JPS644759Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention sequentially prints, copies, and prints on supplied paper.
The present invention relates to a paper shortage detection mechanism suitable for detecting when paper to be supplied runs out in office processing equipment such as typewriters, printers, printing machines, copying machines, and facsimile machines that perform printing.

In the office processing equipment such as typewriters and printers mentioned above, when paper is continuously supplied and a large amount of printing is performed on the supplied paper one after another, paper may be left in the middle of printing, etc. It is desired that this can be automatically detected without the need for an operator or the like to check each time that the item is missing.

Therefore, some conventional office processing equipment is equipped with a micro switch in the paper transport path that is turned on when it comes into contact with the paper being transported, so that it can be turned on when the roll or folded recording paper runs out. In some cases, the microswitch is turned off to detect a paper shortage and, for example, to stop the operation of the device. but,
In such a detection mechanism, when a cut of paper is used, a shortage of paper is detected using a single cut of paper, and, for example, the operation of the device is stopped. Then,
In office processing equipment equipped with this type of detection mechanism, when an automatic paper feeder for cut paper is attached to the main body of the equipment, a micro switch is automatically pressed and kept in the on state at all times, and the operation of the micro switch is stopped. Ta.

However, the above-mentioned paper shortage detection mechanism has the disadvantage that the position where the microswitch can be installed is limited, which imposes design constraints.Also, when inserting a cut paper manually, the microswitch is activated by the passage of one paper cut. The problem was that it would activate and detect a lack of paper.

Therefore, the present invention enables office processing equipment such as typewriters and printers to automatically detect and cut when the supplied continuous paper has run out, and also enables cut paper to be used instead of continuous paper. The purpose of this is to make it possible to stop the detection operation with a simple operation.

Therefore, in order to achieve this object, the present invention is characterized in that a stopper means is provided for regulating the movement of a part of the paper shortage detection mechanism.

The features of the present invention will become clearer from the following explanation of the illustrated embodiment. Figure 1 shows a paper shortage detection mechanism for office processing equipment used in printers as an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic explanatory diagram. Reference numeral 10 in the figure designates the paper shortage detection mechanism as a whole, and the detection mechanism is assembled, for example, in the rear part of the main body 12 of the printer where the heat dissipation hole 14 is provided. This detection mechanism 10 is
As shown in FIG. 1, a rotation shaft 18 is provided which is attached to the main body 12 of the device along the heat dissipation hole 14 and across the paper 16. The rotation shaft is rotatably supported at both ends by mounting brackets 20 and 22 fixed to the main body 12 of the device via a heat radiation hole 14. Further, support arms 2 are provided at both ends of the rotation shaft 18.
4 and 26 are attached. The support arms are screwed to mounting brackets 20, 22, respectively. A slider 28 is fitted onto the rotation shaft 18 so as to be slidable in the axial direction thereof. The rotation shaft 18 has a slider 28 in its rotation direction.
The cross section has a rectangular shape to prevent it from moving.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slider 28 has a roller 30 at its tip as a contact portion that contacts the paper 16. The roller includes two disc-shaped portions 30b spaced apart from each other on an axis 30a as shown.
has. Further, a plate spring 32 attached to the rotation shaft 18 is disposed between both side portions 30c of the slider 28. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the leaf spring includes a substantially V-shaped portion 36 having a hole 34 through which the rotation shaft 18 is inserted, and a portion facing each other from both ends of the V-shaped portion. It consists of a portion 38 that is bent into a substantially U-shape. V-shaped part 3
6 has a claw 36a that is engaged with the slider 28. The U-shaped portions each have holes 40 (shown in FIG. 4) provided on both sides 30c of the slider 28.
is inserted and positioned. The leaf spring 32 is
The rotating shaft 18 is pressed against the V-shaped portion 36 in the opening direction. Thereby, the slider 28 is appropriately positioned at the center position in the width direction of the paper 16 according to the width dimension of the paper 16 via the leaf spring 32 . When moving the slider 28 along the rotation axis 18, the U-shaped portions 38 of the leaf spring 28 are pushed in the direction facing each other, the opening angle of the V-shaped portion 36 is reduced, and the V-shaped portion 36 is closed. It is only necessary to release the pressing of the letter-shaped portion 36 against the rotation shaft 18.

As shown in FIG. 4, one of the support arms 24 is formed with a bent tip,
A guide portion 44 is provided with an elongated hole 42 . A switch member 46 movable along the elongated hole 42 is attached to the guide portion. The switch member has a stopper portion 46a extending parallel to the rotation shaft 18 toward one end thereof. The switch member 46 has an operating portion 46b on its upper surface.

Furthermore, an operating rod 48 serving as an operating portion is fixed to the end of the rotation shaft 18 adjacent to this one support arm 24 . The operating rod is composed of an L-shaped portion 48a that corresponds to a stopper portion 46a of a switch member 46 as a switching means, and a tip portion 48b thereof, as will be described later. As shown in FIG. 1, the device main body 12 is provided with a guide hole 50 through which the tip end 48b can be inserted when the operating rod 48 rotates together with the rotation shaft 18. Furthermore, a detection switch (not shown) is disposed within the device body 12 and below the guide hole 50, which is activated when the tip end 48b of the operating rod 48 hits and detects that the paper 16 is missing. There is.

Next, the operation of the paper shortage detection mechanism according to the present invention having the above configuration will be explained.

First, when the switch member 46 as a switching means is moved and set to the OFF position in FIG. The rotating position of the rotating shaft 18 is maintained in a stopped state in which the roller 30 at the tip of the slider 28 is separated from the paper 16 and supported. In this state, the detection shortage detection mechanism 10 is in a stopped state and does not detect whether the paper 16 is insufficient.

Next, in order to put the paper shortage detection mechanism 10 into operation, the switch member 46 is moved to the ON position of the guide portion 44 shown in FIG. 5. At this time, while the paper 16 is being supplied to the printer, the rotation shaft 18 is held at a rotation position where the roller 30 of the slider 28 comes into contact with the paper 16 and is supported by the paper. The operating rod 48 is located away from the stopper portion 46a of the switch member 46.
Therefore, when the paper 16 to be supplied to the printer runs out, the rotating shaft 18 rotates and the operating rod 4 rotates.
8 also rotates as shown by the arrow in Fig. 5, and the operating rod 4
The tip 48b of 8 is the guide hole 50 of the device main body 12.
Activate the detection switch through. As a result, it is detected that the paper 16 to be supplied to the printer has run out, and the operation of the device is stopped.

According to the present invention, in office processing equipment such as typewriters and printers, a paper shortage detection mechanism is installed to detect when the supplied continuous paper has run out. Eliminate the hassle of checking every time whether or not it is gone.
A shortage of continuous paper can be easily and automatically detected. Moreover, when using cut paper instead of continuous paper, the operator can manually operate the manual operation section installed outside the main body of the office processing equipment to stop paper shortage detection as necessary. It can be activated at will. Furthermore, since the detection switch means is provided within the main body of the office processing equipment, it is possible to avoid the risk of the detection switch means coming into contact with other objects or being damaged.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a state in which a paper shortage detection mechanism according to the present invention is assembled into a printer as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of a slider, and FIG. 3 is a plate of the slider. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the shape of the spring, FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing the paper shortage detection mechanism according to the present invention in a stopped state, and FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the operation state of the paper shortage detection mechanism according to the present invention. be. 10...Paper shortage detection mechanism, 12...Device body, 16...Paper, 18...Rotation shaft, 24, 26
... Support arm, 28 ... Slider, 32 ... Leaf spring, 46 ... Switch member, 48 ... Operating rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a detection switch means provided in the main body of the device for detecting the presence or absence of continuous paper; an operating section for operating the detection switch means depending on the presence or absence of continuous paper; and a detection switch means for detecting the presence or absence of continuous paper. a rotating member consisting of a contact portion that contacts the rotating member; a first support member that rotatably supports the rotating member; and a first position that maintains the rotating position of the rotating member at a specific position. a stopper means movable between and a second position that allows the rotating member to rotate, and a stopper means that detects the presence or absence of continuous paper at the first position when cut paper is used instead of the continuous paper. If necessary, a manual operation part provided outside the device body for manually moving the stopper means to the second position, and a manual operation part provided outside the device body to move the stopper means between the first position and the second position. A paper shortage detection mechanism for office processing equipment, characterized in that a second support member is movably supported between the two support members.