JP2019131316A - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a paper feeder which can move up or down sheets in a stable state according to driving capability without causing inclination of large sheets having an elongated size.SOLUTION: A paper feeder includes: a storage chamber which stores sheets; a loading tray 61 which is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction and loads the sheets in the storage chamber; and a paper supply mechanism which supplies the sheet on the loading tray 61; a first restriction member 75 provided on a lower surface of the loading tray 61; and a second restriction member 76 provided on a bottom surface of the storage chamber. The first restriction member 75 contacts with the second restriction member 76.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that collectively stores sheets of various sizes and feeds sheets of a specified size toward an image forming apparatus, an image reading apparatus, or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a paper feeding device that supplies a sheet to an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer is used. Such a sheet feeding device includes a type including a sheet feeding cassette capable of storing about 100 sheets and a type including a storage capable of storing a large number of sheets of thousands. A type of paper feeder equipped with a storage is in contact with a lifter that loads a large number of sheets in the storage, a lift mechanism that lifts and lowers the lifter, a drive motor that drives the lift mechanism, and the top surface of the sheet on the lifter A feeding roller that feeds the sheet, a separation mechanism that separates the fed sheet into a single sheet, and feeds the sheet to the image forming apparatus. In such a type of sheet feeding device, when a sheet is stacked on the lifter, the lifter is lifted by driving the drive motor, and when the uppermost surface of the sheet comes into contact with the feeding roller, the lifter lift stops. Thereafter, upon receipt of a paper feed signal, the sheet is fed from the lifter by driving the feed roller, and is separated into sheets one by one by the separation mechanism and fed to the image forming apparatus.

  In addition, for example, there are models that support non-standard long sheets in addition to general-purpose sheets that are A3 size or smaller than legal size, for example. Patent Document 1 discloses a large capacity that allows a plurality of lifters to be stored by providing a removable partition plate in one storage, and allows a larger size of sheets to be loaded than each lifter by removing the partition plate. A paper stacking device has been proposed. Further, Patent Document 2 includes a sub-tray for supporting a long-sized sheet in a main tray. When a general-purpose sheet is stacked, sheets are stacked on the main tray. A paper feeding device has been proposed in which a portion protruding from the main tray is supported by a sub-tray.

JP 2003-63719 A JP 2002-338069 A

  Sheets generally used in image forming apparatuses have many general-purpose sizes such as A4 size and legal size, and large-sized sheets such as longer sizes are relatively rarely used. When loaded in large quantities, the load on the lifter increases. Further, when a special sheet having a thickness or material different from that of plain paper such as cardboard or OHP is handled, the load applied to the lifter becomes large. In order to cope with such an increase in the size of the sheet to be handled in this way, it is necessary to make the elevating mechanism more rigid, and a drive motor that drives the elevating mechanism also requires a large torque.

  In addition, since the lifter reduces the lifting drive load and requires a slit to secure the movement of the regulating member that regulates the seat, a frame structure for supporting the seat with a minimum area is often used. . In the lifter having such a frame structure, there is a possibility that tilting may occur during the raising / lowering operation, and some deformation or breakage may occur during sheet stacking or maintenance. In particular, the sub-tray attached to the main tray has a high probability that such a problem will occur because the strength is insufficient.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a sheet feeding device that can be lifted and lowered in a stable state according to driving ability without causing a large sheet such as a long size to be inclined.

  In order to solve the above problems, a sheet feeding device according to the present invention is provided with a storage for storing sheets, a stacking tray that is movably provided in the vertical direction, and stacks sheets in the storage, and stacks on the stacking tray. A sheet feeding device that feeds the sheet, and a first regulating member provided on a lower surface of the stacking tray; a second regulating member provided on a bottom surface of the storage; The first restricting member comes into contact with the second restricting member.

  According to the paper feeding device of the present invention, when the first regulating member provided on the lower surface of the stacking tray comes into contact with the second regulating member provided on the bottom surface of the storage case, the stacking tray moves in the vertical direction. Can prevent tilting and rattling. Accordingly, even when a large sheet such as a long size is stacked, the sheet can be fed in a stable state.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming system including a sheet feeding device of the present invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the internal structure of a paper feeder. It is a side view which shows the structure of a stacking tray. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part structure of a stacking tray. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st and 2nd control member. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a 2nd loading part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an internal structure of a sheet feeding device. It is sectional drawing which shows operation | movement of a stacking tray. It is the top view which looked at the loading tray from the upper part. It is a perspective view which shows the drawer structure of a storage.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of the image forming system 1. The image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 2, a reading device 3, and a paper feeding device 4. The image forming apparatus 2 includes each mechanism for forming an image, and forms an image on the sheet S by printing. The reading device 3 reads an image on the sheet S, generates image data corresponding to the image, and outputs the image data to the image forming device 2. Although the details will be described later, the sheet feeding device 4 can store a large number of sheets S of a plurality of sizes, and feeds the selected sheets S to the image forming apparatus 2.

  The image forming apparatus 2 performs printing on the sheet S received from the paper feeding apparatus 4 based on the image data from the reading apparatus 3, or performs printing on the sheet S in the image forming apparatus 2 and has been printed. The sheet S is discharged.

  The image forming apparatus 2 includes an image forming unit 5, a sheet conveying mechanism 6, and a plurality of paper feeding units 7a to 7d. The image forming unit 5 forms an image on the sheet S conveyed by the sheet conveying mechanism 6. In the embodiment described later, the sheet conveying mechanism 6 describes an aspect in which the sheet S from the sheet feeding device 4 is conveyed toward the image forming unit 5, but the sheet S from the sheet feeding units 7 a to 7 d is transferred to the image forming unit 5. It is also possible to carry it toward.

  The image forming unit 5 includes a laser beam scanning unit 111, a photosensitive drum 112, a mirror 113, a developing unit 114, a transfer charging unit 115, a separation charging unit 116, a conveying belt 117, a fixing unit 118, a discharge roller 119, and a discharge sensor 122. including. The laser beam scanning unit 111 outputs a laser beam based on the image data from the reading device 3. This laser light is reflected by the mirror 113 and output from the laser light scanning unit 111 so that the reflected light from the mirror 113 scans the surface of the photosensitive drum 112. As a result, a potential distribution is formed as a latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 112.

  The sheet conveyance mechanism 6 includes a pickup roller 11, a conveyance roller pair 15, a roller pair 25 including a feed roller 22 and a retard roller 23, a detection sensor 24, a sheet conveyance path 108, a pre-registration roller pair 130, and a registration roller pair 110. including. In the following description, the downstream side in the transport direction (or the feeding direction) may be simply expressed as the downstream side, and the opposite side may be simply expressed as the upstream side.

  The pickup roller 11 is disposed in each of the paper feeding units 7a to 7d, takes out the sheets S one by one from the corresponding paper feeding unit (7a and the like), and conveys them downstream. The roller pair 25 is disposed in each of the paper feeding units 7a to 7d, and uses the feed roller 22 and the retard roller 23 to convey the sheet S taken out from the corresponding paper feeding unit one by one, and two or more sheets If S is removed, they are separated. Specifically, when one sheet S is taken out, the feed roller 22 and the retard roller 23 rotate in a direction to convey the sheet S downstream. When two or more sheets S are taken out, the retard roller 23 rotates in reverse, separates the two or more sheets S, conveys one sheet S downstream, and other sheets S Return to the corresponding paper feeder.

  The conveyance roller pair 15 is disposed at each position of the sheet conveyance path 108 and conveys the sheet S from the sheet feeding units 7a to 7d toward the downstream side.

  The pre-registration roller pair 130 conveys the sheet S from any of the sheet feeding units 7a to 7d or the sheet S from the sheet feeding device 4 described later to the downstream side. Then, the sheet S is conveyed toward the image forming unit 5 by the registration roller pair 110 in accordance with the printing start timing by the image forming unit 5.

  Each of the sheet feeding units 7 a to 7 d is provided with a sheet feeding cassette 10, and the user can store a sheet S of a corresponding size in the sheet feeding cassette 10. The sheet feeding units 7a to 7d may store sheets S of the same size, or some / all of them may store sheets S of different sizes.

  The reading device 3 includes a scanning light source 201, a platen glass 202, a pressure plate 203, a lens 204, a light receiving element 205, a processor 206, a communication cable 207, a memory 208, and an automatic document feeder 250. The scanning light source 201 irradiates light on a document (paper on which some image is formed, for example, a magazine or the like) arranged on the platen glass 202 by the user and pressed by the pressure plate 203. This light is emitted so as to scan the document surface.

  As shown in the drawing, the reflected light from the document is guided by a mirror, collected by a lens 204 in this embodiment, and then detected by a light receiving element 205. The processor 206 generates image data based on the image on the document based on the detection result by the light receiving element 205. The processor 206 can output the image data to the image forming apparatus 2 via the communication cable 207 or can store the image data in the memory 208.

  The automatic document feeder 250 is configured to take in one or more documents into the reading device 3 one by one when one or more documents are placed by the user. As a result, image data based on the image on each document is generated by the processor 206 in the same procedure as described above.

  Note that the configurations of the image forming apparatus 2 and the reading device 3 are merely examples, and the image forming system 1 is not limited to the above configuration.

  The sheet feeding device 4 is connected to the image forming apparatus 2 so as to be able to supply the sheet S. In the present embodiment, the sheet feeding device 4 includes a sheet feeding mechanism 30, a control unit 41, and a housing 60 in which they are built. In the present embodiment, the sheet feeding mechanism 30 includes a stacking tray 61 configured to stack sheets S of various sizes, and a storage 62 that stores the sheets S together with the stacking tray 61.

  The stacking tray 61 includes a first stacking unit (main tray) 61a and a second stacking unit (subtray) 61b. Although details will be described later, the sub-tray 61b is configured to be connectable to the main tray 61a. The main tray 61a can stack sheets S having a general size (first size) equal to or smaller than the A3 size and the legal size, which are generally widely used. Further, by connecting the main tray 61a and the sub-tray 61b, it is possible to stack sheets S of a large size (second size) longer than the first size. FIG. 1 shows a mode in which the second size sheets S can be stacked by connecting the sub-tray 61 b to the main tray 61 a in the paper feeding device 4.

  In this specification, for ease of explanation, the size of the sheet S may be expressed as a general-purpose size / large size, which indicates a relative size based on the usage mode of the stacking tray 61. Only. For example, the large size is a long size having a length about 1.5 to 3 times the length of the general-purpose size (the length in the transport direction). A sheet on which an advertisement or the like listed on the top is printed is assumed.

  The sheets S on the stacking tray 61 are pressed by the pressure unit 84, thereby preventing the stacked sheets S from being lifted. The uppermost one of the stacked sheets S is taken out by the pickup roller 51 and conveyed toward the connection conveyance path 32 by the roller pair 31 including the feed roller 12 and the retard roller 13. The connection conveyance path 32 is connected to the sheet conveyance path 108 in the image forming apparatus 2. As a result, the sheet S conveyed to the connection conveyance path 32 is conveyed to the sheet conveyance path 108 and then conveyed toward the image forming unit 5 by the pre-registration roller pair 130 and the registration roller pair 110. From this viewpoint, the connection conveyance path 32 corresponds to an output unit that outputs the sheet S to the image forming apparatus 2.

  The function of the pickup roller 51 is the same as the function of the pickup roller 11. The functions of the feed roller 12 and the retard roller 13 are the same as the functions of the feed roller 22 and the retard roller 23 of the roller pair 31, respectively.

  The sheet feeding device 4 includes a storage opening / closing button 99, and the storage 62 can be pulled out from the housing 60 by operating the storage opening / closing button 99.

  In addition, the sheet feeding device 4 can perform signal communication with the image forming apparatus 2 by the control unit 41. For example, the sheet feeding device 4 accepts a sheet feeding request from the image forming apparatus 2, and print start timing, feeding The timing of the paper can be synchronized. The image forming apparatus 2 receives a print job from a user via an operation panel (not shown). The image forming apparatus 2 also provides information necessary for printing via the operation panel (for example, the sheet S needs to be replenished, the toner needs to be replaced, or a paper jam has occurred). Can be notified to the user. The operation panel is provided at a position that is easy for the user to see, for example, at the top of the image forming apparatus 2.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure inside the sheet feeding device 4 with the sheet feeding mechanism 30 as the center. When the pickup roller 51 rotates in the direction a, the uppermost sheet S stacked on the stacking tray 61 is taken out in the direction b, and conveyance of the sheet S is started. The sheet S is transported toward the connection transport path 32 as the feed roller 12 rotates in the c direction, and is further transported downstream as the pre-registration roller pair 130 rotates in the d direction.

  The sheet feeding mechanism 30 further includes a front end regulating member 86 on one end side in the b direction, that is, the downstream side, and further includes a rear end regulating member 87 on the other end side, that is, the upstream side. The front end regulating member 86 is a plate material that forms the side surface portion of the storage case 62. The rear end regulating member 87 is a columnar member configured so that its position can be adjusted in the b direction. The front end regulating member 86 and the rear end regulating member 87 can regulate the sheet length or prepare a bundle of sheets S stacked on the stacking tray 61.

  The direction intersecting with the b direction (here, substantially orthogonal) is defined as the h direction. The paper feed mechanism 30 further includes side end regulating members 83 on both sides in the h direction. A pair of side end regulating members 80 are arranged on the downstream side so as to sandwich the sheet S from the side. Similarly, a pair of side end regulating members 83 are arranged on the upstream side. The side end regulating members 83 are configured so that their positions can be adjusted in the h direction. That is, the side end regulating member 80 can move a part of the sheet S stacking area on the main tray 61a in the h direction, and the side end regulating member 83 can hout a part of the sheet S stacking area on the sub-tray 61b. It can move in the direction. Thereby, the sheet width can be regulated, or a bundle of sheets S stacked on the stacking tray 61 can be prepared.

  The movable range of the side end regulating member 83 in the h direction may be changed based on the position of the rear end regulating member 87 in the b direction. For example, when the first size sheets S are stacked, the rear end regulating member 87 is located on the downstream side of the pair of side end regulating members 83, and the pair of side end regulating members 83 are moved to positions close to each other. Could be possible.

  3 to 6 show the configuration of the stacking tray 61. FIG. The stacking tray 61 includes a main tray 61a and a sub-tray 61b. The main tray 61a includes a main frame 65 extending along the longitudinal direction of the second size sheet S that can be stored in the storage 62, a slit 66 provided at the center of the main frame 65 in the longitudinal direction, and the main frame. A front end frame 67 provided at the front end of 65, a rear end frame 69 provided at the rear end, and an intermediate frame 68 provided between the front end and the rear end. The main frame 65 has a first stacking surface 65a on which a first size sheet can be stacked between the front end frame 67 and the intermediate frame 68, and a subtray between the intermediate frame 68 and the rear end frame 69. This is a second loading surface 65b for placing 61b. The second stacking surface 65b is a surface on which the subtray 61b is placed and integrated, and is formed to have a thickness such that the upper surface of the subtray 61b and the upper surface of the first stacking surface 65a become a flat surface when connected. ing. The slit 66 is formed from the first placement surface 65a to the second placement surface 65b in order to slide the rear end regulating member 87. The front end frame 67, the intermediate frame 68, and the rear end frame 69 are provided with suspension support portions at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main frame 65, and lifting wires are connected to the suspension support portions. The

  The sub-tray 61b has a U-shaped sub-frame 71 having a slit 72 for slidingly moving the rear-end regulating member 87, and a pair of front-end frames 73 extending orthogonally outward from the open end of the sub-frame 71. Is formed. The sub-tray 61b is attached between the pair of side end regulating members 83 so as to be vertically movable.

  On the lower surface of the sub-tray 61b, a pair of plate-like first restricting members 75 extending from the front end of the sub-frame 71 toward the bottom surface 63 of the storage case 62 are provided. On the other hand, a second restriction member 76 that engages with the pair of first restriction members 75 is provided on the bottom surface 63 of the storage case 62. The second regulating member 76 has a role of regulating the maximum size of the first size sheets stacked on the main tray 61a and guiding the support and raising / lowering of the sub-tray 61b.

  The first restricting member 75 has a first restricting surface 77 on the inner surface facing the slit 74. On the other hand, the second restricting member 76 is formed by a U-shaped cross-sectional member extending upward from the bottom surface of the storage so as to surround at least three side surfaces of the first restricting member 75. . The lower end portion of the first restricting member 75 is provided with a locking means 79 for preventing the sub-tray 61b from falling off the second restricting member 76 when the sub-tray 61b is raised in conjunction with the main tray 61a. ing. The locking means 79 has a hook-like tip, and when the upper end of the second restricting member 76 is reached, by engaging with the upper end, the tip on the downstream side of the subframe 71 is inclined, In addition to preventing it from rotating and floating, it is also possible to prevent falling off.

  7 to 9 show a cross-sectional configuration of the stacking tray 61 in a state where the first and second size sheets are not stacked. Here, the main tray 61a and the sub-tray 61b are located at the lower ends of the respective movable areas.

  The main tray 61a has a thin second stacking surface 65b on the upstream side of paper feed, and the second stacking surface 65b rises and overlaps the subframe 71 of the subtray 61b, whereby the first stacking of the main tray 61a is performed. The surface 65a and the stacking surface 71a of the sub-tray 61b are connected so as to be flush with each other.

  On the other hand, when the sub-tray 61b is not connected to the main tray 61a, the sub-tray 61b is supported by the second restricting member 64 so that the sub-tray 61b is positioned at a predetermined height from the bottom surface 63. First position) Fixed at P1.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the drive mechanism 54 further includes a drive pulley 90, a plurality of guide pulleys 91, and a plurality of wires 92 a to 92 c (lifting members) in addition to the elevating motor 55. The drive pulley 90 is arranged coaxially with the rotation shaft of the lifting motor 55. The plurality of guide pulleys 91 are arranged to guide the wires 92a to 92c to positions where the main tray 61a can be fixed. The wire 92a is fixed to the downstream end of the main tray 61a. The wire 92b is fixed to the central portion of the main tray 61a. The wire 92c is fixed to the upstream end of the second stacking surface 65b of the main tray 61a.

  When the elevating motor 55 rotates, the driving pulley 90 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the main tray 61a via the wires 92a to 92c. With such a configuration, the driving force of the elevating motor 55 is transmitted directly / indirectly to the main tray 61a. For example, when the elevating motor 55 rotates in one direction, the main tray 61a rises and when the elevating motor 55 rotates in the other direction, the main tray 61a rotates. The tray 61a is lowered.

  The wires 92a to 92c are respectively fixed to the downstream end portion, the central portion, and the upstream end portion of the main tray 61a, so that the main tray 61a keeps its posture horizontal and suppresses its distortion. It is possible to move up and down. Although the details will be described later, the main tray 61a supports the sub-tray 61b when the sub-tray 61b is connected. Therefore, when the main tray 61a is fixed at a plurality of positions by the wire 92a or the like as in the present embodiment, these fixing positions are at least two upstream and downstream with respect to the center of gravity of the sub-tray 61b in the b direction. It is good to include a point. Here, the center of gravity of the sub-tray 61b is indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. As can be seen from the perspective view of FIG. 2, the drive pulley 90, the plurality of guide pulleys 91, and the wires 92a to 92c are provided on both sides in the h direction.

  The wires 92a to 92c only need to be able to transmit the driving force of the lifting motor 55, and instead of wires, other transmissions such as cables, belts, chains, etc., string-like, belt-like or chain-like A member may be used.

  FIG. 8 is a side view of the paper feeding device 4 for explaining the behavior of the stacking tray 61. FIG. 8A shows a structure in which the main tray 61a is located in the first region R1 below the position P1 and the sub-tray 61b is fixed at the position P1. At this time, the first regulating member 75 is accommodated in the second regulating member 76 in a state where the first regulating surface 77 is in contact with the second regulating surface 78 of the second regulating member 76. In addition, the rear end regulating member 87 is located on the downstream side of the second regulating member 76. In this state, the first size sheets S can be stacked on the first stacking portion 65a of the main tray 61a.

  FIG. 8B shows a structure in which the main tray 61a is located in the second region R2 above the position P1, and the sub-tray 61b is connected to the main tray 61a. At this time, the first restricting member 75 rises with the first restricting surface 77 in contact with the second restricting surface 78 of the second restricting member 76. Then, when the sub-tray 61b rises to a predetermined height integrally with the main tray 61a and reaches the upper end of the second regulating member 76, the locking means 79 provided on the first regulating member 75 is By engaging with the upper end of the second restricting member 76, it is possible to prevent the downstream end of the subframe 71 from being tilted or dropped off due to floating. In addition, the trailing edge regulating member 87 can feed the second size sheet S by moving upstream in accordance with a large sheet placed on the sub-tray 61b.

  A user who operates the image forming system 1 can adjust the position of the trailing edge regulating member 87 in the direction b, and stacks the first size sheets S by moving the trailing edge regulating member 87 downstream. The second size sheets S can be stacked by moving the trailing edge regulating member 87 to the upstream side.

  The main tray 61a can be moved up and down using both the first and second regions R1 and R2 as movable regions. On the other hand, the sub-tray 61b is held at the position P1 when the main tray 61a is in the first region R1, and the second tray 65b of the main tray 61a when the main tray 61a is in the second region R2. It can be connected and moved up and down together with the main tray 61a. That is, at the position P1, the sub-tray 61b is connected to the main tray 61a in conjunction with the ascending operation of the main tray 61a, and the connection is released in conjunction with the descending operation of the main tray 61a. Therefore, the position P1 is a position that is higher than the lower limit position where the main tray 61a can be lowered and lower than the upper limit position where the first stacking portion 61a and the second stacking portion 61b can be raised.

  The sub-tray 61b cooperates with the main tray 61a so that the second size sheets S can be stacked. Therefore, in the b direction (that is, a direction parallel to the long side of the second size sheets S), Among them, the first size sheet S is juxtaposed with a portion on which the sheet S can be placed.

  Here, the sheet S per sheet is heavier in the second size than in the first size. According to the present embodiment, when the stacked sheets S are the first size, the lower end of the movable region of the main tray 61a is below the position P1. On the other hand, when the sheet S to be stacked is the second size, the lower end of the movable area of the main tray 61a (and the sub-tray 61b) is the position P1. Therefore, the maximum stacking quantity (for example, 1500 sheets) of sheets S in the second size is smaller than the maximum stacking quantity (for example, 3000 sheets) in the first size. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when the second size sheets S are stacked, the lifting motor 55 is not overloaded. Note that the stacking amount of the second-size sheets S is maximized when the first stacking unit 61a and the second stacking unit 61b are fixed at the position P1 connected.

  9A is a top view of the paper feeding device 4 corresponding to FIG. 8A, and FIG. 9B is a top view of the paper feeding device 4 corresponding to FIG. 8B. is there. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the stacking tray 61 is provided with a slit 66 extending in the b direction, and the rear end regulating member 87 moves in the b direction within the slit 66. It is possible.

  Here, the main tray 61a has a book-like shape including a wide part extending in the b direction and a plurality of narrow parts extending in the h direction from the wide part in a plan view (from the vertical viewpoint). is there. Accordingly, the stacked sheets S are prevented from being bent, and the side end regulating members 80 and 83 are arranged apart from the main tray 61a in the h direction and can be moved in the h direction. The width of the wide portion in the h direction is wider than the width of each narrow portion in the b direction, and the slit 66 is provided in the wide portion.

  Further, the sub-tray 61b is provided so as to overlap with a part of the upstream side of the main tray 61a, in this case, the thin second stacking surface 65b in plan view. With such a structure, the sub-tray 61b is connected to the main tray 61a when the main tray 61a rises to the position P1, and can move up and down with the main tray 61a in the second region R2 above the position P1. Further, since the sub-tray 61b has a book-like shape like the main tray 61a, the side end regulating member 83 is spaced apart from the first stacking portion 61a and the second stacking portion 61b in the h direction and can be moved in the h direction. It has become.

  The slit 66 is shown as one rectangular opening in FIGS. 9A and 9B, but partially overlaps the opening provided in both the main tray 61a and the sub-tray 61b. Yes. As a result, the trailing edge regulating member 87 can slide in a range from the smallest first size sheet to the largest second size sheet.

  FIGS. 10A and 10B are perspective views for explaining the internal structure of the sheet feeding device 4, mainly the housing 60 and the storage 62. FIG. 10A is a perspective view in a state in which the storage case 62 is closed, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view in a state in which the storage case 62 is opened. In response to the user pressing the storage open / close button 99, the control unit 41 opens the storage 62.

S sheet 1 image forming system 2 image forming apparatus 3 reading device 4 sheet feeding device 5 image forming unit 6 sheet conveying mechanisms 7a to 7d sheet feeding unit 30 sheet feeding mechanism 41 control unit 51 pickup roller 54 drive mechanism 55 lift motor 60 housing 61 Loading tray 61a Main tray (first loading section)
61b Sub-tray (second stacking unit)
62 Storage 63 Bottom 65 Main frame 65a First stacking surface 65b Second stacking surface 66 Slit 67 Front end frame 68 Intermediate frame 69 Rear end frame 71 Subframe 71a Stacking surface 72 Slit 73 Front end frame 75 First regulating member 76 Second Restricting member 77 First restricting surface 78 Second restricting surface 79 Locking means 80, 83 Side end restricting member 86 Front end restricting member 87 Rear end restricting member 90 Driving pulley 91 Guide pulleys 92a to 92c Wire 99 Storage door opening / closing button

Claims (6)

A storage unit that stores sheets, a stacking tray that is movable in the vertical direction and stacks sheets in the storage unit, and a paper feed mechanism that feeds the sheets stacked on the stacking tray. In paper equipment,
A first regulating member provided on the lower surface of the stacking tray, and a second regulating member provided on the bottom surface of the storage;
A paper feeding device in which the first regulating member abuts on the second regulating member.   2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first restriction member protrudes downward from a lower surface of the stacking tray, and the second restriction member protrudes upward from a bottom surface of the storage case. The first restricting member has a plate-like first restricting surface protruding from the downstream end in the paper feeding direction to the upstream side,
2. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second regulating member includes a second regulating surface that protrudes upstream from a downstream end in a sheet feeding direction and abuts along the first regulating surface.   The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the first regulating member is formed by a triangular plate-like member that squeezes toward a lower end portion that projects downward from a lower surface of the stacking tray.   The first restricting member is provided with a latching means at a lower end portion protruding downward from the lower surface of the stacking tray, and the latching means regulates the dropout from the second restricting member. The paper feeder described in 1. A storage room for storing sheets;
A first stacker that is movably provided in the vertical direction and capable of stacking sheets of a first size;
The first stacking unit is connected to the first stacking unit in a state where the first stacking unit is positioned at a predetermined height, and can cooperate with the first stacking unit to stack sheets of a second size larger than the first size. A second stacking unit that is disconnected from the first stacking unit in a state where the first stacking unit is located at a position lower than the predetermined height,
A first regulating member is provided on the lower surface of the second stacking unit, and a second regulating member is provided on the bottom surface of the storage;
A paper feeding device in which the first regulating member abuts on the second regulating member.

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