JP2007246188A - Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeder, surely preventing skewing without checking delivery in loading and feeding compact recording sheets. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet feeder includes: a sheet loading part 610 loaded with sheets; and an aligning means 611 abutting against the edges of the sheets loaded on the sheet loading part 61 to regulate the positions of the edges, wherein the loaded sheets can be delivered sequentially. The aligning means 611 is provided movable to an opposite gap position corresponding to a preset sheet width, an auxiliary position regulating means 614 capable of setting a smaller opposite gap than the preset sheet width is removably provided on the opposite surface, and the auxiliary position regulating means 614 is constructed 614A to come into contact with the sheet in two or more places in the delivery direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a side edge alignment mechanism that can target sheets other than a standard size in a sheet cassette or a sheet tray.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, or a printing machine, an undetermined image is transferred and carried on a sheet-like recording medium (hereinafter referred to as a recording sheet) such as recording paper or an OHP film. A fixed image is heated and fixed to obtain a copy or a printed output.

  In general, a configuration is known in which recording sheets mounted on a sheet cassette or a sheet tray installed in the apparatus are sequentially fed out and fed toward a transfer position.

  The recording sheets fed out from the sheet cassette or the sheet tray are prevented from being skewed by feeding the edges on both sides in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction at the time of feeding, so as not to cause poor feeding. It will be necessary. For this reason, conventionally, the side edges of the recording sheets are aligned by the side fence, and the rear edge of the rear side in the feeding direction is aligned by the end fence so as not to be skewed.

  In general, a recording sheet storage unit provided in an image forming apparatus, such as a sheet cassette, has a standard size or storage of a recording sheet whose edge is defined by the side fence or end fence described above. The direction when hitting is limited. Standard sizes in this case include A3, B4, A4 vertical, A4 horizontal, B5 vertical, and B5 horizontal.

  On the other hand, a recording sheet that is an image formation target may have a standard size or orientation other than those described above. For example, there is a recording sheet of a small size such as A5 size or postcard size which is not usually used in offices.

  Such a small-size recording sheet cannot be aligned by the side fence or end fence provided in the sheet cassette, and is fed using a manual feed portion provided in the image forming apparatus.

  However, there are cases where it is desirable to use a small amount of paper for image formation while being accommodated in large quantities in a sheet cassette. Conventionally, as a countermeasure against this, it is possible to reduce the spacing between the side fences. There has been proposed a configuration in which an auxiliary position regulating member having a large size is loaded on the inner side surface of a side fence (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-11-217123

  In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, edge alignment for a small-sized recording sheet is possible, but for a small-sized recording sheet, the side edge of the entire side in the length direction is used. Since the configuration is such that the edges are aligned facing each other, the sliding resistance when the recording sheet is fed is increased, and skew feeding can be prevented. On the other hand, the resistance during feeding is increased so that smooth feeding can be performed. There is a risk of disappearing.

  In view of the problems in the conventional sheet feeding apparatus, the object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding having a configuration capable of reliably preventing skew feeding without hindering feeding when small-sized recording sheets are stacked and fed. An apparatus and an image forming apparatus are provided.

The present invention has the following configuration.
(1) A sheet stacking unit capable of stacking sheets, and an alignment unit that abuts against the edge of the sheet dammed to the sheet stacking unit to define the position of the edge, and sequentially stacks the stacked sheets. In the sheet feeding apparatus having a configuration capable of feeding,
The aligning means is provided so as to be movable to a position of a facing interval corresponding to a preset sheet width, and an auxiliary position restriction capable of setting a facing interval smaller than the preset sheet width on the facing surface. The sheet feeding device is characterized in that the means is detachably provided and the auxiliary position regulating means is configured to contact the sheet at a plurality of locations along the feeding direction.
(2) The auxiliary position regulating means is provided with a plurality of ribs along a feeding direction on a surface facing the sheet, and the ribs can contact the sheet end surface. Sheet feeding device.
(3) The sheet feeding device according to (1), wherein the auxiliary position restricting means is biased toward an end surface of the sheet.
(4) The sheet feeding device according to (3), wherein the auxiliary position restricting means is biased using an elastic body.
(5) The sheet feeding apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein at least a surface in contact with the edge of the sheet in the auxiliary position regulating means is made of a resin having a low friction coefficient. .
(6) The sheet feeding device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the auxiliary position restricting unit is capable of changing an installation position along a feeding direction of the sheet.
(7) The position of the surface in contact with the edge of the sheet in the auxiliary position regulating means is such that the distance (L) to the surface in contact with the sheet end surface with reference to the front and rear ends in the sheet feeding direction is 20 to 50 mm. The sheet feeding apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein
(8) An image forming apparatus using the sheet feeding device according to any one of (1) to (7).

  According to the present invention, when the auxiliary position restricting means capable of making the facing interval narrower than the preset interval is detachably provided with respect to the existing aligning means, the sheet edge and the feeding direction are provided at a plurality of locations. The frictional resistance at the sheet edge can be reduced by the contact structure. Thereby, while performing skew feeding, smooth feeding can be enabled with the contact condition with the edge necessary for preventing skew feeding as a predetermined condition.

  In particular, in the invention described in claim 2, since the contact portion with the sheet edge is constituted by a rib, the effect of reducing the frictional resistance can be increased as a very small contact surface. Further, in the inventions according to claims 3 and 4, the urging toward the sheet edge can secure a contact area for preventing the skew of the sheet and can be displaced to a position that does not hinder the movement of the sheet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent skew feeding and smoothly feed out.

  In the invention according to claim 5, since the contact surface with the sheet edge is a resin having a low coefficient of friction, the frictional resistance can be more effectively reduced.

  In the invention described in claim 6, since the installation position of the auxiliary position restricting means can be changed along the sheet feeding direction, the position of contacting the sheet edge in the sheet feeding direction can be changed. It is possible to install the auxiliary position restricting means at the optimum position for preventing the skew of the movement.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the auxiliary position restricting means sets the position of 20 to 50 mm as the contact position of the sheet with reference to the front and rear ends of the sheet, the skew feeding in a long range in the sheet feeding direction Prevention becomes possible.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent the skew of the sheet and reduce the frictional resistance during feeding when a sheet having a predetermined size or less is fed.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an image forming apparatus in which the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention is used. An image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a copying machine capable of copying an original image by an electrophotographic method. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to target a printer, a printing machine, a facsimile machine, or an apparatus that combines these functions.

Reference numeral 100 in the drawing denotes a copying machine main body (image forming apparatus main body). The copying machine main body 100 has an image reading device 200 mounted thereon and is placed on a sheet bank 300.
On the image reading apparatus 200, an automatic document feeder 400 that can be opened and closed up and down with the back side as a fulcrum is provided.

The copying machine main body 100 includes a drum-shaped photoreceptor 10 as an image carrier inside.
In order to perform an image forming process, the photosensitive member 10 is developed from the charging device 11 arranged on the left side in the drawing in the order along the rotation direction (counterclockwise) A of the photosensitive member 10 to the lower side. A transfer device 13 is disposed on the right side, a transfer device 13 is disposed on the right side, and a cleaning device 14 is disposed on the upper side.

  In the developing device 12, a polymerized toner produced by a polymerization method is used as the toner, and the polymerized toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 10 using a developing roller, whereby the electrostatic latent image is a visible image. It becomes.

  Further, the transfer device 13 is configured by winding a transfer belt 17 between upper and lower rollers 15, 16 and presses the transfer belt 17 against the peripheral surface of the photoconductor 10 at the transfer position B.

  In FIG. 1, what is provided on the left side of the charging device 11 and the cleaning device 14 is a toner replenishing device 20 that replenishes the developing device 12 with new toner.

Further, inside the copying machine main body 100, a sheet conveying apparatus C that conveys a sheet (recording medium) S fed from a sheet cassette 61 (described later) of the sheet bank 300 from the lower side to the upper side through the transfer position B to the stack position. Is prepared.
The sheet conveying apparatus C has a supply path R1, a manual feed path R2, and a sheet conveyance path R.

In the sheet conveyance path R, a pair of registration rollers 21 is provided at an upstream position of the photoconductor 10.
Further, a fixing device 22 is provided at a downstream position of the photoconductor 10. As will be described in detail later, the fixing device 22 is provided with a heating roller (heating member) 30 that heats to a fixing temperature and a pressure roller (pressure member) 32 that presses against the heating roller.

  Further downstream of the fixing device 22, a discharge branch claw 34, a discharge roller 35, a first pressure roller 36, a second pressure roller 37, and a waist roller 38 are provided. Further, a discharge stack unit 39 for stacking sheets on which images have been formed is provided at the end.

The copying machine main body 100 is provided with a switchback device 42 on the right side in the drawing.
The switchback device 42 branches from the discharge branch claw 34 position of the sheet conveyance path R and leads to the switchback position 44 including the pair of switchback rollers 43, and the sheet conveyance path R again from the switchback position 44. A sheet conveying device D having a re-conveying path R4 leading to the registration roller 21.
The sheet conveying apparatus D is provided with a plurality of pairs of sheet conveying rollers 66 for conveying the sheet.

On the left side of the developing device 12 in the figure, a laser writing device 47 is provided.
The laser writing device 47 includes a laser light source (not shown), a scanning rotary polygon mirror 48, a polygon motor 49, a scanning optical system 50 such as an fθ lens, and the like.

  On the other hand, the image reading apparatus 200 is provided with a light source 53, a plurality of mirrors 54, an imaging optical lens 55, an image sensor 56 such as a CCD, and the like, and a contact glass 57 is disposed on the upper surface.

The automatic document feeder 400 on the contact glass 57 is provided with a document setting table (not shown) at the document placement position and a document stack table (not shown) at the discharge position. Further, there is provided a sheet conveying apparatus having an unillustrated original conveying path for conveying the original sheet from the original setting table to the original stacking stage through the reading position on the contact glass 57 of the image reading apparatus 200.
The sheet conveying apparatus is provided with a plurality of sheet conveying rollers (not shown) that convey the document sheet.

On the other hand, the sheet bank 300 is internally provided with a plurality of sheet cassettes 61 for storing sheets S as recording media. The sheet cassette 61 corresponds to a characteristic part of the present embodiment, and the configuration thereof will be described in detail later.
Each sheet cassette 61 is provided with a call roller 62, a supply roller 63, and a separation roller 64, respectively.
On the right side of the sheet cassette 61 provided in multiple stages in the drawing, the above-described supply path R1 leading to the sheet conveyance path R of the apparatus main body 100 is formed.
The supply path R1 is also provided with several sheet conveyance rollers 66 for conveying the sheet.

The copier apparatus main body 100 is provided with a manual feed unit 68 on the right side in the drawing. The manual feed unit 68 is provided with a manual feed tray 67 that can be opened and closed. 67 is provided with the above-described manual feed path R2 for guiding the manual sheet set on the sheet 67 to the sheet conveyance path R.
Similarly, the manual feed tray 67 is provided with a calling roller 62, a supply roller 63, and a separation roller 64.

When making a copy using a copying machine having such a configuration, a main switch (not shown) is turned on and a document is set on a document setting table of the automatic document feeder 400.
In the case of a book document, the automatic document feeder 400 is opened, a document is set directly on the contact glass 57 of the image reading device 200, and the automatic document feeder 400 is closed and pressed.

When a start switch (not shown) is pressed, when the document is set on the automatic document conveying device 400, the document is moved by the sheet conveying roller through the document conveying path onto the contact glass 57 and the image reading device 200 is driven. Then, the document contents are read and discharged onto the document stacking table.
On the other hand, when the document is set directly on the contact glass 57, the image reading apparatus 200 is immediately driven.

When the image reading apparatus 200 is driven, the image reading apparatus 200 moves the light source 53 along the contact glass 57, reflects light from the light source 53 on the original surface on the contact glass 57, and reflects the reflected light to a plurality of light sources 53. The light is reflected by a mirror 54, passes through an imaging optical lens 55, is put into an image sensor 56, and the original sensor reads the content of the document.
In the illustrated example, the original is stopped on the contact glass 57 and moved toward the light source 53 to read the original content. On the contrary, the original surface is irradiated with light from a fixed light source while conveying the original. Of course, it is also possible to read the data sequentially.

  When the start switch is pressed, the photosensitive member 10 is rotated by a photosensitive member driving motor (not shown) at a predetermined timing, and in the illustrated example, the surface is first uniformly charged by a charging device 11 using a charging roller, and then the surface is charged. In accordance with the content of the original read by the image reading apparatus 200 described above, laser light is irradiated and writing is performed by the laser writing apparatus 47 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive member 10. A toner is attached to make the electrostatic latent image visible.

  Further, when the start switch is pressed, the sheet S is sent out by the calling roller 62 from the sheet cassette 61 corresponding to the selected size in the plurality of sheet cassettes 61 provided in multiple stages in the sheet bank 300 at a predetermined timing, and then the supply roller 63. The sheet is separated and conveyed one by one by the separation roller 64, and is fed into the supply path R1. The sheet is conveyed by the sheet conveyance roller 66 to the sheet conveyance path R, and is abutted against the registration roller 21 and stopped. Then, the registration roller 21 is rotated in synchronization with the rotation of the toner image that has been visualized on the photosensitive member 10 and is fed to the right side of the photosensitive member 10.

  Alternatively, the manual feed tray 67 of the manual feed unit 68 is opened, the manual feed sheet set on the manual feed tray 67 is sent out by the calling roller 62, and separated and conveyed one by one by the subsequent supply roller 63 and separation roller 64. The sheet is fed into the manual feed path R2, is conveyed by the sheet conveyance roller 66, is guided to the sheet conveyance path R, and is similarly fed by the registration roller 21 to the right side of the photoreceptor 10 in time with the rotation of the photoreceptor 10.

  In the illustrated example, the transfer device 13 transfers the toner image on the photoconductor 10 to the sheet S fed to the right side of the photoconductor 10 to form an image. Residual toner on the photoconductor 10 after image transfer is removed and cleaned by a cleaning device 14, and the residual potential on the photoconductor 10 is removed by a neutralization device (not shown) to prepare for the next image formation starting from charging.

  On the other hand, the sheet S after the image transfer is conveyed by the transfer belt 17 and put into the fixing device 22, passed between the heating roller 30 and the pressure roller 32, and conveyed by the rotating heating roller 30 and pressure roller 32. The toner image on the sheet S is fixed by applying heat and pressure. Thereafter, the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge stack portion 39 in a state in which the sheet S is raised by the discharge rollers 35 and 5, the first pressure roller 36, the second pressure roller 37, and the waist roller 38 and the bending rigidity is increased. Then loaded.

  In addition, when transferring an image to both surfaces of the sheet, the discharge branch claw 34 is switched. Then, the sheet having the toner image transferred to the surface is transferred from the sheet conveying path R to the reversing path R3, conveyed by the sheet conveying roller 66 to the switchback position 44, and switched back by the switchback roller 43 to be re-conveyed. Inverted in the path R4, transported by the sheet transport roller 66, guided again to the sheet transport path R, and the image is transferred to the back surface of the sheet in the same manner as described above.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of the sheet cassette 61 provided in the sheet bank 300.
The sheet cassette 61 is composed of a cassette body 61A composed of a rectangular box whose upper surface is open.

  The cassette body 61A is inserted into and removed from the sheet bank 300 of the apparatus body in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction corresponding to the direction indicated by the arrow F. An operation knob 61B is provided on the wall surface. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 61C denotes an insertion / removal guide portion.

  Inside the cassette body 61A, a swingable sheet placing plate 610 whose front side in the sheet feeding direction F is the end of the side that swings in the vertical direction is formed on the bottom plate of the cassette 61A. Side fences 611 and 612 that are provided so as to be slidable along the guide portion and regulate the positions of the edges in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction, and on the rear end side in the sheet feeding direction. An end fence 613 that is slidable along the sheet feeding direction and regulates the edge position of the sheet by regulating the rear end position of the sheet is provided as an existing configuration.

  The side fences 611 and 612 are symmetrically moved with respect to the side edge of the sheet mounted on the sheet placing plate 610 with respect to the center of the sheet width, thereby defining the side edge position and skewing when feeding out. In addition, a configuration is employed in which edge alignment is performed.

  The end fence 613 can slide in the feeding direction at the center of the sheet in the width direction, and a position corresponding to the size of the sheet on which a size display portion (not shown) provided on the bottom plate of the cassette body 61A is mounted. The trailing edge position of the sheet is regulated by adjusting the trailing edge of the sheet.

  The side fences 611 and 612 move symmetrically in the sheet width direction along the guide portion provided on the bottom plate side of the cassette body 61A, but the amount of movement toward the center in the sheet width direction is the same as that of the sheet placement plate 610. In this embodiment, A3, B4, A4 vertical, A4 horizontal, B5 vertical, and B5 horizontal feeding positions are targeted.

  For this reason, since the side fences 611 and 612 can move only to a position corresponding to the above-described feeding position, a sheet size other than this, particularly, a sheet smaller than the above-described size is mounted. A configuration is provided in order to do so.

  FIG. 3 is an external view showing one side fence (indicated by reference numeral 611 for the sake of convenience). In FIG. 3, the side fences 611 and 612 are arranged on the side of the side fence 611 facing the other side fence 612. Position restricting auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 as auxiliary position restricting means having a thickness in the sheet width direction capable of narrowing the facing interval are arranged.

  As will be described later, the position regulation auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 are detachably supported with respect to the mounting portion provided on the side fence 661 side, and the surface facing the side edge of the sheet is arranged in the sheet feeding direction. Ribs 614A are provided at a plurality of locations along the sheet, and are configured to contact at a plurality of locations along the sheet feeding direction rather than the entire area of the surface facing the side edge of the sheet.

  The rib 614A is integrally formed with the position restriction auxiliary block 611 using a resin such as polyethylene terephthalate having a low friction coefficient.

  Instead of providing the rib 614A, the position restriction auxiliary block 611 including the rib 614A is configured as a plate-like position restriction auxiliary block 611 as shown in FIG. 4, and the position restriction auxiliary block 6110 is formed by the rib 614A. You may provide so that it may urge toward the sheet | seat side edge by interposing elastic bodies 616, such as a spring, by the side fence 611 in the location arrange | positioned. In this configuration, it is possible to apply an urging force that prevents the sheet from skewing by using the elastic restoring force.

On the other hand, the installation position of the rib 614A shown in FIG. 2 or the plate-like position restriction auxiliary block 6110 shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the installation position of the rib 614A shown in FIG. 2 as an object. In FIG. 5, the rib 614A is mounted on the side edge by the sheet S to be mounted, that is, the side fences 611 and 612. The distance (L) to the surface in contact with the sheet end surface is set in a range of 20 to 50 mm with reference to the front and rear ends of the sheet S having a smaller size than the sheet to be subjected to edge alignment. The reason for this will be described with reference to the diagram shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 shows the result of an experiment conducted by the inventor on the relationship between the position of the rib 614A and the amount of skew (skew) generated on the sheet (in FIG. 6, for the sake of convenience), as shown in FIG. In addition, considering that the amount of skew (skew) when the effect of skew during registration is not observed corresponds to 1 to 2 (mm / 100 mm), the position of the rib 614A is set to the front and rear ends of the sheet. Desirable results can be obtained by selecting within a range of 20 to 50 mm with reference to. The skew amount is determined on the basis of the amount of movement from the end when the sheet is fed and the tilt angle, so that the rib 611 is moved closer to the end of the sheet to cause the tilt when the sheet is fed. It can be considered that the reason why it can be suppressed is the reason for the reduction of the skew amount. Although it is conceivable to dispose the rib 611 at the end portion, in this case, interference between the sheet end portion and the rib is likely to occur, which may cause unsatisfactory feeding, which is not preferable.

On the other hand, the position restriction auxiliary block 614 is supported so that the installation position can be changed and detachable along the sheet feeding direction, and the configuration for that is shown in FIG. 7 and subsequent figures.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the side fence 611 excluding the position restriction auxiliary block 614. In the figure, the bottom plate portion of the side fence 611 is provided with a plurality of support holes 611A along the sheet feeding direction.
As shown in FIG. 8A, the support hole 611A is a portion into which the protrusion 614B provided on the bottom of the position restriction auxiliary block 614 is inserted and removed, and is denoted by reference numeral (B) in FIG. 8A. As shown in FIG. (B), which is an arrow view in the direction shown, the protrusion 614B on the position regulation auxiliary block 614 side is inserted into and fitted into the selected support hole 611A in the sheet feeding direction. The position of the position restriction auxiliary block 614 can be defined. The selection of the installation position of the position restriction block 614 is performed based on the position of the rib 614A on the position restriction auxiliary block 614 side and the end of the sheet in order to prevent the mounted small-size sheet from skewing. It is for positioning as.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 are views showing the movement position of the position restriction auxiliary block 614. When the position shown in FIG. 9 is the initial position, the support hole 611A on the side fence 611 side and the position restriction auxiliary block 614 side are shown. By selecting the positional relationship between the protrusions 614B, the position restriction auxiliary block 614 can be positioned on the front side in the sheet feeding direction (the direction indicated by the arrow F in the drawing) as shown in FIG.

  Since the present embodiment is configured as described above, when a sheet having a size smaller than the size aligned at the edge by the side fences 611 and 612 is mounted on the sheet cassette 61, the position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 are arranged on the side. Attached to the fences 611 and 612. In this case, the support hole on the side fence 611 side so that the position of the rib 614A (see FIG. 8) of the position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 is in the range of 20 to 50 mm from the end of the sheet depending on the size of the mounted sheet. 611A (see FIG. 8) and the position restriction auxiliary block 614, 615 side projection (see FIG. 8) position relationship is selected, the protrusion 614B is fitted into the support hole 611A, and the position restriction auxiliary block 614, 615 is attached to the side fence. Attach to 611,612.

  The position regulation auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 attached to the side fences 611 and 612 are moved together with the side fences 611 and 612 in the sheet width direction so that the facing interval is narrower than that between the side fences, It can be made to abut against the side edge.

  The position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 facing the sheet side edge are plate-like position restriction auxiliary blocks 6110 employed in place of the ribs 614A or ribs 614 located at a plurality of locations along the sheet feeding direction (see FIG. 4). With this configuration, since the sheet does not contact over the entire side edge of the sheet, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance when the sheet is fed out.

  Particularly, since the surface on the position regulation auxiliary block 614, 615 side is in contact with the sheet at a position shifted by a predetermined dimension with respect to the end on the sheet feeding side, the end of the sheet when the sheet is fed out Is prevented from colliding with the rib 614A or the plate-like position regulation auxiliary block 6110. Thereby, it is possible to smoothly feed out the sheet in combination with the reduction of the rubbing resistance.

  In this embodiment, when the position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 are mounted on the side fences 611 and 612, the position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 are directed toward the center in the width direction of the sheet so as to face and come into contact with the edge of the sheet. In order not to hinder this movement, as shown by reference numeral S in FIG. 2, the placement piece of the sheet placement plate 610 provided at a position facing the position restriction auxiliary blocks 614 and 615 is not shown. The width is narrower than when only the side fences 611 and 612 are targeted.

  Further, the present embodiment is based on the premise that the side fences 611 and 612 move symmetrically toward the center in the sheet width direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and one side fence is a fixed side and the other side is It is also possible to target the format to be moved.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus to which a sheet feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sheet cassette used in a sheet feeding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external view showing a main part for explaining a configuration of a side fence equipped in the sheet cassette shown in FIG. 2 and a position restriction auxiliary block attached to the side fence. It is a schematic diagram which shows the principal part modification of the position control auxiliary | assistant block shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the position restriction auxiliary block shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between an arrangement position and a skew amount in order to explain a reason for arrangement of ribs formed in the position regulation auxiliary block shown in FIG. 5. It is a top view which shows the principal part of the side fence except the position control auxiliary | assistant block shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the assembly | attachment relationship between the side fence shown in FIG. 3, and a position control auxiliary | assistant block, (A) is the perspective view seen from the downward side of a side fence, (B) is a code | symbol in (A) It is an arrow view of the direction shown by (B). It is a top view for demonstrating the one aspect | mode of the positional relationship of the position control auxiliary | assistant block with respect to the side fence shown in FIG. It is a top view for demonstrating the aspect which changed the positional relationship shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

61 Sheet cassette 61A Cassette main body 100 Image forming apparatus 610 Sheet placement plate 611, 612 Side fence 614, 615 Position restriction auxiliary block 614A Rib 614B Projection 6110 Plate-like position restriction auxiliary block L Sheet end surface based on edge of sheet Distance to the surface in contact with

Claims (8)

A sheet stacking unit capable of stacking sheets, and an aligning unit that opposes and contacts the edge of the sheet dammed to the sheet stacking unit to define the position of the edge, and sequentially feeds the stacked sheets In a sheet feeding apparatus having a possible configuration,
The aligning means is provided so as to be movable to a position of a facing interval corresponding to a preset sheet width, and an auxiliary position restriction capable of setting a facing interval smaller than the preset sheet width on the facing surface. The sheet feeding device is characterized in that the means is detachably provided and the auxiliary position regulating means is configured to contact the sheet at a plurality of locations along the feeding direction.   2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary position regulating means is provided with a plurality of ribs along a feeding direction on a surface facing the sheet, and the ribs can contact a sheet end surface. Feeding device.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary position regulating unit is biased toward an end surface of the sheet.   4. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary position regulating means is biased using an elastic body.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a surface of the auxiliary position regulating means that contacts the edge of the sheet is made of a resin having a low friction coefficient.   The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary position restricting unit is capable of changing an installation position along a feeding direction of the sheet.   The position of the surface in contact with the edge of the sheet in the auxiliary position regulating means is set such that the distance (L) to the surface in contact with the sheet end surface with reference to the front and rear ends in the sheet feeding direction is 20 to 50 mm. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is provided.   An image forming apparatus using the sheet feeding device according to claim 1.

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