CN1054751A - Automatic paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic paper feeding device comprising a paper loading device for loading a plurality of papers; a rotary paper feeder in contact with the paper to feed it, an energizing device for energizing the loaded paper toward the rotary paper feeder; comprising The inclined surface provided on the downstream side of the paper feeding direction, so that the paper fed from the paper loading device hits the inclined surface, and only one sheet is sent to the separating device on the downstream side; and when the rotary feeding device separates from the paper in the loading device , an isolation device that contacts with the uppermost paper, resists the force of the biasing device, and keeps the uppermost paper at the position corresponding to the slope.

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic paper feeder that separates loaded recording paper (cut paper) one by one and sends them to a processing unit such as a recording unit.

Recording devices such as printers, duplicators, and facsimile machines are constructed by recording images on recording paper (recording materials) such as paper and plastic sheets by driving an energy generator that drives a recording head according to recorded information. The recording apparatus described above can be classified into an inkjet type, a line dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type, etc. according to a recording method. In addition, recording paper used in recording devices includes thick paper such as postcards and envelopes, and special paper such as plastic sheets, in addition to plain paper.

The supply of recording paper can be automatically fed by an automatic paper feeding device in addition to manual insertion. The above-mentioned automatic paper feeder generally includes a paper feed drive unit that rotates a feed roller to feed recording paper, and a paper loading device that keeps the recording paper loaded. In synchronization with the transport system of the recording device, by driving the above-mentioned paper feeding drive unit, the recording paper is fed separately one by one. In addition, in the automatic paper feeder, there is a built-in type installed in the recording device, and an external type installed in a detachable manner.

As the above-mentioned automatic paper feeding device, it includes a feed roller that rotates simultaneously with the paper feed shaft; a paper loading plate that can load many sheets of recording paper; A spring energizing device pressed against the supply roller; and a separating device with a climbing slope arranged in front of the supply roller in the feeding direction are known.

However, in an automatic paper feeder using the separation device described above, it is often necessary to press the loaded paper tightly against the feed roller unlike when the separation claw is used. The reason is that if the contact force is insufficient or absent, the paper below the second sheet will float up the slope, making it difficult to separate the sheets one by one. Furthermore, since the first sheet of paper introduced by the conveying device of the recording device tends to draw out the second or later sheets, overlapping feeding of the recording sheets occurs.

On the one hand, in order to surely draw in the recording paper by the conveying roller of the recording device, it is necessary to make the frictional resistance (brake) when the above-mentioned supply roller stops has no or very slight.

Therefore, in this conventional type of automatic paper feeding device, in order to meet the above-mentioned conditions, a one-way overrunning clutch is provided in the power transmission mechanism of the supply roller. Disclosure of this prior art has Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-6633, Japanese Patent Application No. 60-25776, Japanese Patent No. 63-67477 and the like.

However, this structure with a one-way overrunning clutch has the problems of large volume and high cost due to its complicated structure.

The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems. The object of the present invention is to provide such an automatic supply device: even when using a slope separation device, it is not necessary to use a complicated structure such as a one-way overrunning clutch in the supply roller drive system, and it can be reliably and reliably with a simple, small and cheap structure. Separate the loading sheets one by one. At the same time, even when the supply roller is stopped, the recording paper can be pulled out smoothly.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide such an automatic paper feeding device: using a semicircular roller having a cross section of a constant radius surface and a non-equal radius surface as a supply roller, and adjacent to the supply roller, a small roller with a diameter slightly smaller than the above-mentioned constant radius surface can be provided. Radius and free-turning free-turning rollers. Therefore, there is no need to use a complicated structure such as a one-way overrunning clutch in the drive system of the supply roller, and the loaded paper can be reliably separated one by one with a simple, small, and inexpensive structure. At the same time, even when the supply roller is stopped, the recording paper can be drawn out smoothly.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic paper feeder that uses semicircular rollers whose cross-sections have equal-radius surfaces and unequal-radius surfaces as supply rollers. In the vicinity of the supply roller, a guide member lower than the equal radius surface and capable of contacting the recording paper on the paper loading plate is arranged. Therefore, there is no need to use a complicated structure such as a one-way overrunning clutch in the drive system of the supply roller, and the loaded paper can be reliably separated one by one with a simple, small, and inexpensive structure. At the same time, even when the supply roller is stopped, the recording paper can be drawn out smoothly.

The drawings show embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a partially cut-away front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the automatic sheet feeding device of Fig. 1 is mounted on the recording device;

Fig. 4 is the plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the detailed structure of the supply roll and the free-turning roll in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a slanted view showing the recording device in Fig. 3 in a state of horizontal use;

Fig. 9 is a detailed longitudinal sectional view showing a rotary spring clutch in Fig. 1;

Figure 10 is a front view showing the control ring and the control rod in Figure 9;

Fig. 11 is a side view seen from the direction of arrow XI in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a side view of the control ring seen from the direction of arrow XII in Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a side view of the control ring seen from the direction of arrow XIII in Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a rear view showing the mounting surface of the automatic sheet feeding device of the recording device in Fig. 3;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view seen from the assembly surface where the automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 1 is loaded into the recording device;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of main parts showing the locking state of the coupling portion of the recording device and the automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 3;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view of main parts showing that the locked state is released in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a plan view showing a paper loading plate and a paper guide of the automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view along line XIX-XXIX in Fig. 18;

Fig. 20 is a partially cutaway front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

Figure 21 is a sectional view along line XXI-XXI in Figure 20;

Figure 22 is a plan view of Figure 20;

Figure 23 is a detailed horizontal sectional view showing the supply roll and the free-running roll in Figure 20;

Figure 24 is a sectional view along line XXIV-XXIV in Figure 23;

Fig. 25 is a sectional view along line XXV-XXV in Fig. 23;

Fig. 26 is a perspective view seen from the mounting surface when the automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 20 is mounted on the recording device;

Fig. 27 is a partially cutaway front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

Fig. 28 is a sectional view along line XXVIII-XXVIII in Fig. 27;

Figure 29 is a plan view of Figure 27;

Figure 30 is a partial horizontal sectional view showing the supply roll and the free-running roll in Figure 27;

Figure 31 is a sectional view along the line XXXI-XXXI in Figure 30;

Figure 32 is a sectional view along the line XXXII-XXXII in Figure 30;

Fig. 33 is a perspective view seen from the mounting surface when the automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 27 is mounted on the recording device;

Fig. 34 is a partially cutaway front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

Figure 35 is a sectional view along the line XXXV-XXXV in Figure 34;

Figure 36 is a plan view of Figure 34;

Fig. 37 is a partially cutaway front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

Figure 38 is a cross-sectional view along the line XXXⅧ-XXXⅧ in Figure 37;

Figure 39 is a plan view along Figure 37;

Fig. 40 is a partially cutaway front view of an automatic paper feeding device according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention;

Fig. 41 is a cross-sectional view showing an example in which a paper feeding device of another paper feeding method is used instead of the automatic paper feeding device of the present invention and installed in an image recording device;

Fig. 42 is an exploded explanatory diagram showing the structure of an example of a recording head used in an inkjet recording apparatus;

43( a ) to ( g ) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the principle of inkjet recording in which recording is performed by ejecting ink by growing air bubbles.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Example 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 19 .

Fig. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of an automatic paper feeding device according to the present invention from line I-I in Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an automatic paper feeding device of Fig. 1 A sectional view of the paper feeding device when it is mounted to the recording device; Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3 .

1 to 4, the frame 51 of the automatic paper feeder 50 is integrally formed, and its left part is a gear box part 51A, the middle part is a paper loading plate support part 51B, and the right part is a cover part 51C.

The paper feed shaft 52 passes above the paper loading plate support portion 51B, and its both ends are rotatably pivotally supported by the gear case portion 51A and the cover portion 51C, respectively. Two feed rollers 53A and 53B are attached to the paper feed shaft 52 so as to rotate integrally. In the illustration, the supply roller 53A on one side is mounted so as to be movable along the shaft 52 in the paper width direction, and the supply roller 53B on the other side is fixed to the shaft 52 .

On the paper loading plate support portion 51B of the frame 51, a paper loading plate 55 capable of holding a plurality of sheets of recording paper 54 is held stably so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The paper loading plate 55 is biased in the direction of the supply rollers 53A and 53B by a pressure spring 56 (see FIG. 2 ) attached between the paper loading plate 55 and the frame 51 . Therefore, the recording paper 54 loaded on the paper loading plate 55 is constantly biased toward the supply rollers 53A, 53B by the spring 56 .

When using paper of a different size as the recording paper 54, or even if the recording paper 54 is of the same size but is to be fed vertically or horizontally, the position of the supply roller 53A can be adjusted together with the paper guide 65 described later.

In front of the supply direction of the supply rollers 53A, 53B, that is, at a position adjacent to the front end of the paper loading plate 55, there is provided a separation device 57 consisting of a climbing slope on which the uppermost recording paper 54 can climb. In the present embodiment, the separation means 57 described above is formed as a part of the frame 51 .

As the above-mentioned supply rollers 53A and 53B, semicircular rollers having a semicircular shape (or a D-shape) whose cross section has equal-radius surfaces and unequal-radius surfaces are used. The above-mentioned equal-radius surface is the circumferential surface that contacts the recording paper 54 and feeds the recording paper; the above-mentioned non-equal-radius surface is within the set rotation range before and after the paper feeding standby position (reference position or initial position), away from the recording paper. 54 circumferences.

The above-mentioned automatic sheet feeding device 50 of this embodiment is mounted on the recording device 10 in an external manner, and is driven by power from a transport roller driving source of the recording device 10 or the like.

5 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the above-mentioned feed roller 53A on the above-mentioned paper feed shaft 52; FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII in FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 5 to 7, the supply roller 53A is made of hard plastic or the like, fitted into the hub portion 58 on the paper feed shaft 52, and fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the hub portion with an adhesive or the like. The rubber layer 59 is formed.

The above-mentioned rubber layer 59 part, as mentioned above, has an equal-radius surface that generates the feed force and an unequal-radius surface away from the recording paper 54. Round or D-shaped.

The above-mentioned hub portion 58 is installed so as to be integrally rotatable with the paper feed shaft 52 by matching the axial projection 60 formed on its inner diameter surface with the axial groove 61 formed on the paper feed shaft 52, and at the same time, it can be set in the axial direction. slide inside. The hub portion 58 is integrally formed with a cylindrical portion 62 that is smaller in diameter than the feed roller portion, concentric with the paper feed shaft 52 , and extends in the axial direction, and a drop-off prevention flange 63 located at the end of the cylindrical portion 62 .

On the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 62, a concentric and perfectly circular free-rotating roller 64 is rotatably fitted. The outer diameter of the freely rotating roller 64 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the paper feeding surface (constant radius surface) of the above-mentioned supply roller 53A, and larger than the truncated portion of the supply roller (unequal radius surface). The above-mentioned free-rotating roller 64 is made of a material with a relatively small friction coefficient, such as hard plastic.

In addition, on the above-mentioned cylindrical portion 62 of the hub portion 58 of the above-mentioned supply roller 53A, the end portion 113 of the paper guide 65 (see FIGS. 63 and the end face of the above-mentioned free-turning roller 64 cooperate with each other, and the position in the paper width direction can be adjusted simultaneously. Such a paper guide 65 can be mounted so as to move (slide) within a set range in the paper width direction with respect to the above-mentioned paper loading plate 55 as will be described later with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 . In addition, the paper guide 65 is movable in an approaching and departing direction (a vertical direction in the illustrated embodiment) relative to the supply roller 53 together with the paper loading plate 55 . Therefore, the end portion 113 that fits the flange portion 63 is formed in a substantially vertical position regardless of the vertical position of the paper loading plate 55 (the loading height of the recording paper 54 ) so that the fit is good.

The supply roller 53B and the free-turning roller 64 on the right side in FIG. 1 are installed at certain positions on the paper supply shaft 52, and are substantially symmetrical to the supply roller 53A described above. However, since the feed roller 53B is fixed to the paper feed shaft 52, in the illustrated embodiment, the flange portion 63 and the paper guide 65 are omitted, and the inner wall surface of the cover portion 51C of the frame 51 performs the same function. .

In addition, the position of the right supply roller 53B can be adjusted, and the free-rotating roller 64 and the paper guide 65 or equivalent parts are provided on the right side together with the supply roller 53B, so that left-right symmetry can be achieved.

Also, the uppermost side of the paper 54 is generally within the range of the slope of the separating device 57 .

The automatic paper feeder 50 according to the above-mentioned embodiment of the present invention is detachably mounted on the recording device 10, and is driven synchronously with the paper conveying roller by the driving source of the recording device 10 (for example, a motor for driving the paper conveying device, etc.). In addition, when the recording device 10 is installed with the automatic paper feeder 50, as shown in FIG. 3, it can be used in a vertical position; use.

Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, the general structure of the recording apparatus 10 described above will be described.

In FIGS. 3 and 8 , a paper insertion opening 11 and a paper exit 12 are formed on the upper surface (the front in the vertical position) of the recording device 10 . The recording paper inserted through the paper insertion port 11 is in close contact with the peripheral surface of the platen roller 14 which doubles as a paper conveying roller, and is conveyed in the direction of arrow A along a substantially U-shaped recording paper conveying path. Then, the recording paper is recorded while passing through the recording section facing the recording head 15, and is sent upward (front in the vertical position) from the paper exit 12 after recording.

Here, the paper supply support 16 is pivotally supported on the recording device 10 in an openable and closable manner, and is opened when in use (recording), and has the function as a paper supply support; Shown in solid line, it is in the closed position, covering the top of recording device 10 that is provided with paper insertion port 11, paper exit 12 and other switches, displays, etc., as cover 16, has a protective function.

In FIG. 3 , the recording head 15 is mounted on a carriage 22 that reciprocates along guide shafts 21 , 21 parallel to the platen roller 14 . In addition, the recording head 15 shown in the figure is an example of an inkjet head, and is comprised integrally with the ink tank. On the upstream side in the conveying direction of the recording head 15 , a platen member 23 for pressing the recording paper against the platen roller 14 is provided. The paper pressing member 23 is tightly pressed against the circumferential surface of the paper roll 14 by means of a spring (not shown). In addition, the pressure of the above-mentioned platen member 23 can be released by operating the lever. At the position of the paper exit 12, an urging roller 26 and a discharge roller 27 are provided to assist in sending out the recording paper.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the bottom surface of the recording device 10 (when standing vertically, the rear surface where the automatic sheet feeder 50 is mounted).

On the back of the recording device 10, a second paper insertion port 28 is formed. A substantially linear second recording paper conveyance path extending from the insertion port 28 through the recording section between the recording head 15 and the conveyance roller (platen roller) 14 to the paper outlet 12 is substantially horizontal. This second recording paper conveying path is used when the recording device 10 is placed vertically. Since there is no bending, it has the following advantages: even thick and tough recording paper such as thick paper such as postcards and envelopes or special paper such as plastic paper Paper feeding can be easily realized.

In this upright state, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the above-mentioned automatic paper feeder 50 is detachably installed, and the recording paper 54 is automatically fed one by one from the paper insertion port 28 on the back (in the upright position). . Therefore, the installation position of the automatic paper feeder 50 is such that the recording paper 54 is sent in from the inlet (paper insertion port) 28 along the linear transport path, and is detachably installed on the back side of the recording device 10 (the opening of the inlet 28). noodle). When the automatic paper feeding device 50 is installed on the recording device 10, in the illustrated embodiment, the above-mentioned paper feeding support 16 is placed in an open position as shown by the double-dot lock line in Figure 3. In this case, it is used as a paper discharge support .

The recording paper 54 fed from the automatic paper feeder 50 through the paper insertion hole 28 is first fed between the conveying roller 14 and the paper platen member 23, and passes through the conveying roller 14 and the supply roller which rotate synchronously at substantially the same peripheral speed. 53. Feed all the way to the paper feeding position (usually the recorder position).

After the semicircular supply roller 53 returns to the initial position and the paper feeding force is released, the recording operation starts, and recording is performed on the recording paper 54 while being conveyed by the above-mentioned conveying roller 14 .

The recording paper 54 fed out by the feed roller 14 is fed between the paper feed roller 27 and the biasing roller 26 provided near the paper exit 12 . Afterwards, it is transported by the synchronously driven transport roller 14 and paper feed roller 27 . The paper feed roller 27 is also driven synchronously with the above-mentioned conveyance roller 14 at approximately the same peripheral speed. During the subsequent recording operation, the recording paper 54 is conveyed by the conveyance roller 14 and the paper feed roller 27, and the recording paper 54 that has been recorded is Send to the paper feed support 16 that doubles as the paper discharge support.

In addition, when the recording paper 54 is drawn or conveyed by the conveying roller 14 or the conveying roller and the discharge roller 27, even if the recording paper 54 is stored in the automatic paper feeding device 50, the recording paper 54 at this time is only in contact with the above-mentioned free rotatable. Since the turning roller 64 is in pressure contact with the supply roller 53, the recording paper 54 can be pulled out with almost no resistance, and the braking effect at the time of conveying the recording paper can be eliminated. In addition, it is also possible to prevent overlapping delivery of the second or lower sheets.

In the state where the automatic paper feeder 50 is mounted on the recording device 10 , due to the gear 71 (the output gear from the recording device 10 ) fixed on the shaft of the paper conveyance roller 14 and the gear case 51A provided on the automatic paper feeder 50 The input gears 72 mesh with each other (see FIGS. 1 and 3 ), and therefore, the input gears 72 are rotationally driven in synchronization with paper conveyance of the recording device 10 . The rotation of the input gear is transmitted to the gear 74 (clutch gear) on the paper feed shaft 52 through the gear 73 .

Here, a one-rotation spring clutch 75 is provided between the gear 74 and the paper feed shaft 52 . The one-rotation spring clutch 75 operates as follows: that is, in conjunction with a small amount of reverse rotation (rotation opposite to the conveying direction) of the paper conveying roller (platen roller) 14 generated in accordance with the paper feed signal, one revolution The spring clutch 75 is reversed when the supply roller 53 is separated from the recording paper 54 at the reference position or the initial position. Due to the operation during the reverse rotation, the control device such as the control lever is released from the position preventing the rotation of the recording direction, and the spring clutch 75 is switched from disengaged to engaged. In addition, even in the state where the supply roller 53 is separated from the recording paper 54 , the above-mentioned freely rotating roller 64 having a perfect circular cross section is in pressure contact with the recording paper 54 .

In the state where the clutch is turned on, the supply roller (D-shaped roller or semi-circular roller) 53 is rotated approximately one revolution in conjunction with the set amount of rotation of the transport roller (platen roller) 14 in the recording direction, and the recording paper 54 separates only one sheet, and feeds the paper up to the position beyond the paper introduction portion of the platen roller 14 . When the roller 53 returns to the initial position (the position where a gap is formed between the supply roller 53 and the recording paper 54), the above-mentioned control device is repositioned to prevent the rotation of the recording direction, the clutch 75 is disengaged, and the platen is cut off. The linkage between the roller 14 and the supply roller 53 stops the supply roller 53 . In this way, only one sheet of recording paper 54 is separated and fed out during one rotation of the feed roller 53 (paper feed shaft 52 ).

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the one-rotation spring clutch 75, and FIGS. 10 to 13 are explanatory views showing the control rod (control device) and the control ring in FIG. 9 .

The one-rotation spring clutch 75 attached to the paper feed shaft 52 has a hub portion (spool portion) 76 integrated with the clutch gear (input gear) 74, a helical clutch spring 77, a clutch drum 78, and a control ring. 79. As shown in FIGS. 10-13 , on the above-mentioned control ring 79 , the control device (control lever) 80 for controlling the clutch action is pressed toward the radial centripetal direction and the axial direction by means of a control spring 81 . The clutch drum 78 is fixed to the paper feed shaft 52 and rotates integrally.

On the other hand, a clutch gear 74 having a hub portion 76 is fitted to the paper feed shaft 52 so as to be able to rotate freely. A clutch spring support portion is provided on the peripheral surfaces of the hub portion 76 and the clutch drum 78 , and a helical clutch spring 77 is looped across both sides. One end of the clutch spring 77 engages a hole 82 formed in the clutch drum 78 to which it is constantly connected. The other end of the clutch spring 77 is hooked to a notch 83 formed in a control ring 79 rotatably fitted on the outer periphery of the clutch spring 77 .

The control ring 79 has the shape shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 , and the left rotation in the plan view of FIG.

The control rod 80 is freely fitted on the shaft 84 provided in the gear box part 51A of the frame 51. As shown in FIGS. direction (to the right in Figure 11) and the radius is biased towards the center.

In the paper feed standby state (the reference non-contact position of the feed roller 53 ), the control lever 80 is hooked to the notch 85 of the control ring 79 and stops. At this time, the recording paper 54 is pressed against by the above-mentioned free-rotating rollers 64 , 64 .

When there is a paper feeding command from the control unit, first, the transport roller 14 rotates in reverse by a set amount. Synchronized with this, the control ring 79 rotates only a set number of intervals in the reverse rotation direction (ie, clockwise rotation direction) via the transmission device (clutch gear) 74 and the clutch spring 77 . The rotation at this time makes the above-mentioned conveying roller 14 reversely rotate, so that the above-mentioned clutch gear 74 rotates in the direction in which the clutch spring 77 wound on its hub portion (reel) 76 is relaxed; The contact load of the recording paper 54 is small, so the initial tightening torque of the clutch spring 77 works, the rotation of the clutch gear (transmission device) 74 is transmitted, and the control ring 79 hooked on the spring end of the clutch spring 77 only rotates in the reverse direction. Orientation rotates the set number of intervals.

Through the reverse rotation of the control ring 79, the control rod 80 moves outward along the slope portion 86 of the notch 85 of the control ring 79 in the radial direction of the control ring, and once it crosses the surface 88, it is pushed against the surface 87 by the control spring 81. On the top, it becomes a sliding state along the surfaces 87 and 88.

Then, the control ring 79 is turned roughly one turn in the positive direction. That is, the clutch gear 74 is rotated in the forward direction synchronously with the rotation of the transport roller 14, and the clutch spring 77 wound around the hub portion 76 is rotated in the tight direction. Then, the hub portion 76, the clutch spring 77, and the clutch drum 78 rotate integrally, and the torque is transmitted to the paper feed shaft 52 and the feed roller 53, driving them to rotate in the normal direction. At the same time, the control ring 79 coupled to one end of the above-mentioned clutch spring 77 is also rotated in the same direction.

Due to the rotation at this time and the urging force of the above-mentioned control spring 81 , the control rod 80 moves toward the surface 88 , and at the same time, presses against the surface 87 and slides along the surface 87 and the surface 88 . Due to this forward rotation, the supply roller 53 is driven, and the recording paper 54 starts to be fed.

After forward rotation with the set angle, the control rod 80 descends from the inclined surface 93 to the surface 89, and then continues to be guided by the surface 94 to join the surface 89. If it is further positive rotation, the top of the control rod 80 is hooked on the The rotation of the control ring 79 is stopped at the cutout 85 of the control ring 79 . That is, when it rotates positively at a set angle, the control rod 80 first falls toward the surface 89 through the inclined surface 93, and then slides along the surfaces 87, 89 at a set angle.

If it is further rotated in the positive direction, the control rod 80 will slide along the surfaces 89 and 90 after being raised along the slope 94 . If it is further forwardly rotated and rotated once, then the above-mentioned slit 85 formed at the colliding falling position is embedded from the faces 89, 90, and is locked in the slit 85, and the rotation of the control ring 79 stops. Since the rotation of the control ring 79 stops, the one-turn spring clutch 75 becomes disengaged again.

To sum up the above actions, through the initial reversal of the control ring 79 (the number of pulses set), the paper feed trigger for making the supply roller 53 rotate one revolution is hooked, and from there the control ring 79 is rotated in the forward direction for one revolution. 53 is driven to rotate, the supply roller 53 and the control ring 79 make a full turn and return to the initial position, the above-mentioned control rod 80 is inserted into the notch 85 again, the clutch is disengaged, and the supply roller 53 stops at the reference position. Then, synchronously with the transport roller 14, the supply roller 53 rotates once, and the paper feeding operation is completed.

The number of pulses of the above-mentioned reversing trigger is such that when the supply roller 53 is reversely rotated by the motor for driving the conveying roller of the recording device 10, the control lever 80 moves along the slope portion 86 of the control ring 79 and is completely disengaged from the notch 85. However, it moves toward the surfaces 87 and 88, and it is preferable that the supply roller 53 does not interfere with other parts such as the recording paper 54 to cause adverse effects such as paper displacement.

By the above-mentioned one-rotation spring clutch 75, the supply roller 53 can be controlled to surely make one revolution. Therefore, in the paper feeding standby state, the recording paper 54 is guided into a position protruding in the feeding direction from the set initial position, that is, brought into a state beyond the position of the separation device 57. Necessary feed within 10.

That is, according to the setting range of the equal-radius surface that is pressed against the recording paper 54, even if the paper feeding is completed before the supply roller 53 makes one revolution, the control ring 79 returns to the initial position thereafter, and the movement of the supply roller 53 After the rotation is stopped, the driving source is still rotating in order to draw out the recording paper 54 . Therefore, the problem of insecure engagement with the control rod 80 due to insufficient rotation of the control ring 79 does not occur. Then, the control ring 79 is often controlled to be able to return to the initial position (the notch portion of the semicircular or D-shaped cross-section faces the recording paper 54 without contact, and is pressed against the recording paper 54 only by the above-mentioned free-rotating roller 64 s position). In addition, due to this, even when a paper feeding error such as misalignment or slippage occurs, the paper can be reliably re-fed.

Next, the detachable coupling structure of the recording device 10 and the automatic paper feeder 50 will be described.

14 is a rear view showing the mounting surface of the automatic paper feeding device of the recording device 10; FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the mounting surface (front) of the automatic paper feeding device 50; FIG. The horizontal sectional view of the combined state; Fig. 17 shows the state after unlocking from the state of Fig. 16.

First, on the back side of the recording device 10, as shown in FIGS. 14, 16 and 17, the above-mentioned output gear 71 which rotates synchronously with the platen roller 14 is pivotally supported. On the one hand, on the side of the assembly surface of the automatic paper feeder 50, as shown in FIGS. By meshing these gears 71 and 72, the driving force of the feed roller 53 is transmitted to the automatic sheet feeder side.

In the recording device 10 , a frame member 35 is provided to support the platen roller 14 , the bearings of the paper conveying motor 34 and the like, and the housing portion is attached to the frame member 35 . The automatic paper feeder 50 is equipped with a lever 101 and a swingable hook member 103 with a top hook 102 that can move by a set amount in the front-rear direction. The hook member 103 is biased inwardly by a tension spring 104 .

On the other hand, an opening 201 is formed at a position corresponding to the hook 102 of the frame member 35 of the recording device 10 . As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the peripheral portion of the opening 201 is rounded so that the hook 102 can be smoothly engaged.

In the state where the hook 102 in FIG. 16 is engaged, the tension spring 104 is extended (for example, 1 to 2 mm), and the automatic sheet feeder 50 is pressed and coupled to the recording device 10 by the spring force. When the lever 101 is grasped by the hook member 103 and turned back, as shown in FIG. 17 , the lock is released and the automatic sheet feeder 50 can be separated from the recording device 10 . The crimping force in this bonded state is borne by three contact surfaces in total.

As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 , a first contact surface 105 as a contact reference surface and second and third contact surfaces 106 and 107 are formed on the automatic sheet feeder 50 side. As shown in the figure, the contact reference surface 105 is provided near the input gear 72 . The reference contact surface 202 opposite to the contact reference surface 105 is formed on the frame member 35 with high strength and high rigidity, and its position is selected close to the meshing portion of the gears 71,72. In addition, the line of action of the above-mentioned hook member 103 that applies the pressure-bonding force to the connecting portion is selected at a position where a stable connection can be obtained in consideration of the positions of the contact surfaces 105, 106, and 107 as shown in the figure.

In addition, the second and third contact surfaces 106 and 107 may directly contact the back surface of the recording device 10 . And, positioning pins 203, 204 are formed on the mounting surface of the automatic paper feeding device 50, and by making these pins 203, 204 cooperate with the positioning holes 205, 206 formed on the back side of the recording device 10, the automatic paper feeding device 50 is aligned relative to the Positioning of recording device 10 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 14 , the hole 205 among the positioning holes 205 and 206 is a long hole.

Fig. 18 is a plan view showing the paper loading plate 55 and the paper guide 65, and Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX in Fig. 18 .

In FIGS. 18 and 19 , a guide groove 111 is formed in the paper width direction setting range of the paper loading plate 55 , and a fastening portion 112 that can slide along the guide groove 111 is formed at the lower part of the paper guide device 65 . As shown in FIG. 19 , the upper surface of the engaging portion 112 is formed on the same surface as the upper surface of the paper loading plate 55 , so that the loading recording paper 54 can be loaded on the same surface.

The front end portion 113 of the paper guide 65 is engaged with the flange portion 63 ( FIGS. 5 and 7 ) of the supply roller 53A described above. Therefore, when the paper guide 65 is moved according to the paper width, the position of the supply roller 53A and the free-turning roller 64 adjacent thereto can also be adjusted simultaneously.

Next, Example 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 to 26 . And the difference from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

Fig. 20 is a front view of this embodiment; Fig. 21 is a sectional view along line XXI-XXI in Fig. 20; Fig. 22 is a plan view of Fig. 20.

On the rear side of the paper feed direction of the paper feed shaft 52, a support shaft 301 parallel to the paper feed shaft 52 is provided. The shaft 301 is usually installed in a fixed state. Free-rotating rollers 302A, 302B adjacent to these supply rollers are pivotally supported on the support shaft at positions corresponding to the supply rollers 53A, 53B, respectively.

The free-rotating roller 302A on one side is the same as the corresponding supply roller 53A, and can move along the axis 301 in the paper width direction; the free-rotating roller 302B on the other side can rotate freely relative to the axis 301, but it can move at a certain distance in the paper width direction. The location is installed.

Fig. 23 is a horizontal sectional view of the above-mentioned feed roller 53A on the above-mentioned paper feed shaft 52 and the free-rotating roller 302A on the above-mentioned support shaft 301; Fig. 24 is a sectional view of line XXIV-XXIV in Fig. 23; Fig. 25 is a sectional view of Fig. 23 The end view seen from line XXV-XXV in .

In FIGS. 23 to 25, the supply roller 53A is formed of hard plastic or the like, and is composed of a hub portion 58 fitted on the paper feed shaft 52 and a rubber layer 59 fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the hub portion with an adhesive or the like. . The peripheral surface of the supply roller including the above-mentioned rubber layer 59 has, as described above, a constant-radius surface that generates feeding force and a non-uniform-radius surface that separates from the recording paper 54 . Its cross-sectional shape, as shown in the figure, is a semicircle or a D shape in which a part of the arc is cut off with a chord.

The hub portion 58 rotates integrally with the paper feed shaft 52 by engaging the axial protrusion 60 formed on the inner diameter surface thereof with the axial groove 61 formed on the paper feed shaft 52, and at the same time, is set in the axial direction. Swipe within range. The above-mentioned hub portion 58 is provided with a cylindrical portion 62 that is smaller in diameter than the supply roller portion and concentric with the paper feed shaft 52 and extends axially. Engaged circumferential groove 63 .

On the other hand, a freely rotatable roller 302A adjacent to the supply roller 53A is rotatably supported on a support shaft 301 arranged in parallel to the paper feed shaft 52 . A hub portion 303 extending in the axial direction is also formed on the free-rotating roller 302A, and a circumferential groove for preventing disengagement of the vertical notch 304 of the above-mentioned paper guide 65 is formed on the hub portion 303 so as to be slidably engaged. 305. In addition, the above-mentioned paper guide device 65 is for guiding along the side surface of the recording paper 54 on the paper loading plate 55, and the position of the paper loading plate 55 can be adjusted in the paper width direction.

Then, the above-mentioned supply roller 53A and the above-mentioned free-turning roller 302A are usually moved in the paper width direction by the above-mentioned paper guide device 65 with a constant positional relationship.

The positions and outer diameters of the above-mentioned free-rotating rollers 302A and 302B should be selected so that for the loaded recording paper 54, the outer diameters of the paper supply surfaces (equal radius surfaces) of the above-mentioned supply rollers 53A and 53B are separated by a certain amount (returned by a certain amount). ), the peripheral surface that is closer (protruding) to the notch portion (different radius surface) of the supply roller. The above-mentioned free-rotating roller 302 is made of a material with a small friction coefficient, such as hard plastic.

In addition, the paper guide 65 should be installed so as to be able to move (slide) within a set range in the paper width direction with respect to the above-mentioned paper loading plate 55 as in the above-mentioned first embodiment. The front end portion 113 of the paper guide 65 engages with the circumferential groove 63 (see FIG. 23 ) of the above-mentioned supply roller 53A, and the notch 304 formed in the paper guide 65 in a substantially vertical direction is slidably engaged. In the circumferential groove 305 of the above-mentioned free-turning roller 302A, for this reason, when the paper guide 65 is moved according to the paper width, the above-mentioned supply roller 53A and the adjacent free-turning roller 302A also move at the same time, and usually can be adjusted to a set value. Location.

The supply roller 53B and the free-turning roller 302B on the right side in FIG. 22 are installed at certain positions on the paper supply shaft 52, and are substantially symmetrical to the supply roller 53A and the free-turning roller 302A described above. However, the feed roller 53B is fixed on the paper feed shaft 52. Although the free-rotating roller 302B can rotate freely on the support shaft 301, its axial position is limited. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, their circumferential grooves 63 and 305 is omitted, and the parts corresponding to the hub parts 58 and 303 are cut. In addition, the function corresponding to the above-mentioned paper guide 65 is performed by the inner wall surface of the cover portion 51C of the frame 51 .

In addition, the right side supply roller 53B and the free-turning roller 302B can be adjusted in position, and the paper guide 65 or the equivalent is provided on the right side, and of course a left-right symmetrical structure can be formed.

In addition, in the automatic paper feeder of the present embodiment, it can be mounted on the recording device 10 as in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment.

Next, Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 33 .

Fig. 27 is a front view of this embodiment; Fig. 28 is a sectional view along line XXVIII-XXVIII in Fig. 27; Fig. 29 is a plan view of Fig. 27.

In FIGS. 27 to 29 , the frame 51 of the automatic paper feeder 50 has an integral structure, and its left part forms a gear box part 51A, its middle part forms a paper loading plate support part 51B, and its right part forms a cover part 51C. The paper feed shaft 52 passes above the paper loading plate support portion 51B, and both ends thereof are rotatably supported by the gear case portion 51A and the cover portion 51C.

Supply rollers 53 are integrally formed at three places at each set interval on the above-mentioned paper supply shaft 52 . That is, the paper feed shaft 52 and the three feed rollers 53 are integrally formed by plastic injection molding or the like. In addition, as shown in the figure, the parts other than the shaft support portions at both ends of the paper feed shaft 52 have a cross-section in order to maintain rigidity and reduce weight.

On the paper loading plate support portion 51B of the above-mentioned frame 51, the paper loading plate 55 capable of loading a plurality of sheets of recording paper 54 is stably held in a vertically movable manner. The above-mentioned three supply rollers 53 are biased by springs (Fig. 2). Therefore, the recording paper 54 loaded on the paper loading plate 55 is constantly biased toward the supply roller 53 by the spring 56 .

On the above-mentioned paper loading plate 55, the above-mentioned paper guide 65 which is in contact with the sides of the loaded recording paper 54 and defines its position is mounted so as to be movable in the paper width direction. The paper guide 65, in the illustrated embodiment, cooperates with the vertical inner wall surface 66 of the cover 51C of the frame 51 to guide the position of both sides of the loaded paper 54. The paper guide 65 can be adjusted when different sizes of paper are used as recording paper, or when the same size is fed vertically or horizontally. In addition, the positional relationship of the above-mentioned three feed rollers 53 is set up like this: when paper is fed vertically, for example, in the case of using a fixed size paper, the two feed rollers 53 on the right side in Fig. 27 are used to feed the paper 54; When paper is fed in the horizontal direction, all three rollers 53 are used for paper feeding.

In front of the supply roller 53 in the feeding direction or at a position adjacent to the front end of the paper loading plate 55, a separation device 57 consisting of a climbing slope to which the uppermost recording paper 54 can climb is provided.

As the above-mentioned supply roller 53 , a semicircular roller having a semicircular (or D-shaped) cross section including equal-radius surfaces and unequal-radius surfaces is used. The above-mentioned equal-radius surface is a peripheral surface that is pressed against the recording paper 54 to feed the recording paper; the above-mentioned non-equal-radius surface is within the set rotation range before and after the paper feeding standby position (reference position or initial position), The peripheral surface detached from the recording paper.

In this embodiment, the free-rotating roller 302 is arranged on the front side of the supply roller 53 in the paper feeding direction, and at a position on the loading plate 55 adjacent to the separator 57 described above. That is, a support shaft 301 parallel to the paper feed shaft 52 is rotatably supported on the front side of the paper feed shaft 52 in the paper feed direction. Free-rotating rollers 302 are integrally formed at positions (three places) corresponding to the respective supply rollers 53 on the support shaft 301 .

The positions and radii of each revolving roller 302 are selected in this way: that is, with respect to the loaded recording paper 54, there should be a number of distances (returning back) from the above-mentioned equal-radius surface of each supply roller 53, and a ratio of the above-mentioned unequal-radius surface. The closer (protruding) perimeter. Therefore, when the equal-radius surface of the supply roller 53 is not in contact with the loaded paper 54, the above-mentioned free-turning roller 302 replaces the supply roller in contact with the paper 54, so that there is always pressure on the loaded recording paper 54. There is almost no resistance (braking) when pulling out.

Both ends of the support shaft 301 are rotatably supported by the gear box portion 51A and the cover portion 51C of the frame 51 .

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned supporting shaft 301 and the free-rotating roller 302 are integrally formed by plastic injection molding, etc. In addition, the supporting shaft 301 is the same as the paper feeding shaft 52, except for both ends, it is in a cross section to maintain its Rigid and lightweight.

Furthermore, the free-turning roller 302 is arranged on the front side of the supply roller 53 and at the front end of the loading plate 55 . Therefore, it is usually located very close to the separation device 57, which can limit the floating of the loaded recording paper 54, and has the effect of further improving the separation performance of the recording paper 54 during paper feeding.

Depending on the occasion, the above-mentioned free-turning roller 302 may also be arranged on the rear side of the above-mentioned supply roller 53 . In addition, the configuration of the above-mentioned supply roller 53 and the free-rotating roller 302 can also be set to more than 4 places, as shown in the figure, it is set at 3 places, such as postcards and cut papers. When feeding paper, at least two rollers can be used to contact each other, so that deformation and skewing of the recording paper 54 can be prevented, and a stable paper feeding operation can be realized.

Fig. 30 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the above-mentioned supply roller 53 on the above-mentioned paper feed shaft 52 and the free-rotating roller 302 on the above-mentioned support shaft 301; Fig. 31 is a cross-sectional view along the line XXXI-XXXI in Fig. 30; The end view seen on line XXXII-XXXII in 30.

In FIGS. 30 to 32, the three feed rollers 53 are integrally formed with the above-mentioned paper feed shaft 52 together with hard plastic, etc., and the outer peripheral surface of each feed roller 53 (the range of the equal radius surface in the illustrated example) is glued. The rubber layer 59 is fixed by an adhesive or the like. The peripheral surface (including the rubber layer) of the above-mentioned supply roller 53, as mentioned above, includes a constant-radius surface for generating a feeding force and a unequal-radius surface for separating from the recording paper 54, and its cross-sectional shape, as shown in the figure, is A semicircle or D shape that cuts off part of a circle.

On the one hand, the support shaft 301 arranged parallel to the paper feed shaft 52 and the three free-rotating rollers 302 are integrally formed of hard plastic or the like (preferably a material with a low coefficient of friction). Both ends of the support shaft 301 are rotatably supported by the frame 51 . Therefore, the three freely rotatable rollers 302 are integrally rotatable together with the support shaft 301 .

The positions and outer diameters of the above-mentioned free revolving rollers 302 are selected in this way: that is, relative to the loaded recording paper 54, there should be a number (lower) than the outer diameter (equal radius surface) of the paper supply surface of the above-mentioned supply roller 53. , is closer (higher) to the peripheral surface (the contact portion with the recording paper 54 ) than the notch portion (unequal radius surface) of the supply roller. Therefore, the above-mentioned freely rotating roller 302 can replace the supply roller 53 and contact the recording paper 54 when the equal-radius surface of the supply roller 53 is not in contact with the recording paper 54 .

On the one hand, the above-mentioned paper guide device 65 is for guiding the side of the recording paper 54 on the paper loading plate 55, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 18 and FIG. Move (slide) within the set range of directions.

In addition, since the paper guide 65 is movable relative to the supply roller 53 and the free-turning roller 302 (up and down in the illustrated example), it is provided at a position not in contact with the supply roller 53 and the free-turning roller 302 . In addition, in this embodiment, the paper guide 65 is provided only on the left side, and the inner wall surface of the cover portion 51C of the frame 51 functions as a paper guide on the right side.

However, position-adjustable paper guides can also be arranged on the left and right sides as required.

As in the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure in which the free-rotating roller 302 is arranged on the rear side of the supply roller 53 is effective in preventing the recording paper 54 on the loading plate 55 from floating. However, as in the present embodiment, the structure in which the free-rotating roller 302 is arranged on the front side of the supply roller 53 usually regulates the floating of the loaded recording paper 54 at a position very close to the separation device 57, so it has the advantage of making the paper feeding more efficient. This has the effect of further improving the separability of the recording paper 54 at the beginning.

In addition, even in the automatic paper feeder of the present embodiment, it can be mounted on the recording device 10 as in FIG. 3 of the first embodiment.

Fig. 34 is a front view showing Embodiment 4 of the automatic sheet feeding device according to the present invention; Fig. 35 is a sectional view along line XXXV-XXXV in Fig. 34; Fig. 36 is a plan view of Fig. 34.

In this embodiment, instead of the free roller 302 in the second embodiment, a guide member 311 capable of contacting the recording paper 54 on the paper loading plate 55 is provided. The supply rollers 53 are fixedly arranged at three positions in the paper width direction. However, in this embodiment, the respective supply rollers 53 face each other. The pivotally supported paper feed shaft 52 capable of transmitting the rotational driving force is fixed so as to be relatively immovable in both the rotational direction and the axial direction.

The guide member 311 has a substantially vertical plate shape at a position near each of the supply rollers 53 in the paper width direction. In addition, each guide member 311 is integrally formed with the frame 51 of the automatic sheet feeding device 50. In the illustrated example, in order to connect the gear box portion 51A and the cover portion 51C, a support plate 312 is formed between them. Each guide member 311 is formed from The support plate 312 is integrally formed extending backward.

In addition, the shaft (feed shaft) 52 of the feed roller 53 is positioned to pass through each guide member 311 , so an opening 313 ( FIG. 35 ) is formed in each guide member 311 through which the paper feed shaft 52 passes. Each of the above-mentioned guide members 311 is slightly lower than the constant-radius surface (the peripheral surface that contacts and feeds the recording paper 54) of each of the above-mentioned supply rollers 53 (separate from the recording paper 54), and is higher than the non-equal-radius surface (semicircle portion) (towards The recording paper 54 side protrudes), and the shape and size of the recording paper 54 on the paper loading plate 55 can be contacted.

Further, since the positions of the supply roller 53 and the guide member 311 are fixed, the paper guide 65, which is mounted on the paper loading plate 55 independently in the paper width direction, deviates from these parts.

This embodiment is different from the above-mentioned embodiments in the above point, and other parts have substantially the same structure, and the corresponding parts are denoted by the same symbols, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

According to this embodiment, compared with the above-mentioned embodiments, the free-rotating roller 302 and its support shaft can be omitted. In addition, the corresponding guide member 311 can be integrally formed with the frame 51. Therefore, the paper feeding device can be small and light. Quantify and reduce costs.

In addition, the arrangement of the above-mentioned supply roller 53 and the guide member 311 can also be set to four or more places, as shown in the figure, it is arranged at three places, so for example, when the fixed paper such as a postcard or cut paper is fed from the vertical or the horizontal direction, the At least two rollers can be brought into pressure contact, deformation and skewing of the recording paper 54 can be prevented, and a stable paper feeding operation can be performed.

Fig. 37 is a front view showing Embodiment 5 of the automatic sheet feeding device according to the present invention; Fig. 38 is a sectional view along line XXXVIII-XXXVIII in Fig. 37; Fig. 39 is a plan view of Fig. 37.

In this embodiment, the substantially vertical plate-shaped guide member 311 in Embodiment 4 is changed to a spoon shape or a protruding arc-shaped cross-sectional shape at the set width (in the illustrated embodiment, it is the full width of the paper feeding width) The flat guide part.

In the illustrated embodiment, an opening 314 is formed in the region of the supply roller 53 of the guide member 311 .

The feed rollers 53 are fixed at three places in the paper width direction of the paper feed shaft 52 as in the third embodiment. That is, the three feed rollers 53 are respectively fixed so as to be incapable of relative movement in both the rotational direction and the axial direction with respect to the pivotally supported paper feed shaft 52 capable of transmitting a rotational driving force.

Each guide member 311 of this embodiment has a shape capable of being pressed against the recording paper 54 on the loading plate 55 at approximately the same position in the paper feeding direction as the feeding rollers 53 as shown in the figure. The downward curved portion of each guide member 311 is slightly lower than the equal-radius surface of each of the above-mentioned supply rollers 53 (the peripheral surface that is pressed against and fed by the recording paper 54), and is higher than the non-equal-radius surface (semicircle portion), and is in line with the above-mentioned paper. The shape and size that the recording paper 54 on the loading plate 55 can touch.

In addition, each guide member 311 is integrally formed with the frame 51 of the automatic paper feeding device 50. In the illustrated embodiment, a support plate 312 is connected between the gear case portion 51A and the cover portion 51C, and each guide member is formed from the support plate to the cover portion 51C. The rear extension is integrally formed.

This embodiment is different from the previous embodiments in the aspects mentioned above, and the other parts have substantially the same structure, and the corresponding parts are represented by the same symbols, and the detailed description is omitted.

In addition, in the present embodiment, since the positions of all the supply rollers 53 and the guide member 311 are fixed, the paper guide 65 and these components deviate from each other, and the paper guide 65 is installed so as to be able to move independently on the paper loading plate 55 in the paper width direction. move up.

In addition, although the above-mentioned arrangement of the supply roller 53 and the guide member 311 can also be provided with four or more, if three are provided as shown in the figure, the fixed paper such as postcards and cut paper will be fed regardless of whether the paper is fed vertically or horizontally. , at least two rollers can be brought into pressure contact, the deformation and skew of the recording paper 54 can be prevented, and the paper feeding operation can be performed stably.

According to each embodiment described above, at the same time when the pressure contact between the supply roller 53 and the loaded recording paper 54 is released at the reference position, at the reference position, the free-turning roller 302 or the guide member 311 that presses the recording paper is arranged in the same position as the reference position. The paper feed shaft 52 is provided on another support shaft 301 or separately. For this reason, the load (pressure contact force, etc.) on the paper feed shaft 52 disappears at the reference position, and the driving efficiency when the paper feed shaft 52 is driven to rotate by a spring clutch or the like can be improved. Miniaturization, saving of power consumption, light weight and miniaturization due to simplification of structure, and cost reduction are possible.

Furthermore, since the paper guide 65 is not engaged with the supply roller 53, etc., and its position can be adjusted independently, the load (force) applied to the sliding mechanism of the paper guide 65 can be eliminated, so that each When the paper guide device 65 is operated, the jitter of the contact force against the side edge of the recording paper disappears, and the recording paper can be guided with a certain force, so that automatic paper feeding that can reliably prevent the skewing and deformation of the recording paper 54 during paper feeding can be obtained. device.

Fig. 40 shows Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the contactable, detachable, and swingable paper feed rollers are arranged on the loaded paper instead of the semicircular rollers shown in the above-mentioned embodiments. That is, the paper feed roller 53C is rotatably supported by the shaft 52A, and the shaft 52A is provided to swing freely with the shaft 53B as a fulcrum via the rod 52C. In addition, the feed roller 53C is transmitted to rotate by a drive transmission device (not shown).

According to this configuration, when the paper feed roller 53C feeds the recording paper 54 and makes one rotation, the position away from the upper surface of the recording paper 54 swings as indicated by the dotted line. At this time, the free roller 302A comes into contact with the upper surface of the recording paper 54 and maintains the uppermost recording paper at a position corresponding to the slope 57, so that the recording paper 54 can be reliably separated and fed one by one.

Next, the connection of another automatic sheet feeding device 400 to the recording device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 41 .

The automatic paper feeder 400 is composed of a paper feeder 401 for storing recording paper 402 , and a paper feeder 403 for supplying the recording paper 402 from the paper feeder 401 to the recording device 10 . The paper supply box unit 401 includes a pressure plate 404 on which the recording paper 402 is loaded, a spring 405 biasing the pressure plate 404 toward the paper supply unit 403 , and separation claws 406 capable of pressing both front corners of the recording paper 402 . The paper feed section 403 is provided with a semicircular paper feed roller 407 and a feed auxiliary roller 408 .

The connection between the automatic sheet feeding device 400 and the recording device 10 is performed in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, the drive of the paper feed roller 407 and the auxiliary feed roller 408 is transmitted from the recording device side through a gear train not shown in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.

According to this structure, the paper feed roller 407 rotates, and the recording paper 402 is fed out from the paper feed case unit 401 . At this time, the separation claw 406 separates the recording paper 402 one by one. The separated recording paper 402 is sent to the recording device 10 by the feed auxiliary roller 408 . Subsequent recording operations are the same as those in the previous embodiment.

In addition, the automatic paper feeder 50 of the aforementioned embodiment is suitable for feeding thick recording paper and strong recording paper; the above-mentioned automatic paper feeder 400 is suitable for feeding of recording paper for general use.

Next, an ink jet recording method suitable for the recording apparatus 10 described above will be described.

The inkjet recording method includes a liquid discharge port for ejecting ink for recording as flying liquid droplets, a liquid flow path communicated with the discharge port, and a part of the liquid flow path provided in order to make the flow path A discharge energy generating device that provides discharge energy for the ink to fly. And according to the image signal, the above-mentioned discharge energy generating means is driven to discharge ink droplets to record an image.

As the above-mentioned discharge energy generating device, there is a method of using a pressure energy generating device such as an electromechanical transducer such as a piezoelectric element, and using a method of irradiating electromagnetic waves such as laser light on the ink to absorb heat and discharge the ink under the action of heat. A method using an electromagnetic energy generating device, or a method using a thermal energy generating device that heats ink through an electrothermal transducer and discharges the ink. Among them, a thermal energy generator using an electrothermal transducer is used. The method of discharging the ink is suitable because the liquid discharge ports can be arranged at a high density so that high-resolution recording can be obtained and the recording head can be miniaturized.

Next, the serial inkjet recording method, which is one of the inkjet recording methods, will be specifically described.

Fig. 42 is an explanatory view showing an exploded structure of the recording head 501 constituting the recording apparatus; Figs. 43(a) to (g) are explanatory views illustrating the principle of bubble jet recording. Its representative structure and principle have been disclosed in U.S. No. 4,723,129 and U.S. No. 4,740,796.

In FIG. 42 , 501 a is a heating plate, and an electrothermal transducer (exhaust heat) 501 b and an electrode 501 c of aluminum or the like for supplying electric power thereto are formed into a film and arranged on a silicon substrate. The heating plate 501a is constituted by a top plate 501e to which a partition wall 501d is bonded for partitioning a liquid path (nozzle) 501d of the recording liquid. Also, an ink cartridge is exchangeably installed at a set position of the apparatus to supply ink to the recording head 501 described above.

Ink supplied from the above-mentioned ink cartridges through the conduit is filled into the common liquid chamber 501g in the recording head 501 from the supply port 501f provided on the top plate 501e, and is guided from the common liquid chamber 501g to the nozzles 501d. Ink discharge ports 501h are formed on these nozzle tubes 501d, and the discharge ports 501h are formed at predetermined intervals along the paper conveying direction to face the recording paper of the recording head 501.

In this embodiment, the recording head 501 configured as described above is mounted on a reciprocating carriage, and ink is ejected and flew from the recording head 501 in synchronization with the movement of the carriage to perform recording.

Here, the principle of ink flying in the inkjet recording method will be described with reference to FIGS. 43( a ) to ( g ).

In a normal state, as shown in FIG. 43( a ), the surface tension of the ink 502 filled in the nozzle 501 d on the surface of the discharge port is balanced with the external pressure. When the ink 502 is made to fly in this state, the electrothermal transducer 501b in the nozzle 501d is energized, and the ink in the nozzle 501d vaporizes beyond the nuclei, and a rapid temperature rise occurs. Then, as shown in FIG. 43(b), the ink adjacent to the electrothermal transducer 501b is heated to generate micro-bubbles (bubbles), and the ink in the heated part is vaporized to produce film-like vaporization, as shown in FIG. 43(c) , the above-mentioned air bubbles 503 grow rapidly.

As shown in FIG. 43(d), when the bubbles 503 grow to the maximum, the ink droplets are pushed out from the discharge ports in the nozzle tube 501d. Then, when the energization to the electrothermal converter 501b is completed, as shown in FIG. 43(e), the growing air bubble 503 is cooled and shrunk by the ink 502 in the nozzle 501d, and the ink droplet is discharged from the discharge port by the growth and shrinkage of the air bubble. fly. Further, as shown in FIG. 43( f ), when the ink contacts the electrothermal transducer 501b and is rapidly cooled, the air bubbles 503 disappear or shrink to a volume that is almost negligible. And, when the above-mentioned air bubbles 503 contract, as shown in Fig. 43(g), ink is supplied from the common liquid chamber 501g in the nozzle pipe 501d due to capillary phenomenon, and it will be used for later energization. Therefore, while the carriage is reciprocated, in synchronization with this movement, electricity is supplied to the electrothermal transducer 501b according to the image signal, and an image is recorded on the recording paper.

In addition, in the ink jet recording method described above, it is preferable to provide the return means at the end of the carriage movement range. The recovery means has a function of preventing drying of the ink near the discharge port of the recording head 501 and the accompanying curing thereof by covering the ink discharge surface of the recording head 501 during non-recording and the like. In addition, a pump is connected to the return device, and in order to eliminate or prevent ink discharge failure, it is preferable to drive the pump, and the suction force draws ink from the discharge port to perform recovery processing.

Claims (22)

1, a kind of automatic paper feeding device, it comprises:

Loading is taken in the paper loading device of plurality of sheets of paper perhaps;

Can contact, be provided with separatably with the top of paper on being loaded in above-mentioned paper loading device, contact with this paper, the revolution feedway of feeding;

The tax gesture device of the above-mentioned revolution feedway tax of the principal direction gesture on the above-mentioned paper loading device will be loaded in;

The inclined-plane that comprises the paper direction of the supply downstream that is located at above-mentioned revolution feedway makes from the paper of above-mentioned paper loading device supply and runs into above-mentioned inclined-plane, only with a disengagement gear that is sent to the downstream;

When the paper of above-mentioned revolution feedway on being loaded in above-mentioned paper loading device leaves, contact, revolt the tax force of above-mentioned tax gesture device, uppermost paper is maintained spacer assembly with corresponding position, above-mentioned inclined-plane with the top of above-mentioned paper.

2, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 1, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned spacer assembly is the free roller that turns round freely.

3, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 1, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned revolution feedway, the donor rollers that is had cut sides by the part of outer peripheral face constitutes.

4, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 3, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned spacer assembly is the free roller that is located at freely rotating on the axle drive shaft of above-mentioned donor rollers, the external diameter of this free roller is set at littler than the external diameter of above-mentioned donor rollers, and is bigger than the size of above-mentioned cut sides.

5, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 3, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned spacer assembly is the free roller on the axle of being located at freely rotating with the axle drive shaft configured in parallel of above-mentioned donor rollers, when the outer peripheral face of above-mentioned donor rollers is relative with paper on being loaded in above-mentioned paper loading device, this free roller does not contact with this paper, when the cut sides of above-mentioned donor rollers is relative with above-mentioned paper, free roller contacts with the top of above-mentioned paper, and topmost paper maintains and corresponding position, above-mentioned inclined-plane.

6, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 5, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned free roller forms one with the axle of this free roller of supporting.

7, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 3, it is characterized in that: several above-mentioned donor rollers are installed on the axle drive shaft, and at least one donor rollers moves axially freely this axle drive shaft.

8, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 7, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned paper loading device is provided with the paper guide piece of the width position of the cargo-carring paper of regulation, can move freely this paper guide piece and the above-mentioned donor rollers interlock that moves freely according to the size of paper.

9, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 3, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned donor rollers and above-mentioned axle drive shaft are mounted to one.

10, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 9, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned donor rollers is located at 3 places with the interval of setting, and when supplying with small size paper, uses two rollers; When supplying with large scale paper, use 3 rollers.

11, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 1, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned spacer assembly is when above-mentioned revolution feedway when cargo-carring paper leaves from above-mentioned paper loading device, the guiding parts that contacts with the top of above-mentioned paper.

12, according to the automatic paper feeding device described in the claim 11, it is characterized in that: in the above-mentioned guiding parts with the paper contact portion, form the shape little with the friction of paper.

13, a kind of image recording structure, it comprises:

Loading is taken in the paper loading device of many paper;

Be loaded in above-mentioned paper loading device on the top revolution feedway that can contact, be provided with breaking away from, that carry out paper supply when contacting of paper with this paper;

The tax gesture device of the above-mentioned revolution feedway tax of the principal direction gesture on the above-mentioned paper loading device will be loaded in;

Inclined-plane by the paper direction of the supply downstream that is located at above-mentioned revolution feedway constitutes, makes from the paper of above-mentioned paper loading device supply and run into above-mentioned inclined-plane, only with a disengagement gear that is sent to the downstream;

When the paper of above-mentioned revolution feedway on being loaded in above-mentioned paper loading device leaves, contact, revolt the tax force of above-mentioned tax gesture device, uppermost paper is maintained spacer assembly with above-mentioned inclined-plane opposite position with the top of above-mentioned paper;

With the image recording of picture record on the paper of many separation passing through above-mentioned disengagement gear.

14, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 13, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned image processing system with horizontality with image recording by more than separation of above-mentioned disengagement gear, on the paper that horizontal direction is sent, have the horizontal linear of sending to horizontal direction and transport the path.

15, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 13, it is characterized in that: comprising above-mentioned paper loading device, revolution feedway, compose the paper supply unit of gesture device, disengagement gear and spacer assembly and comprise the image recording unit of above-mentioned image recording structure, is removably by the loading and unloading means.

16, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 15, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned image recording unit serves as vertical perpendicular configuration state configuration with vertically relative horizontal surface, and above-mentioned paper supply unit loads and unloads at above-mentioned image recording unit from horizontal direction.

17, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 15, it is characterized in that: when being installed to above-mentioned paper supply unit on the above-mentioned image recording unit, it has the device that is used for the drive source drives power from above-mentioned image recording structure is delivered to the revolution feedway of above-mentioned paper supply unit.

18, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 15, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned image formation unit has and is used for image recording at the straight line conveying channel on the paper of being sent by paper supply unit and be used for image recording at the U font conveying channel that inserts from the paper that is arranged at above-mentioned image recording unit on mouthful paper that inserts.

19, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 18, it is characterized in that: the paper discharge orifice of the paper discharge orifice of above-mentioned straight line conveying channel and above-mentioned U font conveying channel is same outlet.

20, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 19, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned paper inserts mouthful and above-mentioned send mouthful equipped, makes paper insert and the paper discharge, just can carry out from same side with respect to image recording structure.

21, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 13, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned image recording structure adopts the ink-jetting style of discharging the ink-mist recording image.

22, according to the image recording structure described in the claim 21, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned image recording structure adopts the growth of the bubble that produces by energising in electrothermal transformationer, by the heating that surmounts the membranaceous vaporization that produces because of above-mentioned electrothermal transformationer, and ink is discharged the ink-jetting style that forms image from discharge orifice.

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