JP2007137526A - Paper feeding device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeding device capable of feeding normal paper and thick paper in every one sheet using a separation member by friction of a friction pad or the like, and an image forming device provided with this. <P>SOLUTION: The manual insertion paper feeding device 30 has a manual insertion tray 8; a pressurization plate 32; a paper feed roller 31 contacted with the paper P as a recording body and feeding the paper P by surface-movement; a recording body contacting/leaving mechanism for contacting or leaving the paper P at the uppermost part of the manual insertion tray 8 and the pressurization plate 32 and the paper feed roller 31; and the friction pad 33 as the separation member opposed to the paper feed roller 31 and contacting with a back surface of a surface of the paper P contacted with the paper feed roller 31 to form a separation nip. In the device 30, paper feeding/conveying is performed while the paper P is separated by the friction pad 33 and the paper feed roller 31 in every one sheet by the separation nip. An angle relative to the paper feed device body of the manual insertion tray 8 (and pressurization plate 32) can be adjusted according to thickness of the paper P. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds stacked recording sheets one by one and an image forming apparatus including the sheet feeding device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a paper feeding device in a copying machine or the like, there are a paper feeding tray on which a standard paper is mounted and a paper can be fed and a manual feed tray capable of feeding the paper. In the sheet feeding device, sheet-like recording materials such as transfer sheets stacked and accommodated in a sheet feeding tray are fed one by one toward the image forming unit in order from the top with a sheet feeding roller as a sheet feeding member. It is like that.
When pulling out the uppermost transfer paper by rotating the paper feed roller, it is easy to pull out multiple sheets at the same time due to friction between the transfer papers. For this reason, resistance is applied to the lower layer paper to feed only the uppermost sheet. To be done. There are various configurations to provide resistance, such as a nail separation method and a friction pad method, but a friction pad method is generally used in which a friction pad as a friction member is brought into contact with the back surface of the surface of the transfer paper that contacts the feed roller. It has become.
In the friction pad system, the friction pad is pressed against the sheet feeding roller with an arbitrary separation angle and separation pressure, and the sheet is passed through the nip between the sheet feeding roller and the friction pad formed thereby. Even if two sheets are pulled out due to the rotation of the paper supply roller, the resistance of the lower sheet received from the friction pad is greater than the resistance due to friction between sheets, so only the upper sheet is fed. The In the friction pad method, if the resistance due to the friction pad is too small, so-called double feeding occurs in which two sheets of paper are overlapped, and if the resistance of the friction pad is too strong, so-called non-feeding may occur in which no sheet is fed. There is. In other words, normal transfer paper (hereinafter referred to as plain paper) tends to generate double feed, so if the resistance of the friction pad is adjusted to that thickness, the resistance is too strong for thick paper such as paperboard. There was a risk of non-feeding.
Note that the resistance that the sheet receives from the friction pad varies depending on the rush angle of the sheet with respect to the friction pad. The smaller the rush angle, the larger the resistance, and the wider the rush angle, the smaller the resistance.

In recent years, there has been an increasing need for copying front and back covers at the time of bookbinding with a copying machine, and a thick paper such as paperboard is desired for use therewith. When feeding such a thick recording medium, slits are provided at intervals so that one recording medium can pass but two cannot pass, and the recording medium is fed one by one through the slit. A slit method is generally used. The slit-type paper feeding method is suitable for feeding a thick recording medium, but it is difficult to provide a slit corresponding to the thickness of one plain paper and is not suitable for plain paper feeding. It is.
With respect to such a problem, in Patent Document 1, separation is performed by a friction pad in the case of plain paper, and slit separation is performed when a thick transfer paper is fed.

JP 10-035925 A

  However, when two separation methods are employed in the sheet feeding device as in Patent Document 1, the configuration becomes complicated and costs increase. In addition, a friction pad is unnecessary when performing slit separation, and an extra space is required because the friction pad is lowered downward during separation.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device capable of feeding plain paper and cardboard one by one using a separating member that separates by friction such as a friction pad, And an image forming apparatus including the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 includes a recording material stacking table on which a plurality of recording materials are stacked, a paper feed roller that contacts the recording material and feeds the recording material, and the recording material. A recording body contacting / separating mechanism for contacting or separating the uppermost recording body on the body loading table and the paper feeding roller, and a surface of the recording body which is opposed to the paper feeding roller and is in contact with the paper feeding roller. And a separation member that forms a separation nip in contact with the back surface, and separates the recording medium one by one by the separation member and the sheet feeding roller at the separation nip and feeds the sheet. The angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device can be automatically adjusted according to the thickness of the recording material.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device according to the first aspect, the recording member stacking base is pushed up by the recording member contacting / separating mechanism to push up the leading end of the recording member in the paper feeding direction. It is characterized by comprising a recording medium stacking base and a second recording body stacking base that supports other than the tip of the recording medium.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording body stacking table on which a plurality of recording bodies are stacked, a paper feed roller that contacts the recording body and feeds the recording body, and an uppermost sheet on the recording body stacking base. A recording body contact / separation mechanism that contacts or separates the upper recording body and the paper feed roller, and contacts and separates the back surface of the surface of the recording body that contacts the paper feeding roller. A recording member stacking base in a sheet feeding device for separating and feeding the recording members one by one by the separation member and the sheet feeding roller at the separation nip. Are pushed up by the recording body contact / separation mechanism and push up the leading end of the recording body in the paper feeding direction, and a second recording body stacking base that supports other than the leading end of the recording body, The angle of the first recording material stacking base and the angle of the first recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device Depending on the thickness, it is characterized in that it is adjustable.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device according to the second or third aspect, the angles of the first recording body stacking base and the second recording body stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device body can be independently adjusted. It is characterized by being.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device according to the second, third, or fourth aspect, the second recording body stacking base with respect to the first recording body stacking base according to the thickness of the recording body. The size of the angle is adjustable.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspect, the adjustment of the angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device main body is performed by adjusting the thickness of the recording material. It can be adjusted based on the detection result of the recording body thickness detection sensor to be detected.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device of the sixth aspect, the recording body thickness detection sensor detects the thickness of the recording body that has passed through the separation nip. is there.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device of the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth aspect, the adjustment of the angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device body relates to the thickness of the recording material. It can be adjusted based on information input by the user.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device according to the sixth, seventh, or eighth aspect, the paper feeding device further comprises a loading table angle detecting means for detecting an angle of the recording material loading table with respect to the paper feeding device main body. When the angle of the table is not an angle suitable for the thickness of the recording medium, the angle of the recording medium loading table with respect to the sheet feeding apparatus main body is controlled.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feeding device according to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth aspect, separation unit recording that guides the conveyance direction of the recording medium at the separation nip. Proximity portions between the body guide member and the recording body loading platform have a comb-teeth shape, and the comb teeth are engaged with each other.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus provided with the paper feed for feeding the recording medium to the image forming portion, the paper feeding means is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh. , 8, 9 or 10 paper feeding device is used.

In the paper feeding device according to the first to eleventh aspects, since the angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device main body can be adjusted according to the thickness of the recording material, recording on the contact surface of the separating member with the recording material is possible. The angle of the body loading table can be set to an angle suitable for the thickness of the recording medium to be fed.
The smaller the angle between the surface of the separation member and the recording material stack, the narrower the angle of entry of the recording material with respect to the separation nip, and the greater the resistance that the recording material receives from the separation member. Therefore, by adjusting the angle between the surface of the separating member and the recording medium loading table to be small, it is difficult to pass a plurality of sheets even if they are thin sheets, and it is possible to prevent thin paper from being double-fed.
On the other hand, the larger the angle between the surface of the separating member and the recording material stack, the wider the angle of entry of the recording material with respect to the separation nip, and the smaller the resistance received by the recording material from the separating member. Therefore, by adjusting the angle between the surface of the separating member and the recording material stacking base, the occurrence of non-feeding can be prevented without causing excessive resistance even for a thick recording material.

  According to the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of thin paper multi-feed and thick paper non-feed, so that it is possible to feed and feed both plain paper and thick paper one by one. effective.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a copying machine 1 as an image forming apparatus will be described.
First, the configuration and operation of the copier according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an entire copying machine 1 according to the present embodiment. An image forming unit 2 is disposed substantially at the center of the copying machine 1, and a sheet feeding unit 3 is disposed immediately below the image forming unit 2. The paper feed unit 3 is provided with, for example, four stages of paper feed cassettes 4a to 4d each serving as a paper storage unit. These paper feed cassettes 4a to 4d are provided so as to be able to be pulled out and stored in the front-rear direction (the front side or the rear side in the drawing in the drawing) with respect to the copying machine 1 main body. Further, an image reading unit 5 (scanner unit) for reading a document image is disposed above the image forming unit 2. Further, a paper discharge tray 7 for discharging paper P as a recording body on which an image has been formed is provided on the downstream side (left side in the drawing) of the image forming unit 2 in the paper conveyance direction. Note that a manual paper feeding device 30 including a manual tray 8 that is a paper storage unit for manually feeding paper P is provided on the upstream side (right side in the drawing) of the image forming unit 2 in the paper conveyance direction. Yes.

  In the image forming unit 2, a plurality of image forming units 10 for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are juxtaposed above an intermediate transfer belt 9 formed of an endless belt. ing. In each image forming unit 10, an electrophotographic process member or device such as a charging device 12, an exposure unit, a developing device 13, and a cleaning device 14 is arranged along the outer periphery of a drum-shaped photoconductor 11 provided for each color. Has been. The charging device 12 performs a charging process on the surface of the photoconductor 11, and the exposure unit irradiates a laser beam from the exposure device 15 that irradiates the surface of the photoconductor 11 with image information with a laser beam. The developing device 13 develops and visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed by exposing the surface of the photoconductor 11 with toner, and the cleaning device 14 removes and collects the toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 11 after the transfer.

As an image forming process, an image for each color is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 9, and four colors are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 9 to form one color image. At that time, first, yellow (Y) toner is developed and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 9 in the yellow (Y) image forming section. Next, the magenta (M) image forming unit develops the magenta toner and transfers it to the intermediate transfer belt 9. Next, in the cyan (C) image forming unit, cyan toner is developed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 9, and finally black (K) toner is developed and transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 9. A full-color toner image is formed by superimposing four-color toner images.
The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 9 is transferred to the paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 3 by the transfer device 16 and fixed by the fixing device 17, and then the paper discharge roller 18. Is discharged to the discharge tray 7.
On the other hand, after the full-color toner image is transferred, the toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 9 is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer body cleaning device 21.

  The paper trays 4 a to 4 d, the manual feed tray 8 and the registration roller 19 are connected by a conveyance path 20, and the paper P fed from an arbitrary paper feeding place passes through the conveyance path 20 and the registration roller 19. It is conveyed to. Here, the registration roller 19 temporarily stops the conveyance of the sheet P, and again takes the sheet P at a timing so that the positional relationship between the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 9 and the leading end of the sheet P becomes a predetermined positional relationship. Send it out. The registration roller 19 functions in the same manner for the paper P conveyed from the manual feed tray 8.

  Next, a paper feeding device as a characteristic part of the copying machine 1 will be described. In the present embodiment, a manual sheet feeding device 30 having a manual tray 8 as a sheet feeding device having a characteristic portion will be described. However, the sheet feeding device having the characteristic portion is not limited to the manual tray 8 and is not limited to the sheet feeding cassettes 4a to 4a. It is applicable to any of 4d.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the manual paper feed device 30 in a state in which the manual cover 8a that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the copying machine 1 and the manual tray 8 are opened. 3 is a perspective view of the manual sheet feeder 30 with the manual feed tray 8 and the manual cover 8a shown in FIG. 2 removed, and FIG. It is a perspective view of the friction pad vicinity as a separation member. Further, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the manual sheet feeding device 30 in which the sheet feeding roller 31 and the like are omitted.

The manual sheet feeding device 30 according to the present embodiment is configured as a friction pad separation type sheet feeding device, and the basic structure is as follows. A paper feed roller 31 (so-called pickup roller) is provided for feeding the paper P stacked on the manual feed tray 8 as a second recording material stacking base. In addition, a pressure plate 32 that is a resin-made bottom plate is provided near the downstream end of the manual feed tray 8 in the paper feeding direction as a first recording material stacking table that can be moved up and down to press the loaded paper P against the paper feeding roller 31. It has been. Further, a separation nip is formed so as to face and contact the sheet feeding roller 31 downstream of the pressure plate 32 in the sheet feeding direction to form a separation nip and separate the sheets P fed by the sheet feeding roller 31 one by one. And a friction pad 33 as means.
The material of the friction pad 33 is made of a material having a high friction coefficient such as rubber, rubber cork, urethane foam, or thermoplastic elastomer.

Here, the paper feed roller 31 and the friction pad 33 are located at the center of the stacked paper P in the paper width direction. The paper feed roller 31 extends integrally with the paper feed roller 31 in the paper width direction. Is provided. Both ends of the paper feed roller shaft 34 are formed on the rising side surfaces 35b on both sides of the support structure 35 which is integrally formed of resin so as to serve also as the conveyance guide plate 35a and has a length over the entire width in the paper width direction. A sheet feeding roller bearing 36 is rotatably attached to a sheet feeding roller shaft support hole 35c as a support.
Further, the support structure 35 is configured such that a portion of the conveyance guide plate 35a facing the sheet feeding roller 31 is opened, and a friction pad base 33a as a separation unit recording member guide member is disposed in the opening. Yes.
In the friction pad base 33a, a flat friction pad 33 is bonded to a portion of the friction pad base 33a facing the sheet feeding roller 31 via a double-sided tape. A friction pad mounting portion 35d as a support portion that rotatably supports the friction pad support shaft 33b provided at both ends in the width direction on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction is formed on the opening side surface 35e. The friction pad mounting portion 35d is set to support the support shaft 33b so that the support shaft 33b of the friction pad base 33a is parallel to the paper supply roller shaft 34 of the paper supply roller 31.
A compression spring, which will be described in detail later, is interposed between the bottom surface side of the friction pad base 33a and the support structure 35, and the friction pad 33 is pressed against the paper feed roller 31 via the friction pad base 33a. Has been.

The pressure plate 32 for pressing the paper feed leading end side of the paper P loaded on the manual feed tray 8 against the paper feed roller 31 is moved in the press-contact direction with respect to the paper feed roller 31 and moved in the direction of moving away (lifting operation). A guide member oriented to guide is provided. A pair of left and right guide shafts 37 serving as guide members is provided by being press-fitted into a shaft support hole 35 f formed at the bottom of the support structure 35. The pair of guide shafts 37 are arranged on both sides outside the maximum width of the paper P that can form an image in the paper width direction so as not to disturb the paper feeding operation. A conical pressure plate for pressing and pressing the pressure plate 32 toward the paper feed roller 31 between the pressure plate 32 and the bottom portion of the support structure 35 using the guide shafts 37. A compression spring 38 is interposed. In the pressure plate 32, a pair of left and right guide holes 32a are formed which can slide with respect to the pair of left and right guide shafts 37.
The sheet feeding roller 31 is provided with a bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 as a bottom plate raising / lowering mechanism on the left and right. When the bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 rotates and presses the pressure plate 32, the pressure plate compression spring 38 is compressed, and the pressure plate 32 is lowered. Further, by reducing the pressing force of the bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 against the pressure plate 32, the pressure plate compression spring 38 extends and the pressure plate 32 rises.

  In the support structure 35, the positional relationship among the paper feed roller shaft support hole 35c, the friction pad mounting portion 35d, and the guide shaft 37 (shaft support hole 35f) is the position of the paper feed roller 31, the friction pad 33, and the pressure plate 32. It is stipulated that the relationship is mutually appropriate.

Here, a conventional manual sheet feeder 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
As shown in the figure, a sheet feeding roller 31, a bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 as a bottom plate raising / lowering mechanism, a pressure plate 32 as a bottom plate, and a friction pad 33 and a friction pad base 33a constituting a separation nip as a friction pad separation portion are provided. I have. A guide roller 45, a manual feed tray 8, a manual feed cover 8 a, a manual feed cover 8 a and a link portion 8 b of the manual feed tray 8 are provided.
The sheet feeding roller 31 is provided with a bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 on the left and right, and the bottom plate raising / lowering cam 44 rotates to lower the pressure plate 32 or raise the pressure plate 32. When the pressure plate 32 rises and the paper P stacked on the manual feed tray 8 and the pressure plate 32 comes into contact with the paper feed roller 31, the paper P is formed by the friction pad 33 and the paper feed roller 31 on the friction pad base 33a. Is fed to a separation nip as a separation portion. At this time, when the paper P is stacked with the same opening angle as the plane of the friction pad 33 of the manual feed tray 8 in accordance with the plain paper, the thick paper has a large stiffness with respect to the plain paper and is conveyed at the separation nip. Since the load increases, the frequency of non-feeding is higher than when plain paper is passed. On the other hand, when the paper P is stacked with the same base opening angle in accordance with the thick paper, the plain paper is thinner than the thick paper, so that the frequency of occurrence of double feed in which a plurality of sheets are fed simultaneously increases.

  The manual paper feeding device 30 applied to the copying machine 1 has a configuration in which the opening angle of the manual tray 8 when loading paper can be changed in a plurality of stages, and thereby adjusts the angle of entry of the paper P into the separation nip. be able to. That is, the angle of the manual feed tray 8 with respect to the plane of the contact surface of the friction pad 33 with respect to the paper P can be adjusted. Since the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8 can be appropriately changed according to the type of paper such as plain paper or thick paper, non-feeding and double feeding can be prevented in correspondence with a wide range of paper thickness.

FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a configuration in which the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8 can be changed in a plurality of stages. FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram when the paper P is plain paper, and FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram when the paper P is thick paper.
As shown in FIG. 8, the recording material stacking table on which the paper P as the recording material is stacked includes a pressure plate 32 as a first recording material stacking table and a manual feed tray 8 as a second recording material stacking table. The The friction pad base 33a is pressed in the direction of the paper feed roller 31 by a pressure spring 39, whereby the friction pad 33 is pressed against the surface of the paper feed roller 31 to form a separation nip.
The manual feed tray 8 rotates with a portion close to the separation nip as a fulcrum as can be seen by comparing FIG. 8 (a) and FIG. 8 (b). The pressure plate 32 can also be rotated in the same manner. The pressing plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 may be configured to rotate independently or may be configured to rotate in conjunction with each other. When interlocking, the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 are interlocked and come to a predetermined position by a link mechanism (not shown).
As shown in FIG. 8, the pressure plate 32 and the manual tray 8 are adjusted when the angle between the surface of the pressure plate 32 carrying the paper P and the surface of the manual feed tray 8 is defined as the stacking table internal angle θ. By doing so, it is possible to increase / decrease the loading platform internal angle θ.

In FIG. 8A, since the stacking table internal angle θ, which is the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8, is an angle corresponding to plain paper, the paper P is bent at the boundary between the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8. Further, in FIG. 8B, since the stacking tray internal angle θ of the manual feed tray is an angle corresponding to the thick paper, the paper P is set straight without being bent at the boundary between the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8. . In this manner, the stacking table interior angle θ, which is the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8, can be changed according to the type of paper such as plain paper or thick paper.
Thick paper is stronger than plain paper and is more likely to cause non-feed due to an increase in the conveying load at the separation nip. The occurrence of non-feed is suppressed by taking a large value. On the other hand, if the manual feed tray is opened too much, plain paper multi-feeding tends to occur. Since plain paper is less stiff than thick paper, non-feeding at the separation nip is less likely to occur. Therefore, in the case of plain paper, the stacking table internal angle θ, which is the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8, is set small. Further, in the case of a paper thickness between thick paper and plain paper, for example, a medium-thick paper, an angle between the stacking board interior angle θ for plain paper and the stacking board interior angle θ for thick paper is taken. In this way, the stacking table internal angle θ, which is the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8, can be adjusted appropriately so as to be able to cope finely according to the paper thickness and the paper type, so that a wide range of paper thicknesses from thin paper to thick paper can be handled.

Next, a mechanism for rotating the manual feed tray 8 and the pressure plate 32 will be described.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the rotation mechanism of the manual feed tray 8 or the pressure plate 32 that is a recording material stacking base. FIG. 9A is an explanatory diagram of the rotation mechanism of the manual feed tray 8, and FIG. 9B is an explanatory diagram of the rotation mechanism of the pressure plate 32.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the manual tray lifting device 50 that rotates the manual tray 8 includes a manual tray lifting lever 51, a manual tray lifting gear 52, a manual tray lifting belt 53, and a manual tray lifting motor 54. The
By driving the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54, the manual tray lifting / lowering lever 51 can be rotated, and the position of the manual tray 8 at which the end of the manual tray lifting / lowering lever 51 contacts can be raised. For details, the angle of the manual feed table automatically moves to an appropriate angle based on a detection result by a paper thickness detection sensor described later. Specifically, based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor, the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 is driven, the manual tray lifting / lowering belt 53 and the manual tray lifting / lowering gear 52 are disengaged, and the manual tray lifting / lowering lever 51 is rotated. The manual feed tray 8 is automatically raised and lowered. As a result, the user can automatically set the appropriate angle of the manual feed tray 8 only by setting the paper, thereby improving the operability for the user. If the paper thickness detection sensor is not mounted, the user must determine the paper thickness. However, if the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 is attached, the user can set the paper thickness on the operation panel, and the manual tray The angle of 8 is automatically set.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the pressure plate lifting / lowering device 60 that rotates the pressure plate 32 includes a pressure plate lifting / lowering lever 61, a pressure plate lifting / lowering gear 62, a pressure plate lifting / lowering belt 63, and a pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64. The
By driving the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64, the pressure plate lifting / lowering lever 61 can be rotated, and the position where the end of the pressure plate lifting / lowering lever 61 of the pressure plate 32 contacts can be raised. By providing the pressure plate lifting device 60, the angle of the pressure plate 32 as well as the manual feed tray 8 can be changed in a plurality of stages. As a result, the angle of the pressure plate 32 closer to the separation nip can be changed, and the angle of entry of the paper P into the separation nip can be changed depending on the paper thickness and paper type, and the accuracy is increased to accommodate a wide range of paper types and paper thicknesses. It becomes possible to do.

When the paper thickness detection sensor is provided, the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64 is driven based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor, and the pressure plate lifting / lowering belt 63 and the pressure plate lifting / lowering gear 62 are disengaged. The elevating lever 61 rotates and the pressure plate 32 is automatically raised and lowered. As a result, the user can automatically set the appropriate pressure plate angle only by setting the paper, thereby improving user operability. If the paper thickness detection sensor is not mounted, the user must determine the paper thickness. However, if the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64 is attached, the user can set the paper thickness on the operation panel to set the pressure plate. The angle of 32 is automatically set.
When the paper thickness detection sensor is mounted and the automatic lifting / lowering function of the manual tray 8 is not mounted, the user sets the bottom plate opening angle by looking at the operation panel of the manual tray 8. In this case, the cost can be reduced because the manual feed tray lifting / lowering motor 54 is not installed, and a decrease in transport quality such as non-feeding of cardboard can be prevented.

The pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 can be rotated by the method shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 can be changed in a plurality of stages by the respective automatic lifting mechanisms.
In this manner, by rotating the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 and increasing / decreasing the stacking table internal angle θ, it is possible to prevent non-feeding and multi-feeding corresponding to a wider variety of paper thicknesses. In order to link the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 which are the two loading platforms, a method is used in which the rotational speed of the other motor is controlled in accordance with the rotational speed of one motor.

Next, the paper thickness detection sensor described above will be described.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration in which a paper thickness detection sensor 70 is provided on the downstream side of the separation nip between the friction pad 33 and the paper feed roller 31. For example, a transmissive sensor can be used as the paper thickness detection sensor 70, and the thickness is detected by irradiating the paper with the transmitted light L. The detection result is fed back to the lifting mechanism shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, and the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 are rotated.
As described above, the manual sheet feeding device 30 determines the paper thickness based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor 70, so that the angle of the manual feed tray 8 with respect to the apparatus body, that is, the paper of the friction pad 33 is more accurately determined. The angle of the manual feed tray 8 or the pressure plate 32 with respect to the surface in contact with P can be set.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration in which a pressure plate 32 that is a paper stacking base and a friction pad base 33a that is a separation unit recording member guide member are arranged close to each other. FIG. 11A is a schematic view of a configuration in which the pressure plate 32 and the friction pad base 33a are arranged close to each other, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of a proximity portion between the pressure plate 32 and the friction pad base 33a. FIG.
In order to ensure delivery of the paper P from the pressure plate 32 to the friction pad base 33a, it is desirable that the pressure plate 32 and the friction pad base 33a are close to each other as shown in FIG. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 11B, the proximity portion between the pressure plate 32 and the friction pad base 33a is formed in a comb-tooth shape and meshed. As a result, the paper P can be prevented from occurring due to the paper P being caught in the gap at the delivery position of the paper P from the pressure plate 32 to the friction pad base 33a.

Next, the control of the stacking table internal angle θ, which is the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) that is a sheet stacking table, will be described.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of control of the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32). As shown in FIG. 12, for the opening angle control of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32), a paper thickness detection sensor 70 and a home position sensor 71 are provided for automatic control without user operation, There is a method of controlling by inputting from the operation panel 72.
The home position sensor 71 detects the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32), and the manual feed tray 8 is positioned at a position suitable for the thickness of the paper P detected by the paper thickness detection sensor 70. (And the pressure plate 32) is detected. At this time, when the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is not at a position suitable for the thickness of the paper P, the manual tray lifting motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting motor 64) is driven. Then, the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is controlled so that the position is suitable for the thickness of the paper P.
The detection of the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) using the home position sensor 71 is not limited to the configuration using the paper thickness detection sensor 70, and the configuration in which the user inputs information on the paper thickness from the operation panel 72. It can also be applied to.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a configuration in which the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is controlled based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor.
In the case of sensor control, a paper thickness detection sensor 70 is provided downstream of the separation nip by the friction pad 33 in the paper feeding direction. The paper thickness detection sensor 70 determines whether the paper P has passed (S101). If it passes, it is turned on (S102). Based on the transmittance of the paper thickness detection sensor 70, the control unit determines the thickness of the paper P. The judgment can be set in two stages, for example, thick and thin.
First, it is determined whether the paper P is thin (S103). When it is determined that the paper P is thin, the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64) is rotated by an appropriate amount so that the manual tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position (S104). Then, it is determined whether the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S105). If the position is correct, the control is terminated. If the position is not correct, the manual tray raising / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate raising / lowering motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S104). When the paper thickness is thin, the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is raised to increase the resistance of the paper P due to contact with the friction pad 33 in the separation nip, so that even a thin paper can be easily separated.
If it is determined whether the paper P is thin (S103), it is determined whether the paper P is thick (S106). When it is determined that the sheet P is thick, the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64) is rotated by an appropriate amount so that the manual tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position (S107). ). Then, it is determined whether the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S108). If the position is correct, the control is terminated. If the position is not correct, the manual tray raising / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate raising / lowering motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S107). When the paper P is thick, the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is lowered, and the conveyance path of the paper P from the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) to the separation nip is leveled.
If the paper P is not thick in the determination whether the paper P is thick (S106), it cannot be determined whether the paper P is thick or thin, and an error is displayed on the operation panel ( S109). It is also conceivable that the paper thickness is judged in two or more stages. By determining the paper thickness in two stages as described above, the cost can be reduced by limiting the number of types to two types, particularly in the case of plain paper and thick paper.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a configuration for controlling the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) based on the operation of the operation panel. In the case of operation by the operation panel, the user inputs the sheet thickness from the operation panel (S201), thereby adjusting the opening angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32).
When the user inputs that the paper P is thick on the operation panel (S202), the manual feed tray elevating motor 54 (and the pressure plate elevating motor 64) is appropriately set so that the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position. The amount is rotated (S203). Then, it is determined whether or not the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S204). If the position is correct, the control is terminated. If the position is not correct, the manual tray raising / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate raising / lowering motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S203). When the paper P is thick, the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is lowered, and the conveyance path of the paper P from the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) to the separation nip is leveled.
On the other hand, when the user inputs that the paper P is thin on the operation panel (S205), the manual tray raising / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate raising / lowering motor 64) so that the manual tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position. Is rotated by an appropriate amount (S206). Then, it is determined whether the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S207). If the position is correct, the control is terminated. If the position is not correct, the manual feed tray elevating motor 54 (and the pressure plate elevating motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S206). When the paper thickness is thin, the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is raised to increase the resistance of the paper P due to contact with the friction pad 33 in the separation nip, so that even a thin paper can be easily separated.
It is also conceivable to determine the paper thickness at two or more levels. By determining the paper thickness in two stages as described above, the cost can be reduced by limiting the number of types to two types, particularly in the case of plain paper and thick paper.

FIG. 15 is a second flowchart of a configuration in which the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is controlled based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor.
The paper thickness detection sensor 70 determines whether or not the paper P has passed (S301). If it passes, it is turned on (S302). This sensor determines the sheet thickness from the transmittance. The judgment can be set in two stages, for example, thick and thin.
First, it is determined whether the paper P is thin (S303). When it is determined that the sheet is thin, the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64) is rotated by an appropriate amount so that the manual tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position (S304). Then, the correct position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is set in advance, and the home position sensor 71 detects whether or not it is the correct position. It is determined whether the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S305). If it is determined that the position is correct, the next sheet P is fed (S306). If the next paper is detected after the paper supply, the paper is supplied one after another, and if it is not detected, the control operation is terminated. If the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is not correct, the manual tray lifting motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S304).
If it is determined whether the paper P is thin (S303), it is determined whether the paper P is thick (S307). When it is determined that the paper P is thick, the manual tray lifting / lowering motor 54 (and the pressure plate lifting / lowering motor 64) is rotated by an appropriate amount so that the manual tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) moves to an appropriate position (S308). ). Then, the correct position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is set in advance, and the home position sensor 71 detects whether or not it is the correct position. It is determined whether the position of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is correct (S309). If it is determined that the position is correct, the next sheet P is fed (S310). If the next paper is detected after the paper supply, the paper is supplied one after another, and if it is not detected, the control operation is terminated. If the position is not correct, the manual feed tray elevating motor 54 (and the pressure plate elevating motor 64) is rotated again by an appropriate amount (S308). When the paper P is thick, the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is lowered, and the conveyance path of the paper P from the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) to the separation nip is leveled.
If it is determined whether or not the paper P is thick (S307), if it is determined that the paper P is not thick, an error is displayed on the operation panel as if the paper P is not thick or thin (S311). . It is also conceivable to determine the paper thickness at two or more levels. By determining the paper thickness in two stages as described above, the cost can be reduced by limiting the number of types to two types, particularly in the case of plain paper and thick paper.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the flat friction pad 33 is used as the separation member that forms the separation nip by contacting the back surface of the surface of the transfer paper P with which the feed roller 31 contacts is described. The separation member is not limited to the friction pad 33, and any member that contacts the transfer paper P with a frictional force larger than the frictional force between the overlapping transfer papers P may be used. .
In the above-described embodiment, the thickness of the paper P is determined by using the manual feed tray lifting motor 54 or the pressure plate lifting motor 64 to determine the angle of the manual feed tray 8 and the pressure plate 32 as the recording material stacking base with respect to the main body of the paper feeding device 30. However, the angle may be adjusted manually.
When the adjustment is performed manually, a plurality of stages of locking members that can be adjusted are provided, and the adjustment is performed according to the paper thickness. For example, when it is possible to adjust in two stages, when using thick paper, the stacking table interior angle θ is increased, the manual feed tray 8 is lowered, and when using plain paper, the stacking table interior angle θ is decreased, Raise the manual feed tray 8 high.
In addition, when it is possible to adjust in three stages, the manual feed tray 8 is tilted when the paper is thick, the manual feed tray 8 is raised when the paper is thin, and the stacking base is set so as to be an intermediate height when the paper is plain. Adjust the interior angle θ.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the manual feed tray 8 and the pressure plate 32 as the recording material stacking base, and the paper feed roller 31 that feeds the paper P by contacting the surface of the paper P as the recording material and moving on the surface. The uppermost sheet P of the manual feed tray 8 and the pressure plate 32 and the recording roller contacting / separating mechanism for contacting or separating the sheet feeding roller 31 and the sheet feeding roller 31 are opposed to the sheet feeding roller 31. And a friction pad 33 as a separating member that contacts the back surface of the surface to form a separation nip, and separates the sheets P one by one by the friction pad 33 and the sheet feeding roller 31 at the separation nip to feed the sheet. The angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) with respect to the main body of the paper feed device 30 can be adjusted according to the thickness of the paper P. contact It can be an angle angle suitable to the thickness of the sheet P for feeding the manual feed tray 8 (and pressure plate 32) against. Thus, by adjusting the angle between the surface of the friction pad 33 and the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) to be small, it becomes difficult to pass a plurality of sheets even if they are thin sheets, and it is possible to prevent the thin paper from being double fed. it can. Further, by adjusting the angle between the surface of the friction pad 33 and the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32), the resistance is not too strong even for the thick paper P, and the occurrence of non-feed can be prevented. it can. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of double feeding of thin paper and non-feeding of thick paper, so that it is possible to feed and feed plain paper and thick paper one by one. Furthermore, since it is possible to adjust automatically, the user can set the appropriate manual feed tray 8 angle automatically only by setting paper, so that user operability is improved.
Further, the adjacent portions of the friction pad base 33a, which is a separation part recording member guide member for guiding the conveyance direction of the sheet P in the separation nip, and the pressure plate 32 on the downstream side in the recording member conveyance direction of the recording body stacking base are mutually comb teeth. The shape is such that the comb teeth are engaged with each other. As a result, the paper P can be prevented from occurring due to the paper P being caught in the gap at the delivery position of the paper P from the pressure plate 32 to the friction pad base 33a.
In addition, the recording body stacking base on which the paper P is loaded is pushed up by the recording body contact / separation mechanism, and the pressure plate 32 as the first recording body stacking base that pushes up the leading end of the paper P in the paper feeding direction; It is composed of a manual feed tray 8 as a second recording material stacking table that supports other than the front end. Since the manual feed tray 8 that supports the entire paper P and the pressure plate 32 at a position closer to the separation nip than the manual feed tray 8 are separated, the tilt can be controlled in accordance with the thickness of the paper.
In addition, since the angle between the pressure plate 32 and the manual feed tray 8 can be adjusted independently, the tilt can be controlled in accordance with the thickness of the paper.
Further, by adjusting the size of the loading table internal angle θ, which is the angle of the second recording material loading table with respect to the first recording material loading table, it is possible to perform paper feeding suitable for the thickness of the paper P.
In addition, a paper thickness detection sensor 70 as a recording body thickness detection sensor is provided. Control is performed based on the detection result of the detection sensor 70. The paper thickness detection sensor 70 detects the paper thickness loaded on the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32), and the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is set based on the paper thickness detection result. The manual feed device 30, not the user, can determine the paper thickness so that the manual feed table angle can be set more accurately. Further, the paper thickness detection sensor 70 detects the paper P relative to the separation nip. Since the thickness of the paper P that has passed through the separation nip is detected on the downstream side in the transport direction, it is possible to detect the state of a single sheet in the separation nip, and to detect the paper thickness more reliably. become able to.
Further, the adjustment of the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) with respect to the sheet feeder main body, that is, the angle with respect to the flat portion of the friction pad 33 is controlled based on information input by the user on the operation panel 72. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide the paper thickness detection sensor 70, and the cost can be reduced. Further, even if the paper thickness detection sensor 70 is used, even if the paper thickness cannot be determined by the paper thickness detection sensor 70, the user inputs information regarding the paper thickness. The paper can be fed.
Further, a home position sensor 71 is provided for detecting the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) with respect to the sheet feeding device body, that is, the angle with respect to the flat portion of the friction pad 33, and the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32). Is not an angle suitable for the thickness of the sheet P, the angle of the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) is controlled to bring the manual feed tray 8 (and the pressure plate 32) into a position suitable for paper feeding. Can be set.
Further, since the copying machine 1 as the image forming apparatus uses the manual sheet feeding device 30 as a sheet feeding unit, it is possible to prevent double feeding when using thin paper and non-feeding when using thick paper, and stable image formation. Will be able to do.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, a description has been given of a recording medium stacking unit that includes two members, ie, a pressure plate 32 as a first recording body stacking table and a manual feed tray 8 as a second recording body stacking table. This is not a limitation. Hereinafter, a modified example in which the recording material stacking base is configured by only the manual feed tray 8 will be described.
FIG. 16 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a manual sheet feeder 30 according to a modification.
As shown in FIG. 16, in the manual feed device 30 in which the manual feed tray 8 is integrated with the pressure plate, similarly, the angle of the manual feed tray 8 can be changed to cope with recording materials having a wide range of paper thickness. Will be able to.
The contact / separation operation of the paper P loaded on the manual feed tray 8 and the paper feed roller 31 can be realized by providing a contact / separation mechanism capable of moving the manual feed tray 8 up and down together with a mechanism for adjusting the angle thereof. Note that the contact / separation mechanism is not limited to this, and the contact / separation operation of the paper P and the paper supply roller 31 may be performed by moving the paper supply roller 31 up and down.
In this way, even if the recording material stacking base is the manual sheet feeding device 30 configured only by the manual tray 8, the angle of the manual tray 8 suitable for the paper thickness of the paper P can be adjusted, and thin paper is used. It is possible to prevent double feeding at times and non-feeding when using cardboard.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a copier according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a manual sheet feeder. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a manual sheet feeding device according to an embodiment with a manual tray and a manual cover portion removed. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a central portion of a manual sheet feeding device in which a sheet feeding roller and the like in FIG. 3 are omitted. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a manual sheet feeding device in which the sheet feeding roller and the like in FIG. 3 are omitted. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional manual sheet feeder with a manual tray and a manual cover portion removed. The perspective view of the conventional manual paper feeder. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a manual sheet feeding device that can change the opening angle of the manual tray in a plurality of stages. (A) is explanatory drawing when a paper is a plain paper. (B) is an explanatory view when the paper is thick paper. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a manual sheet feeder provided with a manual feed tray serving as a recording medium loading table or a pressure plate rotating mechanism. (A) is explanatory drawing of the rotation mechanism of a manual feed tray, (b) is explanatory drawing of the rotation mechanism of a pressurizing plate. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a manual sheet feeding device provided with a sheet thickness detection sensor on the downstream side of a separation nip between a friction pad and a sheet feeding roller. Explanatory drawing of the state which has arrange | positioned the pressurization board and the friction pad stand close. (A) is a schematic side view of a state where a pressure plate and a friction pad are brought close to each other, and (b) is an enlarged explanatory view of a proximity portion between the pressure plate and the friction pad base. The block diagram of control of the opening angle of a manual feed tray. The flowchart which controls the angle of a manual feed tray based on the detection result of a paper thickness detection sensor. The flowchart which controls the angle of a manual feed tray based on operation of an operation panel. A second flowchart for controlling the angle of the manual feed tray based on the detection result of the paper thickness detection sensor. FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a manual sheet feeding device according to a modified example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier 2 Image forming part 3 Paper feed part 4 Paper feed cassette 5 Image reading part 7 Paper discharge tray 8 Manual feed tray 8a Manual feed cover 8b Link part 9 Intermediate transfer belt 10 Image forming part 11 Photoconductor 12 Charging device 13 Developing device 14 Cleaning device 15 Exposure device 16 Transfer device 17 Fixing device 18 Paper discharge roller 19 Registration roller 20 Transport path 21 Intermediate transfer member cleaning device 30 Manual paper feed device 31 Paper feed roller 32 Pressure plate 32a Guide hole 33 Friction pad 33a Friction pad base 34 Feed roller shaft 35 Support structure 35a Transport guide plate 35b Standing side surface 35c Feed roller shaft support hole 35d Friction pad mounting portion 35e Open side surface 35f Shaft support hole 36 Feed roller bearing 37 Guide shaft 39 Pressure spring 50 Manual Tray Elevating Device 51 Manual Tray Elevating Lever 52 Manual Tray Elevating Gear 53 Manual Tray Elevating Gear 53 Manual Tray Elevating Belt 54 Manual Tray Elevating Motor 60 Pressure Plate Elevating Device 61 Pressure Plate Elevating Lever 62 Pressure Plate Elevating Gear 63 Pressure Plate Elevating Belt 64 Pressure Plate Elevating Motor 70 Paper thickness detection sensor 71 Home position sensor 72 Operation panel

Claims (11)

A recording medium loading table for loading a plurality of recording bodies;
A paper feed roller that contacts the recording body and feeds the recording body;
A recording medium contacting / separating mechanism for contacting or separating the uppermost recording medium on the recording medium loading table and the paper feed roller;
A separation member that faces the sheet feeding roller and forms a separation nip in contact with the back surface of the surface of the recording medium that the sheet feeding roller contacts;
In the paper feeding device for separating and feeding the recording material one by one by the separation member and the paper feeding roller at the separation nip,
A paper feeding device characterized in that an angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device can be automatically adjusted according to the thickness of the recording material. The paper feeding device according to claim 1.
The recording medium stacking base is pushed up by the recording body contacting / separating mechanism, and the first recording body stacking base that pushes up the leading end of the recording body in the paper feeding direction and the second supporting the other than the leading end of the recording body. A sheet feeding device comprising a recording medium loading table. A recording medium loading table for loading a plurality of recording bodies;
A paper feed roller that contacts the recording body and feeds the recording body;
A recording medium contacting / separating mechanism for contacting or separating the uppermost recording medium on the recording medium loading table and the paper feed roller;
A separation member that faces the sheet feeding roller and forms a separation nip in contact with the back surface of the surface of the recording medium that the sheet feeding roller contacts;
In the paper feeding device for separating and feeding the recording material one by one by the separation member and the paper feeding roller at the separation nip,
The recording medium loading table is pushed up by the recording medium contacting / separating mechanism, and the first recording medium loading table that pushes up the leading end of the recording medium in the paper feeding direction, and the second supporting the other than the leading end of the recording medium. It consists of a recording medium loading table,
A paper feeding device characterized in that an angle of the first recording material stacking base and an angle of the first recording material stacking base with respect to the paper feeding device can be adjusted according to the thickness of the recording material. The paper feeding device according to claim 2 or 3,
An angle of the first recording material loading table and the second recording material loading table with respect to the sheet feeding device body can be adjusted independently. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, 3 or 4,
A sheet feeding device characterized in that the size of the angle of the second recording material stack with respect to the first recording material stack can be adjusted according to the thickness of the recording material. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
An adjustment of the angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the paper supply device main body is adjustable based on a detection result of a recording material thickness detection sensor for detecting the thickness of the recording material. The paper feeding device according to claim 6.
The sheet feeding device, wherein the recording body thickness detection sensor detects a thickness of the recording body that has passed through the separation nip. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
An adjustment of the angle of the recording material stacking base with respect to the main body of the paper feeding device can be adjusted based on information input by a user regarding the thickness of the recording material. The paper feeding device according to claim 6, 7 or 8,
A loading table angle detecting means for detecting an angle of the recording material loading table with respect to the sheet feeding device body;
A sheet feeding device that controls an angle of the recording material loading table with respect to the sheet feeding device body when the angle of the recording material loading table is not an angle suitable for the thickness of the recording material. In the paper feeding device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9,
The separating portion for guiding the recording material conveyance direction in the separation nip, the adjacent portion of the recording material guide member and the recording material stacking table have a comb shape, and the comb teeth are engaged with each other. Paper feeder. 11. An image forming apparatus having a sheet feeding unit that feeds a recording medium to an image forming unit, wherein the sheet feeding unit is a sheet feeding unit according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10. An image forming apparatus using the apparatus.

Images