JP2013227158A - Sheet supply tray and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain plastic deformation in the vicinity of a positioning recess-projection of a regulating member.SOLUTION: A paper feeding tray includes a regulating member (a side guide 200) movably arranged to a placing table 100 of paper and regulating the paper. The placing table 100 has positioning recessed parts 110 arranged in positions corresponding to a paper size, and lock recessed parts 120. The regulating member has a positioning projection part 210 engageable with the positioning recessed part 110, lock projection parts 220 engageable with lock recessed parts 120 and regulating the movement of the regulating member in engagement and an operation part 240 for releasing the engagement between the lock projection part 220 and the lock recessed part 120. In a lock state (a) of engaging the lock recessed part 120 and the lock projection part 220, the positioning projection part 210 is arranged so as to separate from a bottom wall 101 for forming the positioning recessed part 110, and in a moving state (b) of releasing the engagement between the lock recessed part 120 and the lock projection part 220, the positioning projection part 210 can engage with the positioning recessed part 110.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet supply tray on which a plurality of sheets can be placed and an image forming apparatus including the sheet supply tray.

  An image forming apparatus such as a laser printer is provided with a paper feed cassette on which paper (sheet) to be supplied to an image forming unit can be placed (see Patent Document 1). The paper feed cassette of Patent Document 1 is provided with a tray body (corresponding to the first tray body 71 in Patent Document 1) on which a plurality of sheets can be placed, and is movable with respect to the tray body, and regulates the position of the sheets. And a regulating member (corresponding to the side guide 100 and the second regulating member 120 in Patent Document 1).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 15 of Patent Document 1, the tray body is provided with a plurality of first recesses provided at intervals corresponding to the size of the paper to be placed, and at intervals smaller than the first recesses. The restricting member (second restricting member 120) includes a displaceable operation part that is operated during movement, and a positioning first protrusion that can be engaged with the first recessed part. And a second arm provided with a second convex portion for locking that can be engaged with the second concave portion.

  In such a configuration, when the second convex portion of the second arm is engaged with the second concave portion, the regulating member is locked so as not to move. Further, the restriction member can be moved by releasing the engagement between the second convex portion and the second concave portion of the second arm by the operation of the operation portion.

  Further, the first convex portion of the first arm is urged toward the first concave portion (the first side wall on which the first concave portion is provided) by the operation of the operation portion, so that the first convex portion becomes the first concave portion. Engagement is ensured, and it is easy to set the restricting member at a desired paper size position. Further, the first convex portion of the first arm is urged toward the first side wall so that the first convex portion engages with the first concave portion (so-called click feeling) while obtaining the restriction member. It can be moved.

JP 2006-151656 A

  By the way, in the paper feeding cassette described above, the first convex portion for positioning is engaged with the first concave portion in the locked state where the second convex portion for locking is engaged with the second concave portion (the state where the regulating member does not move). It is provided to do. In such a configuration, depending on the position at which the second convex portion engages with the second concave portion, the first convex portion does not engage with the first concave portion, but abuts on the first side wall. The first arm is bent.

  When such a bent state is continued, the first arm is plastically deformed to that state, and the first convex portion is less likely to engage with the first concave portion when the restricting member is moved. There is a possibility that it becomes difficult to set the member at the position of the desired paper size, or the click feeling may not be obtained.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the above background, and it aims at suppressing the plastic deformation of the unevenness | corrugation vicinity for positioning of a control member.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the sheet supply tray of the present invention includes a mounting table on which a sheet can be mounted, a regulating member that is movable on the mounting table, and a movement of the regulating member that is formed on the upper surface of the mounting table. And a plurality of engaging portions arranged in the direction, and the regulating member abuts against the bottom portion on which the paper is placed on the upper surface and the end portion of the sheet extending upward from the end portion on one side in the moving direction of the bottom portion. A main body having a restricting portion for restricting the position of the seat, an engaged portion configured to be engageable with the engaging portion, and a position facing the engaging portion, the moving direction from the main body portion A base portion that extends toward one side and is movable in the vertical direction with a connection portion with the main body as a fulcrum, and is attached with one side in the movement direction toward the engaging portion from the restricting portion of the base portion. And a spring for biasing the sheet supply tray.

  According to the present invention, the regulating member can maintain the biasing force and restoring force of the base for a long period of time by biasing the one side in the moving direction with respect to the engaging part with the spring from the regulating part of the base. . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the engaged portion from being plastically deformed to the side away from the engaging portion, and to set the desired position when the restricting member is moved.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a laser printer as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sheet feeding tray as an example of a sheet supply tray according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a paper feed tray. It is a perspective view of the side guide seen from the lower side. It is XX sectional drawing of FIG. They are YY sectional drawing (a) of FIG. 2, and the B section enlarged view (b) of (a). FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a paper feed tray, and is a diagram (a) showing a locked state and a diagram (b) showing a moved state. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the movement amount of a lock convex part, and the displacement amount of a positioning convex part. It is the perspective view (a) of the side guide which concerns on a modification, and the side view (b) of the side guide seen from the right side.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, first, a schematic configuration of the laser printer 1 as an example of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment will be briefly described, and then a detailed configuration of the sheet feeding tray 31 as an example of a sheet supply tray will be described. To do.

  In the following description, the direction will be described with reference to the user who uses the laser printer 1. That is, the right side in FIG. 1 is “front”, the left side is “rear”, the front side is “left”, and the back side is “right”. Also, the vertical direction in FIG.

<Schematic configuration of laser printer>
As shown in FIG. 1, the laser printer 1 includes a main body housing 2 in which a sheet feeding unit 3 that supplies a sheet S as an example of a sheet, an exposure device 4, and a toner image (developer image) on the sheet S. ) And a fixing device 8 for thermally fixing the toner image on the paper S.

  The paper feed unit 3 is provided in the lower part of the main body housing 2, and includes a paper feed tray 31, a paper pressing plate 32, a paper feed roller 33, a separation roller 34, a separation pad 35, a transport roller 36, A registration roller 37 is mainly provided. The paper S accommodated in the paper feed tray 31 is brought close to the paper feed roller 33 by the paper pressing plate 32 and sent out toward the separation pad 35 by the paper feed roller 33. The fed paper S is separated one by one by the separation roller 34 and the separation pad 35 and conveyed toward the process cartridge 5 (between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 53) by the conveyance roller 36 and the registration roller 37. .

  The exposure apparatus 4 is disposed in the upper part of the main body housing 2 and includes a laser light emitting unit (not shown), a polygon mirror, a lens, a reflecting mirror, and the like that are not shown. In the exposure device 4, the surface of the photoconductive drum 51 is exposed by scanning the surface of the photoconductive drum 51 at high speed with laser light (see the chain line) based on the image data emitted from the laser light emitting unit.

  The process cartridge 5 is disposed below the exposure device 4 and is detachably mounted on the main body housing 2 through an opening formed when a front cover (reference number omitted) provided on the main body housing 2 is opened. It has become. The process cartridge 5 includes a photosensitive drum 51, a charger 52, a transfer roller 53, a developing roller 54, a supply roller 55, a layer thickness regulating blade 56, and a toner container that stores toner (developer). 57 mainly.

  In the process cartridge 5, the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is uniformly charged by the charger 52 and then exposed by high-speed scanning of the laser light from the exposure device 4, whereby image data is transferred onto the photosensitive drum 51. An electrostatic latent image based on is formed. The toner in the toner container 57 is supplied to the developing roller 54 via the supply roller 55 and enters between the developing roller 54 and the layer thickness regulating blade 56 to form a thin layer with a certain thickness on the developing roller 54. It is carried on.

  The toner carried on the developing roller 54 is supplied from the developing roller 54 to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 51. As a result, the electrostatic latent image is visualized and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 51. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 53, so that the toner image on the photosensitive drum 51 is transferred onto the sheet S.

  The fixing device 8 is disposed behind the process cartridge 5, and mainly includes a heating roller 81 and a pressure roller 82 disposed so as to face the heating roller 81 and press the heating roller 81. In the fixing device 8, the toner image transferred onto the paper S is thermally fixed while the paper S passes between the heating roller 81 and the pressure roller 82. The paper S on which the toner image has been thermally fixed is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 22 by the transport rollers 23 and 24.

<Detailed configuration of paper feed tray>
As shown in FIG. 2, the paper feed tray 31 includes a placement table 100 on which a plurality of sheets S can be placed, and a side guide as an example of a regulating member that is slidable in the left-right direction with respect to the placement table 100. 200 mainly. In FIG. 2, the paper pressing plate 32, the separation pad 35, and the like are not shown.

  Although not shown, the paper feed tray 31 includes another side guide provided so as to face the side guide 200 in the left-right direction. The side guide (not shown) is slid in the left-right direction in conjunction with the side guide 200 being slid outward in the left-right direction by a known interlocking mechanism, and the side guide 200 is directed inward in the left-right direction. It is configured to slide and move inward in the left-right direction in conjunction with sliding. In the present embodiment, a side guide (not shown) is not provided with a positioning convex portion 210, a lock convex portion 220, and an operation portion 240 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting table 100 includes a positioning recess 110 as an example of a plurality of first engagement portions, a lock recess 120 as an example of a plurality of second engagement portions, and a pair of guide walls 130. It has mainly.

  The positioning recess 110 is a recess provided on the upper surface of the bottom wall 101 of the mounting table 100. This positioning recess 110 corresponds to the size (for example, letter size, A4 size, etc.) of the paper S to be placed on the placement table 100 at a plurality of positions on the upper surface of the bottom wall 101 in the left-right direction (of the side guide 200). (Moving direction).

  The lock recess 120 is a recess provided on the upper surface of the platform 102 formed on the bottom wall 101 of the mounting table 100. A plurality of the lock recesses 120 are provided side by side in the left-right direction at intervals smaller than the intervals between the plurality of positioning recesses 110. The plurality of lock recesses 120 are provided in two rows in the front-rear direction with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction (orthogonal direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the side guide 200). In other words, two base parts 102 in which a plurality of lock recesses 120 are formed are provided side by side in the front-rear direction with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The plurality of positioning recesses 110 described above are provided between the lock recesses 120 (two pedestals 102) provided side by side in the front-rear direction.

  The pair of guide walls 130 are walls that support the side guide 200 so as to be slidable together with the bottom wall 101 by sandwiching the side guide 200 up and down with the bottom wall 101. More specifically, the guide wall 130 is provided so as to extend in the left-right direction above the upper surface of the bottom wall 101 so as to form a predetermined gap 103 between the guide wall 130 and the bottom wall 101 when viewed from the front-rear direction. Yes. The pair of guide walls 130 are provided facing each other in the front-rear direction across the positioning recess 110 and the lock recess 120.

  A side guide 200 is inserted into a gap 103 (lower side of the guide wall 130) that is elongated in the left-right direction between the bottom wall 101 and the guide wall 130 through a notch 131 that is recessed toward the outside in the front-rear direction. A retaining portion 233 (see FIG. 4) to be described later is inserted. As a result, the side guide 200 is supported so as to be slidable in the left-right direction with respect to the mounting table 100. An upper portion of the retaining portion 233 can come into contact with the lower surface of the guide wall 130.

  A side guide 200 shown as viewed from below in FIG. 4 includes a positioning convex portion 210 as an example of a first engaged portion, a lock convex portion 220 as an example of a second engaged portion, and a side view omitted. It mainly has an L-shaped main body 230 and an operation part 240, and the positioning convex part 210, the lock convex part 220, the main body part 230 and the operation part 240 are integrated (as one component) by resin injection molding or the like. ) Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 230 includes a substantially plate-like restricting portion 231 erected from the bottom wall 101 of the placing table 100 and the restricting portion 231 in a state where the side guide 200 is assembled to the placing table 100. A bottom portion 232 extending along the upper surface of the bottom wall 101 from the lower end toward the inner side in the left-right direction.

The restricting portion 231 has an inner surface (regulating surface 231A) in the left-right direction abutting against an end portion of the sheet S placed on the placing table 100, so that the position of the sheet S in the left-right direction together with the above-described side guide (not shown). To regulate.
Returning to FIG. 4, the bottom portion 232 has a pair of retaining portions 233 and a protruding portion 234, and a positioning convex portion 210 is formed as described later.

  The retaining portion 233 has a substantially plate shape and is provided so as to protrude outward in the front-rear direction from the end surfaces on both sides of the bottom portion 232 (main body portion 230) in the front-rear direction. As described above, when the retaining portion 233 is inserted into the lower side (gap 103) of the guide wall 130, the upper portion of the retaining portion 233 comes into contact with and catches on the guide wall 130. Does not come off the mounting table 100.

  The protruding portion 234 is provided so as to protrude downward (the mounting table 100) from the bottom portion 232. In the present embodiment, when the side guide 200 is in a locked state, which will be described later, only the three portions of the lock projections 220 and the protrusions 234 provided at two locations are in contact with the bottom wall 101 of the mounting table 100 (FIG. 7 ( a))) When in the moving state, only two portions of the positioning convex portion 210 and the protruding portion 234 can come into contact with the bottom wall 101 (see FIG. 7B).

  The operation part 240 is a part operated by the user when the side guide 200 is slid, and the lock convex part 220 is displaced by the operation to release the engagement with the lock concave part 120 (see FIG. 7B). ). More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation unit 240 has a substantially L shape in cross section, and includes a pair of base portions 241 provided in correspondence with the two base portions 102 of the mounting table 100 and an extension. It has the output part 242 and the connection part 243 which connects the upper end of a pair of extension part 242. As shown in FIG.

  The base portion 241 extends from the main body portion 230 (bottom portion 232) along the left-right direction from the inside to the outside where the paper S is placed (placed) with respect to the restriction portion 231, that is, from the left side to the right side of the restriction surface 231A. It is formed in such a manner that it is elastically deformable up and down with the vicinity of the inner side (left end) connected to the bottom 232 as a fulcrum 244.

  The extension part 242 (the part outside the restriction part 231 of the operation part 240) extends upward from the right end part of the base part 241 and extends along the restriction part 231 with a gap. With such a configuration, the user can pinch the base portion 241 by pinching the operation portion 240 (connecting portion 243) and the restricting portion 231 together. Therefore, the lock convex portion 220 provided on the base portion 241 can be easily formed. Can be displaced. Further, with the above configuration, the side guide 200 can be slid and moved while the operation unit 240 and the restriction unit 231 are pinched, that is, the operation unit 240 is operated.

  The lock convex portion 220 is a convex portion configured to be able to engage with the lock concave portion 120 of the mounting table 100, and in a state where the side guide 200 is assembled to the mounting table 100 as shown in FIG. It is located above the bottom wall 101 (table 102) of the mounting table 100 so as to face each other. In other words, the lock convex portion 220 is provided in a portion facing the lock concave portion 120 of the operation portion 240 (the lower surface of each base portion 241).

  The lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 are configured to function as a lock that restricts the movement of the side guide 200 in the left-right direction when engaged with each other. In this specification, the state in which the lock projection 220 and the lock recess 120 are engaged is referred to as a locked state.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the lock convex portion 220 is moved upward by the operation of the operation portion 240 (pinch the connecting portion 243 and the restricting portion 231 together), as shown in FIG. It is displaced to. As a result, the engagement between the lock projection 220 and the lock recess 120 is released, so that the side guide 200 can be slid in the left-right direction. In the present specification, a state in which the engagement between the lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 is released and the side guide 200 is movable is referred to as a moving state.

  When the operation of the operation unit 240 is released from the moving state (the hand is released from the connecting part 243 and the restriction part 231), the base part 241 that has been elastically deformed returns to its original shape, whereby the lock convex part 220 is displaced downward. As a result, the lock convex portion 220 is engaged with the lock concave portion 120 again to return to the locked state.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lock convex portion 220 includes a “fulcrum 244”, a base 241 (a portion extending along the left-right direction of the operation portion 240), and an extension portion 242 (along the restriction portion 231 of the operation portion 240). The base portion 241 is provided between the central portion 246 and the bent portion 245 on the lower surface of each base portion 241 with reference to the central portion 246 of the “bent portion 245” connecting the extended portion). In other words, the lock convex portion 220 is provided on the lower surface of each base portion 241 on the side close to the bent portion 245.

  Thereby, the displacement amount of the lock convex part 220 when the operation part 240 is operated can be increased as compared with the case where the lock convex part 220 is provided between the center part 246 and the fulcrum 244. Therefore, even if the deformation amount of the operation unit 240, specifically, the base portion 241 is reduced, the displacement amount of the lock convex portion 220 can be secured, so that the operation portion 240 can be moved and moved without applying an excessive force. It is possible to switch between states. As a result, the life of the operation unit 240 (side guide 200) can be extended.

  Further, as described above, since the lock convex portions 220 are provided at the portions corresponding to the lock concave portions 120, two pairs are provided side by side in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. And the positioning convex part 210 mentioned later is provided between two pairs of lock convex parts 220 (a pair of base parts 241) seeing from the left-right direction.

  Supplementally, in this embodiment, the lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 are provided in two sets (a plurality of sets) side by side in the front-rear direction, and the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 are provided therebetween. As described above, a plurality of sets of the lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction, so that even when a force acts on the side guide 200 when the paper S is placed, the side guide 200 Therefore, the paper S can be reliably set correctly on the paper feed tray 31.

  The positioning convex part 210 is a convex part configured to be able to engage with the positioning concave part 110 of the mounting table 100, and is provided so as to protrude downward from the bottom part 232 between the pair of base parts 241 of the operation part 240. ing. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the positioning convex portion 210 is formed on the bottom wall 101 of the mounting table 100 so as to face the positioning concave portion 110 in a state where the side guide 200 is assembled to the mounting table 100. Located above.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 are arranged such that, when locked, the positioning convex portion 210 is separated from the bottom wall 101 of the mounting table 100 in which the positioning concave portion 110 is formed. ing. And as shown in FIG.7 (b), the positioning recessed part 110 and the positioning convex part 210 can be engaged when it is a movement state. More specifically, when the lock convex portion 220 is separated from the bottom wall 101 (lock concave portion 120) by the operation of the operation portion 240, the side guide 200 that has lost the support of the lock convex portion 220 (particularly near the outside in the left-right direction of the bottom portion 232). Is moved downward by its own weight or a downward force applied when the user operates the operation unit 240.

  Thereby, the positioning convex part 210 moves toward the bottom wall 101. At this time, if the positioning convex portion 210 faces the positioning concave portion 110, the positioning convex portion 210 engages with the positioning concave portion 110 (see FIG. 7B), and the positioning convex portion 210 is in contact with the bottom wall 101. Among them, the positioning convex part 210 comes into contact with the upper surface of the bottom wall 101 (not shown) when facing the part where the positioning concave part 110 is not formed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the displacement amount D2 from the locked state of the lock convex portion 220 to the moving state (from the engagement position before displacement to the engagement release position after displacement) is the positioning convex portion 210 with respect to the mounting table 100. The amount of movement from the moving state to the locked state, specifically, the moving amount D1 from the engagement position with the positioning concave portion 110 indicated by the chain line to the position away from the bottom wall 101 indicated by the solid line (the positioning convexity with respect to the mounting table 100) The maximum movement amount of the portion 210).

  More specifically, in this embodiment, when the positioning convex portion 210 (side guide 200) located at the position indicated by the solid line moves downward by a movement amount D1, the displaced locking convex portion 220 that moves downward is locked. The displacement D2 from the lock state to the movement state of the lock projection 220 is larger than the sum of the movement amount D1 and the depth D3 of the lock recess 120 so that the recess 120 does not enter (does not catch). D2> D1 + D3).

  Thereby, since the positioning convex portion 210 is positioned closer to the mounting table 100 than the lock convex portion 220 in the moving state, the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 can be reliably engaged, The lock projection 220 can be reliably separated from the lock recess 120. As a result, the lock convex portion 220 is not caught by the lock concave portion 120, so that the side guide 200 can be slid well.

  Further, since the positioning concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 are provided so as to face each other in the vertical direction, the side guide 200 can be easily pressed against the mounting table 100 using its own weight or the like. Therefore, the positioning convex portion 210 can be slid while being pressed against the positioning concave portion 110 (bottom wall 101), so that the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 can be reliably engaged.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the positioning convex portion 210 is located in the vicinity of the restricting portion 231 in the left-right direction, more specifically, one of the users when the user pinches the connecting portion 243 and the restricting portion 231. Is provided near the lower side of the finger (not shown). For this reason, when the side guide 200 is slid, the side guide 200 is easily pressed against the bottom wall 101, so that the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 can be more reliably engaged. .

  In the present embodiment, the positioning convex portion 210 is provided between the restricting portion 231 and the central portion 236 of the bottom portion 232 in the left-right direction. Thereby, the side guide 200 can be favorably slid to both the outer side and the inner side in the left-right direction.

  Supplementally, if the positioning convex portion 210 is provided on the right side of the restricting portion 231, the positioning convex portion 210 at the tip in the moving direction is moved to the positioning concave portion when the side guide 200 is moved outward in the left-right direction. 110 may be struck. Further, if the positioning convex portion 210 is provided on the right side of the central portion 236 (particularly the protruding portion 234), when the side guide 200 is moved inward in the left-right direction, the positioning convex portion at the tip in the moving direction is used. There is a possibility that the portion 210 may hit the positioning recess 110. However, according to the present embodiment, since such a possibility is reduced, the side guide 200 can be moved favorably.

  Incidentally, as described above, when the side guide 200 is in the moving state, since only two portions of the positioning convex portion 210 and the protruding portion 234 are in contact with the bottom wall 101, the contact area between the side guide 200 and the mounting table 100. Can be moved more favorably.

  According to the paper feed tray 31 described above, since the positioning convex portion 210 is disposed away from the bottom wall 101 in the locked state, plastic deformation in the vicinity of the positioning convex portion 210 of the side guide 200 is suppressed. Can do. Since the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 can be engaged in the moving state, when the side guide 200 is slid, it can be easily set at a desired size position and has an appropriate click feeling. Can be obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the side guide 200 is not detached from the mounting table 100 by the retaining portion 233 and the guide wall 130, and therefore, the lock convex portion 220 is locked to the lock concave portion 120 by causing the base portion 241 to act like a leaf spring. Can be engaged in a state of being biased. As a result, the engagement between the lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 is strengthened, and thus the movement of the side guide 200 can be reliably regulated. Further, since the side guide 200 is reliably lifted, the positioning convex portion 210 and the bottom wall 101 can be disposed so as to be reliably separated in the locked state.

  In addition, when the side guide 200 (base 241) is formed from resin, the above-described urging force and the restoring force to return to the original shape from the bent state may be gradually weakened due to aging deterioration of the material. There is sex. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the side guide 200 may include a metal spring 250 that urges the base 241 toward the lock recess 120 below. According to this, the urging force and restoring force of the base 241 can be maintained for a long time.

  In the present embodiment, since the positioning convex portion 210, the lock convex portion 220, the main body portion 230, and the operation portion 240 are integrally formed, the number of parts of the side guide 200 can be reduced. Further, the operation portion 240 is configured such that the base portion 241 can be bent and deformed up and down, and the lock convex portion 220 is provided at a portion facing the lock concave portion 120. Therefore, the lock convex portion 220 is operated by the simple operation. Can be switched between a moving state and a locked state. Thus, the configuration of the side guide 200 can be simplified.

  In addition, since the positioning concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 are provided between the lock concave portion 120 and the lock convex portion 220 that are provided in two sets side by side in the front-rear direction, the engagement between the lock convex portion 220 and the lock concave portion 120 is achieved. When released, the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 between them are easily engaged. Further, when the lock concave portion 120 and the lock convex portion 220 are engaged (when the lock convex portion 220 is brought into a locked state), the positioning concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 can be more reliably separated.

  Supplementally, when the positioning concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 are not provided between the two sets of the lock concave portion 120 and the lock convex portion 220, they are particularly provided apart from the lock concave portion 120 and the lock convex portion 220. In this case, for example, the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 are not reliably engaged in the moving state due to bending of the bottom portion 232 of the side guide 200 or the positioning concave portion 110 (bottom wall 101) in the locked state. There is a possibility that the positioning convex portion 210 is not reliably separated.

  However, according to the present embodiment, such a possibility is reduced, so that the positioning concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 can be reliably engaged in the moving state, and the positioning in the locked state. The concave portion 110 and the positioning convex portion 210 can be reliably separated.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, since the positioning convex portion 210 and the positioning concave portion 110 can be reliably engaged, it is easy to set the side guide 200 at a desired size position, and Therefore, a moderate click feeling can be obtained more reliably.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. About a concrete structure, it can change suitably in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

  The specific configurations of the mounting table 100 and the side guides 200 (regulating members) shown in the embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. For example, you may apply the characteristic part of this invention to the structure of above-mentioned patent document 1. FIG. Further, for example, the operation unit is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the restricting unit to be erected, and a lock convex portion (second engaged portion) is provided at the lower end thereof. May be. That is, the restriction member may be composed of a plurality of parts.

  In the embodiment, two sets of the lock recess 120 (second engagement portion) and the lock projection 220 (second engagement portion) are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one set May be provided, or three or more sets may be provided. The same applies to the positioning concave portion 110 (first engaging portion) and the positioning convex portion 210 (first engaged portion), and the number is not particularly limited.

  In the embodiment, the first engaging portion (positioning concave portion 110) is formed as a concave portion and the first engaged portion (positioning convex portion 210) is formed as a convex portion, but the present invention is limited to this. It is not something. For example, the first engaging portion may be formed as a convex portion, and the first engaged portion may be formed as a concave portion. The same applies to the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion. For example, the second engaging portion may be formed as a convex portion and the second engaged portion may be formed as a concave portion.

  In the embodiment, the side guide 200 that restricts the position of the paper S in the left-right direction is illustrated as the restricting member, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the restricting member is a member that is slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the mounting table 100 and that abuts the rear end of the sheet to restrict the position in the front-rear direction of the sheet. May be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the laser printer 1 that forms a monochrome image is exemplified as the image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a printer that forms a color image may be used. The image forming apparatus is not limited to a printer, and may be, for example, a copier or a multi-function machine including a document reading apparatus such as a flat bed scanner.

  In the above embodiment, the sheet supply tray of the present invention is applied to the paper feed tray 31 (paper feed cassette) that is detachably attached to the main body housing 2 of the laser printer 1 (image forming apparatus). The invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to a so-called manual feed tray of an image forming apparatus or a document tray of an image forming apparatus having an ADF as a document reading device. The sheet supply tray of the present invention is not limited to an image forming apparatus, and can be widely applied to members for placing sheets provided in an apparatus to which sheets are supplied.

  In the above embodiment, the sheet S is exemplified as the sheet. However, the sheet that can be placed on the sheet supply tray of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sheet can be placed on the document tray of the image forming apparatus including the OHP sheet or the ADF described above. It may be a document to be placed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser printer 31 Paper feed tray 100 Mounting stand 101 Bottom wall 110 Positioning recessed part 120 Locking recessed part 130 Guide wall 200 Side guide 210 Positioning convex part 220 Locking convex part 231 Restriction part 232 Bottom part 233 Detachment part 234 Protrusion part 236 Central part 240 Operation Part 241 Base 242 Extension part 244 Support point 245 Bending part 246 Center part D1 Movement amount D2 Displacement amount S Paper

Claims (7)

A mounting table on which a sheet can be mounted;
A regulating member provided movably on the mounting table,
A plurality of engaging portions formed on the upper surface of the mounting table and arranged in the moving direction of the regulating member,
The regulating member is
A main body having a bottom portion on which a sheet is placed and a regulating portion that extends upward from an end portion on one side in the moving direction of the bottom portion and abuts against the end portion of the sheet to regulate the position of the sheet. When,
An engaged portion configured to be engageable with the engaging portion;
It is disposed at a position facing the engaging portion, extends from the main body portion toward one side in the moving direction, is movable in the vertical direction with a connection portion with the main body portion as a fulcrum, and supports the engaged portion. The base,
A spring that biases one side in the movement direction toward the engagement portion with respect to the restriction portion of the base portion;
A sheet supply tray. The regulating member has a knob for moving the base portion up and down,
When the knob is not operated, the engaged portion engages with the engaging portion, and when the knob is operated, the base moves upward to move the engaged portion and the engaging portion. The sheet supply tray according to claim 1, wherein the sheet supply trays are spaced apart from each other.   The sheet supply tray according to claim 1, wherein the knob and the base are formed integrally with the main body.   4. The sheet supply tray according to claim 1, wherein the spring is disposed between the restricting portion and the knob in the moving direction. 5. The bottom portion has a retaining portion protruding toward the orthogonal direction at an end portion in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the moving direction,
The sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mounting table includes a guide wall that extends in the moving direction and can contact an upper portion of the retaining portion. An opening penetrating in the moving direction is formed at a position facing the base in the vertical direction of the restricting portion,
The sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening and the spring overlap each other when viewed from the moving direction.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet supply tray according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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