JP2000335753A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mitigate the impact of front loading type of feeding cassette devices when closed in contact with a device mainbody and prevent the deviation of a guide for the feeding cassette devices and the breakage of parts due to the deviation. SOLUTION: A cylinder 18 is provided on a device mainbody 10 and a piston 17 to be fitted to the cylinder 18 is provided on sheets feeding cassette devices 12a-12d. Air is compressed in the cylinder 18 by the piston, when the feeding cassette devices 12a-12d are closed after slid, to reduce the sliding speed of the feeding cassette devices 12a-12d.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an image forming apparatus for reducing a shock when a paper feed cassette device is slidably mounted on an image forming apparatus main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus, a front loading type paper feed cassette apparatus which can realize space saving is generally used as a paper feed means. Conventionally, this front-loading type paper feed cassette device has been conventionally slid in accordance with the size of the paper so that a plurality of types of papers having different sizes can be exchangeably stored with the sophistication and diversification of the image forming apparatus main body. A possible guide was provided to regulate the side of the paper.

Further, a front loading type paper feed cassette device is provided with rollers on both sides to smoothly perform a sliding movement operation at the time of replenishing and replacing paper, and a roller formed on a rail formed on the image forming apparatus main body side. It was sliding.

[0004]

Conventionally, a sheet cassette apparatus of the front loading type uses a roller and a guide rail for guiding the roller to smoothly perform the sliding movement operation. When the amount of paper to be stored in the printer is almost full and the paper is pushed into the main body with a strong force, the weight of the paper and the impact of the paper cassette device hitting the main body of the image forming apparatus cause
There is a problem that the guide that regulates the side of the paper is misaligned, causing a paper feeding failure, or the misalignment of the guide may damage parts such as racks and pinions for sliding the guide and require repair. Had occurred.

In view of the above, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the present invention has been made to solve the above problem. The object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable and safe image forming apparatus capable of preventing misalignment of guides, preventing damage to components due to misalignment of guides, and performing good paper feeding. .

[0006]

According to the present invention, as a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, an apparatus main body having an image forming means, a sheet to be supplied to the image forming means are stored and slid and moved to the apparatus main body. A paper storage means to be mounted, and a braking means for reducing a sliding speed of the paper storage means when the paper storage means slides on the apparatus main body before the paper storage means comes into contact with the apparatus main body. It is.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus main body having an image forming means, and a sheet storing means for storing a sheet to be supplied to the image forming means, sliding the sheet, and mounting the sheet on the apparatus main body. And the piston is fitted to the cylinder before the paper storage means comes into contact with the apparatus main body, the slide speed of the paper storage means being reduced by air compressed by the piston in the cylinder. And a braking means for reducing the pressure.

According to the present invention, the above means reduces the impact caused by the contact with the apparatus main body when the paper cassette is mounted, while smoothly moving the paper cassette to slide and maintaining good operability. It is intended to improve the reliability and safety of sheet feeding without causing displacement or damage to parts.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. Reference numeral 1 denotes an electrophotographic apparatus as an image forming apparatus, which has a large-capacity paper feed cassette apparatus 11 for supplying sheets P to an image forming means (not shown) in the apparatus main body 10 and a multi-stage front as a sheet storing means. Loading type paper feed cassette device 12a
To 12d. Each paper cassette device 12a-1
2d has slidable guides 13a and 13b that support the side surfaces of the sheets so that a plurality of types of sheets P of different sizes can be exchangeably stored. In addition, each paper cassette device 1
Guide rollers (not shown) provided on the apparatus main body 10 on both sides of 2a to 12d guide the paper feed cassette apparatuses 12a to 12d by rollers 14a provided at the ends thereof.
A slider 14 for smoothly pulling out and mounting d is formed.

A piston 17 having a rubber O-ring 17a at its tip is attached to the back end of the front cover 16 of each of the paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12d. on the other hand,
At a position facing the piston 17 of the apparatus main body 10, a cylinder 18 having an opening 18a formed at a tip thereof for gradually flowing out air is provided. The piston 17 and the cylinder 18 constituting the control means are fitted in a state where the sheet cassette devices 12a to 12d are mounted on the apparatus main body 10. The airtightness between the piston 17 and the inner wall of the cylinder 18 is enhanced by the O-ring 17a.

As described above, the sheet cassette units 12a to 12
When the image forming operation is performed in the electrophotographic apparatus 1 to which the image forming means d is mounted, the sheet is fed from the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d or the large-capacity sheet cassette unit 11 to the image forming means (not shown). The paper cassette unit 1
When it is necessary to replenish the paper P to the sheets 2a to 12d or to exchange the paper P, pull the handle of the front cover 16 and select one of the required paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12d.
2d is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10.

Thereafter, when the replenishment or replacement of the paper P is completed, the front cover 16 is pushed and the slider 14 is slid along the guide rail (not shown) of the apparatus main body 10 to move the paper cassette apparatuses 12a to 12d as shown in FIG. It is slid in the direction of the arrow x and attached to the apparatus main body 10. However, just before the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d come into contact with the apparatus main body, the piston 17 is inserted into the cylinder 18 as shown by the arrow x direction in FIG. Cassette device 12a-
The braking is applied to the sliding movement of 12d. Accordingly, the sliding speed of the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d is reduced, and thereafter, as the air in the cylinder 18 gradually flows out from the opening 18a, the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d
d is loosely mounted on the apparatus main body 10. Accordingly, the guide 1 is provided in the sheet cassette devices 12a to 12d.
The displacement of the components 3a and 13b or the component damage due to the displacement is prevented.

Moreover, the paper cassette units 12a to 12d
To apply the braking, press the front cover 16 loosely,
When the paper cassette units 12a to 12d are closed at a slow sliding speed from the beginning, the air in the cylinder 18 gradually flows out of the opening 18a regardless of the compression by the piston 17, so that the paper cassette units 12a-1
2d does not apply much braking and is mounted smoothly. On the other hand, when the front cover 16 is pressed vigorously to close the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d at a high sliding speed, the outflow of the air from the opening 18a is smaller than the compression of the air by the piston 17, so that the sheet is fed. Cassette device 1
Large braking is applied to 2a to 12d, and effective impact relaxation is achieved.

Note that the paper feed cassette device 12 is
When the pistons 17 and the cylinders 18 are pulled out, the outside air flows into the cylinders 18 through the apertures 18a as the pistons 17 are pulled out. The paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12d can be pulled out smoothly without feeling the weight.

With this configuration, when the paper feed cassette device having a smooth sliding operation is pulled out of the apparatus main body 10 and then closed, the air pressure in the cylinder 18 compressed by the piston 17 causes the paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12a to move.
Since the speed of the slide movement is reduced by braking the slide movement of the paper feed cassette device 12d, even if the paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12d are initially pushed vigorously, the paper feed cassette devices 12a to 12d
When d comes into contact with the apparatus main body 10, the sheet feeding cassette apparatus 1
2a to 12d are gently closed to reduce the impact at the time of contact. Therefore, regardless of how the sheet cassette units 12a to 12d are closed, the sheet can be satisfactorily fed without the guides 13a and 13b being displaced by the impact. Guide 13
The reliability and safety of the device can be improved without any damage to the components for sliding a and 13b.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the number of paper storage units mounted on the image forming apparatus may be changed as required. Can be increased or decreased. Also, the piston and the cylinder may be mounted such that the piston is mounted on the apparatus main body side and the cylinder is provided on the paper storage means side.

Further, the structure of the paper feed cassette device is not limited. For example, as shown in a first modified example shown in FIG. May be adjusted so that the adhesion between the cylinder 20 and the cylinder 20 is gradually discharged from the cylinder 20 when compressed by a piston (not shown) during braking. However, when the leading end of the cylinder 20 is closed in this manner, when the paper cassette is pulled out from the apparatus main body, since the outside air does not flow into the cylinder 20 little, braking is applied even when the paper cassette is pulled out, and the slide is performed. Movement becomes heavy.

For this reason, for example, the second type shown in FIGS.
As in the modification of the above, an opening 22a is formed at the tip of the cylinder 22, and a mylar foil 23
May be attached so that the user does not feel the weight when pulling out the paper feed cassette device. According to the second modification, when the sheet cassette device is mounted on the apparatus main body, the mylar foil 23 closes the opening 22a as shown in FIG. 6 due to the pressure of the piston 24 inserted in the direction of the arrow y. As described above, the air is stuck to the inner wall of the cylinder 22 to prevent the air from flowing out from the opening 22a, and the air pressure in the cylinder 22 compressed by the piston 24 reduces the sliding speed of the sheet feeding cassette device, thereby making contact with the device main body. Can be mitigated, and displacement of the guide of the sheet feeding cassette device and damage of parts can be prevented. On the other hand, when pulling out the paper cassette unit from the main unit,
The mylar foil 23 is separated from the inner wall of the cylinder 22 as shown in FIG. 7 so as not to prevent air from flowing into the cylinder 22 from the opening 22a by suction of the piston 24 pulled in the arrow z direction. Is smoothly pulled out without feeling the weight due to braking during the pull-out operation.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the apparatus main body can be closed regardless of how the paper cassette apparatus is closed without impairing the smooth sliding opening / closing operation of the paper cassette apparatus. The sliding speed of the sheet feeding cassette device at the time of contact with the sheet cassette can be reduced, and the impact due to the contact can be reduced. Therefore, the guide is not displaced due to the impact at the time of contact between the sheet cassette device and the apparatus main body, and the components are not damaged due to the displacement, so that the reliability and safety of sheet feeding can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which the sheet cassette apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the apparatus main body.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a piston and a cylinder according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a cylinder according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a cylinder according to a first modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which a piston is inserted into a cylinder according to a second modified example of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which a piston is pulled out of a cylinder according to a second modified example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electrophotographic apparatus 10 ... Device main body 12a-12d ... Paper feed cassette apparatus 13a, 13b ... Guide 14 ... Slider 14a ... Roller 16 ... Front cover 17 ... Piston 17a ... O-ring 18 ... Cylinder 18a ... Opening

Claims (4)

[Claims] An apparatus main body having an image forming means; a paper storing means for storing and sliding a sheet to be supplied to the image forming means to be mounted on the apparatus main body; At the time of slide installation,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a braking unit configured to reduce a sliding speed of the sheet storage unit before the sheet storage unit comes into contact with the apparatus main body. 2. An apparatus main body having an image forming means, a sheet storing means for storing and sliding a sheet to be supplied to the image forming means to be mounted on the apparatus main body, and a cylinder and a piston, wherein the sheet storing means comprises a cylinder and a piston. The piston is fitted to the cylinder before coming into contact with the apparatus main body, and braking means for reducing a sliding speed of the paper storage means by air compressed by the piston in the cylinder is provided. Image forming apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cylinder has an opening through which air compressed by the piston flows out and outside air flows into the cylinder when the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder. apparatus. 4. The cylinder opens the inflow hole into which external air flows into the cylinder when the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder, and opens the inflow hole when the piston is withdrawn from the cylinder, and inserts the piston into the cylinder. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a valve that sometimes closes the inflow hole.