JP2018039581A - Sheet feeding container, and each device for sheet conveyance, image reading and image formation having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeding container which can realize reduction in the number of components and simplification of the structure by integrating a lock mechanism and a click feeling generation mechanism of a regulation member into one configuration.SOLUTION: A lock member 340 of a regulation member 330 of a sheet feeding cassette 11a can be displaced between the lock posture and the release posture. In the lock posture, a tip 341 of the lock member is engaged with a recess 325 of a body 320 of the sheet feeding cassette to prevent manual sliding of the regulation member. In the release posture, since the protrusion length of the tip of the lock member is smaller than that in the lock posture, the tip comes into contact with a surface 326 of the body to such a degree as not to prevent manual sliding of the regulation member, and the change in friction received from the surface of the body at the time when the tip passes through the recess of the body following the sliding is sensed by the hand of the user who slides the regulation member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding container, and more particularly to a regulating member for a sheet position.

“Feeding container” refers to a machine that accommodates a bundle of sheets to be fed to a machine that processes sheets such as a document or printing paper, such as a printer, a copier, a scanner, or a finisher. There are trays or decks integrated with the machine main body, or cassettes that are detachably attached to the machine main body.
Both types of paper feed containers typically include a regulating member for the sheet. The “regulating member” refers to a member that manually or automatically aligns a bundle of sheets stored in a sheet feeding container. For example, the regulating member is supported on the bottom surface or the side surface of the sheet feeding container so as to be slidable in the sheet feeding direction, and positions the trailing end by contacting the trailing end in the sheet feeding direction. If the position of the trailing edge is accurate, the leading edge of the sheet comes into contact with the pickup roller at an appropriate position, so that the sheet is fed out to the conveyance path inside the machine in a correct posture. In this case, both double feeding (carrying) and skewing (skew) of the sheet are unlikely to occur, and paper feed defects such as paper jams (jams) due to them are prevented.

  As for the type of the restriction member that is manually slid, a lock mechanism and a click feeling generation mechanism are known as devices intended to improve the accuracy of positioning with respect to the sheet. The lock mechanism is a mechanism that fixes the restricting member to a stop position in accordance with the stop of sliding of the restricting member (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The higher the locking function of the locking mechanism, the more reliable the sheet feeding reliability is because the regulating member can reliably maintain the position of the sheet. On the other hand, since the regulating member may slide freely on the track while the lock mechanism is released, operation to slide the regulating member manually by reducing friction with the track or reducing the weight of the regulating member itself. A feeling (lightness) can be improved. The click sensation generating mechanism is a mechanism for transmitting to the user's hand by vibration that the regulating member has reached the target position (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Specifically, for example, when the regulating member slides manually, the regulating member maintains the tip of the rod-like member or the claw-like member pressed against the raceway surface. In the area of the raceway surface through which the tip passes, there are provided in some places recesses of a size that can fit the tip. The position of each recess indicates the target position of the restricting member, that is, the position of the restricting member when positioning the rear end of a standard size sheet such as A4 or B4. When the regulating member reaches this position, the tip of the bar-like member or the claw-like member is fitted into the recess. The vibration generated at this time is perceived as “clicking” by the user's hand. In this way, by notifying the arrival of the target position by vibration, the restricting member can be accurately stopped at the target position to the user.

JP 2010-168164 A JP 2009-227376 A

As shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in the conventional restriction member, the lock mechanism and the click feeling generation mechanism are independent from each other. As a result, since the number of parts of the entire regulating member is large and the structure is complicated, it is difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost of the regulating member.
The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in particular, by reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure by integrating the locking mechanism of the regulating member and the click feeling generation mechanism into one configuration. It is to provide a possible paper feeding container.

  A sheet feeding container according to one aspect of the present invention is a container for storing sheets to be fed to a machine, and includes a main body including a mounting surface on which sheets are stacked, and a stacking surface on the mounting surface. And a regulating member for positioning the rear end in the sheet feeding direction. The regulating member includes a base part supported on the surface of the main body so that it can be manually slidable in the paper feeding direction, and a tip part protruding from the base part toward the surface of the main body, and can be displaced by the base part And a lock member that increases or decreases the protrusion length of the tip portion by the displacement, a support point that is swingably supported by the base portion, a force point that receives a force from the user with its own swing shaft as a fulcrum, and a base of the lock member Release that causes the force point to swing around the fulcrum according to the force received from the user and to apply the force from the action point to the base end of the lock member to displace the lock member. A lever and a restricting member for restricting a swing range of the release lever; The main body includes a recess that can engage with the tip of the lock member at a predetermined position in the sheet feeding direction on the surface. The locking member has a locking posture in which the protruding part of the tip part is designed so that the tip part engages with a strength that prevents sliding of the concave part of the body and the base part, and the release lever swings to the limit of the swinging range. Along with the movement, it is possible to displace the protrusion length of the tip portion to a release posture in which the protrusion length is smaller than the value in the lock posture. The protrusion length of the tip in the release posture is such that the tip contacts the surface of the main body and the base so as not to interfere with the slide, and when the tip passes through the recess of the main body along with the sliding, It is designed so that a change in friction received from the surface of the user can be sensed by the user's hand sliding the platform.

  The lock member may be displaced from one of the lock posture and the release posture to the other by swinging around the swing shaft supported by the base portion. The restricting member may further include a biasing member that is supported by the base and applies a force in the swing direction to the lock member. The lock member may be displaced from the release posture to the lock posture by swinging in the direction of the force received from the biasing member. The surface of the main body may further include a step portion extending in the paper feeding direction along the side of the track of the restricting member, and the concave portion of the main body may be formed on a side surface of the step portion facing the track of the restricting member. The rocking shaft of the lock member is parallel to the paper feeding direction, and the protrusion length of the tip portion from the base portion to the side surface of the step portion may be changed as the lock member is rocked. The release lever swing axis is perpendicular to the paper feed direction. When the force point receives a force from the user in the paper feed direction, the release lever swings the lock member from the lock position to the release position, and at the same time, the restriction member The pedestal may slide in the direction of the force. The direction of movement of the action point associated with the rocking of the release lever may be perpendicular to the direction of movement of the base end portion associated with the rocking of the lock member. One of the base end of the lock member and the operating point of the release lever includes an inclined surface that crosses the other track obliquely and contacts the other in a separable manner, and the other slides on the inclined surface , It may move in a direction perpendicular to the other trajectory.

The protrusion length of the distal end portion of the lock member in the release posture may be adjustable by moving the limit of the swing range of the release lever restricted by the restriction member. The limiting member may be adjustable in distance from a contact point with the release lever to the swing axis of the release lever or a distance to the center of the swing range of the release lever.
One or both of the concave portion of the main body and the distal end portion of the lock member may include an edge that is notched or rounded into a tapered shape. The length of the edge in the protruding direction of the distal end portion of the lock member may be equal to or longer than the length of the portion of the distal end portion of the lock member in the locked posture that engages with the recess of the main body.

  A sheet conveying apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the above-described sheet feeding container according to the present invention and a conveying unit that conveys a sheet stored in the sheet feeding container. An image reading apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the sheet conveying device and a reading unit that reads an image from a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device. An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes the sheet conveying device and a printing unit that prints an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device.

  As described above, in the paper supply container according to one aspect of the present invention, the lock member provided in the restriction member can be displaced between the lock posture and the release posture. In the locked posture, the lock member engages the tip portion with the concave portion of the main body to prevent manual sliding of the restricting member. In the release posture, the lock member has a protrusion length at the tip portion smaller than that in the lock posture. This protrusion length causes the tip portion to contact the surface of the main body to the extent that it does not interfere with the sliding of the regulating member, and the friction that the tip portion receives from the surface of the main body when passing through the concave portion of the main body due to the sliding. Change is perceived by the user's hand. In this way, since the locking mechanism of the restricting member and the click feeling generating mechanism are integrated into one configuration, the number of parts and the simplification of the structure of the paper supply container can be realized.

(A) is a perspective view showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the ADF 110 and the scanner 120 along a line bb shown in (a). . FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing an internal structure of the printer shown in FIG. 1. (A) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the paper feed cassette which the printer shown in FIG. 1 contains, (b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the regulating member shown in (a). (A) is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the front side of the control member shown in FIG. 3, (b) is an exploded view which shows the structure of the back side. (A) is a rear view of the regulating member shown in FIG. 3, and (b) is an enlarged view of a part thereof. (A) is a side view of the regulating member shown in FIG. (B) is a perspective view showing the relationship between the difference in the protruding length of the front end portion of the lock member between the lock posture and the release posture and the concave portion of the main body of the paper feed cassette. (C) is a top view which shows the engagement state of the front-end | tip part of a releasing attitude | position, and a recessed part. (A) is a perspective view which shows the relative position of the lock member and release lever of a lock posture, (b) is a contact part vicinity between the leg part of a lock member, and a release lever among (a). FIG. 4C is a perspective view enlarging FIG. 2C, and FIG. (D) is a schematic top view of the contact portion between the leg portion of the lock member and the release lever in the release posture. (A) is a perspective view which shows the control member which slides with the force from a user. (B) is a top view which shows typically the front-end | tip part of the leg part which slides the side surface of a step part with the sliding of a control member. (A) is a perspective view which shows the vicinity of a limiting member among the longitudinal cross-sections of the control member along the straight line IIX-IIX which (a) of FIG. 5 shows. (B), (c) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the regulating member along the straight line IIX-IIX shown in (a) of FIG. 5, and (b) is a case where the limiting member is fixed to the lower end of the screw hole. (C) shows the case where it is fixed to the upper end of the screw hole. (D) is a schematic top view of the contact surface of the leg portion of the lock member and the protrusion of the release lever in the release posture. (E) is a top view which shows the difference in the engagement state of the front-end | tip part of a leg part and the recessed part of the main body of a paper feed cassette between a lock attitude | position and a releasing attitude | position.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Appearance of image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This image forming apparatus is a multi-function peripheral (MFP) 100 and has functions of a scanner, a color copier, and a color laser printer. An automatic document feeder (ADF) 110 is mounted on the upper surface of the casing of the MFP 100 so as to be openable and closable. A scanner 120 is built in the upper part of the casing located directly under the ADF 110, and a printer 130 is built in the lower part of the casing. A paper feed cassette 133 is attached to the main body of the printer 130 so that it can be pulled out.

  MFP 100 is an in-body discharge type. That is, a paper discharge tray 132 is installed in the gap DSP between the scanner 120 and the printer 130, and accommodates sheets discharged from the paper discharge port 131 at the back. An operation panel 160 is attached to the front portion of the housing located beside the gap DSP. A touch panel is embedded in the front surface of the operation panel 160, and various mechanical push buttons are arranged around the touch panel.

[ADF structure]
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the ADF 110 along the line bb shown in FIG. The ADF 110 takes in the document DC0 from the sheet feed tray 111 one by one into the sheet feed port 113 by the sheet feed roller 11A, and discharges from the sheet feed port 113 along the transport path by the transport roller groups 11B to 11G. 115, and the paper is discharged from the paper discharge port 115 by the paper discharge roller 11H. The document DC2 discharged from the discharge port 115 is stored in the discharge tray 112. While the document passes through this conveyance path, the surface of the ADF 110 is scanned on the bottom surface by the irradiation light from the scanner 120, and the inside of the ADF 110 is scanned on the back surface by the irradiation light from the back surface scanner 116.

[Scanner structure]
FIG. 1B also includes a cross-sectional view of the scanner 120 along the line bb shown in FIG. The scanner 120 is a flat bed type. The contact glass 121 closes a slit opened on the upper surface of the scanner 120 and faces the document conveyance path exposed on the bottom surface of the ADF 110. The platen glass 122 closes an opening on the upper surface of the scanner 120 provided separately from the slit. When the ADF 110 is open, the platen glass 122 is exposed, so that a document can be placed thereon. The slider 123 is installed inside the scanner 120 so as to be able to reciprocate between the position immediately below the contact glass 121 and the opposite end of the platen glass 122. The slider 123 emits light from the built-in line light source 128 through the contact glass 121 to the surface of the document passing through the conveyance path exposed on the bottom surface of the ADF 110, and passes through the platen glass 122 to the surface of the document placed thereon. Irradiate light. Reflected light from the surface of each original is reflected by the slider 123 toward the optical elements 124 and 125 by a built-in mirror 129. The optical elements 124 and 125 focus the reflected light on the light receiving surface of the line sensor 126. The line sensor 126 detects the amount of light focused on the light receiving surface and converts it into an electrical signal. Since the amount of light changes according to the light reflectance of the surface of the document, it represents an image displayed on the surface. The image read by the line sensor 126 from the document passing through the conveyance path exposed on the bottom surface of the ADF 110 is opposite to the image of the document displaying the image read by the back scanner 116 from the same document. The image processing circuit 127 receives electrical signals from the line sensor 126 and the back scanner 116, converts the signals into image data, and transmits the image data to the printer 130 or an external electronic device.

[Printer structure]
FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the structure of the printer 130. In FIG. 2, the elements of the printer 130 are depicted as if they were seen through the front of the housing. The printer 130 is an electrophotographic color printer, that is, a color laser printer, and includes a feeding unit 10, an image forming unit 20, a fixing unit 30, and a paper discharge unit 40. These elements 10,... 40 cooperate to form an image on the sheet based on the image data while conveying the sheet within the housing of the MFP 100.

  The feeding unit 10 uses the transport roller groups 12P, 12F, 12R, 13, and 15 to separate the sheets one by one from the sheet bundle SHT stored in the paper feed cassettes 11a and 11b or the manual feed tray 16, The image is fed to the image forming unit 20. The material of the sheet is, for example, paper or resin, the paper type is, for example, plain paper, high-quality paper, color paper, or coated paper, and the size is, for example, A3, A4, A5, or B4.

  The image forming unit 20 forms a toner image on the sheet SH2 sent from the feeding unit 10. Specifically, each of the four image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K first uses the laser light from the exposure unit 26 to base the surface of the photosensitive drums 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K on the basis of image data. Then, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface. Each of the image forming units 21Y,... Then develops the electrostatic latent image with toner of any color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The obtained four-color toner images are formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 23 in order from the surface of the photosensitive drums 25Y,... By the electric field between the primary transfer rollers 22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K and the photosensitive drums 25Y,. Transferred to the same position above. Thus, one color toner image is formed at that position. This color toner image is further transferred onto the surface of the sheet SH2 that has passed through the nip between the rollers 23 and 24 by the electric field between the drive roller 23R and the secondary transfer roller 24 of the intermediate transfer belt 23. Thereafter, the sheet SH <b> 2 is peeled off from the secondary transfer roller 24 by application of a separation voltage, and sent to the fixing unit 30.

  The fixing unit 30 heat-fixes the toner image on the sheet SH2 sent out from the image forming unit 20. Specifically, when the sheet SH2 is passed through the nip between the fixing roller 31 and the pressure roller 32, the fixing roller 31 applies heat from a built-in heater to the surface of the sheet SH2, and the pressure roller No. 32 applies pressure to the heated portion of the sheet SH2 and presses it against the fixing roller 31. The toner image is fixed on the surface of the sheet SH <b> 2 by the heat from the fixing roller 31 and the pressure from the pressure roller 32. Thereafter, the fixing unit 30 sends the sheet SH2 to the paper discharge port 131.

The paper discharge unit 40 discharges the sheet SH <b> 3 sent from the fixing unit 30 from the paper discharge port 131 by the paper discharge roller 43 and stores it in the paper discharge tray 132.
[Paper cassette structure]
FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the paper feed cassette 11a included in the printer 130. FIG. The paper feed cassette 11a is a rectangular parallelepiped housing whose upper portion is open, and is housed in the housing of the printer 130 so as to be drawable. The sheet feeding cassette 11a includes a sheet feeding side surface 310, a main body 320, and a regulating member 330, in particular.

  The paper feeding side surface 310 is one of the side surfaces parallel to the drawing direction of the paper feeding cassette 11a (in FIG. 3A, the X-axis direction, that is, the direction from the upper right back to the lower left front). It faces the start end of the sheet conveyance path, that is, the pair of the sheet feeding roller 12F and the separating roller 12R shown in FIG. A pickup roller 12 </ b> P is installed at the upper end of the paper feeding side surface 310. The pickup roller 12 </ b> P can rotate around a rotation shaft 12 </ b> S parallel to the paper feeding side surface 310.

  The main body 320 is a part constituting the housing of the paper feed cassette 11a. A mounting surface 321 is installed on the bottom surface of the main body 320. The placement surface 321 extends from the portion located substantially at the center of the bottom surface of the main body 320 in the paper feeding direction, that is, the normal direction of the paper feeding side surface 310 (the Y-axis direction in FIG. The upper end of 310 extends obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 3A by a two-dot chain line, a bundle of sheets SHT is stacked on the placement surface 321. The bundle SHT is accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette 11a in a posture in which one side closer to the sheet feeding side surface 310 is lifted by the inclination of the mounting surface 321. Since the uppermost sheet of the bundle SHT comes into contact with the pickup roller 12P at the end closer to the sheet feeding side surface 310, the upper surface of the sheet feeding side surface 310 rises when the pickup roller 12P rotates and the mounting surface 321 rises. To the beginning of the transport path.

The regulating member 330 is supported on the bottom surface portion located at the center of the main body 320 in the depth direction (X-axis direction) of the paper feed cassette 11a so as to be manually slidable in the paper feed direction (Y-axis direction). Yes. The restricting member 330 positions the trailing edge of the sheet SHT by contacting the trailing edge of the sheet SHT stacked on the placement surface 321 in the sheet feeding direction.
FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the regulating member 330 shown in FIG. Two grooves 322 extending in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction) are carved on the bottom surface of the main body 320. The base portion 331 of the regulating member 330 straddles between these two grooves 322 and can slide along the grooves 322. That is, the two grooves 322 and the region between them constitute a path on which the regulating member 330 slides, that is, a track 323. A restriction plate 332 is installed on the base portion 331. The restricting plate 332 is a rectangular plate, and in a state where the plate surface is directed in the sheet feeding direction (Y-axis direction), the sheet feeding direction (Y-axis) from the height direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 3) of the sheet feeding cassette 11a. The direction is inclined in the opposite direction. The plate surface of the regulation plate 332 contacts the rear end of the sheet bundle SHT stacked on the placement surface 321 to align them. Since the plate surface of the regulating plate 332 is inclined, the front end of the sheet bundle SHT whose rear end is aligned with this plate surface is properly aligned with the pickup roller 12P at the upper end of the paper feeding side surface 310.

  On the bottom surface of the main body 320, a step portion 324 is formed that extends in the paper feeding direction on both sides of the track 323 of the regulating member 330. The stepped portion 324 protrudes from the bottom surface of the main body 320 in the height direction (Z-axis direction) of the paper feed cassette 11 a, and the side surfaces thereof face the track 323 of the regulating member 330. Concave portions 325 are engraved on the side surface of the stepped portion 324 in places in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction). When the restricting member 330 stops, the tip end portion 341 of the lock member protrudes from the lower portion of the restricting member 330 toward the side surface of the stepped portion 324, and the portion surrounded by the broken line in FIG. Fit in one. By engaging with the recess 325 in this manner, the distal end portion 341 of the lock member prevents manual movement of the restriction member 330, so that the restriction member 330 maintains the stop position stably. At this time, the position of each concave portion 325 in the sheet feeding direction (Y-axis direction) is designed so that the rear end of a standard size sheet such as A4 or B4 correctly contacts the plate surface of the regulating plate 332.

[Structure of restriction member]
FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the appearance of the front side of the regulating member 330, and FIG. 4B is an exploded view showing the structure of the back side thereof. The restriction member 330 includes a lock member 340, a release member 350, and a restriction member 370 in addition to the base portion 331 and the restriction plate 332.
The base portion 331 is L-shaped when viewed from the side surface side of the regulating member 330 (the positive direction side of the X axis in FIG. 4), and the horizontal portion thereof contacts the track on the main body 320 of the paper feed cassette 11a. The vertical portion is a rectangular parallelepiped housing whose back surface is open. A lock member 340 is accommodated in the lower side of the internal space, and a release lever 350 is accommodated in the upper side. The back side of the lock member 340 is covered with a cover 360. A restriction plate 332 is fixed between the upper end of the vertical part of the base part 331 and the upper surface of the horizontal part in a state of leaning diagonally.

  The lock member 340 includes two leg portions 342 and a biasing member 343. Each leg portion 342 is substantially rod-shaped, and extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) along the side surface (end surface in the X-axis direction) in the vertical portion of the base portion 331, with the base portion 331. Is swingably supported. The distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 can protrude outward through a hole 333 formed in the lower side surface of the base portion 331. The urging member 343 is, for example, a coil spring, and is attached to the base 331 while extending in the base 331 perpendicularly to the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction) and horizontally (that is, in the X-axis direction). It is fixed to be stretchable. One leg portion 342 is fixed to each end of the biasing member 343.

  The release lever 350 has a substantially flat plate shape and is swingably supported by the base 331 in a state where the vertical portion of the base 331 extends from the upper end to the center in the height direction (Z-axis direction). Has been. The upper end 352 of the release lever 350 is exposed from the opening 334 on the upper surface of the vertical portion of the base 331, and the lower end 353 is in contact with the base end 344 of each leg 342 of the lock member 340.

  For example, the limiting member 370 is a cylindrical member having a “U” shape whose longitudinal section is laid sideways, and is fixed to the center of the cover 360 with a screw 361. A lower end 353 of the release lever 350 is inserted into the gap inside the limiting member 370. As a result, the displaceable range of the lower end 353 is limited to the inside of the limiting member 370, and thus the swing range of the release lever 350 is limited.

-Swing mechanism of lock member-
5A is a rear view of the regulating member 330, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of a part thereof. FIG. 6A is a side view of the regulating member 330. In both figures, as indicated by a two-dot chain line, the base 331 and the cover 360 are drawn as if they were transparent, and the structure in the base 331 can be seen through.

  Each leg portion 342 of the lock member 340 includes a through hole 345 in the vicinity of the proximal end portion 344. The hole 345 extends in parallel to the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction). The rocking shaft 365 passes through the hole 345 in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction), and one end thereof is fixed to the inner surface of the cover 360. The leg portion 342 can swing around the swing shaft 365. By this swinging, each leg portion 342 is displaced from one of the lock posture and the release posture to the other. In FIG. 5A, the leg portion 342 in the locked posture is drawn with a two-dot chain line, and the leg portion 342 in the released posture is drawn with a solid line. Since the swing shaft 365 is parallel to the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction), the tip 341 of the leg portion 342 moves outward from the lower hole 333 of the base portion 331 (X-axis direction) as the leg portion 342 swings. Change the protrusion length to. Specifically, in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 5B by a two-dot chain line, the tip 341 protrudes greatly from the hole 333 of the base 331, and in the released position, FIG. As shown by the solid line, the protruding length is smaller than the locking posture.

  Each leg 342 is connected to one end of a coil spring 343 between the swinging shaft 365 and the tip 341. The distance between both ends of the coil spring 343 is longer when both the leg portions 342 are in the locked posture than when in the release posture. The natural length of the coil spring 343 is designed to be a value closer to the distance between both ends when the both leg portions 342 are in the locked position than when they are in the released position, and preferably larger than the distance. As a result, both leg portions 342 receive the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343 in the direction in which the distal end portion 341 protrudes outward, particularly when in the release posture. By swinging in the direction of the restoring force FR, both the leg portions 342 are displaced from the released posture to the locked posture.

  FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing the relationship between the difference in the protruding length of the front end 341 between the lock posture and the release posture and the concave portion 325 of the main body 320 of the paper feed cassette 11a. In this figure, the distal end portion 341 in the locked posture is drawn with a two-dot chain line, and the distal end portion 341 in the released posture is drawn with a solid line. In the locked posture, the protruding length of the distal end portion 341 is large, and the distal end portion 341 enters deeply into the recess 325, so that the engagement strength between the distal end portion 341 and the recess 325 is high. As a result, the manual sliding of the regulating member 330 is prevented. In the release posture, the protruding length of the tip portion 341 is smaller than that in the lock posture, and the tip portion 341 enters only near the edge of the recess 325 so that the engagement strength between the tip 341 and the recess 325 is low. As a result, the regulating member 330 is slid manually so that the tip 341 is brought into contact with the edge of the recess 325, and torque caused by the force in the direction opposite to the protruding direction received by the tip 341 from the edge is applied to the coil spring 343. The leg 342 is swung above the torque resulting from the restoring force FR, and the protruding length of the tip 341 is further reduced. In this way, the tip 341 can be easily detached from the recess 325.

  FIG. 6C is a plan view showing an engaged state between the distal end portion 341 in the release posture and the concave portion 325 of the main body 320 of the sheet feeding cassette 11a. The solid line shown in this figure represents the tip 341 that has entered the recess 325. As described above, the protruding length of the tip 341 in the release posture is designed so that the tip 341 faces the recess 325 and enters the recess 325 even in the release posture. Preferably, both edges 346 in the sliding direction (left-right direction in the figure) of the surface of the tip 341 are notched into a tapered shape. The size TPL of the tapered shape 346 in the depth direction (vertical direction in the drawing) of the recess 325 is equal to or greater than the depth EGD in which the distal end portion 341 enters the recess 325 in the release posture. In this case, the tapered shape 346 of the tip 341 comes into contact with the edge of the recess 325 as the regulating member 330 slides, so that the torque caused by the force received from the edge is easily caused by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343. Exceeds torque. Therefore, the tip end portion 341 is more easily detached from the recess 325.

  In FIG. 6C, the tip 341 after being detached from the recess 325 is drawn with a two-dot chain line. The protruding length of the distal end portion 341 in the release posture is designed to enter the recessed portion 325 by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343 when the distal end portion 341 faces the recessed portion 325. Therefore, when the tip portion 341 deviates from any of the concave portions 325, it is pressed against the side surface 326 of the step portion 324 by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343. At this time, the protruding length of the distal end portion 341 in the release posture is adjusted so that the frictional force received by the distal end portion 341 from the side surface 326 does not hinder manual sliding of the regulating member 330.

-Oscillation mechanism of release lever-
The release lever 350 includes a swing shaft 354 at the center. The swing shaft 354 extends in a direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the paper feeding direction (X-axis direction), and both ends are fixed to the side surface of the vertical portion of the base 331 so as to be swingable. When the lock member 340 is in the locked posture, the lower end 353 of the release lever 350 is directly below the swing shaft 354 (in the negative direction of the Z axis), as shown by the solid line in FIG. The proximal end portion 344 of the portion 342 is in contact. When the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 exposed from the opening 334 on the upper surface of the base 331 receives a force in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction) from the user, as shown in FIG. The release lever 350 swings around the swing shaft 354 and falls in the direction of the force. During this time, the release lever 350 functions as a lever having the swing shaft 354 as a fulcrum, the upper end 352 as a power point, and the lower end 353 as an action point. At this action point 353, the force from the user acts on the base end portion 344 of each leg portion 342 as a force in the swinging direction of the leg portion 342. When the torque caused by this force exceeds the torque caused by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343, the release lever 350 swings around the fulcrum 354 to move the action point 353, and both the legs 342 swing from the locked posture. Let When the action point 353 moves to a position where it contacts the restriction member 370 (shown by a broken line in FIG. 6A), that is, when the release lever 350 is tilted to the limit of the swing range, both legs 342 are released. Displace to posture.

-Force transmission mechanism between lock member and release lever-
FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a relative position between the lock member 340 and the release lever 350 in the locked posture, and FIG. 7B is a leg portion 342 of the lock member 340 and the release lever in FIG. It is the perspective view which expanded the contact part vicinity between 350, (c) is a typical top view of the contact part. Since the swing shaft 365 (Y-axis direction) of each leg 342 of the lock member 340 and the swing shaft 354 (X-axis direction) of the release lever 350 are orthogonal to each other, the base end portion of the lock 340 accompanying the swing of the leg 342 is used. The operating point associated with the swinging of the release lever 350, that is, the moving direction of the lower end 353 (Y-axis direction) is perpendicular to the moving direction of the 344 (X-axis direction). From the lower end 353 of the release lever 350, a projection 355 projects horizontally (X-axis direction) toward the base end portion 344 of each leg portion 342. On the other hand, a contact surface 347 is widened at the base end portion 344 of each leg portion 342 and faces the tip of the protrusion 355 of the release lever 350. The contact surface 347 is a side surface of the columnar member having a Y-shaped cross section (transverse cross section) by a horizontal plane (XY plane). Since each leg 342 receives torque from the coil spring 343, the contact surface 347 is pressed against the tip of the projection 355 unless the tip 341 receives torque exceeding the torque from the outside.

  When the leg portion 342 is in the locked posture, the central portion of the contact surface 347, that is, the portion CNT corresponding to the Y-shaped intersection of the cross section contacts the tip of the protrusion 355 as shown in FIG. To do. At this time, the Y shape of the cross section of the contact surface 347 is symmetric with respect to the central axis CTX of the protrusion 355. When the user applies a sufficiently large force to the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 to tilt the release lever 350 in the paper feeding direction (the negative direction of the Y axis in FIG. 7A), the projection 355 is accordingly 7 (c) moves in the direction perpendicular to the central axis CTX (the positive direction of the Y axis) as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line. Since the contact surface 347 intersects obliquely with respect to the trajectory drawn by the tip of the projection 355, the tip of the projection 355 pushes the contact surface 347 in the direction perpendicular to the own trajectory (X-axis direction) while moving away from the surface. Slide over 347. At this time, the force that the contact surface 347 receives from the protrusion 355 in the direction perpendicular to the trajectory (X-axis direction) swings the leg 342 and displaces it from the locked position to the released position. On the other hand, when the user tilts the release lever 350 in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction (the positive direction of the Y axis in FIG. 7A), the projection 355 is accompanied by two points in FIG. As indicated by the chain line, the movement is in the opposite direction (the negative direction of the Y axis). Also at this time, the tip of the projection 355 slides on the surface 347 while pushing the contact surface 347 in the direction perpendicular to the own track (X-axis direction), so the leg portion 342 is swung and locked. To the release posture.

  FIG. 7D is a schematic top view of the contact portion between the leg portion 342 of the lock member 340 and the release lever 350 in the release posture. The user tilts the release lever 350 to the limit of the swing range, for example, in the paper feeding direction (the negative direction of the Y axis in FIG. 7A), and further pushes the base 331 in that direction. At this time, since the leg part 342 maintains the release posture, the base part 331 slides in that direction. When the tip 341 of the leg 342 reaches the position facing the recess 325 of the step 324 of the sheet feeding cassette 11a, the leg 342 enters the recess 325 by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343. Along with this, the contact surface 347 moves toward the lower end 353 of the release lever 350 (in the negative direction of the Y axis in FIG. 7C), and the projection 355 as shown in FIG. Touch the tip. When the user continues to push the base 331 further in the paper feeding direction through the release lever 350, the tip 341 is detached from the recess 325 and pushed back to the side surface of the step 324 by the depth EGD that has entered the recess 325 in the release posture. It is. Therefore, the contact surface 347 is separated from the tip of the protrusion 355 to generate a gap ΔG, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. This gap ΔG absorbs the difference in the protruding length of the tip 341 between the case where the tip 341 in the release posture faces the recess 325 and the case where the tip 341 deviates from the recess 325. In particular, stress distortion does not occur in the protrusion 355 of the lower end 353 of the release lever 350.

  When the user removes the force from the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 in a state where the tip 341 of the leg 342 of the lock member 340 faces the recess 325 of the step 324 of the paper feed cassette 11a, the leg 342 is turned into the coil spring 343. Torque from. With this torque, the leg portion 342 brings the base end portion 344 closer to the lower end 353 of the release lever 350 while pushing back the tip of the protrusion 355 of the release lever 350 in the central axis direction (X-axis direction) with the contact surface 347. Accordingly, the tip of the protrusion 355 moves in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction (X-axis direction) (Y-axis direction) while sliding on the contact surface 347. In this way, the tip of the protrusion 355 automatically returns to the central portion CNT of the contact surface 347, and the leg portion 342 is automatically displaced from the released posture to the locked posture.

-Click feeling generation mechanism-
FIG. 8A is a perspective view showing a regulating member 330 that slides with a force from the user. When both the leg portions 342 of the lock member 340 are in the locked posture, the leading end portions 341 thereof are strongly engaged with the concave portions 325 of the step portion 324 of the paper feed cassette 11a, so that the regulating member 330 is stably stationary. . The user presses the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 exposed from the opening 334 on the upper surface of the base 331 in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction). When the torque due to the user's force exceeds the torque acting on the release lever 350 from the coil spring 343 through the legs 342, the release lever 350 falls in the paper feeding direction (Y-axis direction). When the release lever 350 is tilted to the limit of the swing range, the leg portion 342 is swung from the lock posture to the release posture. Since the distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 in the release posture is weakly engaged with the concave portion 325, the user can continue to push the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 in the paper feeding direction even after the release lever 350 falls to the limit of the swing range. For example, the tip 341 of the leg 342 is detached from the recess 325, and the regulating member 330 starts to slide in the paper feeding direction.

  FIG. 8B is a top view schematically showing the distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 that slides on the side surface 326 of the stepped portion 324 as the regulating member 330 slides. As shown by a two-dot chain line, while the tip 341 deviates from the recess 325, the tip 341 does not interfere with manual sliding of the regulating member 330 on the side 326 of the step 324 by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343. It is pressed with the strength of. Therefore, the friction that the tip 341 receives from the side surface 326 of the step 324 is transmitted to the user's hand pressing the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 as a response. When the tip 341 passes through the next recess 325, the tip 341 once enters the depth indicated by the solid line in FIG. 8B and then leaves the recess 325. As the tip 341 changes the protruding length in this way, the friction that the tip 341 receives from the side surface 326 of the stepped portion 324 changes, so that the response felt by the user also changes. From this change, the user can sense that the tip 341 has passed through the recess 325 of the step 324. In this manner, the lock member 340 can notify the user of the passage of the recess 325 by the tip 341 as a click feeling.

-Projection length adjustment mechanism at the tip of the lock member-
The distal end portion 341 of the lock member 340 protrudes toward the step portion 324 of the sheet feeding cassette 11a even in the release posture, and generates a click feeling by contacting the side surface 326 thereof. The strength of the click feeling and the smoothness of sliding of the regulating member 330 are determined by the protruding length of the tip 341 in the releasing posture, and the protruding length is determined by the size of the swing range of the releasing lever 350.

  FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the limiting member 370 in the longitudinal section of the regulating member 330 along the straight line IIX-IIX shown in FIG. The limiting member 370 includes a front wall 371 that faces a plate surface on one side of the lower end 353 of the release lever 350 with a gap, and a rear wall 372 that faces a plate surface on the opposite side with a gap. The distance between both walls 371 and 372 is constant. The limiting member 370 is fixed to the center portion of the cover 360 with a screw 361. Since the screw hole 362 opened in the center of the cover 360 is elongated in the height direction of the restricting member 330 (vertical direction in FIG. 9A), the height of the fixing position of the restricting member 370 by the screw 361 can be adjusted. It is.

  FIGS. 9B and 9C are longitudinal sectional views of the regulating member 330 along the straight line IIX-IIX shown in FIG. In particular, FIG. 9B shows a case where the limiting member 370 is fixed to the lower end of the screw hole 362, and FIG. 9C shows a case where the limiting member 370 is fixed to the upper end of the screw hole 362. When the height of the fixing position of the restriction member 370 is different, the distance from the surface portion of the release lever 350 that contacts the front wall 371 and the rear wall 372 to the swing shaft 354 of the release lever 350 is different. Specifically, when the limiting member 370 is fixed to the lower end of the screw hole 362, as shown in FIG. 9B, the swing axis of the release lever 350 from the contact point between the limit member 370 and the release lever 350. Since the distance to 354 is equal to the maximum value HMX, the swing range SWR of the release lever 350 is the narrowest. When the limiting member 370 is fixed to the upper end of the screw hole 362, as shown in FIG. 9C, the distance from the contact point between the limiting member 370 and the release lever 350 to the swing shaft 354 of the release lever 350 is as follows. Since it is equal to the minimum value HMN, the swinging range SWR of the release lever 350 is the widest.

  FIG. 9D is a schematic top view of the contact surface 347 of the leg 342 of the lock member 340 and the protrusion 355 of the release lever 350 in the release posture, and in particular, changes in the swing range of the release lever 350. The displacement of the contact point between the contact surface 347 and the protrusion 355 is shown. The solid line indicates the case where the swinging range of the release lever 350 is the narrowest, and the two-dot chain line indicates the widest case. As the swinging range of the release lever 350 is wider, the contact point between the contact surface 347 and the protrusion 355 moves farther from the central portion CNT of the contact surface 347, so that the base end portion of the leg portion 342 in the central axis direction of the protrusion 355 The moving distance of 344 is long.

  FIG. 9E is a plan view showing a difference in the engagement state between the distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 and the concave portion 325 of the main body 320 of the sheet feeding cassette 11a between the lock posture and the release posture. The broken line represents the tip 341 in the locked posture. A thick solid line represents the distal end portion 341 in the release posture when the swing range of the release lever 350 is the narrowest, and a thin solid line represents that in the widest case. The depth at which the distal end portion 341 enters the recess 325 is smaller at the position EDN indicated by the thin solid line than at the position EDX indicated by the thick solid line. This is because as the swinging range of the release lever 350 is wider, the change in the protruding length of the distal end portion 341 due to the displacement of the leg portion 342 between the lock posture and the release posture is larger. The smaller the depth at which the distal end portion 341 in the released posture enters the concave portion 325, the weaker the force that the distal end portion 341 detached from the concave portion 325 with the sliding of the regulating member 330 is pressed against the side surface 326 of the step portion 324. On the other hand, when the tip 341 passes through the next recess 325, the change in the protrusion length is small. Accordingly, the wider the swinging range of the release lever 350, the smoother the sliding of the regulating member 330 is, but the click feeling when the tip 341 passes through the recess 325 is weak. Thus, by adjusting the height of the fixing position of the restricting member 370, the protruding length of the distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 increases or decreases according to the width of the swing range of the release lever 350. The smoothness of the movement and the intensity of the click feeling are adjusted in a complementary manner.

[Advantages of the embodiment]
In the paper feed cassette 11 a according to the embodiment of the present invention, the regulating member 330 includes a lock member 340 and a release lever 350. The lock member 340 can be displaced between a lock posture and a release posture. In the locked posture, each leg portion 342 projects the leading end portion 341 toward the step portion 324 of the main body 320 of the sheet feeding cassette 11 a and strongly engages with the concave portion 325 of the step portion 324. Thereby, the manual sliding of the regulating member 330 is prevented. In the released posture, the protruding length of the tip 341 is smaller than that in the locked posture, so that the engagement strength between the step portion 324 and the concave portion 325 is low. As a result, the distal end portion 341 can be easily detached from the recess 325 as the regulating member 330 is manually slid. The lock member 340 displaces the leg portion 342 from the release posture to the lock posture particularly by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343. The release lever 350 swings around the swing shaft 354 in accordance with the force received by the upper end 352 from the user, and applies the force from the lower end 353 to the base end portion 344 of each leg 342 of the lock member 340. Accordingly, the release lever 350 displaces each leg 342 from the locked posture to the released posture.

  When the distal end 341 of the leg 342 in the released posture faces the recess 325 by the restoring force FR of the coil spring 343, the tip 341 enters the recess 325 and when the tip 341 deviates from the recess 325, The side surface 326 is pressed with a strength that does not prevent manual sliding of the regulating member 330. Therefore, while the user presses the upper end 352 of the release lever 350 and slides the restricting member 330, the friction received by the tip 341 from the side surface 326 of the stepped portion 324 is transmitted to the user's hand as a response. Further, when the tip 341 passes through the recess 325, a change in friction that the tip 341 receives from the side surface 326 of the stepped portion 324 causes the user's hand to sense the passage of the recess 325 by the tip 341. In this way, the locking mechanism of the restricting member and the click feeling generating mechanism are integrated into one configuration 340, so that the number of parts and the simplification of the structure of the sheet feeding cassette 11a can be realized.

[Modification]
(A) The image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an MFP. In addition, the sheet cassette having the regulating member 330 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a single-function image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine, and an ADF, finisher, and automatic sorting provided in an image reading apparatus such as a scanner. It can be used in any apparatus having a sheet conveying function such as a machine. For example, a regulation member similar to the regulation member 330 may be mounted on the paper feed tray 111 shown in FIG. 1B and used for alignment of a bundle of documents DC0.

  (B) In FIG. 3B, the lock member 340 causes the tip 341 of the leg 342 to protrude in the horizontal direction, and engages with a step 324 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 320 of the paper feed cassette 11a. In addition, the lock member may be engaged with the bottom surface of the cassette body, in particular, the track surface of the restricting member with the tip protruding downward. The track of the restricting member may also be provided on the inner side surface located at the end of the cassette body in the direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and the lock member may engage the front end portion with the inner side surface. . The same applies when a regulating member is installed in the paper feed tray or document tray instead of the paper feed cassette. That is, even if the locking member protrudes the tip end portion of the leg portion in the horizontal direction and engages the side surface of the step portion provided on the upper surface of the tray body, the locking member protrudes in the downward direction, particularly the upper surface of the tray body. You may engage with the track surface of a member.

(C) The urging member 343 shown in FIG. 4B is a coil spring. In addition, the biasing member may be a spring having a different form such as a leaf spring, or may be a highly elastic member such as an elastomer.
(D) The limiting member 370 shown in FIG. 4B is a cylindrical member whose longitudinal section is a “U” shape. In addition, if the limiting member can limit the displacement range from at least one side by blocking the orbit of the lower end 353 accompanying the swing of the release lever 350, such as a pair of separated plate-shaped members, rod-shaped members, screws, etc. Any shape is acceptable. The limiting member may be arranged so as to block the track of other parts such as the upper end 352 separately from or in addition to the lower end 353 of the release lever 350. The restricting member may also be integrated with the pedestal 331 or the cover 360. That is, a portion of the surface of the base 331 or the cover 360 that faces the lower end 353 of the release lever 350 may be configured to limit the displacement range by blocking the track of the lower end 353 or the like.

  Instead of or in addition to the limiting member 370 for the release lever 350, a limiting member for the lock member 340 may be installed. This restricting member restricts the displacement range by blocking the trajectory of any part of the locking member 340 due to the swinging of the leg portion 342. Since the protruding length of the distal end portion 341 of the leg portion 342 in the release posture increases or decreases according to the width of the displacement range, the sliding smoothness of the restricting member 330 and the click feeling strength are adjusted complementarily. Preferably, at a contact portion between the lock member 340 and the limiting member, at least one of the lock member 340 and the limiting member includes an elastic member. This elastic member changes the protruding length of the tip 341 when the tip 341 of the leg 342 is detached from the recess 325 of the step 324 of the paper feed cassette 11a and pushed back to the side of the step 324. To absorb. Thereby, the base part 331 can slide smoothly without receiving an excessive frictional force from the side surface of the step part 324.

  (E) In FIG. 6B, the edge 346 of the tip 341 of the leg 342 of the lock member 340 is cut out in a tapered shape. These edges may alternatively be rounded. Further, instead of or together with the front end of the lock member, the edge of the recess in the sliding direction of the restricting member may be cut out into a tapered shape or rounded. In either case, the size of the edge to be cut out in a tapered shape in the depth direction of the recess or to be rounded may be greater than or equal to the depth at which the tip of the lock member enters the recess in the release posture. Apart from the taper process or the rounding process, at least one edge of the tip part or the concave part of the lock member may be formed of an elastic member such as an elastomer.

  (F) In FIG. 7, the contact surface 347 is provided at the base end portion 344 of the leg portion 342 of the lock member 340, and the protrusion 355 is provided at the lower end 353 of the release lever 350. Conversely, the contact surface may be provided at the lower end of the release lever, and the protrusion may be provided at the proximal end portion of the lock member. In addition to the Y-shaped cross section, the contact surface, such as a U-shaped cross section, crosses one of the tracks of the base end of the lock member and the lower end of the release lever diagonally, and is in contact with the other one so as to be separable What is necessary is just to include the inclined surface to do. That is, it is only necessary that one of the base end portion of the lock member and the lower end of the release lever is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the other track by sliding the other on the inclined surface.

  (G) The release lever 350 shown in FIG. 8A is locked to the limit of the swing range in that direction while the upper end 352 receives the force in the direction in which the regulating member 330 should slide, from the user. The leg portion 342 of the member 340 is displaced to the release posture, and the force is transmitted to the base portion 331 to be slid. In addition, the release lever may be a mechanism that forms a clip together with the base and displaces the lock member to the release posture while being held by the user. In this case, when the user moves the hand holding the clip, the regulating member slides in accordance with the movement.

  (H) The restriction member 370 shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C is changed from the contact points 371 and 372 to the release lever 350 to the swing shaft 354 of the release lever 350 by changing the height of the fixing position. Adjust the distance of. In addition, for example, the distance between the contact point with the release lever and the center of the swing range of the release lever may be adjustable by changing the distance between the front and rear walls 371 and 372 shown in FIG.

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding container, and as described above, the lock member provided in the regulating member is brought into contact with the surface of the main body of the container in the releasing posture. Thus, the present invention is clearly industrially applicable.

100 MFP
11a Paper feeding cassette 12P Pickup roller 12S Pickup roller rotating shaft 310 Paper feeding side surface 320 Paper feeding cassette body 321 Placement surface 322 Groove 323 Restriction member trajectory 330 Restriction member 331 Restriction member base 332 Restriction plate 333 Hole 334 Opening of base 340 Lock member 341 Lock member tip 342 Lock member leg 343 Biasing member 344 Lock member base end 345 Leg through hole 346 Tip edge 347 Base end contact Surface 350 Release lever 352 Upper end of release lever 353 Lower end of release lever 354 Release lever swing shaft 355 Release lever protrusion 360 Cover 361 Screw 365 Lock member swing shaft 370 Limiting member

Claims (14)

A container for storing sheets to be fed to a machine,
A main body including a mounting surface on which the sheets are stacked;
A regulating member for positioning the trailing edge in the sheet feeding direction of the sheets stacked on the placement surface;
With
The regulating member is
A base portion supported on the surface of the main body so as to be manually slidable in a paper feeding direction;
A lock member that includes a tip portion that protrudes from the base portion toward the surface of the main body, is supported by the base portion so as to be displaceable, and increases or decreases the protrusion length of the tip portion by the displacement;
It includes a force point that is supported by the base portion so as to be swingable, has its own swing shaft as a fulcrum, receives a force from the user, and an action point that contacts the base end portion of the lock member. A release lever that swings around the fulcrum according to a force, and that displaces the lock member by applying the force from the acting point to the base end of the lock member;
A limiting member for limiting the swing range of the release lever;
Have
The main body includes a concave portion in which a front end portion of the lock member can be engaged at a predetermined position in the sheet feeding direction on the surface,
The locking member includes a locking posture in which a protruding length of the tip portion is designed so that the tip portion is engaged with a strength that prevents sliding of the concave portion of the main body and the base portion, and the release lever is Along with swinging to the limit of the swing range, it is possible to displace to the release posture in which the protruding length of the tip is reduced from the value in the lock posture,
The protruding length of the tip portion in the release posture is such that the tip portion does not interfere with the sliding of the surface of the main body and the base portion, and the tip portion becomes a concave portion of the main body along with the sliding. A sheet feeding container is designed so that a change in friction received from the surface of the main body when passing through the sheet is sensed by a user's hand sliding the platform. 2. The paper feed according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is displaced from one of a lock posture and a release posture by swinging around a swing shaft supported by the base portion. container. The regulating member further includes a biasing member that is supported by the base portion and applies a force in a swinging direction to the lock member,
The paper feed container according to claim 2, wherein the lock member is displaced from a release posture to a lock posture by swinging in a direction of a force received from the biasing member. The surface of the main body further includes a step portion extending in the paper feeding direction along the side of the track of the regulating member,
The concave portion of the main body is formed on a side surface of the step portion facing the track of the restriction member,
The rocking shaft of the lock member is parallel to the paper feeding direction, and the leading end portion changes the protruding length from the base portion to the side surface of the step portion with the rocking of the lock member. The paper feed container according to claim 2 or 3.   The rocking shaft of the release lever is perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and when the force point receives a force from the user in the paper feeding direction, the release lever rocks the lock member from the lock position to the release position. 5. The paper feed container according to claim 4, wherein the base portion of the regulating member slides in the direction of the force at the same time.   6. The moving direction of the action point accompanying the rocking of the release lever is perpendicular to the moving direction of the base end accompanying the rocking of the lock member. Paper feeding container.   One of the base end portion of the lock member and the operating point of the release lever includes an inclined surface that obliquely intersects the other track and contacts the other in a separable manner, and the other slides on the inclined surface. Accordingly, the paper feed container moves in a direction perpendicular to the other trajectory.   The protrusion length of the front-end | tip part of the said lock member in a releasing attitude | position is adjustable by moving the limit of the rocking | fluctuation range of the said release lever which the said limitation member restrict | limits, The Claim 1 to Claim 7 characterized by the above-mentioned. A paper feed container as described in any of the above.   The distance from the contact point with the said release lever to the rocking | fluctuation axis | shaft of the said release lever, or the distance to the center of the rocking | fluctuation range of the said release lever is adjustable. The paper feeding container described in.   10. One or both of the recessed part of the said main body and the front-end | tip part of the said lock member contain the edge notched or rounded by the taper shape, The one of Claim 1-9 characterized by the above-mentioned. Paper feeding container.   The length of the edge in the protruding direction of the distal end portion of the lock member is equal to or greater than the length of the portion of the distal end portion of the lock member in a locked posture that engages with the recess of the main body. The paper feeding container according to 10. A paper feed container according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A transport unit for transporting a sheet stored in the paper feed container;
A sheet conveying apparatus. A sheet conveying device according to claim 12,
A reading unit that reads an image from a sheet being conveyed by the sheet conveying device;
An image reading apparatus comprising: A sheet conveying device according to claim 12,
A printing unit for printing an image on a sheet being conveyed by the sheet conveying device;
An image forming apparatus.

Images