Sheet separation structure for an image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to a sheet separation structure for imaging equipment and imaging equipment, including paper box and separation subassembly, separation subassembly installs on paper box, separation subassembly includes the first separation piece of fixed setting on paper box, the front wall surface of first separation piece is inclined from top to bottom to the front, separation subassembly still includes the second separation piece with first separation piece in left and right direction setting in proper order, the front wall surface of second separation piece is inclined from top to bottom to the front, second separation piece can move to and fro relative paper box, and second separation piece keeps the tendency of moving forward under the action of elastic piece, under the condition that second separation piece is located in the front limit position, the front wall surface of second separation piece is located the front side of the front wall surface of first separation piece, under the condition that the front wall surface of second separation piece and the front wall surface of first separation piece are flush, second separation piece is at the rear limit position, and two separation pieces cooperate with each other to be able to adapt to the separation of sheet material of different rigidity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of imaging equipment such as printers and copiers, and specifically to a sheet separation structure for imaging equipment and an imaging device. Background Technology

[0002] In the sheet separation structure of imaging equipment such as printers and copiers, a separation plate is usually set up that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction of the paper tray. The pickup roller picks up the sheet in the paper tray and sends it out to the separation plate. A load opposite to the sending direction is applied to the sheet that abuts against the inclined surface of the separation plate, thereby separating the sheet picked up by the pickup roller.

[0003] Because different sheets vary in thickness and material, their rigidity also differs. Therefore, when a fixed separator is used to separate different sheets, the load may not be commensurate with the sheet's rigidity. Generally, when separating sheets with low rigidity, the tilt angle of the separator needs to be increased to increase the load. Conversely, when separating sheets with high rigidity, the tilt angle needs to be decreased to reduce the load, preventing the sheet from getting stuck on the separator due to excessive load—a phenomenon known as paper jamming. Utility Model Content

[0004] The first technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a sheet separation structure for imaging devices that can separate sheets of different rigidities, in light of the current state of the technology.

[0005] The second technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide an imaging device that applies the above-mentioned sheet separation structure, in view of the current state of the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the first technical problem mentioned above is: a sheet separation structure for an imaging device, including a paper box and a separation component for separating the sheet picked up by the pickup roller of the imaging device. The separation component is installed on the paper box, and the separation component includes a first separation piece fixedly disposed on the paper box. The front wall surface of the first separation piece is inclined forward from top to bottom.

[0007] The feature is that the separation assembly further includes a second separation piece arranged sequentially with the first separation piece in the left-right direction. The front wall surface of the second separation piece is inclined forward from top to bottom. The second separation piece can move back and forth relative to the cardboard box. Under the action of the elastic element, the second separation piece maintains the tendency to move forward. When the second separation piece is in the front limit position, the front wall surface of the second separation piece is located in front of the front wall surface of the first separation piece. When the front wall surface of the second separation piece and the front wall surface of the first separation piece are flush, the second separation piece is in the rear limit position.

[0008] To improve the separation effect of the sheets, a protrusion is provided on the front wall surface of the second separating sheet, and a plurality of grooves are provided on the protrusion from top to bottom, each groove extending in the left-right direction. Due to the design of the protrusion and grooves, the overlapping sheets will deform and bend to varying degrees, thereby achieving separation.

[0009] In order to ensure that the sheet is subjected to uniform force and to guarantee the separation effect, the protrusion is provided with multiple grooves evenly from top to bottom.

[0010] To improve the separation effect of the sheet, the cross-section of each groove is triangular, and the included angle between the inclined surface of each groove and the front wall surface of the second separating piece is an acute angle.

[0011] To guide the movement of the second separating piece, a slider is provided on the second separating piece and connected thereto. The cardboard box has a groove extending in the front-to-back direction, and the slider is slidably placed in the groove. The slider and the groove cooperate to guide the movement of the second separating piece, allowing it to move only back and forth.

[0012] To prevent the second separating piece from detaching from the cardboard box under the action of the elastic element, the cardboard box is provided with a first limiting part, and the second separating piece is provided with a second limiting part. The first limiting part is located on the path of the second limiting part moving forward. When the first limiting part and the second limiting part are in contact, the second separating piece is in the front limit position. The first limiting part and the second limiting part cooperate to limit the forward movement of the second separating piece.

[0013] Preferably, the front wall surface of the second separating plate is rough to ensure its separation effect on the sheet.

[0014] In the above scheme, the elastic element is a spring extending in the front-back direction. The rear wall surface of the second separating piece or the cardboard box is provided with a mounting post extending in the front-back direction. The spring is sleeved on the mounting post, with its front end abutting against the rear wall surface of the second separating piece and its rear end abutting against the cardboard box.

[0015] In order to ensure that the sheet is subjected to uniform force and to guarantee the separation effect, there are multiple first and second separation plates, and the first and second separation plates are arranged alternately in the left-right direction.

[0016] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve the second technical problem mentioned above is as follows: an imaging device, characterized in that it includes a body, a pickup roller and the above-mentioned sheet separation structure, a paper box is disposed on the body, the pickup roller extends in the left and right direction and is rotatably mounted on the body around its axis, the separation component is disposed on the rear side of the pickup roller, and there is a gap between the separation component and the pickup roller to form a printing channel for the sheet to pass through.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are as follows: This utility model, by setting a first separation plate and a second separation plate, with the first separation plate fixedly set and the second separation plate movable back and forth, the two separation plates cooperate with each other to adapt to the separation of sheets with different rigidities, as detailed below:

[0018] When feeding sheets with low rigidity, the pickup roller rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and feeds it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the front wall of the second separator. The load of the sheet on the second separator is insufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element on the second separator, so the second separator maintains its initial position (i.e., the front limit position). If the pickup roller rolls up multiple sheets, the sheets undergo undulating or bending deformation against the second separator. This deformation can separate the stacked sheets. The top sheet, under the continuous conveying force of the pickup roller, can pass smoothly through the second separator, while the bottom sheet is blocked.

[0019] When feeding a sheet with high rigidity, the pick-up roller rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and feeds it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the front wall of the second separator. The load of the sheet on the second separator is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element on the second separator. Therefore, under this load, the second separator compresses the elastic element, and its position will retract relative to its initial position. This retraction reduces the load of the sheet on the second separator. When this load equals the pressure of the elastic element, the second separator remains in a relatively stationary position. Adjusting this retraction space improves the problem of paper jams caused by the large reaction force of the second separator on the sheet when feeding a sheet with high rigidity. Specifically, when the second separator retracts, the distance the sheet needs to deform increases, and the bending radius generated by the sheet abutting against the second separator also increases, thereby reducing the load.

[0020] When feeding a sheet with sufficient rigidity, the pick-up roller rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and feeds it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the front wall of the second separating piece. The load of the sheet on the second separating piece is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element on the second separating piece. Therefore, under this load, the second separating piece compresses the elastic element, and its position will retract relative to its initial position. When the front wall of the second separating piece retracts to be flush with the front wall of the first separating piece, the sheet abuts against the front wall of the first separating piece, limiting the sheet's continued retraction. At this point, the front wall of the first separating piece serves to take over the separation and guide the sheet feed. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A;

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A sectional view;

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second separation piece in the middle;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure from another direction;

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A sectional view;

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure from another direction;

[0028] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more, and the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "front," "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0031] In the description of this utility model patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an adhesive connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model patent based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] Imaging devices can include printers, copiers, etc.

[0033] like Figures 1-8 As shown, the imaging device includes a body, a pickup roller 1, and a sheet separation structure. The sheet separation structure includes a paper tray 2 and a separation component for separating the sheet picked up by the pickup roller 1. The paper tray 2 is mounted on the body, and the separation component is mounted on the paper tray 2. The pickup roller 1 extends in the left-right direction and is rotatably mounted on the body around its axis. The separation component is located behind the pickup roller 1, and a gap exists between the separation component and the pickup roller 1 to form a printing channel for the sheet to pass through. The fit between the paper tray 2 and the body, the structure of the pickup roller 1, and the fit between the pickup roller 1 and the body all adopt existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0034] The separation assembly includes a first separation piece 3 fixedly mounted on the paper box 2 and a second separation piece 4 arranged sequentially in the left-right direction with the first separation piece 3. In order to ensure that the sheet is subjected to uniform force and to ensure the separation effect, there are multiple first separation pieces 3 and second separation pieces 4, and the first separation pieces 3 and second separation pieces 4 are arranged alternately in the left-right direction.

[0035] The front wall surfaces of the first separating plate 3 and the second separating plate 4 are both inclined forward from top to bottom, and their inclination angles are the same. Preferably, the inclination angle of the front wall surfaces of the two separating plates is 105°±20°, which provides good feeding and separation effects for the sheet material.

[0036] The second separating piece 4 can move back and forth relative to the cardboard box 2. In this embodiment, for example... Figure 3 , 8 As shown, the second separating piece 4 is provided with a slider 41 connected to it, and the cardboard box 2 is provided with a groove 21 extending in the front-back direction. The slider 41 can be slidably placed in the groove 21. The slider 41 and the groove 21 cooperate to guide the movement trajectory of the second separating piece 4, so that it can only move back and forth.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the second separating piece 4 maintains a forward-moving tendency under the action of the elastic element 5, which is a spring extending in the front-back direction. A mounting post 42 extending in the front-back direction is provided on the rear wall surface of the second separating piece 4 or on the cardboard box 2. The spring is sleeved on the mounting post 42, with its front end abutting against the rear wall surface of the second separating piece 4 and its rear end abutting against the cardboard box 2. In this embodiment, the mounting post 42 is located on the rear wall surface of the second separating piece 4, and the cardboard box 2 is provided with a receiving groove 22. The rear end of the spring is placed in the receiving groove 22, and there is a gap between the rear end of the mounting post 42 and the receiving groove 22 to ensure that the spring has a certain amount of extension and contraction.

[0038] In addition, such as Figure 8As shown, the cardboard box 2 is provided with a first limiting part 23, and the second separating piece 4 is provided with a second limiting part 43. The first limiting part 23 is located on the path of the second limiting part 43 moving forward. When the first limiting part 23 and the second limiting part 43 are in abutting each other, the second separating piece 4 is in the front limit position. The first limiting part 23 and the second limiting part 43 cooperate to limit the forward movement of the second separating piece 4, so as to prevent the second separating piece 4 from the cardboard box 2 under the action of the elastic member 5.

[0039] When the second separating plate 4 is in the front limit position, the front wall surface of the second separating plate 4 is located in front of the front wall surface of the first separating plate 3. That is, when the second separating plate 4 is in the front limit position, the second separating plate 4 is closer to the pickup roller 1 than the first separating plate 3. When the front wall surface of the second separating plate 4 is flush with the front wall surface of the first separating plate 3, the second separating plate 4 is in the rear limit position.

[0040] To ensure effective separation of the sheets, the front wall surface of the second separating plate 4 is roughened, such as... Figure 4 , 6 As shown, a protrusion 44 is provided on the front wall surface of the second separating plate 4, and a plurality of grooves 45 are uniformly provided on the protrusion 44 from top to bottom, with each groove 45 extending in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the cross-section of each groove 45 is triangular, and the included angle θ between the inclined surface of each groove 45 and the front wall surface of the second separating plate 4 is an acute angle, so as to improve the separation effect on the sheet.

[0041] The first separating plate 3 and the second separating plate 4 work together to adapt to the separation of sheets with different rigidities, as detailed below:

[0042] When feeding sheets with low rigidity, the pickup roller 1 rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and sends it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the protrusion 44 on the front wall of the second separating plate 4. The load of the sheet on the second separating plate 4 is insufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element 5 on the second separating plate 4, so the second separating plate 4 maintains its initial position (i.e., the front limit position). If the pickup roller 1 rolls up multiple sheets, the sheets abut against the protrusion 44 of the second separating plate 4 and undergo undulating or bending deformation. This deformation can separate the stacked sheets. The top sheet that is separated can pass smoothly through the second separating plate 4 under the continuous conveying force of the pickup roller 1, while the bottom sheet is blocked on the groove 45 of the protrusion 44.

[0043] When feeding a sheet with high rigidity, the pick-up roller 1 rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and feeds it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the protrusion 44 on the front wall of the second separating plate 4. The load of the sheet on the second separating plate 4 is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element 5 on the second separating plate 4. Therefore, under this load, the second separating plate 4 compresses the elastic element 5, and the position of the second separating plate 4 will retract relative to its initial position. This retraction can reduce the load of the sheet on the second separating plate 4. When this load is equal to the pressure of the elastic element 5, the second separating plate 4 remains in a relatively stationary position. By adjusting this retraction space, the problem of paper jams caused by the large reaction force of the second separating plate 4 on the sheet when feeding a sheet with high rigidity can be improved. Specifically, when the second separating plate 4 retracts, the distance for deformation of the sheet increases, and the bending radius generated by the sheet abutting against the second separating plate 4 also increases, thereby reducing the load.

[0044] When feeding a sheet with sufficient rigidity, the pick-up roller 1 rolls up the top sheet in the paper tray and feeds it into the printing channel. The sheet abuts against the protrusion 44 on the front wall of the second separating piece 4. The load of the sheet on the second separating piece 4 is sufficient to overcome the pressure of the elastic element 5 on the second separating piece 4. Therefore, under this load, the second separating piece 4 compresses the elastic element 5, and the position of the second separating piece 4 will retract relative to its initial position. When the front wall of the second separating piece 4 retracts to be flush with the front wall of the first separating piece 3, the sheet abuts against the front wall of the first separating piece 3, limiting the continuous retraction of the sheet. At this time, the front wall of the first separating piece 3 plays the role of relay separation and guiding the sheet feeding.

Claims

1. A sheet separation structure for an imaging device, comprising a paper box (2) and a separation assembly for separating a sheet picked up by a pickup roller (1) of the imaging device, the separation assembly being mounted on the paper box (2), the separation assembly comprising a first separation piece (3) fixedly disposed on the paper box (2), the front wall surface of the first separation piece (3) being inclined forward from top to bottom; Its features are, The separation assembly also includes a second separation piece (4) arranged sequentially with the first separation piece (3) in the left-right direction. The front wall surface of the second separation piece (4) is inclined forward from top to bottom. The second separation piece (4) can move back and forth relative to the cardboard box (2). Under the action of the elastic member (5), the second separation piece (4) maintains the tendency to move forward. When the second separation piece (4) is in the front limit position, the front wall surface of the second separation piece (4) is located in front of the front wall surface of the first separation piece (3). When the front wall surface of the second separation piece (4) and the front wall surface of the first separation piece (3) are flush, the second separation piece (4) is in the rear limit position.

2. The sheet separation structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front wall of the second separating piece (4) is provided with a protrusion (44), and a plurality of grooves (45) are provided on the protrusion (44) from top to bottom, and each groove (45) extends in the left-right direction.

3. The sheet separation structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protrusion (44) is provided with a plurality of grooves (45) evenly arranged from top to bottom.

4. The sheet separation structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each groove (45) has a triangular cross-section, and the angle between the inclined surface of each groove (45) and the front wall surface of the second separating piece (4) is an acute angle.

5. The sheet separation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second separating piece (4) is provided with a slider (41) connected thereto, and the paper box (2) is provided with a groove (21) extending in the front-back direction, and the slider (41) can be slidably placed in the groove (21).

6. The sheet separation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The cardboard box (2) is provided with a first limiting part (23), and the second separating piece (4) is provided with a second limiting part (43). The first limiting part (23) is located on the path of the second limiting part (43) moving forward. When the first limiting part (23) and the second limiting part (43) are in contact, the second separating piece (4) is in the front limit position.

7. The sheet separation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The front wall surface of the second separation piece (4) is a rough surface.

8. The sheet separation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The elastic element (5) is a spring extending in the front-back direction. The rear wall of the second separating piece (4) or the cardboard box (2) is provided with a mounting post (42) extending in the front-back direction. The spring is sleeved on the mounting post (42), with its front end abutting against the rear wall of the second separating piece (4) and its rear end abutting against the cardboard box (2).

9. The sheet separation structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: There are multiple first separation plates (3) and second separation plates (4), and the first separation plates (3) and second separation plates (4) are arranged alternately in the left-right direction.

10. An imaging device, characterized in that, The device includes a body, a pickup roller (1), and a sheet separation structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 9. A paper tray (2) is disposed on the body. The pickup roller (1) extends in the left-right direction and is rotatably mounted on the body about its axis. A separation assembly is disposed on the rear side of the pickup roller (1). A gap is provided between the separation assembly and the pickup roller (1) to form a printing channel for the sheet to pass through.

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