JPH0745293B2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device for use in a copying machine, a printer and the like.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a copying machine as a paper receiving device is provided with a paper feeding device that feeds paper, and the paper feeding device includes a plurality of paper feeding cassettes for each size of paper. Regarding the transportation of the paper from the paper feeding device, the lateral feeding with the width direction of the paper as the transportation direction is preferable in terms of the transportation speed, rather than the vertical feeding with the longitudinal direction of the paper as the transportation direction. Is B4
In addition, there is also one that feeds even A3 paper horizontally.

On the other hand, if even a large-sized sheet is laterally fed, the photosensitive drum, the conveying roller, the sheet conveying path, and the like in the copying machine become large, which leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus itself and an accompanying increase in cost. Therefore, generally, for example, B4
A3 size paper is fed vertically, and A4 size paper or less is fed horizontally.

However, in such a configuration, in a copying machine having a variable magnification function for reducing and enlarging, for example, for reduction copying, a paper cassette such as B5R and A4R for vertical feeding is required, while considering the transport speed. B5 for horizontal feed
A4 size paper cassette is also required. Therefore, when various paper cassettes are provided as described above, it is necessary to increase the size of the paper feeding device or replace a plurality of paper cassettes according to the purpose, and increase the size and cost of the device. Or, the operation becomes complicated.

Therefore, as a means for avoiding such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open
As disclosed in JP-A-56-59245 and JP-A-59-123859, for example, B5 and B5R, and A4 and A4R
The paper cassette of (1) is used in common, and a configuration in which the cassette is rotated for horizontal and vertical paper feeding has been previously proposed.

In this type of conventional device, in general, when the rotary cassette is demounted from the horizontal or vertical feed position when the power is turned on or when the rotary cassette is detached for paper supply,
It is designed to rotate the rotating cassette to the priority feed position that has been initialized.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the above conventional configuration, for example, when the rotary cassette is out of paper while being fed from the rotary cassette, and the rotary cassette is removed from the rotary cassette and mounted in the copying machine after the paper is replenished, the rotary cassette is displaced from a predetermined feeding position. The rotary cassette is rotated to the priority position, and if the previously set feed position is different from the priority position, the operation for rotating the rotary cassette to the desired feed position again is required. Therefore, there is a problem that the operability is insufficient.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a sheet feeding device of the present invention includes a rotatable cassette that can be rotated between a vertical feeding position for longitudinally feeding a sheet to a sheet receiving device and a lateral feeding position for laterally feeding the sheet, In a paper feeding device in which a cassette is rotated by a cassette rotation motor, a horizontal feed position sensor that detects that the rotary cassette is at the horizontal feed position, and a vertical feed position sensor that detects that the rotary cassette is at the vertical feed position. Storage means for storing the vertical and horizontal feed positions where the rotary cassette is arranged, and a cassette rotation motor for rotating the rotary cassette to a predetermined feed position when a cassette rotation signal for instructing the rotation of the rotary cassette is generated. Control is performed to store the horizontal or vertical feed position where the rotary cassette is arranged in the storage means, and when the cassette rotation signal is not generated, the rotary cassette is set horizontally. Control for controlling the cassette rotation motor so that when the horizontal or vertical feed position sensor detects a state deviated from the vertical feed position, the rotary cassette is arranged at the horizontal or vertical feed position stored in the storage means. And means are provided.

[Work]

According to the above configuration, the control means controls the cassette rotation motor so that the rotary cassette is rotated to the predetermined feeding position when the cassette rotation signal instructing the rotation of the rotary cassette is generated, and the rotary cassette is arranged. The stored horizontal or vertical feed position is stored in the storage means. Further, the control means is
When a cassette rotation signal is not generated, the horizontal or vertical feed position sensor detects that the rotary cassette is displaced from the horizontal or vertical feed position due to a paper supply operation or the like, and is stored in the storage means. The cassette rotation motor is controlled so that the rotation cassette is arranged at the horizontal or vertical feeding position. Therefore, the rotary cassette is arranged at the position set before the paper supply work, and the paper feeding operation can be performed without resetting the feed position.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the copying machine is provided with a desk portion 38 below the copying machine body 1 as a paper feed device, a sorter 19 on the paper discharge side of the copying machine body 1, and a copying machine body 1 An automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as ADF) 3 is provided on the top. As shown in FIG. 3, the desk portion 38 has a double-sided synthesizing unit 21, a first rotating cassette unit 26, and
Second rotating cassette unit 27 and third fixed cassette 25
Is provided. The first and second rotary cassette units 26, 27 have a rotatable cassette 32 in an outer box 31.

On the document table 3a of the ADF 3, there are provided transport direction switches 5a and 5b for detecting the size of the document in the transport direction, and guides 4 for restricting both sides of the document in the width direction. The guide 4 is provided with a width direction switch (not shown) for detecting the size of the document in the width direction.

A plurality of reflection mirrors 6a and lenses 6b are provided below the original platen glass 2 to perform a basic operation of guiding the reflected light from the original document to the photosensitive drum 7, and to perform enlargement / reduction in addition to equal-magnification copying. An optical system 6 is provided to enable variable magnification copying.

Around the photosensitive drum 7, a cleaner 8, a charge eliminating lamp 9, a charging charger 10, a developing device 11 having a toner for color copying, and a developing device 12 having a black toner are arranged. The transfer charger 13
And a peeling charger 14 are provided. In the paper transport direction of the photoconductor drum 7, the transport belt 17 and the fixing device 18 are provided.
Is provided.

The paper that has passed through the fixing device 18 is basically discharged through the sorter 19 onto the paper discharge tray 19a. However, in the case of double-sided copying or synthetic copying, the double-sided synthetic unit 21 from the paper return path 20.
In the case of double-sided copying, in the case of double-sided copying, the first conveyance path 21a, the intermediate tray 21c, and the delivery roller 21d in the double-sided composition unit 21.
On the other hand, in the case of the composite copying, the paper is fed through the second carrying path 21b, the first carrying path 21a, the intermediate tray 21c and the sending roller 21d in the duplex copying unit 21. It is to be sent to the road 22. The end portion of the paper feed / transport path 22 reaches the paper top roller 15 near the photosensitive drum 7.

A plurality of paper feeding means is connected to the above-mentioned paper feeding and conveying path 22,
Paper is appropriately supplied from these paper supply means. Specifically, in order from the shortest paper transport path for transporting paper to the paper top roller 15 of the copying machine main body 1,
A manual feed section 30, a first fixed cassette 29 capable of storing 500 sheets, a second fixed cassette 28 capable of storing 250 sheets,
A double-sided synthesis unit 21, a first rotary cassette unit 26, a second rotary cassette unit 27, and a third fixed cassette 25 capable of accommodating 250 sheets are provided. The first fixed cassette 29 and the second fixed cassette 28 arranged in the copying machine main body 1, the first rotary cassette unit 26, the second rotary cassette unit 27 and the third fixed cassette arranged in the desk section 38. 25 and 25 form a cassette group of the paper feeding device 39. In addition, the fixed cassettes 29 and 28 above
The 25 and the rotary cassette units 26 and 27 are detachably attached to the copying machine.

The above-mentioned first and second rotary cassette units 26 and 27 are
As shown in FIG. 4 (a), it has an outer box 31 and a rotary cassette 32 which is provided in the outer box 31 and accommodates sheets of a predetermined size. The rotary cassette 32 has a rotary plate (not shown) for appropriately lifting the sheets in the rotary cassette 32 in accordance with the decrease. The bottom wall of the outer box 31 is provided with a cassette support plate 33 whose center is separated from the bottom wall of the outer box 31. A long hole-shaped guide hole 33a is formed in the center of the cassette support plate 33 in the sheet feeding direction. At the center of the back surface of the rotating cassette 32, the guide hole 33
A guide shaft 34 arranged at a is provided so as to project downward.

Further, a screw shaft 35 is arranged in the outer box 31 in parallel with the paper feed surface orthogonal to the paper feed direction from the rotary cassette 32 and the bottom wall of the outer box 31. The screw shaft 35 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) and is connected to the cassette rotation motor 36 at one end so that the screw shaft 35 can be rotated forward and backward. A nut member 37 that reciprocates in the axial direction by screwing the screw shaft 35 forward and backward is screwed into the screw shaft 35. As shown in FIG. 4B, one corner portion of the rotary cassette 32 is rotatably connected to the upper end portion of the nut member 37. Further, a light shielding plate 37a is formed below the nut member 37.

On the other hand, on the bottom wall of the outer box 31 below the vicinity of both ends of the screw shaft 35, a photointerrupter including a light emitting element and a light receiving element is formed, and the rotary cassette 32 is rotated and moved to a predetermined lateral feed position. Horizontal feed position sensor HP to detect the condition
₁ and a vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ for detecting a state of moving to the vertical feed position. Both of these position sensors HP ₁
When the rotary cassette 32 is moved to the predetermined horizontal feed position and vertical feed position by the HP ₂ , the light blocking plate 37a blocks the light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element, so that the rotary cassette 32 is moved to the predetermined position. The movement of is detected. The horizontal and vertical feed position sensors HP ₁ and HP _{2 above} are
The invention is not limited to the photo interrupter, and may be, for example, a magnetic sensor or a contact switch.

Further, the copying machine main body 1 is provided with an operation panel 40 shown in FIG. The operation panel 40 includes a copy button 41 for instructing the start of a copy operation, a ten key 42 for setting the number of copies, a copy number display section 43, a cassette operation section 44,
A magnification display section 45, a magnification setting key 46, etc. are provided.

The cassette operating section 44, as shown in FIG.
A cassette switching key 47 for selecting a cassette, a cassette rotation key 48 for instructing rotation of the rotation cassette 32 of the first rotation cassette unit 26, a cassette rotation key 49 for instructing rotation of the rotation cassette 32 of the second rotation cassette unit 27, etc. I have it. Further, the cassette operation unit 44 includes paper size display lamps PSL _{1 to} PSL ₆ , a manual feed unit 30, a first fixed cassette 29, a second fixed cassette 28, and a first rotary cassette unit.
26, and the second rotatable cassette unit 27 and the third fixed cassette 25 and a cassette display lamp CSL ₁ to CSL ₆ to display the number of the 1-6 in this order. These cassette display lamps CSL _{1 to} CSL ₆ are operated by operating the cassette switching key 47 to operate the rotary cassette units 26 and 27 and the fixed cassettes 25.
・ It is designed to light up when 28 or 29 or the manual feed unit 30 is selected. For example, when the cassette switching key 47 is operated and the first rotary cassette unit 26 is selected, the cassette display lamp CSL ₄ is turned on, and the rotary cassette 32 of the first rotary cassette unit 26 stores A4 sheets. In this case, the paper size display lamp PSL ₃ is turned on to indicate that the paper is A4. At this time, if the cassette display key 48 is operated, the rotating cassette 32 rotates from the horizontal feed position to the vertical feed position, and the paper size display lamp
PSL ₄ lights up to indicate that the paper is A4R. When the rotary cassette units 26/27, the fixed cassettes 25/28/29, or the manual feed section 30 have no paper, the paper size display lamps PSL _{1 to} PSL ₆
Is not lit.

Further, the copying machine has a controller 51 as a control means, as shown in FIG. The controller 51 includes a motor driver circuit 52, horizontal and vertical feed position sensors.
HP ₁ , HP ₂ , operation panel key 55, operation panel display device 56,
A memory 53 or the like as a storage unit is connected. Then, the above-mentioned first to third fixed cassettes 29, 28, 25, the first
A sheet feeding device 39 is constituted by the second rotary cassette units 26 and 27, a means for taking out and carrying out a sheet from these means, a controller 51, a motor driver circuit 52, a cassette rotation motor 36, a memory 53 and other means. .

The above motor driver circuit 52 and cassette rotation motor
Though not shown in FIG. 6, 36 is provided independently for each of the first and second rotary cassette units 26, 27. The motor driver circuit 52 includes pull-up resistors R ₁ and R ₂ ,
NOT circuit 59, 60 is composed of the transistor Tr ₁ to Tr _4, the resistor R ₃ to R ₈ and the diode D ₁ to D ₄ as surge absorbers, in accordance with the output of the controller 51, forward and reverse drive the cassette rotation motor 36 It is supposed to do. The pull-up resistor R ₁ , the input side of the NOT circuit 59 and the base of the transistor Tr ₄ are connected to the output terminal CW of the controller 51, and the output side of the NOT circuit 59 is connected via the resistor R ₃ to the transistor T 4.
It is connected to the base of r ₁ . The base of the transistor Tr ₁ is connected to one end of the resistor R ₄ , the base of the transistor Tr ₂ is connected to one end of the resistor R ₅ , and these resistors R ₄ and
The other end of R ₅ , the emitters of transistors Tr _{1 and} Tr ₂ ,
The cathodes of diodes D ₁ and D ₂ are interconnected. A voltage of + 24V is applied to this connection point.
In addition, the collector of transistor Tr ₁ and diode D
The anode of ₁ is connected to one of the input terminals of the cassette rotation motor 36, and the collector of the transistor Tr ₂ and the anode of the diode D ₂ are connected to the other of the input terminals of the cassette rotation motor 36. On the other hand, pull-up resistor R ₂ , NOT
The input side of the circuit 60 and the base of the transistor Tr ₃ are connected to the output terminal CCW of the controller 51, and the output side of the NOT circuit 60 is connected to the base of the transistor Tr ₂ via the resistor R ₆ . The base of the transistor Tr ₃ is connected to one end of the resistor R ₇ , the base of the transistor Tr ₄ is connected to one end of the resistor R ₈ , and the other ends of these resistors R ₇ and R ₈ and the transistors Tr ₃ and Tr _{4 are connected.} And the diode D ₃ and
The anode of D ₄ is connected to each other. A voltage of + 24V is applied to this connection point. Further, the collector of the transistor Tr ₃ and the cathode of the diode D ₃ are connected to one of the input terminals of the cassette rotation motor 36, and the collector of the transistor Tr ₄ and the cathode of the diode D ₄ are connected to the other input terminal of the cassette rotation motor 36. Has been done.

In the motor driver circuit 52 described above, the output terminal CCW of the controller 51 is High for the rotary cassettes 32, 32 of the first rotary cassette unit 26 or the second rotary cassette unit 27.
When the level (output terminal CW remains Low), it is rotated to the horizontal feed position, that is, A4 position or B5 position, and when the output terminal CW is High level, the vertical feed position, that is, A4 position
It is designed to rotate to the R position or B5R position.

The operation panel key 55 includes a copy button 41, a numeric keypad 42, and a magnification setting key 4 provided on the operation panel 40 of the copying machine body 1.
6, cassette switching key 47 and cassette rotation key 48.4
It consists of 9 mag.

The operation panel display device 56 includes a copy number display section 43, a magnification display section 45, and a paper size display lamp provided on the operation panel 40.
It consists of PSL _{1 to} PSL ₆ and cassette display lamps CSL _{1 to} CSL ₆ .

The memory 53 includes the first and second rotary cassette units 26,
It stores the vertical and horizontal feed positions where the 27 rotary cassettes 32, 32 are arranged.

When each key of the operation panel key 55 is operated, the controller 51 performs control according to the operation. For example, when the cassette rotation key 48 corresponding to the first rotation cassette unit 26 is operated, this key operation causes the first rotation
If the rotation cassette unit 26 is designed to instruct the rotation cassette 32 to rotate from the horizontal feed position to the vertical feed position, the output terminal CW is set to the high level and the output terminal CCW is set to the low level, while the vertical feed position is set to the horizontal feed. Output pin CCW is high level and output pin CW
To Low level. When the rotary cassette 32 moves to the horizontal feed position and the horizontal feed position sensor HP ₁ is turned on, that is, the light of the photo interrupter is cut off, the output terminal CCW is immediately set to L.
Set the ow level to stop the cassette rotation motor 36, and similarly, when the rotary cassette 32 moves to the vertical feed position and the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ turns on, immediately set the output terminal CCW to the Low level to set the cassette rotation motor. It is designed to stop 36. Further, the controller 51 is adapted to perform the control operation shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) described later.

In the above configuration, first, the first rotary cassette unit
The rotation operation of the rotary cassette 32 will be described by taking 26 as an example.

Now, assuming that, for example, A4 sheets are stored in the rotary cassette 32 of the first rotary cassette unit 26 and the rotary cassette 32 is arranged at the horizontal feed position (A4 position), the horizontal feed position sensor HP ₁ is turned on. The display of the first rotary cassette unit 26 on the operation panel display device 56 is A4. At this time, the nut member 37 arranged on the screw shaft 35 is assumed to be at P _{1 as} shown in FIG. 7.

Here, the first rotary cassette unit of the operation panel key 55
When the cassette rotation key 48 corresponding to 26 is operated, the output terminal CW of the controller 51 becomes High and the output terminal CCW becomes Low. As a result, the transistors Tr ₁ and Tr ₄ are turned on, a current flows through the route of + 24V power supply → transistor Tr ₁ → cassette rotation motor 36 → transistor Tr ₄ → ground, and the cassette fixed motor 36 rotates forward (in the C direction). Rotate. Therefore, the screw shaft 35 rotates in the C direction. As a result, the nut member 37 moves from P ₁ to P ₆ , the guide shaft 34 of the rotary cassette 32 slides while rotating in the guide hole 33a of the cassette support plate 33, and reciprocates in the order of Q _{1 to} Q _6. Moving. Then, when the nut member 37 reaches the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ and the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ is turned on, the cassette rotation motor 36 is stopped. In this state, the rotary cassette 32 is placed at a predetermined vertical feed position (A4R position).

When the cassette rotation key 48 is operated again in this state, the output terminal CCW of the controller 51 is High and the output terminal C
W becomes Low, and transistor Tr ₂ and transistor Tr ₃
When turned on, a current flows through the route of + 24V power supply → transistor Tr ₂ → cassette rotation motor 36 → transistor Tr ₃ → ground, and the cassette rotation motor 36 rotates in reverse. This allows
The rotary cassette 32 moves from the above vertical feed position toward the horizontal feed position in the reverse process. Then, when the lateral feed position sensor HP ₁ is turned on, the cassette rotation motor 36 is stopped and the rotary cassette 32 is arranged at a predetermined lateral feed position.

Next, the main control operation by the controller 51 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 1A shows the operation when, for example, the cassette rotation key 48 corresponding to the first rotation cassette unit 26 is operated in the paper feed control program.

Now, the rotation cassette 32 of the first rotation cassette unit 26 accommodates A4 size sheets.
Shall be located in the A4 position.

At S1, for example, it is determined whether or not a cassette rotation signal is generated by operating the cassette rotation key 48,
If the cassette rotation signal is not generated, the operation proceeds to S3 and thereafter. If the cassette rotation signal is generated in S1, the A4 position stored in the memory is replaced with the A4R position (S2), and the rotary cassette 32 of the first rotary cassette unit 26 is rotated to the A4R position ( S3). When the rotary cassette 32 is placed in the A4R position, the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ turns on, so the controller 51 moves the rotary cassette 32 to the A4R position.
You can know the arrival of.

Similarly, FIG. 1 (b) shows the operation when the rotary cassette 32 is displaced from the A4R position in the paper feeding program.

When the rotary cassette 32 of the first rotary cassette unit 26 is in the A4R position, the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ is ON. When the rotary cassette 32 is displaced from the A4R position, the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ is turned off. Therefore, first, it is determined whether or not a cassette rotation signal is generated (S11),
If the cassette rotation signal is not generated, it is determined whether the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ is ON (S12). If the vertical feed position sensor HP ₂ is not ON, that is, OFF
If so, the rotating cassette 32 is stored in the memory 53.
Rotate to A4R position (S13). If a cassette rotation signal is generated in S11, the process proceeds to S2 in Fig. 1 (a).

By the control as described above, even when the rotary cassette 32 is displaced from the predetermined feed position by some external force, it can be returned to the original position.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, the sheet feeding device according to the present invention includes the rotatable cassette that can be rotated between the vertical feeding position for longitudinally feeding the sheet to the sheet receiving device and the horizontal feeding position for laterally feeding the sheet, and In the paper feeding device in which the rotating cassette is rotated by the cassette rotation motor, a horizontal feed position sensor that detects that the rotating cassette is in the horizontal feed position, and a vertical feed position that detects that the rotating cassette is in the vertical feed position. When a sensor, a storage unit that stores the vertical and horizontal feed positions where the rotary cassette is arranged, and a cassette rotation signal that instructs the rotation of the rotary cassette are generated,
The cassette rotation motor is controlled so that the rotary cassette is rotated to a predetermined feed position, the horizontal or vertical feed position where the rotary cassette is arranged is stored in the storage means, and when the cassette rotation signal is not generated, When the horizontal or vertical feed position sensor detects that the rotary cassette is displaced from the horizontal or vertical feed position, the cassette is rotated so that the rotary cassette is placed at the horizontal or vertical feed position stored in the storage means. And a control means for controlling the motor.

Therefore, for example, even when the rotary cassette is displaced from the predetermined feed position when the paper is replenished, the rotary cassette is arranged at the feed position set before the paper replenishment work. The paper feeding operation can be performed without resetting the cassette feeding position. As a result, the operability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a flow chart showing the control operation of the controller and showing the operation when the cassette rotation signal is generated. FIG. 1 (b) is a flowchart showing the control operation of the controller and showing the operation when the rotary cassette is displaced from the predetermined feed position. FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a copying machine provided with a paper feeding device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the second rotary cassette unit shown in FIG. 2 is pulled out. FIG. 4 (a) is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the first and second rotary cassette units shown in FIG. FIG. 4 (b) is an enlarged perspective view around the nut member shown in FIG. 4 (a). FIG. 5 (a) is a front view showing the operation panel. FIG. 5 (b) is a front view showing the cassette operating section provided on the operation panel. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the control device. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a rotating process of the rotary cassette. 1 is a copying machine main body (paper feed device), 26 is a first rotary cassette unit, 27 is a second rotary cassette unit, 32 is a rotary cassette, 36 is a cassette rotation motor, 39 is a paper feeding device, and 51 is a controller (control). Means), 52 is a motor driver circuit,
53 is a memory, HP ₁ is a horizontal feed position sensor, and HP ₂ is a vertical feed position sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A paper feed device comprising a rotatable cassette rotatable in a vertical feed position for feeding a sheet vertically to a device to be fed and a horizontal feed position for horizontally feeding the sheet, wherein the rotating cassette is rotated by a cassette rotation motor. In the machine, a horizontal feed position sensor that detects when the rotary cassette is in the horizontal feed position, a vertical feed position sensor that detects that the rotary cassette is in the vertical feed position, and a vertical and horizontal feed position where the rotary cassette is arranged. And a cassette rotation signal for instructing rotation of the rotating cassette, the cassette rotating motor is controlled so that the rotating cassette is rotated to a predetermined feeding position, and the horizontal or horizontal position where the rotating cassette is arranged The vertical feed position is stored in the storage means, and when the cassette rotation signal is not generated, the state that the rotary cassette is deviated from the horizontal or vertical feed position is changed horizontally. Is equipped with control means for controlling the cassette rotation motor so that the rotary cassette is arranged at the horizontal or vertical feed position stored in the storage means when detected by the vertical feed position sensor. And a paper feeder.