Shredder paper feed mechanism and paper feeder

Abstract

A shredder paper feed mechanism and paper feeder that, simply by setting a paper stack in the paper tray, enable a stack of document sheets to be fed to the shredder in an amount that matches the shredding capability of the shredder. This is done by using first and second rotating members equipped with claw members. The paper feed mechanism utilizes the transmitted rotary driving force of the shredder unit. The paper feed mechanism has a first rotating member having disc-shaped claw members with sharp portions for feeding the paper sheets, and rotation members; a transport roller; a second rotating member that limits the number of paper sheets that are fed onwards, and also has disc-shaped claw members with sharp portions for feeding the paper sheets, and rotation members; and a pressure roller that presses against the second rotating member to thereby grip and feed the paper sheets.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a shredder paper feed mechanism and paper feeder capable of feeding a stack of multiple paper sheets, particularly to a paper feed mechanism and paper feeder in which a stack of a number of paper sheets limited to a number the shredder can shred is fed by first and second rotating members equipped with claws that penetrate multiple paper sheets.[0003]2. Description of the Prior Art[0004]In order to prevent leakage of information, in recent years documents are not just discarded as they are, but are instead disposed of after first being cut into small pieces by a shredder or other such cutting machine. The performance of shredders has improved in recent years and more shredders are able to shred documents finely enough to make it impossible to piece the documents back together. However, there is still a problem of the number of sheets that can be shredded at one time being limited. Althou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The paper feeder and paper feed mechanism described in the foregoing provide the following advantages.

[0012]1. Rotating members equipped with claw members provide two-stage separation of the paper sheets, enabling the number of sheets that are fed to be limited to the capacity of the shredder. Because the sheets are gripped for feeding between the second rotating member and the pressure roller, the sheets can be readily exited in stacked state, providing stable feeding of the sheets to the shredder unit. Moreover, the provision of the transport roller between the first and second rotating members equipped with claw members ensures a smooth paper feed.

[0013]2. Being brought into contact with the roller surfaces of the rotating members enables the stacks of paper sheets to be separated into stacks containing the maximum number of sheets the shredder is capable of shredding. The number of paper sheets that are fed can be controlled by the penetration of the sharp portions and the contact with the roller surface, enabling the sheets in a stack that is being fed to be limited to the number of sheets that can be shredded by the shredder.

[0014]3. The penetration of the sharp portions can be facilitated, and secure feeding of the paper sheets thus ensured, by forming claw members that point in the direction of rotation.

[0015]4. The driving force of the shredder unit is utilized, eliminating the need for another drive apparatus. Also, the gear arrangement facilitates the control of rotary shaft rotation, thereby providing efficient feeding of the paper sheets.

Problems solved by technology

However, there is still a problem of the number of sheets that can be shredded at one time being limited.

Although feed mechanisms have been developed that separate the documents to be shredded and feed them one sheet at a time to the cutting mechanism, a problem still to be resolved is that of the jamming of the paper sheets that occurs when stacks of multiple numbers of paper sheets that can be shredded at one time are fed to the shredder, preventing shredding from being carried out with good efficiency.

While the mechanism forcibly feeds a stack of a number of paper sheets that is restricted to the number of sheets the shredder is able to shred, it has a drawback in that the number of sheets fed by the powerful feeding force of the disc-shaped claw members exceeds the limit, producing a wedge-shaped stack that causes jamming and system downtime.

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