JP2014094795A - Paper feeder and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper feeder capable of performing pressure contact and release of pressure contact by a paper feeding mechanism at appropriate timing interlocking with the insertion/withdrawal of the paper feeder from a device body, and an image forming device including the paper feeder.SOLUTION: When withdrawing a paper feeder 4A, which is accommodated in a device body 2, from the device body 2, only a front cover 42 slides forward until the movement of a positioning pin 423 is regulated by a positioning groove 431 of a recording paper accommodation part 43. By the slide of the front cover 42, a pressure contact control member 424 is separated from a paper feeding mechanism 8, and the pressure contact to recording paper by the paper feeding mechanism 8 is released. After that, by withdrawing the front cover 42 even further, the recording paper accommodation part 43 locked with the front cover 42 by the positioning groove 431 and the positioning pin 423 slides forward while being integral with the front cover 42.

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feeding device that stores recording paper for image formation and an image forming apparatus including the paper feeding device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus includes a paper feeding device that loads and stores recording paper for image formation, and the paper feeding device is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus so that the recording paper to be stored can be replenished. On the other hand, it is configured to be insertable / removable. The image forming apparatus includes a sheet feeding mechanism for separating and feeding the recording sheets stacked on the sheet feeding apparatus one by one on the main body side in which the sheet feeding apparatus is inserted. A paper feed mechanism provided in the image forming apparatus main body is provided with a feeding roller that contacts an uppermost surface of the recording paper loaded on the paper feeding device and pulls out the upper recording paper, and a recording paper drawn by the feeding roller. A roller pair (separation roller pair) including a paper feed roller and a separation roller for separating one sheet of recording paper from the bundle.

  In the image forming apparatus provided with the paper feed mechanism in the main body, when the paper feed device is pulled out from the apparatus main body, it is pressed against the recording paper by the pick roller (feeding roller) in the paper feed mechanism, and by the paper feed roller and the rolling roller. It is necessary to release the holding of the recording paper by the roller pair. In order to release the pressure contact with the recording paper in the paper feeding mechanism, for example, an image forming apparatus including a release lever and a link arm that are interlocked with a button for pulling out the paper feeding device is disclosed (see Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2000-016623 A

  In the paper feeder disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the button is pressed, the release lever and the link arm are operated in conjunction with the button to release the pressure contact by the paper feed roller and the clamping by the separation roller pair. Is done. As described above, the sheet feeding device can be pulled out after the press contact with the recording sheet in the sheet feeding mechanism is released by the button operation. As described above, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to operate the button immediately before the sheet feeding device is extracted, the button operation and the extraction operation must be performed in two stages for extracting the sheet feeding device. There was a problem that the operability was poor.

  In view of such a problem, the present invention provides a sheet feeding device capable of performing pressure contact by the sheet feeding mechanism and releasing the pressure contact at an appropriate timing in conjunction with insertion / extraction of the sheet feeding device from the apparatus main body, and the sheet feeding. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including the apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, a paper feeding device according to the present invention includes a recording paper storage unit that stores recording paper, and feeds the recording paper stored in the recording paper storage unit to the inside of the device. In a paper feeding device configured to be able to be inserted into and removed from an image forming apparatus provided with a paper mechanism, before being provided in front of the recording paper storage unit when a direction in which the paper feeding device is extracted from the image forming apparatus is assumed to be forward. A cover, and a pressure contact control member that controls pressure contact of the recording paper stored in the recording paper storage unit by the paper supply mechanism and release thereof according to insertion and removal of the front cover, and an insertion / extraction direction of the paper supply device A section is provided along which the front cover is slidable independently with respect to the recording paper storage unit, and the front cover slides independently in the section so that the pressure control member causes the paper feed mechanism to slide. Pressure welding and its solution There are controlled, in addition between the compartment, said front cover, characterized in that sliding integrally with the recording paper compartment.

  In this sheet feeding apparatus, the pressure contact control member moves in the insertion / removal direction together with the front cover, and is brought into pressure contact with the sheet feeding mechanism when coming into contact with the sheet feeding mechanism, while being separated from the sheet feeding mechanism. Sometimes when the paper feeding mechanism is released and the paper feeding device is withdrawn, only the front cover is slid in the section toward the direction of withdrawal, and then the front cover and the paper feeding storage unit When the paper feeding device is inserted, the front cover and the paper feed storage unit are integrally slid in the insertion direction, and then only the front cover is slid in the section. It does not matter.

  Each of the above-described paper feeding devices may further include a biasing member that biases the front cover and the paper feeding storage portion in the insertion / extraction direction. At this time, the image forming apparatus may be provided with a restriction plate for restricting insertion of the paper feed storage unit from a predetermined position.

  In addition, a first locking member that locks the paper feed storage unit with the image forming apparatus, and the front cover is engaged with the paper feed storage unit when the front cover is operated integrally with the paper feed storage unit. A second locking member to be stopped may be further provided. At this time, the first locking member is locked to the image forming apparatus with a force weaker than the force required to release the locking of the front cover and the paper feed storage portion by the second locking member. Make it possible.

  Further, the above-described paper feeding device may further include a third locking member for locking the front cover to the image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention can be inserted into or removed from any of the above-described sheet feeding apparatuses, and a sheet feeding mechanism for extracting the recording sheet stored in the sheet feeding storage unit, and a recording sheet extracted from the sheet feeding mechanism An image forming unit that forms an image on the recording paper, and when the paper feeding device is pulled out, the paper feeding mechanism is released from contact with the recording paper before the paper feeding storage unit is pulled out, When the paper feeding device is inserted, the recording paper is brought into contact with the paper feeding mechanism after the paper feeding storage unit is inserted.

  According to the present invention, the front cover is slid independently with respect to the paper feed storage unit, and the press contact control unit can control the press contact with the recording paper and the release thereof by the press contact control unit in conjunction with the front cover. When the paper device is extracted, the paper feed storage unit can be extracted after releasing the pressure contact with the recording paper. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the recording paper from dropping into the image forming apparatus and the recording paper from being damaged when the paper feeding device is pulled out. In addition, due to the configuration of the front cover and the pressure contact control unit, when the paper feeding device is inserted, the recording paper can be brought into pressure contact after the paper feeding storage unit is accommodated in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, sagging or breakage of the recording paper can be prevented when the paper feeding device is inserted. Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the operations in the extraction and insertion can be performed by one operation, the operability in the insertion / extraction of the sheet feeding device is improved.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a sheet feeding device in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a relationship between a paper feeding device and a paper feeding mechanism in the image forming apparatus of the present invention. These are schematic diagrams showing the state of the paper feed mechanism when the paper feed device is extracted. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when the paper feeding device of FIG. 5 is accommodated in the apparatus main body. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when only the front cover of the paper feeding device in FIG. 5 slides. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when a front cover of the paper feeding device of FIG. 5 is integrated with a recording paper storage unit. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when the front cover of the paper feeding device in FIG. 5 slides integrally with the recording paper storage unit. These are top views which show the structure of the paper feeder in the image forming apparatus of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when the paper feeding device of FIG. 11 is accommodated in the apparatus main body. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when only the front cover of the paper feeding device in FIG. 11 slides. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when a front cover of the paper feeding device of FIG. 11 is integrated with a recording paper storage unit. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the paper feeding device when the front cover of the paper feeding device in FIG. 11 slides integrally with the recording paper storage unit.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, when using terms indicating a specific direction or position (for example, “left / right”, “up / down”, etc.) as necessary, the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. I have to. These terms are used for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<Overall configuration of image forming apparatus>
An overall configuration of an image forming apparatus common to the following embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a right side view of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading unit 3 that reads an image from a document P 1, a paper feeding device 4 that stores recording paper P 2 on which an image is formed, and a paper feeding device 4. The image forming unit 5 for forming an image on the fed recording paper P2, the paper discharge tray 6 for discharging the recording paper P2 on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 5, and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 are operated. An operation panel 7 to receive. In the image forming apparatus 1, an image reading unit 3 is provided on the upper part of the apparatus body 2, and an image forming unit 5 is provided below the image reading unit 3.

  A paper discharge tray 6 is provided on the upper side of the image forming unit 5 in the apparatus main body 2 in order to receive the recording paper P2 that has been image-recorded and discharged by the image forming unit 5, and the paper feeding device 4 is The apparatus main body 2 is configured to be insertable / removable on the lower side of the image forming unit 5. With such a configuration, as will be described later, the recording paper P2 stored in the paper feeding device 4 is fed into the apparatus main body 2 and then transported upward, whereby the upper portion of the paper feeding device 4 is After the image is formed by the image forming unit 5 disposed in the image forming unit 5, the image is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 6 provided in a space (a recessed space) between the image reading unit 3 and the image forming unit 5.

  The image reading unit 3 provided on the upper part of the apparatus main body 2 includes a scanner unit 31 that reads an image from the document P1, and an automatic document conveyance unit that is provided on the scanner unit 31 and conveys the document P1 to the scanner unit 31 one by one. (ADF: Auto Document Feeder) 32. An operation panel 7 is provided on the front side (front side) of the apparatus body 2. Then, the user performs a key operation while looking at the display screen of the operation panel 7 to perform a setting operation with respect to a function selected from various functions of the image forming apparatus 1 or execute an operation on the image forming apparatus 1. Can be instructed.

  The paper feeding device 4 includes a front cover 42 provided with a handle 41 for a user to hold in order to insert / remove the device main body 2 and a recording paper storage unit 43 for storing the stacked recording paper P2. Prepare. The sheet feeding device 4 is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 2 by sliding in the front-rear direction. When the sheet feeding apparatus 4 is inserted into the apparatus main body 2, the recording paper storage unit 43 is stored inside the apparatus main body 2 and the front cover 42. Covers the front surface of the apparatus main body 2. Further, a paper feed mechanism 8 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, is provided on the right side of the recording paper storage unit 43 of the paper supply device 4, and the recording paper stored in the recording paper storage unit 43 by the paper supply mechanism 8. P2 is pulled out and conveyed to the image forming unit 5.

  Next, the internal structure of the apparatus main body 2 will be described with reference to FIG. Of the image reading unit 3 in the upper part of the apparatus main body 2, the scanner unit 31 includes a document table 33 having a platen glass (not shown) on the upper surface side, a light source device 34 that emits light to the document P1, and a document P1. The image sensor 35 that photoelectrically converts the reflected light from the image into image data, the imaging lens 36 that forms an image of the reflected light on the image sensor 35, and the reflected light from the original P1 are sequentially reflected and incident on the imaging lens 36. And a mirror group 37 to be operated. The light source device 34, the image sensor 35, the imaging lens 36, and the mirror group 37 are provided inside the document table 33, and the light source device 34 and the mirror group 37 are configured to be movable in the left-right direction with respect to the document table 33. .

  An ADF 32 is provided on the upper surface side of the scanner unit 31 so as to be openable and closable with respect to the document table 33. The ADF 32 also has a function of bringing the document P1 into close contact with the platen glass (not shown) by covering the document P1 on the platen glass (not shown) of the document table 33. The ADF 32 includes a document placement tray 38 and a document discharge tray 39.

  In the image reading unit 3 having such a configuration, when reading a document P1 on a platen glass (not shown) of the document table 33, light is irradiated to the document P1 from the light source device 34 that moves in the right direction (sub-scanning direction). Is done. The reflected light reflected from the document P1 is sequentially reflected by a mirror group 37 that moves in the right direction as in the light source device 34, enters the imaging lens 36, and forms an image on the image sensor 35. The image sensor 35 performs photoelectric conversion for each pixel according to the intensity of incident light, and generates an image signal (RGB signal) corresponding to the image of the document P1.

  On the other hand, when reading the document P1 placed on the document placement tray 38, the document P1 is transported to the reading position by the document transport mechanism 40 including a plurality of rollers or the like. At this time, the light source device 34 and the mirror group 37 of the scanner unit 31 are fixed at predetermined positions inside the document table 33. Accordingly, the light source device 34 irradiates the reading position portion of the document P1 with light, and the reflected light forms an image on the image sensor 35 via the mirror group 37 and the imaging lens 36 of the scanner unit 31. Then, the image sensor 35 converts the image signal (RGB signal) corresponding to the image of the document P1. Thereafter, the document P1 is discharged to the document discharge tray 39.

  The image forming unit 5 is a transfer unit that transfers the toner image to the recording paper P2, and an image forming unit 51 that generates toner images of each color of Y (Yellow), M (Magenta), C (Cyan), and K (Key tone). An intermediate transfer belt to which the toner image of each color is transferred from the image forming unit 51 by contacting the exposure unit 52 provided below each of the image forming units 51 and the image forming unit 51 of each color arranged in the horizontal direction. 53, a primary transfer roller 54 provided at a position facing the image forming unit 51 of each color on the upper side so as to sandwich the image forming unit 51 and the intermediate transfer belt 53, and the intermediate transfer belt 53 are rotated. The driving roller 55, the driven roller 56 that rotates when the rotation of the driving roller 55 is transmitted through the intermediate transfer belt 53, and the secondary transfer roller that is installed at a position facing the driving roller 55 across the intermediate transfer belt 53. And 57, a cleaner unit 58 which is installed in a position facing the driven roller 56 across the intermediate transfer belt 53, provided.

  The image forming unit 51 includes a photosensitive drum 61 that is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate transfer belt 53, a charger 62 that charges the outer circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 61 by corona discharge, and a toner that is charged by stirring. A developing unit 63 that adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the drum 61 and a cleaner unit 64 that removes toner remaining on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61 after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 53 are provided. At this time, the photosensitive drum 61 is installed at a position facing the primary transfer roller 54 with the intermediate transfer belt 53 interposed therebetween, and rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. Around the photosensitive drum 61, a primary transfer roller 54, a cleaner unit 64, a charger 62, an exposure unit 52, and a developing unit 63 are sequentially arranged along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 61. Yes.

  Further, the intermediate transfer belt 53 is composed of an endless belt member having conductivity, for example, and is wound around the driving roller 55 and the driven roller 56 without loosening, so that the intermediate transfer belt 53 is rotated according to the rotation of the driving roller 55 as shown in FIG. In the counterclockwise direction. Around the intermediate transfer belt 53, the secondary transfer roller 57, the cleaner unit 58, and the image forming units 51 for each color of YMCK are arranged in order along the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 53.

  Further, the image forming unit 5 serves as a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the recording paper P2, and a heating roller 59 including a halogen lamp that heats the toner image on the recording paper P2 and the recording. And a pressure roller 60 that presses the recording paper P2 by sandwiching the paper P2 together with the heating roller 59. The heating roller 59 may be one in which the surface of the heating roller 51 is heated by generating an eddy current on the surface by electromagnetic induction.

  The recording paper storage unit 43 of the paper feeding device 4 has a casing shape in which the front, rear, left and right of the bottom plate 44 on which the recording paper P2 is placed is surrounded by side plates 45F, 45B, 45L, 45R, and is formed on the inner wall of the right side plate 45R. The recording paper P2 is placed on the bottom plate 44 so that the right end side of the recording paper P2 contacts. On the upper side of the bottom plate 44, a push-up plate 46 that pushes the recording paper P <b> 2 upward by rotating the end of the right side plate 45 </ b> R up and down is provided on the right plate 45 </ b> R side of the bottom plate 44. In addition, on the left side surface 45L side of the bottom plate 44, a recording paper restricting portion 47 protruding from the bottom plate 44 is configured to be slidable to the left and right. Then, the position of the left side edge of the recording paper P2 is regulated by the recording paper regulating unit 46 so that the right side edge of the recording paper P2 contacts the inner wall of the right side plate 45R.

  The paper feed mechanism 8 includes a feed roller 81 that feeds the recording paper P2 stored in the recording paper storage unit 43 from the uppermost layer, and a paper feed roller 82 and a separation roller 83 that separate the fed recording paper P2 one by one. A separation roller pair. The recording paper P2 in the recording paper storage unit 43 of each paper feeding device 4 is fed one by one from the top layer by the rotational driving of the corresponding feeding roller 81, paper feeding roller 82 and paper roller 83, one by one. Via, it is sent out toward the main transport path R0. The main transport path R0 is the main path of the recording paper P2 that has undergone the image forming (printing) process. In addition, the sheet feeding path R1 is provided for each sheet feeding device 4, and each sheet feeding path R1 joins the main transport path R0.

  A manual feed tray 93 capable of feeding a predetermined size of recording paper P2 from the outside is provided on one side portion (right side portion in the embodiment) of the apparatus main body 2 in the left-right direction. The manual feed tray 93 is provided in an auxiliary manner separately from the normal sheet feeding device 4 in the apparatus main body 2, and is attached to the left and right side portions of the apparatus main body 2 so as to be openable and closable. ing. The recording paper P2 on the manual feed tray 93 is sent one by one from the uppermost layer toward the main transport path R0 via the manual feed path R2 by rotation driving of a feed roller or the like.

  A discharge roller pair 91 that discharges the printed recording paper P <b> 2 is disposed in the main transport path R <b> 0 on the downstream side of the fixing unit by the heating roller 59 and the pressure roller 60. The printed recording paper P2 is discharged to the paper discharge tray 6 by the rotational drive of the paper discharge roller pair 91.

  Further, in the apparatus main body 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above, there is further provided a circulation conveyance unit 92 for performing double-sided printing by reversing the recording paper P2 after single-sided printing. . The circulation conveyance unit 92 includes a pair of reversing rollers for reversing the recording paper P2 after single-sided printing, and a plurality of pairs of double-sided conveyance rollers. In the circulation conveyance unit 92, the recording paper P2 after single-sided printing is turned upside down and conveyed again to the main conveyance path R0 via the circulation conveyance path R3. In this case, the discharge roller pair 91 is configured to be capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions, so that the discharge roller pair 91 also functions as a reverse roller pair. The recording paper P2 can be discharged out of the image forming apparatus 1 by the forward / reverse rotation of the paper discharge roller pair 91, or returned to the image forming apparatus 1 by switching back (reverse feeding). The upstream side of the circulation conveyance path R3 branches from between the fixing unit of the image forming unit 5 and the paper discharge roller pair 91 in the main conveyance path R0. The downstream side of the circulation conveyance path R3 joins the upstream side of the transfer unit of the image forming unit 5.

  A printing operation by the image forming apparatus 1 will be briefly described. The image forming apparatus 1 receives a start signal, an image signal, and the like and starts a printing operation. When the printing operation is started, the recording paper P2 fed from the paper feeding device 4 by the paper feeding mechanism 8 is conveyed to the image forming unit 5 along the main conveying path R0. The image forming unit 5 transfers and fixes an image on the recording paper P2 based on a color electrophotographic method, and adopts an intermediate transfer method using an intermediate belt 53 as an image transfer method to the recording paper P2.

  In the transfer unit of the image forming unit 5, the Y, M, C, and K image forming units 51 irradiate the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 charged by the charger 62 with laser light from the exposure unit 52. , M, C, and K, electrostatic latent images corresponding to the respective color images are formed. The toner charged by the developing device 63 is transferred to the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 61. The toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 61 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 53 by the electrostatic force of the primary transfer roller 54 when coming into contact with the intermediate transfer belt 53. In addition, a toner image in which the colors Y, M, C, and K are overlapped is formed. On the other hand, the untransferred toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 61 having the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 53 is scraped off by the cleaner unit 64 and removed from the photosensitive drum 61.

  The toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 53 is moved to the transfer position where the intermediate transfer belt 53 contacts the secondary transfer roller 57 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 53 by the driving roller 55 and the driven roller 56, and on the main transport path R0. It is transferred to the recording paper P2 conveyed to the transfer position. Untransferred toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 53 that has transferred the toner image onto the recording paper P <b> 2 is scraped off by the cleaner unit 58, scraped off, and removed from the intermediate transfer belt 53. In addition, the recording paper P <b> 2 on which the toner image is transferred at the contact position with the secondary transfer roller 57 is conveyed to the fixing unit by the heating roller 59 and the pressure roller 60.

  The recording paper P2 on which the unfixed toner image is placed on one side is heated by the heating roller 59 and pressed by the pressure roller 60 when passing through the fixing position of the fixing unit, so that the unfixed toner image is applied to the paper surface. It is fixed. In the case of single-sided printing, the recording paper P <b> 2 after toner image fixing (after single-sided printing) is discharged to the paper discharge tray 6 by the paper discharge roller pair 91. On the other hand, in the case of double-sided printing, the recording paper P2 after single-sided printing is conveyed to the circulation conveyance path R3 for double-sided printing, turned over, and returned again to the main conveyance path R0, so that the image forming unit 5 re-records the recording paper P2. After the toner image is transferred and fixed on the other surface, the toner image is discharged to the paper discharge tray 6.

  The image forming apparatus of each of the following embodiments is provided with the configuration of the above-described image forming apparatus 1 in common, and differs in the configuration of the sheet feeding device and its periphery. Accordingly, in each of the following embodiments, the configuration of the sheet feeding device and its periphery will be described in detail.

<First Embodiment>
The image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, focusing on the configuration around the sheet feeding device. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the paper feeding device in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the paper feeding device and the paper feeding mechanism in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sheet feeding device 4 </ b> A in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a casing-shaped recording paper storage unit 43 in which the front, rear, left and right of the bottom plate 44 are surrounded by side plates 45 </ b> F, 45 </ b> B, 45 </ b> L, 45 </ The front cover 42 is configured to be slidable forward and backward with respect to the recording paper storage unit 43 in front of the front side plate 45F of the recording paper storage unit 43.

  The front cover 42 includes a front plate 421 that covers the front side of the front plate 45F of the recording paper storage unit 43, a slide unit 422 that slides on the bottom plate 44 and the side plates 45L and 45R of the recording paper storage unit 43, and a recording paper storage unit. A positioning pin 423 for restricting the sliding range of the front cover 42 with respect to the portion 43, a pressure contact control member 424 for controlling the pressure contact and release of the recording paper P2 by the paper feed mechanism 8, and the recording paper storage portion 43 on the rear side. A biasing member 425 made of a spring material or the like that biases the device and a locking member 426 that is unlocked from the apparatus main body 2 by interlocking with the handle 41 (see FIG. 1). The “locking member 426” corresponds to the “third locking member” in the claims.

  In the front cover 42, the slide portion 422 has a U-shaped cross section protruding rearward from the rear surface of the front plate 421, and the inner side slides to the outer side of the bottom plate 44 and the side plates 45L and 45R. Configured to touch. A positioning pin 423 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate portion is provided on the bottom plate portion of the slide portion 422 that is in sliding contact with the bottom plate 44. A biasing member 425 is provided in a region surrounded by the slide portion 422 on the rear surface of the front plate 421. Furthermore, a pressure contact control member 424 and a locking member 426 are provided on the rear surface of the front plate 421 on the left and right outer sides of the slide portion 422. The locking member 426 is provided on both sides of the slide portion 422, whereas the press contact control member 424 is provided only at a position facing the paper feed mechanism 8.

  On the other hand, the recording paper storage unit 43 has a positioning groove 431 into which a positioning pin 423 provided on the slide portion 422 of the front cover 42 is inserted in the bottom plate 44 and also has a recording paper P2 placed on the push-up plate 46. A paper width regulating plate 432 for regulating the paper width is provided so as to protrude from the bottom plate 44 and slide back and forth. The positioning groove 431 has a hole shape whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. By inserting the positioning pin 423 into the positioning groove 431, the movement range of the positioning pin 423 is restricted by the length of the positioning groove 431 in the longitudinal direction. The That is, the slide position of the front cover 42 is regulated by the relative relationship between the positioning pin 423 and the positioning groove 431. That is, a section in which the front cover 42 slides independently with respect to the recording paper storage unit is determined by the length of the positioning groove 431 in the front-rear direction.

  Although not shown, the motor is driven according to the detection result of the sensor that detects the abutting position of the uppermost recording paper P2 placed on the push-up plate 46 to the paper feed roller 82, The push-up amount by the plate 46 is adjusted. By adjusting the push-up amount by the push-up plate 46, the pressure contact force to the recording paper P2 feed roller 81 and the paper feed roller 82 is kept constant. In addition to the configuration using such sensors and motors, a configuration may be adopted in which the lower surface of the push-up plate 46 is urged upward by an urging member such as a spring material from the upper surface of the bottom plate 44. In this case, the urging force of the urging member on the lower surface of the push-up plate 46 and the weight of the recording paper P2 placed on the push-up plate 46 interact with each other, so that the recording paper P2 placed on the push-up plate 46 The right end side of the uppermost recording paper P2 is arranged at an optimum position for being pulled out by the paper feeding mechanism 8.

  Next, an example of a mechanism for controlling the pressure contact of the feeding roller 81 and the rolling roller 83 and the release of the pressure contact will be briefly described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the paper feed mechanism 8 includes a roller control link 84 that pivotally supports the shaft 831 of the roller 83, and a biasing member 85 such as a spring material that biases the roller control link 84 downward. Therefore, the roller 83 is moved up and down to control the pressure contact and release of the pressure contact. The paper feed mechanism 8 has a feed roller control link 86 that contacts one end of the upper surface of the roller control link 84 and supports the shaft 811 of the feed roller 81 at the other end, and a shaft that rotates the feed roller control link 86. 87 and an urging member 88 such as a spring material for urging the other end of the feed roller control link 86 upward, the feed roller 83 is moved up and down to control the pressure contact and release of the pressure contact. To do.

  In the paper feed mechanism 8 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper surface of the pressure control member 424 comes into contact with the lower surface of the roller control link 84, so that the roller 83 is moved upward along with the roller control link 84. As a result, the separating roller 83 comes into pressure contact with the sheet feeding roller 82. Further, the feeding roller control link 86 whose one end is in contact with the upper surface of the roller control link 84 rotates counterclockwise on the paper surface of FIG. 5 in conjunction with the upward movement of the roller control link 84. To do. As a result, the feeding roller 81 on which the shaft 811 is pivotally supported at the other end of the feeding roller control link 86 moves downward, and the upper surface of the recording paper P2 pushed up by the push-up plate 46 of the recording paper storage unit 43 is moved. Press contact.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the press contact control member 424 is extracted from below the whirling roller control link 84, the biasing force of the biasing member 85 acts on the whirling roller control link 84. The roller 83 is moved downward together with the roller control link 84. As a result, the separating roller 83 is separated from the sheet feeding roller 82, and the pressure contact is released. Further, since the urging force of the urging member 88 connected to the other end also acts on the feeding roller control link 86, the clock on the paper surface of FIG. 5 is interlocked with the downward movement of the roller control link 84. Rotate around. As a result, the feeding roller 81 moves upward, moves away from the upper surface of the recording paper P2 of the recording paper storage unit 43, and the pressure contact is released. In FIG. 6, the roller control link 84, the roller 83, the roller control link 84, and the feed roller control link 86 in the state of FIG.

  The insertion / extraction operation of the sheet feeding device 4A to / from the apparatus main body 2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, when the paper feeding device 4 </ b> A is accommodated in the apparatus main body 2, the recording paper accommodating portion 43 has the rear side surface 45 </ b> B in contact with the positioning member 21 provided in the apparatus main body 2, thereby recording. The rearward movement of the paper storage unit 43 is restricted. Further, when the locking member 426 of the front cover 42 is locked to the locking member 22 provided in the apparatus main body 2, the forward movement of the front cover 42 is restricted. By restricting the forward movement of the front cover 42, the recording paper storage unit 43 is urged rearward by the urging member 425. Therefore, the recording paper storage portion 43 that contacts the positioning member 21 is installed at a specified position inside the apparatus main body 2.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the paper feeding device 4 </ b> A accommodated in the apparatus main body 2 is extracted from the apparatus main body 2, first, the handle 41 (see FIG. 1) is operated, whereby the locking member 22 by the locking member 426 is operated. The lock on is released. By grasping the handle 41 and pulling it forward, the front cover 42 slides forward. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the urging member 425 provided on the front cover 42 urges the recording paper storage unit 43 rearward, so that the forward movement of the recording paper storage unit 43 is restricted. The pressure contact control member 424 attached to the front cover 42 also moves forward together with the front cover 42. Therefore, the press contact control member 424 is separated from the separation roller control link 84. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeding roller 81 and the separation roller 83 are separated from the recording paper P2 and the paper feed roller 82, respectively. The pressure contact by the paper feed mechanism 8 is released.

  9, when the positioning pin 423 of the front cover 42 that slides forward contacts the front side of the positioning groove 431, the forward sliding of the front cover 42 with respect to the recording paper storage unit 43 is restricted. Since the recording paper storage portion 43 is locked to the front cover 42 by the abutment of the positioning pin 423 on the front side of the positioning groove 431, the front cover 42 is further pulled forward, as shown in FIG. The front cover 42 and the recording paper storage unit 43 slide together.

  As described above, when the paper feeding device 4A is pulled out from the apparatus main body 2, first, the pressure control member 424 is pulled forward together with the front cover 42 in a state where the movement of the recording paper storage unit 43 is restricted, thereby feeding the paper feeding mechanism 8. The pressure contact by each of the feeding roller 81 and the rolling roller 83 is completely released. Thereafter, since the front cover 42 and the recording paper storage unit 43 are integrated and pulled forward, it is possible to prevent the recording paper P2 from being damaged or dropped into the apparatus main body 2. As shown in FIG. 7, the section length in which the positioning pin 423 in the positioning groove 431 can be moved is longer than the length in which the press contact control member 424 and the paper feeding mechanism 8 overlap. With this configuration, when the paper feeding device 4A is pulled out, the movement of the recording paper storage unit 43 can be restricted until the pressure contact with the recording paper P2 by the paper feeding mechanism 8 is released.

  On the other hand, when the sheet feeder 4A is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 and accommodated, unlike the case where the sheet feeder 4A is pulled out from the apparatus main body 2, the operation of the handle 41 (see FIG. 1) is not required, and the front cover 42 is rearward. Is pushed. At this time, the urging force of the front cover 42 by the urging member 425 of the front cover 42 acts on the recording paper storage unit 43 as shown in FIG. Housed in the main body 2. As shown in FIG. 9, when the rear plate 45B of the recording paper storage unit 43 comes into contact with the positioning member 21, the rearward movement of the recording paper storage unit 43 is restricted, and only the front cover 42 is pushed backward. Will be.

  When the front cover 42 is further pushed rearward, only the front cover 42 moves rearward as shown in FIG. 8, and the press contact control member 424 attached to the front cover 42 is separated from the roller control link 84. Move to the overlapping position. Accordingly, the press contact control member 424 comes into contact with the whirl roller control link 84, and as a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the feeding roller 81 and the whirl roller 83 respectively press the recording paper P2 and the paper feed roller 82, respectively. Thereafter, the front cover 42 is further pushed, whereby the locking member 426 of the front cover 42 is locked to the locking member 22 of the apparatus main body 2 as shown in FIG. 2 to be fixed.

  As described above, when the paper feeding device 4A is inserted into the apparatus main body 2, first, after positioning the recording paper storage unit 43 at a predetermined position of the apparatus main body 2, the pressure contact control member 424 is inserted backward together with the front cover. Then, they are brought into pressure contact with the feeding roller 81 and the rolling roller 83, respectively. In other words, when the paper feeding device 4A is inserted, the pressure contact with the recording paper P2 by the paper feeding mechanism 8 is prohibited until the recording paper storage unit 43 is stored in the specified position. Accordingly, after the recording paper P2 is placed at the specified position, the recording paper P2 is pressed from the feeding roller 81 and the whirling roller 83, so that the recording paper P2 can be prevented from sagging or damaged.

  The structure of FIG. 5 in the paper feed mechanism 8 shows an example of a mechanism for controlling the press contact and separation of the feeding roller 81 and the separating roller 83. Accordingly, not limited to the configuration of FIG. 5, if the press contact and separation of the feeding roller 81 and the separating roller 83 are controlled as described above according to the relative position between the front cover 42 and the recording paper storage unit 43, Other configurations may be used. That is, for example, a structure is provided in which the feeding roller 81 is urged downward and at the same time the urging roller 83 is urged upward. Each of 83 may move in the direction opposite to the biasing direction.

<Second Embodiment>
An image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A description will be given below with reference to the drawings, focusing on the configuration around the sheet feeding device. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the paper feeding device in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment. In the configuration shown in FIG. 11, parts having the same configuration as in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the paper feeding device 4B in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is different from the paper feeding device 4A in the first embodiment in place of the urging member 425 provided on the front cover 42. A positioning locking member 433 for locking the recording paper storage unit 43 to the main body 2 and an integral pushing locking member 434 for locking the front cover 42 to the recording paper storage unit 43 are provided. That is, in the paper feeding device 4B, the front cover 42 is configured by removing the biasing member 425, and the recording paper storage unit 43 is added with the positioning locking member 433 and the integral pushing locking member 434. It becomes the composition. The “positioning locking member 433” corresponds to the “first locking member” in the claims, and the “integral pushing locking member 434” is the “second locking member” in the claims. Is equivalent to.

  The positioning locking member 433 is provided so as to protrude rearward from the outside of the rear side plate 45B of the recording paper storage unit 43, and has a tapered surface at the rear end surface thereof and has a bowl shape. . Further, the positioning locking member 433 has elasticity in the left-right direction, so that the positioning locking member 433 is bent so that the rear end of the positioning locking member 433 moves to the right side, and the recording paper storage unit 43 is moved to the apparatus main body 2. The locking member 23 (see FIG. 12) can be locked or released. The locking member 23 of the apparatus main body 2 is provided behind the rear plate 45B of the recording paper storage unit 43, and the positioning paper locking member 433 is locked to move the recording paper storage unit 43 back and forth. regulate. The locking member 23 has a tapered surface on the front end surface thereof.

  On the other hand, the locking member 434 for integrally pressing is assumed to be locked to the positioning pin 423 in order to restrict the movement of the positioning pin 423 in contact with the front side of the positioning groove 431. It has a shape that protrudes inward. That is, in the positioning groove 431, the positioning pin 423 freely moves between the positioning member 434 and the rear of the positioning groove 431, while the positioning pin 423 moves freely in front of the positioning member 434. The pin 423 is fixed in contact with the front of the positioning groove 431.

  The operation of inserting / removing the sheet feeding device 4B to / from the apparatus main body 2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 12, when the sheet feeding device 4B is accommodated in the apparatus main body 2, since the positioning locking member 433 is locked to the locking member 23, the recording paper storage portion 43 is moved back and forth. It is regulated and installed at a specified position inside the apparatus main body 2. Further, similarly to the sheet feeding device 4A (see FIG. 7), the locking member 426 of the front cover 42 of the sheet feeding device 4B is locked to the locking member 22 provided in the apparatus main body 2, thereby the front cover 42. Is also restricted from moving forward.

  When the paper feeding device 4B is extracted from the apparatus main body 2, the handle 41 (see FIG. 1) is operated to release the locking of the locking member 426 to the locking member 22, and the front cover 42 is slid forward. Let At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, the recording paper storage unit 43 is fixed to the apparatus main body 2 by the locking of the positioning locking member 433 to the locking member 23. Further, since the pressing control member 424 moves forward together with the front cover 42, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeding roller 81 and the separating roller 83 are separated from the recording paper P2 and the paper feeding roller 82, respectively, and the paper feeding mechanism 8 The pressure contact by is released.

  As shown in FIG. 14, when the positioning pin 423 of the front cover 42 that slides forward is brought into contact with the positioning groove 431 on the front side, the forward sliding of the front cover 42 with respect to the recording paper storage unit 43 is restricted. At the same time, the positioning pin 423 is locked to the integral pressing locking member 434. As a result, the recording paper storage portion 43 is locked to the front cover 42, and therefore, the front cover 42 is further pulled forward, whereby the positioning locking member 433 of the recording paper storage portion 43 and the apparatus main body 2 are engaged. The locking with the stop member 23 is released, and the front cover 42 and the recording paper storage unit 43 slide together as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the sheet feeder 4B is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 and accommodated, the front cover 42 is pushed backward. At this time, since the front cover 42 is fixed to the recording paper storage portion 43 by the locking of the positioning pin 423 and the integral pressing locking member 434, the recording paper storage portion 43 has a front end as shown in FIG. The cover 42 moves integrally with the cover 42 and is accommodated inside the apparatus main body 2. When the positioning locking member 433 of the recording paper storage unit 43 comes into contact with the locking member 23, the positioning locking member 433 is bent so that the rear end thereof moves to the right side. At this time, since the locking force between the positioning pin 423 and the integral pressing locking member 434 is stronger than the elastic force of the positioning locking member 433, the locking of the positioning pin 423 to the integral pressing locking member 434 is prevented. It will not be released.

  When the recording paper storage portion 43 is further pushed together with the front cover 42, the positioning locking member 433 is locked to the locking member 23 as shown in FIG. 14, and the recording paper storage portion 43 moves backward. Is regulated. At this time, when the front cover 42 is further pushed in, the positioning pin 423 is released from being locked to the integral pushing locking member 434, and only the front cover 42 is pushed backward as shown in FIG. . As the front cover 42 moves, the pressure contact control member 424 moves to a position where it overlaps with the whirling roller control link 84, and as shown in FIG. 5, the feeding roller 81 and the whirling roller 83 respectively have the recording paper P <b> 2 and the paper feeding roller 82. Weld each one. Thereafter, when the front cover 42 is further pushed, the locking member 426 of the front cover 42 is locked to the locking member 22 of the apparatus main body 2 as shown in FIG. 2 to be fixed.

  As described above, the sheet feeding device 4B according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which the positioning locking member 433 and the integral pushing locking member 434 are provided in place of the biasing member 425, so that In the insertion / extraction operation, the same operation as that of the sheet feeding device 4A of the first embodiment is performed. Accordingly, when the paper feeding device 4B is pulled out from the device main body 2, the recording paper P2 can be prevented from being damaged or dropped into the device main body 2, and when the paper feeding device 4B is inserted into the device main body 2, The sagging and breakage of the recording paper P2 can be prevented.

  In the image forming apparatuses of the first and second embodiments, the positioning groove is provided in the recording paper storage unit and the positioning pin is provided in the front cover. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The positioning groove may be provided in the front cover, and the positioning pin may be provided in the recording paper storage unit. When the positioning groove is provided in the front cover, in the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, the integral pressing locking member is configured to lock the positioning pin behind the positioning groove.

  In the image forming apparatuses of the first and second embodiments, the positioning pins and the positioning grooves are not limited to the configuration provided on the bottom plate side of the recording paper storage unit. For example, the recording paper storage unit It may be provided on the left and right side plates. Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment, the configuration of the positioning locking member and the integral pressing locking member is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may have the same function as described above. For example, another configuration may be used.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention has been described by taking an electrophotographic image forming apparatus as an example. However, as long as each of the above-described embodiments includes the sheet feeding device and the sheet feeding mechanism, an electronic The image forming apparatus is not limited to a photographic system, and may be an image forming apparatus using another system such as an inkjet system. Further, as an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) having a copy function, a scanner function, a printer function, and a fax function is provided as long as it includes each of the sheet feeding device and the sheet feeding mechanism in each of the above-described embodiments. Or a printer, a copier, a facsimile, or the like. In addition, the structure of each part is not limited to embodiment of illustration, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 3 Image reading part 4 Paper feeding apparatus 5 Image forming part 6 Paper discharge tray 7 Operation panel 8 Paper feed mechanism 41 Handle 42 Front cover 43 Recording paper storage part 44 Bottom plate 45F Front side plate 45B Rear side plate 45L Left side Plate 45R Right side plate 46 Push-up plate 81 Feeding roller 82 Feeding roller 83 Rolling roller 84 Rolling roller control link 85 Biasing member 86 Feeding roller control link 87 Shaft 88 Biasing member 421 Front plate 422 Slide part 423 Positioning pin 424 Pressure contact control member 425 Biasing member 426 Locking member 431 Positioning groove 432 Paper width regulating plate 433 Positioning locking member 434 Integral pushing locking member

Claims (6)

The image forming apparatus includes a recording paper storage unit that stores recording paper, and can be inserted into and removed from an image forming apparatus including a paper feeding mechanism that extracts the recording paper stored in the recording paper storage unit and feeds the recording paper into the apparatus. In the paper feeder
A front cover provided in front of the recording paper storage section when the direction in which the paper feeding device is extracted from the image forming apparatus is defined as the front;
A pressure contact control member that controls the pressure contact of the recording paper stored in the recording paper storage unit by the paper feeding mechanism and the release thereof according to the insertion and removal of the front cover;
With
A section is provided in which the front cover can slide independently of the recording paper storage unit along the insertion / extraction direction of the paper feeding device;
When the front cover slides independently in the section, the press contact control member controls the press contact of the paper feed mechanism and the release thereof,
Outside the section, the front cover slides integrally with the recording paper storage unit. The pressure contact control member moves in the insertion / removal direction together with the front cover and is brought into pressure contact with the paper feed mechanism when coming into contact with the paper feed mechanism, while the paper feed mechanism is separated from the paper feed mechanism. The pressure welding of
When the paper feeding device is pulled out, only the front cover is slid in the section toward the pulling direction, and then the front cover and the paper feeding storage unit are slid integrally.
2. When the paper feeding device is inserted, the front cover and the paper feed storage unit are integrally slid in the insertion direction, and then only the front cover is slid in the section. The sheet feeding device according to 1.   The paper feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member that biases the front cover and the paper feed storage portion in the insertion / extraction direction. A first locking member for locking the paper feed storage unit to the image forming apparatus;
A second locking member for locking the front cover to the paper feed storage unit when operating the front cover integrally with the paper feed storage unit;
The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a third locking member that locks the front cover to the image forming apparatus. While the paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 can be inserted and removed,
A paper feed mechanism for extracting the recording paper stored in the paper feed storage section;
An image forming unit that forms an image on recording paper extracted from the paper feeding mechanism;
With
When the paper feeding device is withdrawn, the paper feeding mechanism is released from contact with the recording paper before the paper feeding storage unit is withdrawn,
An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the paper feeding device is inserted, the recording paper is brought into contact with the paper feeding mechanism after the paper feeding storage portion is inserted.

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