A sheet feeding device for an image developing and processing machine

Abstract: A sheet feeding device is provided for taking up and feeding a plurality of sheets one by one by a selectively driven sheet feeding roller (3) from the stack thereof positioned on a sheet feeding base to a register roller means (16) and for transporting the sheet to an image developing and processing device at a predetermined timing by the register roller means; the feeding device comprising a movable sheet guide member (17) provided between the feeding roller and the register roller means which is adapted to be displaced by the curving deformation of a sheet between the feeding roller and the register roller means in the direction of the growing of the curving deformation. The feeding device may further comprise a detecting means (18) for sensing the displacement of the sheet guide member to determine based upon the displacement that a predetermined curvature of a sheet has been reached, and a means for stopping the rotation of the feeding roller in response to the detection by the detecting means so as to prevent the sheet from deforming excessively.

Description: The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device incorporated in an image developing and processing machine according to the preamble of claim 1. A known generic sheet feeding device is disclosed in the GB-A-2 190 363. This sheet feeding device comprises a movable sheet guide plate, which is moved if sheets fed by a sheet feeding roller are fed too quickly with respect to the feeding speed of register roller means. The movable sheet guide plate is pivotally supported at an upstream end thereof and after swiveling about more than a predetermined angle a detecting means in the form of a microswitch detects a situatuion in which the feeding rollers are stopped. However, in the feeding device according to the GB-A-2 190 363 the transported sheets may warp differently, and therefore a correct detection of the situation in which the feeding rollers have to be stopped can not be guaranteed. Furthermore, the US-A-4 025 187 shows a sheet feeding device which comprises a movable sheet guide plate pivoted at an upstream end thereof. This sheet guide plate serves to push and flatten a buckle of a sheet to be transported Essentially, the mechanical functioning of the sheet guide plate of the US-A-4 025 187 corresponds to that of the GB-A-2 190 363. Such a pivoted movable sheet guide plate cannot be pivoted at a downstream end of it, since the feeding of the sheets would be blocked. A sheet feeding device incorporated in an image developing and processing device such as a copy machine, a printing press or the like is in general adapted to take up and feed a plurality of sheets one by one by means of a selectively driven sheet feeding roller from the stack thereof positioned on a sheet feeding base to a pair of register rollers or timing rollers and then to transport the sheet by the register rollers to an image developing and processing means such as a form cylinder or a copying photosensitive element drum at a timing that is in timed relation to the operation of the image developing and processing means. This type of sheet feeding devices are well known in the art and are shown and described for example in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-7582, the Japanese Patent Laying Open Publication No. 62-157145 and the like. In such sheet feeding devices as mentioned above, each sheet fed by the sheet feeding roller from the sheet feeding base toward the image developing and processing means once stops with its leading edge contacting with the register rollers at the contact parts therebetween, and is transported at a predetermined timing to the image developing and processing means by the register rollers which are started to rotate at a predetermined timing. Since the sheet feeding roller continues to rotate at least for a little while even after a sheet has arrived at and contacted with the register rollers at the leading edge thereof, the sheet generates in itself a ridge-like curvature growing across the moving direction thereof between the sheet feeding roller and the register rollers before the latter rollers begin to transport the sheet towards the image developing and processing means. In order to permit such a sheet deformation as mentioned above, therefore, a sheet guide passage defined between the sheet feeding roller and the register rollers must have a relatively large space extended in the direction of the curvature growth and, accordingly, an upper guide plate which defines the upper boundary of the sheet guide passage is in general bent upward at the front part thereof to extend the upper space of the passage. With the sheet guide passage being constructed as above, if the leading end of the sheet being fed through the passage has been curled up, it comes into collision against the upwardly bent portion of the upper guide plate and is prevented from moving further, resulting in an abnormal sheet feeding and causing a sheet jamming. Especially, if such a situation occurred when a relatively tough sheet such as a cardboard or the like being used, it could not be fed further because of the jamming. On the other hand, if the inclination of the upwardly bent portion of the upper guide plate was reduced and the extended upper space in the sheet guide passage was reduced, the drawback mentioned just above might be eliminated. In that event, however, sheet would be impeded from generating a necessary arcuate deformation, resulting in improper sheet feeding. It is the object of the present invention to further develop a sheet feeding device according to the preamble of claim 1 such that a high operating reliability is guaranteed during the feeding of sheets. This object is achieved by the features indicated in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Advantageous further developments are set out in the dependent claims. According to the invention the excessive feeding of the sheet is detected by a flexing deformation of the movable sheet guide plate, which is supported by a curved convex upper guide plate. Therefore an exactly predefined flexing deformation is guaranteed so that the operating reliability during the feeding of sheets is considerably enhanced. According to the invention the sheet guide plate is fixed with its downstream end to the upper guide plate and when deformation of the sheet guide plate occurs, the sheet guide plate is fitted close to the upper guide plate behind it. Since the detecting means is provided on the upstream end of the sheet guide plate, a stopping of the feeding rollers will be effected exactly when this is really desired. According to the invention the sheet feeding device is adapted to prevent sheet from generating too much curvature, thereby avoiding the occurrence of sheet feeding fault due to the excess curvature of sheet. Furthermore, according to the invention the displacing of the sheet guide member effected according to the growth of the curvature in the sheet being fed extends the space in the sheet guide passage according to the growth of the curvature in the sheet which allows the sheet to deform arcuately. In the initial stage of the sheet feeding process the sheet guide passage does not define an excessive space, so that the situation is prevented from occurring wherein sheet collides at the leading edge thereof against the surface of the guide plate which would otherwise define an extended space and is accordingly impeded from moving further, and in the later stage the guide plate allows the sheet to deform arcuately, thereby preserving a positive sheet feeding. The extent of arcuate deformation of the sheet formed between the sheet feeding roller and the register roller means can positively be detected based upon the displacement of the movable sheet guide member, and the rotation of the sheet feeding roller is stopped when a predetermined extent of the curvature has been reached, to prevent the sheet from deforming more above the predetermined extent and to prevent sheet feeding fault from occurring due to an excessive curvature of the sheet. The present invention is now described in terms of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanied drawings. In the accompanying drawings; Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing in vertical section on embodiment of the sheet feeding device of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the embodiment of the sheet feeding device shown in Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are schematic side views similar to Fig. 1 showing the operation of the embodiment of the sheet feeding device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figs. 1 through 4 show a preferred embodiment of the sheet feeding device of the present invention. Referring to these figures, 1 denotes a sheet feeding base, on which a plurality of sheets P are stacked and which is adapted to be moved up and down in a suitable manner well known in the art by an actuator not shown in the figures that is controlled by an electric controller also not shown in the figures. A vertical wall plate 2 is fixedly provided at the end of the sheet feeding base 1 which is the right end as viewed in the figures, i.e. the downstream end as viewed along the sheet feeding direction, and serves to position the leading edges of the sheets P stacked on the base 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the upper end of the wall plate is slightly bent in the downstream direction. Above the wall plate 2 is provided a sheet feeding roller 3 made rubber or other similar suitable material having a relatively high coefficient of friction. The sheet feeding roller 3 is rotatably supported by way of a support shaft 4 from side plates 5 positioned on both sides of the roller. The support shaft 4 is drivingly connected with a transmission belt 7 by way of an electromagnetic clutch 6 and is rotationally driven in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 only during the clutch 6 is in its engaged state. Thus the sheet feeding roller 3 is rotationally driven in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 during the period when the electromagnetic clutch 6 is active. The operation of the clutch is also controlled by the electric controller. Near the upper end of the wall plate 2 is provided a sheet separating pad holder 8, the upper surface of which opposes to the cylindrical outer surface of the sheet feeding roller 3. The pad holder 8 is supported by a bracket 9 secured to the wall plate 2 so that it may move relative to the bracket substantially in the direction along the radius of the sheet feeding roller 3, and is biased by the force exerted by a compression coil spring 10 against the cylindrical outer surface of the roller 3. A sheet separating pad 11 is fixedly attached to the upper surface of the pad holder 8. The pad is made of a material having a relatively high coefficient of friction such as rubber, its affinities, or cork, and its upper surface opposes to and substantially abuts with the outer cylindrical surface of the sheet feeding roller 3. A sheet feeding passage or sheet guide passage 13 is defined by both fixed lower and upper guide plates 2a, 12 and a movable sheet guide plate 17 downstream of the sheet feeding roller 3 and upstream of the image developing and processing section consisting of a form cylinder 25 and a press roller 26 corresponding thereto. The sheet feeding passage 13 extends from the sheet feeding roller 3 toward the image developing and processing section and at the location near the downstream end of the passage is positioned a register roller means 16 consisting of a pair of upper and lower roller elements 14 and 15, respectively. The roller elements rotatably contact with each other at their cylindrical outer surface. The roller element 14 is a driving roller selectively rotated in the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 by an actuator not shown in the figures and the roller element 15 is a driven roller rotated by the element 14. As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the fixed upper guide plate 12 includes an upstream and a downstream segments. The upstream segment is bent upward between the sheet feeding roller 3 and the register roller means 16 so that the sheet being fed can generate a curvature substantially across the sheet feeding direction as shown in Fig. 4. The downstream segment extends substantially in the horizontal direction. Similarly the fixed lower guide plate 2a includes an upstream and a downstream segments. The upstream segment is inclined up as viewed in the downstream direction and the downstream segment extends substantially in the horizontal direction. The movable sheet guide plate 17 which is made of any flexible material such as a plastic film or the like is positioned between the lower guide plate 2a and the upper guide plate 12 and extends substantially along of the sheet feeding passage 13. The movable guide plate 17 is secured to the under surface of the upper guide plate 12 at its end 17a adjacent the register roller means 16 and defines a free end at the opposite end 17b near the roller 3. Thus the sheet guide plate 17 can deform elastically in the upward and downward directions as viewed in Fig. 1 to bend arcuately as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 following the curving deformation of sheet and maintains in its free state the generally planner shape to define in combination with the lower guide plate 2a the sheet feeding passage 13 having substantially a wedge shape. A tongue-like movable element 19 of a curvature detector 18 is fixed to the free end 17b of the sheet guide plate 17. The curvature detector 18 is comprised of the above mentioned movable element 19 and a photoelectric sensor 20 secured to the upper end of the upper guide plate 12. Although not shown in detail in the figures, the sensor includes a light transmitter and a light receiver and defines a light passage therebetween which is selectively intercepted by the movable element. Thus the detector is able to determine that a predetermined extent of curvature has been reached by the deformation of a sheet when the movable guide plate 17 has made an arcuate elastic deformation to a predetermined extent, i.e., in this embodiment, when the movable guide plate 17 has elastically deformed substantially to abut with the bent part of the upper guide plate 12 as shown in Fig. 4 and the movable element 19 has arrived at the position where it intervenes in the light passage of the photoelectric sensor 20. The sensor 20 varies its output voltage when the movable element 19 has reached at the intervening position and supplies an output signal to the electric controller, which in turn sends its command signal to the electromagnetic clutch for disengaging it. In operation, when the electromagnetic clutch 6 is engaged, the sheet feeding roller 3 is rotationally driven in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The upper most one of the sheets P stacked on the sheet feeding base 1 is fed by the roller 3 in the sheet feeding direction to enter between the roller 3 and the sheet separating pad 11, and is transported toward the contact parts between the roller elements 14 and 15 of the register roller means 16 with the guide served by the both the lower guide plate 2a and the sheet guide plate 17. Since at this stage of the process the movable guide plate 17 maintains the generally planner shape and defines a substantially straight wedge-like sheet feeding passage 13 in corporation with the lower guide plate 2a, even though the sheet P to be fed is curled up at the front end thereof, it may not collide with any surface of the plates defining the sheet feeding passage 13 and may not hindered from moving forward. It should be noted that since the frictional resistance between the sheet and the sheet separating pad 11 is larger than that between the sheets, if a plurality of sheets enter in piles between the sheet feeding roller 3 and the separating pad 11, only one sheet which is nearest to the roller 3, i.e., the uppermost sheet is fed forward toward the register roller means. When the front extremity of the sheet P arrives at the contact parts between the roller elements 14 and 15 of the register roller means 16, the extremity is precluded from progressing further by the roller elements which have not yet been rotated and retain their stationary state, while on the other hand the sheet feeding roller 3 continues to rotate at least for a little while in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. Accordingly the sheet P being fed generates a ridge-like curvature between the register roller means 16 and the feeding roller 3. As the sheet P increases its arcuate deformation, as is shown in Fig. 3, the sheet guide plate 17 elastically deforms upward in the figure by the pushing action of the sheet P, thereby allowing it to bend arcuately. When the curvature of the sheet P has reached a predetermined extent, the sheet guide plate 17 elastically deforms to its full extent where it substantially abuts with the curved part of the upper guide plate 12 as shown in Fig. 4 and does not deform any more. At this stage of the process the movable element 19 intervenes in the light passage of the photoelectric sensor 20, and the sensor determines that the curvature of the sheet has reached a predetermined extent, and the electromagnetic clutch 6 is disengaged to cease the rotation of the feeding roller 3 in the anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. Thus when the curvature of the sheet P between the feeding roller 3 and the register roller means 16 has reached a predetermined extent, the roller 3 is stopped to prevent the curvature of the sheet from increasing excessively and to prevent the front extremity of the sheet P from pulling out from the contact parts between the roller elements 14 and 15 of the register roller means 16. As will be realized from the function of the sheet guide plate 17, it must have both a sufficient flexibility to ensure the elastic deformability permitting itself to bend according to the arcuate deformation of the sheet which is supplest among the sheets intended to be used and a sufficient rigidity to retain its planer shape in the free state. It should be understood that a contact type microswitch may be used as a curvature detector in the first through third embodiments in place of the photoelectric sensor. It is also to be noted that the movable sheet guide member is not limited to a plate or a sheet, it may take any suitable form such as, for example, a plurality of wire elements or a mesh member extending between the sheet feeding roller and the register roller means. A sheet feeding device is provided for taking up and feeding a plurality of sheets one by one by a selectively driven sheet feeding roller from the stack thereof positioned on a sheet feeding base to a register roller means and for transporting the sheet to an image developing and processing device at a predetermined timing by the register roller means; the feeding device comprising a movable sheet guide member provided between the feeding roller and the register roller means which is adapted to be displaced by the curving deformation of a sheet between the feeding roller and the register roller means in the direction of the growing of the curving deformation. The feeding device may further comprise a detecting means for sensing the displacement of the sheet guide member to determine based upon the displacement that a predetermined curvature of a sheet has been reached, and a means for stopping the rotation of the feeding roller in response to the detection by the detecting means so as to prevent the sheet from deforming excessively.

Claims: A sheet feeding device for an image developing and processing machine comprising a sheet feeding base (1) on which a plurality of sheets are stacked, a selectively driven sheet feeding roller (3) for taking up and feeding the sheets one by one from said stack, register roller means (14, 15) for transferring the sheets to the image developing and processing machine (25, 26) at a predetermined timing, fixed lower and upper guide plates (2a, 12) defining a sheet guide passage (13) for guiding the sheets fed by said sheet feeding roller toward said register roller means, a movable sheet guide plate (17) provided in said sheet guide passage so as to be biased by an arcuate deformation of the sheet in said guide passage due to an overfeeding of the sheet by said sheet feeding roller (3) relative to the transfer of the sheet by said register roller means (14, 15), and detecting means (19, 20) for detecting a movement of said movable sheet guide plate (17) in order to dispatch a signal for controlling the selective driving of said sheet feeding roller (3) so as not to further increase the arcuate deformation of the sheet, characterized in that said upper guide plate (12) presents a convex surface toward said sheet guide passage (13), said movable sheet guide plate (17) is elastically flexible and is adapted to lie more on said convex surface of said upper guide plate (12) starting from a downstream end thereof as biased by the arcuate deformation of the sheet as the arcuate deformation of the sheet increases, and said detecting means (19, 20) comprises one (19) of cooperating switching elements (19, 20) mounted substantially at an upstream end of said movable sheet guide plate (17). A sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upstream end of said convex surface of said upper guide plate (12) is bent away from said lower guide plate (2a) and the downstream segment of said convex surface extends substantially in the feeding direction where said movable sheet guide plate (17) is secured to said upper guide plate (12) in a downstream end portion (17a) thereof. A sheet feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said one (19) of said cooperating switching elements (19, 20) is a tongue-like element and is adapted to be detected by a photoelectric sensor (20) forming the other of said cooperating switching elements (19, 20).

Inventors: HASEGAWA TAKANORI C O RISO KAG, NEGISHI HIDEO C O RISO KAGAKU, HASEGAWA, TAKANORI C/O RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION, NEGISHI, HIDEO C/O RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
Applicants: RISO KAGAKU CORP, RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65H3
IPC codes: B65H3, B65H5