JPH03279159A - Sheet material placement device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a sheet material placing device for placing a sheet material discharged from a sheet material conveying device such as a facsimile machine or a copying machine. The present invention relates to a sheet material placement device that is configured to accommodate a tray on which sheet materials are placed.

(b) Conventional technology FIG. 12 shows a conventional facsimile machine a.

The sheet material P unwound from the sheet roll b is conveyed by a platen roller C, and an image is recorded by a thermal head d.The sheet P is further cut by a cutter e, and after being conveyed by a pair of discharge rollers f. , are discharged out of the device a in the direction of arrow A.

On the other hand, the document M is conveyed by a document roller g, has its image information read by a contact sensor h, and is then discharged in the direction of arrow B through a paper discharge port i.

A tray j for storing sheet material P is provided outside the device a, and a tray j for storing sheet material P is provided. fixed by a and spring q,
The tray j is shaped like a plate and extends substantially horizontally from below the pair of paper discharge rollers f and the paper discharge port i. Sheet material P and original document M discharged from device a are stacked on tray j.

Further, FIG. 13 shows another conventional facsimile machine a. In this facsimile machine a, members with the same reference numerals have the same structural functions, but a basket-shaped tray k is placed below a pair of paper ejection rollers f on a stand r that is higher than the height of the tray. Attire! It is fixed to a by screw q.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, trays j, k or trays Wa are always used.
Since the trays protrude from the trays, the installation space for device a becomes large, and trays j and k get in the way when transporting device a, making it difficult to handle.

Further, even if trays j and k are removed, there is no storage space, so they may be lost.

In the case of another conventional example shown in FIG. 13, although there is little protrusion in the horizontal direction, it is necessary to set the mounting table r high. Another disadvantage is that when an office desk is used as a stand, the drawers become unusable.

In addition, the tray fixed to the mounting W, a, j is visually unsightly.

In addition, in these conventional examples, r is fixedly attached to the tray, so when moving or changing the layout, etc.
When the environment around the device changes, the shape of the r on the tray may no longer match the surrounding environment, making it extremely difficult to use.

Furthermore, the installation location of the device a may be limited due to limitations in the surrounding space.

Further, these conventional examples have the disadvantage that the leading ends of the discharged sheet materials are not aligned and the order is changed.

In particular, as office automation has progressed in recent years, such equipment is often installed in the same room as people, and its protruding parts obstruct pedestrian traffic, are cumbersome to handle, and are visually unsightly. The problem is that demand from customers is declining.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet material loading device that can reliably place sheet materials, save money, and have a beautiful shape without any protrusions.

(d) Means for solving the problem The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and includes:
For example, referring to FIG. 2, a sheet material conveying device (10) supported by a frame (1a) and a sheet material (P) discharged from the sheet material conveying device (10) are placed. a tray (34) for moving the tray (34), a moving means (40) for moving the tray (34), and an empty space (35) provided in the frame (1a) for accommodating the tray (34). It is characterized by having.

(E) Function Based on the above configuration, after the tray (34) is moved to a predetermined position by the moving means (40) in accordance with the sheet material (P) discharged from the sheet material conveying device (10), the tray (34) The sheet material (P) is loaded on. When the sheet conveying device (10) is not in use, the tray (34)
) is stored in the cavity (35) provided in the frame (1a).

Note that the reference numerals in parentheses are for illustrative purposes only, and do not limit equivalent configurations.

(f) Example The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1 is a facsimile machine. A recording section 2 is provided on the front side of the facsimile device 1, and a document reading section 3 is provided on the rear side. Further, an operation panel 4 is provided on the outer surface above the document reading section 3, a telephone 5 is attached to the right side of the document reading section 3, and a sheet material stacking device 6 is provided extending from the front end to the bottom.

Next, the recording section 2 will be explained.

A lid 7 is pivotally supported on a shaft 7a on the main body 1a of the facsimile apparatus 1, and is configured to be openable and closable so that it can be locked to the main body 1a by a click mechanism (not shown).

Further, a roll holder 8 is provided inside the main body 1a below the lid 7, and a roll 9 of a heat-sensitive sheet P wound into a roll is loaded into the holder 8.

Regarding the conveyance device 10 that conveys this heat-sensitive sheet P,
When the sheet P is conveyed by the rotation of the platen roller 11 and passes through the decurling mechanism 12, the sheet P is bent in a direction opposite to the curl direction, thereby correcting the curl of the sheet P. Then, in the recording means 13, a predetermined image or sheet P is recorded.
After being formed, it is cut by a cutter 14 and discharged by a discharge roller 15.

Next, the document reading section 3 will be explained.

When a plurality of originals M are set on the original mounting table 16 formed on the upper surface of the lid 7 and a reading operation is performed, the set originals M
Several originals M from the bottom of the bundle are transported by a preliminary transport roller 17a and a pressing member 17b in pressure contact with this, separated and supplied one by one by a separating roller 18a and a pressing member 18b in pressure contact with this, and further transferred to a transport roller and a pressing member 17b. While being transported by pairs 19 and 20, it is irradiated with light by a light source 21, and the reflected light reaches a photoelectric conversion element 24 such as a CCD via a mirror 22 and a lens 23, where it is converted into an electrical signal. In the copy mode, the information is recorded on the heat-sensitive sheet P by its own recording means 13.

Furthermore, in the case of facsimile mode, the information is transmitted to the recording section of another machine.

Note that when the reading operation is completed, the document M is placed in a document tray 25 provided facing outward and diagonally upward from the left end of the device 1.
It is designed to be discharged.

Next, the sheet material stacking device 6 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, the first tray 26 includes an outer guide 27 that guides the leading edge of the discharged sheet P downward, an inner guide 29 that forms a stacking space 28 for the sheets P opposite to the outer guide 27, and a clip roller. It consists of 30.

Brackets 27a are provided on both sides of this outer guide 27,
A long hole 31 provided horizontally in this bracket 27a
rollers 32a, 32b for horizontally guiding the outer guide 27 through the elongated hole 31 are rotatably attached to the main body 1a, and when the outer guide 27 comes into contact with the roller 32a, the innermost and is located at the outermost position when it comes into contact with the roller 32b. And bracket 27
A bow tension coil spring 33 is attached between the pin 33a and the pin 33a provided in the main body 1a, and the outer guide 27 is biased inward.

Further, the inner guide 29 is fixed to the main body 1a, and a clip roller 30 is provided at an intermediate portion thereof so as to rotate substantially in synchronization with the ejection roller 15. In addition, outer guide 2
7. On the inside of the L-shaped inner guide 29, a plurality of ribs 27b and 29a are provided in the vertical direction, almost facing each other, and these ribs 27b and 29a are shown in the gap between the ribs 2b and 29a. However, this gap ρ, that is, the width of the loading space 28 is the minimum width β due to the relationship between the rollers 32a, 32b and the elongated hole 31 described above. , the maximum width I2a. Further, the bottom of the 5-shaped inner guide 29 forms a receiving portion 29b for the sheet P.

Note that the sheet P discharged from the discharge roller 15 is oriented so as to enter the gap β, and the middle thereof is sufficiently opened.

Next, the second tray 34 and the empty space 35 that accommodates the second tray 34 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4.

A pair of kite rails 36 are provided below and parallel to the bottom of the main body 1a, and the inner width W3 of the bottom member of the guide rails 36, 36 is such that the second tray is placed thereon. The kite rail 36 is formed to be smaller than the width W1 of the tray 34, and the inner width W3 of the vertical member of the kite rail 36 is formed slightly larger than the width Wl of the tray 34, and the kite rail 36 is attached to the bottom of the main body 1a by the vertical member. A leg 3 made of rubber or the like is attached to the bottom of the guide rail 36.
7 is installed.

Then, the bottom member, the vertical member and the main body 1a of the guide rail 36
Width W2, length L2 and height T2 surrounded by the bottom surface of
A cavity 35 is formed by this.

Further, the second tray 34 is formed to have a width W8, a length Ll, and a height (thickness) T smaller than the dimensions of the cavity 35, and is inserted almost completely into the cavity 35. There is.

The left side of the second tray 34 is guided inside the vertical member of the guide rail 36, a rack 38 is provided on the right side of the second tray 34, and a pinion 39 meshed with this rack 38 is shown in FIG. As such, it is fixed to a shaft 40a of a motor 40 attached to the main body 1a.

Further, protrusions 34a, 34a are provided with a width smaller than the inner width W3 of the bottom member of the guide rail 36, and a protrusion 36b facing inward is provided at the front end of the bottom member of the guide rail 36,
36b is provided, and the protrusions 34a, 34a of the second tray 34 are locked by the protrusions 36b, 36b.

Further, the upper corner of the rear end of the second tray 34 is formed into an inclined surface 34b, and the upper corner of the front end of the guide rail 36 is formed into an inclined surface 36c.
is formed. Further, a handle 34c facing upward is provided at the middle portion of the front end of the second tray 34.

Further, a sensor 41 for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet P is provided on the upper front surface of the second tray 34 (the surface that receives and stops the sheet P).

Next, the control mechanism will be explained with reference to FIG.

A sheet presence/absence detection means 41 for detecting the presence or absence of a sheet P, a sheet width detection means 42, and a rotation number counter 44 of a discharge roller drive motor 43 send signals to the CPU 45, and the motor driver 46 is activated by these signals. A motor 40 for driving the second tray is driven through the tray.

Next, the heat-sensitive sheet P is placed on the first tray 26 and the second tray 3.
4 will be explained.

First, when only the first tray 26 is used, the leading edge of the sheet P discharged by the discharge roller 15 has ribs 27b and 2.
9a and conveyed by the contact friction of the grip rollers 30, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the minimum width β.

The receiving part 29b of the loading cavity 28 has a gap of .
, and so on.

Further, when the sheet is discharged by the discharge roller 15, the leading end remains held in the receiving portion 29b and becomes a sheet Pb.
Furthermore, it is cut by a cutter 14, and the rear end is cut by a paper ejection roller 1.
The sheet P separated from the tray 5 becomes a sheet PC due to its own weight, and is then placed on the second tray 34.

In this state, the leading end of the sheet Pe is held by contact friction with the rib 29a, clip roller 30, and rib 27b. Note that since the grip roller 30 is made of rubber or the like, its frictional force is large and the sheet Pe is held securely.

Then, when the second sheet P is discharged, it will overlap the first sheet P in the same manner as the second sheet P. Further, when the sheet P is continuously discharged and the minimum width a0 is filled, the grip roller 30 rotates almost synchronously with the discharge roller 15, and the frictional force of the grip roller 30 is generated between the sheet P and the rib 29a. pushed by. As a result, the tension coil spring 33 is expanded, and the tension thereof, that is, the pressure between the sheet P and the roller 30 is also increased, and the conveyance frictional force of the roller 30 against the sheet P is also increased, and a large amount of the sheet P is expanded in width ρ. It is loaded in the loading cavity 28 with its tip abutting against the receiving part 29b.

Next, the operation of stacking the heat-sensitive sheets P on the second tray 34 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

From the position shown in FIG.
The second tray 34 is pulled out by driving the motor 40 by an arbitrary amount up to a position where the second tray 34a contacts the protrusion 36b, or the second tray 34 that has been pulled out is returned to its original position.

First, the number of revolutions of the motor 43 (see FIG. 7) at which the discharge roller 15 sends out the heat-sensitive sheet P is counted by the number of revolutions counter 44, and based on the counting information, the CPU 45 calculates the length of the sheet P sent out. The motor 40 is rotated by the required amount via the motor driver 46 in accordance with the length information, and the second tray 34 is pulled out by the required amount.

Also, depending on the width of the roll 9 of the heat-sensitive sheet P, the cutter 1
The length to cut 4 is 84. In the case of a facsimile machine 1 having a size such as A4 or 85, upon receiving the width information from the sheet material width detection means 42, the CPtJ 45 rotates the motor 40 by a predetermined amount via the motor driver 46.
Pull out the second tray 34 by the required amount. This control means may be omitted.

For example, the one shown in FIG. 3 may be for A4 size, and the one shown in FIG. 5 may be for 84 size. In FIG. 5, the protrusion 34 of the second tray 34 is
a comes into contact with the protrusion 36a of the guide rail 36, and the inclined surface 3
4b is in contact with the bottom surface of the main body 1a, and the lower surface of the tray 34 is in contact with the inclined surface 36c, so that the tray 34 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane, and the rear end of the B4 size sheet P is in contact with the inclined surface 36c. It is placed slightly in front of the handle 34c.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the second tray 34 may be supported at a position where the amount of drawout of the second tray 34 is shorter than the sheet P to be discharged. In this case, since the leading end of the sheet P is held by the first tray 26, if it is even partially in contact with the second tray 34, it will be placed without falling. In addition, the space required for the device 1 can be reduced.

In this way, since the rear end of the sheet P is placed slightly in front of the handle 34c as in the case of FIGS. 3 and 5, the rear ends of the sheets P do not overlap and are stably placed. It is placed neatly upside down.

Furthermore, no matter how the size of the sheet P changes, the sheet P can be placed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 depending on the length of the sheet P.

Next, when the operator takes away the heat-sensitive sheet P placed on the second tray 34, the sensor 41 that detects the sheet P sends the signal to the CPU 45, as shown in FIG. Upon receiving the signal, the CPU 45 reverses the motor 40 by a predetermined amount via the motor driver 46, stores the second tray 34 in the empty space 35 as before, and waits until the start of the next recording operation.

However, while the sheet P is being discharged (while the discharge roller 15 is operating)
Even if it is detected that there is no more sheet P, the motor 40 is not reversed and the second tray 34 is held at the protruding position.

Note that the sensor 41 may be of a photosensor type in which the sheet P is irradiated with light and the presence or absence of the sheet P is detected based on the output of the reflected light, or a type in which the presence or absence of the sheet P is detected by touching and moving an actuator. .

Further, the sheet material width detection means 42 may be a microswitch.

Further, as the length of the sheet P becomes longer, it is desirable to increase the inclination angle θ shown in FIG. 5.

Further, the motor 40 and the drive motor 43 of the discharge roller 15 may be substantially synchronized.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the required space may be reduced by reducing the amount of protrusion of the second tray 34.

Alternatively, the motor 40 may be started to move the second tray 34 when a call arrives at the facsimile machine 1.

Furthermore, although the amount of movement of the second tray 34 was controlled by rotating the motor 40 at a preset rotation speed, the motor 40 was controlled by detecting that the second tray 34 had reached the target position using a plurality of position sensors. You may.

Further, the second tray 34 may be a plate-like member made of plastic, and may be formed by bending a wire, for example. The guide rail 36 may be provided with a projection integral with the main body 1a.

Also, the second tray 34 is connected to the rack 38 and pinion 39.
However, a belt and wire system may also be used.

Furthermore, although the first tray 26 and the second tray 34 are used to store the discharged sheets P in an orderly manner with their leading edges aligned, the first tray 26 may be omitted.

Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The second tray 48 has one corner attached to the shaft 4 on the bottom member of the main body 1a.
8a, and this shaft 48a or motor 49 moves the arrow 0. It is designed to be rotated in the I direction. The height of the legs 37 is formed higher than the thickness of the tray 48 and the length of the shaft 48, so that the second tray 48 is formed between the base surface on which the legs 37 are placed and the bottom surface of the main body 1a. It is designed to be stored in the empty space. Note that the motor 48 is the seventh
It is controlled by the CPU 45 shown in the figure to open and close. The effect is almost the same as that of the second tray 34 of the previous embodiment.

Next, still another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

In this embodiment, the facsimile machine 1 is such that both the document M and the heat-sensitive sheet P are ejected in the same direction by a pair of ejection rollers 20 and a pair of ejection rollers 15.
Functional members are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted.

The tray 5o is a stepped pin 5 planted in the floor member of the main body 1a.
A long hole 50 provided in the longitudinal direction of the tray 5o in the stepped portion of the tray 5o.
It is designed to be guided through a. A rack 50b is provided on the right side of the tray 50, a pinion 39 is engaged with the rack 38, and a rotary damper 52 attached to the pinion 39 is attached to the main body 1a.

Further, compression springs 53, 53 are interposed between the rear end of the tray 50 and the bracket 1b attached to the main body 1a, and always urge the tray 50 backward.

Further, screw holes 54a, 54 are provided approximately on the center line of the tray 50.
b... are bored, a stopper 56 is attached to one of the tapped holes via a screw 55, and both ends of this stopper 56 are locked to the stepped pin 51. .

Further, a hook 57 that locks the front end of the tray 50 when the tray 50 is stored is pivotally supported on a shaft 58, and the proximal end of the hook 57 is connected to a plunger 59. When the plunger 59 is turned on, the hook 57 locks the front end of the tray 50. The hook 57 is configured to be detached from the front end of the tray 50, and the side opposite to the locking side of the hook 57 is formed with an inclined surface 57a so as not to prevent the tray 50 from moving forward.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

In the standby state for recording or reading operation, the tray 50
The tray 50 is stored below the main body 1a by being locked with a hook 57, and since the tray 50 is smaller than the projected area of the main body 1a, it does not protrude from the main body 1a.

When the work starts, the plunger 59 is turned on by a command from the CPU 45, the tray 50 is released from the hook 57, and is pushed out by the biasing force of the compression spring 53.

At this time, the stopper 56 is inserted into the screw hole 54a at the rear end.
10, the tray 50 protrudes the longest and assumes the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG.

When the tray 50 is attached to the frontmost screw hole 54d by the stopper 56 or the screw 55, the tray 50 protrudes the shortest distance.

At this time, the rotary damper 52 applies a brake to the tray 50 pushed by the biasing force of the compression spring 53 via the rack 38 and the pinion 39, and the stopper 56 moves the stepped pin 51
It reduces the impact force that collides with the vehicle, prevents impact vibration, and prevents noise generation.

When the work is completed and the plunger 59 is energized, the tip of the hook 57 comes into contact with the upper surface of the tray 5° due to its own weight. When the operator pushes the tray 50 rearward through the handle 34a, the tray 50 moves rearward while being rubbed by the tips of the hooks 57, and is locked to the front end of the tray 50 after getting over the ribs 50b. At this time, the compression spring 53 stores compression force and prepares for discharging the next sheet P.

Note that the positions of the holes 54a, etc. are made to correspond to paper sizes such as A3 size and A4 size.

(G) As described in detail, according to the present invention, after the tray is moved to a predetermined position by the moving means in accordance with the sheet material discharged from the sheet material conveying device, the sheet material is placed on the tray. The sheet material can be placed reliably and stably. Furthermore, since the tray moves automatically, there is no need to worry about unexpected sheet material ejection. In addition, since it can be stored inside the device in a tray while it is waiting for work, it is possible to save space for installing the device and make effective use of the surrounding space.
Moreover, since there are no protruding parts, the appearance can be made beautiful.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a facsimile machine implementing the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view thereof, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which the medium-sized sheet material is placed on the second tray, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the second tray. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing the state in which the large-sized sheet material is placed on the second tray, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view showing the state in which the second tray is slightly protruded, and Fig. 7 is the control block. figure,
Fig. 8 is a bottom view of another embodiment, Fig. 9 is a sectional side view of still another embodiment, Fig. 10 is a bottom view thereof, and Fig. 11 shows the state in which the sheet material is placed on a tray. A cross-sectional side view showing,
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of a conventional example, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of another conventional example. 1a... Frame (image forming apparatus main body) 10... Sheet material conveyance device! '(Transport device) 34...
Tray (second tray) 35...Empty space 40...Moving means (motor) P
...Sheet material Figure 6 Figure 37 Figure 8 Figure 7 Figure 12 Figure 13

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sheet material conveying device supported by a frame, a tray on which the sheet material discharged from the sheet material conveying device is placed, a moving means for moving the tray, and the tray. A sheet material mounting device comprising: a hollow space provided in the frame body for storing a sheet material;