Medium supply device

Abstract

To provide a medium supply device blowing air to an upstream side part in a supply direction of media on a loading tabel obliquely lifting up to cause separation of the media with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A medium supply device 1 is provided with: a loading table 10 on which a medium M is loaded; a lifting mechanism 20 obliquely lifting up the loading table 10; an air blower 30 blowing air A to an upstream side part Ma in a supply direction D of the medium M on the loading table 10 to separate a plurality of media M from each other; and a lifting-up member 40 inserted between the loading table 10 and the upper stream side part Ma of the medium M loaded on the loading table 10 and lifting up the upper stream side part Ma of the medium M through floating by blowing up the air A with the air blower 30 when the residual amount of the plurality of media M on the loading table 10 is small.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a paper feeder is known that includes a duct that blows air onto a stack of paper from the rear end side in the paper transport direction in order to reliably separate stacked paper sheets (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Also, a paper feeding device is known that includes a bottom plate on which recording paper is loaded, in which the trailing end of the recording paper in the paper feed direction is used as a fulcrum and the leading end in the paper feed direction is biased toward the paper feed roll, thereby pressing the leading edge in the paper feed direction of the topmost paper stored in the paper feed tray against the paper feed roll (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6698323 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-145442 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a system is adopted in which air is blown toward the upstream portion of the media on the stacking tray in the direction of media supply to separate the media from one another, and when a system is adopted in which the stacking tray is tilted and raised or lowered, the tilt of the stacking tray relative to the horizontal increases as the remaining amount of media decreases. Therefore, when the remaining amount of media is low, it becomes difficult to blow air toward the upstream portion of the media, making it difficult to separate the media from one another. If the media cannot be separated, multiple media will be fed. While it is possible to change the direction of the airflow from horizontal to diagonally downward when the remaining amount of media is low, this would complicate the structure and make it difficult to separate the media because the direction of the airflow is not parallel to the media on the stacking tray.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to promote separation of media with a simple configuration in a media supplying device that blows air toward an upstream portion in the supply direction of media on a loading platform that moves up and down at an angle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment, the medium supply device includes a loading platform on which media is loaded, a lifting mechanism that tilts and raises the loading platform, a blower that blows air onto the upstream portion of the loading platform in the supply direction of the media, separating the multiple media from each other, and a lifting member that is inserted between the loading platform and the upstream portion of the media loaded on the loading platform, and that lifts the upstream portion of the media by blowing air when there is a small amount of the multiple media remaining on the loading platform. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect, in a medium supplying device that blows air onto an upstream portion in the supply direction of the media on a tilted loading platform that moves up and down, separation of the media can be promoted with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an internal structure of a medium supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a medium supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a medium supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view showing the internal structure of a medium supply device in a state where the remaining amount of media is low, according to an embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the internal structure of a medium feeding device in a comparative example in which the lifting member is omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A medium supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] 1 to 3 are a front view and a plan view showing the internal structure of a medium supplying device 1 according to the present embodiment, and a block diagram showing a control configuration.

[0012] 1 and 2 and 4 and 5 described later, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions are horizontal and vertical, respectively, and are perpendicular to each other. These directions are an example in which the supply direction D of the medium M is set to the left.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the medium supplying device 1 includes a loading platform 10, a lifting mechanism 20, a blower 30, a lifting member 40, a tray 50, a scraper roller 61 which is an example of a supplying member, a pickup roller 62, and a separating roller 63. As shown in FIG. 3, the medium supplying device 1 includes a control unit 71, a memory unit 72, an interface unit 73, and a roller driving unit 80. As shown in FIG. 2, the medium supplying device 1 includes a pair of end fences 91 and a pair of side fences 92. Note that the pair of end fences 91 and the pair of side fences 92 are not shown in FIG. 1, and the tray 50, the scraper roller 61, the pickup roller 62, and the separating roller 63 are not shown in FIG.

[0014] The medium M is, for example, paper. The medium supplying device 1 can be used, for example, as an internal paper supplying device housed inside the image forming device. The medium supplying device 1 may also be used as an external paper supplying device exposed to the outside of the image forming device, or may be used to supply the medium M to a device other than the image forming device.

[0015] The medium M is placed on the loading platform 10. The loading platform 10 has, for example, a flat plate shape, and is rotatably supported by an elevating mechanism 20 at the upstream end in the feeding direction D of the medium M.

[0016] The lifting mechanism 20 has an actuator such as a motor that tilts and raises / lowers the loading table 10. For example, the lifting mechanism 20 rotatably supports the loading table 10 upstream of the media M loaded on the loading table 10 in the supply direction D, and raises / lowers the downstream end of the loading table 10 in the supply direction D.

[0017] The blower 30 has an airflow generating means such as a fan and blows air A toward an upstream portion Ma of the media M on the loading platform 10 in the supply direction D, separating the multiple media M from one another. For example, the blower 30 is disposed upstream of the media M loaded on the loading platform 10 in the supply direction D and blows air A parallel to the supply direction D. However, the blower 30 may also be disposed on one or both sides of the width direction of the media M perpendicular to the supply direction D and blow air A in the width direction to blow air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the media M. Alternatively, the blower 30 may be disposed upstream of the media M in the supply direction D and on one or both sides of the width direction of the media M and blow air A in a direction intersecting the supply direction D and the width direction to blow air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the media M.

[0018] It is preferable to place, for example, a sheet-like pressing member on top of the uppermost medium M so that the medium M (especially the upstream portion Ma) does not rise too much when the air A is blown by the blower 30. This pressing member should be more rigid than the medium M and the lifting member 40 described below.

[0019] The lifting member 40 is, for example, a flexible plastic film such as a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) film. One end of the lifting member 40 (upstream side in the supply direction D) is fixed to the blower 30, and the other end (downstream side in the supply direction D) is inserted between the loading platform 10 and the media M (the lowest medium M) loaded on the loading platform 10. The lifting member 40 is, for example, a sheet-like member having a thickness of several mm or less (preferably 1 mm or less). Because the loading platform 10 is inclined, it is desirable for the lifting member 40 to have the property (flexibility) of deforming in accordance with the inclination of the loading platform 10.

[0020] The downstream end of the lifting member 40 in the supply direction D may be inserted between the loading platform 10 and the upstream portion Ma of the media M, but as will be described later, when the remaining amount of multiple media M on the loading platform 10 becomes small, the lifting member 40 lifts the upstream portion Ma of the media M, so it is preferable that the lifting member 40 be inserted below the media M over more than half the length of the media M (or loading platform 10) in the supply direction D. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the lifting member 40 be inserted below the media M in the width direction of the media M over more than half the length of the media M (or loading platform 10) in the supply direction D.

[0021] The downstream end of the lifting member 40 in the supply direction D may be fixed to the upper surface of the loading platform 10 with, for example, double-sided tape, or may be hooked into a hole or recess provided in the loading platform 10, or may be held at both ends of the width direction of the medium M between the upper surface of the loading platform 10 and a pressing member positioned above the loading platform 10. However, the lifting member 40 may simply be interposed between the medium M and the loading platform 10 without being fixed, hooked, or held by the upper surface of the loading platform 10.

[0022] The lifting member 40 is preferably fixed to the blower 30 between the upper and lower ends of the outlet for the air A. This allows the blower 30 to blow the air A from above and below the lifting member 40. In this case, the air A above the lifting member 40 is blown onto the upstream portion Ma of the medium M, and the air A below the lifting member 40 is used to lift the lifting member 40.

[0023] Tray 50 has a rectangular shape that opens upward, and houses loading platform 10, lifting mechanism 20, blower 30, and lifting member 40. Tray 50 is disposed particularly when medium supply device 1 is used as an internal paper feed device of an image forming apparatus as described above, but may be omitted regardless of the use of medium supply device 1. Furthermore, when the airflow generating means of blower 30 is disposed outside tray 50, tray 50 will house a duct portion of blower 30 or will be provided with an outlet for blower 30.

[0024] The scraper roller 61 is located above the downstream end of the media M in the supply direction D. When the lifting mechanism 20 tilts the stacking table 10, the scraper roller 61 is pressed upward by the downstream end of the uppermost medium M in the supply direction D. The scraper roller 61 then pays out the uppermost medium M in the supply direction D. The scraper roller 61 can be considered a supply member that supplies the media M from the medium supplying device 1 to another device. This supply member may be a belt or a suction belt with suction holes. The medium supplying device 1 is provided with a sensor that detects that the scraper roller 61 is being pressed upward by the downstream end of the uppermost medium M in the supply direction D. When the sensor detects that the upward pressing force of the scraper roller 61 has decreased (for example, when several sheets of media M are supplied), the control unit 71 (described later) controls the lifting mechanism 20 to tilt the stacking table 10 so that the angle of inclination of the stacking table 10 with respect to the horizontal increases.

[0025] The pickup roller 62 and the separation roller 63 are arranged so as to face each other vertically, and convey the medium M in the supply direction D while nipping the medium M fed by the scraper roller 61 so as to prevent double feeding.

[0026] 3 has, for example, one or more processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit) that function as an arithmetic processing device that controls the operation of each part of the medium supplying device 1. This processor reads and executes a predetermined program, for example, from the storage unit 72 or from a storage medium (non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) that is detachable from the medium supplying device 1. In this way, the control unit 71 functions as an example of a computer that executes a program.

[0027] The control unit 71 may adjust the air volume of the blower 30 based on the type of medium M. For example, the type of medium M may be at least one of thickness, basis weight, and frictional force. The control unit 71 may acquire information about the type of medium M set, for example, from a display panel of the medium supplying device 1 or another device such as an image forming device, or a print job (an example of a processing setting for the medium M). The control unit 71 may then increase the air volume of the blower 30 as the thickness, basis weight, and frictional force of the medium M increase. The control unit 71 may also increase the air volume of the blower 30 as the size of the medium M increases. Note that when the medium supplying device 1 is disposed as part of another device such as an image forming device, the control unit and memory unit of the other device may also serve as the control unit 71 and memory unit 72 of the medium supplying device 1.

[0028] The storage unit 72 includes, for example, a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), which is a read-only semiconductor memory in which a predetermined control program is pre-recorded, a RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a semiconductor memory that can be written and read at any time and is used as a working memory area as needed when the processor executes various control programs, or a hard disk device.

[0029] The interface unit 73 exchanges various information with external devices such as an image forming apparatus. For example, the interface unit 73 acquires information on the type of medium M from the external device so that the control unit 71 can adjust the air volume of the blower 30.

[0030] The roller driving unit 80 is an actuator such as a motor for driving the scraper roller 61 and the pickup roller 62 .

[0031] A pair of end fences 91 shown in FIG. 2 regulates the position of the upstream end of the medium M loaded on the loading platform 10 in the supply direction D. The pair of end fences 91 are arranged on both widthwise ends of the medium M to avoid interference with the lifting members 40. When the end fences 91 are located at the widthwise center of the medium M, it is preferable that the lifting members 40 are located on both widthwise ends of the medium M. It is preferable that the end fences 91 contact the medium M over a small area so as not to interfere with the blower 30 blowing air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the medium M. Furthermore, since the plurality of media M loaded on the loading platform 10 can be considered to be sandwiched between the scraper roller 61 and the loading platform 10, it is possible to omit the arrangement of the end fences 91.

[0032] The pair of side fences 92 regulates the position of the medium M loaded on the loading table 10 in the width direction.

[0033] However, when the lifting member 40 is omitted as in the comparative example shown in Figure 5, when there is a small amount of multiple media M remaining on the loading platform 10, the tilt angle of the loading platform 10 relative to the horizontal becomes large, making it difficult for the multiple media M to separate from each other when air A is blown by the blower 30.

[0034] 4, when the remaining amount of the plurality of media M on the loading platform 10 is small, the total weight of the media M on the loading platform 10 becomes small, and the lifting members 40 are lifted by the blowing of air A by the blower 30. As a result, the lifting members 40 lift at least the upstream portion Ma of the media M. As a result, the upstream portion Ma of the media M approaches horizontal, making it easier for the plurality of media M to separate from one another.

[0035] Note that when a large amount of media M remains on the loading platform 10, the total weight of the media M on the loading platform 10 is large, and therefore the lifting member 40 will not be lifted by the air A blown by the fan 30. Whether the lifting member 40 is lifted by the air A blown by the fan 30 varies depending on the volume of the air A blown by the fan 30, the total weight of the media M loaded on the loading platform 10, and other factors, but the lifting member 40 may be any member that lifts the upstream portion Ma of at least one sheet of media M on the loading platform 10.

[0036] In addition, the lifting member 40 may be lifted by blowing air (for example, an airflow diagonally upward in the supply direction D) from a blower different from the blower 30 that blows air A onto the upstream portion Ma of the medium M, but it is preferable that the blower 30 that blows air A onto the upstream portion Ma of the medium M lifts the lifting member 40.

[0037] In the present embodiment described above, the medium supply device 1 comprises a loading table 10 on which the medium M is loaded, a lifting mechanism 20 that tilts and raises the loading table 10, a blower 30 that blows air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the medium M on the loading table 10 in the supply direction D, thereby separating the multiple media M from each other, and a lifting member 40 that is inserted between the loading table 10 and the upstream portion Ma of the medium M loaded on the loading table 10, and that lifts the upstream portion Ma of the medium M by blowing air A when there is a small amount of the multiple media M remaining on the loading table 10.

[0038] Incidentally, as in the comparative example shown in FIG. 5 , when the remaining amount of the plurality of media M on the stacking table 10 is small, the tilt angle of the stacking table 10 with respect to the horizontal becomes large, and the plurality of media M do not separate from each other when the air A is blown by the air blower 30. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the remaining amount of the plurality of media M on the stacking table 10 is small, the total weight of the media M on the stacking table 10 becomes small, and the lifting member 40 is lifted by the air A blown by the air blower 30. As a result, the lifting member 40 lifts at least the upstream portion Ma of the media M. Therefore, the upstream portion Ma of the media M approaches the horizontal, and the air A is blown to the upstream portion Ma of the media M along the upper surface of the lifting member 40, making it easier for the plurality of media M to separate from each other. Furthermore, because the lifting member 40 only needs to be inserted between the stacking table 10 and the upstream portion Ma of the media M, separation of the media M can be promoted even with a simple configuration that does not change the blowing direction or blowing position of the air A by the air blower 30. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in a medium supply device 1 that blows air A onto the upstream portion Ma of the medium M in the supply direction D on a loading platform 10 that moves up and down at an angle, separation of the medium M can be promoted with a simple configuration.

[0039] In this embodiment, the lifting member 40 is fixed to the blower 30, and the blower 30 blows air A from above and below the lifting member 40, causing the lifting member 40 to float up as the air A is blown onto it.

[0040] Therefore, with a simple configuration in which the lifting member 40 is fixed to the blower 30, the blower 30 for blowing air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the medium M can lift the lifting member 40, thereby lifting the upstream portion Ma of the medium M when the remaining amount is low. In other words, by combining the blower 30 for blowing air A toward the upstream portion Ma of the medium M and the blower 30 for lifting the lifting member 40 into a single blower 30, the medium supply device 1 can have a simple configuration.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, the lifting member 40 that controls the blower 30 adjusts the air volume of the blower 30 based on the type of medium M.

[0042] This allows the upstream portion Ma of the medium M to be lifted with a minimum amount of air when the remaining amount of the medium M is small, thereby facilitating separation of the medium M.

[0043] In this embodiment, the lifting member 40 is a flexible film.

[0044] This allows the inexpensive lifting member 40 to facilitate separation of the media M.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, all of the components shown in the embodiments can be appropriately combined. Naturally, various modifications and applications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The invention as originally claimed in the present application is described below.

[0046] [Appendix 1] a loading platform on which the media is loaded; a lifting mechanism that tilts and lifts the loading platform; a blower that blows air toward an upstream portion of the loading platform in the supply direction of the media to separate the plurality of media from each other; a lifting member that is inserted between the loading platform and the upstream portion of the media loaded on the loading platform, and that, when the remaining amount of the plurality of media on the loading platform is small, lifts up the upstream portion of the media by blowing air thereon; A medium supply device comprising:

[0047] [Appendix 2] The lifting member is fixed to the blower; The blower blows air from above and below the lifting member, causing the lifting member to float up by the air blowing. 2. A medium supply device according to claim 1.

[0048] [Appendix 3] Further, a control unit for controlling the blower is provided. The control unit adjusts the air volume of the blower based on the type of the medium. 3. The medium supply device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0049] [Appendix 4] The lifting member is a flexible film. 4. The medium supply device according to claim 1, wherein the medium supply device is a medium supplying device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Media supply device 10 Loading platform 20 Lifting mechanism 30 Blower 40 Lifting member 50 trays 61 Scraper roller 62 Pickup roller 63 Slicing Roller 71 Control Unit 72 Memory section 73 Interface section 80 Roller drive unit 91 End Fence 92 Side fence A Air D Supply direction M medium Ma upstream part

Claims

1. a loading platform on which the medium is loaded; a lifting mechanism that tilts and lifts the loading platform; a blower that blows air toward an upstream portion of the loading platform in the supply direction of the media to separate the plurality of media from each other; a lifting member that is inserted between the loading platform and the upstream portion of the media loaded on the loading platform, and that, when the remaining amount of the plurality of media on the loading platform is small, lifts up the upstream portion of the media by blowing air thereon; A medium supply device comprising:

2. The lifting member is fixed to the blower; The blower blows air from above and below the lifting member, causing the lifting member to float up by the air blowing.

2. The medium supply device according to claim 1.

3. Further, a control unit for controlling the blower is provided. The control unit adjusts the air volume of the blower based on the type of the medium.

2. The medium supply device according to claim 1.

4. The lifting member is a flexible film.

4. The medium supply device according to claim 1, wherein the medium supply device is a medium supplying device.

Images