JPS6129294B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sheet cassette that is attached to a copying machine, a facsimile receiver, etc., and stores a plurality of sheets stacked therein.

For example, a copying machine has been proposed in which a sheet cassette containing a plurality of stacked sheets of recording paper is detachably attached to the copying machine main body.

The structure of an example of such a sheet cassette is shown in FIG. In the seat cassette 1 shown in FIG. 1, one side of a sheet mounting table 3 is rotatably pivoted to the bottom of a box-shaped main body 2, and this is supported by an elastic member 4 provided between the bottom of the main body 2 and the bottom of the main body 2. Forced upwards. The separation claw 5 is fixed to the main body 2, and when a predetermined number of recording sheets (not shown) are stacked on the sheet mounting table 3,
It is in effective contact with the top surface of the top layer of recording paper. Therefore, in this state, if the sheet cassette 1 is attached to the copying machine main body (not shown) and the paper feed roller 6 provided on the copying machine main body is moved up and down, the recording papers can be effectively separated and fed one by one. Ru. However, in such a sheet cassette 1, when the number of recording papers in the cassette decreases, the separating claw 5 and the recording papers are no longer parallel, and an angle α is created between them, causing paper feeding to become difficult. Disadvantages include frequent failures, double-feeding, and inaccurate sheet feeding.

In order to eliminate such defects, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 49-22947
In the publication, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the tip of the sheet loading table 3 on the paper feed side is bent, and the separation claw 5 is brought into contact with the stored recording paper 7 by its own weight, and the second As shown in FIG. A, a sheet cassette 1 has been proposed in which the uppermost layer of recording paper is effectively brought into contact with the separating claw 5 even when the number of recording papers in the cassette becomes low. However, in such a sheet cassette 1, as shown in FIG. 2B, after a predetermined number of recording sheets 7 are stacked and stored until a certain number of sheets have been fed, the curvature regulating member 9 is attached to the cassette cover 8. Even if there is, the recording paper 7 is curved on the paper feeding side, so there is a drawback that the recording paper 7 cannot be accurately separated and fed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a sheet cassette that is appropriately constructed and arranged so that sheets can be separated and fed accurately at all times without being affected by the number of sheets in the cassette.

The present invention provides a cassette main body for storing a plurality of sheets in a stacked manner, a sheet loading plate provided in the main body and swingably attached to the main body at the rear when viewed from the paper feed side, and a cassette main body for stacking and storing a plurality of sheets. In a sheet cassette comprising separation claws located on the upper surface of both sides of the paper feed side end, the separation claw and the sheet formed integrally with the separation claw and located in a direction rearward from the separation claw as seen from the paper feed side. The present invention is characterized by comprising a separation claw member having a pressing member, and support means for the separation claw member so that both the separation claw of the separation claw member and the sheet pressing member are always in contact with the uppermost sheet. It is something.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the structure of an example of the sheet cassette of the present invention, and FIG.
When the number of sheets 12 in 1 decreases, the third
FIG. B shows a state when a predetermined number of sheets 12 are stacked and stored. In the sheet cassette 11 shown in this example, a sheet mounting plate 14 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of a box-shaped cassette main body 13 about a shaft 15 on the side opposite to the paper feeding side. Further, a spring 1 is installed between the sheet placement plate 14 and the cassette main body 13.
5' is provided, and the sheet mounting plate 14 resists the weight of the sheets 12 stacked on the sheet mounting plate 14.
is energized upward. On the other hand, the cassette body 13
A sheet holding member 18 (hereinafter referred to as a separating claw member 19) formed integrally with a separating claw 17 is provided on the lower surface of the cassette cover 16 constituting the cassette cover 16 so as to be able to swing and move up and down. ,
It is configured to constantly come into pressure contact with the uppermost sheet (feed sheet) of the sheets 12 stacked on the sheet placement plate 14. The pressure contact mechanism of the separating claw member 19 will be described in more detail with reference to the partial perspective view shown in FIG.

The separation claw members 19 are arranged at both end edges of the uppermost sheet 12, and rising portions 21a, 21b and 22a, 22b are provided in the center, respectively. These rising portions 21a, 21b and 22
Shafts 23 and 24 are fixed to a and 22b, respectively. On the other hand, falling portions 25a, 25b and 26a, 26b are fixedly provided on the lower surface of the cassette cover 16, and each of these falling portions has a long hole 2.
7, 28, 29, 30 are provided, and these elongated holes 27,
28, 29, and 30, the shafts 2 protrude from the rising portions 21a, 21b and 22a, 22b provided on the respective separating claw members 19, respectively.
Bearing the ends of 3 and 24. In this way, axis 2
3 and 24 project from the rising portions 21a, 21b and 22a, 22b provided on the respective separation claw members 19 through the elongated holes 27, 28 and 29, 3.
0, the separation claw member 19 is effectively restricted from moving in the width direction of the sheet 12, so that it is always in contact with a predetermined position of the uppermost sheet 12. In this embodiment, the rising portion 21a,
21b, 22a, 22b, shafts 23, 24, falling portions 25a, 25b, 26a, 26b, elongated hole 27,
28, 29, and 30 constitute a support means for the separation claw member 19. Further, the leaf spring 20 is connected to the shaft 2
3 and 24 and the cassette cover 16, and press separation claw members 19 to the uppermost sheet 12, respectively.

As described above, according to the embodiment described above, the separation claw member 19 swings in accordance with the displacement of the sheet placement plate 14, that is, in accordance with the number of sheets 12 that are stacked and stored. sheet 1
Since the separation claw 17 and the sheet are always pressed parallel to each other at a predetermined position on the uppermost sheet of No. 2, the sheet feed roller 31 installed in a copying machine etc.
Due to this function, it is possible to always accurately separate and feed sheets one by one. Further, since the sheet pressing member 18 is in pressure contact with the uppermost sheet, there is a sheet pressing action, and therefore, the sheet separating action can be performed reliably. Note that when storing sheets in a stacked manner in the cassette main body 13, the cassette cover 1
6 together with the separation claw member 19 and then loaded.

5, 6, and 7 are diagrams showing the structure of other examples of the sheet cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 5A shows a state in which a predetermined number of sheets are stacked and stored.
FIG. B is a sectional view showing the state when the number of sheets in the cassette is reduced, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are a bottom view and a plan view, respectively. A sheet placing plate 43 on which sheets 42 are placed is mounted inside the cassette body 41 so as to be rotatable about a rotational shaft 44 as shown by arrow A. The sheet mounting plate 43 has a spring 45, a spring presser 46, and a stopper 4.
7 is attached, and the stopper 47 is attached to the holding member 48.
is supported so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow B. Since the stopper 47 is always pushed to the left by the spring 45, when the sheet placement plate 43 is closed as shown in FIG. 4
The sheet placement plate 43 cannot be opened unless it is slid to the right against the force of 5. The cassette body 41 has a separating claw member 52 integrally formed with a separating claw 50 for separating and sending out the uppermost sheet and a sheet pressing member 51, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Like the embodiment shown in the figure, it is attached so as to be able to swing and move up and down, and is pressed against the uppermost sheet by a leaf spring 53. Rotation shaft 44 of sheet placement plate 43
As shown in FIG. 6, a hollowed out portion 43a is provided on the side. This is to provide a place for the hand holding the sheet to escape when opening the sheet loading plate 43 and loading the sheet into the cassette. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the cassette body 41 has a window 54, through which a paper feed roller 55 provided in a copying machine or the like to which the cassette is mounted acts on the topmost sheet. Further, reference numeral 56 indicates a click groove for fixing the cassette in a predetermined position of a copying machine or the like. Further, guide portions 57 are provided on both sides of the cassette body 41 for guiding a sheet placement plate pushing member (not shown) provided in a copying machine or the like when the cassette is installed in a copying machine or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the sheet placement plate 43 is pushed up about the rotation shaft 44 by a push-up member provided on the copier or the like to which it is attached, and the separation claw member 52 is It swings in accordance with the displacement of the mounting plate 43, that is, in accordance with the number of sheets 42, and is pressed onto the top layer of sheets by the leaf spring 53. Therefore, the separating claw member 52 is always in parallel pressure contact with the uppermost sheet, so that it is possible to accurately separate and feed the sheets regardless of the number of sheets.

As described above, according to the present invention, the separating claw and the sheet pressing member are integrally formed and are always in parallel contact with the uppermost sheet, so that the number of stacked sheets can be reduced. It is possible to always stably separate and feed paper regardless of the situation.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and many modifications and changes are possible.
For example, the separation claw member may be brought into contact with the uppermost sheet by its own weight without using a leaf spring.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional sheet cassette, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a conventional sheet cassette, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an example of the seat cassette of the present invention, and FIG. The figure is a perspective view showing details of the pressure contact mechanism of the separating claw member shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of another example of the sheet cassette of the present invention, and FIG. The bottom view and FIG. 7 are also plan views. 11...Sheet cassette, 12...Sheet, 1
3...Cassette main body, 14...Sheet placement plate, 1
7... Separation claw, 18... Sheet pressing member, 19...
... Separation claw member, 20 ... Leaf spring, 31 ... Paper feed roller, 41 ... Cassette body, 42 ... Sheet,
43...Sheet placement plate, 50...Separation claw, 51...
...Sheet pressing member, 52... Separation claw member, 53...
...Plate spring, 55...Paper feed roller.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cassette main body 13, 41 for storing a plurality of sheets in a stacked manner, a sheet placing plate 14, 43 provided in the main body and swingably attached to the main body at the rear when viewed from the paper feed side; Separation claws 1 located on the upper surface of both sides of the paper feed side edge of the sheet
7, 50, the separation claw has the separation claw and a sheet holding member 18, 51 that is formed integrally with the separation claw and is located in the rear direction from the separation claw when viewed from the paper feeding side. A sheet cassette comprising members 19 and 52, and means for supporting the separating claw member so that the separating claws of the separating claw member and the sheet pressing member are always in contact with the uppermost sheet.