JPS627092B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a paper feed device for copying machines, printing machines, etc., which is equipped with a paper feed table for storing paper that can be taken in and taken out of the main body of the machine and can be moved up and down within the main body. .

The paper feeding tray for storing paper in the paper feeding device is taken out from inside the main body of the machine to supply or replace paper, and then inserted into the main body of the machine. When the paper feed tray reaches a predetermined position within the main body of the machine, it is lifted until the topmost sheet of the stored paper comes into contact with the paper feed roller, and only the topmost sheet is fed by the rotation of the paper feed roller. is sent to the destination via a pair of separation rollers.
Conventionally, loading and unloading of a mechanical main body of a sheet feeding table for storing paper is done manually, and only the vertical movement of the sheet feeding table within the mechanical main body is performed by power. There are individual differences in how the paper feed tray is manually inserted and removed, and even if the paper is placed correctly on the paper feed tray, if the speed at which the paper enters the main body of the machine is excessive, the paper may not be placed on the paper feed tray. There is a risk of malfunction due to stacking of paper becoming distorted or forcefully pushing the paper feed tray.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of conventional paper feeding devices, and proposes that both the loading and unloading and vertical movement of the paper feeding table are performed by power. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, a paper feed unit 1 stacks sheets of paper 3 on a paper feed tray 2, and the uppermost paper contacts a paper feed roller 4 and is fed out. The paper thus sent out passes through a pair of separation rollers 5 and reaches a buffer section 6. The buffer section 6 includes a curved guide plate (not shown), an oblique roller 7, a pair of registration rollers 8, and the like. The paper reaches the transfer position in synchronization with the toner image formed on the rotating photoreceptor drum 9 under the cooperation of the registration roller pair 8.
Photosensitive drum 9 under the action of corona discharge transfer device 10
The upper toner image is transferred. The paper is then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 12B via the fixing roller 11 and the discharge roller 12A.

As will be described later, the paper feed tray 2 is configured to be movable up and down, and in the illustrated embodiment, movable perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

In FIG. 2, the paper feed tray 2 is fixed to endless belts 13 disposed on both sides thereof, and the endless belts 13 are hung on pulleys 14A, 14B, and 14C. One pulley 14A is equipped with bevel gears, and these bevel gears are connected to another bevel gear 16 provided on the drive shaft 15.
When the drive shafts 15 are engaged and thereby the drive shafts 15 are rotationally driven, each endless belt 13 cooperates with the paper feed tray 2.
can be rotated to move it up and down. A worm gear 17 is fixed to one end of the drive shaft 15, and this worm gear 17 meshes with a worm provided on a belt pulley 18. 19 is a tension pulley.

The above-mentioned parts of the paper feed section are attached to a paper feed frame 20, and the paper feed frame 20 is movable relative to the main body of the machine 22 by a slider 21 schematically shown in FIG. 23 is a stopper for positioning the paper feed frame 20 within the main body 22 of the machine.

The mechanical main body 22 includes a drive motor 2 that can rotate reversibly.
4 is arranged, and the pulley 2 of this drive motor 24
4A, a drive belt 26 is hung around a pulley 18, a tension pulley 19, and a pulley 25 attached to the main body 22 of the machine.

In FIG. 3, two levers 27 and 28 are mounted on the paper feed frame 20 so as to be movable around fulcrums 27A and 28A, respectively. The lever 27 constituting the first locking device is for detecting the lowest position of the paper feed tray, and engages with a stopper 29 attached to the paper feed tray 2 at the lowest position of the paper feed tray 2. acts to prevent the rise of foot lever 27
is constantly given the habit of rotating counterclockwise around the fulcrum 27A by the tension spring 30. 31
is a paper feed tray release pin provided on the main body 22 of the machine. Hook lever 28 constituting the second locking device
is for detecting the paper feeding position of the paper feeding frame, and the spring 32
This gives it a constant rotational habit in the clockwise direction around the fulcrum 28A. The left end of the foot lever 28 is pushed down by the sheet feed tray when the sheet feed tray 2 is at the lowest position, thereby causing the foot lever 28 to
The stopper 3 attached to the hook part and the machine main body 22
3 can be disengaged.

The operation mode of the paper feeding device described above is as follows.

In the state shown in FIG.
The paper feed tray 2 is in the lowermost position. When the paper feed frame 20 is in this position, the lower end of the hook lever 27 hits the release pin 31, so that the hook lever 27 rotates clockwise, and the hook portion and the stopper 29 are disengaged. Further, since the paper feed tray 2 is pushing down the left end of the foot lever 28, the hook portion of the foot lever 28 and the stopper 33 are also disengaged. When replenishing or replacing paper, press the switch ``OUT'' in this state. The drive motor 24 rotates in the reverse direction, and the drive belt 26 rotates in the direction of arrow R.
At this time, since the paper feed table 2 is at the lowest position, its downward movement cannot be performed, and therefore the drive shaft 1
5. The belt pulley 18 and the like do not rotate, and as a result, the belt pulley 18 and tension pulley 19 are carried along with the running of the drive belt 26. That is, the paper feed frame 20 moves in the direction of arrow P and exits the main body of the machine.
At a predetermined position, the paper feed frame 20 operates a switch (not shown), thereby stopping the rotation of the drive motor 24, and the paper feed frame stops at the position shown in FIG.

When the paper feed frame 20 starts to move in the direction of arrow P from the position shown in FIG. 29. Thereby, the paper feed tray 2 is prevented from moving upward until the paper feed frame 20 returns again to the position shown in FIG.

After replenishing or replacing the paper on the paper feed table 2 at the position shown in FIG. 4, press the switch "IN" to rotate the drive motor 24 in the forward direction. As mentioned above, since the sheet feed tray 2 is prevented from rising, the drive shaft 15 cannot rotate, and therefore the belt pulley 18 and tension pulley 19 are affected by the rotation of the drive belt in the Q direction. The paper feed frame 20 is taken and inserted into the main body of the machine. The paper feed frame 20 is again in the position shown in FIG. 2, and at this time, the lower end of the foot lever 27 hits the release pin 31, so that the hook portion of the foot lever disengages from the stopper 29, and the paper feed tray 2 is in a state where it can be raised. becomes. When the drive motor 24 continues to rotate further, the paper feed frame 20 comes into contact with the stopper 23 and the paper feed frame 20 is prevented from running, so the rotation of the drive belt 26 in the Q direction is prevented by the belt pulley 18. worm, worm gear 17, drive shaft 15, bevel gear 16, pulley 1
The endless belt 13 is rotated via the bevel gear provided at 4A and the pulley 14A, and raised to the paper feed tray 2. As shown in FIG. 5, when the uppermost paper on the paper feed tray 2 reaches the paper feed position where it contacts the paper feed roller 4, the rotation of the drive motor 24 is stopped.
Detection that the uppermost sheet has reached the sheet feeding position can be performed by a conventionally known method such as using an optical detection device or detecting the lifting of the sheet feeding roller 4 using a switch.

Paper is fed in the state shown in FIG. 5, and when the uppermost position of the paper is lowered, the drive motor 24 is rotated again by the above-mentioned detection device to raise the paper feed tray 2. When the switch "OUT" is pressed in the state shown in FIG. 5, the drive motor 24 rotates in the opposite direction,
descends. When the paper feed tray 2 reaches the lowest position,
The left end of the hook lever 28 is rotated counterclockwise against the action of the spring 32 to disengage the hook portion from the stopper 33, and the paper feed frame 20 is in a state where it can be moved from the main body of the machine. When the drive motor 24 continues to rotate, the paper feed platform 2 cannot be lowered, so the rotation of the drive belt 26 serves to move the paper feed frame 20 forward, as described above. It is of course possible to use chains, wires, etc. in place of the belts 13, 26.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the pulley 34 rotatably attached to the paper feed frame 20 is configured as a triple pulley, and two drive belts 36, a drive belt 26 and a pulley 35A for vertical movement of the paper feed tray 2, are provided. It is marked. The mode of operation of this embodiment is the same as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-5.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 uses a parallel movement link mechanism 37 as a mechanism for vertically moving the paper feed tray 2, and a pulley 34 shown in FIG. 6 can be used to drive this link mechanism 37.

A plurality of paper feed frames with vertically movable paper feed trays are arranged in a multi-tiered manner, sheets of different sizes are stored in each paper feed frame, and paper is selectively fed from one of the paper feed frames. Of course, it is also possible to do so.

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, the paper feed tray is not only moved up and down, but also moved into and out of the machine main body using power, thereby eliminating the conventional case where the paper feed tray is manually taken in and out of the machine main body. eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above,
Furthermore, the operability of paper feeding can be improved. Furthermore, since a single drive source moves the paper feed frame in and out and moves the paper feed tray up and down, the device is simple and no special device is required to switch between the two movements.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a copying machine equipped with a paper feeding device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram of the paper feeding device with the machine frame in the paper feeding position and the paper feeding table in the lowest position, and FIG. 3 Figure 4 is a partial view of the locking device, Figure 4 is a diagram of the paper feeder showing the paper feed frame in the position where it extends out of the main body of the machine, and Figure 5 shows the paper feed tray being lifted to the paper feed position. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the paper feed table vertical movement mechanism, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing still another modification. 1...Paper feed unit, 2...Paper feed tray, 3...Paper, 1
3... Endless belt, 20... Paper feed frame, 22... Machine main body, 24... Drive motor, 26... Drive belt, 27, 28... Foot lever, 29... Stopper, 31... Paper feed release pin , 33...stoppa.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a paper feed device for a copying machine, a printing machine, etc., which is equipped with a paper feed table 2 for storing paper that can be taken in and out of a machine main body 22 and is mounted so as to be vertically movable within the machine main body 22, A paper feed frame 20 in which the above-mentioned paper feed tray 2 is movable up and down and attached to the machine main body 22 so as to be able to move in and out of the machine main body 22; One common driving source 24 that moves the paper tray 2 up and down, and allows the vertical movement of the paper tray 2 when the paper feed frame 20 is at the innermost position in the main body 22 of the machine, and moves the paper tray 2 up and down at other positions. a first locking device 27 that prohibits movement; and a second locking device that allows movement of the paper feed frame 20 in and out when the paper feed tray 2 is at the lowest position within the paper feed frame 20 and prohibits the movement in and out at other positions. A paper feeding device characterized in that a lock device 28 is provided.