JPH1035930A - Sheet supply conveyer and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable provision of a sheet supply conveyer capable certainly separating and supply conveying sheets of low stiffness and those of medium stiffness positioned between low stiffness and high stiffness without enlarging a device and recorder provided with such a conveyer. SOLUTION: Such a supply conveying mode as restarting supply conveying action after the rotational drive of a supply conveying roller 2 stops for a specific period of time before the tip end of a sheet P reaches a sheet convey route located downstream from a separation claw 3 constituted inclinably in a sheet feeding direction, when sheets P including sheets of low stiffness and those of medium stiffness positioned between low stiffness and high stiffness are separated and supply conveyed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus for automatically separating and feeding sheets one by one in a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc., and a recording apparatus provided with the same. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc., a special sheet medium such as a thick paper such as a postcard or an envelope or a thin plastic sheet is used as a recording medium in addition to plain paper. The supply of the sheet medium is
The sheet is manually inserted one by one, or automatically and continuously fed to a recording unit by a sheet feeding device.

[0003] Normally, a separating claw is acted on or released from the corner of the leading end of the sheet according to the rigidity of the sheet to be used, and the separating claw is set / released by a user operating a lever. It is done by doing. However,
Switching the separation claw by operating the lever may cause a user's erroneous operation.
No. 263 has developed a sheet feeding apparatus, and a recording apparatus having the same, which is currently pending.

[0004] In this configuration, a sheet placing means, a sheet feeding means for supplying a sheet placed on the sheet placing means, and a sheet placed on the sheet placing means are provided by the sheet feeding means. A separation claw that separates the sheets one by one when the sheet is fed out, and the rigidity of the sheet is increased or decreased when the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit is engaged with the separation claw. The separation claw tilts to the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction in response to the above operation, so that the separation claw can be selectively switched between a restricted posture state in which the leading end corner of the sheet is regulated and a retracted posture state in which the regulation is released. It is configured to change.

This eliminates the need for the user to operate the lever for releasing the separation claw according to the rigidity of the sheet to be used, and the separation claw is automatically adjusted to the restricted posture state and the retracted posture state according to the rigidity of the sheet. And the operability of the recording apparatus can be greatly improved.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned technology is not without its problems. For example, a postcard having a rigidity in the middle level between plain paper having low rigidity and cardboard having high rigidity is used. In the case of separating and feeding the sheet, on the other hand, since the rigidity is higher than that of plain paper, bending is not easily formed at the corner of the sheet tip, and the separation and feeding by the separation claw may not be performed reliably. On the other hand, since the rigidity is lower than that of the cardboard, there is a case where the separation claw cannot be completely pushed down and retreated, and as shown in FIG. If the sheet P is disengaged from the feeding path and the feeding operation is continued by the feeding roller 2 as it is, the leading end of the sheet P hits the upper guide 21 of the sheet feeding apparatus 1 and is stopped, so that the sheet P is downstream from the separation claw 3. Sheet transport path There is a possibility that the sheet P cannot be guided and a feeding failure occurs.

In order to prevent the above problems, the upper guide 21
May be moved upward to widen the entrance of the sheet conveying path downstream of the separation claw 3, but this is not preferable because it leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus.

[0008] The present invention is to solve the above problems,
The purpose is to increase the size of the device,
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding apparatus capable of reliably separating and feeding even a sheet having a rigidity intermediate between a sheet having a low rigidity and a sheet having a high rigidity, and a recording apparatus having the same.

[0009]

A typical configuration according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a sheet mounting means for mounting a sheet, and an uppermost sheet mounted on the sheet mounting means. A sheet feeding unit that abuts on the sheet and feeds the sheet, and a separation claw that engages with a front end corner of the sheet placed on the sheet placing unit and separates the sheets one by one,
When the corner of the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means abuts against the separating claw, the separating claw tilts in the sheet feeding direction in accordance with the rigidity of the sheet, whereby the leading edge of the sheet is In a sheet feeding apparatus configured to selectively change between a regulating posture state for regulating a corner portion and a retreating posture state for releasing the regulation, the sheet feeding operation of the sheet feeding means during the sheet feeding operation. And a sheet feeding mode for restarting the sheet feeding operation after stopping the sheet feeding for a predetermined time.

In the feeding mode, the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is stopped for a predetermined time during the feeding operation of the sheet having a specific range of rigidity, and then the feeding operation is restarted. It is characterized by comprising.

According to the above arrangement, for example, in the case of a sheet having relatively low rigidity such as plain paper such as copy paper, when the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means hits the separation claw, the separation is performed. The pawls maintain the regulating posture state and bend the leading end corners of the sheet, and the leading end corners of the sheet get over the separation claws 3 to be separated and fed.

In the case of relatively rigid sheets such as thick paper such as envelopes, when the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means abuts against the separating claw, the separating claw is moved downstream in the sheet feeding direction. (Hereinafter simply referred to as "downstream")
The sheet is advanced in the retracted posture state, and is separated and fed by the action of the sheet leading end abutting portion provided on the downstream side of the separation claw.

When separating and feeding a sheet having an intermediate rigidity between plain paper and cardboard, such as a postcard, a corner of the leading end of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means abuts against a separation claw and separates. The feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is performed before the leading edge of the sheet reaches the sheet conveying path downstream of the separating claw, while the claw is tilted halfway to advance over the leading end of the separating claw. Is stopped for a predetermined period of time, and the separation claw engaged with the leading end of the sheet and pushed down halfway halfway down is returned to the initial state in which the separation claw is tilted to the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “upstream side”). Waiting for the leading edge of the sheet to descend, and restarting the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means, the leading edge of the sheet is reliably guided to the sheet conveying path downstream of the separation claw, and a stable sheet A feeding operation can be achieved.

Further, according to the above configuration, the sheet inlet of the sheet conveying path on the downstream side of the separation claw can be made relatively narrow, so that the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

[0015]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention and an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of a recording apparatus having the sheet feeding apparatus. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a sheet feeding device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory sectional view of a main part of the ink jet recording apparatus provided with a sheet feeding device according to the present invention. 3 is a front view showing a sheet feeding unit of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part explaining a configuration of a butting unit for abutting the leading end of the sheet, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining the arrangement of the abutting portion and the separation claw. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main part for explaining the arrangement of ribs arranged on both sides of the sheet feeding roller. FIG. 8B is a sectional view of an essential part for explaining the configuration of ribs arranged on both sides of the sheet feeding roller, FIG.
FIG. 9 is a side view showing a drive transmission system of the sheet feeding unit, FIG. 9 is a side sectional view showing a standing posture state (initial state) of the separation claw, FIG. FIG.
FIG. 10B is a diagram viewed from the direction D in FIG. 10A, and FIG.
FIG. 11A is a diagram viewed from the direction E in FIG.
FIG. 12D is a side view illustrating a state in which the posture of the separation claw is changed, and FIGS. 12A to 12D are side cross-sectional views illustrating a state of the sheet separation and feeding operation by the separation claw. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the sheet feeding device, FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a sheet feeding operation by the sheet feeding device, FIG.
FIGS. 7A to 7D are cross-sectional explanatory views illustrating a state of a sheet separating and feeding operation by a separation claw when a feeding mode according to the present invention is applied. In addition, the material, the configuration dimensions, and the like of each member shown in each of the following embodiments show one specific example,
Naturally, the description is not limited to these descriptions, and can be changed as appropriate according to the purpose.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet feeding apparatus 1 includes a sheet feeding section for feeding a sheet P placed on a pressure plate 6 serving as a sheet placing means provided on a base 5, and a recording means. A carriage unit for reciprocating an ink jet recording head 24 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, a cleaning unit for cleaning the ink jet recording head 24, a sheet discharging unit for discharging a sheet P on which an image is recorded outside the machine, and the like. I have.

A sheet P made of paper, synthetic resin or the like placed on the pressure plate 6 of the sheet feeding device 1 is fed by a feeding roller 2 as a sheet feeding rotating body serving as a sheet feeding means. After that, the ink jet recording head 24 serving as a recording unit is conveyed to the opposite recording position by the sheet conveying roller 14, and after the image corresponding to the image information is recorded by the recording head 24, the discharge roller 34 and the spur 36 are It is pinched and discharged out of the machine in a substantially horizontal state.

The sheet feeding device 1 includes a feeding roller 2, a separating claw 3, a movable side guide 4, a base 5, a pressure plate 6, a pressure plate spring 7, a release cam gear 9, a separation claw spring 10, and a toothless gear, which will be described in detail later. 11, an input gear 8a and an idler gear 8 shown in FIG.
Drive gears such as b, 8c, 8e, 8f and a feed roller gear 8d are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sheet feeding apparatus 1 is provided with a base 5 inclined at an angle of 30 ° to 60 ° with respect to the main body of the recording apparatus. The upper end of the pressure plate 6 is pivotally supported on the base 5 by pressure plate shafts 6a formed on both sides of the pressure plate 6 serving as a sheet mounting means. Is provided.

The sheet feeding apparatus 1 is based on one end of the sheet P in the sheet feeding direction, and the right side plate 5b of the base 5 shown in FIG.
The base 5 allows the pressure plate 6 to retract as shown in FIG.
The pressure plate 6 is located at a position substantially opposed to the roller portion 2b of the feeding roller 2.
A concave portion for providing the pressure plate spring 7 is formed on the back surface of the substrate. The pressure plate 6 is urged in the direction of the feed roller 2 by the urging force of the pressure plate spring 7 provided on the back side of the pressure plate 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the feed roller 2 of the pressure plate 6
A separation pad 45 made of a material having a relatively large coefficient of friction, such as artificial leather, is provided at a position facing the sheet P to prevent double feeding when the number of sheets P to be placed becomes small.

A movable side guide 4 as a side regulating member slidable in the sheet width direction is mounted on the pressure plate 6, and after the sheet P is placed on the pressure plate 6, a right side plate as a sheet reference surface is provided. One end of the sheet P is brought into contact with 5b, and the movable side guide 4 is brought into contact with the other end of the sheet P so that the position of the sheet P can be regulated and placed.

Further, a sheet supporter 50 as a sheet back support member for supporting the back of the sheet P placed on the pressure plate 6 is provided inside the base 5 so as to be slidable in the sheet feeding direction. When the seat supporter 50 is used, the seat supporter 50 is pulled up in FIG. 3, and when not in use, can be stored in the space between the base 5 and the pressure plate 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of ribs (not shown) are provided on the lower surface 5a of the base 5 as a separation surface. (About 4.5 mm in height). The rib is disposed over the entire lower surface 5a of the base.

The sheet abutting surface of the sheet leading edge abutting portion 5c constituted by the rib is used for assisting sheet regulation by a separating claw 3 described later for a sheet P having relatively low rigidity such as plain paper. Act as a supportive function for envelopes,
For relatively rigid sheets P such as postcards and cardboard,
It has both a sheet supporting function and a sheet separating function of regulating the leading end of the sheet P and separating the sheets one by one.

In the ink jet recording apparatus, when using a special sheet P whose surface is coated with a special coating agent which is effective in improving the definition of a recorded image, such as enhancing the color development of the ink and suppressing bleeding, etc. Fine particles of the coating agent are scattered from the surface of the sheet P and accumulate on the sheet abutting surface of the sheet leading end abutting portion 5c, which becomes a load for feeding.

Therefore, by arranging a plurality of ribs in the sheet leading end contacting portion 5c over the entire area where the leading end of the sheet P contacts, the fine particles fall between the ribs, and the sheet leading end contacting portion 5c is placed. 5c does not accumulate on the sheet abutting surface. Thereby, the sheet leading end abutting portion 5c
By preventing the frictional resistance between the sheet abutting surface and the leading end of the sheet P from increasing, and maintaining the frictional resistance substantially constant, a stable separation and feeding operation can be performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the second sheet front end abutting member 49 is located at substantially the same position as the roller portion 2b in the axial direction of the feeding roller 2, and is formed of a plurality of ribs. It is provided so as to protrude from between the ribs of the front end abutting portion 5c.

Thus, when a relatively rigid sheet P, such as plain paper, is placed on the pressure plate 6, the sheet claw 3 is not restricted by the separation claw 3 on the sheet abutment 5c. A state in which the sheet P is advanced downstream in the sheet feeding direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “downstream side”) is prevented from being generated, and separation and feeding of the sheet P by the sheet feeding apparatus 1 is prevented. To stabilize.

The second sheet leading end abutting member 49 includes:
As shown in FIG. 5, the elastic member is made of a PET sheet and has a width of 5 mm, a thickness of 0.25 mm, and a bending portion of 6 mm, and is supported on the base 5 in a cantilever manner. Further, the second sheet front end abutting member 49 is disposed so as to form an angle of about 90 ° with the upper surface of the sheet P placed on the pressure plate 6.

Further, a second sheet leading end abutting member 49 is provided.
Is disposed at a position about 1.2 mm upstream (hereinafter simply referred to as “upstream”) in the sheet feeding direction from the sheet regulating portion 3 b that regulates the leading edge of the sheet P of the separation claw 3.

With the above configuration, particularly when a relatively rigid bundle of sheets P, such as plain paper, is placed on the pressure plate 6, the corners of the leading ends of the sheets P are no longer regulated by the separation claws 3. At the position, the sheet P
The bundle is set by abutting the leading end thereof, and the width direction along the sheet leading end abutting portion 5c is reached until the side parallel to the sheet feeding direction of the sheet P (hereinafter referred to as “side end”) hits the right side plate 5b for guide positioning. When the sheet P is slid, the second sheet front end abutting member 49 supports the front end of the sheet P, thereby preventing the front end of the sheet P from sliding down from the sheet front end abutting portion 5c to the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction. When one side end of the sheet P abuts against the right side plate 5b, the corner of the sheet tip of the sheet P bundle can be reliably regulated by the separation claw 3.

By forming the second sheet front end abutting member 49 by itself an elastic member, the entire second sheet front end abutting member 49 becomes more downstream with respect to the front end of the sheet P in the sheet feeding direction. Since the abutment angle becomes smaller, the regulation of the sheet P placed on the upstream side of the second sheet leading end abutting member 49 becomes stronger, and the sheet P exerts a great effect in preventing the occurrence of double feeding.

Further, by positioning the second sheet leading end striking member 49 approximately 5.3 mm downstream from the upstream starting point of the sheet leading end striking portion 5c along the sheet leading end striking portion 5c, the sheet leading end striking portion is firstly moved. After the regulation of the leading end of the sheet P is loosened by the abutting portion 5c, the leading end of the sheet P is abutted against the second sheet leading end abutting member 49.

As a result, the sheet P having a relatively high rigidity is fed without the tip of the sheet P receiving excessive static friction resistance from both the sheet tip abutting portion 5c and the second sheet tip abutting member 49. In this case, excessive resistance is prevented from being generated.

When an excessive force acts on the second sheet front end striking member 49 itself, the second sheet front end striking member 49 is completely inserted between the ribs of the sheet front end striking portion 5c. This allows the sheet P to be stably fed.

With the above configuration, the second sheet leading end abutting member 49 achieves both separation and feeding stability of the relatively rigid sheet P and the relatively rigid sheet P. Further, the tip of the second sheet leading end abutting member 49 is
As shown in FIG. 5, a distance of 2 mm is provided with respect to the sheet conveyance path, so that conveyance resistance during sheet conveyance by the sheet feeding unit 13 is not applied.

As shown in FIG. 3, the feed roller 2 has both ends held by a base 5 and is rotatably mounted on a shaft 2c.
It is fixed to. The feed roller 2 includes a roller portion 2b and a shaft 2
The sheet P is an integrally molded product of plastic or the like, and a feed roller rubber 2a for feeding the sheet P is provided around the roller portion 2b.

The outer peripheral surface of the roller portion 2b is formed in a D-shaped cross section (half-moon shape). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the roller portions 2b is provided adjacent to the roller portion 2b. Feed roller rubber 2a attached to the feed roller 2 on the outside
Roller having a radius 3 mm smaller than the outer radius of the roller
46 are provided.

The roller rollers 46 are caused by image contamination, displacement of the feed roller 2 and sheet conveyance resistance caused by the contact of the sheet P with the feed roller rubber 2a of the feed roller 2 other than when the sheet P is fed. This prevents a decrease in transport accuracy that occurs.

As shown in FIG. 3, the roller portion 2b
Two are attached to the shaft 2c, and are fixed at positions of 40 mm and 170 mm from the sheet reference position of the right side plate 5b, respectively. Accordingly, a sheet P of A4 size or the like is conveyed by two rollers 2b, and a sheet P of a postcard or the like is conveyed by one roller 2b on the side closer to the right side plate 5b.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, both sides of each roller portion 2b have a radius larger than the outer radius of the feed roller rubber 2a (the radius is larger by 0.3 mm) and a predetermined distance. The set rib 2d protrudes.

The rib 2d is, as shown in FIG.
a distance 1 in the circumferential direction by the roller portion 2b on the side closer to
mm, a region (hereinafter, referred to as a “separation region”) having a distance of 3 mm in the circumferential direction is formed by the roller portion 2b farther from the right side plate 5b. The configuration is such that the angle α ° from a line drawn vertically to the plane portion to the center position of each of the separated regions matches. That is, each separation area comes into contact with the sheet P at substantially the same timing.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a sensor light shielding plate 42 having a radius smaller than the outer diameter of the feed roller rubber 2a attached around the feed roller 2 is provided on the feed roller 2. Is provided. This sensor light shielding plate 42
Only when the feed roller 2 and the release cam gear 9 are at the initial position for releasing the pressure plate 6 as shown in FIG.
The roller sensor 44 composed of a photo interrupter or the like provided on the electric board 43 shown in FIG. 2 is configured to be in a light shielding state without transmitting light.

By detecting the state of the sensor light shielding plate 42, the angular position of the feed roller 2 and the phase of the feed roller 2 can be matched to detect the angular position of the release cam gear 9 linked with the sheet. The timing of control in the P feeding sequence can be measured.

Next, the structure of the separation claw 3 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3, 5, and 8 to 12. FIG. The separation claw 3 is configured as a sheet separating means so as to abut on a corner of the front end of the sheet P to regulate the sheet P. As shown in FIG. 10, the separation claw 3 has a sheet regulating portion 3a formed in a planar shape for regulating the upper surface of the corner of the front end of the sheet P and a sheet regulating portion 3b for regulating an edge of the corner of the front end of the sheet P. And a gear portion 3d and a cam portion 3e that can be engaged with the toothless gear 11, as shown in FIG.
Is rotatable around a fulcrum 3c.

The separation claw 3 locks and regulates the corner of the sheet tip of a relatively rigid sheet P such as plain paper to separate the sheet at the time of feeding. As shown in FIG. 3, it is provided only on the right side plate 5b side which is the sheet reference side. The sheet regulating portions 3a and 3b of the separation claw 3 are configured to regulate the corners of the leading end of the sheet P from two different directions. (See FIG. 10B).

The rotation of the separating claw 3 is controlled by a toothless gear 11 which is configured to be in phase with the feed roller 2 and the release cam gear 9 for each rotation. The toothless gear 11 is driven from the gear train and starts rotating simultaneously with the start of the feeding operation. Further, the gear portion 3d of the separation claw 3 is formed by the gear portion 11b having 1.5 teeth continuous with the cam portion 11a.
The gear portion 3d of the separation claw 3 is in contact with the cam portion 11a of the toothless gear 11 in the feeding operation standby state.
As a result, the sheet P is pressed so as not to be inclined by the weight of the sheet P.

After the feeding operation starts, the toothless gear 11 rotates and the gear 3d of the separation claw 3 is released from the cam portion 11a of the toothless gear 11, and the separation claw 3 rotates except for the claw spring 10. It loses the means for suppressing the operation and becomes rotatable. However, the missing gear 11
Makes one rotation, the gear portion 11b of the toothless gear 11 and the gear portion 3d of the separation claw 3 regardless of the tilting state of the separation claw 3
Are engaged with each other, and the separation claw 3 in the standby state is returned to a state in which the separation claw 3 is held down by the toothless gear 11.

Next, FIGS. 11 (a) to (d) and FIG. 12 (a)
The process in which the sheet P is separated by the action of the separation claw 3 and the sheet leading end abutting portion 5d will be described with reference to (d). When the pressure plate 6 is released and the notch (half-moon portion) of the feeding roller 2 faces the pressure plate 6, the separation claw 3 is engaged with the toothless gear.
11 and is held so as not to rotate against the weight of the sheet P (see FIGS. 11A and 12A).

With the rotation of the feed roller 2, the toothless gear 11 also rotates, and the cam 11a of the toothless gear 11 causes the separation claw 3 to move upstream in the sheet feeding direction (sheet P side: arrow in FIG. 12B). (C direction). At this time, bending occurs at the corner of the leading end of the sheet P (see FIGS. 11B and 12B).

Thereafter, the separation claw 3 is moved to the cam portion 11 of the toothless gear 11.
a, the sheet P is supported only by the separation claw spring 10, but in this state, when the sheet P receives a feeding force from the feeding roller 2 which is driven to rotate in the feeding direction, the leading end of the sheet P In the case of a sheet P having relatively low rigidity, the corner portions are locked by the sheet regulating portions 3a and 3b of the separation claw 3 so that the corner portions are locked by the sheet regulating portions 3a and 3b. In FIG. 11, the bending grows (FIG. 11C).
(See (c)), and the leading edge of the sheet P can be separated and fed one by one by going over the sheet regulating portion 3a of the separation claw 3.

A relatively rigid sheet P such as an envelope
In this case, the above-described bending does not grow, and the separation pawl 3 in which the sheet P is supported only by the separation pawl spring 10 is pushed down and retracted against the pulling force of the separation pawl spring 10, and
It passes through the separation claw 3 (see FIGS. 11D and 12D).

At this time, if the sheet P buckles due to the reaction force of the separation claw spring 10 and the feeding force of the feeding roller 2, the force for pushing down the separation claw 3 is lost, and defective feeding occurs. There is a fear.

To solve this, the separation claw 3 of the pressure plate 6
9 and 12, a sheet supporting portion 6d is provided in the form of a rib as a deflection suppressing means shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, and the amount of deflection of the sheet P between the feeding roller 2 and the separation claw 3 is determined by the feeding roller. Buckling of the sheet P is prevented by keeping the distance between the point of application of the force of the separation claw 2 and the separation claw 3 at 3 mm or less.

In this manner, the separation claw 3 is separated from the separation claw spring 10.
The sheet P, which has been pushed down and retracted against the pulling force of the sheet P and has passed over the separation claw 3, abuts against the sheet leading end abutting portion 5c of the base 5 and the second sheet leading end abutting member 49, so that the sheet leading end abuts. The contact portion 5c, the second sheet front end abutting member 49, and the sheet P are separated and fed one by one by contact frictional resistance acting between the front end of the sheet P.

Subsequently, with the rotation of the feed roller 2 and the toothless gear 11, the gear 3d of the separation claw 3 and the gear of the toothless gear 11 are rotated.
11b, the separation claw 3 is moved to the position shown in FIG.
The angle is returned to the initial set angle shown in FIG.

The gear group (the shaft 2 of the feed roller 2)
c), separation claw 3, toothless gear 11, release cam 12
The right side plate 5b of the base 5, as shown in FIGS.
It is provided for each shaft arranged above, and is rotatably attached to the center of the shaft.

When the release cam gear 9 shown in FIG. 8 comes into contact with the pressure plate 6 and the pressure plate 6 is pushed down to the position shown in FIG. 9, the sheet P separates from the feeding roller 2. In this state, the sheet P is set on the pressure plate 6. The rotational driving force of the transport roller 14 is transmitted to the feed roller 2 and the release cam gear 9 by the drive gears 8a to 8e.

When the release cam gear 9 separates from the pressure plate 6, the pressure plate 6 rises to the position shown in FIG.
And the upper surface of the uppermost sheet P come into contact with each other, the sheet P is picked up by the rotation of the feed roller 2, and the uppermost sheet is separated by the separation claw 3.

The separated sheet P is sent to the sheet feeding section 13 shown in FIG. The feed roller 2 and the release cam gear 9 rotate until the sheet P is fed into the sheet feed unit 13, and the rotation of the feed roller 2 is cut off while the pressure plate 6 is released to the feed roller 2 again. Hold the initial state.

The sheet feeding section 13 shown in FIG.
14, pinch roller 15, pinch roller guide 16, pinch roller spring 17, edge (PE) sensor lever 18, edge (P
E) Sensor 19, edge (PE) sensor spring 20, upper guide 2
1, platen 22 and the like.

The sheet P sent to the sheet feeding section 13
Is guided by a platen 22, an upper guide 21, and a pinch roller guide 16 to be sent to a nip portion between a transport roller 14 and a pinch roller 15. A PE sensor lever 18 is rotatably provided on the upper guide 21 on the upstream side of the pair of rollers 14 and 15 in the sheet feeding direction. The downstream end of the PE sensor lever 18 is located at a position where the PE sensor lever 18 blocks the sheet conveying path, and the upstream light-shielding portion 18a shields the photo-interrupter type PE sensor 19 from light.

When the leading end of the sheet P reaches the leading end of the PE sensor lever 18, the leading end of the PE sensor lever 18 is pushed up by the sheet P and rotated, and the light shielding portion 18a moves, and the PE sensor 19
Is in the light-transmitting state, the leading edge of the sheet P is detected. This is a reference for determining the recording start position of the sheet P.

The pinch roller 15 is pressed by the conveying roller 14 by urging a pinch roller guide 16 by a pinch roller spring 17, and is rotated by the rotation of the conveying roller 14 to reduce the conveying force of the sheet P. Is to occur.
The sheet P sent to the nip portion between the transport roller 14 and the pinch roller 15 drives the LF motor 23 shown in FIG. 1 to rotate the transport roller 14 and the pinch roller 15 to record on the platen 22 at a recording start position. Is transported by a predetermined amount.

As shown in FIG. 2, separately from the method of feeding the sheet P to the sheet feeding section 13 by the sheet feeding device 1, the lower portion of the sheet feeding device 1 and the platen 22
A manual feeding path 37 is provided between the
And the relatively rigid sheet P can be directly fed into the nip portion between the transport roller 14 and the pinch roller 15.

The sheet P fed to the recording start position in this manner is configured such that an image is recorded by the ink jet recording head 24 based on predetermined image information.

The recording head 24 is for recording an image with ink on the sheet P conveyed by the conveying roller 14 and the pinch roller 15. As a recording unit in this apparatus, an ink jet recording system for discharging ink from the recording head 24 for recording is used.

That is, the recording head 24 has a fine liquid ejection port (orifice), a liquid path, an energy action section provided in a part of the liquid path, and a droplet forming energy acting on the liquid in the action section. Energy generating means for generating energy.

As an energy generating means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element or the like, an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is irradiated to generate heat, and a droplet is discharged by the action of the generated heat. There is a recording method using an energy generating unit that causes the liquid to be heated, or a recording method using an energy generating unit that discharges the liquid by heating the liquid with an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistor.

Among them, a recording head used in an ink jet recording method for discharging a liquid by thermal energy has a high density of liquid discharge ports (orifices) for discharging a recording droplet to form a discharge solution droplet. Therefore, high-resolution recording can be performed.

Among them, a recording head using an electrothermal transducer as an energy generating means can be easily made compact, and has recently achieved remarkable advances in technology in the field of semiconductors and remarkable improvements in IC technology and micromachining. This is advantageous because the advantages of the technology can be fully utilized, high-density mounting is easy, and the manufacturing cost is low.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording section 25 includes a carriage 26 on which the recording head 24 is mounted, a guide shaft 27 for reciprocally scanning the carriage 26 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, and the carriage 26. And a guide 28 for holding the rear end of the recording head 24 and maintaining the distance between the recording head 24 and the sheet P substantially constant, and a timing belt 30 for transmitting the drive of the carriage motor 29 to the carriage 26. And an idle pulley 31 on which the timing belt 30 is stretched, a flexible substrate 32 for transmitting a head drive signal from an electric substrate to the recording head 24, and the like.

The recording head 24 is formed integrally with the ink tank and is a replaceable recording head.
By scanning integrally with the sheet 26, an image of ink is recorded on the sheet P conveyed on the platen 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge section 33 includes a discharge roller 34, a transmission roller 35 for transmitting the drive of the transport roller 14 to the discharge roller 34, a spur 36 for assisting the discharge of the sheet P, and the like. I have. The discharged sheet P is discharged by the discharge roller 34 and the spur 36 without soiling the recording surface.

The cleaning unit 38 includes, as shown in FIG.
A pump 39 for cleaning the recording head 24, a cap 40 for suppressing drying of the recording head 24, and a drive switching arm 41 for switching the driving from the transport roller 14 to the sheet feeding device 1 and the pump 39 are provided. I have.

The drive switching arm 41 is at the position shown in FIG. 1 except during feeding and cleaning of the sheet P, and fixes a planetary gear (not shown) which rotates around the axis of the transport roller 14 at a predetermined position. Therefore, the drive of the transport roller 14 is not transmitted to the pump 39 and the sheet feeding device 1.

By moving the carriage 26,
When the drive switching arm 41 is moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, the planetary gear is moved in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation of the transport roller 14, and the drive is transmitted to the sheet feeding device 1 when the transport roller 14 rotates forward. The drive is transmitted to the pump 39 at the time of reverse rotation.

An LF motor for driving the transport rollers 14 and the like
The carriage motor 29 that drives the carriage 23 and the carriage 26 includes:
A stepping motor that rotates by a predetermined angle in accordance with a signal sent from a driver (not shown) is used.

When the drive switching arm 41 of the cleaning section 38 is moved by the carriage 26 in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1 and the transport roller 14 is rotated forward, the planetary gear (not shown) moves and the input gear 8a shown in FIG. The driving is transmitted to the sheet feeding device 1 by meshing with.

The input gear 8a includes an idler gear 8b,
The sheet P can be conveyed by transmitting drive to a feed roller gear 8d connected to the feed roller 2 via 8c and rotating the feed roller 2.

Further, the feed roller gear 8d is connected to the release cam gear 9 via the clutch gear 8e and the idler gear 8f.
The drive is transmitted to. At this time, the feed roller 2, the release cam gear 9, and the toothless gear 11 are configured to be in phase with each other for each rotation. When the pressure plate 6 shown in FIG. The notch (half-moon portion) is configured to face the pressure plate 6.

The release cam gear 9 is shaped so as to release the pressure plate 6 only during the central angle 120 ° of the half-moon portion of the feeding roller 2, and the portion other than the half-moon portion of the feeding roller 2 faces the pressure plate 6. At time, be sure to use sheet P or pressure plate 6 and 200
It is configured to be in contact with a pressure of gf to 500 gf.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the release cam gear 9 releases the press-contact of the press plate 6 by pressing down the press-down portion 6b of the press plate 6 protruding from a hole formed in the right plate 5b of the base 5. At this time, the protruding portion 2e of the feed roller 2 shown in FIG. 9 pushes down the left pushing-down portion 6c of the pressure plate 6, so that the pressure plate 6 does not tilt with respect to the base 5 and is released substantially in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 8, a clutch spring 48 is provided inside the clutch gear 8e. When the clutch gear 8e tries to rotate in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 8, it is fitted in the direction in which the clutch spring 48 tightens. This prevents reverse rotation.

Next, a process of stabilizing the posture of the sheet P after the start of feeding by the effect of the separation area provided on the feeding roller 2 of the sheet feeding apparatus 1 will be described. First, in the sheet feeding apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the separation claw 3 that regulates the leading end of the sheet P exists on only one side, the sheet P by the sheet leading end abutting portion 5c and the second sheet leading end abutting member 49 is provided. Although there is an effect of restricting the leading edge, the sheet P is set in a state where the sheet P is rotated with the separation claw 3 as a fulcrum and the side without the separation claw 3 is slightly advanced. From this state, the feeding roller 2 is rotated, and the sheet P supported by the pressure plate 6 is pressed against the feeding roller 2 to start feeding.

Next, as the rotation of the feed roller 2 proceeds, the sheet P comes off the separation claw 3 and the separation by the separation claw 3 is completed. At this point, for example, if the initial placement state of the sheet P is skewed, the sheet P similarly remains skewed.

After the separation by the separation claw 3, the ribs 2d of the respective feed rollers 2 start to contact the sheet P, and the feed roller rubber 2a and the sheet P are separated. Since the rib 2d is formed of a plastic low friction member integrally with the feeding roller 2, the sheet P being fed and the pressing plate 6 are formed.
The frictional force generated between the succeeding sheet P placed thereon and the sheet P being fed becomes larger than the frictional force generated between the sheet P being fed and the feed roller 2, and the sheet P being fed becomes The machine is stopped.

In the present embodiment, the rib 2d serves as both the separating means and the restricting means for restricting the movement of the sheet P. Since the other feeding roller 2 has a longer separation area between the feeding roller rubber 2a and the sheet P than the feeding roller 2 on the right side plate 5b serving as the sheet reference side, the sheet being fed is P rotates around the roller portion 2b on the far side from the sheet reference, so that the side end of the sheet P on the sheet reference side abuts against the right side plate 5b of the base 5 as the guide means.

As described above, if the sheet P is skewed counterclockwise in FIG. 3 before the feed roller rubber 2a is separated from the sheet P, the difference between the widths of the separation areas of the two roller portions 2b causes the difference. When the sheet P is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 and the side edge of the sheet P on the sheet reference side is abutted against the right side plate 5b of the base 5, a counterclockwise rotating force is generated in FIG. The force overcomes the frictional force between the sheet P in the loaded state and the sheet P being fed, and when the rollers 2b are in the slip state, the posture of the sheet P is corrected in parallel with the feeding direction.

If the sheet P is skewed clockwise in FIG. 3 before the feeding roller rubber 2a is separated from the sheet P, the difference in the width of the separation area between the two roller portions 2b causes
3 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3, but when the roller portion 2b reaches the separation region between the two and the sheet P is in a slip state, the side end of the sheet P on the sheet reference side is moved to the right side plate of the base 5. 5b, a force is generated to rotate the sheet P in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3, and the force overcomes the frictional force between the sheet P in the mounted state and the sheet P being fed, and the sheet P is parallel to the sheet feeding direction. Posture is corrected.

Further, the timing at which the separation area between the two roller portions 2b deviates from the sheet P is slightly advanced on the sheet reference side, so that when the side end of the sheet P on the sheet reference side is abutted against the right side plate 5b of the base 5, It is prevented from being separated from the right side plate 5b by the received counterclockwise rotation force in FIG.

The difference in the slip amount of the roller portion 2b is determined by the gap t (about 1 mm) caused by the inclination of the sheet P caused by the separation claw 3 supporting only one side of the sheet P,
The amount of rotation of the sheet P required to set “t” to “0” is calculated from the distance between the two roller portions 2b, and the above-described setting is performed based on the calculated amount.

Next, the control operation of the sheet feeding apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 13 while referring to the operation states shown in FIGS. 14 (a) to (e) and FIGS. 15 (a) to (d). Will be explained. The control operation of the sheet feeding device 1 can be roughly classified into a case where the feeding roller 2 is at a predetermined initial position and a case where the feeding roller 2 is not at the initial position where a trouble has occurred.
First, control when the feeding roller 2 is at a predetermined initial position will be described.

In FIG. 13, when a feed start signal is transmitted, the carriage 26 is moved in step S1 and the drive switching arm 41 is moved to transmit the drive of the transport roller 14 to the sheet feeding apparatus 1. (ASF position).

Next, the process proceeds to step S2 to determine the state of the roller sensor 44. If the feed roller 2 is at the initial position, the process proceeds to step S3; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S26. .

If the feed roller 2 is at the initial position, the feed roller 2 is rotated in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, and the edge of the sensor light shielding plate 42 is detected. By counting the number of drive pulses (N1) of the LF motor 23 and accurately managing the angular position of the feed roller 2, accurate control can be performed.

Here, the control of the feeding mode for separating and feeding a sheet (postcard or the like) having a middle rigidity between a low-rigidity sheet and a high-rigidity sheet, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described. In step S3 shown in FIG. 13, the feed roller 2 is specifically rotated once (360 ° rotation).
If it is determined from the type information of the sheet P sent together with the image information that the control of the feed mode is necessary, the feed roller 2 is rotated by 120 °, and then the feed mode of the feed roller 2 is controlled. The rotation drive is stopped for 0.5 seconds.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 15 (b), after the leading edge of the sheet P has passed over the leading edge of the separation claw 3 and passed through the separating claw 3, the advance of the sheet P was stopped short of colliding with the upper guide 21. It becomes a posture state.

During this time, the separating claw 3 pushed down halfway
However, as shown in FIG. 15C, when the posture is returned to the initial state, the leading end of the sheet P descends to the normal position. After this, the feed roller 2 starts to rotate again,
The sheet P is guided by the upper guide 21 and fed into the sheet feeding section 13 without being stopped by the upper guide 21 (see FIG. 15D).

In the feeding mode, for example, when the sheet P
When separating and feeding a sheet having a rigidity of an intermediate level between plain paper and thick paper such as a postcard, the sheet is automatically selected based on the type information of the sheet P sent together with the image information.

Next, when the feeding roller 2 rotates by about 60 ° and the circular portion of the feeding roller rubber 2a comes to a position facing the sheet P, the release cam 12 rotating in conjunction with the feeding roller 2 is rotated. Release the pressure plate 6, the feed roller rubber 2a
The sheet P is pressed against the sheet P by the urging force of the pressure plate spring 7, so that a conveying force of the sheet P is generated (see FIG. 14A).

Next, the process proceeds to step S6, where the front end of the conveyed sheet P is detected by the PE sensor 19.
Then, the process proceeds to step S7, and the pulse count "N1" of the LF motor 23 when the leading edge of the sheet is detected is stored as "N2".

Next, the process proceeds to steps S8 and S9. If {(predetermined pulse number X) <N2 <(predetermined pulse number Y)}, it is determined that the state is normal, and the process proceeds to step S10. The feed roller 2 is rotated to an initial position where the notch (half-moon portion) faces the sheet P.

In this operation, the release cam 12 is
By pressing down the pressing portion 6b again, the pressing plate 6 is again pressed.
Can be released (see FIG. 14B). At the end of the rotation of the feeding roller 2, the leading end of the sheet P has passed between the conveying roller 14 and the pinch roller 15. At this time, the leading end position of the sheet P in a state where the feed roller 2 has been rotated to the initial position is calculated from the drive pulse count number N2.

Next, in step S11, when N2 is larger than the predetermined pulse number Z, it is determined that the leading end position of the sheet P is located downstream of the leading end of the nozzle of the recording head 24, and the process proceeds to step S12. Then, the carriage 26 is moved, and further proceeds to step S13 to reverse the LF motor 23,
The leading end position is returned to a position 11.5 mm away from the transport roller 14.

The amount of reverse rotation of the LF motor 23 is calculated from N2. At this time, in step S12, by moving the carriage 26, the drive switching arm 41 moves, so that the drive of the transport roller 14 cannot be transmitted to the sheet feeding apparatus 1.

Next, the process proceeds to step S14, in which the conveying roller 14 is rotated forward to eliminate gear backlash, and the sheet P is conveyed by 0.7 mm. Thereby, the recording head 24
A position of 1.5 mm from the nozzle tip can be set (see FIG. 14E), and the feeding is completed.

In step S11, if N2 is smaller than the predetermined number of pulses Z, it is determined that the leading end position of the sheet P is located upstream of the leading end of the nozzle of the recording head 24 (FIG. 14).
(See (d)), the process proceeds to step S15, and the carriage 26 is moved. In this state, the transport roller 14 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the drive switching arm 41 is moved, and the drive of the transport roller 14 is performed to the sheet feeding apparatus 1. Prevent communication.

Next, the process proceeds to step S16, where the transport rollers
By rotating the recording head 24 forward, it is possible to realize a position setting of a margin 1.5 mm from the nozzle tip of the recording head 24 (see FIG. 14E),
End feeding.

Next, in step S9, when the pulse count number N2 of the LF motor 23 when the leading edge of the sheet P is detected is larger than the predetermined pulse number Y, one rotation of the feed roller 2 causes the sheet P to rotate. It is determined that slippage of an amount that cannot reach the leading end between the transport roller 14 and the pinch roller 15 occurs between the sheet P and the feed roller 2, and the process proceeds to step S17.

In step S17, the feed roller 2 is rotated to the initial position, and in step S18, the feed roller 2 is further rotated once. Next, the process proceeds to step S19 to move the carriage 26. Next, in order to proceed to step S20 and return the leading end of the sheet P to the transport roller 14, the transport roller 14 is rotated in the reverse direction (see FIG. 14C). Accordingly, the drive switching arm 41 moves, so that the drive of the transport roller 14 cannot be transmitted to the sheet feeding device 1.

Next, the process proceeds to step S21, in which the conveying roller 14 is rotated forward by a fixed number of pulses, and a position 1.5 mm from the nozzle tip of the recording head 24 can be set (FIG. 14).
(See (e)), the feeding is terminated.

In step S8, if the pulse count number N2 of the LF motor 23 when detecting the leading edge of the sheet P is smaller than the predetermined pulse number X, the sheet P falls to the downstream side before the start of feeding. After detecting the leading edge position of the sheet P, the rib 2d of the feed roller 2 comes into contact with the sheet P, the feed roller rubber 2a and the sheet P enter a separated state, and the sheet P
It is determined that there is a trouble state in which the tip position cannot be accurately recognized, and the process proceeds to step S22.

In step S22, the feed roller 2 is rotated to the initial position, and the process proceeds to step S23 to move the carriage 26. Next, in order to proceed to step S24 and return the leading end of the sheet P to the transport roller 14, the transport roller
14 is reversed (see FIG. 14 (c)). Accordingly, the drive switching arm 41 moves, so that the drive of the transport roller 14 cannot be transmitted to the sheet feeding device 1.

Next, in step S25, the transport rollers
14 is rotated forward by a fixed number of pulses, and a position of 1.5 mm from the nozzle tip of the recording head 24 can be set (FIG. 14E).
), And terminate the feeding.

Next, if the PE sensor 19 is not turned on in step S6, the process proceeds to step S26, in which the feed roller 2 is rotated to the initial position.
Next, proceeding to step S27, when it is confirmed that the roller sensor 44 has been turned on, proceeding to step S28, the feeding roller 2 is rotated again.

Next, in step S29, when the edge of the sensor light shielding plate 42 is detected (at this time, the roller sensor 44 is OFF), the process proceeds to step S30, and the number of drive pulses of the LF motor 23 after detecting the edge. By counting (N1), the angular position of the feed roller 2 is accurately managed.

Next, the process proceeds to step S31, where the leading end position of the sheet P is detected (at this time, the PE sensor 19 is ON).
Proceeds to step S7, and if not detected,
Proceeding to step S32, the feeding roller 2 is rotated to the initial position and stopped. Proceeding to step S33, an error is displayed and the feeding is ended.

In the above-described embodiment, the separation claw 3 is arranged so as to correspond to one end corner of the sheet P. However, as another configuration, the separation claw 3 is arranged to correspond to both end corners of the sheet P. If they are arranged individually, the separation and feeding performance can be further improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an ink jet recording apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is widely applicable to an electrophotographic recording apparatus, a recording apparatus equipped with a thermal head, and the like. Separated one by one,
It can be applied to various devices that need to be fed.

[0122]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure and operation, the sheet placed on the sheet placing means is fed out by the sheet feeding means, and the corner of the leading end of the sheet abuts against the separation claw. When the sheet is relatively low in rigidity, such as plain paper, a bend is formed at the corner of the leading end of the sheet, and the sheet is separated and fed one by one over the separation claw.

Further, in the case of a sheet having a relatively high rigidity such as an envelope, it is difficult to form a bend at the corner of the leading end of the sheet, it is difficult to get over the separation claw, and the sheet pushes the separation claw down in the sheet feeding direction. To separate the sheets one by one by the frictional force between the sheet abutting part and the sheet.
Will be fed.

Further, when separating and feeding a sheet having intermediate rigidity between plain paper and thick paper such as a postcard, the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is stopped for a predetermined time during the feeding of the sheet. By applying the feeding mode to restart the feeding operation later, before the leading end of the sheet is fed into the sheet feeding path downstream of the separation claw, the feeding operation of the sheet feeding unit is temporarily stopped, After the separation claw is returned to the initial position and the leading edge of the sheet having climbed on the tip of the separation claw is lowered, the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is restarted, and the sheet is moved to a sheet feeding path downstream of the separation claw. You can send it reliably.

Switching to the feeding mode in which the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is stopped for a predetermined time during the sheet feeding operation and the feeding operation is restarted is automatically performed based on the sheet type information. Since the operation is performed, a complicated operation is not required, the operability is improved, and more reliable separation and feeding of the sheet are enabled.

Further, the sheet inlet of the sheet feeding path on the downstream side of the separation claw can be set relatively narrow, and the apparatus can be downsized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory sectional view of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a sheet feeding unit of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining a configuration of an abutting portion for abutting a leading end of a sheet.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part for explaining a configuration of an arrangement position of an abutting portion for abutting a leading end of a sheet and a separation claw.

FIG. 6 is a main part perspective view for explaining a configuration of ribs arranged on both sides of a sheet feeding roller.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of a main part illustrating a configuration of ribs arranged on both sides of a sheet feeding roller.

FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating a drive transmission system of a sheet feeding unit.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory side sectional view showing a standing posture state (initial state) of the separation claw.

10A is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a separation claw, FIG. 10B is a diagram viewed from a direction D in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 10C is a diagram viewed from a direction E in FIG. .

FIGS. 11A to 11D are side explanatory views showing states in which the posture state of the separation claw is changed.

12 (a) to 12 (d) illustrate sheet separation by a separation claw,
FIG. 7 is an explanatory side sectional view showing a state of a feeding operation.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of the sheet feeding apparatus.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a sheet feeding operation performed by the sheet feeding device.

FIGS. 15A to 15D are cross-sectional explanatory views illustrating a state of a sheet separating and feeding operation by a separation claw when a feeding mode according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sheet feeding device, 2 ... Feed roller, 2a ... Feed roller rubber, 2b ... Roller part, 2c ... Shaft, 2d ... Rib, 2e
... projecting portion, 3 ... separation claw, 3a, 3b ... sheet regulating portion, 3
c: fulcrum, 3d: gear, 3e: cam, 3f: rib, 4: movable side guide, 5: base, 5a: base lower surface, 5b: right side plate, 5c: seat tip abutting portion, 6
... pressure plate, 6a ... pressure plate shaft, 6b ... depressed portion, 6c ... left depressed portion, 6d ... seat support portion, 7 ... pressure plate spring, 8a ...
Input gear, 8b, 8c: idler gear, 8d: feed roller gear, 8e: clutch gear, 8f: idler gear, 9
... release cam gear, 10 ... claw spring, 11 ... toothless gear, 11a
... Cam part, 11b ... Gear part, 12 ... Release cam, 13 ... Sheet feeding part, 14 ... Convey roller, 15 ... Pinch roller, 16 ... Pinch roller guide, 17 ... Pinch roller spring, 18 ... Edge (PE) Sensor lever , 18a ... Shading part, 19 ... Edge (PE)
Sensor, 20 ... Edge (PE) Sensor spring, 21 ... Upper guide,
22: platen, 23: LF motor, 24: inkjet recording head, 25: recording unit, 26: carriage, 27: guide shaft,
28: Guide, 29: Carriage motor, 30: Timing belt, 31: Idle pulley, 32: Flexible board, 33
... discharge unit, 34 ... discharge roller, 35 ... transmission roller, 36 ... spur, 37 ... manual feed path, 38 ... cleaning unit, 39 ... pump, 40 ... cap, 41 ... drive switching arm, 42 ... sensor light shielding plate, 43 ... electric board, 44 ... roller sensor, 45 ... separation pad, 46 ... roller roller, 47 ... elastic body separation claw, 48 ... clutch spring, 49 ... sheet tip abutting member, 50 ... sheet supporter, P ... sheet

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Agency reference number FI Technical display location B65H 3/06 350 B41J 3/04 101Z

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sheet mounting means for mounting a sheet, a sheet feeding means abutting on an uppermost sheet mounted on the sheet mounting means and feeding the sheet, and the sheet mounting means A separating claw that engages with a leading edge of the sheet placed on the means and separates the sheets one by one when the leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding means abuts on the separating claw. In addition, the separating claw is tilted in the sheet feeding direction in accordance with the rigidity of the sheet to selectively restrict a leading edge portion of the sheet to a restricting posture state and a retracting posture state to release the restriction. A sheet feeding apparatus configured to have a feeding mode in which the feeding operation of the sheet feeding means is stopped for a predetermined time during a sheet feeding operation and then the feeding operation is restarted. Sheet feeding device characterized by the following: . 2. The sheet feeding mode according to claim 1, wherein a sheet feeding operation of said sheet feeding means is stopped for a predetermined time during a sheet feeding operation for a sheet having a specific range of rigidity, and then the sheet feeding operation is restarted. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is configured. 3. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet feeding mode is automatically selected based on sheet type information sent together with image information. 4. A sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising recording means for recording an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding device in accordance with image information. A recording device, characterized in that: 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said recording means has an ink jet recording head. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the inkjet recording head performs recording using ink droplets formed by thermal energy.