Patent Publication Number: US-8985570-B1

Title: Paper feeding mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a paper feeding mechanism, and more particularly to a paper feeding mechanism with a paper blocking function. 
     2. The Related Art 
     A traditional paper feeding mechanism driven by a driving device (not shown), includes a mechanical frame, a paper supply tray, a gear assembly, a pickup assembly, a paper pressing assembly and a stopper assembly. The paper supply tray, the gear assembly, the paper pressing assembly and the stopper assembly are respectively mounted to the mechanical frame. The pickup assembly is assembled to the mechanical frame and the paper supply tray. The gear assembly transmits driving force generated by the driving device to the pickup assembly, the paper pressing assembly and the stopper assembly to realize a paper feeding function. The driving device is designated as a plurality of motors. 
     However, the above-mentioned paper feeding mechanism realizes the paper feeding function by virtue of the gear assembly transmitting the driving force generated by a plurality of motors to the pickup assembly, the paper pressing assembly and the stopper assembly that makes the paper feeding mechanism have a more complex structure and a higher manufacturing cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feeding mechanism. The paper feeding mechanism includes a mechanical frame, a gear assembly mounted to the mechanical frame, a paper supply tray, a pickup assembly, a paper pressing assembly and a stopper assembly. The gear assembly includes a drive gear, and a transmission gear engaged with the drive gear. A rear end of the paper supply tray is pivoted to the mechanical frame. The pickup assembly is assembled to the mechanical frame and the paper supply tray, and a top of the pickup assembly projects above a top surface of the paper supply tray. The paper pressing assembly is driven by the gear assembly, and mounted to the mechanical frame and located above the paper supply tray. The paper pressing assembly includes a paper pressing frame disposed above the paper supply tray, a paper pressing tray mounted inside of the paper pressing frame, a gear shaft mounted to the paper pressing frame and connected with the transmission gear, at least one swing arm mounted to the gear shaft, and an elastic element elastically restrained between the paper pressing frame and the paper pressing tray. One end of the swing arm is mounted to one end of the gear shaft, and the other end of the swing arm is driven by the gear shaft to rotate around the gear shaft and horizontally slides in the paper pressing tray. The stopper assembly is assembled to the paper pressing tray and the paper pressing frame. The stopper assembly includes a blocking element and a connecting element. The blocking element is disposed perpendicular to the paper supply tray and is assembled to the paper pressing frame. One end of the connecting element is pivotally mounted to the paper pressing tray and the other end of the connecting element is pivotally mounted to a top of the blocking element. The drive gear of the gear assembly drives the transmission gear and the gear shaft to rotate to bring along the swing arm to swing and pull the paper pressing tray to raise up to flush with a bottom surface of the paper pressing frame, simultaneously, the elastic potential energy of the elastic element is needed be conquered, the connecting element drives the blocking element to move downward to make the blocking element realize a paper blocking function, the drive gear of the gear assembly breaks away from the drive gear, a binding force of the paper pressing assembly is disappeared, the elastic element pushes against the paper pressing tray to move downward, the blocking element breaks away from the paper supply tray to raise up for making the paper blocking function of the blocking element of the stopper assembly disappeared. 
     As described above, the drive gear of the gear assembly drives the transmission gear and the gear shaft to rotate to bring along the swing arm to swing and pull the paper pressing tray to raise up to flush with the bottom surface of the paper pressing frame, simultaneously, an elastic potential energy of the elastic element is needed be conquered, the connecting element drives the blocking element to move downward to make the blocking element realize the paper blocking function so as to facilitate placing the paper on the paper supply tray, the drive gear of the gear assembly breaks away from the drive gear, the binding force of the paper pressing assembly is disappeared, the elastic element pushes against the paper pressing tray to move downward, the blocking element breaks away from the paper supply tray to raise up for making the paper blocking function of the blocking element of the stopper assembly disappeared for facilitating picking up the paper. The paper feeding mechanism realizes the paper feeding function by virtue of the gear assembly transmitting the driving force generated by one motor to the pickup assembly, the paper pressing assembly and the stopper assembly so as to make the paper feeding mechanism have a simpler structure and a lower manufacturing cost. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a paper feeding mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the paper feeding mechanism of  FIG. 1 , wherein a paper pressing frame is partially sectioned; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view showing a placing paper status of the paper feeding mechanism of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a side view showing a picking up paper status of the paper feeding mechanism of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , a paper feeding mechanism  100  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The paper feeding mechanism  100  driven by a driving device (not shown), includes a mechanical frame (not shown), a gear assembly  20 , a paper supply tray  30 , a pickup assembly  40 , a paper pressing assembly  50  and a stopper assembly  60  (not shown). The gear assembly  20 , the paper supply tray  30 , the pickup assembly  40 , the paper pressing assembly  50  and the stopper assembly  60  are mounted to the mechanical frame. The gear assembly  20  transmits driving force generated by the driving device to the pickup assembly  40 , the paper pressing assembly  50  and the stopper assembly  60  to realize a paper feeding function. In this embodiment, the driving device is designated as one motor. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the gear assembly  20  is mounted to one side of the mechanical frame. The gear assembly  20  includes a drive gear  21  driven by the driving device, and a transmission gear  22  engaged with the drive gear  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a rear end of the paper supply tray  30  is pivoted to the mechanical frame for placing paper therein. The paper supply tray  30  defines two separating grooves  31 , two blocking grooves  32  located between the two separating grooves  31 , and a picking groove  33  located in front of the two blocking grooves  32 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the pickup assembly  40  is assembled to the mechanical frame and the paper supply tray  30 , and a top of the pickup assembly  40  projects above a top surface of the paper supply tray  30  and a bottom of the pickup assembly  40  projecting under a bottom surface of the paper supply tray  30 . The pickup assembly  40  includes a pickup roller  41 , and a plurality of separating rollers  42  located behind the pickup roller  41 . The pickup roller  41  passes through the picking groove  33  of the paper supply tray  30  with a top thereof projecting beyond the top surface of the paper supply tray  30 . Each of the separating rollers  42  passes through the separating groove  31  of the paper supply tray  30  with a top thereof projecting beyond the top surface of the paper supply tray  30 . The pickup roller  41  is capable of being assisted by the paper pressing assembly  50  to grab the paper in a positive force. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the paper pressing assembly  50  driven by the gear assembly  20 , and is mounted to the mechanical frame and is located above the paper supply tray  30 . The paper pressing assembly  50  includes a paper pressing frame  51  disposed above the paper supply tray  30 , a paper pressing tray  52  mounted inside of the paper pressing frame  51 , a gear shaft  53  mounted to the paper pressing frame  51  and connected with the drive gear  21 , at least one swing arm  54  mounted to the gear shaft  53 , an elastic element  55  elastically restrained between the paper pressing frame  51  and the paper pressing tray  52 , and a paper pressing roller  56  pivotally mounted to the paper pressing tray  52  with a bottom thereof projecting under a bottom surface of the paper pressing tray  52 . One end of the swing arm  54  is mounted to one end of the gear shaft  53 , and the other end of the swing arm  54  is driven by the gear shaft  53  to rotate around the gear shaft  53  and horizontally slide in the paper pressing tray  52 . In this embodiment, the paper pressing assembly  50  includes two swing arms  54  mounted to two opposite sides of the gear shaft  53 . The transmission gear  22  drives the gear shaft  53  to rotate. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , specifically, the paper pressing frame  51  defines an accommodating groove  511  vertically penetrating through a middle of a front of the paper pressing frame  51 . Two fronts of two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  define two pivoting holes  512 . The two opposite sides of the gear shaft  53  of the paper pressing assembly  50  are pivoted in the two pivoting holes  512 . Two rears of two inner surfaces of two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  protrude face to face to form two blocking pieces  513 . The two blocking pieces  513  are spaced from a rear sidewall of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  to form two first guiding grooves  514 , and two opposite sides of an inner surface of a front sidewall of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  define two second guiding grooves  515 . Two inner surfaces of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  protrude face to face to form two protruding pillars  516  projecting into the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  and respectively located in front of the blocking pieces  513 . Two tops of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  extend towards each other to form a blocking board  517 . A middle of a bottom surface of the blocking board  517  protrudes downward to form a fastening pillar  518 . A middle of the rear sidewall of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  defines an avoiding groove  519 . A rear of the paper pressing frame  51  defines a locating groove  510  communicating with the avoiding groove  519 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the paper pressing tray  52  of the paper pressing assembly  50  is capable of sliding upward and downward to be slidably assembled to the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51 . The paper pressing tray  52  has a bottom board  521 , two lateral boards  522  extending upward from two opposite sides of the bottom board  521 , and a front board  523  extending upward from a front end of the bottom board  521 . A bottom of a front surface of the front board  523  is inclined rearward for facilitating feeding the paper. A rear of a top surface of the bottom board  521  defines a pivoting groove  524  vertically penetrating therethrough. Two opposite sides of the pivoting groove  524  are narrower than a middle of the pivoting groove  524 . The paper pressing roller  56  is pivoted in the pivoting groove  524  with a bottom thereof projecting under the bottom board  521  of the paper pressing tray  52 . A front of the top surface of the bottom board  521  protrudes upward to form a cylindrical locating barrel  525 . Two middles of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  define two sliding grooves  526  penetrating therethrough. Two rears of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  protrude outward to form two first guiding blocks  527 . Two opposite sides of the front board  523  protrude upward and then protrude forward to form two second guiding blocks  528 . Two tops of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  define two elliptical movable holes  529 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the paper pressing tray  52  of the paper pressing assembly  50  is slidably assembled to the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51 . The two lateral boards  522  of the paper pressing tray  52  are respectively located at two inner sides of the two opposite sidewalls of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51 . Each lateral board  522  of the paper pressing tray  52  is spaced from the inner side of the corresponding sidewall of the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  to form an interstice  57  therebetween. The paper pressing tray  52  is capable of sliding upward and downward in the accommodating groove  511  of the paper pressing frame  51  by virtue of the two first guiding blocks  527  guided in the two first guiding grooves  514  and the two second guiding blocks  528  guided in the two second guiding grooves  515 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , one end of each swing arm  54  of the paper pressing assembly  50  has a rectangular arm portion  541  and the other end of each swing arm  54  has a ring-shaped fastening ring  542 . One side surface of a free end of the arm portion  541  is connected with a cylindrical stopper portion  543 . The swing arm  54  is mounted to the gear shaft  53  of the paper pressing assembly  50 . The fastening ring  542  is fastened to one end of the gear shaft  53  with the arm portion  541  accommodated in the interstice  57 , and the stopper portion  543  inserted into the sliding groove  526  and being capable of sliding forward and rearward along the sliding groove  526 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , one end of the elastic element  55  is accommodated in the locating barrel  525  and the other end of the elastic element  55  is worn around the fastening pillar  518  so as to elastically restrain the elastic element  55  between the paper pressing frame  51  and the paper pressing tray  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the stopper assembly  60  is assembled to the paper pressing tray  52  and the paper pressing frame  51 , specifically, two opposite sides of the stopper assembly  60  are mounted to the two movable holes  529  of the paper pressing tray  52  and the stopper assembly  60  is limited in the locating groove  510  of the paper pressing frame  51 . The stopper assembly  60  includes a blocking element  61  and a connecting element  62 . The blocking element  61  is disposed perpendicular to the paper supply tray  30  and is assembled to the paper pressing frame  51 . One end of the connecting element  62  is pivotally mounted to the paper pressing tray  52  and the other end of the connecting element  62  is pivotally mounted to a top of the blocking element  61 . The driving device rotates anticlockwise to make a transmitting mechanism (not shown) engage with the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20 , the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20  drives the transmission gear  22  and the gear shaft  53  to rotate clockwise to bring along the swing arm  54  to swing and pull the paper pressing tray  52  to raise up to flush with a bottom surface of the paper pressing frame  51 . Simultaneously, it needs to conquer an elastic potential energy of the elastic element  55 . The connecting element  62  drives the blocking element  61  to move downward to make the blocking element  61  located in a paper blocking position for realizing a paper blocking function so as to facilitate placing the paper on the paper supply tray  30 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , then, the driving device rotates clockwise to make the transmitting mechanism break away from the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20  such as to cancel a binding force of the swing arm  54  raising up the paper pressing tray  52 . The gear assembly  20  transmits another driving force generated by the driving device to the pickup assembly  40  to pick up the paper, the elastic element  55  is capable of elastically pushing against the paper pressing frame  51  to move downward and a paper blocking function is disappeared by virtue of the connecting element  62  driving the blocking element  61  to move upward. Specifically, the blocking element  61  has a rectangular board-shaped base board  611 , two arc-shaped pivoting portions  612  arched downward from two opposite sides of a top of the base board  611 , and two paper blocking portions  613  extending downward from two opposite sides of a bottom of the base board  611 . The base board  611  is accommodated in the locating groove  510  and is capable of sliding upward and downward along the locating groove  510 . The connecting element  62  of the stopper assembly  60  shows an arc board shape. The protruding pillars  516  of the paper pressing frame  51  project under the connecting element  62  to make the connecting element  62  proceed a circular arc curve movement along the protruding pillars  516 . Two opposite sides of a front of the connecting element  62  extend outward to form two pivoting pillars  621 . Two opposite sides of a rear of the connecting element  62  are connected with two pivoting portions  622 . The connecting element  62  is pivotally mounted to the paper pressing tray  52  by virtue of the two pivoting pillars  621  being pivoted in the two movable holes  529 . The two pivoting portions  622  are pivoted in the two arc-shaped pivoting portions  612  to make the connecting element  62  pivotally mounted to the blocking element  61 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 4 , a working principle of the automatic test system  100  is described as follows. 
     When the automatic test system  100  is started, the driving device rotates anticlockwise to make the transmitting mechanism (not shown) engage with the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20 , the drive gear  21  drives the transmission gear  22  and the gear shaft  53  to rotate clockwise. The stopper portion  543  of the swing arm  54  pivots around the gear shaft  53  to rotate upward by virtue of the gear shaft  53  bringing along the swing arm  54  to rotate clockwise and pull the paper pressing tray  52  to raise up to flush with the bottom surface of the paper pressing frame  51 . A continuous motive power generated by the connecting element  62  drives the front of the connecting element  62  to move downward so as to bring along the blocking element  61  to move downward and the two paper blocking portions  613  projecting into the blocking grooves  31 . At this case, the paper pressing assembly  50  is raised up, the blocking element  61  moves downward to realize the paper blocking function for facilitating placing a stack of paper on the paper supply tray  30 . 
     The stack of paper is put on the paper supply tray  30 , the two paper blocking portions  613  of the blocking element  61  is perpendicular to the paper supply tray  30  and project into the blocking grooves  31  to limit the paper to be transmitted inward. 
     When the stack of paper is put on the paper supply tray  30 , the stack of paper triggers a sensor (not shown), the driving device rotates clockwise, the transmitting mechanism breaks away from the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20 , the binding force of the driving device driving the paper pressing assembly  50  is disappeared, the elastic element  55  pushes against the paper pressing tray  52  to move downward by use of the elastic potential energy, the stopper portion  543  of the swing arm  54  slides in the sliding groove  526  and swings downward until the paper pressing roller  56  presses downward on the paper located above the pickup roller  41 , and provides a positive force which is needed by the pickup roller  41  to pick up the paper, simultaneously, the connecting element  62  proceeds the circular arc curve movement along the protruding pillars  516 , the front of the connecting element  62  which is pivotally mounted to the paper pressing tray  52  moves downward, and the rear of the connecting element  62  which is pivotally mounted to the blocking element  61  is raised up to bring along the blocking element  61  to move upward, so that the two paper blocking portions  613  of the blocking element  61  break away from the blocking grooves  31  of the paper supply tray  30  to raise up for making the paper blocking function of the blocking element  61  of the stopper assembly  60  disappeared and the paper be transmitted inward. 
     After completing picking up the paper, the driving device rotates anticlockwise, the paper pressing assembly  50  is raised up to restore a status before picking up the paper, the two paper blocking portions  613  returns to the paper blocking position. 
     As described above, the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20  drives the transmission gear  22  and the gear shaft  53  to rotate to bring along the swing arm  54  to swing and pull the paper pressing tray  52  to raise up to flush with the bottom surface of the paper pressing frame  51 , simultaneously, the elastic potential energy of the elastic element  55  is needed be conquered, the connecting element  62  drives the blocking element  61  to move downward to make the blocking element  61  realize the paper blocking function so as to facilitate placing the paper on the paper supply tray  30 , the drive gear  21  of the gear assembly  20  breaks away from the drive gear  21 , the binding force of the paper pressing assembly  50  is disappeared, the elastic element  55  pushes against the paper pressing tray  52  to move downward, the blocking element  61  breaks away from the paper supply tray  30  to raise up for making the paper blocking function of the blocking element  61  of the stopper assembly  60  disappeared for facilitating picking up the paper. The paper feeding mechanism  100  realizes the paper feeding function by virtue of the gear assembly  20  transmitting the driving force generated by one motor to the pickup assembly  40 , the paper pressing assembly  50  and the stopper assembly  60  so as to make the paper feeding mechanism  100  have a simpler structure and a lower manufacturing cost.