Paper sheet supplying apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with the same

Abstract

There is described a paper sheet supplying apparatus that supplies paper sheets one by one to the image forming apparatus and conducts the dehumidifying operation of paper sheets only when a specific kind of paper sheets are accommodated in the paper sheet accommodating section, so as to achieve a high operating efficiency. The paper sheet supplying apparatus includes: a paper sheet accommodating section to accommodate paper sheets; a paper sheet feeding section to feed the paper sheets one by one from the paper sheet accommodating section; a dehumidification dryer to dehumidify the paper sheet accommodating section; and a control section to control the dehumidification dryer. Only when the control section receives paper kind information representing a specific kind of paper sheet, the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the paper kind information.

1 . A paper sheet supplying apparatus, comprising:
 a paper sheet accommodating section to accommodate paper sheets;   a paper sheet feeding section to feed the paper sheets one by one from the paper sheet accommodating section;   a dehumidification dryer to dehumidify the paper sheet accommodating section; and   a control section to control the dehumidification dryer;   wherein, only when the control section receives paper kind information representing a specific kind of paper sheet, the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the paper kind information.   
   
   
       2 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an outside humidity detecting member to detect a humidity of air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus;   wherein the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the humidity detected by the outside humidity detecting member.   
   
   
       3 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a paper-sheet residual amount detecting section to detect a residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet accommodating section; and   a mount/dismount detecting member to detect a mounting or dismounting status of the paper sheet accommodating section;   wherein the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, when the residual amount of paper sheets, detected by the paper-sheet residual amount detecting section, changes before and after the mount/dismount detecting member detects the dismounting and mounting status of the paper sheet accommodating section.   
   
   
       4 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage section to store at least an operating time table in which an amount of paper sheets accommodated in the paper sheet accommodating section is correlated with an activating time of the dehumidification dryer;   wherein the control section controls the activating time of the dehumidification dryer, based on change of a residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet accommodating section.   
   
   
       5 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a storage section to store at least an operating time table in which a humidity of air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus is correlated with an activating time of the dehumidification dryer;   wherein the control section controls the activating time of the dehumidification dryer, based on the humidity of the air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus.   
   
   
       6 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control section bans a paper sheet feeding operation to be conducted by the paper sheet feeding section, during an activating time of the dehumidification dryer.   
   
   
       7 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein, only when the paper kind information represents an enamel paper sheet as the specific kind of paper sheet, the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the paper kind information.   
   
   
       8 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the dehumidification dryer is provided with a blower section to blow dry air against the paper sheets accommodate in the paper sheet accommodating section from a side edge direction of the paper sheets.   
   
   
       9 . The paper sheet supplying apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the blower section includes a heater to heat air, an air exhaust outlet to blow off the air heated by the heater against an upper portion of the paper sheets stacked on the paper sheet accommodating section and a fan to blow off the air heated by the heater from the air exhaust outlet.   
   
   
       10 . An image forming system, comprising:
 an image forming apparatus to form an image on a paper sheet; and   a paper sheet supplying apparatus to supply the paper sheet to the image forming apparatus;   wherein the paper sheet supplying apparatus includes:
 a paper sheet accommodating section to accommodate paper sheets; 
 a paper sheet feeding section to feed the paper sheets one by one from the paper sheet accommodating section; 
 a dehumidification dryer to dehumidify the paper sheet accommodating section; and 
 a control section to control the dehumidification dryer; 
   wherein, only when the control section receives paper kind information representing a specific kind of paper sheet, the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the paper kind information.   
   
   
       11 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the paper sheet supplying apparatus further includes:
 an outside humidity detecting member to detect a humidity of air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus; 
   wherein the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the humidity detected by the outside humidity detecting member.   
   
   
       12 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the paper sheet supplying apparatus further includes:
 a paper-sheet residual amount detecting section to detect a residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet accommodating section; and 
 a mount/dismount detecting member to detect a mounting or dismounting status of the paper sheet accommodating section; 
   wherein the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, when the residual amount of paper sheets, detected by the paper-sheet residual amount detecting section, changes before and after the mount/dismount detecting member detects the dismounting and mounting status of the paper sheet accommodating section.   
   
   
       13 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the paper sheet supplying apparatus further includes:
 a storage section to store at least an operating time table in which an amount of paper sheets accommodated in the paper sheet accommodating section is correlated with an activating time of the dehumidification dryer; 
   wherein the control section controls the activating time of the dehumidification dryer, based on change of a residual amount of paper sheets remaining in the paper sheet accommodating section.   
   
   
       14 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the paper sheet supplying apparatus further includes:
 a storage section to store at least an operating time table in which a humidity of air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus is correlated with an activating time of the dehumidification dryer; 
   wherein the control section controls the activating time of the dehumidification dryer, based on the humidity of the air outside the paper sheet supplying apparatus.   
   
   
       15 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the control section bans a paper sheet feeding operation to be conducted by the paper sheet feeding section, during an activating time of the dehumidification dryer.   
   
   
       16 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein, only when the paper kind information represents an enamel paper sheet as the specific kind of paper sheet, the control section activates and controls the dehumidification dryer, based on the paper kind information.   
   
   
       17 . The image forming system of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the dehumidification dryer is provided with a blower section to blow dry air against the paper sheets accommodate in the paper sheet accommodating section from a side edge direction of the paper sheets.   
   
   
       18 . The image forming system of  claim 17 ,
 wherein the blower section includes a heater to heat air, an air exhaust outlet to blow off the air heated by the heater against an upper portion of the paper sheets stacked on the paper sheet accommodating section and a fan to blow off the air heated by the heater from the air exhaust outlet.