JP2008308333A - Sheet-feeding device, and image forming apparatus provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet-feeding device reducing a shock caused by contact, and to provide an image forming apparatus provided with the same. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet-feeding device comprises: a sheet feeding cassette 4 detachable from an apparatus body 2 of copying machine 1; a handle member 62 disposed to a front side surface 50 of the sheet feeding cassette 4 and having a grip portion 64; and an elastic member 70 provided on the front side surface 65 of the grip portion 64, and projected outward from the apparatus body 2 farther than the front side surface 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper supply device used in an image forming apparatus represented by a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art As a paper supply device applied to an image forming apparatus, a paper feed cassette that stores paper and is detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus is widely used. Usually, the paper cassette has an outer surface, and the outer surface forms a part of the outer surface of the apparatus main body when the paper cassette is mounted on the apparatus main body. Also, a resin handle member is often provided on the outer surface of the paper feed cassette. When the operator grasps the handle member by hand and pulls out the paper feed cassette toward the outside of the apparatus main body, the inside of the paper feed cassette is opened to the outside. On the other hand, when the paper feed cassette is pushed toward the inside of the apparatus main body, the inside of the paper feed cassette is closed.

Here, when the paper feeding cassette is opened and closed, the hand may slip and fail to grasp the handle member. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of an image forming apparatus provided with an anti-slip member.
JP 2005-189752 A

  In the conventional technique described above, the anti-slip member is provided in the handle portion of the apparatus main body. According to this configuration, the gripping of the handle member when the apparatus main body is conveyed is eliminated, and the apparatus main body can be reliably held by hand.

  However, even if this configuration is applied to the handle of the cassette, if there is a contact between the cassette and the surrounding wall, etc. during transportation of the main body of the apparatus, the impact of this contact will cause the outside of the cassette. The problem arises that the sides are damaged. In addition, there is a problem that the contacted wall is damaged. This is because the anti-slip member is not provided toward the side of the apparatus main body and is provided toward the lower side of the apparatus main body.

  As described above, some measure is required to mitigate the impact caused by the contact, but the above technique does not give any special consideration to this point.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a paper supply device that can reduce an impact caused by contact and an image forming apparatus equipped with the paper supply device.

  A paper supply apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a paper supply apparatus applied to an apparatus body having a box-shaped apparatus outer surface, and has an outer surface and is detachable from the apparatus body. A cassette and an elastic member disposed on an outer surface of the sheet cassette. The outer surface of the sheet cassette is a surface of the outer surface of the apparatus when the sheet cassette is attached to the apparatus body. A part of the elastic member is formed, and at least a part of the elastic member protrudes from the outer surface toward the outer side of the outer surface of the apparatus.

  According to this configuration, the elastic member is provided on the outer surface of the paper feed cassette, and the elastic member protrudes toward the outer side of the apparatus main body from the outer surface of the apparatus. Therefore, even if there is a contact between the paper cassette and the surrounding wall during transportation of the main body of the apparatus, the elastic member exhibits a function to alleviate the impact, and damage to the outer surface of the paper cassette is avoided. In addition, damage to the contacted wall is avoided. Moreover, even if there is a contact between the paper cassette and the operator during the operation of attaching / detaching the paper cassette, this elastic member exerts a function to alleviate the impact. Impact can also be mitigated.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the sheet feeding cassette includes a handle member having a grip portion on the outer surface, and the elastic member is formed on a front surface of the grip portion.

  According to this configuration, when the paper feeding cassette is attached or detached, or when only the cassette detached from the apparatus main body is transported, the elastic member also exerts a non-slip function by grasping the gripping part, and fails to grip the gripping part. This also eliminates damage to the cassette due to falling.

  In the above configuration, if the elastic member is made of a conductive material, it is possible to avoid discomfort to the operator due to static electricity.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that a plurality of the paper feed cassettes are provided, and the elastic member is color-coded for each of the paper feed cassettes. According to this configuration, the contents of the cassette can be easily recognized by the operator.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is desirable for the said elastic member to be attached or detached to the said outer surface. According to this configuration, even if the elastic member contacts the surrounding wall and the elastic member is damaged, the elastic member can be easily replaced.

  In the above-described configuration, the outer surface of the paper feed cassette has a first surface that is substantially flush with the outer surface of the apparatus, and a second surface that is recessed from the first surface, and the grip portion includes the first surface. It is formed straddling the front of the two surfaces, and the front surface of the grip portion can be configured to be substantially flush with the first surface. According to this configuration, the gripping portion is provided in a form in which the outer surface of the sheet feeding cassette does not protrude, and the gripping portion and the outer surface of such a mode can be guarded by the elastic member with the minimum protrusion height. .

  In this case, it is preferable that the grip portion has an elongated shape in the horizontal direction, the front surface also has an elongated shape, and the elastic member is a plate-like member elongated in the horizontal direction. According to this structure, an effective guard can be performed by a simple-shaped elastic member.

  An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention stores an image forming unit that performs an image forming operation on a sheet, an apparatus main body that houses the image forming unit, and a sheet that is supplied to the image forming unit. And a paper supply device according to any one of Items 1 to 7.

  According to this configuration, in addition to the above-described operation, since the paper feed cassette has an elastic member, an impact on the inside of the main body of the image forming apparatus can be avoided and a good image can be maintained. This also contributes to improving the reliability of the forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper supply device that can reduce an impact caused by contact and an image forming apparatus equipped with the paper supply device.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine 1 that is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the multifunction device 1 as viewed from the upper left front, and the front of the multifunction device 1 facing the operator and the left side surface of the multifunction device 1 can be seen. The multifunction device 1 is a so-called in-body discharge type device, and includes a device main body 2, an image reading unit 9 disposed above the device main body 2, and between the device main body 2 and the image reading unit 9. And a formed in-body discharge tray 15.

  The apparatus main body 2 has a box-shaped outer surface of the apparatus, and includes a housing structure that accommodates various units for image formation described later. The image reading unit 9 also has a housing structure, a contact glass is fitted on the top surface, and an optical unit for optically reading a document image is accommodated therein.

  On the upper side of the image reading unit 9, a document feeder 8 that opens and closes up and down with the rear end as a pivot point is mounted. When the multifunction machine 1 is used as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a network scanner, a document is conveyed from the document feeder 8 and an image surface of the document is optically read by the image reading unit 9.

  An operation display unit 20 is installed on the front side of the image reading unit 9. The operation display unit 20 is provided with a display screen 21 on which a plurality of operation keys and switches for various user operations are arranged and various information is displayed.

  A front loading type paper supply device 3 is disposed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the paper supply device 3 is provided with two upper and lower paper feed cassettes 4 along the height direction of the device body 2. Each of the paper feed cassettes 4 can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 2, and the inside of the paper feed cassette 4 is opened to the outside by being pulled out toward the front side (front side) of the multifunction machine 1. The interior of the multifunction device 1 is closed by being pushed toward the back side (rear side).

  FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the multifunction machine 1. Note that arrows indicated by solid lines in the drawing represent a sheet conveyance path and its conveyance direction. Various paper P before image formation is accommodated in each paper feed cassette 4 in a stacked state, and the paper P is separated from the paper feed cassette 4 one by one and sent to the left.

  A paper transport unit 6 is disposed on the left side of the paper supply device 3, and the paper P delivered from the paper feed cassette 4 is transported vertically along the left side surface of the device body 2. An openable manual feed tray 5 is provided on the right side surface of the apparatus main body 2. The sheet delivered from the tray 5 is also transported from the right side of the main body 2 toward the left direction, and is then transported vertically upward.

  Inside the apparatus main body 2, a registration roller 7, an image forming unit 10, and a transfer unit 11 are arranged in order on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction. The image forming unit 10 supplies a photosensitive drum 101 on which an electrostatic latent image and a toner image are formed, a charging device 102 for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 101, and toner for developing the electrostatic latent image. A developing device 103 for cleaning, and a cleaning device 104 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 101.

  An exposure device 14 having a laser light source is provided on the right side of the image forming unit 10. In order to form the electrostatic latent image, the exposure device 14 irradiates the circumferential surface of the uniformly charged photosensitive drum 101 with laser light modulated according to image data. The transfer unit 11 includes a transfer roller that forms a nip portion with the photosensitive drum 101. The toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 101 is transferred to the paper P that passes through the nip portion.

  On the downstream side of the transfer unit 11 in the sheet conveyance direction, a fixing unit 12 having a roller pair 40 and a discharge branching unit 13 are sequentially arranged. The roller pair 40 includes a heating roller and a pressure roller that form a fixing nip portion, and heats and presses the paper P that passes through the fixing nip portion to fix the toner image on the paper P.

  When single-sided printing is executed, the paper discharged from the fixing unit 12 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 15 via the discharge branching unit 13. On the other hand, a duplex printing unit 32 is disposed between the discharge branching unit 13 and the sheet conveying unit 6. When duplex printing is performed, the sheet P discharged from the fixing unit 12 is returned to the sheet transport unit 6 by the duplex printing unit 32 and is sent out again toward the image forming unit 10.

  Hereinafter, the details of the paper feed cassette 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. The paper feed cassette 4 includes a storage unit 401 that stores paper, a guide unit 402 that enables smooth sliding movement of the paper feed cassette 4 from the apparatus main body 2, and a front side of the storage unit 401 and the guide unit 402. And a decorative cover 403.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the storage portion 401 includes a cavity portion defined by a back plate 52 extending in the left-right direction on the rear side, side plates 54, 56 extending in the front-rear direction on both left and right sides, and a back frame of the decorative cover 403. It is. A large number of sheets P are stored in the storage unit 401 in a stacked state. The storage unit 401 includes a pair of cursors 58 that slide in the front-rear direction so as to adjust the width according to the size of the stored paper.

  The guide unit 402 includes guide rails and guide rollers extending in the front-rear direction, is slidably supported by a guide member (not shown) provided in the apparatus main body 2, and is pulled out in the front direction of the paper feed cassette 4 with respect to the apparatus main body 2. Move and push backward movement are realized.

  The decorative cover 403 is formed of the same member as the exterior member of the apparatus main body 2, and is located on the front side (front side) of the apparatus main body 2 in a state where the paper feed cassette 4 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2. Usually, the exterior member is a resin material, and the decorative cover 403 is also formed of the same resin material. The front surface 50 (outer surface) of the decorative cover 403 is a part that can be visually recognized from the outside in a state in which the paper feed cassette 4 is mounted on the apparatus main body 2, and a part constituting a part of the outer surface of the apparatus main body 2. Become.

  The decorative cover 403 (front surface 50) is provided with a handle member 62 that is operated by an operator when the paper feed cassette 4 is pulled out or pushed. The handle member 62 includes a bar-shaped grip portion 64 that is formed integrally with the decorative cover 403. Specifically, a retracting portion 60 that forms a recess in the rearward direction is formed at a substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the front surface 50, and a gripping portion 64 is provided using the recess of the retracting portion 60. . That is, by forming the retracting portion 60, the front surface 50 includes the first surface 50 </ b> A that is substantially flush with the outer surface of the apparatus main body 2: the front surface of the apparatus front cover 16 shown in FIG. 1 in this embodiment. A second surface 50B that is recessed rearward from the first surface 50A is formed. The grip portion 64 is an elongated member extending in the horizontal direction (left-right direction) so as to straddle the front of the second surface 50B, and the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64 is substantially flush with the first surface 50A.

  A space for accommodating a finger of a hand is provided between the grip portion 64 and the retracting portion 60. An operator can hold the grip portion 64 by inserting a finger into this space and placing a palm on the front surface 65. The grip portion 64 is provided with an operation portion 66 for releasing the lock engagement between the apparatus main body 2 and the cassette 4. The operation portion 66 is urged toward the rear side by a spring (not shown) disposed inside the grip portion 64.

  In the sheet feeding cassette 4 configured as described above, in this embodiment, the elastic member 70 is provided on the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64. As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 70 is an elongated plate-like member extending in the horizontal direction. As a constituent material of the elastic member 70, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer can be used, and a polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer can be particularly preferably used. In addition to the polyester type, one type or a plurality of types of materials may be used among polystyrene type, polyolefin type, polyvinyl chloride type, polyurethane type, polyamide type and the like. Further, a relatively soft resin material such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), or POM (polyacetal) may be used instead of the elastomer.

  The elastic member 70 is joined to the grip portion 64 without using an adhesive. As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic member 70 includes a projecting surface 72 and a joining surface 74 located on the back side of the projecting surface 72, and the joining surface 74 is disposed to face the front surface 65. Is arranged toward the outside of the apparatus main body 2. A plurality of claw-shaped convex portions 75 are formed at both end portions of the joining surface 74 and a portion near the center. A plurality of concave portions 51 are also formed on the front surface 65 in correspondence with the convex portions 75. The front surface 65 and the joint surface 74 are joined by engaging the convex portion 75 and the concave portion 51 using the elasticity of the resin (snap fit).

  FIG. 5 is a partial side view of the apparatus main body 2. As is clear from this drawing, the protruding surface 72 of the elastic member 70 is directed to the front outer side of the apparatus body 2 from the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64 and the front surface 50 (first surface 50A) of the decorative cover 403. It protrudes. Further, the protruding surface 72 protrudes toward the front outer side than the front surface 16 </ b> A of the device front cover 16. That is, the protruding surface 72 is a portion protruding toward the front outer side from any portion in the vicinity on the front surface side of the apparatus main body 2.

  The length of the elastic member 70 in the left-right direction is substantially equal to the length of the grip portion 64 in the left-right direction. The vertical width of the elastic member 70 is about 1/3 of the vertical width of the front surface 65. As a result of the grip portion 64 being disposed in the left-right direction and the center in the up-down direction of the front surface 50, the elastic member 70 forms a protrusion near the center of the front surface 50. This is an advantageous configuration from the viewpoint of guarding the front surface 50 evenly. Furthermore, the length of the elastic member 70 in the left-right direction is about half the length of the front surface 50 in the left-right direction. For this reason, an effective guard against rubbing against a wall surface or the like can be performed.

  In this embodiment, the elastic member 70 is color-coded for each paper feed cassette 4. In this embodiment, the paper feed cassette 4 is arranged in two upper and lower stages (FIG. 1), but the color of the elastic member 70 provided in the upper paper feed cassette 4 and the lower paper feed cassette 4 are provided. The elastic member 70 is colored with a different color. This color difference is used, for example, to identify the size or type of paper in the paper feed cassette 4.

  Next, handling of the multifunction device 1 described above will be described. First, when transporting the multifunction machine 1, the operator grasps a handle portion (not shown) of the apparatus main body 2 to lift the multifunction machine 1 and move it to a desired position. When the paper cassette 4 is pulled out, the operator holds the grip portion 64 so that the elastic member 70 is positioned in the palm of the paper cassette 4 and presses the operation portion 66 with a finger against the urging force of the spring. And the lock engagement between the paper cassette 4 are released.

  In this state, the gripping portion 64 is pulled out toward the front side of the multifunction machine 1 and is pulled out until the sheet feeding cassette 4 and a stopper (not shown) of the apparatus main body 2 come into contact with each other, whereby the storage portion 401 is opened to the outside. As a result, the operator can replenish new paper P in the storage unit 401 or replace it with another type of paper. Note that the elastic member 70 is replaced according to a change in the size or type of the paper.

  Further, when the gripper 64 is lifted in this pulled out state and further pulled out toward the front side of the multifunction machine 1, the paper feed cassette 4 can be detached from the apparatus main body 2, and the operator can feed the paper feed cassette 4. Only be able to move to other places. On the other hand, if the grip portion 64 is pushed toward the back side of the multifunction device 1 in the pulled out state until an engagement sound is produced, the apparatus main body 2 and the paper feed cassette 4 are engaged, and the storage portion 401 is externally connected. Closed.

  Next, the operation of the multifunction machine 1 will be described. When the operator gives an image formation instruction from the operation display unit 20, the paper P is separated and sent one by one from the paper feed cassette 4 or the manual feed tray 5, and the paper P is sent through the paper transport unit 6 to the registration rollers 7. To reach. The registration roller 7 sends the paper P to the transfer unit 11 while correcting the oblique feeding of the paper P and timing the toner image formed by the image forming unit 10.

  Further, the irradiation of the laser beam by the exposure device 14 is controlled based on the image data from the controller. As a result, an electrostatic latent image of the original image is formed on the photosensitive drum 101 of the image forming unit 10, and then toner is supplied from the developing device 103 toward the electrostatic latent image, and the photosensitive drum 101 is transferred to the photosensitive drum 101. A toner image is formed. The toner image is transferred onto the paper P by the transfer unit 11.

  Thereafter, the sheet P is fed toward the fixing unit 12 while carrying an unfixed toner image, and the toner image is fixed by being heated and pressurized. The paper P discharged from the fixing unit 12 is discharged to the tray 15 through the discharge branching unit 13.

  When double-sided printing is performed on this single-sided printing, the paper P discharged from the fixing unit 12 is drawn back to the unit 32 immediately before being discharged to the tray 15, joined to the paper transport unit 6, and again. It is sent toward the transfer unit 11. In this case, the toner image is transferred to the surface of the paper P that has not yet been printed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the paper feed cassette 4 is configured to be detachable by being pulled out and pushed in from the apparatus main body 2. The paper feed cassette 4 is provided with a handle member 62, and the handle member 62 has a grip portion 64. An elastic member 70 is provided on the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64, and the protruding surface 72 of the elastic member 70 is formed to protrude toward the front outer side of the apparatus body 2 from the front surface 65. .

  Therefore, if the paper feed cassette 4 is in contact with the surrounding wall or the like during conveyance of the multifunction machine 1, the elastic member 70 exhibits a function to reduce the impact, and the front surface 50 of the paper feed cassette 4. In addition, damage to the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64 is avoided, and damage to the contacting wall or the like is also avoided. Further, the impact on the inside of the paper feed cassette 4 can be reduced, and damage inside the paper feed cassette 4 can be avoided.

  In addition, the elastic member 70 also exhibits a function to alleviate an impact when the paper feeding cassette 4 is attached / detached. In the drawer operation of the paper feed cassette 4, depending on the distance between the paper feed cassette 4 and the operator, the front surface 50 of the paper feed cassette 4 and the front surface 65 of the gripping portion 64 may collide with the operator, and the impact due to this contact may occur. It is added to the operator or the paper feed cassette 4. Further, in this pull-out operation, the paper feed cassette 4 comes into contact with the stopper of the apparatus main body 2, and an impact caused by the contact between the cassette 4 and the stopper can be applied to the operator's hand, elbow or the like.

  In the case of the pushing operation of the cassette 4, the paper feeding cassette 4 is pushed to a predetermined engagement position in the apparatus main body 2. At the moment when the pushing is completed, the operator's hands, feet, etc. The impact due to the contact with the front surface 65 is also applied to the operator and the cassette 4. However, according to the present embodiment, even when the paper cassette 4 is attached / detached, if there is a contact between the paper cassette 4 and the operator or a contact between the paper cassette 4 and the apparatus main body 2, The elastic member 70 exhibits a function of reducing the impact, and the impact on the operator and the inside of the paper feed cassette 4 can also be reduced.

  Further, according to the configuration of the gripping portion 64 having the elastic member 70, this gripping portion is used when the paper feed cassette 4 is detached and pushed by pushing and pushing, or when the paper feed cassette 4 is transported by being detached from the apparatus main body 2. By grasping 64, the elastic member 70 also exhibits an anti-slip function. Therefore, the gripping failure of the gripping portion 64 is eliminated, and the attaching / detaching operation can be performed quickly, and damage inside and outside the paper feed cassette 4 due to dropping can be avoided.

  Further, since the elastic member 70 is configured to be detachable from the front surface 65 by snap fitting by fitting unevenness, a simple and inexpensive configuration is sufficient. Further, even if the elastic member 70 is in contact with the surrounding wall and the elastic member 70 is damaged, the elastic member 70 can be easily replaced with another elastic member.

  Further, since the elastic member 70 is color-coded for each paper feed cassette 4, the contents of the paper feed cassette 4 can be viewed at a glance by the operator as well as those who are working far away from the apparatus main body 2. For example, it is possible to visually recognize what size and type of paper is present on which level, and can be easily recognized.

  Further, since the sheet feeding cassette 4 has the elastic member 70, an impact to the inside of the apparatus main body 2 is also avoided, and a good image can be maintained. As a result, the reliability of the multifunction device 1 can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the elastic member 70 is provided on the front surface 65 of the grip portion 64, but is not necessarily limited to this form. That is, when the grip portion 64 is not provided on the front surface 50 of the cassette 4, an elastic member is provided on the front surface 50, and the elastic member is formed to protrude from the front surface 50 toward the outside of the apparatus body 2. You may let them. Also in this case, as described above, there is an effect of mitigating the impact caused by the contact.

  The elastic member 70 may be made of, for example, conductive rubber. Specifically, if an elastic member is formed by adding a carbon material which is a conductive material, and this elastic member is grounded to an appropriate position of the apparatus main body 2, an unpleasant feeling to the operator due to static electricity can be avoided.

  Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the image forming apparatus is embodied in the multifunction machine 1 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to a multifunction peripheral device (MFP) for a copying machine or a network, but a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, etc. Of course, it is also applicable.

1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of the multifunction machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette mounted on the multifunction machine of FIG. 1. It is a perspective view of a paper feed cassette in a state where an elastic member is separated. FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the main body of the multifunction machine.

Explanation of symbols

1 MFP (image forming device)
2 Device body 3 Paper supply device 4 Paper feed cassette 50 Front side (outer side)
62 Handle member 64 Grasping part 65 Front surface 70 Elastic member 72 Projecting surface

Claims (8)

A paper supply device applied to a device body having a box-shaped device outer surface,
A paper feed cassette having an outer surface and detachable from the apparatus body;
An elastic member disposed on an outer surface of the paper feed cassette,
The outer surface of the paper feed cassette constitutes a part of the outer surface of the apparatus in a state where the paper feed cassette is mounted on the apparatus main body,
At least a part of the elastic member protrudes toward the outer side of the outer surface of the apparatus from the outer surface. The paper feed cassette includes a handle member having a grip portion on the outer surface,
The paper supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is formed on a front surface of the grip portion.   The paper supply device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is made of a conductive material. A plurality of the paper cassettes are provided;
The paper supply device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is color-coded for each of the paper feed cassettes.   The paper supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is detachable from the outer surface. The outer surface of the paper feed cassette has a first surface that is substantially flush with the outer surface of the apparatus, and a second surface that is recessed from the first surface;
The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the grip portion is formed across the front of the second surface, and a front surface of the grip portion is substantially flush with the first surface.   The said holding part has a shape elongated in the horizontal direction, the front surface also has a shape elongated, and the elastic member comprises a plate-like member elongated in the horizontal direction. Paper supply device. An image forming unit that performs an image forming operation on paper;
An apparatus main body for accommodating the image forming unit;
The paper supply device according to claim 1, wherein paper supplied to the image forming unit is stored.
An image forming apparatus comprising:

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