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the seat tray 100 includes a reflection type detection sensor 120 as a detection means. The detection sensor 120 detects the height (angle) at which the bottom plate 103 is located and outputs the height information α. The detection sensor 120 outputs a detection signal (height signal) by detecting the filler 121 provided on the bottom plate 103, and is mounted on the tray base 106.
As shown in FIG. 9, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a tray set detection switch 122A for detecting that the seat tray 100 is attached to the apparatus main body 2. The tray set detection switch 122A is configured to output a set signal by being pushed by the tray set detection plate 122B when the seat tray 100 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2.

Next, the configuration of the control system will be described with reference to FIG.
The control unit 200 is composed of a computer including a RAM and a ROM as a storage unit, a CPU as a central calculation unit, and the like. A detection sensor 120 and a tray set detection switch 122A are connected to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. An electromagnetic solenoid 1070 and a feed motor 123, which is a drive source for rotationally driving the feed roller 101, are connected to the output side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. A threshold value α1 which is a parameter for operating the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 is set in the ROM. The control unit 200 includes a logic for operating the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 when the height signal α from the detection sensor 120 becomes α1.

The operation timing control of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
After the paper P is set in the sheet tray, the sheet tray is attached to the apparatus main body 2 and set (steps ST1 and ST2). When the seat tray 100 is set to the device main body 2 and the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on (step ST3), the control unit 200 reads the signal of the height information α from the detection sensor 120 in step ST4, and in step ST5. , Determine if the signal change was read. Here, the threshold value α1 set in the ROM and the height information α are compared, and if α1 ≦ α, the process proceeds to step ST6 to operate (start the operation) the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 (actuator) and set α1 ≦ α. If the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step ST7, the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 (actuator) remains stopped (maintaining the non-operating state), and the process proceeds to step ST9.

When the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 (actuator) operates (starts operation), in step ST8, the pressure plate 1052 provided on the end fence 105 moves from the storage position shown in FIG. 7 to the open position shown in FIG. 8, and the paper rear end P1 Is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.
After that, the control unit 200 starts feeding in step ST9. Specifically, the feed motor 123 is operated to rotationally drive the feed roller 101, and only the top-level paper P is fed from the paper P (paper bundle) loaded on the bottom plate 103.
For example, when the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 runs out, the control unit 200 ends the paper feeding in step ST10. When the operator pulls out the sheet tray 100 from the apparatus main body 2 to replenish the tray with the paper P, the tray set detection switch 122A is turned off (step ST12). Further, when the seat tray 100 is pulled out, the energization connector between the seat tray 100 and the apparatus main body 2 is disconnected, so that the energization to the electromagnetic solenoid 1070 (actuator) is cut off and the operation is stopped. Then, the pressure plate 1052 is returned from the open position shown in FIG. 8 to the storage position shown in FIG. 7 by the spring force of the tension coil spring 108.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information (angle information) α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the detection sensor 120, and when the threshold value α1 is reached, the contact surface 1052a provided on the end fence 105 is provided. In order to move the provided pressure plate 1052 from the storage position shown in FIG. 7 to the open position shown in FIG. 8, the paper rear end PA is pushed out to the downstream side X2 side in the sheet transport direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the variation in the position of the paper tip PB without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity depending on the size, paper type, etc., so that the paper tip PB can be positioned at the target position. As a result, the positions of the paper tip PB and the feed roller 101 are stabilized, and damage caused by jams or jams on the paper P can be reduced.
That is, when the paper P is stored in the sheet tray 100, the height information (angle information) α of the bottom plate 103 changes as the load capacity gradually decreases after the start of paper feeding. Then, when the threshold value α1 is reached, the pressure plate 1052 provided on the end fence 105 is moved to pressurize the paper rear end PA so as to be pushed out. That is, even if the size is different, the thickness is different, or the type is different, when a certain height (a certain angle) is reached, the paper rear end PA is extruded. PA can be pressurized. That is, the timing of pressing the rear end PA of the paper can be set to the same timing so that the difference in size, the difference in thickness, and the variation between types do not occur. It can be suppressed.

The position of the detection sensor 120 may be fixed, but as shown in FIG. 12, it is attached to the tray base 106 via the bracket 125. Then, the elongated holes 126 and 126 extending in the contact separation direction (vertical direction) Z are formed in the bracket 125, and the pins 127 and 127 are provided so as to project from the tray base 106 and inserted into the elongated holes 126 and 126. The position of the detection sensor 120 may be movable in the longitudinal direction of 126, 126. By making the position of the detection sensor 120 movable in this way, the height (angle) for detecting the bottom plate 103 can be arbitrarily adjusted, so that the detection sensor 120 can be adjusted according to the variation of individual differences in the equipment. The position can be finely adjusted, and the accuracy of detecting the bottom plate 103 can be improved.

(Second embodiment)
In the present embodiment, a plurality of detection sensors for detecting the height of the bottom plate 103 are provided, and the pressure plate 1052 can be moved stepwise (multi-step) by the moving means. The difference from the first embodiment is that the detection sensors 120A and 120B are provided and the configuration of the moving means is different. Therefore, this difference will be mainly described.
As shown in FIG. 13, the moving means 300 according to the present embodiment is composed of a drive motor 301 and a rotary cam 302. The drive motor 301 and the rotary cam 302 are provided on the pedestal portion 1053 of the end fence 105. The rotary cam 302 is an eccentric cam, which is fixed to the output shaft of the drive motor 301, and is configured to rotate when the drive motor 301 rotates. The tip of the rotary cam 302 is in contact with the back surface 1052b of the pressure plate 1052. Since the spring force of the tension coil spring 1080 acts on the pressure plate 1052 on the rotary cam 302, the rotary cam 302 and the back surface 1052b are always maintained in contact with each other.
The detection sensors 120A and 120B are arranged on the moving track of the filler 121 at intervals in the contact separation direction (vertical direction) Z. In this embodiment, the detection sensor 120B is arranged above the detection sensor 120A. Therefore, the detection sensor 120A detects the intermediate position of the bottom plate 103, and the detection sensor 120B detects the upper limit position of the bottom plate 103. The height of the bottom plate 103 correlates with the load capacity of the paper P (paper bundle). That is, when the load capacity is full, the bottom plate 103 is in the lower limit position (low), and when the number of sheets to be loaded decreases with the use of the paper P, the bottom plate 103 gradually rises to occupy the intermediate position (middle), and the number of sheets to be loaded increases. In the case of several sheets, it occupies the upper limit position (high).

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control system according to the second embodiment. In the figure, the detection sensors 120A and 120B and the tray set detection switch 122A are connected to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. A feed motor 123 and a drive motor 301 are connected to the output side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. The ROM stores the relationship between the movement amounts of the two detection sensors 120A and 120B and the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) by the drive motor 301 as map data shown as an example in FIG. 15, for example.
When the detection sensor 120A detects the filler 121, the control unit 200 controls the rotation amount of the drive motor 301 so that the pressure plate 1052 moves from the storage position to the open position by 5 mm here. When the detection sensor 120B detects the filler 121, the control unit 200 controls the rotation amount of the drive motor 301 so that the pressure plate 1052 moves from the storage position to the open position by 10 mm here. The amount of movement of the pressurizing plate 1052 is set by measuring in advance a value in which the positional relationship between the paper tip PB and the feed roller 101 is reduced by a test. The amount of movement here is the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 from the storage position.

The control of the operation of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
After the paper P is set in the sheet tray, the sheet tray is attached to the apparatus main body 2 and set (steps ST21 and ST22). When the seat tray 100 is set to the device main body 2 and the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on (step ST23), the control unit 200 determines whether or not the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is turned on in step ST24. If any of the detection sensors is on, the process proceeds to step ST25, and if none of the detection sensors are on, the process proceeds to step ST28, and step ST29 without changing the position of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052). Proceed to to start paper feeding.
In step ST25, the control unit 200 determines whether the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is turned on (reading) based on the presence or absence of a signal, and in step ST26, determines the amount of movement corresponding to the turned on detection sensor. Proceed to step ST27.

The control unit 200 starts the end fence operation in step ST27. Here, the drive motor 301 is driven in order to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the determined movement amount, and the drive motor 301 is stopped when the determined movement amount is reached. .. When the drive motor 301 is driven, the rotary cam 302 rotates to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction. Therefore, the rear end PA of the paper is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.
After that, the control unit 200 starts feeding in step ST29. Specifically, the feed motor 123 is operated to rotationally drive the feed roller 101, and only the top-level paper P is fed from the paper P (paper bundle) loaded on the bottom plate 103.
For example, when the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 runs out, the control unit 200 ends the paper feeding in step ST30. In step ST31, when the operator pulls out the sheet tray 100 from the apparatus main body 2 to supply the sheet P to the sheet tray 100, the tray set detection switch 122A is turned off (step ST32).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B, and different movement amounts of the pressure plate 1052 according to the detection sensors that have detected the bottom plate 103 are set. Therefore, it is possible to finely adjust the extrusion timing and the extrusion amount with respect to the paper rear end PA by the pressure plate 1052. Therefore, the variation in the position of the paper tip PB can be further suppressed without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity due to the size, paper type, etc., so that the paper tip PB can be positioned at the target position. The position with the feed roller 101 is also stable, and it is possible to reduce the damage caused by jams and jams on the paper P.

(Third embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 17, the present embodiment has a different configuration of the detection means for detecting the height of the bottom plate 103 from the other embodiments. note that. In the present embodiment, the moving means 300 described in the second embodiment is used as the moving means of the pressure plate 1052.
The detection means 400 according to the present embodiment detects the rotation angles of the shafts 107 and 107 that rotatably support the bottom plate 103 with a rotary encoder composed of a rotation detection sensor 401 and a rotary plate 402 having slits, and detects the bottom plate. The height information α of 103 is obtained. The rotating plate 402 is fixed to one of the shafts 107, and the shafts 107 and 107 are also fixed to the arms 103B and 103C. In this case, the shafts 107 and 107 are rotatably supported by the tray base 106.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system according to a third embodiment. In the figure, a rotation detection sensor 401 and a tray set detection switch 122A are connected to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. A feed motor 123 and a drive motor 301 are connected to the output side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. In the ROM, the relationship between the movement amount of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) by the rotation detection sensor 401 and the drive motor 301 is stored as map data shown as an example in FIG. 19, for example.
The map data is set so that the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence increases as the height information detected by the rotation detection sensor 401 increases. The control unit 200 controls the drive of the drive motor 301 so that the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence increases as the height information detected by the rotation detection sensor 401 increases according to this map data.

The control of the operation of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 20, steps ST41 to ST43 and steps ST48 to ST52 have the same contents as steps ST21 to ST23 and steps ST28 to ST22 shown in FIG. The explanation is omitted.
When the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on in step ST43, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the rotation detection sensor 401 is on in step ST44, and if the rotation detection sensor 401 is turned on, the control unit 200 determines in step ST45. If it is not turned on, the process proceeds to step ST48, and the process proceeds to step ST49 without changing the position of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) to start paper feeding.
In step ST45, the control unit 200 reads the rotation amount of the rotary plate 402 (axis 107) by the rotation detection sensor 401, determines the movement amount corresponding to the rotation amount in step ST46, and proceeds to step ST47.

The control unit 200 starts the end fence operation in step ST47. Here, the drive motor 301 is driven in order to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the determined movement amount, and the drive motor 301 is stopped when the determined movement amount is reached. .. When the drive motor 301 is driven, the rotary cam 302 rotates and the pressurizing plate 1052 moves to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction, so that the paper rear end PA is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information (rotation speed (pulse number)) α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the rotary encoder composed of the rotation detection sensor 401 and the rotation plate 402, and the movement according to the detection result. Since the pressure plate 1052 is moved by the amount, the extrusion timing and the extrusion amount with respect to the paper rear end PA by the pressure plate 1052 can be finely adjusted. Therefore, the variation in the position of the paper tip PB can be further suppressed without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity due to the size, paper type, etc., so that the paper tip PB can be positioned at the target position. The position with the feed roller 101 is also stable, and it is possible to reduce the damage caused by jams and jams on the paper P.

Here, the effects of the conventional configuration and the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.
As shown in FIG. 21, the height (angle) of the bottom plate 103 changes depending on the load capacity of the paper P. That is, if the loaded amount is large, the height is low (the angle is small), and if the loaded amount is small, the height is high and low (the angle is large) because it is pushed up by the action of the coil spring 108. .. Then, the distance L from the center of the nip of the feed roller 101 and the separation roller 102 to the paper tip PB loaded on the bottom plate 103 becomes larger as the height of the bottom plate 103 increases (as the inclination increases), and jams occur. Will lead to the occurrence of such things.
Therefore, in order to keep the distance L constant, the larger the height (angle) of the bottom plate 10, the larger the amount of moving the paper rear end PA toward the downstream side (feed roller side) X2 in the sheet transport direction. , The variation of the distance L can be suppressed. That is, when the distance L increases according to the change in the height of the bottom plate 103, the paper P can be fed to the downstream side (feed roller side) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the amount of the expansion to stabilize the distance L.

FIG. 22 shows a case where the end fence 105 is not moved, a case where height information is obtained by using one detection sensor 120 as described in the first embodiment, and a case where the pressure plate 1052 is moved only once. The relationship between the height (angle) of the bottom plate 103, which is the height of the paper P, and the amount of tip deviation when the pressure plate 1052 is moved by the cam 302 using the rotation detection sensor 401 as in the embodiment is shown. In FIG. 22, the vertical axis shows the amount of deviation from the ideal tip position, and the horizontal axis shows the transition of the height of the paper P. The amount of tip misalignment increases as it goes up, and the paper height decreases as it goes to the right. According to FIG. 22, in the case of the conventional configuration, the amount of deviation increases as the number of loaded sheets decreases. On the other hand, in the case of the first embodiment, the amount increases as the number of loaded sheets decreases, but when the paper rear end PA is pushed by the pressure plate 1052, the displacement amount is once reset to the ideal tip position. However, after extrusion by the pressure plate 1052, when the amount of paper P decreases, the amount of deviation of the paper tip position increases again.
On the other hand, as in the third embodiment, if the height is detected in detail and the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 is increased each time to increase the extrusion with respect to the paper rear end PB, the paper is pressed. The tip PB has a substantially ideal tip position. Therefore, by moving the pressure plate 1052 so as to follow the change in the height of the bottom plate 103 so as to follow the change in the height of the bottom plate 103, the pressure plate 1052 is affected by the difference in the paper weight and the paper load capacity depending on the size, paper type, and the like. It is possible to further suppress the variation in the position of the paper tip PB. Therefore, the paper tip PB can be positioned at the target position, the position with the feed roller 101 is stable, and damage caused by jams or jams on the paper P can be reduced.

(Fourth Embodiment)
In this embodiment, the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 is determined according to the height information of the bottom plate 103 and the paper type information, and the movement is controlled.
As the detection means, the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B described in the second embodiment are used to detect the intermediate position and the upper limit position of the bottom plate 103, and as the moving means, the drive motor described in the second embodiment is used. A moving means 300 equipped with a 301 and a rotary cam 302 is used.
As a control system configuration, as shown in FIG. 23, paper size information is input to the control system configuration described in the second embodiment, and two detection sensors 120A and 120B and a drive motor 301 are used in the ROM. The relationship between the movement amount of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) and the moving amount of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) according to the paper type are stored as map data shown in FIG. 24.
In the present embodiment, the paper type information is input by connecting, for example, the paper type selection means 150 to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. The paper type selection means 150 includes a switch 151 operated when selecting thin paper, a switch 152 operated when selecting plain paper, and a switch 153 operated when selecting thick paper. When the switch 151 is operated, thin paper information is transmitted to the control unit 200 as paper type information, and when the switch 152 is operated, ordinary information is transmitted to the control unit 200 as paper type information, and the switch 153 is operated. And thick paper information is transmitted to the control unit 200 as paper type information.
The movement amount is determined for each paper type in the ROM, and the movement amount set for each paper type is added to the movement amount set by the height information to obtain the final movement amount of the pressurizing plate 1052. Has been decided. That is, the movement amount determined according to the height information is corrected according to the paper type information. As map data, when the bottom plate 103 is low, it is not necessary to move the end fence, so the movement amount is set to zero, and when the bottom plate 103 occupies the intermediate position, it occupies 5 mm, and the bottom plate 103 occupies the upper limit position. In that case, it was set to move 10 mm.
Further, the movement amount (correction amount) depending on the paper type is applied when the bottom plate 103 is in the intermediate position and the upper limit position. At each position, it increased by 1 mm in the case of thin paper, increased by 2 mm in the case of plain paper, and increased by 3 mm in the case of thick paper.

The control of the operation of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 25, steps ST61 to ST63 and steps ST69 to ST73 have the same contents as steps ST21 to ST23 and steps ST28 to ST32 shown in FIG. The explanation is omitted.
When the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on in step ST63, the control unit 200 obtains the paper type information in step ST64. Here, the paper type information of any one of "thin paper", "plain paper", and "thick paper" input by the operation of the paper type selection means 150 is taken in.
In step ST65, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is on. If any of the detection sensors is on, the process proceeds to step ST66, and if none of the detection sensors are on, the process proceeds to step ST69, and step ST70 without changing the position of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052). Proceed to to start paper feeding.
The control unit 200 opposes (reading) whether the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is turned on in step ST66 based on the presence or absence of the signal, and moves according to the turned-on detection sensor and the paper type information in step ST67. The amount is determined with reference to the data map, and the process proceeds to step ST68.

The control unit 200 starts the end fence operation in step ST68. Here, the drive motor 301 is driven in order to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the determined movement amount, and the drive motor 301 is stopped when the determined movement amount is reached. .. When the drive motor 301 is driven, the rotary cam 302 rotates and the pressurizing plate 1052 moves to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction, so that the paper rear end PA is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.

That is, in the present embodiment, the movement amount (correction value) according to the paper type information is added to the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052. This takes into consideration the deviation of the paper tip PB due to the difference in the coefficient of friction between the papers, in addition to the own weight due to the paper thickness. For example, if the coefficient of friction between papers is low, the front end PB of the paper is likely to be displaced, so the amount of pressure (movement amount) against the rear edge PA of the paper is set large. (Movement amount) is set small.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B, and the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 and the paper type according to the detection sensors that have detected the bottom plate 103. Since the pressure plate 1052 is moved in consideration of the movement amount according to the information to obtain the final movement amount, the extrusion timing and the extrusion amount with respect to the paper rear end PA by the pressure plate 1052 can be finely adjusted. Therefore, since the variation in the position of the paper tip PB can be further suppressed without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity depending on the paper type, the tip PB can be positioned at the target position, and the feed roller 101 can be positioned. The position of and is stable, and it is possible to reduce the damage caused by jams and jams on the paper P.

(Fifth Embodiment)
In this embodiment, the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 is determined and the movement is controlled according to the height information of the bottom plate 103 and the paper size information.
As the detection means, the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B described in the second embodiment are used to detect the intermediate position and the upper limit position of the bottom plate 103, and as the moving means, the drive motor described in the second embodiment is used. A moving means 300 equipped with a 301 and a rotary cam 302 is used.
As a control system configuration, as shown in FIG. 26, paper size information is input to the control system configuration described in the second embodiment, and two detection sensors 120A and 120B and a drive motor 301 are used in the ROM. The relationship between the movement amount of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) and the moving amount of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) according to the paper size information are stored as map data shown in FIG. 27. The paper size exemplifies the case where A5, A4, and A3 of JIS standards are vertically fed (SEF).

In the present embodiment, the paper size information is input by connecting, for example, the paper size selection means 160 to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. The paper size selection means 160 is composed of a switch 161 operated when selecting an A5 size, a switch 162 operated when selecting an A4 size, and a switch 163 operated when selecting an A3 size. .. When the switch 161 is operated, A5SEF is transmitted to the control unit 200 as paper size information, when the switch 162 is operated, A4SEF is transmitted to the control unit 200 as paper size information, and when the switch 163 is operated, the paper size is transmitted. A3SEF is transmitted to the control unit 200 as information.
The movement amount is determined for each paper size in the ROM, and the movement amount set for each paper size is added to the movement amount set by the height information to obtain the final movement amount of the pressurizing plate 1052. Has been decided. That is, the movement amount determined according to the height information is corrected according to the paper size information. As map data, when the bottom plate 103 is low, the end fence 105 does not move, so the movement amount is zero. When the bottom plate 103 occupies the intermediate position, it is 5 mm, and when the bottom plate 103 occupies the upper limit position. Was set to move 10 mm.
Further, the movement amount (correction amount) depending on the paper size is applied when the bottom plate 103 is in the intermediate position and the upper limit position. At the intermediate position, in the case of A5SEF, the increase was 2 mm, in the case of A4SEF, the increase was 1 mm, and in the case of A3SEF, there was no increase (0 mm). At the upper limit position, the increase was 4 mm in the case of A5SEF, the increase was 2 mm in the case of A4SEF, and there was no increase (0 mm) in the case of A3SEF.

The control of the operation of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 28. In the flowchart of FIG. 28, steps ST81 to ST83 and steps ST89 to ST93 have the same contents as steps ST21 to ST23 and steps ST28 to ST32 shown in FIG. The explanation is omitted.
When the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on in step ST83, the control unit 200 obtains the paper size information in step ST84. Here, the paper size information of any one of "A5SEF", "A4SEF", and "A3SEF" input by the operation of the paper size selection means 160 is taken in.
In step ST85, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is on. If any of the detection sensors is turned on, the process proceeds to step ST86, and if none of the detection sensors are turned on, the process proceeds to step ST89, and step ST90 without changing the position of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052). Proceed to to start paper feeding.
The control unit 200 reads whether either the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is turned on in step ST86, and in step ST87, the turned-on detection sensor and the movement amount according to the paper size are referred to the data map. The decision is made and the process proceeds to step ST88.

The control unit 200 starts the end fence operation in step ST88. Here, the drive motor 301 is driven in order to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the determined movement amount, and the drive motor 301 is stopped when the determined movement amount is reached. .. When the drive motor 301 is driven, the rotary cam 302 rotates and the pressurizing plate 1052 moves to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction, so that the paper rear end PA is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.

That is, in the present embodiment, when the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 is full and the bottom plate 103 is low, the paper rear end PA is not extruded by the pressure plate 1052, the load capacity is reduced, and the bottom plate 103 is in the intermediate position. When the upper limit position is reached, the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 is increased in consideration of the paper size. In addition, the smaller the paper size, the larger the amount of movement.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B, and the movement amount and the paper size of the pressure plate 1052 according to the detection sensors that have detected the bottom plate 103. Since the pressure plate 1052 is moved in consideration of the movement amount in accordance with the above to obtain the final movement amount, the extrusion timing and the extrusion amount with respect to the paper rear end PA by the pressure plate 1052 can be finely adjusted. Therefore, the variation in the position of the paper tip PB can be further suppressed without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity due to the paper size, etc., so that the tip PB can be positioned at the target position, and the feed roller 101 can be positioned. The position of and is stable, and it is possible to reduce the damage caused by jams and jams on the paper P.
In the fifth embodiment, it is assumed that the standard size is vertically fed as the paper size for determining the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052, but the movement amount according to the non-standard size may be set. That is, when the paper size is used as a parameter for determining the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052, the pressing amount (movement amount) for pushing the paper rear end PA is adjusted according to the paper length in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. The deviation of the paper tip PB can be reduced.

(Sixth Embodiment)
In this embodiment, the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 is determined and the movement is controlled according to the three parameters of the height information of the bottom plate 103, the paper size information, and the paper type information. That is, the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment are combined.
As the detection means, the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B described in the second embodiment are used to detect the intermediate position and the upper limit position of the bottom plate 103, and as the moving means, the drive motor described in the second embodiment is used. A moving means 300 equipped with a 301 and a rotary cam 302 is used.
As a control system configuration, as shown in FIG. 29, paper type information and paper size information are input to the control system configuration described in the second embodiment, and two detection sensors 120A and 120B are input to the ROM. The relationship between the amount of movement of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) by the drive motor 301 and the amount of movement of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) according to the paper type and the paper size are stored as map data shown in FIG.

The paper type information includes a switch 151 operated when selecting thin paper, a switch 152 operated when selecting plain paper, and a switch 153 operated when selecting thick paper described above. Input by the selection means 150.
The paper size information is a paper size selection means including a switch 161 operated when selecting an A5 size, a switch 162 operated when selecting an A4 size, and a switch 163 operated when selecting an A3 size. Enter at 160.
In the ROM, the movement amount is determined for each paper type and paper size, and the movement amount set by the height information, the movement amount set for each paper type and each paper size are added to the pressure plate. The amount of movement of 1052 is determined. That is, the movement amount determined according to the height information is corrected according to the paper type information and the paper size information. As map data, when the bottom plate 103 is low, the end fence 105 does not move, so the movement amount is zero. When the bottom plate 103 occupies the intermediate position, it is 5 mm, and when the bottom plate 103 occupies the upper limit position. Was set to move 10 mm.
The movement amount (correction amount) depending on the paper type and the paper size is applied when the bottom plate 103 is in the intermediate position and the upper limit position. At each position, it increased by 1 mm in the case of thin paper, increased by 2 mm in the case of plain paper, and increased by 3 mm in the case of thick paper. Further, in the case of the paper size, the movement amount is set to increase in the case of A5SEF and the case of A4SEF according to the paper type.

The operation control of the pressure plate 1052 of the end fence 105 according to the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart of FIG. 31, steps ST101 to ST103 and steps ST110 to ST114 have the same contents as steps ST21 to ST23 and steps ST28 to ST32 shown in FIG. The explanation is omitted.
When the tray set detection switch 122A is turned on in step ST103, the control unit 200 obtains paper type information and paper size information in steps ST104 and ST105. Here, one of the paper type information of "thin paper", "normal", "thick paper", "A5SEF", "A4SEF", and "A3SEF" input by the operation of the paper type selection means 150 and the paper size selection means 160. And capture the paper size information.

In step ST106, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is on based on the presence or absence of a signal. If any of the detection sensors is on, the process proceeds to step ST107, and if none of the detection sensors are on, the process proceeds to step ST110, and the position of the end fence (pressurizing plate 1052) remains unchanged in step ST111. Proceed to to start paper feeding.
In step ST107, the control unit 200 reads whether either the detection sensor 120A or the detection sensor 120B is turned on, and in step ST108, the turned-on detection sensor and the movement amount according to the paper type and paper size are displayed on the data map. It is determined by reference, and the process proceeds to step ST109.

The control unit 200 starts the end fence operation in step S109. Here, the drive motor 301 is driven in order to move the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction by the determined movement amount, and the drive motor 301 is stopped when the determined movement amount is reached. When the drive motor 301 is driven, the rotary cam 302 rotates and moves the pressurizing plate 1052 to the downstream side (pressurizing direction) X2 in the sheet transport direction, so that the paper rear end PA is pushed out to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction.

That is, in the present embodiment, when the paper P loaded on the bottom plate 103 is full and the bottom plate 103 is low, the paper rear end PA is not extruded by the pressure plate 1052, the load capacity is reduced, and the bottom plate 103 is in the intermediate position. When the upper limit position is reached, the amount of movement of the pressure plate 1052 is increased in consideration of the paper type and the paper size. In addition, the paper size is set so that the smaller the size, the larger the amount of movement, and the smaller the size, the larger the amount of movement when the paper is thinner than plain paper. This is because, in the case of thin paper and small size paper P, the amount of fluctuation tends to be larger than that of other paper types and paper sizes.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the height information α of the bottom plate 103 is directly detected by the plurality of detection sensors 120A and 120B, and the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 and the paper type according to the detection sensors that have detected the bottom plate 103. Since the pressure plate 1052 is moved to obtain the final movement amount in consideration of the movement amount according to the paper size and the paper size, the extrusion timing and the extrusion amount with respect to the paper rear end PA by the pressure plate 1052 can be finely adjusted. .. Therefore, the variation in the position of the paper tip PB can be further suppressed without being affected by the difference between the paper weight and the paper load capacity due to the paper type, paper size, etc., so that the tip PB can be positioned at the target position. The position with the feed roller 101 is also stable, and it is possible to reduce the damage caused by jams and jams on the paper P.

In the above embodiment, based on the height (angle) information of the bottom plate 103, the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052, which is the amount of pushing out the rear end PA of the paper, is appropriately increased or decreased according to the paper type and the paper size. The combination of parameters that determine the amount of movement is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 32, the pressure plate 1052 may be moved by determining the movement amount according to the paper type such as thin paper, plain paper, and thick paper, or as shown in FIG. 33, the paper size is, for example. The pressure plate 1052 may be moved by determining the movement amount according to "A5", "A4", and "A3".
As shown in FIG. 32, the reason why the thicker the paper P is, the larger the movement amount (extrusion amount) of the end fence is. Since the thick paper is stronger and heavier than the thin paper, the paper P is on the bottom plate 103 and the end fence 105. Easy to be pushed back to the side. Therefore, in the case of thick paper, it is possible to prevent poor paper feeding by assuming that the paper P is pushed back to the end fence 105 side and pushing a large amount to the downstream side in the sheet transport direction, which is the paper feeding position side.

As shown in the fifth embodiment and FIG. 33, the reason why the movement amount (extrusion amount) of the end fence is increased as the paper size is smaller is that when the paper P is small, the space between the paper P and the paper P and the paper P are increased. The frictional force between the bottom plate 103 and the bottom plate 103 is small. When the top-level paper P is fed from the sheet feeding unit 11, the paper P on the bottom plate 103 is likely to be pushed back to the end fence by the reverse rotation of the separation roller 102 (separate roller) (rotation to return the paper P to the end fence side). .. Further, when the bottom plate 103 is tilted, the paper P is slippery toward the end defense side. Therefore, in the case of small-sized paper, the paper P should be pushed back to the end fence side or pushed out more to the downstream side in the sheet transport direction, which is the paper feed position side in anticipation of slipping, to prevent paper feed defects. Can be done.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, the movement amount of the pressure plate 1052 is not determined according to one parameter, but as shown in FIG. 34, the movement amount is determined according to the paper type information and the paper size information. May be determined to move the pressure plate 1052. These can be realized by removing or not using the configuration of the detection means for detecting the height information of the bottom plate 103 from the configuration of the control system described in the fourth to sixth embodiments.

In the above embodiment, the moving means is provided on the end fence 105, and the pressure plate 1052 provided with the contact surface 1052a with the paper rear end PA is moved to move the position of the paper rear end PA. The configuration of the means of transportation is not limited to such a form.
For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 35, the paper rear end PA can be moved to the downstream side X2 side in the sheet transport direction by using the moving means 500 for moving the end fence 105B without the pressure plate 1052.
The moving means 500 includes a drive motor 501, a drive pulley 503 provided on the drive shaft 502 rotationally driven by the drive motor 501, and a driven pulley 504 arranged on the downstream side X2 in the seat transport direction of the drive pulley 503. The end fence 105B is fixed to the timing belt 505 wound around the drive pulley 503 and the driven pulley 504.
In this case, the paper rear end PA is extruded by the facing surface 105Ba of the end fence 105B facing the paper rear end PA, so that the facing surface 105Ba functions as a contact surface.

In the case of the end fence 105B having no pressure plate 1052 as described above, when the end fence 105B is moved to the downstream side X2 in the sheet transport direction by using the moving means 500, the pressure plate 1052 is rotated and moved by using a rotating body (eccentric cam). There is an advantage that the rear end PA of the paper can be pressed in a space-saving manner as compared with the moving means. Furthermore, since the end fence itself can be moved and the contact surface can be moved at the same time, it is possible to further subdivide the bottom plate 103 according to the height, paper type, and paper size described above and press the paper rear end PA. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deviation of the paper tip as compared with the conventional technology.

In the present embodiment, the feed roller 101 and the separation roller 102 have a structure provided at the tray base 106 of the seat tray 100, but the feed roller 101 and the separation roller 102 are arranged on the device main body 2 side to form a sheet. The configuration may not be provided in the tray 100.
In the above-described embodiment, the feeding device 10 has been described as an example of a configuration integrated with the image forming device 1, but will be described in each embodiment as a sheet tray of a paper feeding device provided separately from the image forming device 1. The same effect as that of each embodiment can be obtained by using the prepared sheet tray.
The target to which the sheet tray 100 according to the present embodiment is applied is not limited to the image forming apparatus and the paper feeding apparatus, but can be applied to the apparatus for sending out the sheet-shaped conveyed object in the loaded state. By applying the sheet tray described in each embodiment to the device for delivering the transported object, it is possible to suppress the misalignment of the tip of the transported object and solve the technical problem caused by the misalignment. It is preferable because it can be used.
In each embodiment, the sheet has been described as paper, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any sheet-shaped object to be transported may be used. Examples of the sheet-shaped object to be transported include coated paper, resin film (OHP), plastic film, prepreg, copper foil, and the like, in addition to paper (paper).

The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention merely list the most suitable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects according to the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not it.

1 Image forming device 2 Device body 3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K Image forming unit 10 Feeding device 90, 300, 500 Transportation device 100 Sheet tray 101 Feed roller 103 Bottom plate 105, 105B End fence 105ba, 1052a Contact surface (opposing surface) )
120, 120A, 120B, 400 Detection means 121 Filler 1052a, 105Ba Contact surface 1051 Fence body 1052 Pressurized plate X1 Sheet transport direction upstream side X2 Sheet transport direction downstream side P Sheet PA Sheet end PB Sheet transport direction downstream side Z Proximity separation direction Z1 Contact direction

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-202287

Claims (4)

A bottom plate that can rotate in the direction in which the seats are loaded and the parts on the downstream side in the seat transport direction are close to each other toward the feed roller that feeds the seats.
An end fence arranged on the bottom plate and provided with a contact surface that abuts on the upstream end of the sheet in the sheet transport direction .
Based on at least one piece of information such as sheet size information, sheet type information, or height information of the bottom plate, when the bottom plate moves in a direction close to the feed roller, the uppermost sheet is the downstream end of the sheet in the sheet transport direction. A moving means for moving the end fence or the contact surface so that the distance between the portion and the center of the nip formed by the feed roller and the separation roller is constant .
It has a detection means that detects the position of the bottom plate and outputs height information.
When the detecting means detects the movement of the bottom plate in a direction close to the feed roller that feeds the sheet, the moving means uses the end fence or the contact surface, and the end of the sheet with the sheet. A seat tray that moves in a direction that pushes it toward the downstream side in the transport direction . The detection means includes a filler provided on the bottom plate and a detection sensor for detecting the filler.
The seat tray according to claim 1, wherein the filler or the detection sensor is configured to be able to be changed to an arbitrary position . A feeding device comprising the seat tray according to claim 1 or 2. An image forming apparatus including an apparatus main body to which the sheet tray according to claim 1 or 2 is detachably attached, and an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet fed from the sheet tray.

Images