JP2019218210A - Sheet loading device, sheet transport device, image formation device and image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet loading device that prevents increase in operational force needed when a user operates a regulation member, a sheet transport device, an image formation device, and an image formation system.SOLUTION: A sheet loading device includes: first and second side regulation means that control a position in a width direction of a loaded sheet; coupling means that causes the actions thereof to interlock; rear end regulation means that regulates a position of an end part in a sheet transport direction; and control means that controls the coupling means. The control means causes the coupling means to interlock the actuation of the first and second side regulation means when the rear end regulation means is in a predetermined section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet stacking device, a sheet feeding device, an image forming device, and an image forming system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a sheet stacking device that is provided so as to be able to be pulled out and stacks and stores sheets, a configuration in which a regulating member for regulating the position of the stacked sheets is provided. Patent Literature 1 describes a configuration in which a pair of regulating members are operated by a user operating a pair of regulating members in a sheet feeding device provided with two pairs of regulating members.

JP-A-2006-128344

  However, in Patent Literature 1, the two pairs of regulating members always operate in conjunction with each other regardless of the size of the stacked sheets. Therefore, even when the sheet is short in the feeding direction, such as a postcard, and the position of the sheet can be regulated only by the pair of regulating members, the operation force of the user is unnecessarily increased because the two pairs of regulating members operate in conjunction. It can get bigger.

  In view of such a conventional problem, the present invention provides a sheet stacking device, a sheet feeding device, an image forming device, and an image forming system that prevent an increase in an operation force required when a user operates a regulating member. The purpose is to:

  In order to solve the above problems, a sheet stacking apparatus according to the present invention is a sheet stacking apparatus that can be connected to an apparatus serving as a sheet feeding destination and is capable of stacking fed sheets. First and second side regulating means for regulating a position in a width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the first and second connecting means, a connecting means for interlocking the operation of the first and second side regulating means, and being movable in the feeding direction. A rear end regulating unit for regulating the position of the upstream end of the stacked sheets in the feeding direction; and, when the rear end regulating unit is in a predetermined section, the first and second coupling units by the coupling unit. And control means for interlocking the operation of the side regulating means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent an increase in an operation force required when a user operates the regulating member.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming system including a sheet stacking device. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a main part of a feeding deck with an outer cover removed. The figure which shows the state in which the large capacity deck storage was pulled out to the near side from the feeding deck. The figure which shows the block structure of the control system of a feeding deck. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which sheets are stacked on a lifter viewed from above. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the movement control mechanism and the connection mechanism when the large-capacity deck storage is pulled out.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the present invention according to the claims, and all combinations of the features described in the present embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. .

  Further, in this specification, “recording” (also referred to as “print”) means not only forming significant information such as characters and figures, but also meaningless. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not the image is visualized so as to be visually perceivable by a human, the image, the pattern, the pattern, and the like are widely formed on a recording medium or the medium is processed.

  Further, the “recording medium (sheet)” includes not only recording paper used in a general image forming apparatus but also a wide variety of materials such as cloth, plastic film (OHP), metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather. It also includes transportable media. Note that the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

<Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming system including a sheet stacking device according to the present embodiment. The image forming system 1000 includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter, referred to as an apparatus main body) 900, a scanner device 2000 disposed on an upper surface of the apparatus main body 900, and a paper deck 3000 provided to be connectable to the apparatus main body 900. .

  The scanner device 2000 includes a scanning optical system light source 201, a platen glass 202, an openable document pressure plate 203, a lens 204, a light receiving element (photoelectric conversion element) 205, an image processing unit 206, and a memory unit 208. Can be read. The scanner 2000 reads a document image by irradiating light from the scanning optical system light source 201 with the surface of a document (not shown) placed on a platen glass 202 with the document surface facing downward and the back surface pressed by a document pressure plate 203. The read document image is image-processed by the image processing unit 206, converted into an electrically encoded electric signal 207, and transmitted to the laser scanner 111 in the apparatus main body 900. Note that the image information processed and encoded by the image processing unit 206 can be temporarily stored in the memory unit 208 and transmitted to the laser scanner 111 as needed by a signal from a controller 120 described later.

  The apparatus main body 900 includes a sheet feeding cassette 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004 for feeding the sheet S, and a sheet conveying device 902 for conveying the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding cassettes 1001 to 1004 to the image forming unit 901. Have. The apparatus main body 900 includes a controller 120. The controller 120 has a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM, and comprehensively controls each unit of the image forming system 1000. The overall operation of the image forming system 1000 is realized by the cooperation of the controller 120 of the apparatus main body 900 and the controller 60 of the paper deck 3000.

  Here, each of the paper feed cassettes 1001 to 1004 includes a storage unit 10 that stores a sheet S, a pickup roller 11, and a separation and conveyance roller pair 25 including a feed roller 22 and a retard roller 23. The sheets S stored in the storage unit 10 are separated and fed one by one by a pickup roller 11 and a separation / conveyance roller pair 25 that rotate while moving up and down at a predetermined timing. Further, a feed sensor 24 is disposed near the downstream side of the feed roller 22 and the retard roller 23 in the sheet feeding direction, and the passage of the sheet S is detected by the feed sensor 24, and the detection signal is sent to the controller 120. Sent to.

  The sheet conveying device 902 includes a conveying roller pair 15, a pre-registration roller pair 130, and a registration roller pair 110. The sheet S fed from the sheet feeding cassettes 1001 to 1004 is guided by the pair of conveying rollers 15 and the pair of pre-registration rollers 130 through the sheet conveying path 108 and then to the pair of registration rollers 110. Thereafter, the sheet S is supplied to the image forming unit 901 at a predetermined timing by the registration roller pair 110.

  The image forming unit 901 includes a photosensitive drum 112, a laser scanner 111, a developing unit 114, a transfer charger 115, and a separation charger 116. Then, at the time of image formation, a laser beam from the laser scanner 111 is reflected by the mirror 113 and irradiated on the photosensitive drum 112 rotating clockwise, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 112. Further, the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 112 is visualized as a toner image by the developing device 114. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 112 is transferred to the sheet S by the transfer charger 115 in the transfer section 112b. The sensor 112a detects a sheet before the transfer charger 115. Further, the sheet S on which the toner image has been transferred in this manner is electrostatically separated from the photosensitive drum 112 by the separation charger 116, and then conveyed to the fixing device 118 by the conveying belt 117 to fix the toner image. The sheet is discharged by the discharge roller 119. The image forming unit 901 and the fixing device 118 form an image on the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding device (sheet feeding device) 30 or the sheet feeding cassettes 1001 to 1004.

  In addition, a discharge sensor 122 is disposed in a transport path between the fixing device 118 and the discharge roller 119, and the controller 120 detects passage of the discharged sheet S based on a detection signal of the discharge sensor 122.

  In the present embodiment, the apparatus main body 900 and the scanner apparatus 2000 are configured separately, but the apparatus main body 900 and the scanner apparatus 2000 may be integrated. Also, the apparatus main body 900 functions as a copier when a processing signal of the scanner apparatus 2000 is input to the laser scanner 111 and functions as a FAX apparatus when a FAX transmission signal is input. I do. Further, if a signal is input from a personal computer (PC), the device functions as a printer. In addition, if the processing signal of the image processing unit 206 of the scanner device 2000 is transmitted to another FAX device, it functions as a FAX device. In the scanner device 2000, if an automatic document feeder (ADF) 250 as shown by a two-dot chain line is used instead of the pressure plate 203, a plurality of documents (not shown) can be read continuously. Become.

<Schematic configuration of large-capacity deck>
Next, a sheet feeding device of the image forming system 1000 according to the present embodiment will be described using a paper deck 3000 as a large capacity deck as an example. FIG. 2A is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a main part of the paper deck 3000 with the outer cover removed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A, the paper deck 3000 (sheet feeding device) includes an apparatus main body 3000a, a large-capacity deck storage 40 (sheet stacking apparatus) housed in the apparatus main body 3000a, and a sheet. It has a feeding unit 30. The large-capacity deck storage 40 is capable of stacking the sheets S, and can be pulled out in a direction intersecting with the feeding direction by performing a sliding operation when the sheets S are supplied. Here, the feeding direction is a direction indicated by an arrow b in FIG. 2A, and may be simply referred to as a feeding direction. In the feeding direction, the side where the paper deck 3000 is connected to the apparatus main body 900 may be referred to as the front, and the opposite side may be referred to as the rear. On the other hand, the width direction is a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction (the direction of arrow h in FIG. 2A), and may be simply referred to as the width direction. Further, the sheet feeding unit 30 feeds the sheets S stacked and stored in the large-capacity deck storage 40 toward the image forming unit 901 at the feeding destination.

  The large-capacity deck storage 40 includes a lifter 82 for stacking the sheets S. The lifter 82 is supported by a driving mechanism including an elevating motor so as to be capable of elevating and lowering in the stacking direction in accordance with the amount of sheets S stacked. The lifter 82 stacks sheets S of various sizes such as a sheet SS of regular size paper (hereinafter, referred to as plain paper) and a sheet SL of large size paper (hereinafter, referred to as long paper).

  The large-capacity deck storage 40 includes two pairs of side regulating members 80 and 83 for regulating the position of the stacked sheets S in the width direction. The side regulating members 80 and 83 are each configured by a pair of plate members parallel to the sheet feeding direction, and the side regulating members 80 are located closer to the apparatus main body 900 of the image forming apparatus than the side regulating members 83 are. Are located.

  Each of the side regulating members 80 and 83 slides in the width direction to all the sheet size widths corresponding to the specifications, abuts on both ends of the stacked sheets S, and adjusts the position of the sheet S on the lifter 82 in the width direction. regulate. Here, for plain paper of, for example, A4 size, the movement of the sheet S in the width direction can be regulated by adjusting only the side regulating member 80 to the width of the sheet S. On the other hand, for long paper that is longer in the feeding direction than plain paper, the movement of the sheet S in the width direction can be regulated by adjusting both the side regulating members 80 and 83 to the width of the sheet S.

  Further, the large-capacity deck storage 40 includes a rear end regulating member 87 that regulates the positions of the ends on the upper side in the feeding direction of the sheets S stacked on the lifter 82. The rear end regulating member 87 is movably supported in the feeding direction according to the size of the stacked sheets S, and is a positioning slot formed inside the width direction of the lifter 82 in the feeding direction. It moves along 82c. Further, a front end regulating portion 86 is provided in front of the lifter 82, and regulates the forward movement of the sheets S other than the uppermost sheet S sent out by the pickup roller 51 described later.

  The sheet feeding unit 30 includes a pickup roller 51 for sending out the sheets S stacked on the lifter 82, and a pair of separation and conveyance rollers 31 for separating the sheets sent by the pickup roller 51 one by one and conveying the sheets downstream. . The pickup roller 51 is disposed above the lifter 82 and near the connection between the paper deck 3000 and the apparatus main body 900, and is provided so as to be able to press against the uppermost sheet S on the lifter 82. The sheet S is fed to the apparatus main body 900 by rotating the pickup roller 51 with the pickup roller 51 and the uppermost sheet S pressed against each other. The separation / conveyance roller pair 31 includes a feed roller 12 for feeding the sheet S to the downstream side, and a retard roller for returning the second and subsequent sheets S to the large-capacity deck storage 40 when a double feed of the sheet S occurs. 13 is included.

  The sheets S on the lifter 82 are separated and fed one by one by the pickup roller 51 and the separation / conveyance roller pair 31 that rotate while moving up and down at a predetermined timing. When double feeding occurs in the sheet S sent out by the pickup roller 51, the following operation is performed. That is, the retard roller 13 that rotates in the opposite direction to the feed roller 12 that rotates in the same direction as the arrow a (the direction of the arrow c) is the same as the feed roller 12 because two or more sheets S are interposed in the nip portion. Rotate in the direction. Then, the second and subsequent sheets S in the nip portion are pushed back in the direction of the lifter 82 by the retard roller 13, and only the uppermost sheet S is sent out in the direction of the arrow b by the feed roller 12.

  Further, a paper surface detection sensor 55 is disposed on the upstream side of the pickup roller 51 in the feeding direction. The paper surface detection sensor 55 is located above the lifter 82 and detects the presence or absence of the sheet S on the lifter.

  Please refer to FIG. At a connection portion between the paper deck 3000 and the apparatus main body 900, a connection conveyance path 32 for sending out the sheet S from the paper deck 3000 side to the pair of pre-registration rollers 130 on the apparatus main body 900 side is formed. A conveyance path sensor 14 is provided on the connection conveyance path 32 and detects the presence or absence of a sheet S on the connection conveyance path 32.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state where the large-capacity deck storage 40 is pulled out from the paper deck 3000 to the front side. For example, when the user replenishes sheets or removes sheets remaining in the lifter 82, the large-capacity deck storage 40 is pulled out. The paper deck 3000 includes a paper feeder housing 70, an LED 400 for notifying the state of the lifter 82, and an open / close instruction button 74 for receiving an instruction to pull out the large-capacity deck storage 40. When the user presses the open / close instruction button 74, the large capacity deck storage 40 can be pulled out.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration of a control system of the paper deck 3000. In particular, FIG. 4 illustrates a control configuration related to a movement restricting mechanism 88 and a coupling mechanism 84 described later. FIG. 4 shows an apparatus main body 900 and a paper deck 3000. The display unit 47 includes, for example, an operation panel, and is configured above the apparatus main body 900. The display unit 47 displays various user interface screens such as device information, setting screens, and job information. The display unit 47 includes, for example, hard keys, and accepts a job execution instruction and a function setting operation from a user. Further, in addition to the display unit 47, an instruction unit 47a having a hard key, a pressure-sensitive operation panel, or the like may be provided.

  The apparatus main body 900 in FIG. 4 includes a controller 120 including a CPU (not shown), and performs overall control of the apparatus main body 900 based on a job or the like. For example, a CPU (not shown) of the apparatus main body 900 communicates with the CPU 50 of the paper deck 3000 to control a series of processes from paper feeding to image formation on a recording medium.

  The controller 60 of the paper deck 3000 includes a CPU 50, a ROM 61, and a RAM 62. For example, when the CPU 50 reads a program stored in the ROM 61 into the RAM 62 and executes the program, the controller 60 controls the operation of the paper deck 3000. For example, the CPU of the apparatus main body 900 transmits a paper feed request to the CPU 50 of the paper deck 3000 at the paper feed timing at the time of job execution. Upon receiving the paper feed request from the CPU of the apparatus main body 900, the CPU 50 controls the paper deck 3000 so as to perform a paper feeding operation to the apparatus main body 900.

  The components of the controller 60 are interconnected via a bus 63, and the bus 63 functions as a data communication path between various components. Further, detection signals from side detection sensors 80a and 83a, which will be described later, and a rear end position detection sensor 87a are transmitted to the CPU 50.

  Further, when receiving the release request signal from the storage release switch 39, the CPU 50 releases the lock mechanism and pushes out the large-capacity deck storage 40 to the drawable position. The lock mechanism releases the locked state of the sheet storage unit lock solenoid 58 via the driver 57.

  Further, the CPU 50 drives various motors 53 on the sheet S transport path including the feed path 41 via a motor driver 52 connected to an input / output interface (I / O) 51 to drive the various rollers. I do. Further, the CPU 50 switches connection and disconnection of a connection mechanism 84 described later via the driver 64. Further, the CPU 50 switches between locking and unlocking of a movement restricting mechanism 88 described later via the driver 65.

<Detailed configuration of side regulation member and rear end regulation member>
5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a state in which sheets are stacked on the lifter 82 as viewed from above. FIG. 5A illustrates a state where plain paper is stacked, and FIG. 5B illustrates a state where long paper is stacked. FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a state in which long paper having a short width is stacked.

  The large-capacity deck storage 40 includes a coupling mechanism 84 that interlocks the movement of the two pairs of side regulating members 80 and 83 in the width direction. The connection mechanism 84 includes a connection member 81 that connects the two pairs of side restriction members 80 and 83 so as to be interlocked, and a switching mechanism that switches whether or not the two pairs of side restriction members 80 and 83 are connected by the connection member 81. (Not shown). The switching mechanism (not shown) may switch between connection and disconnection by electrical means using a solenoid or the like, or may have a mechanical configuration using a cam or the like.

  When the two side regulating members 80 and 83 are connected to each other by the connecting member 81, they move in the width direction. That is, when the user slides the side regulating member 80 in the width direction, the side regulating member 83 also slides in conjunction. On the other hand, when the two pairs of side regulating members 80 and 83 are not connected to each other by the connecting member 81, each moves independently in the width direction. Therefore, the user needs to slide the side regulating members 80 and 83 independently.

  The large-capacity deck storage 40 includes side detection sensors 80a and 83a that detect whether or not the two pairs of side regulating members 80 and 83 are each at the maximum width. Here, the maximum width is a width when the side regulating members 80 and 83 have moved to the outermost side, and is defined to be at least larger than the sheet width of all the sheets corresponding to the specification. That is, the side detection sensors 80a and 83a detect whether or not the two pairs of side regulation members 80 and 83 have moved to the outermost in the width direction.

  The side detection sensors 80a and 83a are, for example, an optical sensor that is turned off when the optical path between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit is interrupted. May be configured to block the light. Further, for example, a switch that mechanically operates in contact with the side regulating members 80 and 83 that have moved to the maximum width may be used. Alternatively, various sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor including a transmitter for transmitting ultrasonic waves toward the position of the maximum width of the side regulating members 80 and 83 and a receiver for receiving reflected ultrasonic waves may be used.

  In addition, the large-capacity deck storage 40 includes a movement regulating mechanism 88 that regulates movement of the rear end regulating member 87 in the feeding direction. The movement restricting mechanism 88 restricts the movement of the rear end restricting member 87, that is, locks the rear end restricting member 87 according to a flowchart described later. The movement restriction mechanism 88 may include a mechanism for switching between restriction and restriction release by electrical means using, for example, a solenoid or the like (not shown). Alternatively, the movement restriction mechanism 88 may include a mechanical configuration using a cam or the like to control the rear end. The movement of the member 87 may be restricted.

  Further, the large-capacity deck storage 40 includes a rear end position detection sensor 87a that detects the position of the rear end regulating member 87 in the feeding direction. The rear end position detection sensor 87a detects that the rear end regulating member is in a predetermined section. The predetermined section may be, for example, behind the front end of the side regulating member 83 in the feeding direction (upstream in the feeding direction). In this case, the rear end regulating member 87 is located forward of the front end of the side regulating member 83 in the feeding direction as shown in FIG. 5A, or is fed as shown in FIG. 5B. It is detected whether it is located behind the front end of the side regulating member 83 in the feeding direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the rear end regulating member 87 is located forward of the front end of the side regulating member 83, the side regulating members 80 and 83 are not connected to each other by the connecting member 81. Therefore, the side regulating members 80 and 83 move independently in the width direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the rear end regulating member 87 is located behind the front end of the side regulating member 83, the side regulating members 80 and 83 are connected to each other by the connecting member 81. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the user slides only the side regulating member 80 inward in the width direction (the direction of the arrow in the figure), the side regulating member 83 also moves inward in the width direction in conjunction with the movement.

  The rear end position detection sensor 87a can be, for example, a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance from the rear end position detection sensor 87a to the rear end regulating member 87 by ultrasonic waves or the like. Further, similarly to the side detection sensors 80a and 83a, various sensors such as an optical sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit, and a switch that operates mechanically may be used.

<Operation when pulling out large deck storage>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the movement restricting mechanism 88 and the connecting mechanism 84 when the CPU 50 pulls out the large-volume deck storage in the present embodiment. This process is executed, for example, by the CPU 50 calling a program stored in the ROM 61 into the RAM 62.

  When receiving the signal from the storage opening switch 39, the CPU 50 starts the following flow. Although the initial state of the movement restricting mechanism 88 of the large-capacity deck storage 40 is the locked state, the initial state of the coupling mechanism 84 inherits the state when the sheet storage was previously closed. For example, when long papers are stacked when the large-capacity deck storage 40 was previously opened, and the large-capacity deck storage 40 is closed with the coupling mechanism 84 connected, the coupling mechanism 84 is in the coupled state. On the other hand, when plain paper is stacked when the large-capacity deck storage 40 was opened last time, and the large-capacity deck storage 40 was closed with the connection mechanism 84 disconnected, the connection mechanism 84 is in the disconnected state.

  In S101, the CPU 50 determines whether or not the side regulation members 80 and 83 are at the maximum width based on the detection result of the side regulation width detection sensor. When both the side regulating members 80 and 83 are at the maximum width, the CPU 50 releases the locked state of the movement regulating mechanism in S102, and proceeds to S104. By the processing of S102, the trailing end regulating member can move in the feeding direction. On the other hand, if at least one of the side regulating means does not reach the maximum width, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the CPU 50 determines whether the large-capacity deck storage 40 has been pulled out or closed, and if it has been pulled out, returns to the process of S101. If the large-capacity deck storage 40 is closed, the flow ends.

  In S104, based on the detection result of the rear end position detection sensor 87a, the CPU 50 sets the rear end regulating member 87 in front of the side regulating member 83 in the feeding direction, that is, more than the end on the side close to the side regulating member 80. It is determined whether or not it is located behind. When the rear end regulating member 87 is at the rear, the CPU 50 determines in S105 whether the coupling mechanism 84 is in the coupled state or the disconnected state. When the connecting mechanism 84 is in the connected state, the process directly proceeds to the process of S109. On the other hand, if the connection mechanism 84 is in the connection release state, the connection mechanism 84 is set to the connection state in S106, and the process proceeds to S109. By the processing in S106, the side regulating members 80 and 83 can be integrally moved in the width direction.

  On the other hand, when the rear end regulating member 87 is located forward in S104, the CPU 50 determines in S107 whether the coupling mechanism 84 of the side regulating member is in the coupled state. If the connection mechanism 84 is in the connected state, the connection is released in S108, and the process proceeds to S109. On the other hand, when the connection mechanism 84 is in the connection release state, the process directly proceeds to S109.

  In S109, the CPU 50 determines whether the large-capacity deck storage 40 is pulled out or closed, and if it is pulled out, returns to the process of S104. If the large-capacity deck storage 40 is closed, the movement control mechanism 88 is locked in S110, and the process is terminated.

  When it is determined in S101 that the side regulating member is not the maximum width, a notification urging the user to set the side regulating member to the maximum width may be displayed on the display unit.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the rear end regulating member 87 is in the predetermined section, the operations of the first and second regulating members 80 and 83 are linked by the connecting mechanism 84. Therefore, when the number of sheets to be stacked is small, only the first regulating member 80 is operated by the operation of the user, so that it is possible to prevent an increase in the operation force required by the user.

  The configuration and operation of the sheet stacking apparatus described above can also be employed in a feeding device built in the apparatus main body 900 of the image forming system 1000, such as a cassette tray.

  900 device main body, 3000 paper deck, 50 CPU, 84 coupling mechanism, 87 movement regulation mechanism

Claims (9)

A sheet loading device capable of loading sheets,
First and second side regulating means for regulating the position of the stacked sheets in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction;
Connecting means for connecting the first and second side regulating means so as to be interlocked;
A trailing end regulating means movable in the feeding direction and regulating the position of the end on the upstream side in the feeding direction of the stacked sheets;
Control means for connecting the first and second side regulating means by the connecting means when the rear end regulating means is in a predetermined section;
A sheet stacking device, characterized in that: The first and second side regulating means are provided side by side in a feeding direction,
The first side regulating unit is disposed downstream in the feeding direction from the second side regulating unit.
The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   3. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined section is a section upstream of a downstream end of the second side regulating unit in a feeding direction. 4. A rear end position detecting unit that detects a position of the rear end regulating unit,
When the rear end position detecting unit detects that the rear end regulating unit is in the predetermined section, the control unit connects the first and second side regulating units with the connecting unit.
The sheet stacking device according to claim 1, wherein The first and second side regulating members each include a pair of first and second regulating members that extend in parallel with the feeding direction and are movable in the width direction, respectively.
The control means connects the first and second side restriction means when both of the pair of first and second restriction members are at the maximum width and the rear end restriction means is in the predetermined section. The sheet stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet is stacked. Movement regulating means for regulating movement in the feeding direction of the rear end regulating means,
First and second side detecting means for detecting that the pair of restricting members of the first and second side restricting means have respective maximum widths,
The control means releases the restriction of the movement restriction means when the first and second side detection means detect that both the first and second side restriction means are at the maximum width.
The sheet stacking device according to claim 5, wherein: A sheet stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A sheet feeding unit configured to feed a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking device to a device serving as a feeding destination;
A sheet feeding device comprising: A sheet stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking device to a feeding destination,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit. A sheet feeding device according to claim 7,
An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding apparatus, which is an apparatus serving as a sheet feeding destination,
An image forming system comprising: