JP2000143001A - Paper feeder, control method therefor, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In a feed-out type paper feeding technology, a paper feeding device which is compact in size, improves paper separation performance, and improves operability by eliminating the need for special pre-operation when setting paper. And a control method thereof, and a recording medium. A sheet feeder having a pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from a lower side and moving the picked sheet to a predetermined preparation position is provided. A gate formed substantially vertically to form a predetermined gap; a paper separation pad slidingly in contact with a pick roller to take in one sheet of paper placed at a preparation position; And a pick arm for pressing the sheet near the sheet supply port stacked on the chute from above.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a feed-in type paper feeding technique in, for example, an image reading apparatus having an automatic paper feeding apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a paper feeder, a control method thereof, and a recording medium that improve operability by eliminating the need for a special pre-operation when setting paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an image reading apparatus has an automatic paper feeder when a large number of originals are automatically conveyed and read. The automatic paper feeder includes a pick mechanism for moving a plurality of sheets stacked on the chute to a predetermined preparation position, a separation mechanism for taking in one sheet placed in the preparation position, and a feed mechanism for conveying the sheets. And a discharge mechanism for discharging the read sheet to the outside of the stacker or the apparatus. In recent years, the above-mentioned automatic paper feeder is generally controlled by a microprocessor.

FIG. 27 shows a diagram of the prior art.
In the figure, a pick roller 72 and a separation roller 73 are formed so as to be able to interlock in the same direction via a gear 83, and are also formed so as to be able to interlock with a feed roller 74 via a gear 79. The pressing arm 81 is brought into sliding contact with the pick roller 72, the separation pad 80 is brought into sliding contact with the separation roller 73, and a gate 84 is interposed in the paper feed passage between the pick roller 72 and the separation roller 73. ing.

The pressing arm 81 is provided for reliably transporting the sheet set on the chute 71, and is formed of a spring member, one end of which is fixed to a frame (not shown) and the other end of which is pressed. The paper is pressed against the pick roller 72 with pressure, and the pressing force acts to take in the paper by the frictional force between the pick roller 72 and transport the paper to the separation roller 73. .

The gate 84 is provided with a gap in the paper thickness direction of the paper feed path so that several sheets of paper can pass therethrough in order to reliably transport the paper. It is formed at an acute angle to the direction.

The pick roller 72 and the separation roller 73
A one-way clutch is mounted on each shaft of the discharge roller 75, and the separation roller 73 is formed so as to rotate only in the counterclockwise direction, and the discharge roller 75 is formed so as to rotate only in the clockwise direction (paper transport direction). Further, a sensor 82 for detecting the leading edge of the sheet is provided downstream of the sheet feeding path near the separation roller 73. Further, a sensor 85 for detecting the leading / rear end of the sheet is provided downstream of the sheet feeding path near the feed roller 74.

In the above automatic paper feeder, when the pulley 76 of the motor (not shown) is rotated counterclockwise, the feed roller 74 is rotated counterclockwise by the belt 77, that is, in the direction opposite to the paper transport direction. Note that the discharge roller 75 does not rotate even if the belt 77 rotates. On the other hand, the pick roller 72 and the separation roller 73 are gear 79, gear 8
3 rotates counterclockwise (paper transport direction). Therefore, sheets (not shown) stacked on the shooter 71
Is picked up one by one by the pick roller 72 and transported in the direction of the separation roller 73. In this case, even when a plurality of sheets are taken in by mistake, the pick roller 72 is prevented by the blocking action of the gate 84 and the separation pad 80.
Only the paper in close contact with the separation roller 73 is conveyed toward the feed roller 74. Therefore, a state like double feed is prevented from occurring.

Next, even if the leading end of the conveyed sheet reaches the feed roller 74, the feed roller 74 is rotating counterclockwise, that is, in the direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction. The paper is not fed and the paper is slightly stagnated. Accordingly, the sheets are pre-aligned during this time. The stagnation time is controlled by a preset number of pulses or time after the sensor 82 detects the leading edge of the sheet. After a predetermined stagnation time has elapsed, the motor (not shown) rotates reversely and the pulley 76 rotates clockwise, so that the feed roller 74 and the discharge roller 75 also rotate clockwise via the belt 77,
The sheet is conveyed to the reading mechanism 78 by the feed roller 74, but immediately before that, the leading end of the sheet is detected by the sensor 85, and reading is started by the signal of the sensor 85. Then, when the sensor 85 detects the trailing end of the sheet, the reading is terminated, and the sheet is discharged to a stacker (not shown) by the discharge roller 75.

In the above automatic paper feeder, FIG.
A large number of sheets 90 as shown in FIG.
28, in order to smoothly and surely take in the sheet to the separation roller 73, it is necessary to perform a pre-operation so that the leading end of the sheet 90 forms a knife edge 91 as shown in FIG. There is.

[0010]

As described above, the conventional paper feeder has the following problems.

1) Since the gate for providing a gap in the paper thickness direction of the paper supply path is formed at an acute angle with respect to the paper entering direction, a multicomponent generated in the gate portion by the generation of a vertical component force. The paper separation performance is reduced by the feeding force.

2) When a large number of sheets are set in the shooter, it is necessary to perform a pre-alignment operation so that the leading edge of the sheet forms a knife edge. However, such a pre-operation is very complicated and often results in forgetting. For this reason, paper supply may not be smooth.

3) A separation roller is disposed between the pick roller and the feed roller, and a pressure arm is slid on the pick roller, and a separation pad is slid on the separation roller. The mechanism has been enlarged.

[0014]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following measures.

In a paper feeder of a lower take-out type, a gate mechanism formed on a pick roller substantially perpendicularly to a paper entering direction, a separating mechanism for slidingly contacting the pick roller to take one sheet of paper, and a paper set And a pressing mechanism for pressing the sheet near the sheet supply port loaded on the chute from above in such a manner that the sheet is positioned above when the sheet is fed and is positioned below when the sheet is fed.

By taking the above measures, the apparatus can be made compact, and a multi-feed force is not generated by the gate mechanism formed substantially perpendicular to the paper entering direction. For this reason, the paper separating performance is improved. Further, by ensuring the picking performance, when a large number of sheets are set in the shooter, the sheet pre-alignment operation is not required.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention adopts the following embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feeding device of the present invention
A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on the chute 13 from below and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position is provided, and is substantially perpendicular to the sheet entering direction between the pick roller 1 and the pick roller 1. Gate 2, which forms a predetermined gap, a paper separation pad 3 which slides on the pick roller 1 and takes in one sheet of paper placed at the preparation position, and is located above during standby (when setting paper). A pick arm 4 which is drivable so as to be positioned below when feeding paper, and presses the sheet near the sheet supply port loaded on the shooter 13 from above by a pick arm pressing force by a pressing element (not shown).
And

According to the above embodiment, the pick roller, the gate above the pick roller, the paper separating pad, and the pick arm are provided, so that a plurality of sheets stacked on the chute can be obtained. Are sequentially taken out from the lower side and supplied to the sheet feeding path for one sheet, so that the sheet feeding device is made compact. Further, since the gate is formed substantially perpendicular to the paper entering direction, no component force is generated in the vertical direction, so that the multi-feed force generated in the gate portion can be eliminated, thereby improving the paper separating performance. Further, by ensuring the picking performance, when a large number of sheets are set in the shooter, a pre-alignment operation such as forming a knife edge at the leading end of the sheet is not required, and the operability is improved.

When adopting this configuration, the paper feeding device of the present invention can be driven so as to be positioned downward when setting the paper and positioned upward when feeding the paper. There may be a pre-pick roller 42 that rotates at a low peripheral speed, pre-pick the paper loaded on the chute from the back surface, and transports the paper to the gate 2.

By providing the pre-pick roller 42, the paper picking performance can be further improved.

Also, when adopting this configuration, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the tip of the pick arm 4 is gated as the number of sheets stacked on the chute increases as the number of sheets stacked on the shooter increases. The sheet is provided at a position where the sheet is pressed away from the position 2.

When the number of sheets stacked on the chute is small due to the movement trajectory of the pick arm 4, the sheet is pressed at a position close to the gate 2 so that it is possible to prevent the sheet from being sharpened and to prevent the sheet from being scraped. When the number of sheets loaded on the sheet is large, the sheet is pressed at a position far from the gate 2 so that the margin for the sheet setting by the user can be increased.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the pick arm 4 is driven by a drive source switching mechanism using a planetary gear 5, and the drive source is used for conveying a sheet. The planetary gear 5 is disengaged from the drive transmission system by the forward rotation of the motor 6 and the pick arm 4 is positioned below, and the planetary gear 5 enters the drive transmission system by the reverse rotation of the motor 6 and picks up. Arm 4 is positioned upward.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, the sheet conveyance and the pick arm operation can be performed by one driving source, so that the number of components is reduced and the sheet feeding device is made compact.

With this configuration, in the paper feeder of the present invention, when the pick arm 4 is in a free state due to the planetary gear 5 being disengaged from the drive transmission system, the picked-up paper is loaded on the chute. The sheet is pressed with a pressing force that increases as the number of sheets increases.

Due to the pressing force of the pick arm 4, when the number of sheets stacked on the chute is small, the sheet is pressed with a small pressing force, and when the number of sheets stacked on the chute is large, the sheet is large. By pressing the sheet with the pressing force, the sheet is pressed with the optimum pressing force.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the drive source switching mechanism by the planetary gear 5 is configured such that the planetary gear 5 enters the drive transmission system by the reverse rotation of the motor 6 and picks up. A pick arm state detecting sensor for detecting that the arm is positioned above the pick arm; when the pick arm is positioned above, the pick arm is detected until the pick arm is detected (ON); Is provided with a function of moving the.

According to the above-described embodiment, since the planetary gear frame operates by frictional force, an indefinite delay occurs in the operation. However, the operation of the pick arm is detected by the pick arm state detecting sensor. Equipped with means for accurate detection.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the drive source switching mechanism by the planetary gear 5 is a part of the pick arm driving gear 8 for driving the pick arm 4 meshing with the planetary gear 5. To form a gear cut portion 9 cut off by the addendum circle of the planetary gear 5.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
Is not provided.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, in order to make the pick arm portion compact, the number of teeth of the pick arm driving gear is minimized, the number of motor reversing pulses of the driving motor is increased, and when the delay is small, When the tooth jump occurs to prevent the pick arm from rising excessively, the stroke at the time of the tooth jump can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the sound of tooth skipping (tooth tip impact sound). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable due to the tooth skipping sound.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the paper feeder of the present invention, even if the original 21 is set on the shooter 13 with the pick arm 4 positioned below, When the original 21 is set in the chute 13 in the state where the paper 21 is set on the chute 13, the paper detection sensor 10 mounted on the chute is mounted in a positional relationship. And a function of not executing the operation of positioning the pick arm 4 upward after the device is initialized or reset.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, it is possible to prevent the paper on the chute from being drawn into the paper feed passage even when the apparatus is initialized or reset while the paper is set on the chute. I do.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the paper feeder of the present invention has a pick / feed paper sensor 12 for detecting the presence or absence of paper between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the paper feed path. If the paper is not picked up, the reverse rotation / forward rotation of the motor 6 is repeated and the shooter 1 is rotated.
3 is provided with a function of hitting the paper stacked on the sheet 3 with the pick arm 4.

According to the above-described embodiment, the picking performance is improved by hitting the sheet with a pick arm when the sheet is not picked.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the step 14 is formed with the height near the paper supply port of the shooter 13 as one paragraph.

According to the above-described embodiment, when the sheet is considered as a beam, the arm length of the beam becomes longer, so that the strength of the sheet can be reduced. For this reason, even if the paper is curled upward, the paper-applied pressure of the pick arm is accurately transmitted to the pick roller, and the paper picking performance is improved.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the paper feeder of the present invention, the gate 2 is formed integrally with a member on which the paper separation pad 3 is mounted, and one end of the member is a gate. A rotation fulcrum 15 is provided substantially on the same line as the front end of the sheet 2, and the other end is pressed by a sheet separation pressure spring 16.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, the distance X from the gate to the sheet separation pad can be minimized, so that the tip of the sheet that may occur between the gate and the sheet separation pad can be minimized. Can be limited. For this reason, the sheet feeding performance is improved, and the gate and the sheet separation pad are made compact so that the sheet feeding device can be made compact. In addition, since the rotation fulcrum position is on the same line as the tip of the gate, a stable gate gap (gap) can be ensured against variations in the thickness of the paper separation pad and friction of the paper separation pad due to paper feeding. And the paper feeding performance is stabilized.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10,
In the sheet feeding device of the present invention, the gate 2 is formed by resin molding, and when attaching the sheet separation pad 3, a pad fixing wire spring 17 formed of a linear member is inserted and mounted near the gate portion. I do.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, since the mechanical fixing can be performed within a small range, the gate and the sheet separating pad can be made compact to make the sheet feeding device compact. In addition, stable paper separation performance is exhibited without occurrence of peeling of the paper separation pad. Further, since a drying time is not required as compared with a case where an adhesive is used when attaching the sheet separation pad, the assembly can be performed in a short time.

As shown in FIGS. 11, 15 and 16, in the control method of the paper feeder according to the present invention, a plurality of sheets stacked on the chute are sequentially taken out from the lower side and a predetermined number of sheets are taken out. A pick mechanism that moves to a preparation position, a pick arm that can be driven so as to be positioned above when setting paper and positioned below when feeding paper, and presses the paper loaded on the chute from above, and a pick arm When a paper feeder (see FIG. 5) having a pick arm state detection sensor for detecting that the paper feeder is positioned above is controlled, the paper transport motor 6 is rotated forward based on the paper feed start instruction to rotate the planetary gear. The gear 5 is disengaged from the pick arm drive transmission system and the pick arm 4
To start paper feeding by applying an initial conveying pressure to the paper, and to reverse the paper conveying motor 6 based on the paper feeding end instruction so that the planetary gear 5 enters the pick arm drive transmission system and the pick arm. Moving the pick arm 4 upward until the state detection sensor 7 detects the pick arm 4.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, the sheet conveyance and the pick arm operation can be performed by one driving source, so that the number of components is reduced and the sheet feeding device is made compact. Also, the planetary gear frame is
Since the operation is performed by the frictional force, an indefinite delay occurs in the operation, but the operation of the pick arm is accurately detected by the pick arm state detection sensor.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 17,
The paper feeder control method according to the present invention includes a pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from a lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is located at an upper side when setting the sheets. When controlling a paper feeder (see FIG. 6) having a pick arm that can be driven to be positioned below and presses the paper stacked on the chute from above during paper feeding, the apparatus is initialized or reset. Later, when the operation of raising the pick arm 4 is performed, the paper transport motor 6 is temporarily stopped.
Is turned forward by the amount by which the pick arm is lowered to lower the pick arm 4, and after the operation of lowering the pick arm 4 is performed, the motor 6 is reversely rotated by the predetermined amount to raise the pick arm 4 to raise the pick arm 4. Procedure.

In the above-described embodiment, in the case where the means for detecting the operation of the pick arm is not provided, it is necessary to incorporate a function for preventing the pick arm from rising excessively in order to make the pick arm part compact. . According to this aspect, even if the pick arm state detection sensor is not required, generation of a tooth skipping sound (tooth tip collision sound) can be eliminated.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 18, according to the control method of the sheet feeding device of the present invention, when the pick arm 4 is moved upward when the pick arm is raised after the above-mentioned device initialization or resetting. Even if the paper is set in the chute in the position where it is positioned, the paper is not detected and the pick arm 4
When the paper is set in the chute with the paper is positioned upward, the pick arm 4 is not raised when the paper detection sensor 10 mounted on the shooter mounted in the positional relationship for detecting the paper detects the paper. .

By adopting the above-described embodiment, the operation of raising the pick arm is not performed in a state where the sheet is set on the shooter with the pick arm positioned above, so that the sheet is placed on the shooter. Even if the apparatus is initialized or reset in a state where it is set, the paper on the chute is not drawn into the paper feed path.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 19,
The paper feeder control method according to the present invention includes a pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from a lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is located at an upper side when setting the sheets. A pick arm that can be driven to be located below when feeding paper and presses the paper loaded on the chute from above, and a pick / feed that detects paper between the pick roller and feed roller in the paper feed path When controlling a paper feeding device (see FIG. 4) including an interposed paper sensor,
A procedure for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the sheet feeding path during the sheet feeding operation, and a motor for detecting the sheet between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the sheet feeding path. And a step of repeating the reverse / forward operation of No. 6 and hitting the sheet loaded on the chute with the pick arm 4.

By adopting the above-described embodiment, it is detected whether or not the sheet is picked. If the sheet is not picked, the picking operation is performed by hitting the sheet loaded on the chute with a pick arm. Improve.

The recording medium for storing the program for controlling the sheet feeding apparatus of the present invention rotates the sheet conveying motor 6 forward based on the sheet feeding start instruction and causes the planetary gear 5 to transmit the pick arm drive. A procedure in which the pick arm 4 is disengaged from the system, lowering the pick arm 4 to apply the initial conveying pressure to the paper, and starting paper feeding;
The paper transport motor 6 is reversed based on the paper supply end instruction, and the planetary gear 5 enters the pick arm drive transmission system and moves the pick arm 4 upward until the pick arm state detection sensor 7 detects the pick arm 4. Record a computer readable program for performing the steps.

This program is stored in various suitable recording media such as FDD and CD for recording the program.

The recording medium for storing the program for controlling the paper feeder according to the present invention is provided in such a manner that, when the pick arm is raised after the apparatus is initialized or reset, the paper transport motor 6 is once rotated forward. Then, a computer readable program for executing the procedure of lowering the pick arm 4 and the operation of lowering the pick arm 4 after executing the operation of lowering the pick arm 4 is recorded.

This program is stored in various suitable recording media such as FDD and CD for recording the program.

Further, a procedure for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the sheet feeding path during the sheet feeding operation of the recording medium storing the program for realizing the control of the sheet feeding apparatus of the present invention. When the paper is not detected between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the paper feed path,
A computer readable program for executing a procedure of repeating the reverse rotation / forward rotation of the paper transport motor 6 and hitting the paper loaded on the chute 13 with the pick arm 4 is recorded.

This program is stored in various appropriate recording media such as FDD and CD for recording the program.

According to the above embodiment, the present invention can be realized by using a program for operating a computer, and this program is an FD for recording the program.
Since it can be stored in various suitable recording media such as D and CD, it can be installed in any processing device and executed when necessary.

[0058]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A typical embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description may be omitted.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an image reading apparatus to which the sheet feeding device of the present embodiment is applied. The image reading device includes a shooter 13 for setting a document to be read at a rear portion, and a sheet feeding device inside.

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is for explaining the outline of the main part of the image reading apparatus shown in FIG. The pick mechanism is formed in the vicinity of the paper supply port of the chute 13, and the pick roller 1 and the pick arm 4 sequentially take out a plurality of originals 21 stacked on the chute 13 from below to prepare the paper in a predetermined manner. Move to the position.

Next, a typical embodiment will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. This figure shows the details of the sheet feeding device.

In the figure, 1 is a pick roller, 2 is a gate, 3 is a paper separation pad, 4 is a pick arm, and 13 is a shooter. The pick roller 1 is provided below the shooter 13 near the paper supply port, and the pick arm 4, gate 2, and paper separation pad 3 are provided above the pick roller 1 along the paper feed path in the above order.

The pick roller 1 is formed of a material having a large frictional force such as foamed rubber. The gate 2 is formed to have a gap of, for example, about 1 mm, through which several sheets can pass between the gate 2 and the pick roller 1, and is formed perpendicular to the sheet entering direction. The paper separation pad 3 comes into sliding contact with the pick roller 1 and takes in one sheet of paper placed at the preparation position.

The pick arm 4 is driven so as to be able to move up and down. When setting a sheet on the shooter 13, the pick arm 4 is positioned above and held at the standby position. When the sheet set in the chute 13 is fed, the sheet is positioned downward and holds the feeding position. Further, when the pick arm 4 holds the sheet feeding position, the pick arm presses the pick arm from a pressing element (not shown) to press the sheet near the sheet supply port stacked on the chute 13 from above.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, since the gate 2 is formed perpendicular to the paper entering direction, no component force is generated in the vertical direction. I do. Further, when a large number of sheets are set in the shooter 13 by ensuring the picking performance, the large number of sheets 9 shown in FIG.
What is necessary is just to set 0 as it is.

Next, a description will be given of a drive system for the sheet conveyance and the pick arm.

FIG. 4 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows the details of the main part.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a paper transport motor, which drives the pick roller 1, the feed roller 11, and the feed roller 23 by a gear train to transport the paper. The pick roller driving gear 20 for driving the pick roller 1 is
A one-way clutch is mounted so that it rotates only in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction). Reference numeral 24 denotes a driven roller, which is disposed corresponding to the feed rollers 11 and 23.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a pick arm driving gear, which has a rotation fulcrum and connects the pick arm 4. 5 is a planetary gear, which is rotatably connected to a planetary gear frame 26,
It engages with the pick arm drive gear 8. Further, the planetary gear 5 is configured to be driven via a gear train by the rotation of the feed roller 11. In addition,
Reference numeral 27 denotes a planetary gear frame stopper, which regulates a rotation range of the planetary gear frame 26.

In driving the pick arm 4, when the pick arm 4 is positioned below and the feeding position is maintained, the planetary gear 5 is disengaged from the pick arm driving gear 8 by the forward rotation of the motor 6. 4 is located below. On the other hand, when the pick arm 4 is positioned upward and held at the standby position, the planetary gear 5 meshes with the pick arm driving gear 8 by the reverse rotation of the motor 6 to position the pick arm 4 upward. The drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear 5 will be described later in detail.

Next, the description of the embodiment of FIG.
The configuration of the pick arm 4 will be described.

The rotation fulcrum of the pick arm 4 is provided at a position where the movement trajectory of the tip position of the pick arm 4 is as shown in FIG. That is, as the number of documents 21 stacked on the shooter 13 increases, the pick-up arm 4 is provided at a position where the movement trajectory of pressing the document 21 at a position away from the gate 2 is realized.

When the number of the originals 21 stacked on the chute 13 is small, the tip position (pressing point) of the pick arm 4 is close to the gate 2 in order to prevent the generation of sharpness at the leading end of the original 21. Is more preferred.

On the other hand, the original 21 loaded on the shooter 13
When the number of sheets is large, the upper document 21 is
Because of pressing 1, the tip position of the pick arm 4 is
Ideally, there is no problem even if it is away from the gate 2. However, when the number of the originals 21 is large, the leading end of the original 21 is often not aligned properly depending on the user's paper setting. Therefore, when the leading end position of the pick arm 4 is separated from the gate 2, the upper original 21 is pressed. Mistaking from the point causes a mistake in picking the upper document 21.

Therefore, in the present invention, the rotation fulcrum of the pick arm 4 is pressed against the document 21 at a position where the tip of the pick arm 4 is separated from the gate 2 as the number of documents 21 loaded on the chute 13 increases. By providing it at a position where the motion trajectory is realized, a configuration is adopted in which the margin for the user's paper set is increased while preventing the paper scumming.

As described above, when the motor 6 rotates forward in the paper transport direction, the planetary gear 5 is disengaged from the pick arm driving gear 8, and the pick arm 4 is in a free state. At this time, although omitted in FIG. 4, a torsion coil spring is provided on the rotation shaft portion of the pick arm 4, and this torsion coil spring allows the form as shown in FIG. The tip of the pick arm 4 presses the document 21 according to the action of the torsion coil spring).

That is, when the distal end position of the pick arm 4 is at an upper position (when the number of originals 21 stacked on the shooter 13 is large), the original 21 is pressed with a large force, and the distal end position of the pick arm 4 is adjusted. When the document 21 is below (when the number of documents 21 stacked on the shooter 13 is small), the document 21 is pressed with a small force.

As can be seen from FIG. 20, in the present invention, the pick arm 4 presses the upper document 21 on the shooter 13 to press the lowermost document 21 against the pick roller 1 to generate a conveying force. Paper feed operation is in progress.
However, due to the curl of the document 21 upward, the pressing force of the pick roller 1 usually decreases in a normal case. As a result, the conveyance force differs between when the number of documents 21 is large and when the number of documents 21 is small. come. As a result, when the number of documents 21 is large, picking errors are likely to occur due to a weak conveying force, and when the number of documents 21 is small, multifeeding (double feeding) is likely to occur due to a strong conveying force.

Generally, in order to prevent this, the pressure applied to the pick arm 4 is set to be relatively large, and in order to prevent multifeed, the separating force by the sheet separating pad 3 is set to be large. I have. However, according to such a method, since an excessive force is applied to the document 21, a problem that the document 21 is likely to be jammed when the document 21 is thin, or the motor 6 which is a driving force generating source is generated. As a result, a problem arises in that power consumption increases due to an increase in the torque.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in order to realize sheet feeding with an optimum conveying force, when the tip end position of the pick arm 4 is located above (shooter 13) using a torsion coil spring or the like.
When the number of the originals 21 stacked on the original 21 is large, the original 21 is pressed with a large force, and when the tip end position of the pick arm 4 is below (the original 2 stacked on the shooter 13).
1 when the number of sheets is small).
By applying 1, a configuration is adopted in which the margin when the document 21 is thin is increased and the motor power consumption is reduced.

Here, the pressing force of the pick arm 4 is P, the allowable amount of paper curl of the original 21 is b, the paper strength of the original 21 is k, the number of the originals 21 stacked on the shooter 13 is x, If the pressure is represented by C, the relational expression of P = b × k × x + C holds, so that the torsion coil spring provided on the rotating shaft portion of the pick arm 4 is designed in consideration of this expression. Become.

When the original 21 on the chute 13 is pressed by the pick arm 4 according to the structure of the present invention, the original 21 rises near the gate 2 when the original 21 is thin. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
A sheet pressing sheet 30 made of an elastic material or the like having a shape for suppressing the swelling of the document 21
It is preferable to provide

Returning to the description of the embodiment of FIG.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a pick arm state detection sensor.
The reverse rotation of the motor 6 causes the planetary gear 5 to engage with the pick arm drive gear 8 to detect the pick arm 4 located above. Thereby, when the pick arm 4 is positioned upward, the pick arm state detection sensor 7
The motor 6 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the pick arm 4 upward until a signal for detecting (ON) is transmitted.

Reference numeral 10 is a paper detection sensor on the chute.
The positional relationship that remains OFF even when the original 21 is set on the shooter 13 with the pick arm 4 positioned below, and turns ON when the original 21 is set on the shooter 13 with the pick arm 4 positioned upward. To be implemented. Thus, in the operation of initializing or resetting the apparatus to position the pick arm 4 upward, the pick arm 4 is positioned upward when the sheet detection sensor 10 on the shooter is transmitting a signal for detecting the presence of a sheet. Is configured not to perform the operation of

A pick / feed paper sensor 12 detects the presence or absence of paper between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the paper feed path. Thus, when the pick / feed paper sensor 12 is transmitting a signal indicating that the paper is not detected, that is, when the paper is not picked, the reverse rotation / forward rotation of the motor 6 is repeated to move the pick arm 4. By moving up and down, the sheet loaded on the chute 13 is hit.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a paper front / rear end detection sensor.
Detects the leading and trailing edges of the paper. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet is detected by the leading edge / rear edge detecting sensor 25, and reading is started by the signal of the leading edge / rear edge detecting sensor 25. Then, when the sheet leading / rear end detecting sensor 25 detects the trailing end of the sheet, the reading is terminated, and the sheet is discharged to the stacker (not shown) or the outside of the apparatus by the feed roller 23.

Further, the shooter 13 forms a step 14 which is inclined with respect to the paper entering direction, with the height near the paper supply port as one paragraph.

Next, the drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear 5 will be described in detail.

FIG. 5 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, when the pick arm 4 is positioned downward and the paper feed position is maintained, the motor 6 is rotated in the normal rotation direction. At this time, the pick roller 1 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction) by the gear train. Further, the feed roller 11 is rotated clockwise (paper transport direction) by the gear train. The planetary gear 5 at the standby position is driven through the gear train by the rotation of the feed roller 11, rotates in a counterclockwise direction, and starts revolving clockwise while engaging with the pick arm driving gear 8. Further, the planetary gear 5 which has started revolving is disengaged from the pick arm drive gear 8 and moves to the sheet feeding position. At this time, the pick arm 4 connected to the pick arm drive gear 8 is lowered by the pick arm pressing force from the pressing element described with reference to FIG. 21, and the paper near the paper supply port stacked on the chute 13 is raised. It is configured to be pressed from the direction.

On the other hand, when the pick arm 4 is positioned upward and held at the standby position, the motor 6 is rotated in the reverse direction. At this time, the feed roller 11 rotates counterclockwise by the gear train. The pick roller 1 does not rotate because the pick roller drive gear 20 has a one-way clutch. The planetary gear 5 is driven via a gear train by the rotation of the feed roller 11, rotates in a clockwise direction, and starts revolving in a counterclockwise direction. Further, the planetary gear 5 that has started revolving starts engaging with the pick arm driving gear 8. The pick arm driving gear 8 meshed with the planet gear 5 starts rotating counterclockwise, and the pick arm 4 connected to the pick arm driving gear 8 starts moving upward.
Further, the pick arm state detection sensor 7 is
The motor 6 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the pick arm 4 upward until a signal for detecting (ON) is transmitted.

4 and 5, the paper transport and the pick arm operation can be performed using the paper transport motor 6 as a drive source, so that the number of components is reduced and the paper feeder is made compact. . In addition, since the planetary gear frame 26 operates by frictional force due to the provision of the pick arm state detection sensor 7, an indefinite delay occurs in the operation. Detect the operating position accurately. Further, by providing the paper sensor 12 between pick and feed, the picking performance is improved by hitting the paper with a pick arm when the paper is not picked. Furthermore, when the shooter is provided with the step 14, when the sheet is considered as a beam, the arm length of the beam becomes longer, so that the strength of the sheet can be reduced. For this reason, even if the paper is curled upward, the paper-applied pressure of the pick arm is accurately transmitted to the pick roller, and the paper picking performance is improved.

Next, a case where no means for detecting the operation of the pick arm is provided will be described.

FIG. 6 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 5, the difference from FIG. 5 is that the pick arm state detection sensor 7 shown in FIG. 5 is deleted.

FIG. 7 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, a pick arm driving gear 8 for driving the pick arm 4 meshing with the planetary gear 5 is shown.
Forms a gear cut portion 9 part of which is cut off by a planetary gear tip circle.

When the drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear 5 is not provided with a means for detecting the operation of the pick arm 4, it is necessary to be configured to be able to operate only in anticipation of an irregular delay in the operation. For this purpose, it is necessary to increase the movable range of the pick arm 4, and therefore the pick arm portion becomes large.
In order to make the pick arm portion compact, it is preferable to use a mechanism that minimizes the number of teeth of the pick arm drive gear 8, minimizes the number of motor reverse rotation pulses of the drive motor, and causes skipping when the delay is small. This prevents the pick arm 4 from rising excessively. In this case, the sound of tooth skipping (the sound of collision of the tooth tip) gives the user discomfort. With the above configuration, the stroke at the time of occurrence of tooth jump can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the sound of tooth skipping (tooth tip impact sound). That is, since the tip does not hit in a full stroke but in a state close to a half stroke, the collision noise of the tip is reduced.

Next, the gate 2 and the sheet separation pad 3 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the gate 2 is formed integrally with a member on which the sheet separation pad 3 is mounted. For example, the gate integrated resin part 29 shown in FIG.
And One end of a member that integrally forms the gate and the paper separation pad is provided with a rotation fulcrum 15 substantially on the same line as the tip of the gate 2, and the other end is attached in the direction of the pick roller 1 by a pressure spring 16 with paper separation. Press.

With this configuration, the distance X from the gate 2 to the sheet separation pad 3 can be minimized, so that the tip of the sheet that may occur between the gate 2 and the sheet separation pad 3 can be minimized. can do. For this reason, the sheet feeding performance is improved, and the gate 2 and the sheet separation pad 3 are made compact, so that the sheet feeding device can be made compact. In addition, since the position of the rotation fulcrum 15 is on the same line as the tip of the gate, a stable gate gap (gap) is ensured against variations in the thickness of the paper separation pad and friction of the paper separation pad due to paper feeding. As a result, the paper feeding performance is stabilized.

8 to 10 are views showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the gate / pad assembly, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the gate / pad assembly, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the gate / pad assembly. Each is shown.

In FIG. 8, the gate integrated resin part 29
Is formed by resin molding to form a portion of the gate 2 and to allow the sheet separation pad 3 and the pad fixing wire spring 17 to be mounted. The sheet separation pad 3 is mounted by inserting a pad fixing wire spring 17 formed of a thin linear member into a through hole (not shown). 9 and 10
In mounting the paper separation pad 3, the gate 2
A pad fixing wire spring 17 is engaged in the vicinity of
It is inserted and mounted in a through hole formed near the gate 2.

With this configuration, since the mechanical fixing can be performed within a small range, the gate 2 and the sheet separating pad 3 can be made compact to make the sheet feeding device compact.
Further, the paper separation pad 3 exhibits stable paper separation performance without occurrence of peeling or the like. Also, the paper separation pad 3
Since a drying time is not required as compared with the case where an adhesive is used for mounting, assembly can be performed in a short time.

Next, the pick arm operation when the pick arm state detecting sensor of the sheet feeding device according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided (see FIG. 5) will be described.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a pick arm operation at the time of sheet feeding, and FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a pick arm operation at the end of sheet feeding. ing.

Referring to FIG. 11, the image reading device 50
The arithmetic control unit 51, the drive unit 52, the drive system 53, and the pick arm state detection sensor 7 are the main components. The arithmetic control unit 51 instructs the drive unit 52 to perform an operation in a timely manner based on an instruction from the host device 60 and an output from the pick arm state detection sensor 7.

The flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 15 will be described.

In step S 11, the original to be read is set at a predetermined position of the chute, and when the host device 60 instructs the start of the reading operation, the arithmetic control unit 51 instructs the drive unit 52 to start feeding.

In step S12, the drive unit 52 rotates the paper transport motor 6 forward (counterclockwise). (See FIG. 5) In step S13, the feed roller 11 rotates in the paper transport direction (clockwise). (See FIG. 5) In step S14, the planetary gear 5 is disengaged from the pick arm drive gear 8 (see FIG. 4).

In step S15, the pick arm 4 is lowered by the pressure of the pick arm-equipped pressure element.

At step S16, pick arm 4
Presses the sheet set at a predetermined position of the chute by the pressure of the pressure element with the pick arm to give an initial transport pressure.

At step S17, the pick roller 1
The paper feed is started by the rotation of, and the process ends.

The flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 15 will be described.

In step S21, the arithmetic control unit 51
Instructs the drive unit 52 to end the sheet feeding.

In step S22, the drive section 52 rotates the paper transport motor 6 in the reverse direction (clockwise).

In step S23, the feed roller 11 reverses with respect to the paper transport direction. (Counterclockwise) In step S24, the planetary gear 5 meshes with the pick arm drive gear 8.

At step S25, pick arm 4
Moves upward.

In step S26, the arithmetic control unit 51
Determines whether the pick arm state detection sensor 7 (see FIG. 5) has detected the pick arm 4. If the pick arm 4 is detected, the process proceeds to step S27. If the pick arm 4 has not been detected, the process returns to step S22.

In step S27, the motor 6 is stopped, the pick arm 4 is held at the standby position, and the process ends.

Next, the operation of bringing the pick arm to the standby position when the pick arm state detecting sensor of the paper feeder according to the embodiment of the present invention is deleted (see FIG. 6) will be described.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, the image reading device 50
The arithmetic control unit 51, the drive unit 52, and the drive system 53 have a main configuration. The arithmetic control unit 51 instructs the drive unit 52 to perform an operation at an appropriate time, including an instruction from the host device 60.

The processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S41, the apparatus is turned on,
The apparatus is initialized or reset by processing such as clearing a paper jam and terminating paper feeding.

In step S42, the arithmetic control unit 51
Instructs the driving unit 52 to lift the pick arm 4 and move it to the standby position.

In step S43, the drive unit 52 once lowers the pick arm 4 by rotating the paper transport motor 6 forward (see FIG. 6) by the amount by which the pick arm is lowered.

In step S44, the driving section 52 executes the operation of lowering the pick arm 4, and thereafter,
Is reversed by the amount by which the pick arm is raised by a predetermined amount.

At step S45, pick arm 4
Is raised to the standby position and held, and the process ends.

Accordingly, in the case where the means for detecting the operation of the pick arm is not provided, in order to make the pick arm portion compact, it is necessary to incorporate a function of preventing the pick arm from rising excessively. According to this processing mode, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of tooth skipping sound (tooth tip collision sound) even if the pick arm state detection sensor is not required.

Next, in the case where the pick arm state detection sensor of the paper feeder according to the embodiment of the present invention is omitted (see FIG. 6), the pick arm provided with the paper detection sensor on the shooter (see FIG. 4) is used. The operation of bringing the camera to the standby position will be described.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 18 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the image reading device 50
The arithmetic control unit 51, the drive unit 52, the drive system 53, and the on-shooter paper detection sensor 10 are the main components. The arithmetic control unit 51 instructs the drive unit 52 to perform an operation at an appropriate time based on the output from the on-shooter paper detection sensor 10 including the instruction from the host device 60.

The processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S51, the apparatus is powered on,
The apparatus is initialized or reset by processing such as clearing a paper jam and terminating paper feeding.

At step S52, the arithmetic control unit 51
Instructs the driving unit 52 to lift the pick arm 4 and move it to the standby position.

In step S53, the arithmetic control unit 51
Determines whether the on-shooter paper detection sensor 10 has detected a paper. If a sheet is detected, the process ends. If no paper is detected, the process proceeds to step S54.

In step S54, the drive section 52 once lowers the pick arm 4 by rotating the paper transport motor 6 forward (see FIG. 6) by the amount by which the pick arm is lowered.

In step S55, the driving section 52 executes the operation of lowering the pick arm 4, and thereafter,
Is reversed by the amount by which the pick arm is raised by a predetermined amount.

In step S56, pick arm 4
Is raised to the standby position and held, and the process ends.

That is, the sheet is not detected when the sheet is set in the shooter with the pick arm 4 positioned at the lower side, and the sheet is detected when the sheet is set on the shooter with the pick arm 4 positioned at the upper side. When the on-shooter paper detection sensor 10 mounted in the positional relationship that detects the detection of the paper, the operation of raising the pick arm 4 is not performed.

Accordingly, even if the apparatus is initialized or reset while the sheet is set on the chute, the sheet on the chute is not drawn into the sheet feeding path.

Next, a description will be given of a processing procedure in the case where the paper feed device according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with the pick / feed paper sensor (see FIG. 4).

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 14, the image reading device 50
The arithmetic control unit 51, the drive unit 52, the drive system 53, the pick / feed paper sensor 12, and the reading unit 54 are the main components. The arithmetic control unit 51 appropriately instructs the drive unit 52 to operate based on the instruction from the host device 60 and the output of the pick / feed paper sensor 12. In addition, the arithmetic control unit 51 gives a reading instruction to the reading unit 54, takes in the read image data, and transmits the image data to the host device 60.

The processing procedure will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S61, the drive section 52 executes a sheet feeding operation based on an instruction from the arithmetic control section 51.

In step S62, the arithmetic control unit 51
Determines whether the paper sensor 12 between picks / feeds has detected paper between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the paper feed path. If a sheet is detected, the process proceeds to step S66. If no paper is detected, the process proceeds to step S63.

In step S63, the arithmetic control unit 51
Counts the number of retries of reverse rotation / forward rotation of the motor, which will be described later, by a counter.

In step S64, the arithmetic control unit 51
Determines whether the number of retries of the counter is equal to or less than a specified value.
If it is equal to or less than the specified value, the process proceeds to step S65. If not, the process proceeds to step S67.

In step S65, the drive section 52 executes the reverse rotation / forward rotation operation of the paper transport motor 6. Then, the process returns to step S61.

In step S66, the operation control unit 61
Drives the reading unit 54 to execute reading, and ends the processing.

In step S67, the arithmetic control unit 51
Raises an alarm to the image reading device 50 or the host device 60 and ends the processing.

That is, when the sheet is not detected between the pick roller 1 and the feed roller 11 in the sheet feeding path, the reverse operation / forward operation of the motor 6 is repeated to hit the sheet loaded on the chute with the pick arm 4. Is provided.

Thus, it is detected whether or not the sheet is picked, and if the sheet is not picked, the picking performance is improved by performing an operation of hitting the sheet loaded on the chute with the pick arm.

Further, the above-described control processing of the sheet feeding device is realized by using a program for operating a computer.
This program is for recording FDD and CD
And the like are stored in various suitable recording media.

FIG. 23 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, in addition to the basic structure of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, in order to improve the paper picking performance, the pre-pick unit 40 which can be rotated about the pick roller driving gear 20 as the rotation center is used. Is adopted. Here, in this embodiment, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 4, the pick roller drive gear 20 does not have a one-way clutch, and the pick roller 1 rotates inside thereof only in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction). Equipped with a one-way clutch.

The pre-pick unit 40 includes an idle gear 41 meshing with the pick roller driving gear 20 and a pre-pick roller 42 meshing with the idle gear 41, so that the pick roller driving gear 20 is rotated around the pick roller driving gear 20 as a rotation center. The rotation of the gear 20 is enabled, and the rotation in the counterclockwise direction is stopped by the stopper 43. At the stop position, the pre-pick roller 42 pre-picks the original 21 loaded on the chute 13 from the back surface. A configuration for transporting to the gate 2 is adopted.

Here, the pre-pick roller 42
Pick roller 1 to achieve smooth transfer
In consideration of being rotated at a peripheral speed lower than the peripheral speed of the original document 21 and being pulled by the peripheral speed of the pick roller 1 via the conveyance of the original 21, a counterclockwise direction (paper conveyance direction) is provided therein.
Only one-way clutch that can rotate is installed.

On the other hand, when the pick roller drive gear 20 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction), the idle gear 41 rotates in the clockwise direction and revolves in the counterclockwise direction in conjunction therewith. Unit 4
0 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction to rotate the pre-pick roller 4
2 is moved to the pre-pick position, and the pre-pick roller 42 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction).
When the pick roller driving gear 20 rotates clockwise, the pick roller driving gear 20 rotates in a counterclockwise direction and revolves clockwise in conjunction therewith, thereby rotating the prepic unit 40 in a clockwise direction.
2 is moved to a prescribed initial position away from the pre-pick position.

By providing the pre-pick unit 40 configured as described above, when the motor 6 rotates forward in the paper transport direction and the pick roller drive gear 20 rotates counterclockwise when the embodiment of FIG. Thereby, the pre-pick unit 40 rotates counterclockwise to the position defined by the stopper 43, and at the stop position, the pre-pick roller 42 pre-picks the document 21 loaded on the chute 13 from the back surface and gates. 2 to be conveyed.

When the motor 6 rotates in the reverse direction, the pick roller drive gear 20 rotates clockwise, whereby the prepick unit 40 rotates clockwise, so that the prepick process by the prepick roller 42 is released. Works. At this time, the pick roller 1 is brought into a free state by a one-way clutch provided therein.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 23, the idle gear 41 is used to transmit the rotation of the pick roller driving gear 20 to the pre-pick roller 42. According to this configuration, the rotation of the pick roller driving gear 20 is changed. Is accurately transmitted to the prepic roller 42, the prepic roller 4
2 needs to have a one-way clutch. In other words, the peripheral speed of the pre-pick roller 42 is pulled by the peripheral speed of the pick roller 1 through the conveyance of the document 21. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the pre-pick roller 42 with a one-way clutch in order to allow this. is there.

If the one-way clutch is provided in the prepic roller 42 as in the embodiment of FIG. 23, there is a problem that the structure of the prepic roller 42 becomes complicated and the cost increases.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24, the rotation of the pick roller driving gear 20 is transmitted to the pre-pick roller 42 by using an idle roller 44 that enables the pre-pick roller 42 to idle, instead of the idle gear 41. There is also a method of adopting a configuration in which

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 24, the pre-pick roller 42 can be idled, so that it is not necessary to provide the pre-pick roller 42 with a one-way clutch.

As shown in FIG. 25, as the prepic roller 42, a prepic roller shaft 450 having a protruding portion that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the idle gear 41, and a prepic roller shaft 450 are provided. Roller 4 having a projecting portion that engages with the projecting portion of pre-pick roller shaft 450
There is also a method that employs a configuration using a delay roller 45 composed of the delay roller 51.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 25, since the delay roller 45 can rotate only in the counterclockwise direction (paper transport direction), it is not necessary to provide the prepic roller 42 with a one-way clutch.

The stopper 43 provided in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 23, 25 and 26 is, as shown in FIG.
And an insertion opening 431 for the pre-picking roller 42.
When 0 rotates clockwise, the insertion opening 431 of the pre-pick roller 42 is in an open state.

At this time, since the document 21 loaded on the chute 13 is caught by the insertion opening 431, as shown in FIG. 27, one of the insertion openings 431 of the prepic In addition to forming it with a shape with multiple bridge parts,
It is preferable that the notch is provided in the prepic roller 42.

[0173]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be expected.

In a paper feeder equipped with a pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from the lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, the sheet feed direction is set between the pick roller and the pick roller. A gate formed substantially perpendicular to the pick-up roller, a paper separation pad that slides in contact with a pick roller to take in one sheet of paper, and a shooter that can be driven to be positioned above when setting a paper and positioned below when feeding a paper. A pick arm that presses the paper in the vicinity of the paper supply port loaded from above from above, the pick roller, a gate above the pick roller, a paper separation pad, and a pick arm by arranging the pick arm. Since a plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet are sequentially taken out from the lower side and supplied to the sheet feeding path for one sheet, the sheet feeding device can be made compact. In addition, since the gate is formed substantially perpendicular to the paper entering direction, no component force is generated in the vertical direction. Therefore, the multi-feeding force can be eliminated at the gate, so that the paper separating performance can be improved. . Further, by ensuring the picking performance, when a large number of sheets are set in the shooter, it is not necessary to perform a pre-alignment operation such as forming a knife edge at the leading end of the sheet, thereby improving operability.

Further, it can be driven so that it is positioned downward when setting the paper and positioned upward when feeding the paper, and is rotated at a peripheral speed slower than the peripheral speed of the pick roller to remove the paper stacked on the chute. By providing a pre-pick roller for pre-picking from the back surface and transporting it to the gate, paper picking performance can be further improved.

Further, the rotation fulcrum of the pick arm is provided at a position where the tip of the pick arm presses the sheet at a position where the tip of the pick arm moves away from the gate as the number of sheets stacked on the chute increases. When the number of sheets loaded on the chute is small, the sheet is pressed at a position close to the gate, so that the paper scraping can be prevented.When the number of sheets loaded on the chute is large, the sheet is pushed from the gate. By pressing the paper at a distant position, the margin for the user's paper setting can be increased.

Further, the drive of the pick arm is provided with a drive source switching mechanism sharing a motor for transporting the paper, and the forward rotation of the motor causes the planetary gears to be disengaged from the drive transmission system to position the pick arm below. By moving the planetary gears into the drive transmission system and positioning the pick arm upward by the reverse rotation of the motor, it is possible to carry out paper conveyance and pick arm operation with one drive source, thereby reducing the number of components, The paper feeding device can be made compact.

Further, the pick arm presses the sheet with a pressing force that increases as the number of sheets stacked on the chute increases when the planetary gear is in a free state due to the disengagement of the planetary gear from the drive transmission system. Thus, when the number of sheets stacked on the chute is small, the sheet is pressed with a small pressing force, and when the number of sheets stacked on the chute is large, the sheet is pressed with a large pressing force. Thus, the sheet is pressed with the optimum pressing force.

Further, the drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear includes a pick arm state detecting sensor for detecting that the pick arm is positioned above, and the pick arm state detecting sensor detects the pick arm when the pick arm is positioned above. By having the function of moving the pick arm upward until the arm is detected, the frame of the planetary gear operates with frictional force, so an indefinite delay in operation will occur, but the pick arm state detection sensor Means for accurately detecting the movement of the pick arm can be provided.

Further, in the drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear, a gear cut portion in which a part of the pick arm drive gear is cut off by the addendum circle of the planetary gear is formed, thereby eliminating the need for a pick arm state detection sensor. In order to make the pick arm compact, the number of teeth of the pick arm drive gear is minimized and the number of motor reverse rotation pulses of the drive motor is increased. In the case of prevention, the stroke at the time of occurrence of tooth jump can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to reduce the sound of tooth skipping (tooth tip impact sound). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable due to the sound of tooth skipping.

Further, there is provided a shooter-on-paper detection sensor mounted in a positional relationship such that the sheet can be detected only when the paper is set on the shooter with the pick arm positioned upward. In the state where the presence of paper is detected, the function of not performing the operation of initializing the apparatus or positioning the pick arm after reset is provided, so that the apparatus can be initialized while the paper is set on the chute. Even if the reset is applied, it is possible to prevent the paper on the chute from being pulled into the paper feed passage.

Further, a pick / feed paper sensor for detecting the presence or absence of paper is provided between the pick roller and the feed roller in the paper feed passage. If the paper is not picked, the motor is rotated in reverse / forward to repeat the operation. By having a function to hit the paper loaded on the top, by hitting the paper with the pick arm when the paper is not picked,
Pick performance can be improved.

Further, when the height of the chute near the paper supply port is set as one paragraph to form a step, when the paper is considered as a beam, the arm length of the beam becomes longer, so that the strength of the paper can be reduced. it can. For this reason, even if the paper is curled upward, the paper-applied pressure of the pick arm is accurately transmitted to the pick roller, and the picking performance of the paper can be improved.

Further, the gate is formed integrally with a member on which the sheet separation pad is mounted, and one end of the member is provided with a rotation fulcrum substantially on the same line as the tip of the gate.
By pressing the other end, it is possible to minimize the distance from the gate to the sheet separation pad, so that the tip of the sheet that may occur between the gate and the sheet separation pad can be minimized. . For this reason, the sheet feeding performance is improved, and the gate and the sheet separation pad are made compact so that the sheet feeding device can be made compact. In addition, since the position of the rotation fulcrum is on the same line as the tip of the gate, a stable gate gap (gap) can be secured even with respect to variations in the thickness of the paper separation pad and friction of the paper separation pad due to paper feeding. Thereby, the paper feeding performance can be stabilized.

Further, the gate is formed by resin molding. When attaching the paper separation pad, a pad fixing wire spring is inserted and mounted near the gate portion so that mechanical fixing can be performed within a small range. Therefore, the gate and the sheet separation pad can be made compact to make the sheet feeding device compact. In addition, stable paper separation performance can be exhibited without occurrence of peeling of the paper separation pad. Further, since a drying time is not required as compared with a case where an adhesive is used when attaching the sheet separation pad, the assembly can be performed in a short time.

In the control method of the paper feeder, the paper transport motor is rotated forward based on the paper feed start instruction, the planetary gear is disengaged from the pick arm drive transmission system, the pick arm is lowered, and the paper is initially transported to the paper. A procedure in which a paper feed is started by applying a pressure, and a paper transport motor is rotated in reverse based on a paper feed end instruction so that the planetary gear enters the pick arm drive transmission system and the pick arm state detection sensor detects the pick arm. By providing a procedure for moving the pick arm upward, the sheet conveyance and the pick arm operation can be performed by one drive source, so that the number of components is reduced and the sheet feeding device is made compact. Further, since the frame of the planetary gear operates by frictional force, an indefinite delay occurs in the operation, but the operation of the pick arm can be accurately detected by the pick arm state detection sensor.

In the control method of the sheet feeding device, when the pick arm is raised after the device is initialized or reset, a procedure for once rotating the paper conveying motor forward to lower the pick arm is performed. A step of raising the pick arm by rotating the motor after performing the lowering operation, in order to make the pick arm unit compact in the case where a means for detecting the operation of the pick arm is not provided, Although it is necessary to incorporate a function of preventing the arm from being excessively raised, this means can eliminate the occurrence of tooth skipping sound (tooth tip collision sound) even if the pick arm state detection sensor is not required.

Further, when the pick arm is raised after the above-mentioned device initialization or reset, the pick arm is mounted so that the sheet is detected only when the sheet is set in the shooter with the pick arm positioned upward. When the paper detection sensor on the shooter detects paper,
By not performing the operation of raising the pick arm, it is possible to prevent the paper on the chute from being pulled into the paper feed path even when the apparatus is initialized or reset while the paper is set on the chute. it can.

Further, in the control method of the sheet feeding device, a procedure for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet between the pick roller and the feed roller in the sheet feeding path during the sheet feeding operation, If the paper is not picked up, a procedure of repeating the reverse rotation / forward rotation of the motor and hitting the paper loaded on the chute with a pick arm is performed, thereby detecting whether the paper is picked up. When the sheet is not picked, the picking performance can be improved by performing an operation of hitting the sheet loaded on the chute.

Further, the recording medium for storing the program for controlling the paper feeder of the present invention can be realized by using a program for operating a computer, and this program includes an FDD or the like for recording the program. Since the program can be stored in various suitable recording media such as a CD, the program can be installed in an arbitrary processing device and executed when necessary.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of the prior art.

FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pick roller 2 Gate 3 Paper separation pad 4 Pick arm 5 Planetary gear 6 Motor 7 Pick arm state detection sensor 8 Pick arm drive gear 9 Gear cut section 10 Paper detection sensor on shooter 11 Feed roller 12 Pick / feed paper sensor 13 Shooter 14 Step 15 Rotating fulcrum 16 Pressure spring with paper separation 17 Pad fixing wire spring 51 Operation control unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3F343 FA03 FA04 FB03 FC01 GA02 GB02 GC01 GD01 HA12 HB01 HD07 HD08 HD09 JA01 JD03 JD08 KA05 KA13 LA04 LA14 LC07 LD10 LD24

Claims (23)

[Claims] A sheet feeder provided with a pick mechanism for sequentially picking up a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from below and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position; A gate (2) formed substantially perpendicular to the paper entering direction to form a predetermined gap; and a paper separation pad (3) for slidingly contacting the pick roller (1) to take in one sheet of paper placed at the preparation position. A pick arm (4) that can be driven to be positioned above when setting the paper and positioned below when feeding the paper, and press the paper near the paper supply port loaded on the chute (13) from above. A sheet feeding device, comprising: The pick arm (4) is driven by a drive source switching mechanism using a planetary gear (5), and the drive source is shared with a paper transport motor (6). ), The planetary gear (5) is disengaged from the drive transmission system and the pick arm (4) is positioned below, and the reverse rotation of the motor (6) causes the planet gear (5) to enter the drive transmission system and be picked up by the pick arm ( The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein 4) is positioned upward. 3. The pick arm (4) becomes larger as the number of sheets loaded on the chute increases when the planet gear (5) is in a free state due to disengagement from the drive transmission system. The paper feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the paper is pressed by a pressing force. 4. A rotating fulcrum of the pick arm (4) presses the sheet at a position where the tip of the pick arm (4) moves away from the gate (2) as the number of sheets stacked on the chute increases. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is provided at a different position. 5. The paper feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a paper holding member (30) having a shape for suppressing a swelling of the paper loaded on the chute, at a tip of the pick arm (4). apparatus. 6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pick roller is driven downward so as to be positioned at the time of paper setting and at the time of paper feeding, and is rotated at a peripheral speed lower than the peripheral speed of the pick roller. Prepick the cut paper from the back and gate (2)
The sheet feeder according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-pick roller (42) that conveys the sheet. 7. A gear (4) for transmitting rotation of a motor (6) for conveying a sheet, said pre-pick roller (42).
The sheet feeding device according to claim 6, further comprising a mechanism that is rotated by (1) and that can rotate only in the sheet conveyance direction. 8. A roller (4) for transmitting rotation of a paper transport motor (6), said prepic roller (42).
The paper feeding device according to claim 6, wherein the paper feeding device is rotated by (4). 9. A stopper (43) having an opening having one or more bridge portions adapted to the cuts of the prepic roller (42) to stop the prepic roller (42) at a prepic position. The sheet feeding device according to claim 6, further comprising: 10. A drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear (5) detects that the planetary gear (5) has entered the drive transmission system and positioned the pick arm (4) upward by the reverse rotation of the motor (6). A pick arm state detection sensor (7) that moves the pick arm (4) upward until the pick arm state detection sensor (7) detects the pick arm (4) when the pick arm (4) is positioned upward. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, further comprising a function of moving the sheet. 11. A drive source switching mechanism using the planetary gear (5) includes: a planetary gear (5) that meshes with the planetary gear (5) and a part of a pick arm driving gear (8) that drives the pick arm (4).
The sheet feeder according to claim 2, wherein a gear cut portion (9) cut off by the addendum circle is formed. 12. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet remains set to OFF even when the sheet is set on the shooter with the pick arm (4) positioned at a lower position, and the sheet is set at a position with the pick arm (4) positioned at an upper position. A paper detection sensor (10) mounted on the chute is mounted so as to be turned ON when set on the chute. When the paper detection sensor (10) on the chute detects that there is a paper, the apparatus initialization or 3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of not performing an operation of positioning the pick arm (4) at a reset. 4. 13. The paper feed device according to claim 1, wherein the pick roller (1) and the feed roller (1) in the paper feed path are provided.
1) a pick / feed paper sensor (12) for detecting the presence / absence of paper between the motor and the motor (6) when paper is not picked;
The paper feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a function of hitting a sheet stacked on the chute with a pick arm by repeating a normal rotation operation. 14. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the paper feeding device forms the step (14) with the height near the paper supply port of the chute (13) as one paragraph. 15. The gate (2) is formed integrally with a member on which the sheet separation pad (3) is mounted, and one end of the member is substantially co-linear with the tip of the gate (2). The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is provided with a sheet separating pressure spring. 16. The gate (2) is formed by resin molding, and when attaching the paper separation pad (3), a pad fixing wire spring (17) formed of a linear member is inserted near the gate portion. The paper feeding device according to claim 15, wherein the paper feeding device is mounted. 17. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from the lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is located upward when setting the paper and downward when feeding the paper. A pick arm that can be driven to be positioned and presses the paper loaded on the shooter from above,
A control method for a paper feeder, comprising: a pick arm state detection sensor for detecting that a pick arm is positioned above, wherein a planetary gear is rotated by forwardly rotating a paper transport motor (6) based on a paper feed start instruction. A procedure in which the gear (5) is disengaged from the pick arm drive transmission system, lowers the pick arm (4) to apply an initial conveying pressure to the sheet, and starts feeding, and a motor for feeding the sheet based on the sheet feeding end instruction. (6) rotating the planetary gear (5) upward and moving the pick arm (4) upward until the pick arm state detection sensor (7) detects the pick arm (4) by entering the pick arm drive transmission system; A method for controlling a paper feeder, comprising: 18. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from a lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is positioned upward when setting the paper and lowered when feeding the paper. A pick arm that is drivable to be positioned and presses a sheet loaded on a chute from above, comprising: picking up a pick arm (4) after device initialization or reset. When performing the procedure, once the motor for transporting the paper (6) is rotated forward and the pick arm (4) is lowered, and after the operation of lowering the pick arm (4) is performed, the motor (6) is rotated in the reverse direction to perform picking. And a step of raising the arm (4). 19. When the pick arm is raised after initialization or resetting of the apparatus, the sheet is not detected even if the sheet is set in the shooter (13) with the pick arm (4) positioned at a lower position. When the pick arm (4) is positioned upward,
In the state where the paper detection sensor (10) on the shooter mounted in the positional relationship for detecting the paper when set in (3) detects the paper, the operation of raising the pick arm (4) is not executed. 19. The method for controlling a sheet feeding device according to claim 18, wherein 20. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from the lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is located upward when setting the paper and downward when feeding the paper. A pick arm that can be driven to be positioned and presses the paper loaded on the shooter from above,
What is claimed is: 1. A method for controlling a paper feeder, comprising: a pick / feed paper sensor for detecting paper between a pick roller and a feed roller in a paper feed path, wherein the pick roller (1) in the paper feed path is connected to a pick roller (1) during a paper feed operation. A procedure for detecting the presence or absence of paper between the feed roller (11) and a pick roller (1) and a feed roller (1) in a paper feed path;
If the sheet is not detected between the step (1) and the step (1), the reverse operation / forward operation of the motor (6) is repeated to execute the operation of hitting the sheet loaded on the chute (13) with the pick arm (4). A method for controlling a sheet feeding device, comprising: 21. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from the lower side and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is positioned upward when setting the paper and lowered when feeding the paper. A pick arm that can be driven to be positioned and presses the paper loaded on the shooter from above,
A recording medium for storing a program for controlling a sheet feeding device including a pick arm state detection sensor for detecting that a pick arm is positioned above, and a motor for feeding a sheet based on a sheet feeding start instruction ( 6) forward rotation of the planetary gear (5) from the pick arm drive transmission system, lowering the pick arm (4) to apply the initial conveying pressure to the paper and transport the paper; The paper conveying motor (6) is rotated in reverse, and the planetary gear (5) enters the pick arm drive transmission system until the pick arm state detection sensor (7) detects the pick arm (4). And a computer-readable program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for moving a computer upward. 22. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from below and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is positioned upward when setting the paper and lowered when feeding the paper. A pick arm that is drivable so as to be positioned so as to press a sheet loaded on the chute from above, and that stores a program for realizing control of the sheet feeding device. When the operation of raising the arm is performed, the procedure of once rotating the paper transport motor (6) in the normal direction to lower the pick arm (4), and after performing the operation of lowering the pick arm (4), the motor (6) A computer-readable program for executing the steps of: reversing and raising the pick arm (4). 23. A pick mechanism for sequentially taking out a plurality of sheets stacked on a chute from below and moving the sheets to a predetermined preparation position, and a pick mechanism which is located upward when setting the paper and downward when feeding the paper. A pick arm that can be driven to be positioned and presses the paper loaded on the shooter from above,
A recording medium for storing a program for controlling a sheet feeding device including a pick / feed sheet sensor for detecting a sheet between a pick roller and a feed roller in a sheet feeding path, wherein the sheet is fed during a sheet feeding operation A procedure for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet between the pick roller (1) and the feed roller (11) in the passage;
When the sheet is not detected between the chute (1) and the chute (1), the reverse / forward operation of the sheet conveying motor (6) is repeated.
3) A recording medium on which a computer readable program for executing a procedure of performing an operation of hitting a sheet stacked thereon with a pick arm (4) is recorded.