JP2010173832A - Paper feeding cassette device and image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly expand a discharge tray in response to a size of discharged paper, in a multistage paper feeding cassette device capable of feeding the paper of a different size. <P>SOLUTION: A discharge tray body 40 is arranged on the paper feeding cassette device 20 of the uppermost stage, and can place a recording medium discharged by passing through a recording portion in a deposit state, and includes a first discharge tray portion 41 superposed on an upper portion of an upper stage first paper feeding cassette portion 26 of the paper feeding cassette device 20 of the uppermost stage, an upper side second discharge tray portion 42 arranged to be extendable to this portion, and an auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 arranged between both of these and arranged to be extendable to the second discharge tray portion 42. In a state of reducing the second discharge tray portion 42 to the first discharge tray portion 41, the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 can be largely extracted from the second discharge tray portion 42, and in a state of largely extending the second discharge tray portion 42 to the first discharge tray portion 41, the auxiliary discharge tray portion is restricted small in an extraction quantity from the second discharge tray portion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette apparatus provided with a paper discharge tray section, and an image recording apparatus in which the paper feed cassette apparatus is detachably arranged.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus such as a copying apparatus or a printer apparatus has a configuration in which a paper feeding cassette apparatus that accommodates a recording medium (paper or the like) before recording in a stacked state is detachably arranged. The image recording apparatus is used not only at a company (business use) but also at a small office or private home (home use). As described above, since the area where the apparatus is installed is limited in use in a small-scale office or an individual's home, downsizing of the entire apparatus is required. In addition, when the installation area is limited, it is required that the image recording apparatus can be used for various purposes. For this reason, it is required that various types of paper such as B5 to A3 sizes, L size, postcard size, legal size, and the like can be used.

  However, if a paper feed cassette device is prepared for each paper size, many types of paper feed cassette devices are required. If a plurality of types of paper feeding cassette devices can be simultaneously mounted on the image recording apparatus, the image recording apparatus itself is increased in size. In addition, when various types of paper feed cassette devices are exchanged, a space for storing spare paper feed cassette devices is required.

  By the way, Patent Document 1 discloses an image recording apparatus including two upper and lower sheet cassette apparatuses. The upper and lower paper feed cassette devices can accommodate different sizes of paper. Furthermore, the slide tray of the upper sheet cassette apparatus is configured to be extendable. In other words, the upper sheet cassette apparatus can accommodate sheets of different sizes in the extended state and the contracted state.

  Also, in Patent Document 2, the paper feed cassette device has a movable housing that is detachably mounted on a main body portion of a housing that is disposed on the back side of the main body of the image recording apparatus. The cassette cover of the sheet cassette apparatus is configured to also serve as a discharge tray portion, and the cassette cover is provided with an auxiliary tray integrally provided with a projecting member so that it can be pulled out to the discharge downstream side. Yes. Accordingly, when the size of the paper to be accommodated in the paper cassette apparatus is large, the movable housing is pulled out to the downstream side of the discharge, and the auxiliary tray is also extended to the downstream side of the discharge to increase the placement area of the discharged paper. I am doing so.

  In Patent Document 2, a small size A4 size (210 × 297 mm) paper can be accommodated in a state where the movable housing is contracted with respect to the main body, while a large size F4 size (334 × 242 mm) is accommodated. Alternatively, the movable housing can be extended with respect to the main body so as to accommodate a legal size (355.6 × 215.9 mm) sheet.

  Therefore, when accommodating a large size sheet such as F4 size, the movable casing is moved greatly with respect to the main body and pulled out.

  On the other hand, since the cassette cover is locked to the main body and the length in the paper discharge direction is constant, the leading edge of the paper discharged via the discharge roller after image recording (the downstream end on the discharge side). Part) starts to be placed on the cassette cover, regardless of the size of the paper.

JP 2007-181933 A (see FIGS. 1 and 2) JP 2000-247456 A (see FIGS. 2 and 3)

  In Patent Document 2, as described above, the cassette cover is locked to the main body of the sheet feeding cassette device, and the auxiliary tray is attached to the cassette cover so as to be elongated. In that case, if the auxiliary tray is plate-shaped and has low rigidity, there is a problem that the auxiliary tray is easily bent due to the weight of a large amount of discharged paper.

  In addition, since the cassette cover width dimension in Patent Document 2 is substantially equal to the width dimension of the main body portion of the casing and the movable casing, the entire upper surface of the sheet feeding cassette apparatus can be used when the paper to be stored is small. However, since the width of the auxiliary tray is smaller than the width of the cassette cover, in a paper cassette apparatus that accommodates large size paper such as F4 size, the auxiliary tray is in a state of being pulled out. In addition, a part of the upper part of the movable box body on the downstream side of the discharge is exposed. Accordingly, there has been a problem that paper dust accompanying conveyance of the sheet when the image recording apparatus is used and dust when not in use enter the sheet cassette apparatus.

  Furthermore, if the paper cassette apparatus is configured in multiple stages so that paper of multiple types can be fed, the paper discharge tray section can be set to a size that matches the small size paper (paper discharge tray section). In some cases, it is instructed to record on a large size sheet without noticing it. Such a situation includes, for example, a plurality of paper cassette apparatuses, a large size (for example, A3 size) is accommodated in the lower sheet cassette apparatus, and a small size (for example, A4 size) is accommodated in the upper sheet cassette apparatus. ) Is likely to occur.

  If the placement area of the paper discharge tray is smaller than the discharged paper, the paper drops from the paper discharge tray, and the order of discharge (stacking) becomes disjoint, which takes time to rearrange the paper. Also, prior to the recording command, it is necessary to perform an operation to extend the paper feed cassette device provided with the paper discharge tray, and it is necessary to adjust the position of the rear guide in accordance with the size of the paper accommodated therein. There is a problem that it takes time to extend and retract the paper discharge tray.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems. When paper of different sizes can be fed and the paper discharge tray is configured to be extendable, the paper discharge is performed according to the size of the paper to be discharged. An object of the present invention is to realize a paper feed cassette apparatus and an image recording apparatus that can rapidly extend and retract the tray and can reliably prevent dust and paper dust from entering the paper feed cassette.

  In order to achieve the above object, the paper feed cassette apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is a paper cassette apparatus having a plurality of upper and lower stages that are respectively detachably disposed in a housing of an image recording apparatus having a recording unit. In addition, each of the paper feed cassette devices includes a storage unit that can store the recording medium fed to the recording unit in a stacked state, and each of the paper feed cassette devices is located on the back side in the insertion / extraction direction. A first sheet cassette unit; and a second sheet cassette unit that is extendable with respect to the first sheet cassette unit along the insertion / extraction direction, and is provided on an upper surface of the uppermost sheet cassette unit. Includes a paper discharge tray body on which the recording medium discharged from the recording unit can be placed in a stacked state, and the paper discharge tray body cannot move in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed cassette unit. And the first paper output tray section A second discharge tray portion that is extendable along the insertion / removal direction with respect to the first discharge tray portion, and a second discharge tray portion that is extendable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the second discharge tray portion. In the state where the second discharge tray portion is reduced with respect to the first discharge tray portion, the auxiliary discharge tray portion is separated from the second discharge tray portion. When the second discharge tray portion is extended with respect to the first discharge tray portion, the auxiliary discharge tray portion has a small pull-out amount from the second discharge tray portion. It is something that is restricted.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the paper feed cassette device according to the first aspect, the second discharge tray unit is slidably supported along the upper surface of the first discharge tray unit, and The auxiliary paper discharge tray portion is disposed between the first paper discharge tray portion and the second paper discharge tray portion and is slidably supported on the lower surface side of the second paper discharge tray portion. is there.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the paper feed cassette device according to the first or second aspect, the paper is provided so as to be extendable or foldable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion. It has a stopper body.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feed cassette device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the second paper discharge tray portion is detachably attached to the second paper feed cassette portion. In the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus, the second sheet cassette unit slides with respect to the first sheet cassette unit, and the second sheet discharge tray unit slides with respect to the first sheet discharge tray unit. Are provided so as to be integrally operable.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the paper feed cassette device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the first paper discharge tray portion is the first paper feed cassette device in the uppermost paper feed cassette device. It is connected to the paper feed cassette section so as to be vertically rotatable on the back side in the insertion / extraction direction.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording portion inside the housing, a housing portion capable of housing the paper feed cassette device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, and one side surface of the housing. An image recording apparatus configured to be able to insert / remove the paper feed cassette device from the opening portion with respect to the housing portion, wherein the uppermost paper feed cassette device in the opening is Below, a lower sheet cassette device is detachably attached, and the size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the lower sheet cassette device is the recording medium that can be accommodated in the uppermost sheet cassette device. The mounting area of the paper discharge tray body when the second paper discharge tray is slid outward is the same as or larger than the maximum size of the paper. Set according to the size of the recording medium. And it is characterized in Rukoto.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a paper discharge tray body on which the recording medium discharged from the recording unit can be placed in a stacked state is disposed on the upper surface of the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus, and the paper discharge The tray body is disposed so as not to move in the insertion / removal direction with respect to the first paper feed cassette unit, and is extendable / contractable along the insertion / removal direction with respect to the first paper discharge tray unit. A second discharge tray portion provided on the first discharge tray portion, and an auxiliary discharge tray portion that is extendable and retractable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the second discharge tray portion. In a state where the second discharge tray portion is reduced with respect to the portion, the auxiliary discharge tray portion can be largely pulled out from the second discharge tray portion, and the first discharge tray portion In the state where the second discharge tray portion is extended, the auxiliary discharge tray portion is In which withdrawn amount of from 2 discharge tray portion is limited small.

  Therefore, when a large-sized recording medium accommodated in the lower paper cassette apparatus is discharged after recording, the uppermost paper cassette apparatus having the paper discharge tray body is not expanded and the image recording operation is in progress. However, only the auxiliary discharge tray portion of the discharge tray body can be extended so that the discharged large-size recording medium can be received stably and reliably, while the large-size recording cassette can be received by the upper and lower feed cassette devices. Even when a medium is accommodated, and these are selectively specified and recorded and then discharged, the operation can be performed with a simple operation in which the second discharge tray portion is extended and the auxiliary discharge tray portion is extended. Thus, the recording medium can be received stably and reliably. In addition, the paper discharge tray body always covers the entire top surface of the uppermost paper feed cassette device by the first paper discharge tray section and the second paper discharge tray that can be expanded and contracted with respect to the first paper discharge tray section. Intrusion can be reliably prevented, and the discharged recording medium can be prevented from entering the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the second discharge tray portion is supported so as to be slidable along the upper surface of the first discharge tray portion, and the auxiliary discharge tray portion is the first discharge tray portion. And the second discharge tray portion, and is slidably supported on the lower surface side of the second discharge tray portion. In either state of expansion and contraction of the paper tray section, the auxiliary paper discharge tray section can be expanded or contracted within a predetermined range.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion has the paper stopper body that is extendable and foldable along the insertion / extraction direction, the discharged recording medium This has the effect that the downstream end of the discharge can be prevented from protruding and can be reliably received.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the second paper discharge tray portion is detachably engaged with the second paper feed cassette portion, and the second paper feed in the uppermost paper feed cassette device. Since the slide of the cassette portion with respect to the first paper feed cassette portion and the slide of the second paper discharge tray portion with respect to the first paper discharge tray portion are provided so as to be integrally operable, It becomes easy to handle the paper feed cassette device and the paper discharge tray body accompanying the change in the size of the recording medium accommodated in the upper paper feed cassette device.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the first paper discharge tray portion can be rotated up and down at the back side in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed cassette portion in the uppermost paper feed cassette device. Therefore, the recording medium can be replenished only by lifting the front side of the discharge tray body together with the first discharge tray portion.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, the recording unit in the housing, the housing unit capable of housing the paper feed cassette device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and one side surface of the housing. An image recording apparatus configured to be able to insert / remove the paper feed cassette device from the opening portion with respect to the housing portion, wherein the uppermost paper feed cassette device in the opening is Below, a lower sheet cassette device is detachably attached, and the size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the lower sheet cassette device is the recording medium that can be accommodated in the uppermost sheet cassette device. In the state where the second discharge tray portion is slid outward (the second discharge tray portion is extended with respect to the first discharge tray portion). The placement area of the paper discharge tray body is the lower paper feed cassette. Since it is set to correspond to the size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the recording apparatus, it can be accommodated in the lower sheet cassette apparatus regardless of the size of the recording medium accommodated in the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus. In accordance with the size of the recording medium, it is possible to easily change the placement area of the discharge tray body in the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus.

1 is an overview perspective view of a multi-function device as an embodiment of an image recording device. It is a schematic diagram of the side cross section of a multi-function device. It is an enlarged view of the opening part vicinity of a multi-function device. (A) is a perspective view of a state in which the upper paper feed cassette device is contracted, and (B) is a perspective view of an upper body in which the upper paper feed cassette device is extended. (A) is a bottom view of the first paper feed cassette unit, and (B) is a top view of the second paper feed cassette unit. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. (A) is a bottom view of the paper discharge tray body in the most contracted state, (B) is a bottom view of the auxiliary paper discharge tray section extended short, and (C) is a bottom view of the auxiliary paper discharge tray section extended greatly. FIG. It is a lower surface side perspective view of the state of Drawing 7 (C). (A) is a bottom view of the paper discharge tray body in an extended state, (B) is a bottom view of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion extended short relative to the second paper discharge tray portion, and (C) is a top view of the same. is there. It is a lower surface side perspective view of the state of Drawing 9 (B). (A) is a schematic sectional side view showing the discharge state of A4 size paper in both the upper and lower paper feed cassette devices, and (B) is the A4 size paper storage state in the upper paper feed cassette device and A3 size paper in the lower paper feed cassette device. FIG. 4C is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing a state in which A3 size paper is discharged in both the upper and lower paper feed cassette apparatuses. It is sectional drawing which shows the sliding support structure of the auxiliary | assistant discharge tray part with respect to a 2nd discharge tray part. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration for restricting the maximum withdrawal of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion with respect to the first paper discharge tray portion. It is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of a stopper body. It is sectional drawing which shows the further another Example of a stopper body.

  Hereinafter, examples (embodiments) of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, as an image recording apparatus, a multi-function device (MFD) 1 having a printer function, a scanner function, a copy function, and a facsimile function is illustrated, but the image recording apparatus is a copy apparatus, a facsimile apparatus, or the like. It may be a single-function device.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multi-function device 1 according to the embodiment. In the multi-function device 1, an image reading device (scanner unit) 3 for reading a document in a copy function or a facsimile function is disposed on an upper part of a synthetic resin body case (housing) 2 (see FIG. 2). ). The image reading device 3 reads an original and creates image data (including photographic data and document data) (scanner function).

  Using the copy function, the multi-function device 1 can record the image data created by the image reading device 3 as an image (text, drawing, photograph, etc.) on a sheet as an example of a recording medium. The multi-function device 1 can transmit the image data created by the image reading device 3 through the telephone communication network using the facsimile function. Furthermore, the multi-function device 1 can also transmit the image data created by the image reading device 3 to a personal computer connected via a cable or the like.

  In this embodiment, the image reading apparatus 3 is configured as a so-called flat bed scanner. The multi-function device 1 is provided with a document reading glass 5 and an image sensor 6 on the lower side of a document cover 4 provided as a top plate so as to be freely opened and closed (see FIG. 3). The image sensor 6 employs a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) that is long in the X-axis direction (see FIG. 1), but a CCD (Charge Coupled Devise) may also be used. A document for image reading is placed on the reading glass 5, and the image sensor 6 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 1) below the reading glass 5 to read the image.

  The document cover 4 is provided with an auto document feeder (ADF) 7 that is an automatic document feeder. The ADF 7 is an image sensor 6 that conveys documents placed on a document tray 8 (shown in a closed state in FIG. 1) one by one onto the reading glass 5, and leaves the document stationary below the reading glass 5. Read the original. The read original is discharged to the original discharge tray 9.

  An operation panel 10 including operation buttons and a liquid crystal display unit is provided on the front upper portion of the multi-function device 1 in order to command various operations. Also, below the operation panel 10, a slot portion 11 into which various small memory cards as storage media can be loaded is also arranged.

  Next, the internal configuration of the multi-function device 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a recording unit 12 is provided at the center of the main body case 2. An ink jet recording head 13 is disposed in the recording unit 12, and ink of each color is supplied from an ink cartridge (not shown) accommodated in the main body case 2 via a flexible ink supply tube (tube). Are independently supplied to the recording head 13.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an opening 14 is provided in the lower front portion of the multi-function device 1, and both the upper paper cassette unit 20 and the lower paper cassette device 30 are provided in the main body case 2. It arrange | positions with respect to the accommodating part 16 of a bottom part so that insertion / extraction from the opening part 14 is possible (it can be put in and taken out substantially in a horizontal direction). Hereinafter, the side of the synthetic resin body case 2 having the opening 14 is referred to as the front (front), and the back (back), left and right of the device with reference to this. As described above, the front-rear direction of the multi-function device 1 is the X-axis direction, and the left-right direction is the Y-axis direction.

  On the left and right inner surfaces of the opening 14, rail-shaped guide portions 15 are provided for inserting the upper and lower sheet feeding cassette devices 20 and 30 into appropriate positions. FIG. 3 shows a part of the guide portion 15 for the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20. The guide portion 15 is disposed at a position that comes into contact with the upper surface of a paper discharge tray portion 40 described later.

[Configuration of paper cassette unit]
Each of the upper and lower paper feed cassette devices 20 and 30 is formed so as to be accommodated in a state where a large number of sheets as recording media are stacked. The direction (insertion direction) in which the upper and lower sheet feeding cassette devices 20 and 30 are inserted into the multi-function device 1 is the sheet feeding direction. The lower sheet cassette device 30 is set so as to accommodate more sheets than the upper sheet cassette device 20.

  On the back side of the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20 (on the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction in the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20, the right side in FIG. 2), an upper separation inclined plate 21 is provided. In addition, an upper sheet feeding roller 23 that is pivotally supported at the tip of the upper sheet feeding arm 22 is disposed so as to face a position closer to the back side of the bottom surface of the upper sheet feeding cassette device 20. The upper paper feed arm 22 is urged downward, and the upper paper feed roller 23 comes into contact with the uppermost surface of the paper accumulated and stored in the upper paper feed cassette 20. When a driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown) to the upper sheet feeding roller 23 and rotated, the uppermost sheet P is separated one by one by a known cooperative action with the upper inclined separating plate 21 and guided upward. Is done.

  The upper sheet conveyance path 24 is formed in a U-turn shape that turns upward from the upper separation inclined plate 21 and then bends to the front side of the multi-function device 1, and image recording is performed on the sheet P by the recording unit 12. Thereafter, the paper is discharged to the upper surface side of the paper discharge tray body 40. The upper paper feed arm 22 is configured to move up and down in accordance with the operation of inserting and removing the upper paper feed cassette device 20, and can avoid the upper paper feed roller 23 from colliding with the upper inclined separation plate 21.

  The lower paper feed cassette device 30 is also basically formed in the same manner as the upper paper feed cassette 20, and on the back side thereof (on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction in the lower paper feed cassette device 30, right side in FIG. 2) A lower separation inclined plate 31 is provided. In addition, a lower paper feed roller 33 that is pivotally supported at the tip of the lower paper feed arm 32 is disposed so as to face a position closer to the back side of the bottom surface of the lower paper feed cassette device 30. The lower paper feed arm 32 is urged downward, and the lower paper feed roller 33 comes into contact with the uppermost surface of the paper P stored in the lower paper feed cassette 30. When a driving force is transmitted from a driving source (not shown) to the lower feed roller 33 and rotated, the uppermost sheet P is separated one by one by a known cooperative action with the lower inclined separation plate 31 and guided upward. Is done.

  The lower sheet conveyance path 34 is provided outside the upper sheet conveyance path 24 and is U-turned (upper sheet conveyance path) that turns upward from the lower separation inclined plate 31 and then turns to the front side of the multi-function device 1. (Arc shape larger than 24). The paper transported through the lower paper transport path 34 is discharged onto the upper surface side of the paper discharge tray body 40 after image recording is performed by the recording unit 12. The lower sheet feeding arm 32 is configured to move up and down in accordance with the operation of inserting and removing the lower sheet feeding cassette device 30, and can prevent the lower sheet feeding roller 33 from colliding with the lower inclination separating plate 31.

  The upper sheet cassette device 20 is provided so that a sheet discharge tray body 40, which will be described in detail later, overlaps with an upper portion of an upper sheet storage unit 25 that is a sheet storage unit. The paper fed from the upper paper cassette unit 20 and the paper fed from the lower paper cassette device 30 are discharged to the paper discharge tray body 40. The sheets are stacked from bottom to top in the order in which they are discharged. The lower paper cassette device 30 is substantially the same as the upper paper cassette device 20 except that it does not include the paper discharge tray body 40. Therefore, the configuration of the upper paper cassette device 20 will be described in detail below. .

  The upper sheet feed accommodating portion 25 of the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20 is formed in a box shape with the upper surface substantially open. The paper discharge tray body 40 also serves as a dustproof cover for the paper stored in the upper sheet storage unit 25. The paper discharge tray body 40 has a substantially thin flat plate shape. Accordingly, the paper discharge tray body 40 is formed so as to cover the upper opening of the upper sheet storage portion 25 excluding a portion interfering with the upper sheet supply arm 22 (at least a portion close to the opening 14) in a lid shape. ing.

  The paper discharge tray body 40 includes a first paper discharge tray portion 41 that overlaps the upper portion of the upper first paper feed cassette portion 26 of the upper paper feed cassette device 20, and the first paper discharge tray portion 41 along the insertion / extraction direction. A second paper discharge tray section 42 that is slidable and expandable and an auxiliary paper discharge tray section 45 are included.

  The upper sheet storage unit 25 includes an upper first sheet cassette unit 26 located on the back side (the right side in FIGS. 2 and 3) in the insertion / extraction direction (X-axis direction), and the upper first sheet cassette unit 26. On the other hand, it has an upper second sheet feeding cassette portion 27 slidably provided along the insertion / extraction direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27 is assembled such that the paper placement plate 27 a overlaps the lower side of the paper placement plate 26 a of the upper first paper feed cassette unit 26. ing. A handle portion 25 a is provided on the front side surface (front surface) of the upper second sheet feeding cassette portion 27.

  As will be described later, the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27 is provided so as to be held in three stages of a contracted position, an extended position, and an intermediate position with respect to the upper first paper feed cassette unit 26. When the upper second paper cassette unit 27 is slid and extended to the maximum in the X-axis direction with respect to the upper first paper cassette unit 26, the upper paper cassette device 20 can accommodate sheets up to A3 size (A3 size). Is accommodated so that the longitudinal direction is along the X-axis direction). When the upper second sheet cassette unit 27 is contracted most with respect to the upper first sheet cassette unit 26, sheets up to A4 size can be accommodated such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the X-axis direction.

  In addition, the upper sheet storage unit 25 is provided with a pair of side guides 28 for guiding the side edges along the X-axis direction of the paper, and the interval between the side guides 28 in the Y-axis direction by a known interlocking mechanism. Wide and narrow adjustments can be made arbitrarily. By adjusting the distance between the side guides 28, the sheets to be stored are centered with respect to the upper sheet storage unit 25. That is, the centers of all sizes of paper that can be accommodated in the upper paper feed accommodation unit 25 are placed at the same position (center position). By adjusting the side guide 28 and adjusting the upper second sheet feeding cassette unit 27 by extension and contraction, sheets from L size to A3 size can be set in the upper sheet storage unit 25. In addition, the upper sheet storage unit 25 may be provided with a rear guide (not shown) for guiding the position of the rear end in the transport direction of the paper P.

  On the other hand, the lower feed cassette device 30 is also a lower feed first storage unit 35, which is a sheet storage unit, located at the lower side (right side in FIGS. 2 and 3) in the insertion / extraction direction (X-axis direction). It has a paper cassette section 36 and a lower second paper feed cassette section 37 that is slidable along the insertion / removal direction with respect to the lower first paper feed cassette section 36 and that can be expanded and contracted. Similar to the upper second sheet cassette section 27, the lower second sheet cassette section 37 is provided so as to be changeable in at least two stages, ie, a contracted position and an extended position with respect to the lower first sheet cassette section 36. ing. Moreover, you may be comprised so that latching is possible also in the middle position of both positions. Accordingly, when the lower second paper cassette 37 is extended to the maximum in the X-axis direction in the same manner as the upper second paper cassette 27, the longitudinal direction of sheets up to A3 size is set along the X-axis. Can be accommodated. When the lower second sheet cassette unit 37 is contracted most, sheets up to A4 size can be accommodated so that the longitudinal direction is along the X-axis direction.

  Similarly to the upper paper feed storage unit 25, the lower paper feed storage unit 35 can arbitrarily adjust the width of the side guide (not shown) in the Y-axis direction. Centering with respect to the accommodating portion 35 is possible. In addition, a handle portion 35 a is provided on the front side surface (front surface) of the lower second sheet feeding cassette portion 37.

  The upper sheet storage unit 25 is provided with a lock means 50 for holding the expansion / contraction position of the upper second sheet cassette unit 27 with respect to the upper first sheet cassette unit 26 and enabling sliding. (See FIGS. 5A and 5B). By providing the lock means 50 and securely holding the position of the upper second paper cassette part 27, the upper second paper cassette part 27 is prevented from being inadvertently extended or contracted.

  As the locking means 50, the upper surface of the paper placing plate 27 a of the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27 is positioned closer to one side surface 27 b (right side of FIG. 5B) of the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27. A lock rod 51 extending in the X-axis direction (insertion / removal direction) is disposed. The lock rod 51 is placed on a sheet so as to be swingable in a horizontal direction on a rotating shaft 56 protruding from a position close to the front surface 27c of the upper second sheet feeding cassette unit 27 (front side in the insertion / extraction direction). It is pivotally supported on the surface 27a.

  In the embodiment, the operation portion 52 of the lock rod 51 is bent and formed in an L shape, and extends in the Y-axis direction from the position of the rotation shaft 56 along the front plate 27c. Further, the distal end of the lock rod 51 is bent in an L shape toward the left and right center line of the sheet placing plate 27 a, and a protrusion 53 for engaging with the first paper feed cassette unit 27. It has become.

  A guide rail 60 extending in the X-axis direction is integrally formed on the lower surface side of the sheet placing plate 26 a of the upper first sheet cassette unit 26 so as to correspond to the lock rod 51. The guide rail 60 is provided with three engagement receiving portions (engagement receiving portions 61 a to 61 c) along the X-axis direction that can be hooked with the protruding portion 53. The engagement receiving portions 61a to 61c are formed in a concave shape that opens to the side so that the protruding portion 53 can be locked.

  Specifically, when the protrusion 53 of the lock rod 51 is locked to the engagement receiving portion 61 a provided on the back side, the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 is the most relative to the upper first paper feed cassette portion 26. This is a first lock state in which the contracted state is maintained. In this state, it is suitable for placing A4 size paper along the X-axis direction in the upper sheet storage unit 25 or placing paper smaller than A4 size. .

  The state in which the projection 53 of the lock rod 51 is locked to the engagement receiving portion 61c provided on the front side is the state in which the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 extends most with respect to the upper first paper feed cassette portion 26. It is the 2nd lock state to hold | maintain. In this state, it is suitable for placing A3 size paper with its longitudinal direction along the X-axis direction. It is also possible to place paper smaller than A3 size.

  When the protrusion 53 of the lock rod 51 is locked to the engagement receiving portion 61b provided between the engagement receiving portion 61a and the engagement receiving portion 61c, the upper second sheet feeding cassette portion 27 extends to the midway position. This is a third lock state in which the state is maintained. In this state, it is suitable for placing a legal size paper with its longitudinal direction along the X-axis direction. It is also possible to place paper smaller than the legal size.

  The state in which the lock rod 53 is not locked to any of the engagement receiving portions 61a to 61c is an unlocked state in which the upper second sheet feeding cassette portion 27 can slide. Between the engagement receiving parts in the guide rail 60, in order to smoothly engage and disengage from the respective engagement receiving parts 61a to 61c, an inclined surface that is inclined in the left-right direction in a plan view is provided.

  In this embodiment, the expansion / contraction position of the upper second sheet feeding cassette unit 27 relative to the upper first sheet feeding cassette unit 26 can be switched to three stages. However, the expansion / contraction position is not limited to this, and the expansion position is the largest. There may be two stages of the position and the most contracted position, or more stages.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, etc., the second discharge tray portion 42 has human fingers on the right side of the plate surface in order to expose the operation portion 52 of the lock rod 51 to the outside. A penetrating part 55 is formed so as to enter. The penetration part 55 and the operation part 52 are provided on the right side of the multifunction device 1 in consideration of convenience when the user operates with the right hand.

  Accordingly, when the user puts a finger into the penetration part 55, the operation part 52 of the lock rod 51 located below the penetration part 55 can be touched. When the operation unit 52 is pulled to the near side with a finger placed in the operation unit 52, the lock rod 51 swings in the horizontal direction (clockwise in plan view) about the rotation shaft 56, and the protrusion 53 at the tip is moved. , Can be removed from the engagement receiving portion 61a (61b, 61c).

  For example, when the projection 53 of the lock rod 51 is engaged with the engagement receiving portion 61a (first lock state), the thumb is placed on the front surface of the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 or the second paper discharge tray portion 42. At the same time, the user puts his / her index finger into the penetrating portion 55, pulls the operating portion 52 toward the near side, and pulls the second discharge tray portion 42 toward the near side (outside the opening portion 14) as it is. Then, due to the male and female fitting of the engaging recess 44 and the boss portion 29, the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 and the second paper discharge tray portion 42 operate integrally and pull out to the near side in the insertion / extraction direction. Can do. Then, it is freely moved back and forth in the unlocked state to be locked in the second locked state (engagement receiving portion 61c) or the third locked state (engagement receiving portion 61b).

  Since the penetrating portion 55 is provided on the front side of the second paper discharge tray portion 42, the remaining amount of paper stored in the upper cassette device 20 can be confirmed via the penetrating portion 55.

[Configuration of paper output tray]
The first paper discharge tray portion 41 in the paper discharge tray body 40 is located with respect to the upper paper feed storage portion 25 by a hinge portion 43 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) provided on the back side. It is pivotally supported so that it can rotate. Therefore, after the user removes the upper sheet cassette device 20 from the main body case 2 or pulls it out largely, the user grasps the front side of the sheet discharge tray body 40 and lifts it upward to thereby move the upper sheet feeder accommodating section 25. It is possible to perform the work of setting paper on the paper.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 11 (A) to 11 (C), the first discharge tray portion 41 is assembled so as to overlap the lower side of the second discharge tray portion 42 with the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 interposed therebetween. It has been. On the upper surface of the second paper discharge tray section 42, a pair of left and right ribs 46 project from the X axis direction. The pair of left and right ribs 46 are used for aligning the paper according to the size of the paper to be discharged, or the left and right side edges of the paper are inclined upward, and the leading edge in the paper discharge direction hangs down. Is preventing.

  The left and right side edges of the first paper discharge tray portion 41 are supported so as to be slidable in the X-axis direction along guide pieces 42a formed on the left and right side edges of the second paper discharge tray portion 42 ( (See FIG. 10). On the other hand, guide rails 45 a that are long along the X-axis direction are formed at the left and right side edges of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45, and this guide rail 45 a is formed on the lower surface side of the second paper discharge tray portion 42. Thus, it is slidably supported by a pair of guide grooves 47 formed near the center in the Y-axis direction (see FIGS. 10 and 12).

  As shown in FIGS. 6, 8, and 10, on the lower surface side of the left and right ends of the discharge tray body 40 on the near side (side closer to the opening 14) in the insertion / extraction direction of the second discharge tray portion 42, The engaging recess 44 is formed to open downward. On the other hand, bosses 29 project upward from the left and right ends of the upper second paper feed cassette 27 in the upper paper feed accommodating part 25 so as to fit into the engagement recess 44. (See FIG. 6). The second paper discharge tray portion 42 and the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 can be expanded and contracted while the boss portion 29 and the engagement concave portion 44 are in a state where the male and female are fitted. That is, the slide of the second paper discharge tray section 42 (sliding along the X-axis direction) can be integrally performed in conjunction with the slide of the upper second paper feed cassette section 27.

  The guide portions 15 provided in the opening portion 14 of the multi-function device 1 are in contact with the left and right ends of the upper surface of the second discharge tray portion 42 in the discharge tray body 40 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, when the second paper discharge tray portion 42 and the upper second paper feed cassette portion 27 are in the first state in which they are integrally slid and extended, the rattling in the vertical direction is restricted by the guide portion 15. It is suppressed. Further, when the upper paper cassette apparatus 20 is inserted into the opening 14, the second paper discharge tray section 42 cannot be rotated (opened) around the hinge section 43. In this case, the work is to be taken out from the opening 14.

  When the length L1 in the X-axis direction of the first paper discharge tray portion 41, the length L2 in the X-axis direction of the second paper discharge tray portion 42, and the length L3 in the X-axis direction of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45, L3 is set shorter than the dimensions of L1 and L2.

  Then, the first paper discharge in the state where the second paper discharge tray unit 42 is pushed most into the first paper discharge tray unit 41 (referred to as the most contracted position J, the state of FIGS. 7A and 3). If the dimension (length) L4 from the innermost end of the tray portion 41 to the foremost end of the second discharge tray portion 42 (see FIG. 7C), L4 is set to be longer than the dimensions of L1 and L2. Yes. Thereby, at the most contracted position J, the first paper discharge tray unit 41 and the second paper discharge tray unit 42 overlap most of the X-axis direction. And the foremost end portion of the second paper discharge tray portion 42 protrudes from the mating member by a small size.

  The first engagement portion for holding the position where the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 is pulled out by a dimension L5 smaller than the second paper discharge tray portion 42 (referred to as the first drawer position E) is the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45. Of the guide rail 45a and the outward engagement piece 48a integrally projecting in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 45a and projecting in the middle of the guide groove 47 of the second discharge tray portion 42 in an integral manner. It consists of an inward engagement piece 48b (only one is shown in FIG. 8, see FIG. 12). When the auxiliary paper discharge tray 45 is pulled out from the maximum pushed-in state, the outward engagement piece 48a comes into contact with the inward engagement piece 48b to give a click feeling to the user, and the first drawer position E (FIG. 7 (B) and FIG. 9 (B)).

  The second engagement portion for holding the position where the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 is pulled out by the dimension L6 with respect to the first discharge tray portion 41 (referred to as the second pull-out position F) is the first discharge tray portion. 41 from an upward engagement piece 49a integrally formed at the front end portion of 41 and a downward engagement piece 49b integrally formed at the back side of the flat plate portion 45b of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45. (See FIGS. 8, 10, and 13). In the embodiment shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, the downward engaging piece 49b is provided at the innermost end of the flat plate part 45b of the auxiliary paper discharge tray part 45. However, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The innermost end of the flat plate portion 45b of the paper tray portion 45 may be extended by an appropriate size from the downward engaging piece 49b to the far side.

  The position where the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 is pushed most into the second discharge tray portion 42 (the front plate 42c of the second discharge tray portion 42 and the front plate 45c of the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 are substantially the same. In order to maintain the state of being arranged in a plane and being most pushed into the opening 14 of the main body case 2, the non-use position G (see the states of FIGS. 1, 3, 7A, and 9A). The third engaging portion may be when the back surface of the front plate 45c of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 or the thick portion of the front plate 45c abuts on the foremost end of the guide groove 47 (not shown).

  The auxiliary discharge tray 45 is provided with a stopper body 62 for preventing the discharge downstream end of the discharged paper P from protruding further downstream so as to be able to turn up and down or to be substantially horizontally expanded and contracted. ing. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 to 11, the back surface of the stopper body 62 in the face-down state is substantially flush with the upper surface of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45. When the stopper body 62 is erected, the base end portion of the stopper body 62 is pivoted up and down by a pivotal portion (not shown) so that the posture can be maintained in an upwardly inclined state with respect to the front plate 45c of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45. Installed as possible. As a result, even if the paper P is long in the X-axis direction such as A3 size, it can be prevented from protruding from the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45, and the stacking order and posture of the discharged paper P can be prevented from being disturbed. .

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of stopper bodies 63, 64 that can be pivoted up and down are arranged appropriately separated from the flat plate portion 45 c of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 along the X-axis direction. At this time, the housing recesses 65a and 65b are formed so that the back surfaces of the stopper members 63 and 64 in the face-down state are substantially equal to or slightly lower than the upper surface of the flat plate portion 45c of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45. According to this, for example, the back side stopper body 63 can be erected to receive the discharge downstream end of A4 size paper. On the other hand, with the back-side stopper body 63 turned down, the front-side stopper body 64 can be erected to receive the downstream discharge end of A3-size paper.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the stopper body 66 is attached to the flat plate portion 45 c of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 so as to extend and contract in a parallel manner along the X-axis direction. In the stopper bodies 62, 63, 64, the handle portion is recessed on the back surface side, and in the stopper body 66, the handle portion is recessed on the upper surface side.

[Usage of output tray]
With the above configuration, when the multi-function device 1 is not used (or when packing for shipping), the paper discharge tray body 40 is placed in the second paper discharge tray section 42 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 is pushed in most (the non-use position G), and the second paper discharge tray portion 42 is also pushed in most (shrinks most) against the first paper discharge tray portion 41. In the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20 and the lower sheet cassette apparatus 30, the upper second sheet cassette on the front side with respect to the upper first sheet cassette section 26 (lower first sheet cassette section 36) on the back side. The paper discharge tray body 40 is disposed on the part 27 (lower second paper feed cassette part 37) in the most depressed state. In this state, the upper sheet cassette device 20 and the lower sheet cassette device 30 are pushed into the opening 14 of the main body case 2, and the front surfaces of both the paper cassette devices 20, 30 are substantially the same as the front surface of the main body case 2. Set to face. As described above, the first paper discharge tray section 41 is connected to the upper first paper feed cassette section 26 on the back side through the hinge section 43 so as to be pivotable up and down. 41 alone cannot slide in the X-axis direction.

  In the above state, for example, the upper sheet cassette device 20 and the lower sheet cassette device 30 are preliminarily accommodated with A4 size paper along the X-axis direction in the longitudinal direction. In order to execute printing (image recording) by designating the upper sheet cassette device 20 or the lower sheet cassette device 30 as described above, as shown in FIG. 7B and FIG. The paper tray portion 45 is pulled out by a short dimension L5 with respect to the second paper discharge tray portion 42, and the stopper body 62 is raised. Then, when the recorded A4-size paper P is discharged onto the paper discharge tray body 40, the entire paper P is placed on the paper discharge tray body 40 (the first paper discharge tray section 41 and the second paper discharge). Since the downstream end of the discharge of the paper P reaches the stopper body 62, the recorded paper P can be stably deposited in the discharge order without overflowing to the outside.

  In the multi-function device 1 configured as described above, for example, A3 size paper P is previously stored in the lower paper feed cassette device 30, and the A4 size paper is placed in the upper paper feed cassette device 20 along the longitudinal direction in the X-axis direction. In this case, the lower sheet cassette device 30 may be designated and the A3 size paper P may be fed and recorded in this state. For example, there is a case where an image is to be recorded on only a small number of A3 size sheets P from the lower sheet cassette unit 30. In that case, the user can immediately perform the operation as shown in FIGS. 8, 7 </ b> C, and 11 </ b> B without taking the trouble of pulling out the second paper feeding cassette unit 27 of the upper paper feeding cassette device 20. Only the auxiliary discharge tray portion 45 is pulled out (extended) by a dimension l6, and the stopper body 62 is raised. As a result, the length of the paper discharge tray body 40 in the X-axis direction can be quickly increased, so that the recorded A3 size paper P can be stably deposited.

  In order to extend the second discharge tray portion 42 of the discharge tray body 40 with respect to the first discharge tray portion 41, in this embodiment, as described above, the front side of the second discharge tray portion 42 is assumed. Putting a finger into the penetrating part 55 formed on the side and pulling the operation part 51 forward, the second paper discharge tray part 42 is pulled out integrally with the second paper feed cassette part 27, and its mounting area Need to spread. If this is not the case, the upper paper feed cassette device 20 is once pulled out of the main body case 2, and then the upper first paper feed cassette unit 26 is placed in the state where the paper discharge tray body 40 is turned upward. On the other hand, the upper second sheet cassette part 27 is extended to a length corresponding to the A3 size. When the A4 size paper P is accommodated in the upper paper cassette apparatus 20, the rear guide means must also be moved so that the position of the rear end of the paper P does not shift. Next, the operation of extending the second paper discharge tray section 42 and setting it on the upper second paper feed cassette section 27 must be executed, and the operation of quickly extending the paper discharge tray body 40 to be long cannot be performed. It is.

  That is, according to the present invention, the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 of the paper discharge tray body 40 can be easily extended without performing the work of extending the upper paper feed cassette device 20 to a length corresponding to A3 size paper. A3 size paper can be received only by operation.

  Next, when A3 size paper P is stored in advance in the upper sheet cassette apparatus 20 and the lower sheet cassette apparatus 30 and these apparatuses are designated and image recording is performed, FIG. As shown in FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11C, the upper first paper cassette unit 26 (lower first paper cassette unit 36) is previously set in both the upper and lower stages. Then, the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27 (lower second paper feed cassette unit 37) is extended to a length corresponding to the A3 size. Then, both the paper discharge tray body 40 and the second paper discharge tray section 42 are extended and set on the upper second paper feed cassette section 27. In this state, the auxiliary paper discharge tray 45 is pulled out by a short dimension of L5, and the stopper body 62 is raised.

  In the above state, when the upper sheet cassette device 20 or the lower sheet cassette device 30 is designated and image recording is performed, as shown in FIG. 11C, A3 size paper is fed and recorded. Even when the sheet is discharged, the sheet can be placed without dropping even if the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray body 40. In addition, since the pull-out amount L5 of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 with respect to the second paper discharge tray portion 42 is short (most of the base side of the auxiliary paper discharge tray portion 45 is supported by the second paper discharge tray portion 42). Even when the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 is small in rigidity, even when a large amount of A3 size paper is received by the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45, it is difficult to bend.

  The maximum drawing amount (extension amount) of the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 is an engagement position between the upward engagement piece 49a and the downward engagement piece 49b of the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 in the second paper discharge tray unit 42. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 9B, 10, and 11 C, the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 with the second paper discharge tray unit 42 contracted with respect to the first paper discharge tray unit 41. The position at which the paper can be largely pulled out from the second paper discharge tray section 42 is limited. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7C, FIG. 8 and FIG. The positions at which the auxiliary paper discharge tray unit 45 can be pulled out from the second paper discharge tray unit 42 in a state where the second paper discharge tray unit 42 is greatly extended are both limited.

  The paper discharge tray body 40 also serves as a lid for dust-proofing the paper stored in the upper paper feed storage unit 25 in any state of expansion and contraction of the upper second paper feed cassette unit 27 with respect to the upper first paper feed cassette unit 26. ing. For this reason, it is possible to reliably prevent paper dust accompanying the conveyance of the image recording paper and dust when the image recording apparatus is not used from entering the upper sheet storage unit 25.

  In the present invention, when there are three or more sheet cassette apparatuses, the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus may be provided with the sheet discharge tray body 40 described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Multifunctional device 12 Recording part 13 Recording head 14 Opening part 20 Upper feed cassette apparatus 25 Upper feed accommodation part 26 Upper first feed cassette part 27 Upper second feed cassette part 29 Boss part 30 Lower feed cassette apparatus 35 Lower-stage sheet storage portion 36 Lower-stage first sheet-feed cassette section 37 Lower-stage second sheet-feed cassette section 40 Discharge tray body 41 First discharge tray section 42 Second discharge tray section 43 Hinge section 44 Engaging recess 45 Auxiliary Discharge tray 49a Upward engagement piece 49b Downward engagement piece 50 Locking means 51 Lock rod 52 Operation part 55 Through part 61a to 61c Engagement receiving part 62, 63, 64, 66 Stopper body

Claims (6)

A plurality of upper and lower stages of paper feed cassette devices that are detachably arranged in a housing of an image recording apparatus having a recording unit,
Each of the paper feed cassette devices includes a storage unit that can store a recording medium fed to the recording unit in a stacked state,
Each of the paper feed cassette devices includes a first paper feed cassette unit located on the back side in the insertion / extraction direction, and a second paper supply provided to be extendable / contractable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper supply cassette unit. A paper cassette section,
On the upper surface of the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus, a paper discharge tray body on which the recording medium discharged from the recording unit can be placed in a stacked state is disposed,
The paper discharge tray body is disposed along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper discharge cassette unit, and a first paper discharge tray unit disposed so as not to move in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed cassette unit. A second discharge tray portion that is extendable and retractable, and an auxiliary discharge tray portion that is extendable and retractable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the second discharge tray portion,
In a state where the second discharge tray portion is reduced with respect to the first discharge tray portion, the auxiliary discharge tray portion can be largely pulled out from the second discharge tray portion,
In the state in which the second discharge tray portion is extended with respect to the first discharge tray portion, the amount of the auxiliary discharge tray portion that is pulled out from the second discharge tray portion is limited to be small. Characteristic paper cassette device.   The second discharge tray portion is supported so as to be slidable along the upper surface of the first discharge tray portion, and the auxiliary discharge tray portion is formed between the first discharge tray portion and the second discharge tray portion. The sheet feeding cassette device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding cassette device is disposed in between and is slidably supported on a lower surface side of the second sheet discharge tray portion.   The sheet feeding cassette apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet stopper body that is extendable and foldable along the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the auxiliary discharge tray section.   The second paper discharge tray portion is detachably engaged with the second paper feed cassette portion, and the second paper feed cassette portion of the uppermost paper feed cassette device is connected to the first paper feed cassette portion. 4. The slide according to claim 1, wherein the slide and the slide of the second discharge tray portion with respect to the first discharge tray portion are provided so as to be integrally operable. Paper cassette device.   The first paper discharge tray portion is connected to the first paper feed cassette portion in the uppermost paper feed cassette device so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction on the back side in the insertion / extraction direction. The sheet feeding cassette device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A recording unit inside the housing, a housing unit capable of housing the paper feeding cassette device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and an opening on one side surface of the housing, An image recording apparatus configured to be able to insert and remove a cassette device from the opening with respect to the housing portion,
Below the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus in the opening, a lower sheet cassette apparatus is detachably attached,
The size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the lower sheet cassette apparatus is equal to or larger than the maximum size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the uppermost sheet cassette apparatus,
The placement area of the paper discharge tray body in a state where the second paper discharge tray section is slid outward is set according to the size of the recording medium that can be accommodated in the lower paper feed cassette device. An image recording apparatus comprising:

Images