JP2004136999A - Sheet feeding device, and image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus having it - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding device allowing easy jam handling, and an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus having it, . <P>SOLUTION: Sheets stored in a sheet storing section are fed by a sheet feeding means, and are then separately fed one by one by a separating section 30 having a separating roller 5 and a separating pad 15 contacting with the separating roller 5 by pressure. When sheet jam occurs in the separating section 30, a cover member openably/closably disposed in a device body is opened, a releasing means 36 is operated by interlocking means 34 and 35 in cooperation with the opening of the cover member, and the pressure contact of the separating pad 15 with the separating roller 5 is released. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus, an image reading apparatus including the same, and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus that separates a sheet fed by a sheet feeding unit by a separation unit including a separation roller and a separation pad.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile, or an image reading apparatus such as a scanner, sheets stored in a sheet storage section are sequentially read one by one from a top one by a pickup roller serving as a sheet feeding unit. After the sheet is fed, a sheet feeding device for separating the sheet one by one by a separating unit and feeding the separated sheet to the image forming unit or the image reading unit is provided.
[0003]
Here, in a document feeder provided as an example in an image reading device and feeding a document as a sheet, a sheet fed by a pickup roller is pressed against a separation roller and a separation roller. There is a printer which is separated and fed one by one by a Duplo type separating unit having a separating pad.
[0004]
By the way, in such a sheet feeding apparatus employing the Duplo system, when the separation roller and the separation pad are supported by the same frame, when the document is jammed, a release member for separating the separation pad from the separation roller is provided. By performing the operation, the separation pad is separated from the separation roller to perform the jam processing.
[0005]
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing such a separation pad releasing mechanism, in which 42 is a separation roller, 40 is a separation pad, 41 is a separation pad holder supporting the separation pad 40, and 49 is a release member. Is a separation pad release lever. Here, one end of the separation pad release lever 49 is incorporated in the separation pad holder 41.
[0006]
When a document jam occurs, when the operation lever 49a attached to the other end of the separation pad release lever 49 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, a push-down provided at one end of the separation pad release lever 49 is performed. The portion 49b rotates downward, whereby the separation pad holder 41 is pushed down with the shaft 41a as a fulcrum, and the separation pad 40 is separated from the separation roller 42.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the conventional sheet feeding apparatus having such a separating pad releasing mechanism, in order to release the pressure contact of the separating pad, first, an upper cover constituting the upper surface of the sheet feeding apparatus main body is opened to release the separating pad. After enabling access to lever 49, separation pad release lever 49 must be operated.
[0008]
However, when the document is jammed in this way, it is troublesome for the user to open the top cover and further operate the separation pad release lever 49, and there is a problem in operability.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a sheet feeding apparatus capable of easily performing jam processing, an image reading apparatus including the same, and an image forming apparatus. Is what you do.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is directed to a sheet feeding apparatus in which sheets stored in a sheet storage unit are fed out by a sheet feeding unit, and then separated and fed one by one by a separation unit having a separation roller and a separation pad pressed against the separation roller. In the feeding device, a cover member provided in the apparatus main body so as to be openable and closable, release means for releasing the pressure contact of the separation pad with the separation roller, and interlocking operation of the release means in conjunction with opening of the cover member And means.
[0011]
Further, according to the present invention, the interlocking means includes a lever member that moves with the opening of the cover member, and a release member that presses the release pad against the separation roller with the release unit as the lever member moves. A pressure release member for moving the separation pad to a position where the separation pad is separated from the separation roller.
[0012]
Further, in the present invention, the cover member constitutes an upper guide for guiding the sheet, and the separation roller and the separation pad are arranged on a lower frame constituting a lower guide for guiding the sheet together with the upper guide. It is characterized by the following.
[0013]
Further, the present invention is characterized in that the lever member is a regulating member that is incorporated into the cover member and the lower frame and regulates an opening angle of the cover member with respect to the lower frame.
[0014]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus comprising: an image reading unit that reads an image of a sheet; and the sheet feeding device according to any one of the above, which feeds a sheet to the image reading unit. Things.
[0015]
According to another aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and the sheet feeding device according to any one of the above, which feeds a sheet to the image forming unit. Is what you do.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an image reading apparatus provided with a document feeding apparatus which is an example of a sheet feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. This is a document feeder attached to the upper part of the device 50. Reference numeral 2 denotes a document table, reference numeral 3 denotes a document discharge table, and reference numeral 4 denotes a document table. The document table 2 moves in a width direction orthogonal to the document conveyance direction to align both sides of the document placed on the document table 4. It is a slider.
[0018]
Reference numeral 1A denotes an apparatus main body of the document feeding apparatus 1. Inside the apparatus main body 1A, a substantially U-shaped document conveying path (hereinafter, referred to as a U-turn path) 14 is provided as shown in FIG. Have been. A lower guide frame 21 that constitutes a sheet mounting portion together with the document placing table 2 is provided so as to be connected to the upstream end side of the U-turn path 14, and the document discharge table is connected to the downstream end side of the U-turn path 14. 3 are provided.
[0019]
An upstream portion of the U-turn path 14 is provided with a pickup roller 10 serving as a sheet feeding unit that comes into contact with and sends out the uppermost original S1 of the originals S stacked on the original placing table 2 and a pickup roller 10. A separation pad 15 that constitutes a separation unit that separates the fed document S1 one by one, a separation roller 5 that presses against the separation pad 15, and a document that regulates the leading end position of the document S stacked on the document mounting table 2. A stopper 9 and a document presence / absence sensor 6 for detecting the presence / absence of the document S on the document table are provided.
[0020]
Further, a discharge roller 11 for discharging the document S to the document discharge table 3 and a document edge sensor 8 for detecting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document S are provided at the downstream end side of the U-turn path 14. ing.
[0021]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 7 denotes a transport roller for transporting the document S while pinching the document S together with the transport rollers 17 to 20, and 16 a pickup arm rotatably provided coaxially with the shaft 5a of the separation roller 5. The pickup roller 10 is rotatably held at a rotating end of the pickup arm 16.
[0022]
The pickup roller 16 disposed above the lower guide frame 21 is held by the pickup arm 16 serving as the holding means so as to be able to approach and separate from the document S. It comes into contact with the document S while rotating with the downward rotation.
[0023]
Here, when the operator places the document S on the document table 2 and sets it, the document S is moved from right to left in the left-right direction of the document feeder 1, and The original is set so that the image surface is on the upper side. When the original is set, the position of the leading end of the original S is regulated by the original stopper 9, and the presence of the original is detected by the original presence / absence sensor 6. Has become. The document stopper 9 is pushed down by the pickup arm 16 when the pickup arm 16 rotates downward as described later.
[0024]
Reference numeral 1B denotes an image reading unit for reading the document S conveyed by the pickup roller 10 and the conveyance roller 7. The image reading unit 1B includes a reading glass 12 and a contact image sensor 13 provided below the reading glass 12. And
[0025]
Here, the contact image sensor 13 irradiates the image information surface of the document S with light from an LED array (not shown) as a light source, and reflects the reflected light from the image information surface with a sensor element using a selfoc lens (trademark). And image information is read.
[0026]
In such a document feeder 1, when an operator instructs the start of reading from an operation unit (not shown), first, a motor (not shown) rotates and the pickup arm 16 rotates downward, thereby causing the document stopper 9 to rotate. Is pushed down. Thereafter, the pickup roller 10 abuts on the uppermost original S1 of the originals S stacked on the original placing table 2, and sends out the uppermost original S1.
[0027]
Next, the uppermost document S1 passes through the upper end surface of the pressed document stopper 9 and is separated from other documents by a separation unit 30 constituted by the separation roller 5 and the separation pad 15, and the inside of the U-turn path 14 is removed. Is sent to Further, the document S1 sent into the U-turn path 14 in this manner is conveyed by rollers 17 to 19 facing the conveying roller 7 toward a reading position where image information is read by the contact image sensor 13. .
[0028]
Next, when the leading edge of the document S1 is detected by the document edge sensor 8, reading of image information by the contact image sensor 13 is started when the document S1 is conveyed by a predetermined amount from that position. When the trailing edge of the document S1 is detected by the document edge sensor 8, the reading of the image information by the contact image sensor 13 is terminated when the document is conveyed by a predetermined amount from that position.
[0029]
Next, the document S <b> 1 is discharged to the document discharge table 3 by the discharge rollers 11. In this manner, the image reading device 50 repeats the above-described reading operation until the document presence sensor 6 detects that there is no document.
[0030]
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 28 denotes a document upper guide unit which is a cover member forming the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1A and constituting an upper guide for guiding the document S, and 29 guides the document S together with the document upper guide unit 28. It is a lower frame which comprises a lower guide. The upper guide unit 28 and the lower frame 29 are provided with bosses 37 and 38, respectively, as shown in FIG.
[0031]
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 34 denotes a stop lever which is a lever member having a vertically extending guide groove 34a. The stop lever 34 is rotatably held by the lower frame 29 around a shaft (not shown) as a fulcrum. At the same time, the upper end is locked by a boss 38 provided on the upper document guide unit 28, and the boss 38 of the lower frame 29 is inserted into the guide groove 34a.
[0032]
As a result, the document S is jammed between the separation roller 5 and the separation pad 15, and when the upper guide unit 28 is opened as shown in FIG. 5 to clear the jam, the stop lever 34 is moved as shown in FIG. Rotates together with the upper document guide unit 28 along the boss 38 until the lower end of the guide groove 34a hits the boss 38.
[0033]
After turning upward together with the upper document guide unit 28, the stop lever 34 is held at the raised position by holding means (not shown). By being held at such a position, the stop lever 34 functions as a regulating member that regulates the opening angle of the upper document guide unit 28 with respect to the lower frame 29.
[0034]
On the other hand, in FIG. 4, reference numeral 35 denotes a rotating lever which is pivotally supported by the lower frame 29 and forms an interlocking means together with the stop lever 34, and 36 denotes a separation pad releasing lever which is a releasing means which is pivotally supported by the lower frame 29.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 7, when the stop lever 34 is rotated upward together with the original guide unit 28, the stop lever 34 is locked by the locking portion 35a of the rotary lever 35, and the rotary lever 35 is rotated. A push-up rib 42 is provided. The rotating lever 35 is provided with a push-down portion 35c that pushes down the rotating end of the separation pad release lever 36 when rotated.
[0036]
Thus, when the stop lever 34 rotates upward, the rotation lever 35 rotates integrally with the stop lever 34 about the shaft 35b (see FIG. 4). When the rotation lever 35 rotates in this manner, The depressing portion 35c abuts on a depressing portion 36a provided at one end of the separation pad release lever 36 from above, whereby the separation pad release lever 36 is pressed down. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 33 denotes a separation pad holder for holding the separation pad 15.
[0037]
Here, at the other end of the separation pad release lever 36, as shown in FIG. 1, there is provided a push-down portion 44 which comes into contact with a push-down rib 43 provided on the lower surface of the separation pad holder 33. The separation pad holder 33 is normally held at a position where the separation pad 15 is pressed against the separation roller 5 as shown in FIG.
[0038]
In such a state, the push-down portion 44 is provided at the other end of the separation pad release lever 36 in a positional relationship in which it only touches the push-down rib 43 and has no effect on the separation pad holder 33.
[0039]
On the other hand, when the rotation lever 35 rotates integrally with the stop lever 34 as described above, the separation pad release lever 36 is pressed and rotated by the rotation lever 35 to separate from the position where the separation pad 15 is pressed against the separation roller 5. The pad 15 is moved to a position where the pad 15 is separated from the separation roller 5.
[0040]
When the separation pad release lever 36 rotates in this manner, the pressing portion 44 of the separation pad release lever 36 rotates the separation pad holder 33 downward about the shaft 33 a via the pressing rib 43 of the separation pad holder 33. Thereby, the separation pad 15 supported by the separation pad holder 33 is separated from the separation roller 5.
[0041]
As described above, when the document S is jammed in the separation unit 30, when the document upper guide unit 28 is opened, the separation pad release lever 36 is moved by the stop lever 34 and the rotation lever 35 in conjunction with the opening of the document upper guide unit 28. The separation pad 15 can be released from the pressing of the separation pad 15 against the separation roller 5.
[0042]
When the upper guide unit 28 is opened, the pressing of the separation pad 15 against the separation roller 5 can be released, so that the user can perform only one operation of opening the upper guide unit 28. , The jam can be removed, and the jam removal performance of the apparatus is improved.
[0043]
Although an image reading apparatus using the document feeder of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sheet is applied to the image forming section in an image forming apparatus having an image forming section. The sheet feeding device of the present invention may be used as a sheet feeding device for feeding.
[0044]
The image forming apparatus further includes an image reading unit, a document feeding device that feeds a document to the image reading unit, and an image forming unit that forms an image based on document information read by the image reading unit. The sheet feeding device of the present invention may be used as a sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet to the reading unit.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, as in the present invention, the release means is operated by the interlocking means in conjunction with the opening of the cover member provided in the apparatus main body so as to be openable and closable, so that the pressure contact of the separation pad with the separation roller is released. By doing so, the user can perform the jam processing only by opening the guide unit on the document, and the jam processing can be easily performed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an upper guide unit of a document is opened in a separation pad release mechanism provided in a document feeder which is an example of a sheet feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an image reading apparatus provided with the document feeding device.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the document feeder.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a separation pad release mechanism provided in the document feeding device.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state when an upper document guide unit provided in the document feeder is opened.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of a separation pad releasing mechanism when the upper document guide unit is opened.
FIG. 7 is another perspective view showing the state of the separation pad releasing mechanism when the upper document guide unit is opened.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a conventional separation pad releasing mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 document feeder 1A device main body 2 document placement table 5 separation roller 10 pickup roller 13 close contact image sensor 15 separation pad 21 lower guide frame 28 document upper guide unit 30 separation section 36 separation pad release lever 33 separation pad holder 37, 38 Boss part 42 Push-up rib 43 Push-down rib

Claims (6)

In a sheet feeding apparatus, after a sheet stored in a sheet storage unit is sent out by a sheet feeding unit, the sheet is separated and fed one by one by a separation unit including a separation roller and a separation pad that is pressed against the separation roller.
A cover member provided on the apparatus body so as to be openable and closable,
Releasing means for releasing the pressure of the separation pad against the separation roller;
Interlocking means for operating the release means in conjunction with opening of the cover member,
A sheet feeding device comprising: The interlocking means separates the separation pad from a position where the lever is moved with the opening of the cover member and the release means presses the separation pad against the separation roller with the movement of the lever member. 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a pressing release member that moves to a position where the pressing member is separated from the roller. The said cover member comprises the upper guide which guides the said sheet | seat, The said separation roller and the separation pad were arrange | positioned at the lower frame which comprises the lower guide which guides a sheet | seat with the said upper guide. Item 2. The sheet feeding device according to Item 1. 4. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the lever member is a regulating member that is incorporated into the cover member and the lower frame, and regulates an opening angle of the cover member with respect to the lower frame. 5. An image reading apparatus comprising: an image reading unit that reads an image of a sheet; and the sheet feeding device according to claim 1 that feeds a sheet to the image reading unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and the sheet feeding device according to claim 1 that feeds the sheet to the image forming unit. .

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