JP2005231901A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a regulation means for regulating a side fringe of a recording paper from being deviated by impact caused when inserting and pulling out a recording paper storage part storing a large amount of recording paper in the recording paper storage part. <P>SOLUTION: The regulation means for regulating the side fringe of recording paper is fixed to an action member provided in a main body when mounting the recording paper storage part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and in particular, a sheet feeding unit that separates and feeds sheets one by one from a large number of stored recording sheets, and a recording sheet storage that configures the sheet feeding unit and stores a plurality of recording sheets Regarding improvement of the department.

  A high-speed image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic image forming apparatus generally stores a large number of recording sheets in a recording sheet storage unit, and separates the recording sheet into one sheet from the recording sheet storage unit. Is configured to feed paper.

  As the speed of image forming apparatuses increases, a large capacity recording paper storage unit tends to be required. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the operability of replenishing recording paper, an image forming apparatus having a recording paper storage section in which the recording paper storage section can be mounted by a simple insertion / removal operation has become widespread. However, when the recording paper storage unit is mounted by insertion / removal operation, when inserting a large amount of recording paper storage unit storing a large amount of recording paper into the main body of the image forming apparatus, It became clear that a big impact would be a problem.

  In particular, in a universal tray provided with a restricting means that can be displaced according to the recording paper size, it is difficult to provide a strong fixing function for the fixing means that fixes the restricting means at a position corresponding to the recording paper size. It has been found that the restricting means shifts from the set position or the restricting means tilts due to an impact generated when the recording paper storage means is mounted. In order to solve such a problem, if a fixing means for firmly fixing the restricting means is provided, the operability when displacing the restricting means according to the recording paper size is lowered, and it becomes difficult to use. Will occur.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in a large capacity recording paper storage unit.

The object is achieved by the following invention.
(Claim 1)
A control means that is movable according to the size of the recording paper and that restricts the side edges of the recording paper, an action member provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and the action member when the recording paper storage section is mounted on the image forming apparatus main body An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that acts on the fixing unit to fix the regulating unit to the recording paper storage unit.
(Claim 2)
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer member that relaxes an action between the action member and the fixing unit.

  According to the first or second aspect of the present invention, when the large-capacity recording paper storage unit is attached or detached, it is possible to reliably prevent the regulating means from being displaced or tilted due to an impact, and the regulation means is provided for the regulation. The operability of the means is not lowered.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a sheet feeding unit and a conveyance unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an automatic document feeder 1 at the top of an image forming apparatus main body, an image reading unit 2, an image forming unit 3, a paper feeding unit 4, a transport unit 5 and paper discharge in the image forming apparatus main body. A refeed unit 6 is provided.

  The automatic document feeder 1 is an apparatus that is provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus main body, feeds documents one by one, conveys them to the image reading position, and discharges the document after image reading. The automatic document feeder 1 transports a document placed on the document placing table 11 on which the document is placed, a document separating unit 12 that separates the document placed on the document placing table 11 one by one, and a document separated by the document separating unit 12. The document transporting means 13 for receiving, the document discharging means 14 for discharging the document transported by the document transporting means 13, the document discharged by the document discharging means 14, A document reversing unit 16 is provided for reversing the front and back of the document when reading both-side images.

  A plurality of documents placed on the document placing table 11 are separated by the document separating means 12 and conveyed one by one. The document separated and transported by the document separating unit 12 is transported by the document transporting unit 13, and the image of the document is read through the slit 21 by the image reading unit 2 provided below. The document from which the image has been read is discharged onto the document discharge table 15 by the document discharge unit 14. When reading the images on both sides of the document, the document on which the image on the front side is read is reversed by the document reversing unit 16 and conveyed again by the document conveying unit 13, and the image reading unit slits 21. The image on the back side of the document is read through. Then, the original on which the image on the back side is read is discharged onto the original discharge tray 15 by the original discharge means 14. Such a process is repeated for the number of documents placed on the document placing table 11, and an image of the document is read.

  Further, the automatic document feeder 1 is configured to be integrally retractable, and the original document can be directly placed on the platen glass 22 by raising the automatic document feeder 1 and opening the platen glass 22. It is configured to be able to. In this embodiment, there are a case where an image of a document is read while the document is conveyed by the document conveying means 13, and a case where an image is read after the document is stopped on the platen glass 22.

  The image reading unit 2 is a unit that reads an image of a document and generates image data, and is provided in an upper portion in the image forming apparatus main body. The image reading unit 2 is provided with a slit 21 that is a slit-like opening for reading an image of a document conveyed by the document conveying unit 13 of the automatic document feeder 1 and for directly placing (stationary) the document. From the first mirror unit 23 and the first mirror 232, in which a platen glass 22 serving as a document table, a lamp 231 serving as a light source for irradiating the document, and a first mirror 232 reflecting reflected light from the document are integrated. The V mirror unit 24 in which the second mirror 241 and the third mirror 242 that reflect the light are integrated, and the image forming means that forms an image on the CCD 26 with the reflected light from the original on the slit 21 or the platen glass 22. A line CCD 26 is provided as image reading means for photoelectrically converting a light image formed by the lens 25 and the imaging lens 25 to obtain an image signal.

  When the original document fed by the automatic document feeder 1 is read by the image reading unit 2, the first mirror unit 23 and the V mirror unit 24 are located below the slit 21 as shown in FIG. Is located. Then, the document passing means 13 irradiates the document passing through the slit 21 with the lamp 231, and the light reflected from the document passes through the first mirror 232, the second mirror 241, the third mirror 242, and the imaging lens 25. Incident on the CCD 26. The CCD 26 photoelectrically converts the incident light and reads the image of the document. Image data is created from the output of the CCD 26, and writing is performed by a laser writing system 33 described later based on the created image data.

  When reading a document placed on the platen glass 22, the first mirror unit 23 and the V mirror unit 24 are moved along the platen glass 22 in the right direction in FIG. The image is read.

  The image forming unit 3 forms an image on the recording paper P conveyed at a predetermined process speed based on the image data generated by the image reading unit 2 or image data transmitted from the outside. The image forming unit 3 of the present embodiment forms an image using an electrophotographic process. The image forming unit 3 exposes the photosensitive drum 31 on the basis of the photosensitive drum 31 having a photoconductive photosensitive layer and carrying a toner image, a charger 32 for uniformly charging the photosensitive drum 31, and image data. A laser writing system 33 which is an exposure means for forming a latent image, a developing unit 34 for developing the latent image on the photosensitive drum 31 to form a toner image, and a toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 31 is recorded. A transfer device 35 for transferring to the paper P, a separator 36 for separating the recording paper P to which the toner image has been transferred from the photosensitive drum 31, and a cleaning means 37 for removing the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 31 after being transferred. And a fixing means 38 for fixing the toner image on the recording paper P. Around the photosensitive drum 31, a charger 32, a laser writing system 33, a developing unit 34, a transfer unit 35, a separator 36, and a cleaning unit 37 are arranged.

  The photosensitive drum 31 is rotated in a direction indicated by an arrow by a driving unit (not shown), and is uniformly charged by the charger 32, and is exposed and developed in synchronization with recording paper conveyance of a registration roller 56 (to be described later) by a laser writing system 33. The toner image is formed based on the image data. The formed toner image is transferred onto the recording paper P by the transfer device 35. The recording paper P to which the toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 31 by the separator 36 and conveyed to the fixing means 38 for fixing processing. On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 31 on which the toner image is transferred to the recording paper P is cleaned by the cleaning unit 37.

  In this embodiment, a pre-drum transport roller 39 for transporting the recording paper P fed from the registration roller 56 is provided in the vicinity of the photoconductive drum 31 between the photoconductive drum 31 and the registration roller 56. This contributes to an increase in the conveyance force of the recording paper P. Further, between the separator 36 and the fixing unit 38, the lower surface side of the recording paper P (the side opposite to the side where the image is formed) is supported in order to transport the recording paper P separated by the separator 36. In addition, a conveyance roller (no symbol) and a belt (no symbol) for conveyance are provided.

  The paper feed unit 4 that stores and feeds the recording paper P includes paper feed trays 4A, 4B, and 4C as a plurality of recording paper storage units. In this way, the recording paper storage units are arranged in multiple stages below the image forming unit 3. The paper feed trays 4A and 4B as recording paper storage units store recording paper P of a predetermined size, and the paper supply tray 4C stores recording paper P of various sizes from small size to large size. This is a universal tray type recording paper storage unit.

  The conveying unit 5 is a conveying unit that conveys the recording paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 4 to the image forming unit 3, and the recording paper P stored in each of the paper feeding trays 4 </ b> A to 4 </ b> C is image forming unit. 3 is configured so that it can be conveyed to 3.

  The paper discharge / refeed unit 6 discharges or refeeds the recording paper P on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 3. The paper discharge / refeed unit 6 discharges the recording paper P on which the toner image is fixed from the fixing unit 38, and discharges the recording paper P discharged by the fixing discharge roller 61 to the outside as it is. Switching means 62 for switching the conveyance path when discharging after reversing the front and back or when re-feeding to form an image on the back surface, a discharge roller 63 for discharging the recording paper P to the outside of the apparatus, an image forming apparatus , A paper discharge tray 64 on which recording paper P discharged by a paper discharge roller 63 is stacked, a reversing means 65 for reversing the front and back of the recording paper P to be re-fed, and a recording paper reversed by the reversing means 65 A refeed unit 66 that refeeds P to the image forming unit 3 is provided.

  When the image-formed recording paper P is discharged as it is, that is, with the image-formed surface facing upward, the switching means 62 is positioned at the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. By 63, the sheet is discharged to a discharge tray 64 outside the apparatus. Further, when the recording paper P is turned upside down, that is, when the image-formed surface is discharged downward, the switching unit 62 is disposed at a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. The recording paper P transported by the head is transported once in the direction of the reversing means 65, and after the recording paper P has passed through the switching means 62, the transporting direction is reversed, and a paper discharge tray 64 outside the machine is discharged by the paper discharge roller 63. To discharge. On the other hand, when an image is formed on the back surface of the recording paper P, the switching unit 62 is positioned at a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1, and the recording paper P conveyed by the fixing discharge roller 61 is conveyed toward the reversing unit 65. By performing switchback by the reversing means 65, the front and back are reversed, and the paper is conveyed to the paper refeeding section 66. The recording paper P transported to the re-feed unit 66 joins the transport path between a loop forming roller 55 described later and an intermediate transport roller 541 described later. It is conveyed to the forming unit 3.

  The transport unit 5 includes a vertical transport path b following the individual transport path a formed by a paper feed unit of the paper feed unit and a resist transport path c following the vertical transport path b.

  The individual conveyance path a is a conveyance path from the paper feed trays 4A, AB, AC to the pre-registration rollers 53A, 53B, 53C, and is provided for each of the paper feed trays 4A to 4C. The vertical conveyance path b is a conveyance path from the intermediate conveyance roller 543 to the loop forming roller 55, and is a conveyance path through which the recording paper P conveyed from the paper feed tray 4B and the paper feed tray 4C passes in common. . Note that the recording paper P is conveyed from the pre-registration roller 53A to the loop forming roller 55 via the intermediate conveyance roller 541 without passing through the intermediate conveyance roller 542 from the paper feed tray 4A.

  The vertical conveyance path b is a conveyance path that is at least partially shared, and the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4C and the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4B pass through a part of the vertical conveyance path b. The common conveyance path includes an intermediate conveyance roller 542 for commonly conveying the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4C and the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4B and the paper feed tray 4C. An intermediate transport roller 541 is provided for transporting the recording paper P, the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4B, and the recording paper P from the paper feed tray 4A in common.

  Next, the configuration of the sheet feeding unit will be described. In the following description, the pickup roller as the pickup means, the separating means composed of the conveying roller and the separating roller, the pre-registration roller, and the guide are provided in the same for each of the paper feed trays 4A, 4B, and 4C. Since the functions are also common, common reference numerals are given.

  The paper feeding means in the present embodiment is a pick-up roller 51 as a pick-up means, and a separating means 52 (conveying roller 521 and separating roller 522 for separating the recording paper P sent out by the pick-up roller 51 one by one. And a pre-registration roller 53 as a registration means which is a first abutting means that once stops the leading edge of the recording paper P separated by the separation means 52 and resumes conveyance. . The transport unit 5 includes a plurality of intermediate transport rollers 541 to 543 which are intermediate transport units that transport the recording paper P transported by the pre-registration rollers 53, and second loop forming means for transporting the recording paper P transported by the intermediate transport rollers. A loop forming roller 55, a registration roller 56 that is a second abutting means that transports the recording paper P conveyed by the loop forming roller 55 after being temporarily stopped, and a plurality of driving means that drive each roller. A motor (not shown).

  The first bending correcting means is composed of a pre-registration roller 53 as a first abutting means and a separating means 52 as a first loop forming means, and forms a loop on the recording paper P to be conveyed to thereby prevent paper bending. It is a means for correcting. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first bend correcting means is provided with a guide 572 for forming a loop. Further, the second bending correcting means is composed of a registration roller 56 as a second abutting means and a loop forming roller 55 as a second loop forming means, and forms a loop on the conveyed recording paper P to make the paper This is a means for correcting the bending. Furthermore, it is preferable that the second bend correcting means is provided with a guide 581 for forming a loop.

  The pickup roller 51 is provided so as to be movable up and down by a driving means such as a solenoid (not shown in FIG. 2). When the pickup roller 51 is moved to the lower position, the pickup roller 51 faces the individual conveyance path a, and the paper feed tray 4A. 4B, 4C abuts on the upper surface of the stack of recording sheets P stored in 4B, 4C, is driven by a driving means (not shown), rotates in the direction of the arrow, and can feed the uppermost recording sheet P It is. Further, when moving to the upper position, the pickup roller 51 is at a retracted position separated from the recording paper P. Each of the paper feed trays 4A, 4B, and 4C is configured to be pushed up by a means such as a bottom plate so that the upper surface position of the stored recording paper P is always the same position.

  The separating unit 52 has a function of separating the recording sheets P sent out by the pickup roller 51 one by one. The separating unit 52 constitutes a feeding unit together with the pickup roller 51 and is provided on the individual conveyance path a. In this embodiment, a conveyance roller 521 and a separation roller 522 are included. The conveyance roller 521 is a roller that abuts on the upper surface of the recording paper P to be conveyed and rotates in a direction indicated by an arrow by a driving unit (not shown), and reaches the pre-registration roller 53 adjacent to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording paper P. A roller for transporting the recording paper P. The separation roller 522 is a roller in which a torque limiter is incorporated. The separation roller 522 separates the recording paper P one by one by separating with the torque of the torque limiter with respect to the conveyance force of the conveyance roller 521. The separating means 52 is a first loop forming means constituting a first bending correcting means for correcting the bending of the recording paper P as will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, the pickup roller 51 and the separating means 52 that separates the recording paper P one by one function as the feeding means that separates and feeds the recording paper P stored in the paper feed trays 4A, 4B, and 4C one by one. Are provided separately, but they may be a delivery means in which these functions are integrated. For example, a belt can be suspended between the pickup roller 51 and the transport roller 521, and the separating roller 522 can be brought into contact with the belt, thereby providing a feeding unit that functions integrally. In this case, as will be described later, this sending means also serves as a first loop forming means constituting a first bending correcting means for correcting the bending of the recording paper P.

  The pre-registration roller 53 is a first abutting unit that once abuts the recording paper P separated by the separating unit 52 and resumes conveyance, and constitutes a registration unit. The pre-registration roller 53 includes a pair of opposed rollers, and is provided on the individual conveyance path a so as to be rotatable in a direction indicated by an arrow by a driving unit (not shown). The pre-registration roller 53 receives the recording paper P in a stopped state, and forms a loop of the recording paper P. When the predetermined loop is formed, the pre-registration roller 53 is activated and transports the recording paper P. Thereby, the conveyance timing and posture of the recording paper P are accurately controlled.

  Further, in this embodiment, in order to surely perform this loop formation, the upper and lower guides 571 and 572 are used as guide members for guiding the conveyance of the recording paper P between the separating means 52 and the pre-registration roller 53. The cross-sectional shape of the guide 572 is formed in an inverted mountain shape as shown in FIG. 2 (note that the guide 572 is divided into two parts and is composed of two members). As shown in the figure, the guide 572 has a shape that widens the conveyance path in the lower portion as shown in the figure, and is suitable for forming a loop of the recording paper P.

  In the present embodiment, the pre-registration roller 53 serves as the first abutting means for abutting the recording paper P and a part of the first bending correcting means for correcting the curvature of the recording paper P. Although it is desirable to reduce the number of parts, each function may be provided separately. In this case, when only the recording paper P is abutted, a first abutting means may be used, for example, a shutter or a stopper capable of blocking the conveyance path without using a pair of rollers.

  The intermediate transport rollers 541 to 543 are intermediate transport units that transport the recording paper P transported by the pre-registration roller 53. The intermediate conveyance rollers 541 to 543 are provided on the vertical conveyance path b, and in the present embodiment, each of the intermediate conveyance rollers 541 to 543 is configured by a pair of opposed rollers, and is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow by a driving unit (not shown). . The intermediate transport roller 541 transports the recording paper P from the paper feed trays 4A to 4C, the intermediate transport roller 542 transports the recording paper P from the paper feed trays 4B and 4C, and the intermediate transport roller 543 The recording paper P from the tray 4C is conveyed.

  The registration roller 56 is a second abutting unit that once abuts the recording paper P conveyed by the loop forming roller 55 and restarts the conveyance. The registration roller 56 is constituted by a pair of opposed rollers, and is provided on the registration conveyance path c so as to be rotatable in a direction indicated by an arrow by a driving unit (not shown). The registration roller 56 receives the recording paper P in a stopped state, and after forming a loop of the recording paper P, starts rotating and conveys the recording paper to the transfer position. In synchronization with the start of conveyance of the registration roller 56, exposure writing by the laser writing system 33 is performed.

  In the present embodiment, the recording paper P is continuously conveyed by the loop forming roller 55 even after the leading edge of the recording paper P hits the registration roller 56, thereby forming a loop of the recording paper P. Then, the paper bending can be corrected. Further, in this embodiment, in order to surely perform this loop formation, the upper and lower guides 581 are used as a loop formation guide for guiding the conveyance of the recording paper P between the loop formation roller 55 and the registration roller 56. 582 are provided.

  In the present embodiment, the second abutting means for abutting the recording paper P and a part of the second bend correcting means for correcting the curvature of the recording paper P are used as a configuration in which the registration roller 56 is used as a component. Although it is desirable to reduce the number of points, each function may be provided separately. In this case, when only the recording paper P is applied, the first abutting means may be a shutter or a stopper that can block the conveyance path, for example, without using a roller pair.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of sheet feeding units 4 are provided, and each sheet feeding unit 4 includes a sheet feeding tray as a recording sheet storage unit and sheet feeding means formed in the unit. In the illustrated example, the recording paper storage unit is a paper feed tray 4A, 4B, 4C that can be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus main body, and the paper feeding means can be inserted into and removed from the image forming apparatus main body together with the recording paper storage unit. It is.

  Next, a paper feeding unit 600 as a paper feeding means will be described with reference to FIGS. The following description is for the paper feed unit 600 assembled to the paper feed tray 4A, but the structure of the paper feed unit 600 for the paper feed trays 4B and 4C is the same.

  3 is a front cross-sectional view of a state in which the paper feed unit 600 is assembled to the paper feed tray 4A, FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of the paper feed unit 600 removed from the paper feed tray 4A, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part of the state in which the unit 600 is assembled to the paper feed tray 4A. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a part of the state in which the unit 600 is detached from the paper feed tray 4A. is there.

  The paper feed unit 600 is formed in a substantially box shape by an upper frame 601A that forms a top plate, a lower frame 601B that forms a bottom plate, a side plate 601C that forms a front side wall, and a side plate 601D that forms a back side wall. In the middle, upper and lower guides 571 and 572 that form a passage for the recording paper P are formed.

  An attachment fixture 604 having an L-shaped cross section is fixed to the paper feed tray 4A, thereby securing a space for the paper feed unit 600. Attachment portions 601F and 601G are formed at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower frame 610B, respectively. The side plates 601C and 601D rotatably support the shaft 521X of the conveying roller 521, the shaft 522X of the separating roller 522, and the shaft 53X of the pre-registration roller 53. A base portion of a support lever 603 is rotatably supported on the front side and the back side of the shaft 521X, and a pickup roller 51 is rotatably attached to a free end of the support lever 603.

  As described above, the pickup roller 51, the conveying roller 521, the separating roller 522, and the pre-registration roller 53 supply the feeding unit 5 and the image forming unit 3 (shown in FIG. 1) from the paper feed tray 4A, 4B, or 4C. Paper is done.

  The paper feed unit 600 is attached to and detached from the paper feed tray 4A in the direction indicated by the arrow W1 in FIG. When the paper feeding unit 600 is mounted, the paper feeding unit 600 is dropped below the arrow W1 from the state shown in FIGS. On the back side, the screw G1 is inserted into the screw hole G11 provided in the paper feed tray 4A and tightened. A paper feed unit 600 is coupled to the paper feed tray 4A. Further, when removing the paper feed unit 600 from the paper feed tray 4A, it can be removed by the reverse operation, that is, by loosening the screws G1, G2, and G3.

  The above-described attachment / detachment operation of the paper feed unit 600 is performed without requiring removal operation of other doors, panels, etc. in a state where the paper feed tray 4A is pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body by the guide action of the accumulator rail 605. Is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the paper feed tray 4C is configured as a universal tray that can store various types of recording paper P from a small size such as a postcard size to a large size such as an A3 or A2 size. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the paper feed tray 4C housed in the image forming apparatus and a view showing a side restricting plate locking portion.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, a support frame 401A is provided in the paper feed tray 4C, and a stacking plate that can be moved up and down in the paper feed tray 4C to store the recording paper P in a predetermined paper feed position. 43, a pair of side restricting plates 401 are movably provided on the support frame 401A. The stacking plate 43 is a supporting unit that moves up and down according to the amount of the recording paper P to be stacked. The lifting drive mechanism and the lifting position control unit of the stacking plate 43 are well known and are not shown. The side regulating plate 401 is movable in accordance with the size of the recording paper P stored therein, and is a regulating means that regulates the recording paper P. A rack (not shown) is formed below each of the pair of side regulating plates 401, and a pinion 433 that meshes with the rack is provided. A rack and pinion mechanism, which is an interlocking mechanism that moves one side regulating plate 401 in the direction of the arrow W2 to move the other side regulating plate 401 in the opposite direction, is well known. Is set to a restriction position corresponding to the recording paper size by operating one of them.

  FIG. 7B shows a locking portion that sets the side regulating plate 401 to the regulated position. The rack 402 that is fixed to the side regulating plate 401 and moves integrally moves the knob 401F in the operation W2 direction [left and right direction in FIG. 7A, up and down direction in FIG. 7B] to regulate the recording paper P. To do. The lever 401H provided with the knob 401F is pivotally supported on the side regulating plate 401 by a shaft 401J, and is biased by a spring (not shown) so that the lower end thereof is pressed against the locking member 401E. By operating the knob 401F, the side regulating plate 401 can be moved by moving the lower end portion of the lever 401H away from the locking member 401E. However, when the knob 401F is opened, the spring 401 biases the lower end portion of the lever 401H. The formed claw portion 401G engages with the claw portion 401T of the locking member 401E, and the side regulating plate 401 is locked at the set position.

  The pair of side restricting plates 401 are locked at the set position by the locking portion described above, but when the paper feed tray 4C is loaded, the back side restricting plate 401 is pushed by the mass of the recording paper P, There are cases where the locking action by the locking member 401E is excessive and the side regulating plate 401 is displaced or the back side regulating plate 401 is tilted.

  In order to prevent such a shift of the side regulating plate 401, a fixing device 400 for securely fixing the pair of side regulating plates 401 at a set position is provided on the back side of the paper feed tray 4C. The fixing device 400 is provided with a rack 403 connected to the side regulating plate 401 and an operating rod 406.

  In order to load the recording paper P into the paper feed tray 4C, the paper feed tray 4C is pulled forward in FIGS. 1 and 2, that is, from the state of FIG. 7 to the left of the arrow W2. The recording paper P is loaded in a state where the paper feed tray 4C is pulled out from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the side regulating plate 401 is moved according to the size of the recording paper P to be brought into close contact with the recording paper P. When loading of the recording paper P into the paper feed tray 4C is completed, the paper feed tray 4C is moved to the right of the arrow W2 in FIG. 7, and the paper feed tray 4C is attached to the image forming apparatus main body.

  In the loading operation of the paper feed tray 4C, when the paper feed tray 4C is inserted to a predetermined position, the operating rod 406 of the fixing device 400 hits the main body back wall 435 as an action member provided in the image forming apparatus main body. A pair of side regulating plates 401 is fixed together with the rack 403 by the fixing device 400. The side restricting plate 401 is fixed by the fixing device 400 to prevent displacement and inclination that occur during loading. The rack 403, the claw member 404 (described later) and the pinion 405 (described later) of the fixing device 400 constitute a fixing unit that fixes the side regulating plate 401 as a regulating unit.

  8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the fixing device 400 and the side regulating plate 401, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the fixing device 400, and FIG. 9A shows a state immediately before the paper feed tray 4C is mounted. FIG. 9B shows a state in which the paper feed tray 4C is mounted.

  The fixing device 400 is fixed to the upper part of the frame body by a support frame 409 on the back side of the paper feed tray 4C. Inside the support frame 409, an operating rod 406 is provided that can move in the same direction as the side restricting plate 401. Further, a claw member 404 is movably provided in the operating rod 406. It has been. A locking member 413 penetrating a long hole 412 formed in the support frame 409 is fixed to the claw member 404, and the locking member 413 is movable within the range of the long hole 412. The claw member 404 and the pinion 405 have claw portions that mesh with each other.

  Further, the protrusion 408 provided on the operating rod 406 is protruded from the long hole 412 formed on the support frame 409, and a spring S1 is provided between the locking portion 410 provided on the support frame 409 and the projection 408, and the operating rod 406 is biased upward in FIG. Further, the spring S <b> 2 is held between the action end 406 </ b> A formed on the operating rod 406 and the claw member 404. With this structure, the operating rod 406 is pushed upward in FIG. 9, and when the operating rod 406 hits against the back wall 435 of the main body and stops, the impact between the pinion 405 and the claw member 404 is mitigated by the spring S2 as a buffer member. Is done.

  In the state of FIG. 9A, the recording paper P stored in the paper feed tray 4C is regulated by the side regulating plate 401. In this state, the paper feed tray 4C is fed in the direction of the arrow W2. It is a state in the middle of the process of inserting into the inside. In this state, the working end 406A of the operating rod 406 does not contact the main body back wall 435 in the paper feeding unit 4, the claw member 404 and the pinion 405 are separated, and the side regulating plate 401 is still in the fixing device 400. Is not locked.

  By inserting the paper feed tray 4C from the position shown in FIG. 9A to the position shown in FIG. 9B, the action end 406A of the operating rod 406 contacts and is pressed against the back wall 435 of the main body. The claw member 404 abuts against the pinion 405 as it moves relative to the paper feed tray 4C in the direction of arrow W3 against the urging force of the spring S1. At this time, the claw member 404 moves relative to the operating rod 406 by the buffering action of the spring S2. Since the rotation of the pinion 405 is locked by the claw member 404, the rack 403 is fixed to the paper feed tray 4C. Therefore, the side regulating plate 401 is firmly fixed to the set position at the upper end portion thereof. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the side regulating plate 401 from being inclined or the setting position from being shifted due to the inertia of the recording paper P.

  The fixing device 400 for the side regulating plate 401 as described above is an example. For example, the fixing device 400 may be provided at two positions on the top and bottom of the side regulating plate 401. Further, as a buffer member, rubber or the like may be provided at the tip of the claw member 404 instead of the spring S2.

  The embodiment of the present invention has a configuration for accommodating a small-sized recording paper P such as a postcard size in a universal tray. Hereinafter, the storage mechanism for the small-size recording paper will be described with reference to FIGS.

  10 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the paper feed tray 4C, FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a postcard-sized recording paper P is stored in the paper feed tray 4C, and FIG. 12 is a line AA in FIG. FIG.

  In FIG. 10, a support frame 401A, a stacking plate 43 as a vertically movable support means for storing the recording paper P in a predetermined paper feed position, and a pair of side regulating plates 401 are movable in the paper feed tray 4C. Is provided. Further, through holes 436, 437, and 438 are formed in the stacking plate 43 so that the rear end regulating plate 434 can be switched and installed in accordance with the size of the recording paper P, and further, the rear end regulating is provided in the support frame 401A. In order to attach the plate 434, attachment holes 401B, 401C, 401D of the rear end regulating plate 434 are formed corresponding to the through holes 436, 347, 438.

  Also, a part of the third paper feed tray 4C accommodates as a restricting means accommodating portion that accommodates rod-like restricting members 442 and 443 as small size restricting means used when accommodating the recording paper P of postcard size. A chamber 441 is formed. And the through-holes 439 and 440 for attaching the limitation members 442 and 443 to the support frame 401A are formed, respectively.

  In the present embodiment, the movement range of the side regulating plate 401, that is, the size range of the recording paper that can be regulated is from A5LEF (stacked on the stacking plate 43 so that the long side is orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction) to A3. Is set. A small-sized recording paper P such as a postcard size has a restriction position of the recording paper P outside the movement range of the side restriction plate 401. In the following description, a recording sheet that can be regulated by the side regulating plate 401 is referred to as a normal recording sheet, and a sheet that cannot be regulated by the side regulating plate 401 is referred to as a small size recording sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the rod-shaped regulating members 442 and 443 are taken out from the storage chamber 441, and the tips of the regulating members 442 and 443 are inserted through the through holes 439 and 440 formed in the stacking plate 43, as shown in FIG. It inserts into the hole formed in the support frame 401A. In addition, escape holes 444 and 445 are formed in the bending guide portion below the side regulating plate 401 so as not to obstruct the insertion of the regulating members 442 and 443. It should be noted that it is desirable to fix the regulating members 442 and 443 by forming screws at the tips of the regulating members 442 and 443 as shown in the figure and by forming screw holes corresponding to the support frame 401A. The rear end regulating plate 434 is inserted into the regulating members 442 and 443 through the through hole 438, and is inserted into the mounting hole 401B and fixed.

  Note that a screw hole for fixing the restriction members 442 and 443 may be provided in the side restriction plate 401 so that the restriction members 442 and 443 are fixed to the side restriction plate 401. With such a configuration, it is possible to adjust the positions of the regulating members 442 and 443, and it becomes easy to load the small-size recording paper P and to load it at an accurate position. Then, both or one of the regulating members 442 (desirably, the regulating member 442 on the back side) can be fixed by being attached to the fixed support frame 401A, and can be adjusted by being attached to the other side regulating plate 401. .

  In this way, when storing normal recording paper, the recording paper P is loaded at a predetermined position using the side regulating plate 401, and when storing small size recording paper, the regulating members 442 and 443 are used. The recording paper P can be loaded at a predetermined position. Therefore, various types of recording paper including small size recording paper and normal size recording paper can be used, and the strength of the stacking plate 43 can be secured, and a large capacity and multifunctional recording paper storage unit. Is realized.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the paper feed part and conveyance part which concern on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view of a state in which the paper feed unit is assembled to a paper feed tray. FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view of a state where a paper feed unit is removed from a paper feed tray. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a part of a state in which the sheet feeding unit is assembled to the sheet feeding tray in a cross section. FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a part of the state in which the sheet feeding unit is removed from the sheet feeding tray in a cross section. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a paper feed tray accommodated in the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a fixing device and a side control board. It is a top view of a fixing device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an overall configuration of a paper feed tray. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a postcard-sized recording sheet is stored in a sheet feeding tray. It is sectional drawing of the AA line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

4 Feeder 4A, 4B, 4C Feed tray 43 Stacking plate 51 Pickup roller 52 Separating means 53 Pre-registration roller 400 Fixing device 401 Side restriction plate 403 Rack 404 Claw member 405 Pinion 406 Actuation rod 442, 443 Restriction member 521 Conveyance Roller 522 Separation roller 600 Paper feed unit S1, S2 Spring

Claims (2)

A control means that is movable according to the size of the recording paper and that restricts the side edges of the recording paper, an action member provided in the image forming apparatus main body, and the action member when the recording paper storage unit is attached to the image forming apparatus main body An image forming apparatus comprising: a fixing unit that acts on the fixing unit to fix the regulating unit to the recording paper storage unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer member that relaxes an action between the action member and the fixing unit.

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