JP6078739B2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that separates and feeds the topmost sheet among stacked sheets.

  2. Description of the Related Art A paper folding device is known that separates and feeds only the topmost paper among papers stacked on a paper feed tray, and folds the paper using the structure of a paper conveyance path provided on the downstream side. A folding roller is provided in the middle of the paper conveyance path, and a stopper is provided in front of it. In such a configuration, when the sheet is conveyed, the leading end of the sheet is locked by the stopper, so that the advance of the sheet is restricted, the intermediate part thereof is bent, and the intermediate part is wound around the folding roller. Thereby, a crease is made in the middle portion of the sheet.

  Conventionally, in such a paper folding device, a so-called friction separation has been adopted as a method for separating the uppermost paper. In this friction separation, a sheet material made of urethane or the like is pressed against a rubber roller for paper feed, and the paper is passed between them. However, in recent years, with the diversification of demand, there is a tendency to use a lot of air suction type paper feeding devices capable of feeding art-coating papers and the like that easily have friction marks (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

  Such a sheet feeding device includes an air discharge opening that opens in front of the sheet feeding direction of a stack of sheets stacked on the sheet feeding table. By blowing air from the air discharge port toward the upper part of the front end surface of the sheet bundle, the sheets are separated from each other, and the uppermost sheet is sucked with air and sent out. According to such a paper feeding device, since the paper is physically floated and separated by air, the paper is sent out, so even if the paper is easily stuck or easily damaged, it can be fed without impairing the quality. There is a merit such as.

JP 2002-226068 A

  However, in such an air suction type paper feeding device, sufficient air is sent to reliably float the paper from the front end to the rear end thereof, so that paper fluttering increases and the paper to be fed Becomes easier to skew. Due to the structure of the paper folding device, if the paper skews in the paper feeding stage, the skew becomes the crease inclination as it is, which also causes a folding error. For this reason, the conventional folding apparatus requires measures such as providing a registration roller for correcting the skew of the sheet after feeding, leading to an increase in the size and cost of the entire apparatus.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to stabilize sheet feeding at low cost in an air suction type sheet feeding device.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a paper feeding device according to an aspect of the present invention is configured to open a paper feeding table on which paper is stacked and a paper bundle loaded on the paper feeding table in front of the paper feeding direction. An air discharge port that discharges air for separating the sheets from each other toward the top of the front end surface of the sheet, and a feeding mechanism that sends out the uppermost sheet among the separated sheets. The air discharge port includes a first air discharge port and a second air discharge port provided below the first air discharge port. The distance between the upper and lower ends of the first air discharge port and the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second air discharge port are both configured to be smaller than the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. The first air discharge port and the second air discharge port are both formed such that the distance between the left and right ends in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle is longer than the distance between the upper and lower ends. Is a sheet feeding device.
The second air discharge port may be configured so that at least a portion thereof overlaps the first air discharge port in a direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle.
The distance between the left and right edges in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle of the first air discharge opening and the distance between the left and right edges in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle of the second air discharge opening are both the first air discharge openings. It may be configured to be larger than the distance between the lower end of the second air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port.
Both the first air outlet and the second air outlet may be arranged symmetrically in the paper width direction with a common center line as the center.

  Here, the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port may be provided side by side (aligned) in the vertical direction, or in the sheet width direction (left and right as viewed in the sheet conveyance direction) although they are positioned above and below. It may be provided in a shifted manner. The “distance between upper and lower ends” of each discharge port is the vertical distance between the upper end and the lower end of each discharge port, and may be substantially the distance in the vertical direction.

  According to this aspect, the distance between the upper and lower ends of the first air discharge port and the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second air discharge port are both from the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. Therefore, a partition wall having a width in the vertical direction is formed between the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port. For this reason, the air discharged from the second air discharge port is blown relatively below the sheet bundle, and the air discharged from the first air discharge port is blown relatively above the sheet bundle. As a result, a predetermined range of sheets is lifted downward from the top of the sheet bundle by the air from the second air discharge port, and the sheets overlapping in the predetermined range are separated from each other by the air from the first air discharge port. It becomes like this.

  In this way, the air discharge ports are separated into upper and lower portions so as to form a partition wall, and the opening area of the entire air discharge port facing the end face of the sheet bundle is reduced, thereby maintaining the air discharge pressure. The flow rate can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress the flapping of the paper and to prevent the skew of the paper to be fed out while reliably floating the paper within a predetermined range. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a registration roller for correcting the skew, and the sheet feeding can be stabilized at a low cost.

  The second air discharge port is preferably shaped so that the discharged air faces downward. According to this aspect, the predetermined range of sheets can be levitated in such a manner as to dig up the upper layer of the sheet bundle by the air discharged from the second air discharge port.

  Depending on the size of the paper loaded on the paper feed tray, it can be moved symmetrically around the center line in the paper width direction, and abuts against both end faces in the width direction of the paper bundle to move the paper in the width direction. You may provide a pair of side guide to regulate. At least one of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port is provided at a position closer to the center line than each side guide when the pair of side guides are closest to each other with the paper of the minimum size interposed therebetween. May be.

  According to this aspect, at least one of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port faces the central portion in the sheet width direction with respect to the sheet bundle, and air is blown in a balanced manner on the sheet. it can. Further, since both ends of the paper in the width direction are guided so as to be sandwiched between the pair of side guides, paper flapping can be effectively prevented or suppressed. In order to maintain higher stability during sheet feeding, it is preferable to provide both the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port on the center line of the sheet feed table.

  The feeding mechanism includes a conveyance belt provided so as to extend in the sheet feeding direction above the sheet bundle, an adsorption mechanism that adsorbs the sheet to the conveyance belt by the suction force of air, and conveys the sheet while being adsorbed. And a drive mechanism for driving the belt. The conveyor belt is preferably inclined so that the distance from the paper feed table is greater at the rear end than at the front end in the paper feed direction.

  According to this aspect, due to the inclination of the conveyance belt, the floated paper forms a mountain shape (or bow shape) that hangs further rearward from the rear end of the conveyance belt, and the air introduced between the paper is the paper The degree of outflow from the rear end can be suppressed. As a result, paper flapping can be suppressed. Further, by extending the pair of side guides at least to the rear of the conveying belt in the sheet feeding direction, and suppressing the latter half of the sheet hanging by the side guides, sheet skew can be prevented more reliably.

  The conveyor belt may be wound around pulleys (rollers) provided at the front and rear, and the lower surface facing the uppermost sheet may be driven to rotate in the direction in which the sheet advances. The sheet feeding device may include an air suction port that sucks air so that the uppermost sheet is attracted to the lower surface of the transport belt as an air suction type device. A single conveyor belt may be used, or a plurality of conveyor belts may be arranged in parallel to each other. The first air discharge port and the second air discharge port are preferably provided in a range where the conveyance belt exists in the sheet width direction. When the conveying belt is configured by an odd number of flat belts, at least one of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port below the flat belt at the center in the sheet width direction among the odd number of flat belts. Should be provided. Further, the conveying belt may be constituted by a single belt with holes. Air may be sucked through the hole so that the uppermost sheet is attracted to the lower surface of the belt. The first air discharge port is preferably shaped so that the discharged air is directed to the leading edge of the paper adsorbed on the transport belt. As described above, when the discharge amount of air for paper separation is suppressed, in order to efficiently use a small amount of air, it is preferable that the air is directly sent toward a portion where the conveyance belt exists. .

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeding device having a sheet feeding table on which sheets are stacked and an opening in front of the sheet feeding direction of the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet feeding table, toward an upper front end surface of the sheet bundle. An air discharge port that discharges air for separating the papers from each other, and a feeding mechanism that feeds the uppermost paper among the separated papers . The first air discharge port as the air discharge port, A second air outlet provided below the first air outlet, and a third air outlet provided on both sides of the first air outlet and the second air outlet in the paper width direction , The distance between the upper and lower ends of the first air discharge port and the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second air discharge port are both configured to be smaller than the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. And the distance between the upper and lower ends of the third air outlet is the first air outlet. A sheet feeding device configured to be larger than the distance between the lower end and the upper end of the second air discharge opening of the mouth. According to this aspect, it is possible to evenly separate the sheets separated vertically from each other when triggered by the discharge of air from the second air discharge port, even in the range of the sheet bundle positioned above the second air discharge port. Become. In addition, the left and right sides of the paper can be lifted in a balanced manner with respect to the center in the paper width direction.

  You may provide the air generation source which generates the air discharged from an air discharge port, and the control part which drives an air generation source and controls the discharge amount of air. The control unit may set the discharge amount to such an extent that the rear end of the separated paper hangs down from the front end by the air discharged from the air discharge port. That is, the above-described stable floating state of the paper may be realized by adjusting the amount of air discharged from the air discharge port so that the rear end of the separated paper hangs down from the front end. By suppressing the air discharge amount in this way, it is possible to suppress the electric power accompanying the driving of the air generation source. That is, it is possible to achieve power saving of the sheet feeding device while ensuring the required performance by the discharge air.

  Another embodiment of the present invention is also a paper feeding device. This device opens in front of the sheet feeding direction of the sheet stack on which the sheets are stacked and the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet feed base, and separates the sheets up and down toward the upper front end surface of the sheet bundle. An air discharge port that discharges the air and a feeding mechanism that feeds the uppermost sheet among the separated sheets. By providing a shielding wall that restricts the discharge of air at the middle in the vertical direction of the air discharge port, an upper first air discharge port and a lower second air discharge port are formed, and the first air discharge port The vertical opening width and the vertical opening width of the second air outlet are both smaller than the vertical height of the shielding wall.

  According to this aspect, the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port are formed by providing the shielding wall at the intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the air discharge port. As a result, a predetermined range of sheets is lifted downward from the top of the sheet bundle by the air from the second air discharge port, and the sheets overlapping in the predetermined range are separated from each other by the air from the first air discharge port. It becomes like this. Further, by providing a large shielding wall at the intermediate portion of the air discharge port, the flow rate can be suppressed while maintaining the discharge pressure of air from each air discharge port. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress the flapping of the paper and to prevent the skew of the paper to be fed out while reliably floating the paper within a predetermined range. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a registration roller for correcting the skew, and the sheet feeding can be stabilized at a low cost.

  The first air discharge port is preferably shaped so that the discharged air faces upward, and the second air discharge port is preferably shaped so that the discharged air faces downward. According to this aspect, the air discharged from the second air discharge port can float a predetermined range of sheets from the top in such a manner as to dig up the upper layer portion of the sheet bundle. The sheets that overlap in the predetermined range are separated from each other by the air.

  As the air discharge ports, there are respectively provided third air discharge ports separated from the shielding wall on both sides of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port in the paper width direction, and the third air discharge port has an opening width in the vertical direction. May be larger than the vertical height of the shielding wall. According to this aspect, it is possible to evenly separate the sheets separated vertically from each other when triggered by the discharge of air from the second air discharge port, even in the range of the sheet bundle positioned above the second air discharge port. Become. In addition, the left and right sides of the paper can be lifted in a balanced manner.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to stabilize paper feeding at low cost in an air suction type paper feeding device.

It is a front view of the paper folding apparatus concerning an embodiment. It is a rear view of a paper folding apparatus. It is a right view of a paper folding device. It is a left view of a paper folding device. It is a top view of a paper folding device. It is sectional drawing showing schematic structure of a paper folding apparatus. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of a sheet feeding device. FIG. 3 is a diagram of a sheet feeding device as viewed from below a conveyor belt. FIG. 6 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device. It is the schematic which shows the whole structure of an air discharge apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of each air discharge outlet. It is a figure which shows the outline of an electrical structure centering on the control part of a paper folding apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the basic process by a paper folding apparatus. 14 is a flowchart showing in detail a paper feed process in S10 of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect by the paper feeder of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 are diagrams illustrating an overall configuration of a paper folding apparatus according to an embodiment. 1 is a front view of the paper folding apparatus, FIG. 2 is a rear view, FIG. 3 is a right side view, FIG. 4 is a left side view, and FIG. As shown in the drawings, the paper folding device 1 includes a paper feeding device 2 (paper feeding unit) that feeds a sheet to be folded, and a folding device 4 (folding unit) that folds the paper fed from the paper feeding device 2. Prepare. The sheet feeding device 2 includes a sheet feeding table 6 on which sheets are stacked, an elevating drive mechanism for moving the sheet feeding table 6 up and down, and an air that discharges air for separating the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding table 6 from each other. An ejection device 8 and a feeding mechanism that feeds the uppermost sheet among the separated sheets are provided. On the upper surface of the paper folding apparatus 1, an operation panel 10 is provided for a user to perform a predetermined operation input.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of the paper folding apparatus.
The paper folding device 1 includes a paper feeding device 2, a pair of transport rollers 12, a pair of first folding rollers 14, a pair of second folding rollers 16, a paper discharge mechanism 18, a folded paper receiver 20, and the operation of each mechanism. The control part to control is included. Each mechanism is connected by a plurality of paper transport paths. In the present embodiment, one of the first folding rollers 14 also serves as one of the second folding rollers 16. A two-dot chain line in the figure indicates a part of the paper passing line.

  The paper P sent out from the paper feeding device 2 is transported toward the mechanism of the folding device 4 by the transport roller 12. That is, the paper P first passes over the first folding roller 14 and enters the paper transport path 22. Since the stopper 24 is provided at a predetermined position of the paper transport path 22, the paper P can no longer travel forward in the transport direction when the leading end of the paper P contacts the stopper 24. However, since the conveyance operation of the paper P is continued thereafter, the central portion, which is the folding position of the paper P, bends and is wound around the first folding roller 14 with the folding position as the head, and a crease is made.

  The booklet formed in this way is sent as it is between the pair of second folding rollers 16 or is guided to a paper conveyance path 26 located below the first folding roller 14 as necessary. A path switching member (not shown) is provided on the exit side of the first folding roller 14 and can be switched to any one of the paths by driving the path switching member. In the former case, the paper folded in half through the first folding roller 14 is directly guided to the paper discharge mechanism 18 and discharged to the folded paper receiver 20.

  On the other hand, in the latter case, the booklet formed through the first folding roller 14 passes through the side of the second folding roller 16 and enters the paper conveyance path 26. Since the stopper 28 is provided at a predetermined position of the paper conveyance path 26, the booklet cannot advance further in the conveyance direction when the front end of the booklet contacts the stopper 28. However, since the booklet transport operation is continued thereafter, the predetermined position of the booklet is bent, and the second folding line 16 is attached by being wound around the second folding roller 16 with the predetermined position as the head. Such switching is effective when the paper P is folded in three. However, in that case, it is necessary to adjust the position of the stopper 24 in the paper transport path 22 and the position of the stopper 28 in the paper transport path 26 so that the three-fold can be realized. In addition, about the detail of the specific structure of the folding apparatus 4, the structure of the paper folding apparatus of Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2004-345773 is employable, for example.

  In the present embodiment, the paper conveyance path 26 and the stopper 28 are configured as a folding device 30 accommodated in a rectangular parallelepiped housing, and the folding device 30 can be attached to and detached from the frame 5 of the paper folding device 1 from below. Is assembled. The frame 5 requires a certain length in the length direction of the paper feed unit (left and right direction in the drawing) for the purpose of supporting the lifting drive mechanism of the paper feed table 6. For this reason, the assembly | attachment involves the complicated operation | work of pushing in the back of the flame | frame 5 inclining the folding apparatus 30. FIG. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shape of each of the frame 5 and the folding device 30 is devised in order to improve the workability. That is, inside the frame 5, mounting guides 32 having a fixed inclination angle are provided on both sides in the insertion direction of the folding device 30, and the support guide 34 is provided along an inclined surface 33 provided in the back thereof. Is provided. A triangular locking part 36 for locking the folding device 30 is provided at the lower end of the support guide 34. On the other hand, a triangular fitting recess 38 that can be fitted to the locking portion 36 is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface of the folding device 30.

  With this configuration, when the folding device 30 is assembled to the frame 5, as shown by the dotted arrow in the figure, the folding device 30 is simply inserted while being guided by the mounting guide 32 and the inclined surface 33. Assembly work can be easily advanced. When the folding device 30 reaches its attachment position, the fitting recess 38 is fitted and locked to the locking portion 36, so that the folding device 30 is stably fixed to the frame 5. In other words, according to the present embodiment, the paper size to be handled increases in the length direction, the size in the length direction of the paper feed unit increases, and the folding device 30 is pushed into the back of the frame 5 that supports it on both sides. Even if it is the structure which must be, the effect that the attachment operation | work of the folding device 30 becomes easy is acquired.

FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of the sheet feeding device. FIG. 8 is a view of the sheet feeding device as viewed from below the conveyor belt. FIG. 9 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device.
As shown in FIG. 7, the paper feeding device 2 is configured as an air suction device. The paper feed table 6 is supported so as to be movable up and down with respect to the frame 5 of the paper folding apparatus 1. Paper P is stacked on the paper feed tray 6, and a pair of side guides 40 are provided so as to stably hold the paper bundle from both sides in the paper width direction (see FIG. 5). The pair of side guides 40 is configured to be symmetrically movable about the center line L in the paper width direction according to the size of the paper stacked on the paper feed tray 6, and is respectively provided on both end surfaces in the width direction of the paper bundle. The movement of the paper P in the width direction is restricted by contact. Further, a stopper 42 for supporting the sheet bundle at the rear is provided so that the sheet P does not shift in the longitudinal direction. Each mechanism, such as a lift drive mechanism and a feeding mechanism, and an air discharge device 8 are installed at predetermined positions of the frame 5.

  The feeding mechanism includes a conveyor belt 44 and a suction duct 46. The transport belt 44 is stretched between a first roller 50 in the front of the paper transport direction (downstream in the transport direction) and a second roller 52 in the rear of the paper transport direction (upstream in the transport direction). The first roller 50 is a drive roller, and the rotation shaft 51 is connected to a drive motor (such as a DC motor or a stepping motor) via a clutch and a gear (not shown). The second roller 52 is a driven roller, and the rotating shaft 53 is rotatably supported by the frame 5. The first roller 50 starts rotating when a clutch (not shown) is engaged in accordance with the paper transport timing. As a result, the sheet conveying surface (lower surface) of the conveying belt 44 moves in the sheet conveying direction at the sheet conveying timing, and the sheet feeding is realized.

  The first roller 50 and the second roller 52 are disposed so that their heights with respect to the upper surface of the paper feed tray 6 are slightly different from each other. That is, the second roller 52 is disposed at a slightly higher position than the first roller 50. As a result, the distance of the conveying belt 44 from the paper feed tray 6 is greater at the rear end than at the front end in the paper feed direction, that is, a predetermined inclination angle θ (with respect to the paper feed tray 6 from the front to the rear. In this embodiment, it is configured to incline at θ = 2 °. The inclination angle θ contributes to stabilization of the separated paper when the paper is floated and separated in the paper feed control, and details thereof will be described later. The side guide 40 extends greatly from the front to the rear of the second roller 52, and firmly guides the stacked sheets P.

  A level sensor 60 (functioning as a “first level sensor”) is provided behind the conveyance belt 44 in the sheet conveyance direction. The level sensor 60 detects that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 has reached the height set as the feeding position (hereinafter also referred to as “feeding height”). The level sensor 60 includes a plate-shaped plate 60a and a sensor unit 60c that detects a part of the plate 60a. The sensor unit 60c of the present embodiment includes a photosensor (photoelectric sensor), but other non-contact sensors may be employed. The plate 60 a is supported so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 61 fixed to the frame 5.

  The plate 60 a extends downward with respect to the rotation shaft 61, and has a contact portion 60 b that contacts the uppermost sheet P among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed table 6. As the sheet feed base 6 is raised and the position of the uppermost sheet P is raised, the contact portion 60b is pushed up, so that the plate 60a rotates counterclockwise in the figure. When the uppermost sheet P reaches the feeding height, the sensor unit 60c detects the plate 60a. The level sensor 60 outputs the detection signal to the control unit. When receiving the detection signal, the control unit determines that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 has reached the feed height, and the sheet feed tray 6 has moved upward. If it does, the movement is stopped. If the paper feed tray 6 is stopped, the stopped state is maintained. On the other hand, if the level sensor 60 does not detect the sheet feeding control even though the sheet feeding control has been started, the control unit reaches the feeding height of the top sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray 6. It is determined that the sheet feeding table 6 has not been raised, and the sheet feed table 6 is raised. As described above, by moving the paper feed tray 6 according to the detection result of the level sensor 60, it becomes possible to transport the paper satisfactorily.

  On the other hand, an air discharge device 8 is provided in front of the paper feed table 6 in the paper conveyance direction. The air discharge device 8 blows air toward the front end portion of the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet feed tray 6 to float the upper layer portion of the sheet bundle, and separates the floated sheets to improve sheet feeding performance. Is. The air discharge device 8 is provided with a plurality of air discharge ports for discharging air to the front end surface of the sheet bundle. The air discharge device 8 is connected to an air flow generation unit (air generation source) such as a fan or a blower (not shown), and air is blown out from the air discharge port by driving the air flow generation unit. As a result, among the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 6, it is possible to make a gap between the sheets of the sheets close to the sheet conveyance surface of the conveyance belt 44, and the sheet separation property can be improved.

  A level sensor 70 (functioning as a “second level sensor”) is provided adjacent to the air discharge device 8. In the figure, for convenience of explanation, the level sensor 70 is displayed on the front side of the air discharge device 8, but actually, it is disposed on the back side of the air discharge device 8. The level sensor 70 detects that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 has reached the “separation start height”. The “separation start height” is a height that is set lower than the feeding height by a predetermined height. The detection by the level sensor 70 is an opportunity to start driving the air discharge device 8 when the sheet feeding device 2 is activated.

  The level sensor 70 includes a plate-like plate 70a and a sensor unit 70c that detects a part of the plate 70a. The sensor unit 70c of the present embodiment includes a photosensor (photoelectric sensor), but other non-contact sensors may be employed. The plate 70 a is supported so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 72 fixed to the air discharge device 8.

  The plate 70 a has a detector 70 b that comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost sheet P among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 or the front end surface of the sheet bundle. The detector 70b has a triangular shape that protrudes toward the paper P stacked on the paper feed tray 6, and its tip has an R shape. A spring 74 is interposed between the plate 70 a and the air discharge device 8. The spring 74 biases the plate 70a in a direction in which the detector 70b is brought into contact with the sheet. An end of the plate 70a opposite to the detector 70b constitutes a detected part 70d that is detected by the sensor part 70c.

  The plate 70a is urged counterclockwise in the drawing by a spring 74. For this reason, when the sheet bundle is at a low position, the detector 70b is pushed down and the detected portion 70d is pushed up. At this time, the detected portion 70d is detected by the sensor portion 70c. The level sensor 70 outputs the detection signal to the control unit. When the paper feed tray 6 is raised by the start of paper feed control, the upper surface of the uppermost paper P comes into contact with the detector 70b and pushes it upward. As a result, the plate 70a rotates clockwise in the drawing. When the uppermost sheet P reaches the separation start height, as shown in the drawing, the plate 70a rotates to such an extent that the detector 70b comes into contact with the front end surface of the sheet bundle. The detection state is released.

  That is, the control unit determines that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 has reached the separation start height when the non-detection state (off state is detected) as described above. Determination is made, and driving of the air discharge device 8 is started. In this way, wasteful power consumption is achieved by driving the air discharge device 8 after waiting for the uppermost sheet P to reach the separation start height close to the paper feed height according to the detection result of the level sensor 70. Can be suppressed. The control unit raises the paper feed tray 6 at a high speed until the uppermost sheet P reaches the separation start height, and once the separation sheet reaches the separation start height, the increase is temporarily stopped. Then, during a predetermined period (1.5 seconds in the present embodiment), the amount of air discharged by the air discharge device 8 is temporarily increased so that a sufficient positive pressure is formed inside the air discharge device 8 and the upper layer of the sheet bundle. The part is floated and separated. Thereafter, the discharge amount of air is set to a predetermined discharge amount in a steady state, that is, the discharge amount at the time of feeding out the paper, and the raising of the paper feed tray 6 is resumed. When the paper P reaches the feeding height, the conveyance belt 44 is driven to start paper feeding. In addition, adjustment of the discharge amount (air volume) of air can be performed by well-known PWM control (current pulse control), for example.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of conveying belts 44 are provided in the paper width direction, and suction ducts 46 having suction openings 46 a on the lower surface are disposed between and outside the plurality of conveying belts 44. ing. The suction opening 46 a of the suction duct 46 is formed over substantially the entire area of the sheet conveying surface of the conveying belt 44 in the sheet conveying direction, and is disposed slightly above the sheet conveying surface of the conveying belt 44. In the present embodiment, an odd number (three) of conveyor belts 44 are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the suction duct 46 is connected to a fan accommodating portion 66 that accommodates a fan 64 for air suction. As the fan 64 rotates, air is sucked from the suction opening 46 a of the suction duct 46 provided in the vicinity of the sheet conveying surface of the conveying belt 44. While driving the conveyance belt 44, air is sucked from the suction opening 46 a of the suction duct 46 in the vicinity of the conveyance belt 44, so that the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 6 is removed from the conveyance belt 44. The sheet can be conveyed while being attracted to the sheet conveying surface.

  A suction air chamber 68 is connected to the suction duct 46 so as to communicate therewithin. By blocking or opening an air escape hole 68a provided on the lower surface of the suction air chamber 68, the start and stop of suction of air from the suction opening 46a of the suction duct 46 or the strength of suction can be adjusted.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of the sheet feeding device.
Below the air escape hole 68 a of the suction air chamber 68, a shielding plate 88 that is larger than the air escape hole 68 a and shields the air escape hole 68 a by contacting the suction air chamber 68 is disposed. The shielding plate 88 is driven by a solenoid 90 fixed to the frame 5. That is, the shielding plate 88 is connected to the plunger 94 of the solenoid 90 via the rod 92. The rod 92 has a rotation shaft 96 serving as a fulcrum at the center in the longitudinal direction. The rotating shaft 96 is fixed to the frame 5. One end of the rod 92 is pivotally connected to the shielding plate 88 via the pivot shaft 98, and the other end of the rod 92 is pivotally connected to the plunger 94 via the pivot shaft 100. With such a configuration, the shielding plate 88 is driven in the shielding direction or the shielding release direction by turning on and off the solenoid 90.

  The control unit shields the air escape hole 68a at the timing when the sheet is conveyed. As a result, air is sucked from the suction opening 46 a of the suction duct 46 to such an extent that the uppermost sheet of the paper feed tray 6 can be sucked. Further, the air escape hole 68a is opened except at the timing when the paper is conveyed. As a result, the suction force of air from the suction opening 46 a of the suction duct 46 is weakened to such an extent that the uppermost sheet of the paper feed tray 6 cannot be sucked.

  The air discharge device 8 is formed larger in the paper width direction than the conveyance belt 44. As shown in the figure, the air discharge device 8 includes air discharge ports at the center of the upper portion of the device as viewed in the sheet conveyance direction and at both sides thereof. That is, the first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 are provided above and below the center in the paper width direction of the air discharge device 8, and a pair of third air discharge ports 86 are provided on both sides thereof. The first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 are located on the center line in the paper width direction of the paper feed tray 6 and below the central conveyance belt 44 among the three rows of conveyance belts 44. As shown in the figure, the upper end of the third air discharge port 86 is substantially the same in height as the upper end of the first air discharge port 82. Further, the lower end of the third air discharge port 86 is substantially the same as the lower end of the second air discharge port 84.

  These air discharge openings are opened in front of the sheet feeding direction of the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet feed tray 6 and discharge air for separating the sheets from each other toward the upper front end surface of the sheet bundle. . As a result, in the range in the paper width direction in which the conveying belt 44 and the suction opening 46a are provided, among the papers stacked on the paper feed tray 6, the upper-layer papers rise and the space between the raised papers The intervals are made uniform.

  Next, the structure of the air discharge port of the air discharge device 8 will be described in detail. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the air discharge device 8. (A) shows the perspective view, (b) shows the front view. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of each air discharge port. (A) shows AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG.10 (b), (b) shows BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG.10 (b).

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the air discharge device 8 includes a discharge air chamber 102 connected to an air generation source (not shown). A discharge chamber 104 in which a first air discharge port 82 and a second air discharge port 84 are formed is provided in the upper center of the discharge air chamber 102. A pair of discharge chambers 106 each having a third air discharge port 86 are provided on both sides of the discharge chamber 104 in the sheet width direction above the discharge air chamber 102. The discharge chamber 104 of this embodiment has a symmetrical structure. The pair of discharge chambers 106 has a structure that is symmetrical with respect to the discharge chamber 104 (the center line of the discharge air chamber 102 in the paper width direction).

  As shown in FIG. 11, the discharge chamber 104 has a general box shape that opens toward the rear in the paper conveyance direction (left side in FIG. 11). That is, the discharge chamber 104 includes a pair of side walls 110 that are erected in parallel with each other on the upper surface 108 of the discharge air chamber 102 and a front wall 112 that is erected so as to close the front end portion in the sheet conveyance direction between the side walls 110. An upper wall 114 extending from the upper end of the front wall 112 toward the rear in the paper conveyance direction and a rectangular shielding wall provided at the rear edge in the paper conveyance direction between the side walls 110 116. The discharge chamber 104 and the discharge air chamber 102 communicate with each other through a communication hole 118 formed on the upper surface of the discharge air chamber 102.

  The first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 are isolated by the shielding wall 116. That is, the first air discharge port 82 is formed above the shielding wall 116, and the second air discharge port 84 is formed below the shielding wall 116. The first air discharge port 82 opens in a rectangular shape between the upper wall 114 and the shielding wall 116, but the first air discharge port 82 is provided in the first half of the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the side wall 110. A large opening is formed in the paper conveyance direction of the discharge port 82. The opening width W in the paper conveyance direction of the first air discharge port 82 is considerably larger than the opening width (opening height) H1 in the height direction. Due to such a structure, the air discharged from the first air discharge port 82 has a component that moves obliquely upward as indicated by a thick arrow in the figure. Note that the angle and discharge amount of the upward air, the dispersion ratio with the downward air, and the like vary depending on the inclination angle and opening width W of the upper wall 114. Therefore, these dimensions take into account the set capacity of the air generation source, etc. And set an appropriate value.

  The second air discharge port 84 is formed between the guide wall 120 extending obliquely downward from the upper surface 108 of the discharge air chamber 102 toward the rear side in the sheet conveyance direction and the shielding wall 116. With such a structure, the air discharged from the second air discharge port 84 is directed obliquely downward as indicated by a thick arrow in the figure. In the present embodiment, the opening height H1 (distance between the upper and lower ends) of the first air discharge port 82 and the opening height H2 (distance between the upper and lower ends) of the second air discharge port 84 are both of the shielding wall 116. It is configured to be smaller than the height H0 (that is, the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port 82 and the upper end of the second air discharge port 84) (H1, H2 <H0). In this embodiment, H1 = 1 mm, H2 = 2.5 mm, and H0 = 8.5 mm, but other dimensions can be selected as appropriate.

  On the other hand, the discharge chamber 106 also has a substantially box shape that opens toward the rear in the paper conveyance direction. The discharge chamber 106 includes a pair of side walls 130 erected in parallel with each other on the upper surface 108 of the discharge air chamber 102, and a front wall 132 erected so as to close the front end portion in the sheet conveyance direction between the side walls 130. An upper wall 134 is provided so as to be inclined slightly upward from the upper end of the front wall 132 toward the rear in the sheet conveyance direction. The upper wall 134 has a half portion (see FIG. 10) closer to the discharge chamber 104 side further extending rearward in the sheet conveying direction, and a tip portion thereof is bent obliquely downward to form a partial shielding wall 136. The discharge chamber 106 and the discharge air chamber 102 communicate with each other through a communication hole 138 formed in the upper surface of the discharge air chamber 102.

  With such a configuration, an L-shaped third air discharge port 86 is formed at the rear end of the discharge chamber 106 in the sheet conveyance direction. The third air discharge port 86 is configured such that the opening height H4 (distance between upper and lower ends) on the far side is larger than the opening height H3 (distance between upper and lower ends) on the side close to the discharge chamber 104 (H4). > H3). The opening height H4 of the third air discharge port 86 on the side far from the discharge chamber 104 is the height H0 of the shielding wall 116 of the discharge chamber 104 (that is, the lower end of the first air discharge port 82 and the upper end of the second air discharge port 84). (H4> H0).

  A guide wall 140 is also provided below the discharge chamber 106 so as to extend obliquely downward from the upper surface 108 of the discharge air chamber 102 toward the rear in the sheet conveyance direction. With such a structure, the air discharged from the third air discharge port 86 is directed obliquely downward as indicated by a thick solid arrow in the drawing on the side close to the discharge chamber 104, but is far from the discharge chamber 104. On the side, as shown by a thick two-dot chain arrow in the figure, it has diagonally upward, horizontal, and diagonally downward components.

  Due to the shape and arrangement of the air discharge ports as described above, air is directed downward from the second air discharge port 84 and the third air discharge port 86 to the front end surface of the sheet stack stacked on the paper feed tray 6. It is ejected and gives an action of digging up the upper layer of the sheet bundle. As a result, a predetermined range of sheets floats downward from the top of the sheet bundle. Then, air is discharged upward from the first air discharge port 82, whereby the floated sheets are separated from each other. In addition, the air discharged from the third air discharge ports 86 located on both sides of the paper width direction causes the left and right sides of the paper to rise in a well-balanced manner with respect to the center in the paper width direction, so that the separated paper is evenly separated. Promoted.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an electrical configuration centering on the control unit of the paper folding device 1. The control unit 150 of the paper folding apparatus 1 includes a CPU that executes various arithmetic processes, a ROM that stores various control programs, a RAM that is used as a work area for data storage and program execution, and the like. The control unit 150 receives operation inputs through various switches of the input device 152 provided on the operation panel 10 and detection signals from the detection sensors including the level sensors 60 and 70. The control unit 150 executes predetermined arithmetic processing for paper feed control and folding control based on the switches and sensor inputs, and feeds a driving mechanism 154 that drives the feeding mechanism and a folding mechanism that drives the folding mechanism. A control command signal is output to the drive actuator 156.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing basic processing by the paper folding apparatus. When the power of the paper folding device 1 is turned on, the control unit 150 repeatedly executes the paper feeding process (S10) and the folding process (S12) in response to the input of a predetermined activation signal via the input device 152. To do.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing in detail the paper feed process in S10 of FIG. If the sheet feeding has not yet started (N in S20), the control unit 150 raises the sheet feeding table 6 at the speed V1 (S22). When it is detected that the paper feed tray 6 has reached the paper feed preparation position, that is, the level sensor 70 has reached the separation start height (Y in S24), paper feed is performed. The rising of the table 6 is temporarily stopped (S26), the fan 64 is driven to start the air suction operation (S28), and the air discharge device 8 is driven to start the discharge of the separation air (S30). At this time, in order to form a predetermined positive pressure in the discharge air chamber 102 and stabilize the air blowing, the air discharge amount is reduced until a predetermined set time (1.5 seconds in the embodiment) elapses. Increase (N in S32).

  When the set time elapses (Y in S32), the air discharge amount by the air discharge device 8 is switched to the set discharge amount at the time of feeding the paper and relaxed (S34), and the ascent of the paper feed tray 6 is resumed at the speed V2. (S36). In the modified example, after the set period of S32, the air discharge amount may be larger than the set discharge amount at the time of paper feeding or may be a small discharge amount. However, the discharge amount is smaller than before the set period has elapsed. The speed V2 is lower than the speed V1. That is, in the present embodiment, the set time after detection by the level sensor 70 is such that a positive pressure is formed inside the air discharge port while the paper feed tray 6 is stopped, and the air is discharged when a sufficient positive pressure is obtained. The raising of the paper feed tray 6 is resumed while the discharge amount is suppressed to the set discharge amount. At that time, the ascending speed of the paper feed tray 6 is alleviated and the amount of air discharged is suppressed to the same level as when the paper is fed, so that the subsequent paper feed operation can be started stably while preventing the skew of the paper. Become.

  When it is detected that the paper feed tray 6 has reached the paper feed start position, that is, the level sensor 60 has reached the uppermost sheet in the paper bundle (Y in S38), the paper feed is performed. The raising of the base 6 is temporarily stopped (S40), and the transport belt 44 is driven to feed the uppermost sheet (S42).

  On the other hand, if the sheet feeding has already started (Y in S20) but the sheet feeding has not been completed (N in S44), it is determined whether or not the sheet feeding table 6 is in the sheet feeding start position. This determination is based on the detection state by the level sensor 60. If the paper feed tray 6 is not at the paper feed start position (N in S46), the paper feed tray 6 is raised until it reaches the paper feed start position (N in S48 and S50). When the paper feed tray 6 reaches the paper feed start position (Y in S50), the uppermost paper is fed (S52). If the paper feed tray 6 is held at the paper feed start position (Y in S46), the processes in S48 and S50 are skipped. When the paper feed is completed (Y in S44), the paper feed tray 6 is lowered to a preset standby position (S54), and a predetermined paper feed end process is executed (S56). That is, the drive of the fan 64, the air discharge device 8, etc. is stopped. In addition, since the well-known process is employ | adopted about the folding process of S12 in FIG. 13, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the sheet feeding device according to the present embodiment. (A) shows the operation and effect of the sheet feeding device according to the present embodiment, (b) shows the operation and effect of the sheet feeding device according to the first comparative example, and (c) shows the feeding and operation according to the second comparative example. The effect by a paper apparatus is shown. The first comparative example has a configuration (θ = 0) in which the air discharge port at the center in the sheet width direction is formed large without dividing it vertically (without providing a shielding wall) and the conveying belt is not inclined. It is a thing. On the other hand, in the second comparative example, the second air discharge port below the center in the sheet width direction in the present embodiment is closed. In the second comparative example, the conveyor belt is provided with an inclination angle similar to that of the present embodiment.

  As described above, the sheet feeding device 2 of the present embodiment is provided with the first air ejection port 82 and the second air ejection port 84 at the upper and lower sides of the center of the air ejection device 8 in the sheet width direction, and the third air is disposed on both sides thereof. A discharge port 86 is provided. Although the first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 communicate with each other inside the discharge chamber 104, they are separated from each other by a shielding wall 116. Then, the second air discharge port 84 blows air downward, and the first air discharge port 82 blows air upward. Further, the conveyance belt 44 is inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to the paper feed table 6 from the front to the rear in the sheet conveyance direction, and the movement in the width direction of the sheet bundle is firmly regulated by the pair of side guides 40. Yes.

  With such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 15A, the air discharged from the second air discharge port 84 is blown relatively below the sheet bundle, and the air discharged from the first air discharge port 82. Is sprayed relatively upward of the sheet bundle. As a result, the air from the second air discharge port 84 floats in such a manner that the upper layer sheet within a predetermined range is dug up from the top of the sheet bundle, and the air from the first air discharge port 82 Sheets that overlap in the range are separated from each other. Further, the left and right sides of the paper can be floated in a balanced manner with respect to the center in the paper width direction by the air from the third air discharge port 86. Further, due to the inclination of the conveyance belt 44, the floated sheet forms a mountain shape that hangs further rearward from the rear end of the conveyance belt 44, and the air introduced between the sheets flows out from the rear end of the sheet. Is suppressed. For this reason, the fluttering of the sheet is suppressed in combination with the suppressing effect by the side guide 40, and the skew of the sheet can be prevented more reliably.

  Further, by providing a shielding wall 116 between the first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84, the first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 are separated in the vertical direction, thereby reducing the opening area of the entire air discharge port facing the end face of the sheet bundle. Therefore, the flow rate can be suppressed while maintaining the air discharge pressure. This also contributes to suppression of paper flapping and prevention of paper skew. According to this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a registration roller for correcting skew, and it is possible to stabilize paper feeding at low cost. Furthermore, since the amount of air discharged can be suppressed, the electric power associated with driving the air discharge device 8 can also be suppressed. That is, it is possible to achieve power saving of the sheet feeding device 2 while ensuring the required performance by the discharge air.

  In the present embodiment, a downward air flow is formed not only at the second air discharge port 84 but also at the third air discharge port 86. This assists the action of the downward air discharged from the second air discharge port 84, and may be omitted depending on the selection of the opening width of the second air discharge port 84. However, by generating downward air also at the third air discharge port 86, it is possible to realize the paper dispersion follow-up (floating of the sheet bundle surface layer portion) more quickly and to realize more uniform separation of the paper. There is.

  On the other hand, in the first comparative example, one air discharge port is formed at the center in the paper width direction, and the opening width in the vertical direction is set to the same level as the third air discharge ports on both sides. The central air discharge port is not structured to direct air downward. In addition, since the central air discharge port is enlarged as described above, the air discharge capacity is made larger than that of the above embodiment in order to maintain the positive pressure of the discharge air chamber. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15B, although the upper layer paper can be lifted, the paper fluttered and became unstable. This is considered to be caused by the fact that the action according to the air blowing direction is different from that of the above-mentioned embodiment, the conveyance belt is not inclined, and the discharge amount is large, so that the sheet is difficult to form a stable mountain shape. . Moreover, in this modification, since the discharge capacity is large, the power consumption is large, and the cost performance is reduced as compared with the above embodiment.

  Further, in the second comparative example, since the downward blowing of the air by the second air discharge port 84 is blocked, the floating effect of the upper layer portion of the sheet bundle cannot be obtained sufficiently, and the sheet is uniform. It has been found that it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory separating action. As described above, the effectiveness of the separation and feeding of sheets by the configuration and control of this embodiment has been confirmed.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and an appropriate combination of the elements of each embodiment is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications such as design changes can be added to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added can also be included in the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  In the above embodiment, when the uppermost sheet is detected by the level sensor 60, the ascent of the sheet feed table 6 is temporarily stopped. However, the ascent speed is only switched from V1 to V2 at a low speed. You may make it not stop once. By doing so, it is possible to start the paper feed by raising the paper feed tray 6 more quickly.

  In the above embodiment, after the uppermost sheet is detected by the level sensor 60, the ascending speed of the sheet feed tray 6 is switched from the relatively high speed V1 to the low speed V2 (V1 <V2). . In the modified example, while the moving speed itself is constant, the paper feed table 6 is continuously raised until detection by the level sensor 60, and after the detection, the paper feed table 6 is raised intermittently to detect You may make it reduce the average ascent rate. Even in this case, the floating separation of the upper layer sheet can be stabilized before the uppermost sheet reaches the feeding height. In addition, by performing such intermittent driving, it is possible to determine the flapping level of the uppermost sheet from the detection state of the level sensor in the stopped state.

  In the above embodiment, an example of the inclination angle θ of the conveyor belt 44 is shown. However, the set value can be appropriately selected according to the type of the target paper. In the modified example, a mechanism that makes the inclination angle θ variable may be provided.

  Although not described in the above embodiment, for example, a movable shielding member (shutter) that can change the opening width of at least one of the first air discharge port 82 and the second air discharge port 84 in the paper width direction may be provided. . The movable shielding member is slid in the sheet width direction to adjust the opening width thereof, thereby changing the discharge amount and discharge position of the discharge air, thereby forming a more preferable sheet floating separation state. is there.

  The detector 70b is not limited to a triangular shape, and may be formed by a curved shape such as a circle or an ellipse, or a curved shape such as a sphere. As a result, the paper that contacts the detector 70b can be smoothly moved upward. The detector 70b may have a polygonal shape such as a square shape or a trapezoidal shape. However, the shape and size of the detector 70b are set so that the detector 70b enters between the sheets separated by the air blowing from the air discharge port and is not erroneously detected by the level sensor 70.

  A plurality of holes may be provided in the conveyance belt 44, and the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 6 may be adsorbed to the conveyance belt 44 by sucking air from the holes. As a result, the sheet can be directly adsorbed to the transport belt 44.

  The uppermost sheet of the sheets stacked on the sheet feed tray 6 may be attracted to the transport belt 44 by applying an electric charge to the sheet and attracting it by electrostatic force or the like. Thereby, noise can be reduced.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper folding device, 2 Paper feeding device, 4 Folding device, 5 Frame, 6 Paper feed stand, 8 Air discharge device, 10 Operation panel, 12 Conveyance roller, 14 1st folding roller, 16 2nd folding roller, 22 Paper conveyance Path, 24 stopper, 26 paper transport path, 28 stopper, 30 folding device, 32 mounting guide, 33 inclined surface, 34 support guide, 36 locking portion, 38 fitting recess, 40 side guide, 42 stopper, 44 transport belt, 46 suction duct, 50 first roller, 52 second roller, 60 level sensor, 64 fan, 68 suction air chamber, 70 level sensor, 82 first air outlet, 84 second air outlet, 86 third air outlet 88, shielding plate, 102 discharge air chamber, 104, 106 discharge Exit room, 116 shielding wall, 120 guide wall, 130 side wall, 136 shielding wall, 140 guide wall, 150 control unit.

Claims (7)

A paper tray on which paper is loaded;
An air discharge port that opens in front of the sheet feeding direction of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet feeding table and discharges air for separating the sheets from each other toward the upper front end surface of the sheet bundle;
A feeding mechanism that feeds the top sheet among the separated sheets;
With
The air outlet includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet provided below the first air outlet,
The distance between the upper and lower ends of the first air discharge port and the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second air discharge port are both smaller than the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. The first air discharge port and the second air discharge port are both formed so that the distance between the left and right ends in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle is longer than the distance between the upper and lower ends. A paper feeding device characterized by being made . A paper tray on which paper is loaded;
  An air discharge port that opens in front of the sheet feeding direction of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet feeding table and discharges air for separating the sheets from each other toward the upper front end surface of the sheet bundle;
  A feeding mechanism that feeds the top sheet among the separated sheets;
  With
  As the air discharge port, a first air discharge port, a second air discharge port provided below the first air discharge port, and a paper width direction of the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port A third air outlet provided on each side,
  The distance between the upper and lower ends of the first air discharge port and the distance between the upper and lower ends of the second air discharge port are both smaller than the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. And is configured to be
  The distance between the upper and lower ends of the third air discharge port is configured to be larger than the distance between the lower end of the first air discharge port and the upper end of the second air discharge port. apparatus. The said 2nd air discharge port is comprised so that at least one part may overlap with the said 1st air discharge port in the direction parallel to the paper surface of the said sheet bundle . Paper feeder. The distance between the left and right edges of the first air discharge port in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle and the distance between the left and right edges of the second air discharge port in the direction parallel to the sheet surface of the sheet bundle are both The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is configured to be larger than a distance between a lower end of the first air discharge port and an upper end of the second air discharge port . A paper feed base on which paper is stacked and an opening for separating the paper up and down toward the top of the front end surface of the paper bundle that opens in front of the paper feed direction of the paper bundle loaded on the paper feed base. An air outlet for discharging;
A feeding mechanism that feeds the top sheet among the separated sheets;
With
By providing a shielding wall that restricts the discharge of air at the middle in the vertical direction of the air discharge port, an upper first air discharge port and a lower second air discharge port are formed,
The vertical opening width of the first air discharge port and the vertical opening width of the second air discharge port are both configured to be smaller than the vertical height of the shielding wall. A paper feeder characterized by . 6. The feeding according to claim 1, wherein both the first air discharge port and the second air discharge port are arranged symmetrically in the paper width direction with a common center line as a center. Paper device. The second air discharge opening includes a sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 air characterized that you have determined the shape to face downward to be discharged.

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