JP2013184779A - Sheet feeding device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding device capable of preventing a sheet from bumping, shifting and skewing when the sheet is fed to a different device, and to provide an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A sheet feeding device 21 includes: a sheet feeding tray 82 on which a sheet P is loaded; two sheet regulation members 30 disposed so that each of the members faces one of both side ends of the sheet P loaded on the sheet feeding tray 82; an openable/closable cover 40 for covering the sheet P loaded on the sheet feeding tray 82; and a biasing member 50 for biasing the sheet regulation members 30 toward side ends of the sheet when the opening/closing cover 40 is closed. The sheet regulation members 30 are biased by the biasing member 50 to move, and sandwich and hold the sheet P loaded on the sheet feeding tray 82.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device including a sheet regulating member that holds sheets stacked on a sheet feeding tray.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a paper feeding device that feeds paper to an image forming apparatus, there is a paper feeding device that includes a manual feed tray that feeds postcards and the like. In the paper feeding device, when the paper is transported, the skew of the paper may occur due to variations in the peripheral speed of the transport roller. Therefore, in order to prevent the skew of the paper, it is considered to provide a paper feed guide on the manual feed tray (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the paper feed guide mechanism described in Patent Document 1, paper is placed on the document placement surface of the frame. A paper feed guide mechanism is disposed on the document placement surface, and includes a pair of left and right paper feed guides that move in the paper width direction to guide the width edge of the paper. By combining the racks and pinions provided in both paper feed guides, the paper feed guides can move toward and away from each other with the same stroke, and the position can be adjusted according to the width of the paper.

  Further, a paper width guide that has a structure different from that of the paper feed guide mechanism described in Patent Document 1 and that improves paper skew has been studied (for example, see Patent Document 2). In the paper width guide described in Patent Document 2, a guide main body is installed on a paper placement plate so as to be movable in the paper width direction. An auxiliary guide is housed in the guide main body, and a partial length for holding the paper can be selected by moving the auxiliary guide to the rear of the guide main body and extending in the paper transport direction.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-25484 JP 2001-171846 A

  However, in the structures described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the paper and the guide due to component tolerances or the like.

  In the conventional guide, when the paper is set, the position is set by the user according to the width of the paper. However, an unexpected situation where the user touches the paper or the guide while the paper is being transported. Depending on the condition, there is a risk of poor conveyance. For example, when printing a large amount of New Year's cards at a store such as a convenience store, the user may be away from the image forming apparatus during the waiting time during printing. In such a case, it is conceivable that surrounding people touch the postcard placed on the manual feed tray. In the conventional structure, since the sheet to be conveyed is exposed, it is not possible to prevent the sheet or guide from being touched directly, and there is a possibility that printing failure or the like may occur.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and is capable of preventing paper shakiness, positional deviation, and skew (skew) that occurs when paper is supplied to another apparatus. An object is to provide a paper device and an image forming apparatus.

  A sheet feeding device according to the present invention includes a sheet feeding tray on which sheets are stacked, and two sheet regulating members that are arranged to face both side ends of the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray. An opening / closing cover that covers sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray, and an urging member that urges the sheet regulating member toward the side edge of the sheet when the opening / closing cover is closed. The sheet regulating member moves while being urged by the urging member, and holds the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray.

  According to this configuration, the paper can be reliably held without a gap by urging the paper regulating member toward the paper. As a result, it is possible to prevent rattling, misalignment, and skew (skew) of the paper that occurs when the paper is supplied to another apparatus. In addition, by covering the paper with the opening / closing cover, it is possible to prevent inadvertent contact of the surrounding human or worker with the paper.

  In the sheet feeding device according to the present invention, the urging member is attached to the opening / closing cover, and a contact portion that contacts the sheet regulating member when the opening / closing cover is closed is provided. And

  According to this configuration, by attaching the urging member to the opening / closing cover, the sheet regulating member can be moved along with the opening / closing of the opening / closing cover, and the workability of the user can be improved.

  In the sheet feeding device according to the present invention, the abutting portion abuts on the sheet regulating member as the opening / closing cover is closed on a surface facing the sheet regulating member, and the sheet regulating member is placed on a side edge of the sheet. An abutting inclined surface to be pushed to the side is formed.

  According to this configuration, by forming the contact inclined surface, the sheet regulating member can be gradually pressed as the opening / closing cover is closed. That is, when the opening / closing cover is closed, the contact portion comes into contact with the sheet regulating member, but the sheet regulating member gradually moves and does not hinder the opening / closing of the opening / closing cover, so that the opening / closing cover can be closed smoothly.

  In the sheet feeding device according to the present invention, the sheet regulating member is formed with a regulation inclined surface inclined in the same direction as the contact inclined surface on a surface facing the contact inclined surface. .

  According to this configuration, by forming the regulation inclined surface, the contact inclined surface and the regulation inclined surface can be brought into contact with each other, so that the opening / closing cover can be closed more smoothly.

  In the paper feeding device according to the present invention, the opening / closing cover is opened and closed by a rotating operation.

  According to this configuration, the paper can be reliably protected with a simple operation by adopting a structure that is opened and closed by a rotating operation.

  In the paper feeding device according to the present invention, the opening / closing cover is opened / closed by a sliding operation.

  According to this configuration, the sheet can be reliably protected with a simple operation by adopting a structure that is opened and closed by a sliding operation.

  In the paper feeding device according to the present invention, the two paper restricting members are configured to move in conjunction with each other, and only one of the paper restricting members is biased by the biasing member. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, since the paper restricting member moves in conjunction with each other, the paper can be held by moving one of the paper restricting members. Therefore, the number of urging members necessary for the sheet feeding device can be reduced to one, and the number of components can be reduced.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus including the paper feeding device according to the present invention, wherein the paper feeding tray is provided to be exposed to the outside of the apparatus main body. .

  According to this configuration, by providing the paper feeding device according to the present invention, the same effects as the paper feeding device according to the present invention can be obtained.

  According to the present invention, by urging the sheet regulating member toward the sheet, the sheet can be reliably held without a gap. As a result, it is possible to prevent rattling, misalignment, and skew (skew) of the paper that occurs when the paper is supplied to another apparatus. In addition, by covering the paper with the opening / closing cover, it is possible to prevent inadvertent contact of the surrounding human or worker with the paper.

1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a top view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in the arrow AA of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the arrow BB of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the paper feeder which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a motion of the opening / closing cover of the paper feeder which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state immediately after the urging member and the sheet regulating member are in contact with each other in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which closed the opening / closing cover in the opening / closing operation | movement of an opening / closing cover. FIG. 6 is a top view of a sheet feeding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in the arrow CC of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the arrow EE of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view mainly showing a biasing member. It is sectional drawing in the arrow FF of FIG. 9A. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state immediately after the urging member and the sheet regulating member are in contact with each other in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which closed the opening / closing cover in the opening / closing operation | movement of an opening / closing cover. FIG. 6 is a top view of a sheet feeding device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in the arrow GG of FIG. It is sectional drawing in the arrow HH of FIG. FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating a state where an opening / closing cover of a paper feeding device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is opened. FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating a state immediately after the urging member and the sheet regulating member are in contact with each other. It is explanatory drawing which shows a motion of the opening / closing cover of the paper feeder which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

<Image forming apparatus>
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 100 includes an apparatus main body 110 and an automatic document processing apparatus 120, and forms multicolor and single color images on a predetermined sheet (original) in accordance with image data transmitted from the outside.

  The apparatus main body 110 includes an exposure unit 1, a developing device 2, a photosensitive drum 3, a cleaner unit 4, a charger 5, an intermediate transfer belt unit 6, and a fixing device 7.

  In addition to the above-described configuration, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading device 90 that reads an image of a document and a document placement table 92 on which the document is placed. The document reading device 90 is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 110. The document placing table 92 is made of transparent glass and is provided on the upper side of the document reading device 90.

  The automatic document processing device 120 is attached to the upper side of the document placement table 92 and automatically conveys the document onto the document placement table 92. The automatic document processing device 120 is configured to be rotatable about an axis connecting the apparatus main body 110 and the automatic document processing device 120, and the document is placed manually by opening the document table 92. Can be done.

  The image data handled in this image forming apparatus corresponds to a color image using each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Accordingly, four developing devices 2, photosensitive drums 3, charging devices 5, and cleaner units 4 are provided to form four types of latent images corresponding to the respective colors, and are respectively provided in black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. These are set to form four image stations.

  The cleaner unit 4 removes and collects residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3. The charger 5 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to a predetermined potential. The exposure unit 1 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing device 2 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3 to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3. Through the above-described series of operations, a toner image of each color is formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 3.

  The intermediate transfer belt unit 6 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 3 and includes an intermediate transfer belt 61, an intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, an intermediate transfer roller 64, and an intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65. ing. Four intermediate transfer rollers 64 are provided corresponding to the image stations for each color for YMCK.

  The intermediate transfer belt driving roller 62, the intermediate transfer belt driven roller 63, and the intermediate transfer roller 64 stretch the intermediate transfer belt 61 and move the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 61 in a predetermined direction (the arrow D direction in the figure). It is configured as follows.

  The intermediate transfer belt 61 circulates in the direction of arrow D, the residual toner is removed and collected by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning unit 65, and the toner images of the respective colors formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 3 are sequentially transferred. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 61.

  A nip area is formed between the transfer roller 10a of the secondary transfer unit 10 and the intermediate transfer belt 61, and the sheet conveyed through the main conveyance path S1 is sandwiched and conveyed in the nip area. When the paper passes through the nip area, the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 61 is transferred.

  The fixing device 7 includes a fixing roller 71 and a pressure roller 72 that rotate with a sheet interposed therebetween, and further includes an external heating unit 73 for heating the fixing roller 71 from the outside. The fixing device 7 sandwiches the recording paper on which the toner image is transferred between the fixing roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 and heats and presses the recording paper to fix the toner image on the recording paper.

  The image forming apparatus 100 further includes a paper feed cassette 81, a paper feed device 21 having a paper feed tray 82, and a paper discharge tray 91. The paper feed cassette 81 is a tray for storing paper P used for image formation, and is provided below the exposure unit 1. In addition, paper used for image formation can be placed on the paper feed tray 82. The paper discharge tray 91 is a tray for stacking sheets of paper P on which images have been formed, and is provided in the apparatus main body 110. The paper feed tray 82 is provided exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus 100 (apparatus main body 110). Details of the sheet feeding device 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 3B described later.

  The apparatus main body 110 is provided with a main transport path S1 for sending the paper in the paper feed cassette 81 and the paper feed tray 82 to the paper discharge tray 91 via the transfer roller 10a and the fixing device 7. Pickup rollers 11 a to 11 b, registration rollers 13, the secondary transfer unit 10, and the fixing device 7 are arranged along the main conveyance path S <b> 1 from the paper feed cassette 81 and the paper feed tray 82 to the paper discharge tray 91.

  The transport rollers 12 a to 12 d are small rollers for promoting and assisting the transport of paper, and a plurality of transport rollers 12 a to 12 d are provided along the paper transport path S. The paper transport path S includes a main transport path S1, a switchback transport path S2, and a reverse transport path S3. The transport roller 12b is disposed at the paper discharge port. The sheet on which the toner image is fixed is discharged from the sheet discharge port via the transfer roller 12b disposed in the switchback transfer path S2, and is stacked on the discharge tray 91.

  The pick-up roller 11a is provided near the end of the paper feed cassette 81, and is a call-in roller that feeds paper from the paper feed cassette 81 one by one to the main transport path S1. The pickup roller 11b is provided in the vicinity of the end of the paper feed tray 82, and supplies the paper one by one to the main transport path S1.

  The registration roller 13 temporarily holds the sheet conveyed from the sheet feeding cassette 81 and the sheet feeding tray 82, and transfers the sheet to the transfer roller 10a at the timing when the leading edge of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 and the leading edge of the sheet are aligned. Transport.

  When image formation is performed not only on the front side of the paper but also on the back side, the paper is conveyed in the reverse direction from the conveyance roller 12b to the reverse conveyance path S3, and the front and back of the paper are reversed and guided again to the registration roller 13, Similarly to the front surface of the paper, the toner image is fixed on the back surface of the paper and discharged to the paper discharge tray 91.

<Paper feeder>
Next, the configuration of the paper feeding device according to the first to third embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

  2 is a top view of the sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is an arrow in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the BB. In FIG. 2, the upper plate 40 a of the opening / closing cover 40 is shown in a perspective manner in order to clarify the positional relationship.

  The sheet feeding device 21 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is arranged so as to face the sheet feeding tray 82 on which the sheets P are stacked and the both end portions of the sheets P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82, respectively. Two paper regulating members 30, an opening / closing cover 40 covering the paper P stacked on the paper feed tray 82 when closed, and the paper regulating member 30 attached to the side edge of the paper when the opening / closing cover 40 is closed. And a biasing member 50 for biasing. The sheet regulating member 30 is moved by being urged by the urging member 50, and holds the sheet P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82.

  According to this configuration, by urging the paper regulating member 30 toward the paper P, the paper P can be reliably held without a gap. As a result, rattling, misalignment, and skew (skew) of the paper P that occur when the paper P is supplied to another apparatus can be prevented. Further, by covering the paper P with the opening / closing cover 40, it is possible to prevent inadvertent contact of the surrounding human or worker with the paper.

  In the following description, for the sake of explanation, the direction in which the paper P is transported is referred to as the transport direction X, the width direction of the paper P, and the direction in which both ends of the paper P are opposed to each other is referred to as the width direction Y The loading direction is called a loading direction Z. In the stacking direction Z, the side on which the paper P is stacked with reference to the paper feed tray 82 may be referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side of the upper side with respect to the paper feed tray 82 may be referred to as the lower side.

  The apparatus main body 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 described above is provided with a paper supply port 110a, and the paper supply device 21 is arranged in a substantially horizontal state facing the paper supply port 110a. That is, the paper feeding device 21 supplies the paper P to the image forming apparatus 100 via the pickup roller 11b disposed in the paper supply port 110a.

  The open / close cover 40 is disposed above the paper feed tray 82 and covers the upper plate 40a covering the upper side of the paper P stacked on the paper feed tray 82 and the side surface of the paper P excluding the paper supply port 110a side. It is comprised by the one side plate 40b thru | or the side plate 40d. Specifically, the opening / closing cover 40 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the inside is hollow and the paper supply port 110a side and the bottom surface side are open. That is, the lower surface of the paper P is covered with the paper feed tray 82, and the front end of the paper P is disposed facing the paper supply port 110 a of the apparatus main body 110. In the figure, the opening / closing cover 40 is disposed apart from the apparatus main body 110, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the opening / closing cover 40 may be in close contact with the apparatus main body 110 as long as the opening / closing cover 40 can be opened and closed.

  In the present embodiment, the open / close cover 40 is formed of a transparent resin, and the user can visually recognize the paper P stacked on the paper feed tray 82 even when the open / close cover 40 is closed. The open / close cover 40 may be formed of colored resin so that the inside cannot be visually recognized.

  A grip 41 is attached to the side plate 40c when the user opens and closes the opening / closing cover 40. The grip 41 may be attached to the upper plate 40a, the side plate 40b, or the side plate 40d. Moreover, the part operated when the user opens and closes the opening / closing cover 40 is not limited to the handle 41, and for example, a recess or a hole may be provided.

  The paper feed tray 82 is provided with a support wall 43 that pivotally supports the open / close cover 40 along the side plate 40b and the side plate 40d, close to the paper supply port 110a. The side plate 40b and the side plate 40d are provided with support shafts 42 that protrude from the outer surface thereof, and the support walls 43 are provided with support holes 43a into which the support shafts 42 are inserted and supported. That is, the opening / closing cover 40 is supported so that the side plate 40c side is rotated up and down with a support shaft 42 provided on the paper supply port 110a side as a fulcrum. The user can open and close the opening / closing cover 40 by rotating the opening / closing cover 40, and can take in and out the paper P (see FIGS. 5 to 6B described later).

  The paper regulating member 30 is disposed so as to protrude upward from the paper feed tray 82 and is provided so as to freely reciprocate in the width direction Y. The mechanism structure in which the sheet regulating member 30 reciprocates may be a conventionally known structure. For example, an opening or a recess may be appropriately provided in the sheet feeding tray 82. By adjusting the distance between the two paper regulating members 30, the position of the paper P placed on the paper feed tray 82 in the width direction Y can be made uniform (refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B described later for details).

  Further, the sheet regulating member 30 is formed with a regulating inclined surface 30a inclined in the same direction as the contact inclined surface 51a on a surface facing the urging member 50 (particularly, a contact inclined surface 51a described later). The regulation inclined surface 30 a is provided on the upper end side along the conveyance direction X of the paper regulation member 30.

  The urging member 50 is attached to the opening / closing cover 40 and is provided with a contact portion 51 that contacts the sheet regulating member 30 when the opening / closing cover 40 is closed. Specifically, the urging members 50 are leaf springs and are attached to the lower surface of the upper plate 40a with a gap in the width direction Y therebetween. Each urging member 50 abuts against the opposing sheet regulating member 30 and urges the two sheet urging members 30 in the direction in which they approach each other (width direction Y).

  In the present embodiment, the biasing member 50 has a contact inclined surface 51a extending substantially downward from the lower surface of the upper plate 40a, and its lower end portion is folded back to the side away from the corresponding sheet regulating member 30, so that a folded portion 51d is formed. Is provided. The contact inclined surface 51a is inclined so that the lower end is separated from the paper P from the upper end. That is, the two urging members 50 are arranged such that the contact inclined surface 51a has a letter C shape in a side view (see particularly FIG. 3A). In the present embodiment, the contact inclined surface 51a corresponds to the contact portion 51 that contacts the paper regulating member 30, and particularly corresponds to the lower end side of the contact inclined surface 51a. A method of attaching the urging member 50 to the opening / closing cover 40 is not particularly limited, and for example, an adhesive or a screw may be selected as appropriate.

  As described above, by attaching the urging member 50 to the opening / closing cover 40, the sheet regulating member 30 can be moved along with the opening / closing of the opening / closing cover 40, and the workability of the user can be improved.

  Further, as described above, the abutting portion 51 abuts the sheet regulating member 30 on the surface facing the sheet regulating member 30 as the opening / closing cover 40 is closed, and the sheet regulating member 30 is brought to the side end side of the sheet P. An abutting inclined surface 51a to be pushed in is formed. In the present embodiment, the opening / closing cover 40 is rotated and opened / closed, but immediately before being closed, the opening / closing cover 40 moves in the substantially stacking direction Z. Therefore, the contact inclined surface 51a and the regulation inclined surface 30a are inclined with respect to the stacking direction Z. Note that the contact inclined surface 51a and the regulation inclined surface 30a may be inclined at the same angle or may be inclined at different angles. The operation of opening and closing the opening / closing cover 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 6B described later.

  Further, the urging member 50 may be attached to the inside of the opening / closing cover 40, and may be attached to the side plate 40b to the side plate 40d, for example, as in the modification of the first embodiment shown in FIG. .

  The two sheet regulating members 30 may be configured to move in conjunction with each other, and only one of the sheet regulating members 30 may be urged by the urging member 50. Specifically, the two sheet regulating members 30 may be connected by a rack and pinion method or the like and moved in conjunction with each other. In this case, the number of urging members 50 may be one. According to this configuration, since the paper restricting member 30 moves in conjunction, the paper P can be held by moving one of the paper restricting members 30. Therefore, the number of urging members 50 required for the sheet feeding device 21 can be reduced to one, and the number of parts can be reduced.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the movement of the opening / closing cover of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A shows the biasing member and the sheet regulating member in contact with each other in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. FIG. 6B is an explanatory view showing a state immediately after contact, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the opening / closing cover is closed in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. 6A and 6B, a part of the sheet feeding device is extracted and shown with the support shaft 42, the support wall 43, and the like omitted, in view of easy viewing.

  In FIG. 5, the opening / closing cover 40 indicated by a solid line is in a closed state, and the opening / closing cover 40 indicated by a two-dot chain line is in an opened state. As described above, in the present embodiment, the opening / closing cover 40 is opened and closed by rotating about the support shaft 42 as a fulcrum.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when closing the opening / closing cover 40, first, the contact inclined surface 51 a of the contact portion 51 and the regulation inclined surface 30 a of the paper regulating member 30 are in contact with each other. From this state, by further moving the opening / closing cover 40 in the substantially stacking direction Z, the sheet regulating member 30 is pushed into the side end portion side of the sheet P.

  6B, by completely closing the opening / closing cover 40, the paper regulating member 30 is urged and moved by the urging member 50, and the paper regulating member 30 is held in close contact with the paper P. As a result, the paper P can be positioned in the width direction Y.

  As described above, by forming the contact inclined surface 51a, the sheet regulating member 30 can be gradually pressed as the opening / closing cover 40 is closed. That is, when the opening / closing cover 40 is closed, the contact portion 51 contacts the sheet regulating member 30, but the sheet regulating member 30 gradually moves and does not hinder the opening / closing of the opening / closing cover 40, so that the opening / closing cover 40 is closed smoothly. Can do.

  Further, by forming the regulation inclined surface 30a, the contact inclined surface 51a and the regulation inclined surface 30a can be brought into contact with each other, so that the opening / closing cover 40 can be closed more smoothly.

  By making the opening / closing cover 40 open and close by a rotating operation, the sheet P can be reliably protected with a simple operation.

  7 is a top view of the sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along arrows CC in FIG. 7, and FIG. 8B is an arrow in FIG. It is sectional drawing by the symbol EE. Note that components having substantially the same functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The sheet feeding device 22 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in that the biasing member 50 is a compression spring and the contact portion 51 is formed of a member different from the biasing member 50. Different from.

  The sheet feeding device 22 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is arranged so as to face the sheet feeding tray 82 on which the sheets P are stacked and the both end portions of the sheets P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82, respectively. Two sheet regulating members 30, an opening / closing cover 40 covering the sheets P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82, and an urging force for urging the sheet regulating member 30 toward the side edge of the sheet when the opening / closing cover 40 is closed. The member 50 is provided. The sheet regulating member 30 is moved by being urged by the urging member 50, and holds the sheet P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the urging member 50 is a compression spring. One urging member 50 has one end attached to the inner surface of the side plate 40b and the other end attached to the contact portion 51. One end of the other urging member 50 is attached to the inner side surface of the side plate 40d, and the contact portion 51 is attached to the other end. That is, each contact portion 51 is attached to each side plate 40b, 40d via a compression spring.

  The two abutting portions 51 have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and are configured to abut against the sheet regulating member 30. In other words, the contact portion 51 is provided with a contact inclined surface 51 a inclined with respect to the stacking direction Z on the lower end side of the surface facing the sheet regulating member 30.

  Next, the structure of the connection portion between the opening / closing cover 40 and the contact portion 51 and the biasing member 50 will be described.

  FIG. 9A is an enlarged cross-sectional view mainly showing an urging member, and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow FF in FIG. 9A. In FIG. 9B, a part of the abutting portion is extracted and shown in consideration of easy viewing.

  The side plate 40b and the side plate 40d are provided with a side plate boss 40e that protrudes into the inside and into which one end of the biasing member 50 is inserted and held, and a cylindrical side plate guide boss 40f that is formed so as to surround one end of the biasing member 50. It has been. The contact portion 51 is provided with a cylindrical contact boss 51c into which the other end of the urging member 50 is inserted and held. The abutting boss 51c is provided with a boss insertion hole 51b into which the side plate boss 40e is inserted, and the boss insertion hole 51b has substantially the same shape as the side plate boss 40e. That is, when the urging member 50 is expanded and contracted, the abutting boss 51c moves along the side plate boss 40e, so that the direction in which the abutting portion 51 moves can be regulated, and the sheet regulating member 30 can be reliably secured. It is configured to be able to urge toward the paper P.

  FIG. 10A is an explanatory view showing a state immediately after the urging member and the sheet regulating member abut in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the state in which the opening / closing cover is closed in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. It is explanatory drawing which shows a state. 10A and 10B, a part of the sheet feeding device is extracted and shown with the support shaft 42, the support wall 43, and the like omitted, in view of easy viewing.

  The paper feeding device 22 according to the second embodiment has a structure that opens and closes the opening / closing cover 40 in the same manner as the paper feeding device 21 according to the first embodiment. This is the same as FIG. 5 described above.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, when closing the opening / closing cover 40, first, the contact inclined surface 51 a of the contact portion 51 and the regulation inclined surface 30 a of the paper regulating member 30 are in contact with each other. From this state, by further moving the opening / closing cover 40 in the substantially stacking direction Z, the sheet regulating member 30 is pushed into the side end portion side of the sheet P.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, by completely closing the opening / closing cover 40, the paper regulating member 30 is urged and moved by the urging member 50, and the paper regulating member 30 is held in close contact with the paper P. As a result, the paper P can be positioned in the width direction Y.

  11 is a top view of the sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow GG in FIG. 11, and FIG. 12B is an arrow in FIG. It is sectional drawing by the code | symbol HH. Note that components having substantially the same functions as those of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The paper feeder 23 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is different from the second embodiment in that the open / close cover 40 is slid in the transport direction X to open and close.

  The paper feeding device 23 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is a sheet feeding tray 82 on which the paper P is stacked, and 2 disposed opposite to both end portions of the paper P stacked on the paper feeding tray 82. Two sheet regulating members 30, an opening / closing cover 40 covering the sheets P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82, and an urging force for urging the sheet regulating member 30 toward the side edge of the sheet when the opening / closing cover 40 is closed. The member 50 is provided. The sheet regulating member 30 is moved by being urged by the urging member 50, and holds the sheet P stacked on the sheet feeding tray 82.

  Each of the support walls 43 extends in the transport direction X, and includes a slide hole 43b that is formed long in the transport direction X. In the opening / closing cover 40, two support shafts 42 are provided on the side plate 40b and the side plate 40d, respectively, with a predetermined interval in the transport direction X. The support shafts 42 are respectively inserted into the corresponding slide holes 43b. When the opening / closing cover 40 is reciprocated in the transport direction X, the support shafts 42 move along the slide holes 43b. The user can open and close the opening / closing cover 40 by sliding the opening / closing cover 40, and can take in and out the paper P (see FIGS. 13A to 13C described later). In the present embodiment, four support shafts 42 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number and shape of the support shafts 42 may be changed. That is, any structure that can regulate the direction in which the opening / closing cover 40 is moved may be used. For example, a structure in which one support shaft 42 that is long in the transport direction X is inserted into the slide hole 43b can be selected as appropriate. .

  On the other hand, since the opening / closing cover 40 has a slide structure, the contact portion 51 is notched at the front end side in the transport direction X, and is provided with a contact inclined surface 51a. It is inclined with respect to. The sheet regulating member 30 is provided with a regulation inclined surface 30a by cutting out the rear end side in the conveyance direction X, and the regulation inclined surface 30a is inclined with respect to the conveyance direction X.

  Note that the structure of the connecting portion of the urging member 50 is the same as that of the second embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted (refer to FIGS. 9A and 9B for details).

  13A is a top view illustrating a state in which the opening / closing cover of the sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention is opened, and FIG. 13B illustrates a state immediately after the urging member and the sheet regulating member are in contact with each other. FIG. 13C is an explanatory view showing the movement of the opening / closing cover of the sheet feeding device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

  In FIG. 13C, the opening / closing cover 40 indicated by a solid line is in an opened state, and the opening / closing cover 40 indicated by a two-dot chain line is in a closed state. As described above, in the present embodiment, the open / close cover 40 is opened and closed by sliding in the transport direction X.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the user can put in and out the paper P by opening the opening / closing cover 40. 13B, when the opening / closing cover 40 is slid in the transport direction X, first, the contact inclined surface 51a of the contact portion 51 and the regulation inclined surface 30a of the paper regulating member 30 contact each other. From this state, by further sliding the opening / closing cover 40 in the transport direction X, the sheet regulating member 30 is pushed into the side end portion side of the sheet P. When the opening / closing cover 40 is completely closed, as shown in FIG. 11 described above, the paper regulating member 30 is urged and moved by the urging member 50, and the paper regulating member 30 is held in close contact with the paper P. As a result, the paper P can be positioned in the width direction Y.

  By making the open / close cover 40 open and close by a sliding operation, the paper P can be reliably protected by a simple operation.

  The image forming apparatus 100 described above has been described as including the paper feeding device 21 according to the first embodiment, but instead of the paper feeding device 21, the paper feeding device 22 according to the second embodiment or the third embodiment is used. Such a paper feeding device 23 may be provided.

  It should be noted that the embodiment disclosed herein is illustrative in all respects and does not serve as a basis for limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiment, but is defined based on the description of the scope of claims. In addition, meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope are included.

21, 22, 23 Paper feeder 30 Paper restricting member 30a Restricted inclined surface 40 Opening / closing cover 40a Upper plate 40b, 40c, 40d Side plate 41 Hand 42 Support shaft 43 Support wall 50 Energizing member 51 Contact portion 51a Contact inclined surface 82 Paper feed tray 100 Image forming apparatus

Claims (8)

A paper feeding device comprising a paper feeding tray on which paper is stacked, and two paper regulating members disposed opposite to both side edges of the paper loaded on the paper feeding tray,
An open / close cover that covers the paper stacked in the paper feed tray;
An urging member that urges the sheet regulating member toward the side edge of the sheet when the open / close cover is closed;
The paper feeding device, wherein the paper regulating member moves while being urged by the urging member, and holds the paper stacked on the paper feeding tray. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1,
The paper feeding device, wherein the biasing member is attached to the opening / closing cover, and is provided with a contact portion that contacts the paper regulating member when the opening / closing cover is closed. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2,
The contact portion is formed on the surface facing the paper regulating member so as to abut against the paper regulating member as the opening / closing cover is closed, and an abutting inclined surface that pushes the paper regulating member toward the side edge of the paper. A paper feeding device characterized by that. The sheet feeding device according to claim 3,
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet regulating member is formed with a regulating inclined surface inclined in the same direction as the contact inclined surface on a surface facing the contact inclined surface. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sheet feeding device, wherein the opening / closing cover is opened and closed by a rotating operation. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sheet feeding device, wherein the opening / closing cover is opened and closed by a sliding operation. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The sheet feeding device, wherein the two sheet regulating members are configured to move in conjunction with each other, and only one of the sheet regulating members is urged by the urging member. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the paper feed tray is provided to be exposed to the outside of the apparatus main body.

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