JP4487864B2 - Paper cassette and paper feeder. - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding cassette and a sheet feeding apparatus having the sheet feeding cassette.

  2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles are provided with a paper feeding device for supplying paper. Normally, the paper feeding device has a paper cassette, and the paper stored in the paper cassette is supplied to the transport path. As this type of paper feeding cassette, there is known a cassette in which a handle can be used in common even if the size of the cassette case is different by inserting a handle into an opening formed in the front surface of the cassette case (for example, Patent Document 1). ). In addition, by providing a second sheet supply device that feeds a sheet stored in a second sheet storage unit separate from the sheet storage unit of the cassette to the image forming unit at the cassette drawer side end, various types of sheets are provided. In addition, a device that can be used to reduce the size and the number of parts is known (for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-157671 JP 2001-225993 A

  However, conventionally, a sheet storage unit that stores sheets and a handle unit for pulling out the sheet storage unit are integrally formed. For this reason, it is difficult to divert one paper feed cassette to another model (image forming apparatus), and the entire paper feed cassette has been redesigned when the design is changed. Therefore, design man-hours for designing the entire paper cassette for each model are required, and it is necessary to evaluate the paper feed performance of the paper cassette for each model, which requires a great deal of design cost and design time. Variations in paper feed performance occurred between models.

  An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described conventional problems and provide a paper feed cassette capable of commonly using a paper storage unit for a plurality of models and a paper feed apparatus having the paper feed cassette. .

In order to achieve the above object, the first feature of the present invention is that a paper storage portion provided with a paper feed portion for sending out the stored paper and an end portion connected to the paper storage portion are provided. Rutotomoni is detachably connected to a paper feed cassette sheet conveyance path is formed in the separation portion between the said end and the sheet accommodating portion, said end portion includes a gripping portion, connected to the gripping part When the paper cassette is configured to be relatively small in size by connecting the paper storage unit and the gripping unit via the connection unit, the paper storage cassette The sheet feeding cassette is configured such that the sheet feeding cassette can be configured by directly connecting the section and the gripping section .

Preferably, a sheet from which a sheet from another sheet feeding cassette passes between the connection unit and the sheet storage unit when the sheet storage unit and the grip unit are connected via the connection unit. conveying path is Ru is formed.

Preferably, an engagement portion extending from a side wall is formed on one of the sheet storage portion and the end portion, and an engaged portion provided on the side wall is formed on the other side. When the engaged portion is engaged, the sheet storage portion and the end portion are fixed on the side wall surface.

Preferably, a concave portion is formed in one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion, and a convex portion is formed in the other, and the concave portion and the convex portion are fitted.
Preferably, the gripping portion is changed according to the model.

The second feature of the present invention is that it has a paper feeding device main body and a paper feeding cassette provided in the paper feeding device main body so as to be freely drawn out. A paper storage section provided with a paper feed section for feeding out and an end connected to the paper storage section are detachably connected to each other, and a paper transport path is connected to a separation portion between the paper storage section and the end. The end portion has a grip portion and a connecting portion connected to the grip portion, and connects the paper storage portion and the grip portion via the connecting portion. When the paper cassette is configured to have a relatively small size, the paper cassette can be configured by directly connecting the paper storage unit and the gripping unit. In the paper machine.

  Preferably, a sheet conveying roller is provided in the vicinity of the second winding roll at the end.

  According to the present invention, the paper storage unit that stores the paper and the end portion having the grip portion are configured to be separably connected, and the paper transport path is formed at the separation portion between the paper storage unit and the end portion. Therefore, the sheet storage unit can be used in common for a plurality of models.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an outline of an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 10 has an image forming apparatus main body 12, an image forming unit 14 is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 12, and a discharge unit 16 is provided on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body 12. In addition, for example, two-stage sheet feeders 18 and 18 are disposed below the image forming apparatus main body 12.

  The paper feeding device 18 includes a paper feeding device main body 20 and a paper feeding cassette 22 that stores paper. The paper feeding cassette 22 is provided in the paper feeding device main body 20 so as to be freely drawn out. The sheet feeding device main body 20 is provided with a sheet feeding roll 24 (first sheet feeding roll) and a sheeting roll 26 (first sheeting roll) facing the sheet feeding roll 24. The uppermost paper stored in the paper feed cassette 22 is discharged by the cooperation of the paper feed roll 24 and the separating roll 26 and is discharged from the paper feed cassette 22 and conveyed to the registration roll 30. Further, an image carrier 34 and a transfer device 36 of a process cartridge 32, which will be described later, are provided on the downstream side of the registration roll 30, and a fixing device 38 is further provided on the downstream side.

  Accordingly, the sheet fed from the sheet feeding cassette 22 of the sheet feeding device 18 by the cooperation of the sheet feeding roll 24 and the separating roll 26 is temporarily stopped by the registration roll 30, and the image carrier 34 and the transfer device are timed. A developer image is transferred through the space 36, the transferred developer image is fixed by the fixing device 38, and discharged to the discharge portion 16 by the discharge roll 40.

  A manual paper feed roll (second paper feed roll) 54 is provided on the side surface (left side surface in FIG. 1) of the image forming apparatus main body 12. The manual paper feed roll 54 feeds paper from the manual feed tray when, for example, a manual feed unit is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 12.

  The image forming means 14 is of an electrophotographic system, and is charged by the image carrier 34 made of a photoconductor, a charging device 42 made of, for example, a charging roll for uniformly charging the image carrier 34, and the charging device 42. An optical writing device 44 that writes a latent image on the image carrier 34 with light, a developing device 46 that visualizes the latent image of the image carrier 34 formed by the optical writing device 44 with a developer, and the developing device 46. A transfer device 36 composed of, for example, a transfer roll for transferring the developer image to the paper, a cleaning device 48 for cleaning the developer remaining on the image carrier 34, and the developer image on the paper transferred by the transfer device 36 on the paper. For example, a fixing device 38 including a pressure roll and a heating roll is used. The optical writing device 44 comprises, for example, a scanning type laser exposure device, and forms a latent image on the image carrier 34 across a process cartridge 32 described later. The cleaning device 48 includes a cleaning blade 50 that contacts the image carrier 34 and a developer recovery unit 52 that stores the developer scraped off by the cleaning blade 50. The optical writing device 44 may use an LED, a surface emitting laser, or the like as another embodiment.

  In the process cartridge 32, the image carrier 34, the charging device 42, the developing device 46, and the cleaning device 48 are integrated, and these can be replaced as a unit.

  In FIG. 2, the details of the paper feed cassette 22 are shown. The paper feed cassette 22 has a paper feed cassette body 23. The paper feed cassette body 23 is configured such that a paper storage portion 60 for storing paper and an end portion 61 having a gripping portion 62 are detachably connected. The end portion 61 includes a gripping portion 62 and a connecting portion 64 that is detachably connected to the gripping portion 62. That is, the paper storage unit 60 and the end 61 in the paper feed cassette 22 are provided as separate members so as to be separable, and the paper storage unit 60 and the connecting part 64 and the gripping part 62 and the connecting part 64 are connected. .

  The sheet storage portion 60 is made of, for example, resin, and includes a bottom surface portion 66, side surface portions 68 and 68 rising from the left and right ends of the bottom surface portion 66, a rear surface portion 70 rising from the rear end of the bottom surface portion 66, and a front end of the bottom surface portion 66. And a front portion 72 that rises.

  The front surface portion 72 of the paper storage unit 60 is provided with a paper feed unit 74 for sending out the paper stored in the paper storage unit 60. Therefore, the paper storage unit 60 has a paper feeding function. In the paper feeding portion 74, a paper conveyance path 76 for conveying the paper is formed. A conveyance surface 78 having a concave arc shape is formed in the sheet conveyance path 76, and a plurality of guide ribs 80 are provided on the conveyance surface 78 in a direction parallel to the paper feeding direction. Further, at the central portion of the sheet conveyance path 76, a separating roll 26 (first separating roll) facing the above-described sheet feeding roll 24 (first sheet feeding roll) is provided. A connecting portion 64 of an end portion 62, which is a separate member from the paper storage portion 60, is connected to the front (right side in FIG. 2) of the paper feed portion 74 of the paper storage portion 60. That is, a paper transport path 76 is formed at a separation portion between the paper storage unit 60 and the end 62.

  A bottom plate 82 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) is provided on the bottom surface portion 66 of the sheet storage portion 60 so as to be swingable with respect to the bottom surface portion 66. A large number of sheets are stacked (accommodated) on the bottom plate 82, the uppermost sheet is in contact with the sheet feeding roll 24 described above, and the leading end of the sheet is directed to the nip portion between the sheet feeding roll 24 and the separating roll 26. It has become. Further, an end guide 84 and side guides 86 and 86 are provided on the bottom surface portion 66 of the sheet storage unit 60. The end guide 84 is provided so as to be slidable in a direction parallel to the paper feeding direction by the front / rear slide mechanism 88, and comes into contact with the rear end portion of the paper placed on the bottom plate 82. . Further, the side guides 86, 86 are slidable in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction by the left / right slide mechanism 90, and guide the side portions of the paper stacked on the bottom plate 82.

  The end portion 61 is made of, for example, resin and includes the grip portion 62 and the connecting portion 64 as described above. A decorative portion 92 is formed on the side surface (left side surface in FIG. 1) of the image forming apparatus main body 12 of the grip portion 62, and a handle 93 is formed on the decorative portion 92. The user holds the handle 93 and pulls out the sheet cassette 22 from the sheet feeder main body 20.

  The connecting portion 64 has a paper transport path 94 for transporting paper discharged from other paper feed cassettes. Specifically, the paper transport path 94 is formed on the wall surface of the connecting section 64 on the paper storage section 60 side, and on the surface of the paper transport path 94 on the paper storage section 60 side (the left side surface in FIG. 2). A conveyance surface 96 is formed. The conveying surface 96 is formed by providing a plurality of protruding gently arched guide ribs 97 in a direction parallel to the paper feeding direction. Therefore, the above-described paper conveyance path 76 of the paper storage unit 60 and the conveyance surface 96 of the paper conveyance path 94 are arranged to face each other. For example, a sheet discharged from another sheet feeding device 18 (for example, shown in FIG. 1) disposed on the lower side between the sheet conveyance path 76 of the sheet storage unit 60 and the conveyance surface 96 of the sheet conveyance path 94. It is designed to be transported. In this way, the connecting portion 64 can be provided with a paper transport path 94 for transporting paper discharged from another paper feed cassette.

  2 and 3, a fixing portion between the sheet storage portion 60 and the end portion 61 is shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing portion between the paper storage portion 60 and the end portion 61 includes a first engagement portion 98 a extending from the left and right side walls of the connecting portion 64 of the end portion 61 and the paper storage portion. The first engaged portion 100 provided on the left and right side walls of the front end 60 is engaged. The first engaging portion 98a is provided with, for example, two concave portions 102, specifically, a concave portion 102a in the upper portion of the first engaging portion 98a and a concave portion 102b in the lower portion. On the other hand, the first engaged portion 100 is provided with, for example, two convex portions 104, specifically, a convex portion 104 a at the upper portion of the first engaged portion 100 and a convex portion 104 b at the lower portion. Therefore, the first engaging portion 98a of the connecting portion 64 and the first engaged portion 100 of the paper accommodating portion 60 are engaged, that is, the concave portion 102 of the first engaging portion 92a and the first engaged portion. By fitting the convex portion 104 of the joining portion 100, the paper storage portion 60 and the end portion 61 are fixed on the side wall surface of the paper feed cassette 22.

  Similarly, a second engaging portion 98b extends from the connecting portion 64, and two concave portions 102 (102c, 102d) are formed in the second engaging plate 98b, for example. Further, a second engaged portion 110 is formed in the grip portion 62, and for example, two convex portions 112 (112a, 112b) are formed in the second engaged portion 110. By fitting the concave portion 102 of the second engagement plate 98 b and the convex portion 112 of the second engaged portion 110, the grip portion 62 and the connecting portion 64 are fixed on the side wall surface of the paper feed cassette 22. It is like that. In addition, a convex part may be provided in the engaging part and a concave part may be provided in the engaged part, and the convex part of the engaging part and the concave part of the engaged part may be fitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first engagement portion 98a has two engagement claws 106, specifically, the engagement claw 106a at the upper portion of the first engagement portion 98a and the engagement claw 106b at the lower portion. These two engaging claws 106 (106a, 106b) are engaged with two engaging grooves 108 (108a, 108b) provided in the upper part and the lower part of the first engaged part 100. It is supposed to be.

  Next, a case where the paper feed cassette according to the present invention is diverted (developed) to another model (image forming apparatus) will be described.

For example, when diverting the paper feed cassette 22 to another model having substantially the same size as that of the present invention, only the gripping portion 62 of the end 61 is changed in accordance with the design of the model to be diverted. At this time, only the gripping portion 62 of the paper feed cassette 22 needs to be redesigned.
Further, for example, when the paper feed cassette 22 is diverted to another model having a smaller size compared to the present invention, the connecting portion 64 and the grip portion 62 of the end portion 61 are integrated to shorten the length, or the end portion. You may remove the connection part 64 from 61. FIG. At this time, even if the connecting portion 64 is removed from the end portion 61, the paper feeding section 74 is formed in the paper accommodating portion 60, so that the paper feeding cassette 22 has a paper feeding function.
Further, for example, when the paper feed cassette 22 is diverted to another model having a size larger than that of the present invention, the length of the connecting portion 64 or the gripping portion 62 of the end portion 61 may be increased. The gripping part 62 may be changed (replaced).

  Thus, by providing the sheet accommodating portion 60 and the end portion 61 as separate members, the sheet accommodating portion 60 can be commonly used for a plurality of models. In addition, by using the sheet storage unit 60 in common for a plurality of models, it is possible to prevent variations in sheet feeding performance among the models, and it is not necessary to evaluate the sheet feeding performance for each model. That is, the function design (sheet feeding function) for sheet conveyance can be shared. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the design man-hours of the paper feed cassette and reduce the design cost and design time.

  Further, since the sheet storage unit 60 and the end 61 and the gripping unit 62 and the connecting unit 64 are fixed (fitted) on the side wall surface of the sheet feeding cassette 22, the rigidity against bending in the sheet feeding direction can be increased. It is possible to reduce the possibility of bending and breaking at the dividing surface. Furthermore, the concave portion 102 of the first engaging portion 98a and the convex portion 104 of the first engaged portion 100, and the concave portion 102 of the second engaging portion 98b and the convex portion 112 of the second engaged portion 110 are provided. , And the sheet accommodating portion 60 and the end portion 61 and the gripping portion 62 and the connecting portion 64 can be positioned and fixed with high accuracy at the same time. In addition, since the fastening portion such as a screw is not used for the fixing portion of the paper accommodating portion 60 and the end portion 61 and the grip portion 62 and the connecting portion 64, the number of parts can be reduced and a driver or the like can be used. And can be assembled easily.

  Further, by providing the sheet storage unit 60 and the end 61, that is, the sheet storage unit 60, the gripping unit 62, and the connecting unit 64 as separate members, the mold in the manufacturing process can be reduced in size, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. can do.

  Next, a second embodiment will be described.

  In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member substantially the same as 1st Embodiment mentioned above, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In FIG. 4, the paper feed cassette 22 in the second embodiment is shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the paper feed cassette 22 has a paper feed cassette body 23. The sheet feeding cassette body 23 is configured such that a sheet accommodating portion 60 that accommodates sheets and an end portion 61 having a gripping portion 62 are detachably connected. The end portion 61 includes a gripping portion 62 and a connecting portion 64 that is detachably connected to the gripping portion 62.

  A shutter 114 is provided at the upper front end of the grip portion 62. The shutter 114 is rotatably provided on the grip portion 62 and is opened and closed by rotating.

  The connecting unit 64 is provided with a manual paper feeding unit 116 which is a paper feeding mechanism of the manual feeding unit. The manual paper feeding unit 116 has a manual paper feeding path 118. Specifically, a manual sheet conveyance path 118 in which a conveyance surface 120 is formed on the horizontal surface of the connecting portion 64 is provided. A plurality of guide ribs 122 are provided on the conveyance surface 120 of the manual sheet conveyance path 118 in a direction parallel to the paper feeding direction. In addition, a manual sheet feed roll 126 (second sheet roll) facing the above-described manual sheet feed roll 54 (second sheet feed roll) is provided at the center of the manual sheet conveyance path 118. Further, in the manual paper feed path 118, for example, two paper feed rollers 128, 128 rotatably supported by the connecting portion 64 are provided in the vicinity of the manual feed roll 126. The paper transport rollers 128 are disposed closer to the paper storage unit 60 than the manual feed roll 126 at a substantially central portion of the manual paper transport path 118. Further, the paper transport path 94 described above is formed in the connecting portion 64 on the wall surface of the connecting portion 64 on the side of the paper accommodating portion 60.

  FIG. 5 shows a state in which the paper feed cassette 22 is pulled out from the paper feed device main body 20 (in the direction of arrow A), and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the paper feed cassette 22 is mounted on the paper feed device main body 20. Has been. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the manual paper feed roll 54 described above faces the manual paper feed roll 126 when the paper feed cassette 22 is mounted on the paper feeder main body 20. In addition, a manual feed tray 130 is provided in the sheet feeder main body 20 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 132. As shown in FIG. 6, the shutter 114 (shown in FIG. 4) of the grip portion 62 is opened by rotating the manual feed tray 130 downward (in the direction of arrow B).

  Therefore, the uppermost sheet placed on the manual feed tray 130 is turned by the cooperation of the manual feed roll 54 and the manual feed roll 126 and is discharged from the manual feed tray 130.

  In this way, the paper feed mechanism of the manual feed unit can be provided at the end 61 (connecting portion 64) of the paper feed cassette 22. As a result, even in a model (image forming apparatus) having a manual feed unit, the paper feed cassette 22 of the present invention can be used, and high versatility (high design freedom) of the paper feed cassette 22 can be realized. .

1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the fixing | fixed part of the paper accommodating part and edge part (connection part) in the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view centering on the edge part of the paper feed cassette which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a paper feed cassette according to a second embodiment of the present invention and showing a state in which the paper feed cassette is pulled out from a paper feed device main body. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a sheet feeding cassette according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and showing a state in which the sheet feeding cassette is mounted on the sheet feeding apparatus main body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 18 Paper supply apparatus 22 Paper supply cassette 26 Paper supply roll 28 Rolling roll 54 Manual paper supply roll 60 Paper storage part 61 End part 62 Holding part 64 Connection part 76 Paper conveyance path 92a 1st engaging part 100 1st 1 engaged portion 126 manual feed roll 128 conveying roller

Claims (6)

Separation of the paper accommodating section paper feed unit for feeding the contained sheets are provided, the linked ends in the sheet accommodating portion and is connected detachably Rutotomoni, and the sheet accommodating portion and the end portion A paper feed cassette having a paper transport path formed in a portion thereof,
The end portion has a gripping portion and a connecting portion connected to the gripping portion, and forms a sheet feeding cassette by connecting the paper storage portion and the gripping portion via the connecting portion,
A sheet feeding cassette characterized in that when the sheet feeding cassette is of a relatively small size, a sheet feeding cassette can be configured by directly connecting a sheet storage unit and a gripping unit . When the paper storage and the gripping part are connected via the connection part, a paper transport path through which paper from another paper feed cassette passes is formed between the connection part and the paper storage part. paper feed cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that that. An engagement portion extending from a side wall is formed on one of the sheet storage portion and the end portion, and an engaged portion provided on the side wall is formed on the other side. The engagement portion and the engagement portion The sheet cassette according to claim 1, wherein the sheet storage portion and the end portion are fixed to each other by a side wall surface. The paper feed according to claim 3, wherein a concave portion is formed in one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion, and a convex portion is formed in the other, and the concave portion and the convex portion are fitted. cassette. The paper feed cassette according to claim 1, wherein the grip portion is changed according to the model. The paper feeder itself,
A paper feed cassette provided in the paper feed device main body so as to be freely drawn out;
Have
The paper cassette is
A paper storage section provided with a paper feed section for sending out the stored paper and an end connected to the paper storage section are detachably connected, and the paper storage section and the end are separated. A paper feed cassette having a paper transport path formed in a portion thereof,
The end portion has a gripping portion and a connecting portion connected to the gripping portion, and forms a sheet feeding cassette by connecting the paper storage portion and the gripping portion via the connecting portion,
A sheet feeding device characterized in that when a sheet cassette is relatively small in size, a sheet cassette can be configured by directly connecting a sheet storage unit and a gripping unit.

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