JP2010006593A - Sheet feeding tray and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding tray capable of attaining high reliability and operability by certainly performing connection between an operation member, a link mechanism and a lock member, and an image forming device provided with this. <P>SOLUTION: The feeding tray 15 is provided with a main tray 30 of a lower stage and a second tray 40 of an upper stage. The second tray is slidable and turnable on an upper part of the main tray. The second tray is locked on the main tray by a lock mechanism 80 at a first position and a second position in a slide direction. Locking by the lock mechanism is released by operating a release lever 122. An L shape lever 141 is connected to the release lever and a first engagement part 142 is positioned at one end. The first engagement part is engaged with a second engagement part 86 of the lock member 81, and the first engagement part presses the second engagement part to displace the lock member when the L shape lever is turned. An engagement position of the first engagement part and the second engagement part is set on an axis of a turning shaft of the second tray. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet supply tray that can store sheets supplied in a predetermined direction, and more specifically, a sheet supply tray including a plurality of trays arranged in a step shape in the vertical direction and an image including the same. The present invention relates to a forming apparatus.

  As an example of a sheet supply tray applied to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a sheet supply tray in which a main tray and a second tray are arranged in two upper and lower stages is known. In this sheet supply tray, an upper second tray is slidable with respect to a lower main tray. Further, the second tray is configured to be rotatable between a posture in which the upper portion of the main tray is covered and a posture in which the second tray is separated from the upper portion of the main tray. This known sheet supply tray has a lock mechanism and a lock release mechanism. The lock mechanism has a lock member (lever member) provided on the second tray. When the lock member is engaged with the main tray, the second tray is locked (fixed) at a predetermined position with respect to the main tray. Further, the lock of the second tray with respect to the main tray is released by operating the operation member of the lock release mechanism.

JP 2007-230777 A

  However, in the sheet supply tray described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the second tray is rotated and separated from the main tray, that is, in a state where the second tray covers the top of the main tray so as to cover it. When it is lost, the operation member of the unlocking mechanism and the lock member are disconnected. Therefore, the second tray cannot be slid while the second tray is kept separated from the main tray. Therefore, when the second tray is returned to the position covering the upper part of the main tray so as to enable the unlocking operation of the lock mechanism, the operation member and the lock member interfere with each other depending on the position of the operation member, There is a possibility that the connection between the operation member and the lock member does not return. In such a state, even if the second tray is returned to the position covering the upper part of the main tray, there is a problem that the second tray cannot be slid with respect to the main tray.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is assumed that the second tray is returned to the position covering the upper portion of the main tray after the second tray is rotated and separated from the main tray. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet supply tray capable of realizing high reliability and operability by ensuring the connection between the operation member and the lock member, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet supply tray. .

(1) The present invention is a sheet supply tray capable of storing sheets supplied in the first direction which is one of the first directions. The sheet supply tray includes a first tray that can store sheets, a moving member that is provided above the first tray and is supported so as to be movable in the first direction, and is rotatably supported by the moving member. A second tray capable of storing sheets, a lock position provided on the moving member, and engaged with the first tray to position and fix the moving member with respect to the first tray, and with respect to the first tray. A lock member movable between an unlock position for unlocking the moving member, a first posture corresponding to the lock position, and a second posture corresponding to the unlock position, provided on the second tray. And a first engaging portion that engages with the lock member on the extension axis of the support shaft of the second tray, and interlocks with the posture change of the operation member First person above Parts by displacing in the axial direction of the support shaft comprises a link mechanism for moving the locking member into the locked position or the unlocked position.

  With this configuration, the link mechanism maintains the connected state without being detached from the lock member, regardless of the rotation position of the second tray. That is, the link mechanism and the lock member are always reliably connected regardless of the rotation of the second tray. Thereby, the reliability of the sheet supply tray is improved. In addition, since the link mechanism and the lock member are securely connected, the lock member is operated via the link mechanism by operating the operation member regardless of the rotation position of the second tray. The Therefore, the second tray can be moved in the first direction even when the second tray is separated from the first tray. As a result, the operability of the sheet supply tray is improved and user convenience is improved.

  In the present specification, unless otherwise specified, the “direction” is represented by a straight line having opposite directions such as + and −, for example. For example, it is represented by an arrow having one arrow head such as + or-.

(2) The lock member has a second engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion. The lock member is provided so as to be movable in the same direction as the axial direction of the support shaft together with the second engagement portion.

  With this configuration, the moving direction of the second engaging portion matches the moving direction of the lock member. Therefore, for example, by integrally forming the second engagement portion and the lock member, it is possible to simplify the mechanism for transmitting the force for moving the lock member from the second engagement portion to the lock member.

(3) The link mechanism includes a first link member that is connected to the operation member and operates in a second direction orthogonal to the support shaft in conjunction with a change in posture of the operation member, and the first engagement portion. And a second link member that converts the movement of the first link member in the second direction into the movement of the support shaft in the axial direction at the first engagement portion.

  With this configuration, it is possible to smoothly transmit the force input when the operation member is operated to the lock member.

(4) A biasing member that biases the lock member toward the lock position is further provided. In this case, the link mechanism unlocks the lock member from the lock position against the biasing force of the biasing member in response to a change in the posture of the operation member from the first posture to the second posture. Move to position.

  With this configuration, the lock member maintains the lock position unless the operation member is operated. At this time, the operation member is disposed in a posture corresponding to the position of the lock member, that is, in the first posture. When the operation member is changed from the first posture to the second posture by the user, the lock member moves from the lock position to the unlock position via the link mechanism. When the user finishes operating the operation member, the lock member is again urged by the urging member and returned to the lock position, and the operation member is also returned to the first posture. Since the operation member operates as described above, the user can easily move the lock member to the lock position or the unlock position only by moving the operation member in one direction.

(5) The lock position of the lock member is a position where at least sheets can be supplied from the second tray in the first direction.

  With this configuration, the second tray is positioned and fixed with respect to the first tray by the lock member at a position where the sheet is supplied from the second tray in the first direction. Thereby, the sheet can be stably supplied from the fixed second tray.

(6) The second tray can be disposed at a cover position that covers at least an upper portion of the first tray. The link mechanism is provided on the first surface of the second tray facing the first tray at the cover position. The operation member is exposed to be operable on the second surface of the second tray opposite to the first surface.

  With this configuration, the user can easily operate the operation member. Since the link mechanism is provided on the first surface, the link mechanism is hidden by the second tray when the sheet supply tray is usable. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a problem that the link mechanism is disconnected when the user accidentally touches the link mechanism.

(7) The present invention can also be understood as an image forming apparatus including the above-described sheet supply tray. That is, the present invention provides the above-described sheet supply tray and the supply unit that selectively supplies the sheets stored in the first tray or the second tray according to the position of the second tray in the first direction. And an image forming apparatus that forms an image on the sheet supplied by the supply unit.

  Since the image forming apparatus having such a configuration includes a sheet supply tray that is highly reliable with respect to sheet supply performance, stable image formation is possible.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the reliability and operability of the sheet supply tray by realizing a reliable connection between the link mechanism and the operation member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Figure Description]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the supply tray 15 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. In FIG. 3, the main body casing 2 and the scanner unit 20 are omitted. 4 to 6 are perspective views showing the external appearance of the supply tray 15. In FIG. 4, the second tray 40 is disposed at a position where the second tray 40 cannot be used (position where the sheet cannot be supplied from the second tray 40, hereinafter referred to as “first position”), and the second tray 40 is the main tray 30. A state of being in a lying position (hereinafter referred to as a “falling position”) is shown. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the second tray 40 is disposed at a usable position (position where sheets can be supplied from the second tray 40: hereinafter referred to as “second position”) and the second tray 40 is in a lying posture. It is shown. In FIG. 6, the second tray 40 is disposed at a first position where it cannot be used, and the second tray 40 is rotated upward to stand up with respect to the main tray 30 (hereinafter referred to as “stand-up position”). A state is shown. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the supply tray 15 viewed from above. In FIG. 7, the second tray 40 is omitted. FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the main part VIII of FIG. 7, (A) shows the locked state by the lock mechanism 80, and (B) shows the unlocked state. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing each configuration of the sliding plate 45, the lock mechanism 80, and the lock release mechanism 120. 10 and 11 are enlarged detailed views of the main part X of FIG. FIG. 10 shows a locked state by the lock mechanism 80, and FIG. 11 shows a unlocked state.

  In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is expressed with reference to the normal use state of the image forming apparatus 1 (the state of FIG. 1), and the side on which the operation panel 10 described later is provided is the front side (front). A front-rear direction 8 (corresponding to the first direction of the present invention) is expressed, and a left-right direction 9 is expressed when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the front side (front).

[Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 1]
The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called multifunction machine having a scanner function, a color copy function, a facsimile function, and the like in addition to a printer function. As shown in FIG. 1, the appearance of the image forming apparatus 1 is formed by a wide and thin main body casing 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape in which the horizontal direction 9 and the front-rear direction 8 are larger than the vertical direction 7. Functions other than the printer function are arbitrary. For example, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention may be implemented as a single-function printer that does not have the scanner unit 20 and does not have a scan function, a copy function, or a facsimile function.

  An operation panel 10 having an operation unit 11 on which various operation buttons for input operations are arranged and a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) 12 for displaying an image such as a message is provided at a front position on the upper surface of the main casing 2. Is provided. In addition, a scanner unit 20 as a reading unit that reads an image from a document is provided at a position behind the operation panel 10. The scanner unit 20 is used for a scanner function, a copy function, and a facsimile function.

  A supply tray 15 is provided at a lower position in the main casing 2. The supply tray 15 can accommodate a plurality of sheet-like recording media (corresponding to the sheets of the present invention) such as recording paper and plastic sheets stacked in a substantially horizontal manner (stacked state). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the supply tray 15 mounted in the main body casing 2 can be pulled out horizontally from an opening 2 a formed in the front surface of the main body casing 2. In the present embodiment, the supply tray 15 can be detached from the main casing 2. On the other hand, by inserting the supply tray 15 horizontally from the opening 2 a of the main casing 2, the main casing 2 can be mounted. In other words, the supply tray 15 is detachably mounted from the opening 2a formed on the front surface of the main casing 2.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a metal box-like frame 4 elongated in the left-right direction 9 is provided in the main body casing 2. The frame 4 is provided at a position closer to the rear in the main body casing 2 and above the supply tray 15. A supply unit 50 is disposed above the rear end of the supply tray 15. The supply unit 50 is for supplying (conveying) the recording medium stored in the supply tray 15 one by one to the rear conveyance path 5, and includes a supply roller 60 that rotates in contact with the recording medium. Have. The supply unit 50 is supported by the frame 4 at a position above the rear end of the supply tray 15. At the rear end in the main casing 2, there is formed a transport path 5 that guides the recording medium that has been transported rearward from the supply tray 15 to the front by making a U-turn upward. An image recording unit 70 (an example of an image forming unit of the present invention) that records (prints) an image on a recording medium that has been guided and conveyed by the conveyance path 5 is disposed above the supply unit 50. ing. The recording medium on which the image is recorded in the image recording unit 70 is discharged to a position near the front on the upper surface of the supply tray 15 (a position near the front of the second tray 40 described later). The image recording unit 70 can employ various recording methods such as an inkjet method, an electrophotographic method, or a thermal recording method.

  Next, the configuration of each unit will be described in detail.

[Configuration of Supply Tray 15]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the supply tray 15 is roughly divided into a main tray 30 (an example of the first tray of the present invention), a sliding plate 45 (an example of the moving member of the present invention), And a second tray 40 (an example of the second tray of the present invention).

  The main tray 30 is a resin component having a rectangular thin plate shape that is approximately A4 size when viewed from above, and is configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of recording media in a stacked state. Further, the main tray 30 includes a pair of side end guides 31 and 32 (see FIG. 7) at the left and right end portions thereof, and the main tray 30 has a left and right direction 9 (covered) regardless of the size of the recording medium to be accommodated. The recording medium can be positioned so that the position of the center line in the width direction of the recording medium is constant.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the side end guides 31 and 32 include mounting plate portions 31 a and 32 a on which the recording medium is mounted on the upper surface, and the outer side in the left-right direction 9 of the mounting plate portions 31 a and 32 a. Side plate portions 31b and 32b that are vertically erected upward from the end portions of the first and second end portions are respectively formed. Then, linear guide bars 31c and 32c are extended from the bottom surfaces of the mounting plate portions 31a and 32a toward the other side end guides 31 and 32, respectively. Both linear guide bars 31c and 32c are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction 8 with a predetermined interval, and are fitted into groove portions 33a and 33b provided in the bottom plate 33 of the main tray 30 along the left-right direction 9. ing.

  The side end guides 31 and 32 can be displaced in the left-right direction 9 by sliding the linear guide bars 31c and 32c along the groove portions 33a and 33b. Both linear guide bars 31c and 32c are formed with rack gears (not shown) on opposite sides, and each rack gear is a pinion gear (not shown) that is rotatably provided at the center position in the width direction of the bottom plate 33. ). That is, the side end guides 31 and 32 are connected to each other via the rack gear and the pinion gear so that the distances from the side plate portions 31b and 32b to the center line in the left-right direction 9 in the main tray 30 are always equal. (To be symmetrical). As a result, the recording medium can be positioned so that the position of the center line in the left-right direction 9 is constant. Here, the portions of the side plate portions 31 b and 32 b that are in contact with the end portions in the left-right direction 9 of the recording medium are formed in a parallel plane along the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the recording medium accommodated in the main tray 30 while being positioned by the side end guides 31 and 32 is prevented from moving in the left-right direction 9 (the direction of the rotation shaft 55 of the supply roller 60). Tilt is prevented. Therefore, when the supply operation by the supply unit 50 is started, the recording medium is supplied backward (equivalent to the first direction of the present invention) in the front-rear direction 8 without being skewed.

  A plurality of engaged portions 75 are formed in the bottom plate 33 of the main tray 30 along one groove portion 33b. The engaged portion 75 is formed on the front side of the groove portion 33b. Each engaged portion 75 has a mountain shape whose cross-sectional shape includes a mountain and a valley, and the ridge portion of the mountain shape extends in the front-rear direction 8. The side plate portion 32 b is provided with a lever 76 having a claw that can engage with the engaged portion 75. The claw protrudes from the surface facing the bottom plate 33, that is, the back surface of the side plate portion 32b. When the claw engages with the engaged portion 75, the slide of the side end guides 31 and 32 is locked. Further, when the lever 76 is operated and pressed leftward, the claw is lifted by bending the lever 76. Thereby, a nail | claw remove | deviates from the to-be-engaged part 75, and the lock | rock of the both-ends edge part guides 31 and 32 is cancelled | released.

  The main tray 30 includes a guide plate 34 at its rear end. A metal separation member 34 a is provided at the center of the guide plate 34 in the left-right direction 9. The separation member 34 a has a plurality of tooth portions arranged vertically at a predetermined interval, and the tips of the tooth portions slightly protrude from the front surface of the guide plate 34. As a result, even if there are a plurality of recording media pushed out by the supply roller 60 of the supply unit 50, these recording media come into contact with the tip of the tooth portion, and the uppermost one sheet is recorded. The recording medium is separated. Further, the guide plate 34 is provided with an engaging groove 34b into which an engaging claw 43 described later can enter and engage.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a sliding plate 45 and a second tray 40 are provided on the upper portion of the main tray 30. The sliding plate 45 is supported on the upper portion of the main tray 30 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction 8. The second tray 40 is a thick, small-sized recording medium such as L-size glossy paper for recording postcards, envelopes, and photographic images taken with a digital camera or the like at the center in the left-right direction 9. It is configured to be accommodated. The second tray 40 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the sliding plate 45.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the sliding plate 45 is a plate-like member having substantially the same dimension as the dimension of the main tray 30 in the left-right direction 9 and is slidable with respect to the main tray 30. It is a supported member. As a support mechanism for the slide plate 45, for example, the upper end of the side wall 35 of the main tray 30 functions as a rail, and reverse U-shaped slide grooves 73 provided at both ends of the slide plate 45 are provided on the side wall 35. A well-known mechanism such as a rail support mechanism configured by engaging with the upper end can be employed. The sliding plate 45 is not limited to a mechanism that is slidably supported, and any supporting mechanism is applicable as long as the sliding plate 45 is movably supported on the upper portion of the main tray 30.

  Support portions 91 and 92 for rotatably supporting the second tray 40 are provided at both ends of the sliding plate 45 in the left-right direction 9. The support portions 91 and 92 have a symmetrical relationship and have substantially the same support mechanism. Therefore, in the following, the support mechanism of the support portion 91 will be described, and the support mechanism of the support portion 92 will be omitted by attaching the same reference numerals as the constituent elements of the support portion 91.

  The support portion 91 is provided at the left end portion of the sliding plate 45. The support portion 91 has a rotation shaft 94 (an example of the support shaft of the present invention) that extends in the left-right direction 9. The second tray 40 is provided with an engaging claw 97 that can engage with the rotating shaft 94. When the engaging claw 97 is engaged with the rotating shaft 94, the second tray 40 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the sliding plate 45. In the present embodiment, the second tray 40 is supported by the support portions 91 and 92, so that the second tray 40 falls from the lying down posture (the posture shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5) to the main tray 30. Can be rotated within a range up to a standing posture (posture shown in FIG. 6). Further, since the second tray 40 is supported by the support portions 91 and 92, the second tray 40 can move in the front-rear direction 8 together with the sliding plate 45.

  Two engagement claws 43 having a substantially L shape are provided at the rear end of the sliding plate 45. The engaging claw 43 is formed so as to be able to enter and engage with an engaging groove 34 b provided in the guide plate 34. The engaging claw 43 enters and engages with the engaging groove 34b of the guide plate 34 when the second tray 40 becomes ready for use, which will be described later, so that the second tray 40 is in a usable state. It will be positioned at two positions (position shown in FIG. 5). At this time, since the engaging claw 43 is buried in the engaging groove 34 b and does not protrude from the front surface of the guide plate 34, when the recording medium is supplied from the second tray 40, the recording medium is the guide plate 34. Although it contacts the separation member 34a, it does not contact the engaging claw 43. Therefore, the recording medium is supplied separately from the second tray 40 one by one. Further, the engaging claw 43 has the following action. For example, the user may rotate the second tray 40 in an attempt to replenish the recording medium in the main tray 30. At this time, since the engaging claw 43 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the sliding plate 45, even if the second tray 40 is rotated while the recording medium is placed on the second tray 40, the recording medium is recorded. Is stopped by the engaging claw 43, and the recording medium does not slide down from the second tray 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second tray 40 has a rectangular thin dish shape in which the dimension in the left-right direction 9 is substantially the same as that of the main tray 30 and the dimension in the front-rear direction 8 is slightly shorter than that of the main tray 30. Resin parts. The second tray 40 is configured so that a plurality of recording media can be accommodated in a state of being stacked substantially horizontally. Similarly to the main tray 30, the second tray 40 is recorded so that the position of the center line in the left-right direction 9 (width direction of the recording medium) is constant regardless of the size of the recording medium accommodated. A pair of side end guides 41 and 42 are provided for positioning the medium.

  The side end guide 42 is provided with a lever 46 that is substantially the same as the lever 76 provided on the side end guide 32 described above. Since the structure and operation of the lever 46 are substantially the same as those of the lever 76 described above, the description thereof is omitted here. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a concave portion 47 is formed on the right side of the lever 46 side end guide 42. The recess 47 is formed in a size that allows the user's fingers to be inserted. Since the recess 47 is provided, the user can easily operate the lever 46 by inserting a finger through the recess 47. The recess 47 also serves to facilitate the operation of a release lever 122 described later. As described above, since the concave portion 47 is disposed at a position shared by both the lever 46 and the release lever 122, the shape of the second tray 40 can be simplified, and the concave portion 47 can be arranged on the second tray 40. The degree of freedom in layout of other members provided is improved.

  In addition, a friction member 44 (for example, a cork or the like) that can be opposed to a supply roller 60 described later is provided in a portion of the second tray 40 that accommodates a recording medium. The action of the friction member 44 is generally well known and will not be described in detail here. When the second tray 40 is in a usable state and there is no recording medium, the friction member 44 is disposed at a position in contact with the supply roller 60. When the second tray 40 is in a usable state, the recording medium is separated and supplied one by one by cooperation of a supply roller 60, a friction member 44, a guide plate 34, and a separation member 34a, which will be described later. Therefore, if any one of these members does not operate normally, the normal conveyance of the recording medium is impaired, and the recording medium may be damaged or damaged.

  Further, in a state where the second tray 40 is disposed at the second rear position (position shown in FIG. 5) in the upper part of the main tray 30, the recording medium accommodated in the second tray 40 is the main of the supply roller 60. It is arranged at a position that prevents movement toward the tray 30 (downward). Specifically, when the supply tray 15 is inserted into the opening 2a in a state where the second tray 40 is disposed at the second position, the arm plate 52 rotates upward by the guide plate 34 coming into contact with the arm member 52. Finally, the supply roller 60 is disposed on the second tray 40. For this reason, the supply roller 60 of the supply unit 50 comes into contact with not the recording medium stored in the main tray 30 but the recording medium stored in the second tray 40. As a result, the recording medium accommodated in the second tray 40 becomes usable. In other words, the recording medium accommodated in the second tray 40 can be supplied toward the image recording unit 70.

  When an execution command such as a copy function or a printer function is input to the image forming apparatus 1 while the second tray 40 is in the usable state, the recording medium stored in the second tray 40 is transferred to the transport path 5. It is supplied. In this case, as described above, the second tray 40 is not allowed to easily slide in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the main tray 30 during the supply of the recording medium. If the second tray 40 can easily slide in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the main tray 30 during the supply of the recording medium, the recording medium on the second tray 40 cannot be accurately supplied by the supply unit 50. It will end up. That is, there is a possibility that a recording medium supply error or a jam may occur, and the recording medium such as a postcard or an envelope, which is more expensive than a normal recording medium such as plain paper, is damaged or damaged. There is a fear. Therefore, the second tray 40 of this embodiment includes a lock mechanism 80 that can position and fix the second tray 40 with respect to the main tray 30. The detailed configuration of the lock mechanism 80 will be described later.

[Configuration of Supply Unit 50]
As shown in FIG. 3, the supply unit 50 includes a support shaft 51 that is supported by the frame 4 so as to be disposed along the left-right direction 9 of the supply tray 15 (the vertical direction in FIG. 3). The supply unit 50 includes an arm member 52. The arm member 52 is supported by the support shaft 51 so that the arm member 52 can swing around the support shaft 51 in a state where the tip end portion is lowered rearward. A supply roller 60 is supported at the distal end (swinging end) of the arm member 52 so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 55 along the left-right direction 9. That is, the arm member 52 is parallel to the rotation shaft 55 of the supply roller 60, above the recording medium accommodated in the supply tray 15 and to the rotation shaft 55 of the supply roller 60 by the supply roller 60. The recording medium is provided so as to be swingable around a support shaft 51 located on the opposite side (front side) to the conveyance direction (rear in the front-rear direction 8) side of the recording medium.

  The supply roller 60 includes two rubber roller members that are pivotally supported at the tip of the arm member 52. Specifically, a through hole (not shown) is formed as a shaft support at the tip of the arm member 52, and the rotation shafts 55 of the two roller members are penetrated there. A gear train composed of a plurality of power transmission gears 56 is disposed inside the arm member 52. The plurality of power transmission gears 56 are arranged from the substantially central portion in the left-right direction 9 (vertical direction in FIG. 3) of the rotation shaft 55 of the two roller members to the support shaft 51. A gear (not shown) is fixed to one end of the support shaft 51. When the driving force transmitted from a driving source (not shown) is transmitted to the gear, the support shaft 51 is rotated. Accordingly, when an execution command such as a copy function or a printer function is input to the image forming apparatus 1, the supply roller 60 is arranged from the drive source (not shown) into the support shaft 51, the gear (not shown), and the arm member 52. The driving force is transmitted through the existing power transmission gear 56. This driving force is transmitted to the recording medium on the main tray 30 or the recording medium on the second tray 40, and the recording medium is supplied to the conveyance path 5.

  Further, the arm member 52 has a tilting posture in which the rotation shaft 55 of the supply roller 60 is located below the support shaft 51, so that the rotation shaft 55 of the supply roller 60 has substantially the same height as the center of the support shaft 51. It can swing around the support shaft 51 up to a horizontal posture. Here, at the base end portion (support shaft 51 side) of the arm member 52, the supply roller 60 is brought into contact with the recording medium accommodated in the main tray 30 below the arm member 52 in the entire swingable range. A first torsion coil spring (not shown) for urging in the direction is provided. For this reason, the supply roller 60 is pressed against the uppermost recording medium stored in the main tray 30. Further, at the tip of the arm member 52, the arm member 52 is raised to a position close to a horizontal posture (in other words, the rotation shaft 55 and the support shaft of the supply roller 60 with respect to the surface of the recording medium). A second torsion coil spring (not shown) that urges the arm member 52 downward (in other words, a direction in which the urging force of the first torsion coil spring is increased) only in a state where the angle of the surface including 51 is smaller than a predetermined angle. Is provided. The second torsion coil spring urges the arm member 52 by abutting against a part of a contact piece (not shown) of the frame 4 and elastically deforming. Specifically, the free end of the second torsion coil spring is formed on the frame 4 in a state where the arm member 52 is disposed so that the supply roller 60 contacts the recording medium accommodated in the second tray 40. It abuts against a contact piece (not shown) and biases the arm member 52 downward.

  Further, as described above, the supply roller 60 contacts the friction member 44 when the second tray 40 is in the usable state (the state shown in FIG. 5) and no recording medium exists.

[Configuration of Locking Mechanism 80]
The supply tray 15 is provided with a lock mechanism 80 capable of positioning and fixing the second tray 40 with respect to the main tray 30.

  The lock mechanism 80 includes a lock member 81 (an example of the lock member of the present invention) and a compression spring 82 (an example of the urging member of the present invention: see FIGS. 6 and 10) provided at the right end of the sliding plate 45. The two openings 83 and 84 are provided in the side wall 35 of the main tray 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a groove 45 c is provided at the right end of the sliding plate 45. The lock member 81 and the compression spring 82 are disposed in the groove 45c.

  The lock member 81 is a resin member having an engagement piece 81a and a spring receiving portion 81b. The lock member 81 is provided so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94 in the groove portion 40 c of the sliding plate 45, in other words, in the left-right direction 9. More specifically, the lock member 81 engages with the openings 83 and 84 of the main tray 30 to position and fix the sliding plate 45 with respect to the main tray 30 (the position shown in FIG. 8A). ) And an unlock position (a position shown in FIG. 8B) for releasing the lock on the main tray 30 so as to be slidable. The engaging piece 81a protrudes from the side end of the second tray 40 toward the side wall 35 in the locked position, and is separated from the side wall 35 in the unlocked position.

  A second engagement portion 86 (an example of a second engagement portion of the present invention) is provided on the rear side of the right side surface of the lock member 81. The second engaging portion 86 is a portion that is pressed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 94 by an L-shaped lever 141 (an example of the second link member of the present invention) described later. As shown in FIG. 9, the second engagement portion 86 is provided on the extension axis of the rotation shaft 94. The second engaging portion 86 is formed in a shape in which a wall erected upward from the lock member 81, specifically, three sides on both sides in the left-right direction 9 and the rear side are surrounded by the wall. A first engaging portion 142 (an example of the first engaging portion of the present invention) provided in the L-shaped lever 141 in the inside of the second engaging portion 86, that is, in the internal space surrounded by the three walls. Is inserted.

  A spring supporting projection 85 is provided in the groove 45c. The protrusion 85 supports the compression spring 82 with the spring receiving portion 81b. The compression spring 82 is disposed so as to expand and contract in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94. Therefore, the spring receiving portion 81 b is always urged with a predetermined spring force in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94. In other words, the lock member 81 is biased toward the lock position by the compression spring 2. The compression spring 82 is, for example, a coil spring. Of course, a spring other than the compression spring 82, such as a leaf spring, may be used. Further, the member is not limited to the spring, and any member that has elasticity such as rubber and biases the spring receiving portion 81b to the right side can be used.

  The lock member 81 and the compression spring 82 are provided not on the second tray 40 but on the sliding plate 45. Therefore, even if the second tray 40 is rotated, the lock by the lock mechanism 80 is not released, and the sliding plate 45 does not move. Therefore, the supply position at the time of supplying the recording medium from the second tray 40 does not shift. This is because when the sliding plate 45 is locked by the locking mechanism 80, the sliding plate 45 is accurately positioned with respect to the main tray 30 until the user releases the locking mechanism 80.

  The engaging piece 81 a selectively engages with two openings 83 and 84 provided on the side wall 35 of the main tray 30. Since the spring receiving portion 81 b is urged by the compression spring 82, the lock member 81 tends to move to the lock position when no external force is applied to the lock member 81. At this time, when the engagement piece 81 a is aligned with the opening 83, the lock member 81 moves to the right side and the engagement piece 81 a enters the opening 83. Thus, the sliding plate 45 is positioned and fixed at the second position shown in FIG. When the recording medium supply operation is performed at this time, the recording medium on the second tray 40 is supplied to the transport path 5. That is, when the second tray 40 is disposed at the second position, the second tray 40 is ready for use. On the other hand, when the engagement piece 81 a is aligned with the opening 84, the lock member 81 moves to the right side and the engagement piece 81 a enters the opening 84. Thereby, the sliding plate 45 is positioned and fixed at the first position shown in FIG. When the recording medium supply operation is executed at this time, the recording medium on the main tray 30 is supplied to the conveyance path 5. That is, when the second tray 40 is arranged at the first position, the second tray 40 becomes unusable.

[Unlock mechanism 120]
The supply tray 15 is provided with an unlocking mechanism 120 that can unlock the second tray 40 with respect to the main tray 30 by the locking mechanism 80.

  The lock release mechanism 120 is roughly composed of a release lever 122 and an L-shaped lever 141.

  The release lever 122 is provided on the second tray 40. The release lever 122 includes an operation unit 122a (an example of the operation member of the present invention) operated by the user when the lock by the lock mechanism 80 is released, and a lever main body 122b (an example of the first link member of the present invention). Have. The operation unit 122a is exposed on the upper surface 48 (corresponding to the second surface of the present invention) of the second tray 40 so that the user can operate it (see FIGS. 4 and 5). As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation unit 122 a is disposed adjacent to the recess 47. Specifically, the operation unit 122 a is adjacent to the rear side of the recess 47. Therefore, the user can easily operate the operation unit 122 a in the front-rear direction indicated by the arrow 8 by inserting the finger into the recess 47.

  The release lever 122 can be inserted through the through-hole 134 (see FIG. 6) provided in the second tray 40 so that a part of the operation portion 122a can be inserted into the back surface 49 (corresponding to the first surface of the present invention) side of the second tray 40. Is provided. Here, the back surface 49 of the second tray 40 is a surface that faces the bottom plate 33 of the main tray 30 in a posture in which the second tray 40 lies on the main tray 30. The release lever 122 is supported so that its posture can be changed along the upper surface 48 of the second tray 40 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 94 (the front-rear direction 8 when the second tray 40 is in the lying posture). Specifically, the release lever 122 is in a third position where the operation unit 122a approaches the rotating shaft 94 side and abuts against a stopper 133 provided on the back surface 49 of the second tray 40 (an example of the first posture of the present invention). And the operation portion 122a is supported so as to be slidable between a fourth position (an example of the second posture of the present invention) that is further away from the rotation shaft 94 than the third position and contacts the wall of the recess 47. . The third position is a position where the operation unit 122a is disposed when the lock mechanism 80 is in the locked state, that is, corresponds to the lock position of the lock member 81. The fourth position is a position where the operation unit 122a is disposed when the lock mechanism 80 is in the unlocked state (unlocked state), that is, corresponds to the unlock position of the lock member 81.

  The lever body 122b is made of a rod-like member that is narrow and long, and one end of the lever body 122b is connected to the operation unit 122a. Therefore, when the operation part 122a is operated and the lever main body 122b slides between the third position and the fourth position, the lever main body 122b slides in the same direction in conjunction with the slide. That is, in this embodiment, the release lever 122 is configured by integrally forming the lever main body 122b and the release lever 122. The link mechanism of the present invention is realized by the lever main body 122b and an L-shaped lever 141 described later.

  The lever main body 122 b extends from the operation portion 122 a toward the rotation shaft 94 on the back surface 49 of the second tray 40. As shown in FIG. 9, a flange 135 is provided at the extending end of the lever main body 122b. The collar portion 135 engages with a slit 143 formed at an end portion of an L-shaped lever 141, which will be described later, and connects the lever main body 122b and the L-shaped lever 141. The flange portion 135 is formed in a protruding shape rather than a flat portion that is hooked on the edge of the slit 143. In the present embodiment, the portion is formed in a triangular shape.

  The L-shaped lever 141 is provided on the second tray 40. The L-shaped lever 141 is rotatably supported on the back surface 49 of the second tray 40. Specifically, the L-shaped lever 141 is supported by fitting the shaft hole 145 provided in the bent portion of the L-shaped lever 141 into the shaft 144 protruding in the vertical direction on the back surface 49 of the second tray 40. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, the L-shaped lever 141 extends in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94 (the left-right direction 9 when the second tray 40 is in the lying posture) when the release lever 122 is not operated. A first extending portion 146 and a second extending portion 147 extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft 94 (the front-rear direction 8 when the second tray 40 is in the lying posture). A slit 143 is formed in the first extension portion 146. The slit 143 extends in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94. The lever main body 122b and the L-shaped lever 141 are engaged by the hook 135 of the lever main body 122b being hooked on the slit 143. A notch 148 is formed at the edge of the slit 143. The notch 148 is formed at an edge portion on the side far from the rotation shaft 94. The notch 148 is formed in a triangular shape corresponding to the shape of the flange 135. When the flange 135 enters the notch 148, the engagement position between the lever main body 122b and the L-shaped lever 141 is positioned.

  A first engaging portion 142 is provided on the second extending portion 147. The first engaging portion 142 is provided at the extending end of the second extending portion 147. The first engagement portion 142 is disposed inside the second engagement portion 86 provided on the lock member 81. As described above, the second engagement portion 86 is provided on the extension axis of the rotation shaft 94 in the lock member 81. Therefore, even when the second tray 40 is in the lying posture with respect to the main tray 30 (the posture shown in FIG. 4), the first engaging portion 142 is disposed inside the second engaging portion 86 as shown in FIG. Is done. Further, even when the second tray 40 is in the standing posture (the posture shown in FIG. 6), the first engagement portion 142 is disposed inside the second engagement portion 86 as shown in FIG. 10. That is, the first engagement portion 142 is always disposed inside the second engagement portion 86 regardless of the rotation posture of the second tray 40.

  Since the lock release mechanism 120 is configured in this way, when the release lever 122 is slid by operating the operation unit 122a, the L-shaped lever 141 is connected to the shaft 144 in conjunction with the displacement (posture change) of the release lever 122. Rotate around the center. That is, the slide operation of the release lever 122 is converted into a rotation operation by the L-shaped lever 141. Then, the second engaging portion 86 is pressed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 94 by the first engaging portion 142 that rotates together with the L-shaped lever 141. As a result, a force in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94 is applied to the lock member 81, the lock member 81 is displaced in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 94, and the lock member 81 moves to the lock position or the unlock position. Will do.

[Operations of the lock mechanism 80 and the lock release mechanism 120]
Hereinafter, operations of the lock mechanism 80 and the lock release mechanism 120 will be described.

  When the printer function or the copy function is executed in the image forming apparatus 1, the user selects the size and type of the recording medium depending on the application. Actually, various sizes and a plurality of types of recording media are placed on both the main tray 30 and the second tray 40. Here, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the recording media on the main tray 30 will be described. Whether to form an image on a medium or to form an image on a recording medium on the second tray 40 is selected. When the current state of the image forming apparatus 1 is a state in which the recording medium is not supplied from the tray desired by the user, the user slides the second tray 40 on the main tray 30 to start from the tray desired by the user. It is necessary to supply a recording medium.

  Therefore, the user first pulls out the supply tray 15 as shown in FIG. 2 from the opening 2a of the image forming apparatus 1 in the state shown in FIG. 1, and then performs the operation of placing the second tray 40 at a predetermined position. The lock member 81 is always urged to the right in the left-right direction 9 by the compression spring 82, and the engagement piece 81 a is engaged with either one of the openings 83 and 84 provided on the side wall 35 of the main tray 30. Are combined. The sliding plate 45 in this state is positioned and fixed at either the first position shown in FIG. 4 or the second position shown in FIG. When the user tries to slide the second tray 40 on the main tray 30, the user needs to release the lock by the lock mechanism 80.

  First, the user hooks his / her finger on the operation unit 122a and slides the operation unit 122a of the release lever 122 forward. When the operation unit 122a is slid forward, the lever main body 122b also moves in the same direction. At this time, the lever main body 122 pulls the first extending portion 146 of the L-shaped lever 141 away from the rotation shaft 94. As a result, the L-shaped lever 141 rotates about the shaft 144 in the direction of the arrow 137 in FIG. 8 (clockwise in FIG. 8). In conjunction with this turning operation, the first engaging portion 142 provided in the second extending portion 147 is also turned in the same direction (arrow 137). At this time, the first engagement portion 142 presses the second engagement portion 86 leftward. As a result, the lock member 81 moves to the left against the elastic force of the compression spring 82. In other words, the locking member 81 has the engagement piece 81a removed from the opening 83 or the opening 84 from the lock position where the engagement piece 81a is inserted into the opening 83 or the opening 84 to lock the second tray 40, and Move to unlock position to unlock. Accordingly, the engagement between the engagement piece 81a and one of the two openings 83 and 84 is released, and the second tray 40 is slidable on the main tray 30.

  Then, the user slides the second tray 40 on the main tray 30 in a desired direction while sliding the operation unit 122a forward. At this time, the user can easily slide the second tray 40 with the lock released by pinching the operation portion 122a and the wall of the recess 47 therebetween. Note that the user may check the type or stacking amount of the recording medium in the main tray 30 when sliding the second tray 40. Even in this case, with the supply tray 15 of this embodiment, even if the second tray 40 is rotated upward while the second tray 40 is sliding, the first engagement portion 142 and the second engagement portion 86 are not affected. Engagement is not released. Therefore, even if the second tray 40 is rotated, the reliable connection between the first engagement portion 142 and the second engagement portion 86 can be maintained. As a result, high reliability and operability can be realized in the supply tray 15. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the first engaging portion 142, the second engaging portion 86, the lock member 81, or the like is not damaged.

  When the second tray 40 (sliding plate 45) is slightly slid with respect to the main tray 30 in a state where the engagement between the engagement piece 81a and the opening is released, the engagement piece 81a is engaged. Since the user cannot return to the opening, the user may release his / her finger from the operation unit 122a. In this state, the user further slides the second tray 40 (sliding plate 45) relative to the main tray 30 to engage the engagement piece 81a with the desired opening of the two openings 83 and 84. Can do. As described above, since the lock member 81 is urged to the right side by the compression spring 82, when the engagement piece 81a is engaged with the opening desired by the user, the user feels a snap feeling or a click feeling. Therefore, the user can be confident that the second tray 40 has been reliably disposed at the usable position (second position) or the unusable position (first position). Thereafter, after the user sets the second tray 40 in a desired state on the main tray 30, the user again mounts the supply tray 15 into the main body casing 2 from the opening 2 a of the image forming apparatus 1. Here, the desired state of the second tray 40 means that the recording medium desired by the user is placed on the second tray 40, or the side end guides 41 and 42 are moved in accordance with the size of the recording medium. A state in which an operation such as performing is performed.

[Effect of the embodiment]
As described above, according to the supply tray 15 having the configuration described in detail, the first engagement portion 142 and the second engagement portion 86 are not disengaged regardless of the posture of the second tray 40 being rotated. To maintain. Therefore, even if the second tray 40 is rotated, the connection between the first engagement portion 142 and the second engagement portion 86 can be ensured. As a result, the supply tray 15 has high reliability and operability. Can be realized. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the first engaging portion 142, the second engaging portion 86, the lock member 81, or the like is not damaged. Regardless of the rotation position of the second tray 40, the lock lever 81 is operated via the lever main body 122b and the L-shaped lever 141 by operating the release lever 122. Therefore, even when the second tray 40 is rotated and separated from the main tray 30, the second tray 40 can be moved in the front-rear direction 8, and as a result, user convenience is improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lock member 81 is biased using the compression spring 82. However, the lock member 81 is not necessarily biased. It is sufficient that the lock member 81 is disposed at the lock position or the unlock position at least according to the operation position of the operation unit 122a. Further, instead of the operation unit 122a, for example, a rotating body having a knob may be employed, and a link mechanism connected so that the L-shaped lever 141 rotates according to the rotational position of the rotating body may be used.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the supply tray 15 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the supply tray 15. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the supply tray 15. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the supply tray 15. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the supply tray 15 viewed from above. FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the main part VIII of FIG. 7, (A) shows the locked state by the lock mechanism 80, and (B) shows the unlocked state. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing each configuration of the sliding plate 45, the lock mechanism 80, and the lock release mechanism 120. FIG. 10 is an enlarged detailed view of the main part X of FIG. 6, and shows a locked state by the lock mechanism 80. FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail view of the main part X of FIG. 6 and shows the unlocked state.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus 15 ... Supply tray 30 ... Main tray 35 ... Side wall 40 ... Second tray 45 ... Sliding plate 50 ... Supply unit 60 ... Supply roller 70 ... Image recording unit 80 ... Lock mechanism 81 ... Lock member 81a ... Engagement piece 82 ... Compression spring 83, 84 ... Opening 86 ... Second engagement portion 94 ...・ Rotating shaft 122... Release lever 122 a.

Claims (7)

A sheet supply tray capable of storing sheets supplied in a first direction which is one of the first directions,
A first tray capable of accommodating sheets;
A moving member provided on an upper portion of the first tray and supported so as to be movable in the first direction;
A second tray supported rotatably on the moving member and capable of accommodating sheets;
A locking position that is provided on the moving member and engages with the first tray to position and fix the moving member with respect to the first tray; and an unlocking position that unlocks the moving member with respect to the first tray. A locking member movable between,
An operation member provided on the second tray and capable of changing its posture between a first posture corresponding to the lock position and a second posture corresponding to the unlock position;
A first engaging portion that engages with the lock member on an extension axis of the support shaft of the second tray, and the first engaging portion is connected to the shaft of the support shaft in conjunction with a change in posture of the operation member; A sheet supply tray including a link mechanism that moves the lock member to the locked position or the unlocked position by displacing in the direction.   The lock member includes a second engagement portion that engages with the first engagement portion, and is provided so as to be movable in the same direction as the axial direction of the support shaft together with the second engagement portion. The sheet supply tray according to 1. The link mechanism is
A first link member connected to the operation member and operating in a second direction orthogonal to the support shaft in conjunction with a change in posture of the operation member;
A second link member that is provided with the first engagement portion and converts the movement of the first link member in the second direction into the movement of the support shaft in the axial direction at the first engagement portion; The sheet supply tray according to claim 2. A biasing member that biases the lock member toward the lock position;
The link mechanism moves the lock member from the lock position to the unlock position against the urging force of the urging member in response to a change in posture of the operation member from the first position to the second position. The sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The sheet supply tray according to claim 1, wherein the lock position of the lock member is a position at which a sheet can be supplied from at least the second tray in the first direction. The second tray can be disposed at a cover position that covers at least the upper portion of the first tray,
The link mechanism is provided on the first surface of the second tray facing the first tray at the cover position;
The sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the operation member is operably exposed on a second surface of the second tray opposite to the first surface. A sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A supply unit that selectively supplies the sheets stored in the first tray or the second tray according to the position of the second tray in the first direction;
An image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet supplied by the supply unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images