JP2008024389A - Paper feeding device and image forming device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeding device capable of more easily adjusting the height thereof in relation to an image forming device, and to provide an image forming device with the paper feeding device. <P>SOLUTION: A housing section 11 loaded with layered paper sheets P is constituted freely to be moved in a predetermined direction (the X-axial direction) by a caster unit 12. Several casters 121 are fixed to a caster fixing means 122 of the caster unit 12, and the caster unit 12 can be integrally moved in the moving direction of the caster unit 12 relative to the housing section 11 by a height adjusting mechanism 123. When relatively moving the caster unit 12 in the moving direction of the caster unit 12, the height adjusting mechanism 123 changes a distance Z between the caster fixing member 122 and the housing section 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds a sheet to an image forming apparatus main body, and an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, and a composite machine including these.

  2. Description of the Related Art In image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multi-function machines, a configuration is known in which paper is fed by attaching a paper feeding device that supplies paper to the main body of the image forming apparatus. In this case, when the image forming apparatus is installed, the position (height) and angle of the paper discharge port of the paper feeding device and the paper introduction port of the image forming apparatus main body are matched (each of the paper feeding device and the image forming apparatus main body). The paper transport paths of each other must be aligned with each other. In particular, when the image forming apparatus main body and the paper feeding device are connected and fixed only below each other, a gap is likely to be generated between the paper discharge port and the paper introduction port provided above each (the paper feeding device and the paper feeding device). In many cases, the respective sheet conveyance paths of the image forming apparatus main body are not straight each other. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the sheet conveyance path to realize smooth sheet conveyance without causing a sheet feeding error.

On the other hand, since the storage unit (cassette unit for stacking paper) can be pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body (and the main body of the paper supply device), the paper feeding device has a plurality of casters in the width direction on the bottom of the storage unit. Is attached. In such a sheet feeding device, conventionally, the height of the plurality of casters is individually adjusted to adjust the height of the sheet feeding device (see, for example, cited document 1).
JP 2001-233002 A

  However, in the above prior art, since it is necessary to individually adjust the height of each of the plurality of casters, there is a problem that the adjustment work becomes complicated. In addition, since a plurality of casters are arranged in the width direction, not only the front-rear direction (paper conveyance direction) but also the angle adjustment (leveling) in the width direction is necessary, which is an extra effort.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and a paper feeding device capable of more easily adjusting the height between the paper feeding device and the image forming apparatus main body and an image forming apparatus including the paper feeding device. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  A sheet feeding device according to the present invention is configured to be attachable to an image forming apparatus main body and supplies sheets to the image forming apparatus main body, and includes a storage unit that stacks and mounts sheets, and the storage unit A caster unit for reciprocally moving the caster in a predetermined direction. The caster unit includes a plurality of casters, a caster fixing member to which the plurality of casters are fixed, and between the caster fixing member and the storage portion. And a height adjusting mechanism that can change the distance between the caster fixing member and the storage portion by moving the caster fixing member relative to the storage portion in the moving direction of the caster unit. It is characterized by having.

  According to the sheet feeding device having the above configuration, the storage unit for stacking and stacking sheets is configured to be movable in a predetermined direction by the caster unit. A plurality of casters are fixed to the caster fixing means of the caster unit, and the caster unit can move relative to the storage unit integrally in the moving direction of the caster unit via the height adjusting mechanism. When the caster unit is relatively moved in the moving direction of the caster unit, the distance between the caster fixing member and the storage portion is changed by the height adjusting mechanism.

  Therefore, when adjusting the height of the paper feeding device when the paper feeding device is attached to the image forming apparatus main body, the height of the plurality of casters can be adjusted integrally without individually adjusting. Therefore, the height can be adjusted more easily.

  Preferably, the height adjustment mechanism includes a sliding contact surface that is in sliding contact with the caster fixing member, and includes an inclined body that is attached to a bottom surface of the storage portion, and the sliding contact surface is in relation to the image forming apparatus installation surface. And is configured to be inclined in the moving direction of the caster unit.

  In this case, the inclined body of the height adjusting mechanism attached to the bottom surface of the storage unit has a sliding contact surface inclined in the moving direction of the caster unit with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface, and the caster fixing member is in contact with the sliding contact surface. It is possible to slide on the sliding contact surface while abutting on the surface. Thus, the caster unit moves in the moving direction of the caster unit by moving the caster fixing member in sliding contact with the sliding contact surface inclined in the moving direction of the caster unit with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface. It is possible to easily convert the sheet feeding device to move in the height direction.

  Preferably, the caster unit is attached so that a caster is disposed at a position deviated to the side opposite to the image forming apparatus main body attachment side of the storage portion, and the height adjusting mechanism Configured to adjust the mounting angle.

  In this case, the caster unit is attached so that the caster is disposed at a position deviated to the side opposite to the image forming apparatus main body attachment side of the storage unit. That is, the caster is disposed on the side far from the connecting portion between the sheet feeding device and the image forming apparatus main body. Accordingly, when the caster fixing member is moved in the height direction in adjusting the attachment angle between the sheet feeding device and the image forming apparatus main body, the distance between the force point (caster) and the fulcrum (connecting portion) may be relatively long. Therefore, height adjustment can be easily performed with less force.

  In addition, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the sheet feeding device having the above-described configuration.

  According to the sheet feeding device and the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the caster unit is moved in the moving direction of the caster unit, the distance between the caster fixing member and the storage portion is changed by the height adjusting mechanism. In this way, the heights of the plurality of casters can be adjusted integrally without individually adjusting. Therefore, the height can be adjusted more easily.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus including the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to an image forming apparatus main body. 2 is a partial perspective view of the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1 when viewed from below, and FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the caster unit in the sheet feeding device of FIG. FIG. 3A is a side view, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to be attachable to the image forming apparatus main body 2 and supplies the paper P to the image forming apparatus main body 2. The paper feeding device 1 includes a storage unit 11 on which the sheets P are stacked and loaded, and a caster unit 12 for reciprocating the storage unit 11 in a predetermined direction.

  In the present embodiment, the paper feeding device 1 is positioned relative to the storage unit 11 so that the storage unit 11 can move in the X-axis direction with respect to the image forming apparatus main body 2 when attached to the image forming apparatus main body 2. A movable connecting portion 16 is provided. The connecting portion 16 is provided with a fixing piece 17, and the image forming apparatus main body 2 and the fixing piece 17 of the connecting portion 16 are fixed using screws or the like, so that the image forming apparatus main body 2 and the paper feeding device are fixed. 1 is fixed so that the storage portion 11 can move in the X-axis direction.

  In addition, the paper feeding device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a conveyance path 13 that conveys the sheets P stacked in the storage unit 11 and a conveyance roller 14 that conveys the sheets P in the conveyance path 13. Further, a sheet discharge port 15 that is opened to the outside is formed at the downstream end of the conveyance path 13, and the height of the caster unit 12 is adjusted when the sheet discharge port 15 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 2. The two sheet introduction ports 21 and the vertical position are aligned.

  2 and 3, the caster unit 12 includes a plurality of casters 121, a caster fixing member 122 to which the plurality of casters 121 are fixed, and the caster fixing member 122 and the storage portion 11. The caster fixing member 122 is interposed between the caster fixing member 122 and the storage portion 11 by moving the caster fixing member 122 relative to the storage portion 11 in the movement direction (X-axis direction) of the caster unit 12. It has a height adjustment mechanism 123 that can change the distance (that is, the distance L between the image forming apparatus installation surface G, which is a caster ground surface), and the bottom surface of the storage unit 11.

  In the present embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism 123 includes a sliding contact surface S that is in sliding contact with the caster fixing member 122, and includes an inclined body 123a attached to the bottom surface of the storage unit 11, and the sliding contact surface S is The caster unit 12 is configured to be inclined with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface G in the moving direction. For this reason, the slidable contact portion 122 a that slidably contacts the slidable contact surface S of the caster fixing member 122 has a shape along the slidable contact surface S. Thereby, sliding of the sliding contact part 122a on the sliding contact surface S can be performed stably. On the other hand, the caster fixing portion of the caster fixing member 122 is configured horizontally on the bottom surface of the storage unit 11. The caster fixing member 122 is integrally formed by bending a plate-like member such as an iron plate including the sliding contact portion 122a.

  According to the sheet feeder 1 having the above configuration, the storage unit 11 on which the sheets P are stacked and stacked is configured to be movable in the X-axis direction by the caster unit 12. The caster fixing means 122 of the caster unit 12 is attached over the direction in which the longitudinal direction is orthogonal to the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the caster unit 12 on the bottom surface of the storage unit 11. A plurality (two) of casters 121 are fixed to the caster fixing means 122 in parallel on an axis perpendicular to the moving direction of the caster unit 12 (in the width direction of the paper feeding device 1), and the height adjusting mechanism 123 is connected to the caster fixing means 122. Thus, the caster unit 12 can move relative to the storage portion 11 integrally in the movement direction (X-axis direction) of the caster unit 12.

  When the caster unit 12 is moved in the moving direction of the caster unit 12, the height adjustment mechanism 123 causes the distance Z between the caster fixing member 122 and the storage portion 11, that is, the image forming apparatus that is the caster ground plane. The distance L between the installation surface G and the bottom surface of the storage unit 11 changes. In the present embodiment, the distance Z increases (the position of the sheet feeding device 1 increases) as it goes to the side opposite to the image forming apparatus main body 2 attachment side (fixed piece 17 side) of the sheet feeding device 1. The

  More specifically, the inclined body 123a of the height adjusting mechanism 123 attached to the bottom surface of the storage portion 11 is (fixed piece) in the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the caster unit 12 with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface G. The sliding contact surface S is inclined (so that the distance Z increases with distance from 17). Then, the caster fixing member 122 slides on the sliding contact surface S while being in contact with the sliding contact surface S, so that the caster unit 12 moves relative to the storage portion 11, thereby the distance in the height direction. Z (and hence distance L) can be changed. As described above, the caster fixing member 122 is in sliding contact with the sliding contact surface S in which the sliding contact surface S is inclined with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface G in the moving direction of the caster unit 12. The relative movement in the (X-axis direction) can be easily converted into the relative movement in the height direction (Y-axis direction) of the sheet feeding device 1. After the height adjustment, the height (distances Z and L) is held by a fixing member (screw or the like) 124.

  As described above, when adjusting the height of the paper feeding device 1 when the paper feeding device 1 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 2, the heights of the plurality of casters 121 are adjusted integrally without being individually adjusted. be able to. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the casters 121 are arranged in parallel in the width direction of the storage portion 11, angle adjustment (leveling) in the width direction is not necessary. Therefore, the height can be adjusted more easily.

  In the present embodiment, the caster unit 12 is attached so that the caster 121 is disposed at a position deviated to the side opposite to the image forming apparatus main body 10 attachment side (fixed piece 17 side) of the storage unit 11. The height adjustment mechanism 123 is configured to adjust the mounting angle with the image forming apparatus main body 2 (the vertical position between the paper discharge port 15 of the paper feeding device 1 and the paper introduction port 21 of the image forming device main body 2). Is done.

  In this case, the caster unit 12 is attached so that the caster 121 is arranged at a position deviated to the side opposite to the attachment side of the image forming apparatus main body 2 of the storage unit 11. That is, the caster is disposed on the side far from the connecting portion (fixed piece 17) between the paper feeding device 1 and the image forming apparatus main body 2. In addition, the fixing piece 17 fixes both the sheet feeding device 1 and the image forming apparatus main body 2 below. As a result, when the caster fixing member 122 is moved in the height direction in adjusting the attachment angle between the sheet feeding device 1 and the image forming apparatus main body 2, a force point (the caster 121, and the upper portion of the caster 121 serves as an action point). Since the distance from the fulcrum (the fixed piece 17 that is the connecting portion) can be made relatively long, the height can be easily adjusted with less force.

  The embodiment according to the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements, changes, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, instead of using the inclined body 123 a having the inclined surface S, the height adjusting mechanism 123 has an inclined opening 126 whose longitudinal direction is inclined with respect to the bottom surface of the storage unit 11, and casters on the bottom surface of the storage unit 11. A regulating body 127 attached in the vicinity of both ends in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the unit 12 and a flat shaft 125 extending from both ends of the caster fixing means 122; The flat surface 125 may be configured to be slidable in the longitudinal direction in the inclined opening 126 of the restricting body 127. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view in the vicinity of a caster unit showing another example of the height adjusting mechanism of the paper feeding device according to the present invention. 4A is a side view, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4A.

  In this case, the restricting body 127 is attached to the bottom surface of the storage portion 11 in a state where the inclined opening 126 is directed in a direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction. The flat surfaces of the flat shaft 125 are attached to both ends of the caster fixing means 122 so as to be inclined in the same direction as the inclined opening 126 with respect to the caster mounting surface (horizontal) of the caster fixing means 122. Then, the flat shaft 125 is inserted into the inclined opening 126 of the restricting body 127. In this state, the flat shaft 125 slides in the longitudinal direction in the inclined opening 126, so that the caster unit 12 moves relative to the storage portion 11, thereby the distance in the height direction (Y-axis direction). Z (and thus the distance L) can be changed (the longitudinal opening line of the inclined opening 126 corresponds to the sliding contact surface S of the above embodiment). After the height adjustment, the height (distance Z, L) is maintained by attaching a fixing member (screw or the like) 124 to a fixing hole (screw hole) 128 provided in the axial direction of the flat shaft 125.

  In addition, various configurations can be applied in which the caster fixing member 122 can be moved relative to the storage unit 11 obliquely (in a direction away from each other) by moving the caster 121 in the X-axis direction. In addition, the number of casters 121, positions, attachment modes, and the like can be variously applied.

1 is a side view showing a state in which a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to an image forming apparatus main body. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view when the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1 is viewed from below. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view in the vicinity of a caster unit in the paper feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view in the vicinity of a caster unit showing another example of the height adjusting mechanism of the paper feeding device according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper feeder 2 Image forming apparatus main body 11 Storage part 12 Caster unit 121 Caster 122 Caster fixing member 123 Height adjustment mechanism G Image forming apparatus installation surface P Paper S Sliding surface

Claims (4)

A paper feeding device configured to be attachable to the image forming apparatus main body and supplying paper to the image forming apparatus main body,
A storage unit for stacking sheets;
A caster unit for reciprocating the storage part in a predetermined direction,
The caster unit is
Multiple casters,
A caster fixing member to which the plurality of casters are fixed;
Between the caster fixing member and the storage portion, the caster fixing member and the storage portion are moved relative to each other in the moving direction of the caster unit with respect to the storage portion. And a height adjusting mechanism capable of changing a distance therebetween.   The height adjusting mechanism includes a sliding contact surface that is in sliding contact with the caster fixing member, and includes an inclined body that is attached to a bottom surface of the storage unit, and the sliding contact surface is disposed on the caster with respect to the image forming apparatus installation surface. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is inclined in the moving direction of the unit. The caster unit is attached so that a caster is disposed at a position deviated to the side opposite to the image forming apparatus main body attachment side of the storage unit,
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein an attachment angle with the main body of the image forming apparatus is adjusted by the height adjusting mechanism. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet feeding device according to claim 1.

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