JP5316798B2 - Paper feeding device and image recording apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeder and an image recorder including the same capable of lowering a height without reducing the number of paper sheets storable in a paper feeding tray while preventing the paper sheets in the paper feeding tray from forcibly getting over an inclined separation plate. <P>SOLUTION: When moving the paper feeding tray 3 to a downstream side end in the inserting direction (paper feedable position) to a housing, a sliding contact member 56 slidingly contacts by traveling on a travel-on surface 55a, and the inclined separation plate 21 rises against an energizing force of a pull spring 58, and a regulating surface 50a of a recording object medium regulating body 50 sinks by retreating more than a separation surface 21a in the inclined separation plate 21. When extracting the paper sheet feeding tray 3 to the upstream side in the inserting direction to the housing 2, the sliding contact member 56 separates from the travel-on surface 55a, and the inclined separation plate 21 tilts in the lowering direction (to the downstream side in the inserting direction), and the regulating surface 50a of the recording object medium regulating body 50 projects to the separation surface 21a in the inclined separation plate 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feeding device having a paper feeding tray used for a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a case where a recording medium (sheet such as paper) is stored in a paper feeding tray and a paper feeding device. The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of preventing a recording medium (a sheet material such as paper) from sticking out of a paper feed tray when the paper tray is attached to the housing of the image recording apparatus. is there.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image recording apparatus such as a printer, a copier, or a facsimile machine, a configuration is known in which a paper feed tray (paper feed cassette) is arranged at a lower portion of a housing (apparatus housing) so as to be inserted and removed in a substantially horizontal direction. . In this image recording apparatus, an inclined separation plate having a separation member is provided on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the paper feed tray, and a base end portion thereof is pivotally supported in the housing so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. A so-called pendulum type paper feed roller having an arm body is provided. According to this configuration, the paper feed roller is rotationally driven with the paper feed roller pressed against the uppermost surface of the paper stacked and accommodated in the paper feed tray with the upper surface open, so that the edge of the paper is fed. The sheet of only the uppermost layer is separated by abutting against the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate provided on the downstream side of the paper tray in the feeding direction. The separated paper is conveyed to the image recording unit, and an image is recorded on the paper by the image recording unit.

  By the way, when a large number of sheets are stored in the storage unit of the sheet feeding tray, the trailing edge regulating plate disposed on the side opposite to the inclined separation plate (upstream side in the feeding direction) is once away from the trailing edge of the sheet. After storing a large number of sheets in the position, the trailing edge of the accumulated sheets is pressed by the trailing edge regulating plate so that the leading edge of the sheet (the edge on the upstream side in the feeding direction) is an inclined separation plate Abut. In this case, if the moving force in the pressing direction of the rear end regulating plate is strong, the sheet climbs so as to slip over the inclined surface and get over the upper end of the inclined separation plate. Further, if the user has a strong force when storing paper, the paper similarly climbs the inclined separation plate.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above inconvenience, in Patent Document 1, a stopper for regulating the leading edge of the paper is provided in a part of the inclined separation plate, and when the paper feed tray is pulled out from the image recording apparatus main body, the stopper Protrudes from the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate so as to be in contact with the paper, and when the paper feed tray is set (pushed in) into the image recording apparatus main body, the stopper is moved away from the non-contact position with the paper. Thus, a configuration for retracting from the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate has been proposed.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, an inclined leading end guide (hereinafter referred to as an inclined separation plate) is provided at the downstream end of the sheet tray (hereinafter referred to as a sheet feeding tray) in the sheet feeding direction, and the leading end position of the sheet is regulated separately. A position restricting block is provided. The position restricting block is provided so as to be able to appear and retract with respect to the opening of the inclined separation plate, and an advance / retreat mechanism is provided which is interlocked so that the position restricting block appears and disappears in accordance with the movement of the paper feed tray with respect to the main body of the image recording apparatus. ing. As a result, when the paper feed tray is pulled out from the image forming apparatus and the paper can be replenished, the high friction surface of the position restricting block protrudes from the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate, and the paper becomes the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate. The set failure which moves along and rides on the upper end of the inclined separation plate is prevented. On the other hand, in a state where the paper feed tray is completely inserted into the apparatus main body and the paper can be fed out, the high friction surface of the position restricting block is retracted from the inclined surface of the inclined separation plate, so that the image forming unit (image recording unit) It has been proposed to be able to smoothly feed the paper to).

  In the image recording apparatus having the above-described configuration, a paper feed roller that abuts on the surface of the uppermost sheet of paper accumulated in the paper feed tray and rotates to feed the paper to the image recording unit and the same And a paper feed mechanism having an arm body that can swing up and down. When the paper feed tray is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body, the paper feed roller and the arm body are lifted to the maximum raised position so as not to interfere with the upper end of the inclined separation plate (for example, And Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-2266 (see FIGS. 3 to 7) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-176043 (see FIGS. 9 and 10) Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-62965 (see FIGS. 9 to 15 etc.)

  However, in the image recording apparatus having the above-described configuration, the height of the inclined separation plate is higher than the maximum accommodation height of the paper accommodated in the paper feed tray in order to ensure the paper feeding (separation) action. There is a need to. Therefore, when the number of sheets (stacked number) stored in the sheet feed tray is increased, the height of the inclined separation plate increases. In order to eliminate the above-described interference, the height of the portion that accommodates the paper feed tray is inevitably so that the paper feed tray including the inclined separation plate is located below the paper feed mechanism having the paper feed roller and the arm body. There is a problem that the entire image recording apparatus becomes bulky (cannot be made compact).

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and when the user stores the paper in the paper feed tray or pushes the paper feed tray into the apparatus main body, the paper is excessively inclined and separated. While it does not get over the board (does not stick out or stick out), it can be lowered without lowering the stacking height of paper that can be stored in the paper feed tray, and without reducing the number of paper stacking. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device and an image recording apparatus including the sheet feeding device.

In order to achieve the above object, a sheet feeding device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a sheet feeding tray having an open top accommodating portion in which a recording medium can be deposited and accommodated in the device casing, and the feeding tray. A paper feeding device having a feeding means for feeding the recording media one by one from the uppermost layer of the recording media deposited on the paper tray in a predetermined feeding direction, A bottom plate on which a recording medium is deposited and a separating member, and the upper side is positioned lower than the lower side at a position on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the paper feed tray. An inclined separation plate that is inclined at a downstream side in the feeding direction, the inclined separation plate is rotatable about the lower side, and a feeding direction of the recording medium is provided in the paper feed tray A recording medium restricting body that restricts the front end is arranged, and the front is changed according to the insertion / extraction movement of the paper feed tray. Rotates the inclined separation plate, wherein and linking means for projecting and retracting with respect to the separation surface is provided in the recording medium regulating body the inclined separation plate, wherein the linkage means is provided in the device housing, the inclined A guide member for guiding the separation plate, wherein the inclined separation plate is guided by the guide member so that an upper side thereof is tilted upstream in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is inserted; The restriction surface of the medium restricting body is retracted from the recording medium side than the separation surface of the inclined separation plate, while the upper side is inclined to the downstream side in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is pulled out. Guided by a guide member, the restriction surface of the recording medium restricting body protrudes to the recording medium side from the separation surface .

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the inclined separation plate is increased in order to increase the amount of paper to be accommodated, the inclined plate is rotatable about the lower end portion. A recording medium restricting body that can be projected and retracted with respect to the separation surface of the inclined separation plate is disposed in the paper feed tray, and the inclined separation plate is rotated in response to the insertion / extraction movement of the paper feed tray. Linkage means for projecting and retracting the medium restricting body with respect to the separation surface of the inclined separation plate is provided, and the linkage means is provided in the apparatus housing and has a guide member for guiding the inclination separation plate, The inclined separation plate is guided by the guide member so that the upper side is inclined to the upstream side in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is inserted, and the restriction surface of the recording medium restricting body is the inclined separation plate. The recording medium rather than the separation surface The upper side is guided by the guide member so that the upper side is tilted to the downstream side in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is pulled out, and the regulation surface of the recording medium regulating body is the separation surface. In this case, the feeding means and the inclined separation plate do not interfere with each other when the paper feed tray is inserted and removed. Further, for example, when pulling out the paper feed tray from the inside of the apparatus main body, the inclined separation plate is tilted by the linkage means, and the recording medium restricting body protrudes with respect to the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. On the contrary, the recording medium regulating body is inclined and separated even when the paper feeding tray is inserted into the apparatus main body after the paper has been deposited on the paper feeding tray for the purpose of replenishing the recording medium (paper). It will be in the state protruded with respect to the separation surface in a board. Accordingly, since the downstream edge in the paper insertion direction in the paper feed tray is in contact with the recording medium restricting body, even if the paper is stored in the paper feed tray or the paper feed tray is pushed into the apparatus housing. The sheet can be held without overriding (extinging out) the inclined separation plate in a state where a part of the sheet is rotated. Further, in a state in which the paper feed tray on which the recording medium is deposited is set in the tray storage unit in the apparatus main body, the restriction surface of the recording medium restricting member is retracted (sunk) with respect to the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. When the paper is fed by the feeding means, the leading edge (downstream edge in the insertion direction) of the plurality of sheets is separated one by one while colliding with the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. The paper feeding function of feeding paper can be exhibited.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the paper feed tray is at the paper feed position, the leading edge of the paper is not regulated by the recording medium regulating body, so that the feeding operation is performed smoothly. Further, when the sheet feeding tray is pulled out downstream of the position where the inclined separation plate faces the feeding unit in the feeding direction, it is possible to prevent the sheet from slipping out of the sheet feeding tray by the recording medium regulating body. .

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the inclined separation plate is tilted only by inserting / removing the paper feed tray with respect to the apparatus housing, and the recording medium restricting body is separated from the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. Can be infested. In addition, the necessary functions can be satisfied while the linking means is small and has the minimum components.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the height of the storage portion of the paper feed tray is mounted at the paper feed position without causing interference such as the inclined separation plate colliding with the feeding means. The sheet feeding tray can be smoothly put in and out from the apparatus main body designed to be lower than the height of the inclined separation plate.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the feeding means is generally arranged corresponding to a part in the width direction of the recording medium in the paper feed tray, It suffices if the inclined separation plate is rotatable only with respect to it. By fixing the inclined separation plates at other locations to the paper feed tray, the rotating part can be made small and can be moved stably. In addition, the rigidity of the entire paper feed tray can be secured.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent the leading edge of the paper from slipping with respect to the regulation surface of the recording medium regulating body.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the tilting state of the tilt separating plate can be stably maintained, the tilt separating plate does not tilt carelessly when the paper feed tray is inserted and removed, and the feeding means, the tilt separating plate, There is an effect that the interference can be prevented.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the recording medium is reliably held in the paper feed tray, the recording medium is reliably conveyed to the image recording unit and image recording is performed.

1 is an overall perspective view of a multifunctional image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a recording unit and a left and right central part of a sheet feeding device. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the image recording apparatus and a paper feed tray with a part cut away. 2A and 2B are exploded perspective views of a main part of the paper feed tray, in which FIG. 1A is a rear housing portion in a state where an inclined separation plate is removed from the paper feed tray, and FIG. FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the inclined separation plate as viewed from the back surface side that does not contact the paper, and FIG. 4D is a perspective view of the back end of the apparatus main body. 4A and 4B are perspective views of a sheet feeding tray, in which FIG. 4A is a perspective view in a state where a sheet feeding operation can be performed, and FIG. (A) And (B) is principal part sectional drawing of a paper feed tray and an image recording device. (A) And (B) is principal part sectional drawing for action description. It is a schematic plan view which shows 2nd Example of the movable inclination separation plate and an image recording device.

[Basic structure of multi-function device 1]
As shown in FIG. 1, the front side (the front side in FIG. 1) of a housing 2 (corresponding to a device housing in the claims) in a multi-function device 1 as a multi-function type image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. ) Has an opening 2a. A paper feed tray 3 having an open top surface that accommodates paper P as a recording medium in a stacked state is mounted in the opening 2a so as to be insertable / removable along the X-axis direction. The recording medium accommodated in the paper feed tray 3 is hereinafter referred to as paper P for convenience, but the recording medium is not only plain paper, but also special paper such as postcards and envelopes, and special paper such as glossy paper, Furthermore, it is a concept including a resin film and the like. A paper discharge tray 33 is mounted on the upper surface of the paper feed tray 3. Hereinafter, the side with the opening 2a of the housing 2 made of synthetic resin as an example will be referred to as the front (front side), and the rear (back, back), right and left sides of the apparatus with reference to this side. As described above, the front-rear direction of the multi-function device 1 is the X-axis direction, and the left-right direction is the Y-axis direction. The term “insertion / removal” is not limited to the case where the paper feed tray 3 is detachable from the housing 2, and even when the paper feed tray 3 is pulled out of the housing 2, This is intended to include those in which the tray 3 cannot be removed (cannot be attached or detached).

  An image reading device 5 for reading a document in a copy function or a facsimile function is disposed on the upper part of the housing 2 made of synthetic resin. The image reading device 5 is configured to be rotatable so as to open and close in the vertical direction with respect to one side end of the housing 2 via a pivot portion (not shown). Further, the upper surface of the image reading device 5 is constituted by a glass plate (not shown) for placing a document, and this glass plate rotates in the vertical direction around the pivot with respect to the rear end of the image reading device 5. It is covered with a possible document cover body 6. The document cover body 6 is opened upward, the document is placed on the glass plate, and an image of the document is read by a document reading scanner (for example, CIS: Contact Image Sensor) that reciprocates in the main scanning direction below the glass plate. Read.

  On the upper surface of the housing 2 and in front of the document cover body 6, an operation panel unit 7 having various operation buttons and a liquid crystal display device 8 for displaying an operation procedure and a state of processing being executed are provided. ing. The various operation buttons include a start button, a stop button, and the like, and various operations are performed by pressing these operation buttons. In addition, the setting state of the multi-function device 1 and various operation messages are displayed as necessary.

  Next, the recording unit 10 and the paper feeding device 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the recording unit 10 and the paper feeding device 12.

[Recording section]
The carriage 13 in which the recording head 14 in the recording unit 10 (the image recording unit described in the claims) is mounted on the lower surface side includes a first guide member 15 on the upstream side in the paper P conveyance direction (arrow A direction) and a downstream first guide member 15. 2 is slidably supported (mounted) across the guide member 16, and can reciprocate in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction) which is a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  In order to reciprocate the carriage 13, a timing belt (not shown) arranged to extend in the main scanning direction is provided on the upper surface of the second guide member 16 arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper P. A CR (carriage) motor (not shown) that drives the timing belt is fixed to the lower surface of the second guide member 16.

  A flat plate-like platen 17 extending in the Y-axis direction so as to face the lower surface of the recording head 14 mounted on the carriage 13 is between the guide members 15 and 16 and is a main frame (not shown). It is fixed above the bottom plate. A space between the platen 17 and the bottom plate 59 of the housing 2 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) serves as a tray storage unit that can store a paper feed tray 3 described later and can be inserted and removed. The bottom plate 59 of the housing 2 supports at least a part of the bottom 3 a of the paper feed tray 3.

  Further, a registration roller (conveyance roller) pair 18 for sending the paper P to the lower surface of the recording head 14 is disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction A across the platen 17. A paper discharge roller pair 19 is provided for transporting the used paper P onto a paper discharge tray 33 provided on the upper surface of the paper feed tray 3. The platen 17 supports the paper P so that the gap between the paper P conveyed by the registration roller (conveying roller) pair 18 and the recording head 14 is constant.

[Paper Feeder]
Next, the configuration of the sheet feeding device 12 will be described in detail. The housing portion of the paper feed tray 3 that is an injection molded product of synthetic resin material includes a rear housing portion 3b and a front housing portion 3d that is connected to the rear housing portion 3b so as to be able to move forward and backward. The maximum size of the paper P that can be accommodated in the accommodating portion of the paper feed tray 3 in the state where the front accommodating portion 3d is moved backward with respect to the rear accommodating portion 3b and the total length (length in the X-axis direction) is increased. is there. In this case, the legal size paper P is stacked and accommodated in the interior of the rear storage portion 3b and the front storage portion 3d so that the long side is along the X-axis direction and the short side is along the Y-axis direction. Further, when accumulating and storing A4 size paper P, the front storage portion 3d is pushed into the rear storage portion 3b, and the length of the paper feed tray 3 is shortened. The paper P in the paper feed tray 3 is fed to the recording unit 10 one by one through a feeding means 20 (to be described later) and U-turn-shaped inner and outer diameter conveying path bodies 22 and 23.

  The rear housing portion 3b is a bottom portion 3a, left and right side plates 3c, and a downstream end in the feeding direction (a direction along the X-axis direction) (a downstream end in the insertion direction of the paper feed tray 3 and a back side). And an inclined separating plate 21 disposed on the surface. Similarly, a handle portion 3f is provided at the front end of the front housing portion 3d having a bottom plate and left and right side plates (both not shown). In the embodiment, the maximum accumulation amount of the paper P on the paper feed tray 3 is about 150 sheets of plain paper, and the accumulation height is about 15 mm.

  A paper discharge tray 33, which is an injection molded product of a synthetic resin material, is connected to the rear housing portion 3b so as to be rotatable up and down. The paper discharge tray 33 is placed on the left and right side plates of the front housing part 3d in a horizontal state (see FIG. 3), and can be pulled out from the opening 2a together with the front housing part 3d. In the present embodiment, an auxiliary tray unit 30 is integrally formed at the downstream end of the paper discharge tray unit 33 in the insertion direction of the paper feed tray 3, and the auxiliary tray unit 30 has a postcard or the like. Multiple sheets of small size can be stacked and accommodated. The sheet P can be conveyed to the recording unit 10 by the feeding unit 20 in a state where the auxiliary tray unit 30 is brought close to the surface (separation surface 21a) of the inclined separation plate 21.

  The inclined separation plate 21 is provided on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the paper feed tray 3, and is inclined so that the upper end side is directed toward the downstream side. The inclination angle of the inclination separation plate 21 is set to an angle that does not hinder the feeding of the paper P. Further, in the separation surface 21a (surface) of the inclined separation plate 21, the separation claw 57 is formed of a metal piece as a separation member at the left and right central portions and protrudes from the separation surface 21a (surface) at an appropriate interval in the vertical direction. Is provided. (See FIG. 4B). The detailed configuration of the inclined separation plate 21 will be described later.

  The front storage portion 3d in the paper feed tray 3 is provided with a pair of side guides 41 for guiding and positioning the side edges parallel to the feeding direction of the paper P in the paper feed tray 3 (see FIG. 3, FIG. 4 (A) and FIG. 8). On the other hand, the front storage portion 3d is provided with a rear guide 37 (see FIGS. 2 and 5A) that can be moved and adjusted along the X-axis direction so as to contact the rear edge of the paper P. However, FIG. 4 shows the rear accommodating portion 3b in a state where the paper discharge tray portion 33 and the rear guide 37 are removed.

  The pair of side guides 41 are arranged on the bottom plate 3a between the left and right side plates 3c of the paper feed tray 3 in a direction (Y-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the feeding direction of the paper P (also in the X-axis direction and also in the sub-scanning direction). In the main scanning direction). These are configurations using a known rack and pinion. When one side guide 41 is moved, the other side guide 41 is also moved. With the pair of side guides 41, the center line in the width direction of the paper feed tray 3 (direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the paper P) and the center line in the width direction of the paper P can be matched. That is, the paper P can be aligned with the center position of the paper feed tray 3.

[Feeding means]
Next, the structure of the feeding means (also referred to as a paper feed roller unit) 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the embodiment, the arm 20c made of synthetic resin in the feeding means 20 extends so as to approach the inclined separation plate 21, and can be turned up and down around the drive shaft 39. A pair of left and right paper feed rollers 20a is disposed at the tip of the arm body 20c, and the paper feed roller 20a is rotationally driven from a drive shaft 39 via a gear transmission mechanism (not shown) provided on the arm body 20c. To do. The gear transmission mechanism includes a plurality of transmission gears and a planetary gear. Note that the pair of paper feed rollers 20a in the embodiment are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the center line of the paper feed tray 3 in the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 3).

  When separating and feeding the sheets P from the sheet feeding tray 3 one by one, a feeding motor (not shown) rotates to rotate the drive shaft 39 (counterclockwise in FIG. 2), and the gear transmission mechanism is Accordingly, the arm body 20c is urged downward. The paper feed roller 20a at the tip of the arm body 20c is pressed against the uppermost surface of the paper P deposited on the paper feed tray 3, and the paper feed roller 20a is connected via a gear transmission mechanism provided on the arm body 20c. The sheet P is rotated in the feeding direction (the clockwise direction in FIG. 2). Then, in cooperation with the separation claw 57 provided on the separation surface 21a of the inclined separation plate 21, only the sheet P1 stored in the sheet feed tray 3 is separated and fed.

[Evacuation means for feeding means]
Next, when the paper feed tray 3 is inserted into and removed from the housing 2 in a substantially horizontal direction, the feeding means 20 that is the arm body 20c and the paper feed roller 20a is moved to the front end portion of the paper feed tray 3 (the inclined separation plate 21). ) Will be described to prevent it from becoming unpluggable due to collision (interference). The retracting means includes a cam follower as an operating body provided in the arm body 20c, and a cam portion 44 as a derivative formed on the upper surface of at least one side plate 3c of the paper feed tray 3 to be inserted and removed and to which the cam follower is in sliding contact. This configuration is known and is described in, for example, Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-624965).

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a wing 43 as a cam follower extending in parallel with the axis of the drive shaft 39 is integrally provided near the base portion of the arm body 20 c so as to extend along the Y-axis direction. ing.

  On the other hand, as described above, the height of the upper surface of one side plate 3c of the paper feed tray 3 (corresponding to the side on which the wing 43 extends) is along the X-axis direction, which is the insertion / extraction direction of the paper feed tray 3. A changing cam portion 44 is formed (see FIG. 4A). The cam portion 44 is formed on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the first portion 44a which is high in height and close to the inclined separation plate 21 of the paper feed tray 3 and is substantially horizontal. And a V-shaped second portion 44b.

  With this configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, the sheet feeding tray 3 is pushed into the housing 2 so that the inclined separation plate 21 is adjacent to the lower end position of the U-turn-shaped conveyance path bodies 22 and 23, and the sheet P is loaded. In a state in which the wing 43 is mounted at a paper feeding position where paper feeding is possible, the wing 43 is disposed to face the lowest height portion of the second portion 44b of the cam portion 44. In this state, the arm body 20c is inclined downward toward the downstream side in the feeding direction so that the paper feed roller 20a can come into contact with the bottom plate 3a of the paper feed tray 3 or the uppermost surface of the stacked paper P. Become posture.

  When the paper feed tray 3 is pulled out from the housing 2 from the above state, the wing 43 is first pushed up while being in sliding contact with the V-shaped second portion 44b. Thereby, the arm body 20c is also pushed up. When the paper feed tray 3 is pulled out in a state where the lower end of the feeding means 20 including the paper feed roller 20a and the arm body 20c is located above the upper end of the inclined separation plate 21, the paper supply roller 20a is moved to the inclined separation plate 21. You can get over without getting caught in the upper edge of the.

  Conversely, when inserting the paper feed tray 3 into the housing 2, the arm body 20 c is pushed up through the operating body at the upper end edge of the inclined separation plate 21 at the tip of the paper feed tray 3. As a result, when the feeding means 20 gets over the upper edge of the inclined separation plate 21, the wing 43, which is a cam follower, moves along the cam portion 44 of the paper feed tray 3 by the reverse operation when the paper feed tray 3 is pulled out. However, at the place where the height of the cam portion 44 is lowered, as shown in FIG. 2, the arm body 20c and its paper feed roller 20a can be lowered so as to be close to the bottom portion 3a.

[Paper misalignment prevention means (paper protrusion prevention means)]
When the paper feed tray 3 is inserted into and removed from the housing 2 (device main body) (particularly during insertion) or when the paper is stored in the paper feed tray 3, the protrusion prevention means prevents the paper P from being inadvertently displaced, This is to prevent the paper P accumulated on the paper feed tray 3 from protruding toward the downstream side in the feeding direction.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 (A) to FIG. 4 (D), FIG. 5 (A), FIG. 5 (B), FIG. 6 (A), and FIG. 21 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the paper feed tray 3 around the lower side thereof. On the other hand, a recording medium restricting body 50 that can move in and out in the insertion direction of the paper feed tray 3 (also the feeding direction of the paper P) with respect to the separation surface 21a of the inclined separation plate 21 is fixedly disposed on the paper feed tray 3. Has been. Then, the housing 2 and the inclined separation plate 21 are tilted by the inclination separation plate 21 according to the insertion / extraction movement of the paper feed tray 3, so that the restriction surface 50 a of the recording medium restricting body 50 is the separation surface of the inclination separation plate 21. Coupling means for moving up and down with respect to 21a is provided.

  More specifically, a pin 51 serving as a pivot is integrally formed on the lower side at both ends of the inclined separation plate 21 that is long on the left and right, and both the pins 51 are formed on the left and right side plates 3 c of the paper feed tray 3. The shaft hole 52 is rotatably mounted (see FIGS. 4A to 4C).

  The recording medium restricting body 50 is formed in a triangular shape in the projection direction from the side surface of the paper feed tray 3 and protrudes upward from the bottom plate 3 a of the paper feed tray 3. The slope of the recording medium restricting body 50 becomes the restricting surface 50a, and a member having a large frictional resistance is fixed to the restricting surface 50a or is subjected to a surface treatment. In that case, the regulation surface 50 a is formed to be larger than the resistance friction against the paper P by the separation surface 21 a and the separation claw 57 in the inclined separation plate 21. Note that the recording medium restricting body 50 may be formed in another shape, and may not be in a planar shape like the restricting surface 50a. That is, it is only necessary that the resistance friction is larger than that of the inclined separation plate and can be moved in and out as the inclined separation plate rotates.

  A plurality of recording medium restricting bodies 50 are provided along the paper width direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 4) (in the embodiment, two are provided at symmetrical positions near the center with respect to the left and right center line of the paper feed tray 3). It has been. On the other hand, a window hole 53 through which at least the restriction surface 50a of the recording medium restricting body 50 can pass is formed in the inclined separation plate 21 so as to correspond to the arrangement position of each recording medium restricting body 50. In that case, the inclined separation plate 21 is connected by a connecting piece 54 at a part of the window hole 53 (for example, an upper end part) so as not to be separated at the window hole 53. A connecting piece 54 is provided in the middle in the vertical direction of the window hole 53, and a notch recess in which the connecting piece 54 fits is formed on the regulation surface 50 a of each recording medium regulating body 50.

  The linking means includes a guide member 55 provided on the housing 2 and having a riding surface 55a, and a sliding member 56 provided on the inclined separation plate 21 and capable of sliding on the riding surface 55a of the guide member 55. . When the paper feed tray 3 is moved to the downstream end (feedable position) in the insertion direction with respect to the housing 2, the sliding contact member 56 rides on the riding surface 55a and comes into sliding contact with the inclined separation plate 21 so that its height is high. The upper side rises toward the upstream side in the feeding direction so as to be higher, and at least the regulating surface 50a of the recording medium regulating body 50 is retracted from the separating surface 21a of the inclined separating plate 21 and sinks. On the other hand, when the paper feed tray 3 is moved (drawn) upstream of the housing 2 in the insertion direction, the sliding contact member 56 is separated from the riding surface 55a, and the upper side in the direction in which the inclined separation plate 21 is lowered ( The regulating surface 50 a of the recording medium regulating body 50 is configured to protrude with respect to the separation surface 21 a of the inclined separation plate 21.

  More specifically, the guide member 55 is integrally formed on the back side of the bottom plate 59 in the housing 2, and is adjacent to the upstream side in the insertion direction of the riding surface 55a, and the inclined guide surface 55b that guides the sliding contact member 56. Are integrally formed (see FIG. 4D, FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B). On the other hand, the sliding contact member 56 is integrally formed so as to extend obliquely downward on the back side of the surface contacting the paper P, which is the back surface of the inclined separation plate 21. The guide member 55 and the slidable contact member 56 are provided at the same position in the paper P width direction (Y-axis direction), and are slidable. Of course, the riding surface 55a and the inclined guide surface 55b may not be planar.

  Further, the inclined separation plate 21 that can rotate around the pin 51 is inserted by an urging means such as a tension spring 58 mounted between the back plate of the paper feed tray 3 and the back surface of the inclined separation plate 21. It is urged in the direction of falling toward the downstream side (see FIGS. 6A and 6B). Of course, it is good also as a structure which does not provide biasing means, such as the tension spring 58, and the inclination separation board 21 falls down with the dead weight. However, by providing the urging means, it is possible to maintain the state in which the inclined separation plate 21 is more stably tilted downstream in the feeding direction.

  With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the paper feed tray 3 is mounted in the tray storage portion of the housing 2 and is slightly pulled out from the paper feed position where the paper P can be fed, the arm body 20c Is substantially horizontal. In this state, the paper P can be supplied to the paper feed tray 3 from the opening 2 a of the housing 2.

  In this state, as shown in FIGS. 6 (A) and 7 (A), the inclined separation plate 21 is urged in a direction to fall toward the downstream side in the insertion direction by the urging means such as the tension spring 58. Yes. Since the sliding contact member 56 is in sliding contact with the bottom plate 3 a of the paper feed tray 3 lower than the guide member 55, the inclined separation plate 21 rotates around the pin 51 and reaches the upper end of the inclined separation plate 21. The height of becomes low. Accordingly, the angle formed by the inclined separation plate 21 and the bottom plate of the paper feed tray is increased, and the paper P is easily slid out of the paper feed tray 3 from the inclined separation plate 21. However, when the inclined separation plate 21 rotates, the restriction surface 50 a of the recording medium restriction body 50 protrudes from the separation surface 21 a of the inclined separation plate 21. Accordingly, the leading edge (the downstream edge in the insertion direction of the paper feed tray 3) of the paper P accumulated and stored in the paper feed tray 3 is regulated by the regulation surface 50a having a large frictional resistance, and the paper P is inadvertently shifted. In particular, when the paper feed tray 3 is inserted into the apparatus housing or when the paper P is replenished to the paper feed tray 3, the paper P deposited on the paper feed tray 3 approaches the downstream side in the feeding direction. Protruding (overhanging) can be prevented.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the paper feed tray 3 on which the paper P is deposited is pushed into the tray storage portion in the housing 2. Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 (B), 6 (B) and 7 (B), the sliding contact member 56 provided on the inclined separation plate 21 is inclined by the guide member 55 provided on the apparatus main body side. First, it comes into sliding contact with the guide surface 55b. When the paper feed tray 3 is further pushed in, the sliding contact member 56 rides up and comes into contact with the riding surface 55a. Along with this, the inclined separating plate 21 rotates (stands up) around the pin 51 in the direction in which the height increases, that is, the upper side toward the downstream side in the feeding direction, and the recording medium regulating body. The 50 regulating surfaces 50a are retracted from the separating surface 21a of the inclined separating plate 21 and sink. In this state, the sheet feeding roller 20a of the feeding means 20 comes into contact with the uppermost layer of the sheets P stacked and accommodated in the sheet feeding tray 3, and the sheet feeding roller 20a is rotated in a predetermined direction, so that the separation surface 21a, in particular, The paper P is separated one by one by the cooperative action with the separation claw 57, and the paper P can be fed to the recording unit 10. At that time, since the recording medium restricting body 50 is in a position retracted from the paper P side relative to the separation surface 21a, the feeding of the paper P is not hindered. The configuration of the linking means is not limited to the above, and any configuration can be applied to the present invention as long as the inclined separation plate 21 is rotated in accordance with the insertion of the paper feed tray 3 into the paper feed position. Moreover, the arrangement can be freely set.

  FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the inclined separation plate 21 in the protrusion preventing means. In this embodiment, the rotatable inclined separating plate 21 is provided corresponding to a part of the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the paper P in the paper feed tray 3. For example, in a so-called center alignment mode in which the center in the width direction of the sheet P is aligned with the center line in the left-right direction of the sheet feed tray 3, the rotatable inclined separation plate 21 is located on the center side in the width direction of the sheet feed tray 3. The fixed inclined separation plate 60 that is not rotated and is provided on the side close to the left and right side plates 3c of the paper feed tray 3. Since the rotating part becomes small, a more stable rotating operation becomes possible. Further, it is easy to ensure the rigidity of the entire sheet feeding tray 3. It should be noted that the height of the fixed inclined separation plate 60 may be about the maximum accumulated height of the paper P. Also in this case, the recording medium restricting body 50 is disposed so as to be able to contact the edge extending in the width direction of any size of paper P that can be accommodated in the paper feed tray 3. For example, the recording medium restricting body 50 should be disposed on the side closer to the center in the width direction of the paper feed tray 3 so as to cope with a postcard having a small width dimension. In each of the above embodiments, the recording medium regulating body 50 may be one, or may be a plurality of three or more.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The paper feed tray 3 may be configured to be pulled out partway rather than being pulled out from the apparatus housing. In that case, the height of the inclined separating plate 21 only needs to be lower than the height of the feeding means facing the inclined separating plate 21 at the pull-out position. Further, the above apparatus may be constituted only by a paper feeding device, and the image recording device may be provided separately.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Housing as apparatus housing 3 Paper feed tray 3a Bottom part 20 Paper feed roller unit as feeding means 20a Paper feed roller 20c Arm body 21 Inclined separation plate 21a Separation surface 50 Recording medium restriction body 50a Restriction surface 55 Guide member 55a Riding surface 56 Sliding member

Claims (8)

A paper feed tray having an open top accommodating portion capable of accumulating and accommodating a recording medium in the apparatus housing;
A sheet feeding device having sheet feeding means for feeding the recording medium one by one from the uppermost layer of the recording medium deposited on the sheet feeding tray in a predetermined feeding direction;
The paper feed tray can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus housing, has a bottom plate for depositing a recording medium, and a separating member, and the upper side is a lower part at a position downstream of the paper feed tray in the feeding direction. An inclined separation plate that is located on the downstream side in the feeding direction from the side and is inclined,
The inclined separation plate is rotatable around the lower side,
The paper feed tray is provided with a recording medium restricting body that restricts the leading end of the recording medium in the feeding direction,
Is rotated the inclined separation plate in accordance with the insertion and removal movement of the paper feed tray is provided with a linkage means for infested the recording medium restriction member against separation plane definitive the inclined separation plate,
The linkage means includes a guide member that is provided in the apparatus housing and guides the inclined separation plate,
The inclined separation plate is guided by the guide member so that the upper side is inclined to the upstream side in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is inserted, and the restriction surface of the recording medium restricting body is the inclined separation plate. Is retracted from the recording medium side with respect to the separation surface of the recording medium, while the upper side is guided by the guide member so as to tilt toward the downstream side in the feeding direction when the paper feed tray is pulled out, and the recording medium restriction A sheet feeding device , characterized in that a body regulating surface protrudes closer to a recording medium than the separation surface . The separation surface of the inclined separation plate is attached to the recording medium restriction at a paper feeding position where the paper feeding tray is attached to the apparatus housing and the recording medium can be fed by the feeding means. It is located on the recording medium side of the body regulation surface ,
When there is a paper feed tray at a position where the inclined separating plate faces the feeding means and upstream in the feeding direction, the upper side of the inclined separating plate is fed more than when it is at the paper feeding position. 2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is tilted downstream in a direction, and the regulation surface of the recording medium regulating body is located closer to the recording medium than the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. The guide member has a ride-up portion,
The linkage means includes a sliding contact member provided on the inclined separation plate and capable of sliding contact with the riding portion of the guide member,
When the paper feed tray is inserted into the apparatus housing, the sliding contact member rides on the riding part and comes into sliding contact, and the upper side of the inclined separation plate is tilted upstream in the feeding direction. While the regulation surface of the recording medium regulating body is retracted from the recording medium side than the separation surface of the inclined separation plate, when the paper feed tray is pulled out with respect to the apparatus housing , the sliding contact member is The upper surface side of the inclined separation plate is tilted to the downstream side in the feeding direction away from the riding section so that the restriction surface of the recording medium restricting body protrudes from the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is configured.   The feeding means can move up and down with respect to the bottom plate of the paper feed tray, and the inclined separating plate tilts to a position where the upper end position of the inclined separating plate is lower than the lower end of the feeding means in the raised position. The paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The rotatable tilt separating plate is provided corresponding to a part of a width direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the recording medium in the paper feeding tray. The paper feeder according to any one of the above.   6. The contact portion of the recording medium restricting body with the recording medium is formed such that a frictional resistance is larger than that of the separation surface of the inclined separation plate. The paper feeder described.   The feeding according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising biasing means for biasing the rotatable tilt separating plate in a direction in which the upper side is tilted to the downstream side in the feeding direction. Paper device. A paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium fed by the feeding means via a conveying path;
An image recording unit capable of recording an image on a recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit;
An image recording apparatus comprising:

Images