JP2008110832A - Feed part - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily engage a guide part with a slide part. <P>SOLUTION: An engaging direction of engaging an engaging part 114 of the guide part 110 with a part to be engaged 122 of the slide part 120 is substantially conformed with an attaching direction for attaching the guide part 110 to a hand insertion paper sheet supply part 100, and the both directions are directed along a substantially horizontal direction X. The guide part 110 and the slide part 120 are thereby engaged at the same time in attaching work for the guide part 110 (a series of working operation). The work is easy to be executed even when an engaging portion is hardly (or cannot be) confirmed visually, because engaged by moving the guide part 110 along an attaching direction. The work is easily executed also even when no space exists in an upper side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a feeding unit.

The image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit that feeds a sheet-like recording medium for forming an image to the image forming unit. The feeding unit includes a guide unit that moves in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction according to the size (size) of the recording medium and regulates the position in the width direction of the recording medium. Further, a pair of guide portions are provided, and a slide portion in which a rack that meshes with the pinion with a pinion interposed therebetween is attached to each guide portion. Therefore, the other guide part moves in conjunction with the movement of one guide part (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent No. 3466378 JP 2005-263439 A

  However, in the conventional feeding portion, the engaging portion of the guide portion is pushed into the engaged portion of the slide portion from above to engage the guide portion and the slide portion.

  Such engagement is difficult to perform unless there is sufficient space above the slide portion. Further, since the engaging direction is the direction of gravity, the engagement is easily disengaged when the guide portion is lifted upward.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to easily engage a guide portion and a slide portion.

  In order to achieve the above object, the feeding unit according to claim 1 moves in a width direction orthogonal to a feeding direction of a sheet-like recording medium, and regulates a position of the recording medium in the width direction. And a slide part that moves integrally with the guide part in the width direction, and an engagement part provided in the guide part, provided in the slide part, and the guide An engaging portion with which the engaging portion of the guide portion engages, and the guide portion is attached to the feeding portion in an attachment direction different from the direction of gravity, and the engaging portion of the guide portion An engagement direction of the slide portion with the engaged portion is substantially the same as the attachment direction.

  In the feeding portion according to the first aspect, the engaging direction of the engaging portion of the guide portion and the engaged portion of the slide portion substantially coincides with the mounting direction in which the guide portion is attached to the feeding portion. Therefore, the guide portion and the slide portion can be engaged simultaneously with the attaching operation of the guide portion (by a series of assembly operation operations). Moreover, it is easy to work even when it is difficult (or cannot) to visually recognize the engaging portion.

  Furthermore, since the engagement direction (and the attachment direction) is different from the gravity direction, the engagement is not released even if the guide portion is lifted after the guide portion is engaged with the slide portion. Moreover, it is easy to work even when the upper space is small.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect, the feeding unit includes an opening into which the recording medium is inserted, and the guide unit is inserted and attached from the opening. Yes.

  In the feeding unit according to the second aspect, since the guide unit is inserted and attached from the opening into which the recording medium is inserted, the assembling work is easy.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first or second aspect, the feeding portion has a groove portion whose longitudinal direction is the width direction, and the guide portion is a protrusion that engages with the groove portion. It has the part.

  In the feeding portion according to the third aspect, the protrusion of the guide portion engages with the groove portion whose longitudinal direction is the width direction. Therefore, since the guide part moves only in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the recording medium, the guide part moves stably in the width direction.

  The feeding portion according to claim 4 is the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the engaging portion of the guide portion protrudes toward an attachment direction. Yes.

  In the feeding portion according to the fourth aspect, the engaging portion of the guide portion protrudes toward the attachment direction. Therefore, when the guide portion is moved in the mounting direction, the engaging portion first comes into contact with the engaged portion of the slide portion, so that assembly work (engaging work) is easy.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the fourth aspect, the engaged portion of the slide portion is a top surface portion of the engaging portion that protrudes toward the mounting direction of the guide portion. It has the lower surface part which touches.

  In the feeding portion according to the fifth aspect, the upper surface portion of the engaging portion protruding toward the mounting direction side of the guide portion contacts the lower surface portion of the engaged portion of the slide portion. Therefore, the upper surface portion of the engaging portion protruding toward the attachment direction can be engaged by scooping the lower surface portion of the engaged portion of the slide portion, so that the assemblability is good.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the first to fifth aspects, the attachment direction of the feeding portion of the slide portion and the engaging portion of the guide portion are long. It has the groove-shaped recessed part made into a direction, and the convex part fitted to the said recessed part of the said to-be-engaged part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In the feeding portion according to the sixth aspect, the convex portion of the engaging portion of the guide portion is engaged with the concave portion of the engaged portion of the slide portion, thereby engaging more reliably.

  The feeding unit according to claim 7 is the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engaging portion of the guide portion and the engaged portion of the slide portion are engaged. It is characterized by having a restricting means for restricting relative movement of the guide portion and the slide portion in the mounting direction after being combined.

  In the feeding portion according to claim 7, after the engaging portion of the guide portion and the engaged portion of the slide portion are engaged, the guide portion and the slide portion are relatively moved in the mounting direction by the regulating means. Therefore, it is difficult for the engagement portion of the guide portion and the engaged portion of the slide portion to be disengaged.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the guide portion and the slide portion can be engaged simultaneously with the attaching operation of the guide portion, workability is good.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  An image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 forms an image on a recording sheet P1 (see FIG. 2) as a sheet-like recording medium based on image information input from an external apparatus. In addition, a paper feed cassette 20 is arranged. The left front side in FIG. 1 is the front of the apparatus, and the right back side is the apparatus back side. In addition, along the arrow S in FIG. 1, the left front side is the apparatus front side (front side), and the right back side is the apparatus back side.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper feed cassette 20 can be attached and detached by inserting and removing it in the insertion / removal direction (arrow S direction) from the mounting opening 18 formed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 12.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed cassette 20 includes a cassette body 22 that is formed in a box shape and accommodates the recording paper P1. The cassette body 22 includes a rectangular bottom surface 24 and a frame wall 25 that forms an outer frame along the outer periphery of the bottom surface 24. A bottom plate 26 is provided on the bottom surface 24 of the cassette body 22 and is lifted in the upward direction by the elastic force of an elastic member (not shown), and the recording paper P1 (see FIG. 2) is loaded on the bottom plate 26. Is done.

  Then, the recording paper P stored in the paper feeding cassette 20 is sent out in the feeding direction (arrow T direction) of the recording paper P1 by a paper feeding mechanism (not shown). The recording paper P1 fed from the paper feed cassette 20 is transported by a transport unit (not shown), and an image is formed in an image forming unit (not shown) in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. The paper is discharged to the paper discharge unit 14.

  The image forming method of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus 10 may be any method. For example, an electrophotographic system or an inkjet system may be used. Alternatively, a thermal transfer method or an impact dot method may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 1, recording paper P2 as a sheet-like recording medium other than the recording paper P1 stacked in the paper feeding cassette 20 is placed in the paper feeding cassette 20 on the front surface ( From the opening 102 provided in the front of the image forming apparatus, even if the user inserts it by hand, it can be conveyed to the image forming unit. That is, so-called manual feeding is possible. A mechanism portion that feeds paper from the opening 102 is referred to as a manual paper feed portion 100.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the manual sheet feeder 100 includes a pair of guide portions 110 and 210 in the opening 102. The guide portions 110 and 210 can slide the opening portion 102 in the width direction (arrow W direction) orthogonal to the feeding direction (arrow T direction) of the recording paper P. Then, by sliding the guide portions 110 and 210 in the width direction according to the size (size) of the recording paper P and changing the position, the recording paper P2 hits the end in the width direction of the recording paper P2. Position in the width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the guide portion 110 passes through the opening portion 102, and the slide portion 120 (FIG. 8) on which rack teeth H are formed that are arranged inside the paper feed cassette 20 (inside the frame wall 25). The engaging portion 122 of the guide portion 110 and the engaged portion 114 of the guide portion 110 are engaged. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the guide part 210 is also engaged with the slide part 220 in which the rack tooth H was formed. Details of the engagement between the engaging portion 114 of the guide portion 110 and the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of slide portions 120 and 220 are arranged in parallel with each other with the width direction as the longitudinal direction. 4 is a view of the sheet feeding cassette 20 as viewed from the back (viewed from the opposite side of FIG. 3). The slide portions 120 and 220 are formed with rack teeth H (see also FIG. 8) on the sides facing each other. A pinion gear 34 is rotatably disposed between the rack teeth H and meshes with the rack teeth H. Therefore, when one guide part 110 is slid in the width direction, the other guide part 112 is slid in the reverse direction in conjunction with it.

  Next, the details of the guide portions 110 and 210 and the slide portions 120 and 220 will be described. In addition, although one guide part 110 and the slide part 120 are illustrated and demonstrated as a representative, the other guide part 210 and the slide part 220 have the same configuration, although the left and right directions and arrangement are different.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the guide portion 110 is an engagement portion 114 that engages with the paper guide portion 112 on the front side of the apparatus and the engaged portion 122 (see FIG. 5) of the slide portion 120 on the back side of the apparatus. And have.

  The paper guide portion 112 of the guide portion 110 includes a side surface portion 112A outside the apparatus, and an inclined surface portion 112B that protrudes horizontally from the inside of the side surface portion 112A and gently inclines upward.

  The engaging part 114 of the guide part 110 has a vertical end wall part 116 on the back side of the apparatus. Furthermore, it has extension part 118A, 118B extended in the horizontal direction from the both ends of the width direction of the lower end part of the end wall part 116 toward the apparatus back | inner side. Further, these extending portions 118A and 118B have hooking portions 119A and B extending horizontally from the bottom toward each other. That is, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the engaging portion 114 is viewed from the back of the apparatus to the front side (in the direction of arrow S), a T-shaped space 130 is formed. .

  In addition, a protruding portion 108 is formed on the upper portion of the paper guide portion 112 of the guide portion 110.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a hole 132 is formed in the lower surface of the extending portions 118 </ b> A and 118 </ b> B.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a quadrangular engaged portion 122 is formed at the upper part of the longitudinal direction end portion (width direction end portion) of the slide portion 120. The engaged portion 122 is erected from the upper surface portion 126, and when viewed from the rear of the apparatus, the T-shaped portion 124 having the same shape as the T-shaped space 130 (see FIG. 6) of the engaging portion 114 of the guide portion 110 described above. Is included. Further, the upper surface portion 126 is formed with a semicircular portion 128 that can be engaged with the hole portion 132 of the above-described extending portions 118A and 118B.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120 is inserted into the T-shaped space 130 formed by the hook portions 119 </ b> A and 119 </ b> B of the extending portions 118 </ b> A and 118 </ b> B of the guide portion 110. Engage so that the T-shaped portion 124 fits.

  Next, the attachment of the guide part 110 and the engagement between the engaging part 114 of the guide part 110 and the engaged part 122 of the slide part 120 will be described in detail.

  First, the slide unit 120 is attached to the paper feed cassette 20. That is, the guide unit 110 is not attached in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9A, the guide portion 110 is inserted from the opening 102 of the paper feed cassette 20 formed on the front surface of the apparatus. In the case of this embodiment, the insertion direction (attachment direction) is a substantially horizontal direction as indicated by an arrow X, from the front side of the apparatus to the back side of the apparatus.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9B and FIG. 5, the engaging portion 114 of the guide portion 110 is engaged with the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120. The T-shaped portion 124 of the engaged portion 122 is engaged so as to fit in the T-shaped space 130 of the engaging portion 114. In addition, the holes 132 of the extending portions 118 </ b> A and 118 </ b> B of the extending portion of the guide portion 110 are engaged with the semicircular portion 128 of the upper surface portion 126 of the engaged portion 122.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the protrusion 108 on the upper part of the paper guide part 112 of the guide part 110 engages with the groove part 109 having the width direction as the longitudinal direction.

  The attachment of the other guide part 210 and the engagement between the guide part 210 and the slide part 220 are the same.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  The engagement direction between the engagement portion 114 of the guide portion 110 and the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120 and the attachment direction in which the guide portion 110 is attached to the manual sheet feeding portion 100 are both substantially horizontal directions X. Approximate. Therefore, since the guide part 110 and the slide part 120 can be engaged simultaneously with the attaching work of the guide part 110 (by a series of work operations), the assembling work is easy. For this reason, it is easy to work even when it is difficult (or cannot) to visually recognize the engaging portion. Moreover, it is easy to work even when there is no space above.

  Further, since the engaging direction (and the mounting direction) is the substantially horizontal direction X, which is a direction different from the direction of gravity, it is possible to engage the guide part 110 with the slide part 120 and then lift the guide part 110. There is no loss of alignment (see FIGS. 5 and 9).

  Further, since the guide portion 110 is inserted and attached from the opening 102 into which the recording paper P2 is inserted, the assembling work is easy.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the protrusion 108 on the upper part of the paper guide part 112 of the guide part 110 engages with the groove part 109 having the width direction as the longitudinal direction. Therefore, since the guide part 110 moves only in the width direction W orthogonal to the feeding direction T, the guide part 110 stably moves (slides) in the width direction.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, the engaging part 114 of the guide part 110 protrudes to the attachment direction side (arrow X). Therefore, when the guide part 110 is moved in the mounting direction, the engaging part 114 first comes into contact with the engaged part 122 of the slide part 120, so that assembly work (engagement work) is easy.

  Further, the lower surface 124A of the T-shaped portion 124 of the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120 can be engaged with the catch portions 119A and 119B of the engaging portion 114 of the guide portion 110. Therefore, assembly work (engagement work) is easy.

  Further, since the T-shaped portion 124 of the engaged portion 122 of the slide portion 120 is engaged so as to fit into the T-shaped space 130 of the guide portion 110 engaging portion 114, the engagement is ensured.

  Further, since the holes 132 of the extending portions 118A and 118B of the extending portion of the guide portion 110 are engaged with the semicircular portion 128 of the upper surface portion 126 of the engaged portion 122, it is difficult to come off.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the paper feed cassette 520 is formed in a box shape and includes a cassette main body 522 as a recording medium storage portion main body that stores recording paper (not shown). The cassette body 522 includes a rectangular bottom surface 524 and a frame wall 525 that forms an outer frame along the outer periphery of the bottom surface 524. Further, a bottom plate (not shown) that is lifted in the upward direction by the elastic force of an elastic member (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface 24 of the cassette body 522, and recording paper is stacked on the bottom plate.

  The recording paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 520 is sent out in the feeding direction (upward in FIG. 11) by a paper feed mechanism (not shown). The recording paper P fed from the paper feed cassette 520 is transported by a transport unit (not shown), and an image is formed and discharged by an image forming unit.

  In the cassette body 522 of the paper feed cassette 520, two side guide portions 530A, 530A are disposed inside the frame wall 525 arranged on both sides in the width direction (arrow W direction) perpendicular to the recording paper feeding direction. 530B is provided. These side guide portions 530A and 530B hit the end in the width direction of the recording paper P accommodated in the cassette body 522 and position the recording paper in the width direction.

  In addition, slit-like slide holes 600A and 600B having a longitudinal direction in the width direction W are formed in the bottom surface 524, and the side guide portions 530A and 530B slide along the slide holes 600A and 600B.

  In the following description, one of the side guide portions 530A is denoted by “A” after the symbol (530), and the other is denoted by “B” after the symbol (30), such as the side guide portion 530B. In addition, various members and the like corresponding to one side guide portion 530A are denoted by A after the symbol, and various members and the like corresponding to the other side guide portion 530B are denoted by B after the symbol. Furthermore, only one (or the other) may be illustrated and described, and the other (or one) may be omitted or described.

  The side guide portions 530A and 530B have a substantially rectangular plate shape, and are arranged so that the plate surfaces are substantially parallel to the frame walls 525 on both sides. The lower portions of the side guide portions 530A and 530B are engaged with slide portions 532A and 532B whose longitudinal direction is the direction away from the frame walls 25 on both sides (the inner direction in the width direction W). And these slide parts 532A and 532B are arrange | positioned so that it may mutually align in parallel. In addition, rack teeth H are formed on the sides facing each other in the slide portions 532A and 532B. A pinion 534 that can mesh with the rack teeth H of the slide portions 532A and 532B is rotatably attached to the center portion of the bottom surface 524 in the width direction (arrow W direction). Note that the slide portions 532A and 532B and the pinion 534 are disposed on the back surface side of the bottom surface 524.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the side guide portion 530A has a paper guide portion 532A and an engaging portion 534A that protrudes downward and engages with an engaged portion 523A of the slide portion 532A.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the engagement portion 534A of the side guide portion 530A is formed with a T-shaped space 540 when viewed in the arrow S direction.

  An engaged portion 523A is formed at the end in the longitudinal direction (end in the width direction) of the slide portion 532A so as to protrude from the slide hole 600A. The engaged portion 532A includes a T-shaped portion 524 having the same shape as the T-shaped space 540 of the engaging portion 532A of the guide portion 530A.

  And it engages so that the T-shaped part 524 of the to-be-engaged part 523 of the slide part 532 may fit in the T-shaped space 540 of the side guide part 530.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  As in the first embodiment, the engagement direction between the engagement portion 534 of the side guide portion 530 and the engaged portion 523 of the slide portion 532 and the attachment direction in which the guide portion 530 is attached to the paper feed cassette 520 are any Are also substantially in the horizontal direction X and are substantially coincident. Therefore, since the side guide part 530 and the slide part 532 can be engaged simultaneously with the attaching operation of the side guide part 530 (in a series of work operations), the assembling work is easy. Moreover, it is easy to work even when the upper space is small.

  Furthermore, since the engaging direction (and the mounting direction) is the substantially horizontal direction X, which is a direction different from the gravitational direction, the side guide portion 530 is lifted after the side guide portion 530 is engaged with the slide portion 532. Will not be disengaged.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the image forming apparatus in a state where a paper feed cassette is pulled out. It is a perspective view which shows a paper feed cassette. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the sheet feeding cassette viewed from the back side. It is an enlarged view of the engaging part of a guide part and a slide part. (A) It is a perspective view which shows a guide part, (B) is the figure which looked at the guide part from the front. It is the perspective view which looked up the guide part from the bottom to the top. It is a perspective view of a slide part. It is a figure which shows a mode that a guide part and a slide part engage from (A) to (B) in order. FIG. 4 shows a sheet feeding cassette according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a view as viewed from above, and (B) is a view of a BB cross section of (A). It is a top view of the paper feed cassette of the second embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Manual feed section (feed section)
102 Opening portion 108 Protruding portion 109 Groove portion 110 Guide portion 114 Engaging portion 119A Hooking portion (convex portion)
119B Hook (convex)
120 Slide part 122 Engaged part 124 T-shaped part (concave part)
128 semicircle (regulatory means)
132 hole (regulation means)
210 Guide part 220 Slide part 530A Side guide 530B Side guide 534A Engagement part 523A Engagement part W Width direction P2 Recording paper (recording medium)
X Mounting direction

Claims (7)

A guide unit that moves in a width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the sheet-like recording medium and regulates the position of the recording medium in the width direction;
A slide part that moves integrally with the guide part in the width direction;
A feeding unit comprising:
An engaging portion provided in the guide portion;
An engaged portion provided on the slide portion and engaged with the engaging portion of the guide portion;
Have
The guide part is attached to the feeding part in an attachment direction different from the gravity direction,
The feeding part, wherein an engaging direction of the engaging part of the guide part and the engaged part of the slide part substantially coincides with the attaching direction. An opening into which the recording medium is inserted;
The feeding unit according to claim 1, wherein the guide unit is inserted and attached from the opening. A groove having the width direction as a longitudinal direction;
The feeding part according to claim 1, wherein the guide part has a protrusion part that engages with the groove part.   The feeding portion according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the engaging portion of the guide portion protrudes toward an attachment direction.   The feeding section according to claim 4, wherein the engaged portion of the slide portion has a lower surface portion that abuts on an upper surface portion of the engaging portion that protrudes toward the mounting direction of the guide portion. In the engaged portion of the slide portion and the engaging portion of the guide portion,
A groove-like recess having the mounting direction as a longitudinal direction;
A convex portion that fits into the concave portion of the engaged portion;
The feeding unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the feeding unit is provided. After the engaging portion of the guide portion and the engaged portion of the slide portion are engaged,
The feeding unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a regulating unit that regulates relative movement of the guide unit and the slide unit in the mounting direction.

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