JPH0772030B2 - Transfer paper supply device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a transfer paper supply device in an image forming apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to a so-called large-capacity transfer paper supply device, which is provided separately from the main body of the image forming apparatus and in which a large number of transfer paper storage units are vertically arranged.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a transfer machine, transfer sheets are stacked in a cassette or a tray and stored in the image forming apparatus, and are supplied one by one by a sheet feeding device in accordance with a copying operation.

In such an image forming apparatus, the size and type of the transfer paper and the feeding direction (vertical,
When changing the (horizontal), it was necessary to replace the cassette or the transfer paper on the paper supply table. In order to reduce this work as much as possible, an apparatus that includes a plurality of sheet feeding devices and stores a plurality of cassettes or sheet feeding trays in an image forming apparatus has become more common than before.

However, in such a transfer machine, each transfer paper storage (cassette,
Since a paper feed device is required for each paper feed table, a large number of paper feed devices are required to store all the sizes and types of transfer sheets that can be copied. This complicates the mechanism, increases the cost, and increases the size of the device.

For that reason, some devices have been proposed in which a plurality of cassettes are provided separately from the main body and the selected cassette is moved to a position facing a single sheet feeding device in the main body. Since the device is moved, the size of the device becomes large and a large driving force is required, resulting in high cost.

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned problem, there has already been proposed a configuration in which a plurality of transfer sheet storage units are vertically moved to the position of the selected transfer sheet storage unit with a single sheet feeding device.

However, in this configuration, when the paper feeding device moves, the transfer paper storage unit that is not selected must move to the retracted position where it does not come into contact with the paper feeding device. There is a drawback that a control means is required and a plurality of devices are provided.

(Purpose) The present invention is basically the last known example of the above-mentioned conventional examples, that is, the front of the transfer paper storage unit arranged in the vertical direction,
The present invention relates to an improvement of a transfer paper feeding device of a type in which a means for feeding and separating paper is moved up and down. The purpose of the improvement is to eliminate the means for moving the transfer paper storage portion and the control means therefor, simplifying the device, It is to improve reliability. Another object is to prevent the occurrence of a jam when the means for moving the transfer paper storage unit is eliminated, and prevent operational troubles.

(Structure) In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the present invention, a plurality of stages of transfer paper storage units arranged substantially horizontally, and the transfer paper storage units provided in each of the transfer paper storage units are always in contact with the uppermost paper on the storage unit. Then, the sheet feeding means for sequentially feeding the uppermost sheet, the driving roller, and the driving roller are brought into contact with each other, and the feeding direction of the transfer sheet fed from the transfer sheet container is deflected upward at a substantially right angle between them. Therefore, the conveyor belt bent along the drive roller and the driven belt are stretched and driven by the drive roller via the conveyor belt, and a load is applied to separate the transfer sheets one by one. And a separating means which is provided in front of the transfer paper accommodating section row and moves up and down to one selected transfer paper accommodating section position; Before withdrawing the department And a discharging unit that discharges the transfer paper advancing into the separating unit to the transfer paper storage unit side.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention, which is an example in which a transfer machine body 1 and a transfer paper supply device 2 are used in combination.

In the embodiment, the transfer paper supply device 2 on which the transfer machine 1 is placed is provided with the transfer paper storage portions 3-1 to 3-6 of 6 stages, and 6 kinds of transfer papers P can be stored. The transfer paper storage units 3-1 to 3-6 are
It is supported by the main body frame so that it can be inserted and removed in the front direction of the device.

Each transfer paper storage unit 3 is provided with one calling roller 4. The calling roller 4 is axially supported by the frame of the supply device main body 2 via the arm 5, and is normally held at a position where it does not come into contact with the transfer paper P. When selected, it comes into contact with the transfer paper P by its own weight.

The separation unit 6 is vertically movably engaged with the body frame via a guide member 7, and is vertically moved by a motor 8 via a wire 9.

It is assumed that the user has selected any one of the six storage compartments.

When the separation unit 6 has placed the maximum number of sheets of transfer paper on the selected storage unit 3 according to the selection command, the separation unit 6 moves to a position where the uppermost paper can be fed.

By the movement operation of the separation unit 6, the calling roller 4 of the selected transfer paper storage unit 3 is lowered by its own weight,
Contact the transfer paper P.

Next, when the separating unit 6 moves as described above, as shown in FIG. 2, the detecting member 11 provided on the separating unit 6 detects the detected member 12 provided on the tip of the support arm 5 of the calling roller 4. Descend until you do.

When the detection member 11 detects the detected member 12, the separation unit 6
Stops and is ready for copying. The detection member 11 and the detected member 12 constitute a photo interrupter.

When the user presses the copy button, the driving roller (not shown) drives the rollers of the calling roller 4 and the separation unit 6, which will be described later, and the conveyor belt 10 at a predetermined timing, and the transfer sheets P are fed one by one.

The fed transfer paper P is changed in conveyance direction by about 90 ° simultaneously with separation in the separation unit 6, and is conveyed to the copying machine main body 1 by a conveyance belt 10 provided before and after the separation unit 6.

When a large number of sheets are continuously copied, the lowering of the separation unit 6 due to the reduction of the paper during copying is achieved by the control means shown in FIG. 2 such that the detection member 11 always detects the detection target member 12.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a mechanism for lowering the calling roller 4 by moving the separating unit 6, and FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof.

The storage unit 3 selected by the separation unit 6 according to the selection command
When it is moved to the position (lowered in FIG. 3), the cam member 13 provided in the separation unit 6 and the cam follower 14 are engaged with each other, and the spring member 15 always rotates upward (in the direction of arrow A). The lever member 16 to which force is applied rotates in the direction of arrow B around the fulcrum portion 19. The spring member 15 is a fixed part.
A pulling engagement is made between 20 and the lever member 16.

By the rotation of the lever 16, the pin 17 provided on the lever 16 is separated from the supporting arm 5 of the calling roller 4, and the supporting arm 5 is moved downward by the weight of the calling roller 4 about the calling roller drive shaft 18 (direction of arrow C). ), And the transfer paper P and the calling roller 4 come into contact with each other.

The calling roller 4 can freely rotate downward (in the direction of arrow C) while the separating unit 6 is in the position facing (while being selected), and the transfer sheet and the calling roller 4 are constantly moved by their own weight as the transfer sheet decreases. Rotate to make contact. Reference numeral 21 is a holding frame.

When another storage unit 3 is newly selected and the separation unit 6 is moved from the currently selected storage unit 3, the cam member 13
And the cam follower 14 are separated, and the lever is
16 rotates in the direction of arrow A and rotates the support arm 5 in the direction of arrow D.

When the support arm 5 rotates in the direction of arrow D, the calling roller 4 separates from the transfer sheet and holds it.

In this state, the call roller 4 is held at a position where it does not come into contact with the uppermost sheet when the transfer sheet on the maximum load storage section is placed.

According to this method, it is not necessary to provide each calling roller 4 with a control unit for selecting whether or not to contact the transfer sheet in response to a selection instruction and a selection unit therefor, and the control and the configuration can be simplified.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the separating device 6 part, and FIG. 6 is a front view thereof. As shown in the figure, the separating device 6 includes a drive roller 22.
An endless separation belt 26 wound around a driven roller 23, an intermediate roller 24, and a tension roller 25, and a pair of conveying rollers 27, 2
8, a guide plate, a side plate and the like, which are vertically engaged with the main body frame via a guide member and vertically moved by a motor via a wire 9.

A constant load is applied to the separation belt 26 via the driven roller 23 to separate the transfer paper. Such a load is applied by interposing a well-known brake member such as a torque limiter on the shaft of the driven roller 23, and stops the rotation of the driven roller 23 until a constant torque is applied.

As shown in FIG. 6, each roller and belt of the separating device 2 has two
It is located between the conveyor belts 10 of the book, and the separation belt 26 and the conveyor belt 10 are on the same plane at the outlet of the separation section as shown in FIG.

Therefore, the fed transfer paper P is separated in the separating device 6 at the same time as the paper feed direction is changed, and is conveyed by the conveyor belt 10. In the present embodiment, the conveyor belt 10 is of a type in which the transfer paper is adsorbed by air from the back side.

When the transfer unit is moved and the transfer sheet storage unit 3 is brought out toward the front side of the apparatus, if the transfer unit is sandwiched between the transfer units, the transfer unit moves together with the separation unit 6, causing a problem such as paper jam. .

In view of this, the present invention has means for removing the transfer paper remaining in the state of being sandwiched between the separation units before the separation unit 6 is moved or the storage unit 3 is pulled out.

7 and 8 are schematic side views of the removing means, and FIG. 9 is a plan view.

In order to remove the paper sandwiched in the separating portion, first, the lever member 29 shown in FIG. 7 is rotated in the direction of the arrow E in the figure by a driving means (not shown) to be provided at the tip of the support arm 5 of the calling roller 4. It is connected to the detected member 12 and separated so that the calling roller 4 does not come into contact with the transfer paper P.

Simultaneously with or after this, the drive roller 22 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the drive roller 22 is driven to reverse the separation belt 26 in a driven manner to eject the transfer paper P from the separation section nip. Simultaneously with discharging, the motor 31 rotates the conveying shaft 32 having a spiral groove in the direction of arrow F, moves the paper return lever 33 in the direction of arrow H, and removes the transfer paper stopped at the place where it exits the nip of the separating section. Put it back on the storage part. When the paper return lever 33 moves to a predetermined position, it is detected by the sensor 34, the motor 31 reversely rotates, and the transport shaft 32 is rotated in the direction of arrow G to rotate the paper return lever 33.
Is moved in the direction of arrow I. And this paper return lever 33
Is detected by the sensor 35 at a position that does not hinder the movement of the transfer paper, and stops.

Incidentally, reference numeral 36 in the drawing denotes a guide shaft of the paper return lever 33.

This paper returning operation may be performed any time before the separation unit 6 is moved and the storage section is pulled out, but if the set copy operation is performed every time after completion, the transfer paper remains in the separation section for a short time, The transfer paper is most preferable because it does not have a curl.

(Effect) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a mechanism for horizontally moving the transfer paper storage unit is not required,
The mechanism can be simplified and the reliability of the entire device can be improved. Further, before the separation means is moved or before the transfer paper storage portion is pulled out, the transfer paper which has advanced to the separation portion and is sandwiched by the separation portion is discharged to the transfer paper storage portion side. When the storage section is pulled out, the transfer paper is not jammed, and operational troubles can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an internal mechanism of a transfer paper feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a position detecting mechanism of a separation unit of a main part thereof, and FIG. 3 is a separation unit. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the engagement relationship of the calling rollers, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the same, FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the separation unit, FIG. 6 is the same, front view, FIG. 7 and FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing a different part of the mechanism, and FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a main part of the paper removing mechanism. 3 ... Transfer paper storage section, 4, 5 ... Paper feeding means, 6 ... Separation means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-60-161842 (JP, A) JP-A-58-74435 (JP, A) Jitsuko-Sho 58-3793 (JP, Y2)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of stages of transfer paper storage sections arranged substantially horizontally, and a plurality of transfer paper storage sections, each of which is provided in each of the transfer paper storage sections, is in constant contact with the uppermost paper on the storage section, and feeds paper in order from the uppermost paper. Paper means, a driving roller, and a conveying roller that is bent along the driving roller to contact the driving roller and to deflect the feeding direction of the transfer sheet fed from the transfer sheet storage section to a substantially right angle between the driving means and the driving roller. The transfer sheet includes a belt and a driven roller in which the transfer belt is stretched, is driven by the drive roller via the transfer belt, and is loaded with a load for separating the transfer sheets one by one. Separation means provided at the front of the storage unit row and moving up and down to one selected transfer paper storage unit position; and before the separation unit is moved or before the transfer paper storage unit is pulled out, the separation unit is provided. , Advance into separation means Transfer sheet supply device including a discharge means for discharging the transfer sheet being in the transfer paper compartment side.