JP7622377B2 - Automatic conveying device, image reading device and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic conveying device, an image reading device, and an image forming device.

In an image forming device equipped with an automatic transport device, when setting a stack of papers such as originals or transfer paper on the document table, aligning the stack of papers before setting it can be very time-consuming, especially when the papers are thin or there are a large number of sheets.

A known automatic transport device is an air separation paper feeder (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that blows air toward a stack of paper while feeding the paper, thereby separating the paper sheets from each other.
This air separation paper feeder makes it easy to separate the manuscript paper with air when feeding, but if the papers are not aligned before feeding, the manuscript paper may not be transported properly or may jam, especially when using thin paper or a large number of manuscripts.

The present invention aims to make it easier to align paper when not being fed.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a case surface which aligns the downstream ends of multiple sheets in the conveying direction, a sheet placing table on which multiple sheets are placed and whose portion from the upstream side in the conveying direction to the downstream side reaching the case surface can move up and down , a side fence provided on the sheet placing table which positions the widthwise end of the sheets that intersects with the conveying direction, and an air blowing means which blows air toward the multiple sheets to form an air layer between the sheets and handle the sheets, and is characterized in that the air blowing means blows air when paper is not being fed to align the multiple sheets with the case surface and the side fence .

This invention makes it easier to align paper when not being fed.

1 is a front view of an example of an image forming apparatus equipped with an automatic conveying device according to the present invention; 1 is a front view of an example of an automatic conveying device according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 . 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state in which air is ejected toward a sheet stack placed on a sheet placement table. 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a side fence provided in the automatic transport device illustrated in FIG. 2 . 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a sheet placement table provided in the automatic conveying device illustrated in FIG. 2 . 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 . 3 is a flowchart showing another operation of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 . 3 is a flowchart showing still another operation of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 . 10 is a flowchart showing still another operation of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 2 .

Figure 1 shows an example of an image forming apparatus 1 equipped with an automatic conveying device 100 according to the present invention. In each of the figures following Figure 1, the X direction indicated by the arrow X indicates the left-right direction of the image forming apparatus 1, the Y direction indicated by the arrow Y indicates the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 1 perpendicular to the X direction, and the Z direction indicated by the arrow Z indicates the up-down direction of the image forming apparatus 1 perpendicular to the X direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading device 4, a paper feeding section 2, and an image forming section 3.
The image reading device 4 includes an automatic document feeder (ADF) 100 .
The paper feed section 2 includes paper feed cassettes 21 and 22 that store recording paper of different paper sizes, and a paper feed means 23 consisting of various rollers that transport the recording paper stored in the paper feed cassettes 21 and 22 to an image forming position in the image forming section 3.

The image forming section 3 includes an exposure device 31 , a photoconductor drum 32 , a developing device 33 , a transfer belt 34 , and a fixing device 35 .
The image forming unit 3 exposes the photoconductor drum 32 with the exposure device 31 based on image data of the original document read by a first image reading unit 131 and a second image reading unit 135 (described later) inside the automatic transport device 100, to form a latent image on the photoconductor drum 32. The image forming unit 3 develops the image by supplying toners of different colors to the photoconductor drum 32 with the developing device 33.
The image forming unit 3 transfers the image developed on the photosensitive drum 32 by the transfer belt 34 onto the recording paper supplied from the paper supply unit 2, and then melts the toner of the toner image transferred to the recording paper by the fixing device 35, thereby fixing the color image to the recording paper.

Fig. 2 shows an example of an automatic conveying device 100 according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of a control system of the automatic conveying device 100. In Fig. 2, the X direction corresponds to the sheet conveying direction, and the Y direction corresponds to the sheet width direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction.
As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic feeder 100 includes an original setting section A on which a stack of originals is set, and a separation and feeding section B which separates the originals one by one from the set stack of originals and feeds them in the X direction.
The automatic conveying device 100 is equipped with a registration section C which performs primary abutment alignment on the fed document and pulls out and conveys the document after alignment, and a turn section D which turns the document being conveyed and conveys the document surface toward the reading side (downward in the figure) by the first image reading section 131.

The automatic conveying device 100 is equipped with a first reading and conveying unit E that reads the front image of the document from below the contact glass using a first image reading unit 131, and a second reading and conveying unit F that reads the back image of the document after the front image has been read using a second image reading unit 135.
The automatic conveying device 100 includes a paper discharge section G that discharges documents after the front and back images have been read to the outside of the device, and a stack section H that holds and stacks the discharged documents.

As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic conveying device 100 includes motors 101-105 that drive the above-mentioned components, and a controller 150 that controls a series of operations. The controller 150 is connected to the main body control unit 10 that performs overall control of the image forming device 1 via an I/F 107. The main body control unit 10 is connected to an operation unit 11 that allows the user to perform various operations via an I/F 106.

As shown in FIG. 2, the document setting section A includes a document table 112 as a sheet placement platform on which a sheet stack consisting of a plurality of sheets, for example, a document stack 110, is placed.
The document setting section A is provided on the document table 112 as shown in FIG. 4, extends along the X direction, and has a pair of side fences 140 a, b that position both ends of the document stack 110 in the width direction Y that intersects with the transport direction X of the document stack 110.
The document setting section A in FIG. 2 includes a set feeler 113 and a set sensor 114 that detect when a document stack 110 is set on a document table 112 .

The original table 112 has a movable original table 111. The movable original table 111 is configured to be movable up and down in the directions a and b in FIG. 2 by a bottom plate lifting motor 105 (see FIG. 3). When the original stack 110 is not set on the original table 112, the movable original table 111 is in a lowered state, and this state is detected by a bottom plate HP sensor 117. When the original stack 110 is set on the original table 112, the movable original table 111 is in a raised state.

The document table 112 has a document weight detection sensor 144 as a sheet weight detection means for detecting the weight of the document stack 110 placed on the document table 112. In this embodiment, the document weight detection sensor 144 is provided in approximately the center of the document table 112, but is not limited to this as long as it is within the document table 112.

The document table 112 has document length detection sensors 115, 116 as sheet length detection means for detecting the length in the transport direction, i.e., the X-direction, of the document stack 110 placed on the document table 112. As the document length detection sensors 115, 116, for example, a reflective sensor or an actuator type sensor capable of detecting even a single document is used. In addition, the document length detection sensors 115, 116 must be positioned so that they can at least determine whether the document is vertical or horizontal for the same document size.

The separating and feeding section B includes a pick-up roller 118 , a paper feed belt 120 , and a reverse roller 121 .
The separating/feeding section B includes an air blowing means 141 that blows air toward the document stack 110 to form an air layer between the documents, thereby separating the documents from each other.
Pickup roller 118 is driven in the directions c and d in Fig. 2 by the action of a cam mechanism driven by pickup motor 101 (see Fig. 3). When movable original table 111 rises and is pushed by the upper surface of original stack 110 on movable original table 111, pickup roller 118 rises in the direction c in Fig. 2, and an upper limit can be detected by proper paper feed position sensor 119.

The feed belt 120 is driven in the feed direction by the forward rotation of the feed motor 102 (see FIG. 3). The reverse roller 121 is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the feed direction by the forward rotation of the feed motor 102 (see FIG. 3). This separates the topmost document from the documents below it, and allows only the topmost document to be fed. To explain in more detail, the reverse roller 121 contacts the feed belt 120 with a predetermined pressure, and when in contact with the feed belt 120 directly or through one document, it rotates counterclockwise in response to the rotation of the feed belt 120. When two or more documents enter between the feed belt 120 and the reverse roller 121, the force of the rotation is set to be lower than the torque of the torque limiter, and the reverse roller 121 rotates in the clockwise direction, which is the original drive direction, and acts to push back the excess documents. This prevents multiple documents from being fed.

The registration section C includes an abutment sensor 122 , a pull-out roller 123 , an intermediate roller 124 , and a document width sensor 125 .
The pull-out roller 123 has a skew correction function and is a roller for transporting the separated and skew-corrected original to the intermediate roller 124, and is driven by the reverse rotation of the paper feed motor 102 (see FIG. 3).
A plurality of document width sensors 125 are arranged in the depth direction in FIG. 2, that is, in the Y direction, and detect the size of the document in the width direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction X.

The turn section D includes a reading entrance sensor 126, a reading entrance roller 127, a registration sensor 130, and the like.
The first reading and conveying section E includes a first image reading section 131 and the like.
The second reading and conveying section F includes a second image reading section 135, a second reading roller 136, and the like.
The second reading roller 136 is positioned opposite the second image reading unit 135 and serves to prevent the document from floating in the second image reading unit 135 while also serving as a reference white area for acquiring shading data in the second image reading unit 135.
The paper discharge section G includes a paper discharge roller 133 and the like.
The stack section H includes a paper discharge tray 134 .

The original stack 110 to be read is set with the original surface facing up on the original table 112. At this time, the width direction, i.e., the Y direction, of the original stack 110 is positioned by the side fences 140a and 140b in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X. The setting of the original stack 110 is detected by a set filler 113 and a set sensor 114, and information indicating that the original stack 110 has been set is sent from the controller 150 to the main body control unit 10 via the I/F 107 (see FIG. 3).
Furthermore, document length detection sensors 115 and 116 roughly determine the length of the document stack 110 in the transport direction, that is, in the X direction.

When it is detected that the stack of originals 110 has been set on the original table 112, the controller 150 rotates the bottom plate lifting motor 105 in the forward direction to lift the movable original table 111 so that the top surface of the stack of originals 110 comes into contact with the pickup roller 118. The pickup roller 118 rises in the direction c in FIG. 2 as the movable original table 111 rises and is pushed by the top surface of the stack of originals 110 on the movable original table 111.

When the user presses the print key on the operation unit 11 and an instruction to start the paper feed operation is sent to the main body control unit 10 via the I/F 106, a paper feed mode for feeding documents is started. When a document feed signal is sent from the main body control unit 10 to the controller 150 via the I/F 107, the pickup roller 118 is rotated by the forward rotation of the paper feed motor 102, picks up several documents (ideally one document) on the document table 112, and starts feeding. The rotation direction is the direction in which the topmost document is transported to the registration unit C side.

The paper feed belt 120 is driven in the paper feed direction by the forward rotation of the paper feed motor 102. The reverse roller 121 is driven to rotate in the direction opposite to the paper feed direction by the forward rotation of the paper feed motor 102. This separates the topmost document from the document below it. The air blowing means 141 blows air toward the transport direction of the document stack 110, i.e., the downstream end in the X direction, during paper feeding to form an air layer between the documents, thereby separating the documents from each other.

The document separated into one sheet by the action of the feed belt 120 and the reverse roller 121 and the air blowing means 141 is sent to the registration section C side by the feed belt 120. After the leading edge of the document is detected by the abutment sensor 122, it moves further and abuts against the stopped pull-out roller 123. The document is then sent a predetermined distance from the detection of the abutment sensor 122, and the drive of the feed belt 120 is stopped by stopping the feed motor 102 while the document is pressed against the pull-out roller 123 with a predetermined amount of flexure. At this time, the pickup motor 101 is rotated to move the pickup roller 118 away from the top surface of the document, and the document is sent only by the conveying force of the feed belt 120. As a result, the leading edge of the document enters the nip between the upper and lower roller pairs of the pull-out roller 123, and the leading edge is aligned (skew correction).

The pull-out roller 123 is driven by the reverse rotation of the feed motor 102, and transports the separated and skew-corrected original to the intermediate roller 124. When the feed motor 102 is reversed, the pull-out roller 123 and intermediate roller 124 are driven, but the pickup roller 118 and feed belt 120 are not driven.

The document width sensor 125 detects the size of the document in the width direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction X of the document transported by the pull-out rollers 123. The length of the document in the transport direction, i.e., the X direction, is detected from the motor pulse by reading the leading and trailing ends of the document with the abutment sensor 122.

When the document is transported from the registration section C to the turn section D by driving the pull-out roller 123 and the intermediate roller 124, the transport speed in the registration section C is set to be faster than the transport speed in the first reading transport section E, thereby shortening the processing time for sending the document to the image reading section. When the leading edge of the document is detected by the reading entrance sensor 126, the document transport speed starts to be decelerated to be the same as the reading transport speed before the leading edge of the document enters the nip between the upper and lower roller pairs of the reading entrance roller 127. At the same time, the reading motor 103 is driven in the forward direction to drive the reading entrance roller 127, the reading exit roller 128, and the CIS exit roller 129. When the controller 150 detects the leading edge of the document by the registration sensor 130, it decelerates the transport speed of the document over a predetermined transport distance, temporarily stops the document in front of the first image reading section 131, and transmits a registration stop signal to the main body control section 10 via the I/F 107.

When a reading start signal is sent from the main body control unit 10 to the controller 150 via the I/F 107, the controller 150 accelerates the speed of the document that has been stopped in registration so that the document is transported at a predetermined transport speed before the leading edge of the document reaches the position of the first image reading unit 131. At this time, the position of the leading edge of the document is detected by counting the pulses of the reading motor 103. At the timing when the leading edge of the document reaches the first image reading unit 131, a gate signal indicating the effective image area in the sub-scanning direction (the same direction as the document transport direction, i.e., the X direction) on the front side of the document is sent to the main body control unit 10. This gate signal is sent continuously until the trailing edge of the document leaves the first image reading unit 131. Then, while the document is transported by the drive of the reading entrance roller 127 and the reading exit roller 128, the front side image of the document is read by the first image reading unit 131.

In the case of single-sided document reading, the document after the first image reading unit 131 has finished reading the front side image passes directly through the second reading transport unit F and is transported to the paper discharge unit G. At this time, when the controller 150 detects the leading edge of the document with the paper discharge sensor 132, it drives the paper discharge motor 104 in the forward direction to rotate the paper discharge roller 133 in the counterclockwise direction. In addition, the controller 150 decelerates the paper discharge motor drive speed just before the trailing edge of the document leaves the nip between the upper and lower roller pairs of the paper discharge roller 133, based on the pulse count of the paper discharge motor 104 from the detection of the leading edge of the document by the paper discharge sensor 132. In this way, the document discharged onto the paper discharge tray 134 is controlled so as not to fly out.

On the other hand, in the case of double-sided document reading, the leading edge of the document is detected by the discharge sensor 132, and then the position of the leading edge of the document being conveyed is detected by counting pulses of the reading motor 103. When the leading edge of the document reaches the position of the second image reading unit 135, the controller 150 transmits a gate signal indicating the effective image area in the sub-scanning direction on the back side of the document to the second image reading unit 135. This gate signal is continuously transmitted until the trailing edge of the document leaves the second image reading unit 135. Then, while the document is conveyed by the drive of the reading exit rollers 128 and the CIS exit rollers 129, the image on the back side of the document is read by the second image reading unit 135 in a document flow-through reading method (sheet-through reading).
When the images of all the documents placed on the document table 112 have been read and the last document has been discharged onto the paper discharge tray 134, the paper feed mode ends and the mode shifts to the non-paper feed mode.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example of the automatic transport device 100. As shown in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 4, the automatic transport device 100 includes a plurality of air blowing means 141. Specifically, the automatic transport device 100 includes a first air blowing means 141a provided downstream in the X direction from the side fences 140a, b of the document table 112. The automatic transport device 100 includes a second air blowing means 141b provided upstream in the X direction from the side fences 140a, b on both sides in the Y direction of the document table 112. The automatic transport device 100 includes a third air blowing means 141c provided upstream in the X direction from the side fences 140a, b under the document table 112. When the plurality of air blowing means 141a to c do not need to be distinguished from one another, they are referred to as air blowing means 141.

The automatic transport device 100 has a first air outlet 142a provided on the downstream side of the document table 112 in the X direction on the case . The automatic transport device 100 has a second air outlet 142b provided on both sides of the document table 112 in the Y direction on the case . The automatic transport device 100 has a third air outlet 142c provided on the case in the approximate center of the document table 112. The automatic transport device 100 blows air from the first air outlet 142a, the second air outlet 142b, and the third air outlet 142c of the first air blowing means 141a, the second air blowing means 141b, and the third air blowing means 141c, respectively .

The automatic conveying device 100 is equipped with a switching means 145 that sets whether or not the air blowing means 141 should blow air. The switching means 145 is a switch provided in the automatic conveying device 100, and by turning it on and off, it sets whether or not each air blowing means (141a, 141b, 141c) should blow air, and at least one air blowing means can be executed. In this embodiment, the switching means 145 is provided on the downstream side in the X direction and downstream in the Y direction of the upper part of the automatic conveying device 100 when the upper cover that holds the pickup roller 118, the paper feed belt 120, the upper roller of the pull-out roller 123, etc. in FIG. 2 is released upward. The switching means 145 is not limited to this as long as it is provided in the automatic conveying device 100. The switching means 145 may also be a button on the operation unit 11 or an icon displayed on the screen.

5A and 5B show how air 143 is ejected toward a stack of originals 110 placed on an original table 112. FIG.
The air blowing means 141 in the present invention separates the documents in the paper feed mode, and aligns the documents by blowing air 143 in a non-paper feed mode other than the paper feed mode. Specifically, the alignment of the documents in the non-paper feed mode is performed after the document stack 110 is set on the document table 112 and information indicating that the document stack 110 has been set is sent to the main body control unit 10 by the set filler 113 and the set sensor 114 (see FIG. 2). Moreover, the alignment of the documents is performed before the user presses the print key on the operation unit 11 or a print instruction is received via communication.

The first air blowing means 141a blows air 143 from the first air blowing port 142a toward the transport direction of the inclined document stack 110, i.e., toward the downstream end in the X direction, to form an air layer between the documents. The first air blowing means 141a then separates the document stack 110 to align it with the case surface having the first air blowing port 142a and the side fences 140a, b.
The second air blowing means 141b blows air 143 from the second air blowing port 142b toward both ends of the document stack 110 in the width direction, i.e., in the Y direction, to form an air layer between the documents. The second air blowing means 141b then separates the document stack 110 to align it with the case surface and the side fences 140a, b.
The third air blowing means 141c blows air 143 from the third air blowing port 142c toward the lower surface of the document stack 110 to form an air layer below the document stack 110. The third air blowing means 141c then separates the document stack 110 to align it with the case surface and the side fences 140a, b.

FIG. 6 illustrates the operation of the side fences 140a,b.
The side fences 140a and 140b move when air is ejected in the non-feeding mode. For example, as shown in Fig. 6A, the side fences 140a and 140b slide in the Y direction to match the width of the document stack 110. As shown in Fig. 6B, the side fences 140a and 140b may swing in a pendulum motion with a fulcrum at the top to align the documents. The side fences 140a and 140b may move in the narrowing direction by repeating narrowing and widening movements.
The side fences 140a and 140b move when air is ejected, so that both ends of the document stack 110 in the width direction can be more accurately aligned.

In this embodiment, the pair of side fences 140a, b position both ends of the document stack 110 in the width direction, but the side fence 140b may be fixed and stationary, and only the side fence 140a may move. In this case, the side fence 140a moves to position the document stack 110 between the side fence 140a and the main body of the automatic transport device 100.

FIG. 7 shows the operation of the document table 112 .
The document table 112 is inclined from the upstream side to the downstream side in the X direction, so that the document stack 110 advances downstream in the X direction under its own weight. As shown in Fig. 7, the movable document table 111 may be swung up and down to make it easier for the document stack 110 to advance.

The time for which air is blown out can be adjusted according to the weight (number of sheets) and size of the documents loaded.
When it is detected that a stack of originals 110 has been set on the document table 112 as shown in FIG. 2, the weight of the stack of originals 110 is detected by the document weight detection sensor 144, and the length of the stack of originals 110 in the X-direction is detected by the document length detection sensors 115 and 116.
The main body control unit 10 as a determination unit adjusts the time for blowing air based on information obtained from the document weight detection sensor 144 and the document length detection sensors 115 and 116 .

For example, the main body control unit 10 sets the air blowing time to be short when the weight or size of the document stack 110 is small, and sets the air blowing time to be long when the weight or size of the document stack 110 is large. The main body control unit 10 may set the air blowing time based on both weight and size. When setting the air blowing time to be long, the air blowing means 141 may be controlled to continue blowing air into the paper feed mode without stopping the air blowing until the mode is switched to the paper feed mode. Furthermore, the time for blowing air can be freely set and input by the user via the operation unit 11.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the operation of the automatic transport device 100.
In step S 1 , a stack of originals 110 is set on the original table 112 .
In step S2, the time for air blowing is adjusted according to the number of loaded sheets and/or size of document stack 110. When adjusting the time for air blowing by main body control unit 10, main body control unit 10 adjusts the time for air blowing based on information obtained from document weight detection sensor 144 and document length detection sensors 115, 116. When adjusting the time for air blowing by the user, the time for air blowing is set via operation unit 11.

In step S3, the automatic transfer device 100 causes the air blowing means 141 to start blowing air.
In step S4, the automated transport device 100 starts moving the side fences 140a and 140b.
In step S5, the automatic transport device 100 stops the movement of the side fences 140a and 140b.
In step S6, the automatic transport device 100 stops the air blowing means 141 from blowing air.
In step S7, the automatic conveying device 100 ends the document alignment operation.

In step S8, the automatic conveying device 100 determines whether or not a user has instructed to start a paper feed operation, that is, whether or not to shift from the non-paper feed mode to the paper feed mode.
If it is determined in step S8 that the mode should be changed from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, the automatic feeder 100 goes into the feed mode in step S9 and starts the feed operation, feeding all of the documents placed on the document table 112. When feeding of all of the documents is completed, the mode is changed from the feed mode to the non-feed mode, and the automatic feeder 100 ends its operation.
If it is determined in step S8 that the mode should not be changed from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, the automatic feeder 100 ends the operation without feeding the document stack 110.

In this way, by operating the air blowing means 141 in the non-feed mode, it is possible to easily align the documents before the feed operation, and stable transport and reading can be performed. Also, by using the air blowing means 141 for separation in the feed mode and for handling in the non-feed mode in a combined manner, the device can be made more compact.
In addition, by making it possible to adjust the time for air blowing according to the number and size of documents loaded when handling documents in the non-feeding mode, it is possible to set the optimal air blowing time for each document stack 110, making it possible to keep power consumption to a minimum.
In addition, in step S8, a determination is made as to whether to switch from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, and the present invention can be applied not only to aligning documents before a feed operation, but also to cases where documents are only aligned without feeding.

The air blowing means 141 for blowing air can be selected from a plurality of air blowing means 141a to 141c according to the weight of the document stack 110 and the like.
As with the adjustment of the time for air blowing, the main body control unit 10 selects the air blowing means 141 based on information obtained from the document weight detection sensor 144 and the document length detection sensors 115 and 116 (see FIG. 2).

For example, when aligning a heavy document stack 110, such as when the documents are thick or the number of stacked sheets is large, all of the air blowing means 141a-c in Fig. 4 are operated. That is, by blowing air from all of the air blowing ports 142a-c, air layers are formed between all of the documents from the top document to the bottom document, making it easier to align the document stack 110.
When aligning a light-weight document stack 110, such as when the document thickness is thin or the number of loaded sheets is small, unlike when the document stack 110 is heavy, only the air blowing means 141a is operated and air is blown out only from the air blowing port 142a. Furthermore, by moving the side fences 140a, b and swinging the movable document table 111 in the same way as for the heavy document stack 110, it becomes easier to align the document stack 110.

The air blowing means 141 for blowing air can be freely set by the user via the operation unit 11 .
For example, when aligning the document stack 110 that is curled in the Y direction, only the air blowing means 141a is set to operate. In other words, by setting air to be blown only from the air blowing port 142a, the document stack 110 can be aligned without floating up from the document table 112.
By making it possible to select the air blowing means 141 in accordance with the curl position of the document stack 110, it becomes possible to align the documents with the minimum necessary amount of air blown, thereby making it possible to reduce power consumption.

Fig. 9 shows another example of the operation of the automatic transport device 100. The example shown in Fig. 9 shows a case where the main body control unit 10 adjusts the time for air blowing and selects the air blowing means 141.
In step S 11 , the automatic transport device 100 detects by the set feeler 113 and the set sensor 114 that the document stack 110 has been set on the document table 112 .
In step S12, the automatic feeder 100 detects the weight of the document stack 110 by the document weight detection sensor 144, and detects the length of the document stack 110 in the X direction by the document length detection sensors 115 and .
In step S13, the main body control unit 10 adjusts the time for blowing air and selects the air blowing means 141 based on information obtained from the document weight detection sensor 144 and the document length detection sensors 115 and 116.

In step S14, the automatic transport device 100 causes the air blowing means 141 to start blowing air.
In step S15, the automated transport device 100 starts moving the side fences 140a and 140b.
In step S16, the automated transport device 100 stops the movement of the side fences 140a and 140b.
In step S17, the automatic transport device 100 stops the air blowing means 141 from blowing air.
In step S18, the automatic conveying device 100 ends the document alignment operation.

In step S19, the automatic conveying device 100 determines whether or not a user has instructed to start a paper feed operation, that is, whether or not to shift from the non-paper feed mode to the paper feed mode.
If it is determined in step S19 that the mode should be changed from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, then in step S20, the automatic feeder 100 starts the feed operation and feeds all of the documents placed on the document table 112. When feeding of all of the documents is completed, the mode is changed from the feed mode to the non-feed mode, and the automatic feeder 100 ends its operation.
If it is determined in step S19 that the mode is not to be changed from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, the automatic feeder 100 ends the operation without feeding the document stack 110.
In this manner, document alignment is performed without the user having to set the time for air blowing or the air blowing means 141, improving operability.

As described above, the automatic transport device 100 transitions from the non-feed mode to the feed mode when the user presses the print key on the operation unit 11 and sends an instruction to start the paper feed operation to the main body control unit 10. If the user issues an instruction to start the paper feed operation while the air blowing means 141 is aligning the documents, that is, when transitioning to the feed mode during air blowing in the non-feed mode, the automatic transport device 100 stops blowing air once and then starts the paper feed operation. The automatic transport device 100 then changes the mode from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, and displays a message on the operation unit 11 to inform the user that the operation has been changed from the document alignment operation to the paper feed operation.

In addition, the automatic conveying device 100 may not stop blowing air when switching to the paper feed mode, but may start the paper feed operation while still blowing air. In other words, the air blowing means 141 that was used to align the documents may be used to separate the documents being fed. In this case, the automatic conveying device 100 also displays a message to inform the user that the operation has been changed.

FIG. 10 shows another example of the operation of the automatic transport device 100. In FIG.
In step S21, the original stack 110 is set on the original table 112.
In step S22, the time for air blowing is adjusted according to the number of loaded sheets and/or size of document stack 110. When adjusting the time for air blowing by main body control unit 10, main body control unit 10 adjusts the time for air blowing based on information obtained from document weight detection sensor 144 and document length detection sensors 115, 116. When adjusting the time for air blowing by the user, the time for air blowing is set via operation unit 11.

In step S23, the air blowing means 141 that blows air is selected. When the air blowing means 141 is selected by the main body control unit 10, the main body control unit 10 selects the air blowing means 141 based on information obtained from the document weight detection sensor 144 and the document length detection sensors 115 and 116. When the air blowing means 141 is selected by the user, the air blowing means 141 is set via the operation unit 11.
In step S24, the automatic transfer device 100 causes the air blowing means 141 to start blowing air.

In step S25, the automated transport device 100 starts moving the side fences 140a and 140b.
In step S26, the main body control unit 10 detects an instruction from the user to start a paper feed operation.
In step S27, the automated transport device 100 stops the movement of the side fences 140a and 140b.

In step S28, the automatic transport device 100 stops the air blowing by the air blowing means 141 and starts the paper feed operation.
In step S29, the automatic transport device 100 displays a message on the operation unit 11 to inform the user that the mode has been changed from the non-feed mode to the feed mode, and then ends the operation.
In this way, by informing the user of the change in operation via a message, a user who has doubts about the change in operation is prevented from trying to touch the automatic transport device 100, thereby improving safety.

Fig. 11 shows yet another example of the operation of the automatic transport device 100. The example shown in Fig. 11 shows a case where the switching means 145 sets whether or not air ejection is to be performed.
In step S31, the automatic transport device 100 determines based on the on/off information obtained from the switching means 145 whether or not to perform document alignment.
The operation when it is determined in step S31 that document alignment is to be performed, that is, steps S32 to S40, are similar to steps S21 to S29 shown in FIG. 10, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.
If it is determined in step S31 that the original alignment is not to be performed, the original stack 110 is set on the original table 112 in step S41.

In step S42, the main body control unit 10 detects an instruction from the user to start a paper feed operation.
In step S43, the automatic feeder 100 starts the sheet feeding operation and feeds all of the documents placed on the document table 112. When feeding of all the documents is completed, the automatic feeder 100 transitions from the sheet feeding mode to the non-sheet feeding mode and ends its operation.

In this way, by making it possible to set whether or not air ejection is to be performed using the switching means 145, it becomes easier for the user to set the operation, and operability is improved.
The switching unit 145 may be configured to be capable of setting not only whether or not document alignment can be performed in the non-feed mode, but also whether or not document separation can be performed in the feed mode.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention described in the claims, unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description.
For example, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the document stack 110 placed on the document table 112 is aligned, but the present invention can also be implemented in a manual feed tray or a paper feed cassette that is equipped with a similar side fence or air blowing means. The present invention can also be implemented in a paper discharge tray that is equipped with a similar side fence or air blowing means.
The present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus using an inkjet method.

The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Image forming apparatus 4 Image reading apparatus 100 Automatic conveying apparatus 110 Sheet, sheet stack, document stack 112 Sheet placement table, document table 115, 116 Sheet length detection means, document length detection sensor 140a, b Side fence 141 Air blowing means 141a First air blowing means 141b Second air blowing means 141c Third air blowing means 142a First air blowing port 142b Second air blowing port 142c Third air blowing port 143 Air 144 Sheet weight detection means, document weight detection sensor 145 Switching means X Sheet conveying direction Y Sheet width direction

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-338361

Claims (9)

A case surface for aligning downstream ends of a plurality of sheets in a conveying direction;
a sheet placement table on which a plurality of sheets are placed, the sheet placement table having a portion thereof movable up and down from an upstream side in the conveying direction to a downstream side reaching the case surface ;
a side fence provided on the sheet placement table for positioning an end portion of the sheet in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction;
and an air blowing means for blowing air toward a plurality of sheets to form an air layer between the sheets to separate the sheets.
The air blowing means is an automatic sheet conveying device that blows air when no sheets are being fed , thereby aligning a plurality of sheets on the case surface and the side fence . a sheet placement table for placing a plurality of sheets;
a side fence provided on the sheet placement table for positioning an end of a sheet in a width direction intersecting with a sheet conveying direction;
and an air blowing means for blowing air toward a plurality of sheets to form an air layer between the sheets to separate the sheets.
The air blowing means blows air to align the sheets when the sheets are not being fed,
The side fence moves when the air blowing means blows air during the non-feeding period to align both ends of the plurality of sheets in the width direction . 3. The automatic conveying device according to claim 1,
An automatic conveying device characterized in that the time for blowing air varies according to the weight or size of the loaded sheets. 4. The automatic conveying apparatus according to claim 1,
The automatic conveying device is characterized in that the air blowing means has at least one of a first air blowing means that blows air toward a downstream end of the sheet in the conveying direction of the sheet, a second air blowing means that blows air toward the end of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet, and a third air blowing means that blows air toward the underside of the sheet. 5. The automatic conveying apparatus according to claim 1,
a sheet weight detection means for detecting the weight of a sheet placed on the sheet placement table, or a sheet length detection means for detecting the length of a sheet placed on the sheet placement table,
An automatic conveying apparatus characterized in that the time for blowing air is changed or a selection is made from a plurality of said air blowing means based on information obtained from said sheet weight detection means or said sheet length detection means. 6. The automatic conveying apparatus according to claim 1,
When the paper feed operation is started during the air blowing during the non-paper feed operation, the air blowing is stopped,
An automatic conveying apparatus characterized in that a message is displayed to inform a user that a sheet alignment operation has been changed to a sheet feeding operation. 7. The automatic transport device according to claim 1,
An automatic transport device comprising: a switching means for setting whether or not the air blowing means is to blow air. An image reading device equipped with an automatic conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An image forming apparatus equipped with the image reading device according to claim 8.

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