JP2005314049A - Paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeding device in which the adjustment of the optical axis (the adjustment of a paper sheet regulating member to regulate the position of the paper sheet to allow an image to be printed at an adequate position of a paper sheet) is easy, and the position of the paper sheet regulating member is not deviated even when the paper feeding device is mistakenly and strongly inserted in an image forming device. <P>SOLUTION: The paper feeding device comprises a paper feed tray in which recording paper sheets are stacked, a paper sheet regulating member 23 to regulate the position in the width direction of the recording paper sheets on the paper feed tray according to the size of the recording paper sheets, and a frame member 21 which supports the paper feed tray and the paper sheet regulating member and can be drawn in the width direction of the paper sheets with respect to an image forming device. The paper feeding device feeds the recording paper sheets in the longitudinal direction of the paper sheets. The paper sheet regulating member 23 is positionally adjusted along the width direction of the paper sheets, and positioned at the adjusted position. When the paper sheet regulating member is positioned at the adjusted position, an engagement part 33 formed on the paper sheet regulating member is locked to a locking part 32 formed on the paper feed tray, and the deviation of the paper sheet regulating member in the width direction of the paper sheet is regulated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feeding device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer.

  In general, an image forming apparatus using an ink jet or electrophotographic process is known. For example, in an image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, a toner formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum. An image is transferred to a recording sheet to form an image. When forming an image, the recording sheet is transferred from a sheet feeding device (sheet feeding cassette) provided in the image forming apparatus to an image forming unit having an image carrier. The toner image on the image carrier is transferred to a recording sheet.

  In the above-described paper feed cassette, for example, a paper feed tray is fixed on a tray frame with screws or the like, and the tray frame is attached to the image forming apparatus main body via a slide mechanism. When replenishing paper to the paper feed tray, the handle formed on the tray frame is pulled, and the paper feed tray is pulled forward (front side) by the slide mechanism to replenish the paper. Further, the paper feed tray is provided with a paper width regulating member for regulating the paper position corresponding to the paper size.

  By the way, in the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to adjust the position of the paper feed tray with respect to the tray frame (that is, the paper position) in advance so that the image is printed at an appropriate position on the paper (this adjustment is This is called optical axis adjustment).

  However, when the optical axis is adjusted, the position of the screw for fixing the tray frame and the paper feed tray is adjusted to adjust the optical axis, so that the position adjustment in the paper width direction with respect to the image forming position in the image forming unit is performed. In addition, it is necessary to adjust the sheet feeding tray so that the sheet feeding direction is not oblique (that is, not oblique feeding), and the adjustment work becomes extremely troublesome.

  To facilitate optical axis adjustment, a paper width cursor on the paper width regulating member, a width cursor rail portion that slidably supports the paper width cursor, and a rail position that sets the position of the width cursor rail portion with respect to the paper feed tray The rail position setting unit is composed of a long hole and a screw, and the rail position setting unit is provided on the drawing direction side of the sheet feeding tray slide operation area, and the width cursor rail unit is provided on the sheet feeding tray. On the other hand, there is one that is slidably mounted in the paper width direction, operates a screw, and shifts the width cursor rail portion in the paper width direction to adjust the optical axis (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2002-284361 A (paragraph (0035) to paragraph (0047), FIGS. 2 to 4)

  By the way, in the above-described conventional sheet feeding device, the optical axis is adjusted by moving (operating) the screw along the elongated hole and shifting the width cursor rail portion (that is, the sheet width regulating member) in the sheet width direction. However, since the paper width regulating member is simply fixed to the paper feed tray by screws, when the user replenishes the paper and inserts the paper feed device into the image forming apparatus, it is strongly inserted ( If it is strongly inserted, that is, if it is inserted roughly, the screw is displaced along the elongated hole, and as a result, the position of the sheet width regulating member may be displaced.

  If the position of the sheet regulating member is shifted, the center of the sheet and the center of the image are formed during image formation unless the optical axis is adjusted again even though the optical axis is adjusted in advance. There is a problem that the image is shifted and it becomes impossible to form a good image.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device that can easily adjust the optical axis and that does not shift the position of the sheet width regulating member even when it is strongly inserted.

  Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, the present invention is used together with an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording paper, and a paper feed tray on which the recording paper is stacked, and the paper supply according to the size of the recording paper. A sheet regulating member that regulates the position of one side of the recording sheet on the paper tray, and a frame member that supports the paper feed tray and the sheet regulating member and can be pulled out to the image forming apparatus in one side of the sheet. And adjusting the position of the paper restricting member by adjusting the position of the paper restricting member along the one side direction of the paper in the paper feeding device that feeds the recording paper toward the other side direction orthogonal to the one side direction. Adjusting means positioned at a position, and deviation regulating means for regulating deviation of the sheet regulating member in one side direction of the sheet when the sheet regulating member is located at the adjustment position. And it is characterized in and.

  In the present invention, for example, the adjusting means includes an elongated hole formed in the sheet regulating member and extending in one side direction of the sheet, and a screw member that is inserted into the elongated hole and attaches the sheet regulating member to the sheet feeding tray. The diameter of the screw member is smaller than the longitudinal length of the elongated hole, and the position of the paper regulating member is adjusted by changing the insertion position of the screw member into the elongated hole.

  In the present invention, the deviation restricting means includes an engaging portion formed on one surface side of the paper restricting member and a latch formed on a facing surface side facing the one surface side of the paper restricting member of the paper feed tray. And the engaging portion is locked to the locking portion when the paper regulating member is attached to the paper feed tray by the screw member.

  For example, the engagement portion has a plurality of engagement vertex portions and engagement valley portions extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole, and the plurality of engagement vertex portions and the engagement valley portions have a predetermined pitch. The locking portion has a plurality of locking vertex portions and locking valley portions extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole, and the plurality of locking vertex portions and Engagement valleys are arranged along the longitudinal direction at a predetermined pitch, the engagement vertex is positioned at the locking valley, and the engagement valley is positioned at the locking vertex. The engaging portion is locked to the locking portion.

  As described above, the paper feeding device according to the present invention adjusts the position of the paper regulating member along one side direction (for example, the width direction) of the paper and positions the paper regulating member at the adjustment position (the paper regulating member is Since the displacement of the sheet regulating member in one side direction of the sheet is regulated when it is positioned at the adjustment position, even after the optical axis adjustment, the sheet feeding device is pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body and recorded. Even if the paper feeding device is accidentally strongly inserted into the image forming apparatus main body after replenishing the paper, there is an effect that the position of the paper regulating member does not deviate from the adjustment position.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified, but are merely illustrative examples. Not too much.

  First, referring to FIG. 1, an outline of an image forming apparatus using a sheet feeding device according to the present invention will be described. The illustrated image forming apparatus 10 includes a paper feeding device 11 and an image forming unit 12. In the illustrated example, a plurality of paper feeding devices (paper feeding cassettes) 11 are provided. Each sheet cassette 11 stores a bundle of recording sheets (hereinafter simply referred to as sheets), and the sheets on the sheet cassette 11 are fed one by one to the sheet transport path 13 by a sheet feed roller 11a (solid arrow). Paper feeding direction indicated by A). Then, the sheet is conveyed to the image forming unit 12 by the conveying roller pair 13a and the registration roller pair 13b.

  The document placed on the contact glass 14 a is read by the image reading unit 14 and is supplied to the image forming unit 12 as image data. The image forming unit 12 includes a photosensitive drum 12a, a charger 12b, an exposure device 12c, a developing device 12d, a transfer device 12e, and a cleaning unit 12f. The surface of the photosensitive drum 12a is uniformly charged by the charger 12b. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 12a is exposed by the exposure device 12c according to the image data, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 12a.

  Thereafter, the electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 12d into a toner image, and the toner image is transferred onto the paper by the transfer device 12e. Then, the sheet is sent to the fixing device 15 where the toner image on the sheet is fixed, and then the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 17 through the discharge path 16. The residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 12a is removed by the cleaning unit 12f, and then the residual charge on the photosensitive drum 12a is removed by the static eliminator 12g.

  The aforementioned paper feed cassette 11 can be pulled out from the image forming apparatus housing (hereinafter referred to as the apparatus main body) 10a. For example, when paper is replenished, the paper feed cassette 11 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 10a. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the paper feed cassette 11 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 10a. The pulling-out direction of the paper feed cassette 11 is a direction B orthogonal to the paper feed direction A in the illustrated example. That is, as will be described later, the paper feed cassette 11 has a tray frame 21 and a paper feed tray 22, and when the front cover portion 21 a of the tray frame 21 is pulled, the paper feed cassette 11 is pulled out. .

  2 and 3, a sheet width regulating member 23 is attached to the sheet feeding tray 22, and the tray frame 21 is attached to the apparatus main body 10a via a slide mechanism 24. The paper width regulating member (paper regulating member) 23 includes a pair of width cursors 23a and a width cursor rail portion 23b that supports the width cursor 23a so as to be slidable in a pulling direction B orthogonal to the paper feeding direction A. Moves in the direction of changing its width in conjunction with, for example, a pinion rack (not shown) or the like (the direction indicated by the solid arrow C in FIG. 3). That is, the width of the width cursor 23a is changed in accordance with the width size (one side size) of the paper.

  In the illustrated example, a plurality of long holes 20 (not shown in FIG. 3) are formed in the width cursor rail portion 23b, and as shown in FIG. ) (In FIG. 4, only one slot 20 is shown). In FIG. 3, the slot 20 located on the lower side of the drawing is on the side of the paper feed tray pulling direction B from the slide operation area of the width cursor 23a, that is, from the position where the width cursor 23a is slid to the maximum width. Although it is desirable that the width cursor 23a be provided at the inner side of the position, the width cursor 23a may be provided as the maximum width.

  Two rectangular recesses 22 a are formed in the sheet feed tray 22, and a width cursor 23 a is inserted into the recess 22 a from the front side of the sheet feed tray 22. The width cursor rail portion 23b and the paper feed tray 22 are fixed by screws (not shown), that is, the width cursor rail portion 23b is fixed to the paper feed tray 22, and the tray frame 21 is provided around the paper feed tray 22. Positioned to support the paper feed tray 22. The moving range of the width cursor 23a is defined by the width of the recess 22a (the width in the pulling direction B).

  A rail portion 28 extending in the paper feeding direction A is formed in the paper feed tray 22, and a paper length cursor 29 is supported on the rail portion 28, and the paper length cursor 29 supports the paper 30. The length direction is regulated. In other words, the paper length cursor 29 can slide on the rail portion 28 in the paper length direction (the direction indicated by the symbol D in FIG. 3), and the paper length cursor 29 and the paper feed tray side wall surface 31 facing the paper length cursor 29. Thus, the length direction (the other side direction) of the sheet is regulated.

  The paper feed tray 22 is formed with round holes (not shown) corresponding to the long holes 20 described above, and fixing screws 25 are inserted through the long holes 20 and the round holes, respectively. 23 b (that is, the paper width regulating member 23) is fixed to the paper feed tray 22, and the paper feed tray 22 is fixed to the tray frame 21. At this time, the fixing screw 25 and the other screw located at the lowermost side in FIG. 3 are strongly tightened. The other screw is, for example, a header pin, and this header pin includes a screw head portion and a screw portion ( Therefore, even if the fixed screw 25 and other screws are strongly tightened, if the fixed screw 25 is loosened, the width cursor rail portion 23b is formed by the elongated hole 20. It is movable within a range defined by a defined (longitudinal direction of the long hole 20) (the long hole 20 and the fixing screw 25 are adjusting means).

  Here, referring also to FIG. 5, pin receiving portions 26 a and 26 b are formed in the vicinity of the corner portion of the paper feed tray 22, and both of these pin receiving portions 26 a and 26 b are provided on the tray frame 21. It is a hole of a size that fits the positioning pins 27a and 27b. The pin receiving portion 26a is a round hole, and the pin receiving portion 26b is a long hole extending in the paper feeding direction A.

  When assembling the paper feed tray 22, the paper width regulating member 23, and the tray frame 21, first, the width cursor rail portion 23 b is attached to the paper feed tray 22 with screws, and then the positioning pins 27 a of the tray frame 21. 27b and the pin receiving portions 26a and 26b of the paper feed tray 22 are fitted together, and the paper feed tray 22 is mounted on the tray frame 21.

  When optical axis adjustment is performed, the paper feed cassette 11 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 10a, and the fixing screw 25 on the front side (the lowermost side in FIG. 3) is loosened. As described above, since the other screws are header pins, if the fixing screw 25 is loosened, the width cursor rail portion 23a becomes movable within a range regulated by the length of the long hole 20. Thereafter, the width cursor rail portion 23b is shifted in the long axis direction of the long hole 20 so that the width cursor 23a is positioned at a predetermined position, and the fixing screw 25 positioned closest to the front is tightened.

  If the optical axis is adjusted in this way, even when the paper is stored between the width cursors 23a, the screw 25 positioned closest to the front is exposed at a position that is easy to see and operate. The axis can be adjusted very easily.

  By the way, in the paper feed cassette 11 described above, the paper width regulating member 23 is in a state where only the screw 25 located on the near side shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 5 is strongly tightened. After the replenishment, when the paper feed tray 22 is strongly inserted into the apparatus main body 10a, the paper restricting member 23 (that is, the width cursor rail portion 23b) is in the paper width direction (direction indicated by C in FIG. 3 (referred to as the adjustment direction)). It may shift. As a result, it is necessary to adjust the optical axis again.

  In order to prevent such a problem, that is, since the user remains strongly inserting the paper feed tray 22 into the apparatus main body 10a, in consideration of such insertion of the paper feed tray 22 by the user, Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the engaging portion 33 is formed on the back surface of the paper width regulating member 23 (that is, the width cursor rail portion 23b).

  In the illustrated example, the engaging portion 33 extends in a direction (perpendicular direction) across the longitudinal direction of the long hole 20 (the long hole 20 located on the near side in FIG. 3). The apex portion (saw tooth: engagement apex portion) 33a and the trough portion (engagement trough portion) 33b extend in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the long hole 20, and each saw tooth 33a and trough portion 33b are predetermined. The pitches are arranged in parallel with the adjustment direction D (see FIG. 3).

  A locking portion 32 (not shown in FIG. 6) is formed on the bottom surface of the paper feed tray 22 corresponding to the above-described engaging portion 33, and this locking portion is similarly formed in a sawtooth shape. The apex portion (sawtooth: locking apex portion) 32a and the trough portion (locking trough portion) 32b extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long hole 20, and each sawtooth 32a and the trough portion 32b have a predetermined pitch. They are arranged in parallel with the adjustment direction D (the engaging portion 33 and the locking portion 32 are displacement restricting means).

  Here, referring to FIGS. 4 and 7, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 4, and the tray frame 21 is omitted in FIGS. When the paper width regulating member 23 is attached to the paper feed tray 22 with the screws 25, the engaging portion 33 and the locking portion 32 are engaged with each other, that is, the saw tooth 33a is positioned at the trough portion 32b. 2, the saw blade 32 a is positioned in the valley portion 33 b and, as shown in FIG. Even if it is strongly inserted in the opposite direction into the apparatus main body 10a, since the engaging portion 33 is engaged with the engaging portion 32, the sheet width regulating member 23 does not shift in the adjustment direction D, and the optical axis is again detected. There is no need to make adjustments.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the engaging portion 33 and the locking portion 32 are held when the optical axis is adjusted in advance because the engaging portion 33 and the locking portion 32 are held in a meshed state. The optical axis adjustment is performed at the arrangement pitch interval of the respective saw teeth 33a and 32a. However, if the arrangement pitch interval between the respective saw teeth 33a and 32a is reduced, there is no problem in adjusting the optical axis.

  In the above-described example, the engaging portion 33 and the locking portion 32 are formed in a sawtooth shape. However, the shape is not limited to the sawtooth shape, for example, a rectangular wave shape, a sine wave shape, etc. do it.

  When the position of the paper restricting member is adjusted along the one side direction (for example, the width direction) of the paper and the paper restricting member is positioned at the adjustment position, the deviation of the paper restricting member in the one side direction of the paper is restricted. After the optical axis adjustment, even if the paper feeding device is accidentally strongly inserted into the image forming apparatus main body, the position of the sheet regulating member does not deviate from the adjustment position. As a result, the copying machine, facsimile machine, or printer Applicable to paper feeder.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an image forming apparatus in which a sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the paper feeding device (paper feeding cassette) according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention in a state of being pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body. It is the figure which looked at the paper feeder by Example 1 of this invention from the upper direction. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating position adjustment of a sheet width regulating member in the sheet feeding device illustrated in FIG. 3. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a fitting state of a pin receiving portion of a paper feed tray and a positioning pin of a tray frame in the paper feeding device shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the shape of the engaging part formed in the back surface of a paper width control member. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols

10 Image forming apparatus 11 Paper feeding device (paper feeding cassette)
12 Image forming unit 13 Paper transport path 14 Image reading section 15 Fixing device 16 Paper discharge path 17 Paper discharge tray 20 Slot 21 Tray frame 22 Paper feed tray 23 Paper width regulating member 25 Fixing screw 32 Locking section 33 Engaging section

Claims (4)

Used together with an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet, a sheet feeding tray on which the recording sheet is stacked, and a position in one side direction of the recording sheet on the sheet feeding tray according to the size of the recording sheet And a frame member that supports the paper feed tray and the paper regulating member and can be pulled out in the direction of one side of the paper with respect to the image forming apparatus, and the other side direction orthogonal to the one side direction. In the paper feeding device for feeding the recording paper toward
Adjusting means for adjusting the position of the paper restricting member along one side direction of the paper to position the paper restricting member at the adjustment position;
A sheet feed device comprising: a displacement regulating unit that regulates a deviation of the sheet regulating member in one side direction of the sheet when the sheet regulating member is positioned at the adjustment position. The adjusting means includes a long hole formed in the paper restricting member and extending in one side direction of the paper, and a screw member that is inserted into the long hole and attaches the paper restricting member to the paper feed tray.
The diameter of the screw member is smaller than the longitudinal length of the slot,
2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the sheet regulating member is adjusted by changing the insertion position of the screw member into the elongated hole. The deviation restricting means includes an engaging portion formed on one surface side of the paper restricting member and an engaging portion formed on an opposing surface side facing the one surface side of the paper restricting member of the paper feed tray. And
3. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein when the sheet regulating member is attached to the sheet feeding tray by the screw member, the engaging portion is locked to the locking portion. The engagement portion has a plurality of engagement vertex portions and engagement valley portions extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole, and the plurality of engagement vertex portions and the engagement valley portions have a predetermined pitch. Arranged along the longitudinal direction,
The locking portion has a plurality of locking vertex portions and locking valley portions extending in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole, and the plurality of locking vertex portions and the engagement valley portions have a predetermined pitch. Arranged along the longitudinal direction,
The engaging vertex is positioned at the locking trough, and the engaging trough is positioned at the locking vertex and the engaging portion is locked to the locking portion. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3.

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