JP2021104893A - Sheet feeding device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a seat feeding device that pulls up a pressure plate when a cover is closed and is accommodated in an accommodation position above a feeder, with a configuration that allows the cover to be reliably moved from a closed position to an open position even if the device is miniaturized.SOLUTION: An image forming device 1 equipped with a sheet feeding device includes: a pressure plate 31 that can support a sheet and swings between a supply position and a non-supply position; a link member 32 that swings the pressure plate 31 when an MP tray 27 is in an open position; an arm 33 with one end connected to a device body 2 and the other end connected to the pressure plate 31, and configured to hold the pressure plate 31 in an accommodation position above a feeding unit 280 when the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, and movably hold the pressure plate 31 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position; and a first guide unit 92 that can come into contact with a tip of the pressure plate 31 and guides a movement of the pressure plate 31 in a process of moving the MP tray 27 from the closed position to the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming device including the same.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, there is an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet tray on a cover provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body so as to be openable and closable. This seat tray uses a pressure plate mechanism that supports the seat with a pressure plate and raises and lowers it in order to reduce the variation in the feed feed pressure applied to the feed roller due to the viewpoint of increasing the load capacity of the seat and the change in the load capacity. There is something that is.

In such an image forming apparatus, for example, Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a pressure plate is pulled up when the cover is closed and is accommodated in an accommodation position above the feeding roller.

JP-A-2016-84233

However, if priority is given to miniaturization of the device in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the tip of the pressure plate may be caught by the upper end of the feeding roller when the cover is moved from the closed position to the open position, and the cover may not be opened. be. Such a situation is the same not only in the configuration having the image forming apparatus but also in the configuration having the sheet feeding apparatus such as the document conveying apparatus.

According to the present invention, in a seat feeding device in which a pressure plate is pulled up when the cover is closed and the pressure plate is accommodated in an accommodation position above the feeding unit, the cover can be reliably moved from the closed position to the open position even if the device is miniaturized. The purpose is to provide a configuration that can be made to. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet feeding device.

The sheet feeding device of the present invention is provided in the device main body, the feeding section provided in the device main body to feed the sheet, and the closed position and the upper end portion from the closed position. It is equipped with an opening / closing cover that swings to an open position far from the side surface of the device body. Further, the seat feeding device is provided on the opening / closing cover, can support the seat when the opening / closing cover is in the open position, and has a supply position for pressing the seat against the feeding portion and the feeding position. It is equipped with a pressure plate that swings between the feed section and the non-supply position that separates the seat. Further, the sheet feeding device is provided on the main body of the device, can support the pressure plate when the opening / closing cover is in the open position, and has a first position with the pressure plate as the supply position and the pressure plate. A link member that swings between the second position, which is the non-supply position, is provided. Further, in the sheet feeding device, one end is connected to the main body of the device, the other end is connected to the pressure plate, and when the opening / closing cover is in the closed position, the pressure plate is placed in an accommodation position above the feeding unit. It is provided with an arm that moves between a first holding position for holding and a second holding position for movably holding the pressure plate to the supply position and the non-supply position when the opening / closing cover is in the open position. .. Further, the sheet feeding device includes a first guide portion that can come into contact with the tip end portion of the pressure plate and guides the movement of the pressure plate in the process of moving the opening / closing cover from the closed position to the open position. There is.

According to the above configuration, even if the pressure plate shakes when the opening / closing cover is moved from the closed position to the open position, the pressure plate is guided by the first guide portion. Therefore, even when the device is miniaturized, the open / close cover can be reliably moved from the closed position to the open position.

In the above configuration, the first guide portion has an inclined surface that can come into contact with the tip portion of the pressure plate and is inclined along the direction in which the opening / closing cover moves from the closed position to the open position. You may be doing it.

According to the above configuration, since the pressure plate is smoothly guided along the inclined surface, the opening / closing cover can be smoothly moved from the closed position to the open position.

In the above configuration, the first guide portion may be in contact with both ends in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction at the tip end portion of the pressure plate.

According to the above configuration, even when the pressure plate is tilted with respect to the width direction, the first guide portion can be brought into contact with the pressure plate, so that the first guide portion can be reliably guided.

In the above configuration, in the process of moving the open / close cover from the closed position to the open position, the open / close cover abuts on a surface of the pressure plate opposite to the seat support surface side, and the pressure plate is brought into contact with the link member. The pressure plate is supported by the arm and swings by its own weight to abut the second guide portion, and when the pressure plate is in contact with the second guide portion, the first guide is provided. It may not come into contact with the portion.

According to the above configuration, the pressure plate can be reliably guided to the link member by the second guide portion. When the opening / closing cover is opened by a normal operation, the pressure plate abuts on the second guide portion by its own weight and does not abut on the first guide portion, so that the first guide portion constituting the external surface is not easily scratched.

In the above configuration, the apparatus main body has a main body cover having an accommodating portion for accommodating the pressure plate at the accommodating position, and the opening / closing cover is swingably supported by the main body cover, and the first guide portion is provided. May be provided on the main body cover.

According to the above configuration, the position accuracy of the first guide portion can be improved by providing the first guide portion on the main body cover that supports the opening / closing cover.

In the above configuration, the first guide portion may have a regulating surface that regulates the tip portion of the pressure plate when the pressure plate swings while the pressure plate is in the accommodation position.

According to the above configuration, the pressure plate is regulated by the regulation surface when the opening / closing cover is closed, and the pressure plate can be prevented from fluttering.

In the above configuration, the device main body may have a support member for supporting the feeding portion, and the first guide portion may be provided on the support member.

According to the above configuration, the first guide portion can be provided by using the support member.

In the above configuration, the tip portion guided by the first guide portion of the pressure plate may be a protruding portion provided outside the seat feeding path in the width direction orthogonal to the seat feeding direction.

According to the above configuration, the protruding portion can be arranged so as not to interfere with the sheet.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the above-mentioned sheet feeding device and an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding device.

According to the above configuration, the above sheet feeding device can be used as an image forming device.

According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus in which a pressure plate is pulled up when the opening / closing cover is closed and is accommodated at an accommodation position above the feeding portion, a first guide portion for guiding the movement of the pressure plate is provided. Even if the pressure plate shakes when the opening / closing cover is moved from the closed position to the open position, the pressure plate is guided by the first guide portion. Therefore, even when the device is miniaturized, the open / close cover can be reliably moved from the closed position to the open position.

It is a central sectional view of the image forming apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the main part of the MP feeding mechanism of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which a part of the MP feeding mechanism is removed. It is a front view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the MP tray is in the closed position in FIG. (A) is a view showing a state in which the MP tray is on the open position side as compared with FIG. 7, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of (a). FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the MP tray is on the open position side as compared with FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the main part of the MP feeding mechanism of the 2nd Embodiment in which the MP tray is a closed position. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the MP tray is on the open position side as compared with FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the MP tray is on the open position side as compared with FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the MP feeding mechanism of the second embodiment in which the MP tray is in the open position.

[First Embodiment]
In the following description, based on the state in which the image forming apparatus 1 is usably installed as shown in FIG. 1, the side on which the multipurpose tray (hereinafter referred to as MP tray) 27 is provided is the front side, and the opposite side is the front side. Later, the left-right direction of the image forming apparatus 1 when viewed from the front side is defined, and each direction is defined with the discharge tray 82 side of the image forming apparatus 1 facing up and the opposite side facing down. In the present embodiment, the left-right direction is the width direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction in the MP tray 27.

<Overall configuration of image forming device>
FIG. 1 is a central cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a supply unit 3, a motor 4, an image forming unit 5 as an example of an image forming unit, and a discharging unit 8.

The supply unit 3 is arranged at the lower portion and the front portion of the apparatus main body 2, and conveys the sheet S held by the supply unit 3 to the image forming unit 5. The image forming unit 5 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction with respect to the supply unit 3, and forms an image on the sheet S transported from the supply unit 3. The discharge unit 8 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction with respect to the image forming unit 5, and discharges the sheet S on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 5 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2.

The supply unit 3 includes a sheet cassette 10, a feeding mechanism 20, a transport roller 24, and a resist roller 25 at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2, and a front cover 90 and an MP feeding mechanism at the front of the apparatus main body 2. It has 26 and.

The seat cassette 10 is detachably mounted on the seat cassette mounting portion 2B formed in the lower part of the apparatus main body 2. The seat cassette 10 is mounted on the seat cassette mounting portion 2B by inserting the seat cassette 10 from the front to the rear with respect to the seat cassette mounting portion 2B, and is positioned at the mounting position. Further, the seat cassette 10 is positioned from the mounting position to the pulling out position by pulling out the seat cassette 10 from the rear to the front with respect to the seat cassette mounting portion 2B.

The sheet cassette 10 raises a cassette body 11 capable of supporting a plurality of sheets S, a pressure plate 12 arranged on the cassette body 11 and loaded with the sheet S and capable of moving the sheet S in the vertical direction, and a pressure plate 12. It has a pressure plate raising member 13 for the purpose.

The pressure plate 12 is rotatably supported by the rotation fulcrum 12A, and can move in the vertical direction. The tip of the pressure plate raising member 13 is raised by being driven by the motor 4. The pressure plate 12 is lifted by the heightening of the pressure plate raising member 13, and the sheet S loaded on the pressure plate 12 is raised to a feedable position as shown in FIG.

The feeding mechanism 20 is a mechanism for separating and taking out the sheets S loaded on the sheet cassette 10 one by one and transporting them toward the transport roller 24. The feeding mechanism 20 includes a pickup roller 21, a separation roller 22, and a separation pad 23.

The pickup roller 21 is a roller for taking out the sheet S raised to the feedable position by the pressure plate 12, and is arranged above the pressure plate 12. The separation roller 22 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction from the pickup roller 21, and the separation pad 23 is arranged to face the separation roller 22 and is urged toward the separation roller 22.

The sheet S taken out by the pickup roller 21 is sent out to the separation roller 22 side, separated one by one between the separation roller 22 and the separation pad 23, and is conveyed toward the transfer roller 24.

The transfer roller 24 is a roller that applies a transfer force to the sheet S, and is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transfer direction with respect to the feeding mechanism 20. The sheet S conveyed from the feeding mechanism 20 to the transfer roller 24 is conveyed toward the resist roller 25.

The resist roller 25 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction with respect to the transport roller 24. The resist roller 25 regulates the movement of the tip of the sheet S to be transported, temporarily stops the movement, and then transports the sheet S toward the transfer position at a predetermined timing.

A first opening 2A is formed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 2 for jamming the seat S or for replacing the image forming unit 5. A front cover 90 that can be opened and closed with the lower end as a fulcrum is attached to the first opening 2A. A second opening 90A for supplying the seat S is formed on the front surface of the front cover 90.

A main body cover 91, which will be described later, is integrally provided on the front cover 90, and an MP tray 27 as an example of an opening / closing cover is attached to a lower end portion of the main body cover 91. The MP tray 27 has a closed position (position shown in FIG. 7) that covers the second opening 90A with the lower end as a fulcrum, and the upper end of the MP tray 27 is farther from the front surface of the apparatus main body 2 than the closed position. It can swing with the open position (position shown in FIG. 1) to be opened.

The MP feeding mechanism 26 is a mechanism for separating and taking out the sheets S on the MP tray 27 one by one and transporting them toward the resist roller 25. The MP feeding mechanism 26 includes an MP tray 27, a pickup roller 28, a separation roller 29, and a separation pad 30. The pickup roller 28 and the separation roller 29 form a feeding unit 280.

The pickup roller 28 is a roller for taking out the sheet S on the MP tray 27. The separation roller 29 is arranged downstream of the pickup roller 28 in the sheet transport direction, and the separation pad 30 is arranged to face the separation roller 29 and is urged toward the separation roller 29. The sheet S taken out by the pickup roller 28 is sent out to the separation roller 29 side, separated one by one between the separation roller 29 and the separation pad 30, and conveyed toward the resist roller 25.

The image forming unit 5 is composed of a process cartridge 50 that transfers an image to the surface of the sheet S conveyed from the supply unit 3, an exposure unit 60 that exposes the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 of the process cartridge 50, and the process cartridge 50. It includes a fixing unit 70 for fixing the image transferred to the sheet S.

The process cartridge 50 is arranged above the seat cassette mounting portion 2B in the apparatus main body 2. The process cartridge 50 includes a developer accommodating chamber 51, a supply roller 52, a developing roller 53, a photoconductor drum 54, and a transfer roller 55.

Toner serving as a developer is stored in the developer storage chamber 51. The toner stored in the developer storage chamber 51 is sent to the supply roller 52 while being stirred by a stirring member (not shown). The supply roller 52 further supplies the toner sent from the developer accommodating chamber 51 to the developing roller 53.

The developing roller 53 is arranged in close contact with the supply roller 52 and supports the toner supplied from the supply roller 52. Further, a development bias is applied to the developing roller 53 by a bias applying means (not shown).

The photoconductor drum 54 is arranged adjacent to the developing roller 53. The surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is uniformly charged by a charger (not shown) and then exposed by the exposure unit 60. The exposed portion of the photoconductor drum 54 has a lower potential than the other parts, and an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the photoconductor drum 54. Then, the charged toner is supplied from the developing roller 53 to the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, so that the electrostatic latent image is visualized and becomes a developer image.

The transfer roller 55 is arranged to face the photoconductor drum 54, and a transfer bias is applied by a bias applying means (not shown). With the transfer bias applied to the surface of the transfer roller 55, the sheet S is conveyed between the photoconductor drum 54 on which the developer image is formed and the transfer roller 55 (transfer position) without sandwiching the sheet S. The developer image formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is transferred to the surface of the sheet S.

The exposure unit 60 includes a laser diode, a polygon mirror, a lens, and a reflecting mirror, and irradiates the photoconductor drum 54 with a laser beam based on the image data input to the image forming apparatus 1. The surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is exposed.

The fixing unit 70 includes a heating roller 71 and a pressing roller 72. The heating roller 71 is rotationally driven by a driving force from the motor 4, and the heating roller 71 is heated by supplying electric power from a power source (not shown). The pressing roller 72 is arranged to face the heating roller 71, and is brought into close contact with the heating roller 71 to rotate in a driven manner. When the sheet S on which the developer image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 70, the sheet S is conveyed while being sandwiched between the heating roller 71 and the pressing roller 72, and the developer image is fixed on the sheet S.

The discharge unit 8 includes a discharge roller 81, a discharge tray 82, and a discharge port 83. The discharge roller 81 is a pair of rollers, and discharges the sheet S conveyed from the fixing unit 70 toward the outside of the apparatus main body 2. The discharge tray 82 is formed on the upper surface of the device main body 2, and the sheet S discharged from the discharge port 83 to the outside of the device main body 2 is deposited on the discharge tray 82 by the discharge roller 81.

<Configuration of MP feeding mechanism>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the MP feeding mechanism 26 of the first embodiment, FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which a part of the MP feeding mechanism 26 is removed in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 5A and 5A are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is in the closed position in FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the MP tray is on the open position side of FIG. 7, (b) is a partially enlarged view of (a), and FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is on the open position side of FIG. Is.

In addition to the MP tray 27, the pickup roller 28, the separation roller 29, and the separation pad 30, the MP feed mechanism 26 includes the pressure plate 31 and a pair of left and right link members as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. 32, a pair of left and right arms 33, and a main body cover 91 are provided.

The MP tray 27 includes an inner side surface 27A that supports the sheet S protruding from the pressure plate 31, a left wall portion 27B extending along the left end of the inner side surface 27A, and a right wall portion 27C extending along the right end of the inner side surface 27A. It has a second guide unit 27D. The left wall portion 27B and the right wall portion 27C are each formed with elongated hole portions 27E that movably support the rotation shaft portion 31C of the pressure plate 31.

The second guide portion 27D is a member provided at a position facing the pressure plates 31 on both the left and right sides of the inner side surface 27A, projecting toward the pressure plate 31, and extending in the sheet feeding direction. The second guide portion 27D links the pressure plate 31 by contacting the back surface 31E on the side opposite to the seat support surface 31A side of the pressure plate 31 that swings by its own weight in the process of moving the MP tray 27 from the closed position to the open position. Guide to member 32.

The pickup roller 28 and the separation roller 29 are rotatably supported by the holder 281. The holder 281 is detachably supported by a support member 201 extending in the left-right direction at a position facing the second opening 90A in the front portion of the apparatus main body 2.

The pressure plate 31 is a plate-shaped member provided on the MP tray 27. The pressure plate 31 has a sheet support surface 31A capable of supporting a plurality of sheets S when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. In the state where the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the rear end of the left end portion and the rear end of the right end portion of the pressure plate 31 have an arcuate supported portion 31B supported by the support portion 32A of the link member 32 (see FIG. 5). ) Is formed. At the front end of the left end portion and the front end of the right end portion of the MP tray 27, a rotation shaft portion 31C supported by a hole portion 33B of the arm 33 and a long hole portion 27E of the MP tray 27 is formed.

As a result, the pressure plate 31 has a rotating shaft portion between the supply position (the position shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 5) and the non-supply position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5) due to the vertical movement of the link member 32. The rear end, which is the downstream end in the seat feeding direction, can swing around 31C. Specifically, the supply position is a position where the supported portion 31B is lifted by the link member 32 to bring the seat S into pressure contact with the pickup roller 28. On the other hand, the non-supply position is a position where the supported portion 31B is lowered by the lowering of the link member 32 to separate the seat S from the pickup roller 28.

In such a pressure plate 31, the supported portion 31B is provided on the outside of the seat supporting surface 31A in the left-right direction. As a result, the pressure plate 31 is moved up and down on the outside with respect to the seat feeding path, so that the supported portion 31B can be arranged so as not to interfere with the seat S.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, when the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, the pressure plate 31 is held in the accommodating position. At this time, the pressure plate 31 is held by its own weight with the rotating shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum. In the present embodiment, the pressure plate 31 in the accommodation position is located above the pickup roller 28 and the separation roller 29. The pressure plate 31 in the accommodation position may be located only above the pickup roller 28. That is, the pressure plate 31 in the accommodation position may be located at least above the feeding unit 280.

As shown in FIG. 5, the link member 32 is a member provided in the device main body 2. The link member 32 has a pair of left and right support portions 32A capable of supporting the supported portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 from below. The support portion 32A has a flat upper surface, and when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the upper surface of the support portion 32A comes into contact with the supported portion 31B from below to support the supported portion 31B. Further, the link member 32 has a rotating shaft portion 32B that connects two support portions 32A and is rotated by a driving force from the motor 4.

The link member 32 has a first position (position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) with the pressure plate 31 as a supply position and a non-supply position with the pressure plate 31 driven by the motor 4 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. The support portion 32A swings around the rotation shaft portion 32B with respect to the second position (the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 5). Specifically, the first position is a position where the support portion 32A lifts and holds the supported portion 31B to hold the pressure plate 31 at the supply position. On the other hand, the second position is a position where the support portion 32A is located below the first position and the pressure plate 31 is held in the non-supply position by holding the supported portion 31B from below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front end of the arm 33 as an example of one end is connected to the front cover 90 of the apparatus main body 2, and the front end as an example of the other end is connected to the rotating shaft 31C of the pressure plate 31. It is a rod-shaped member to be connected. A columnar shaft portion (not shown) that is movably supported by the elongated hole portion 91B of the main body cover 91 is formed at the rear end portion of the arm 33. A hole 33B is formed at the front end of the arm 33 to rotatably support the rotation shaft 31C of the pressure plate 31.

The arm 33 moves between the first holding position and the second holding position by opening and closing the MP tray 27. Specifically, in the first holding position, the MP tray 27 is in the closed position (see FIG. 7), the shaft portion of the arm 33 is located at the lower end of the elongated hole portion 91B, and the supported portion 31B is separated from the support portion 32A. It is a position to hold the pressure plate 31 in the accommodating position above the feeding unit 280. On the other hand, in the second holding position, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the shaft portion of the arm 33 is located at the upper end of the elongated hole portion 91B, and the pressure plate 31 is in the supply position and non-supply position. It is a position to hold it so that it can be moved to the supply position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body cover 91 is formed integrally with the front cover 90, and is a cover having an accommodating portion 91A for accommodating the pressure plate 31 at the accommodating position. The main body cover 91 may be separate from the front cover 90.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two first guide portions 92 are formed on the main body cover 91. The first guide portion 92 can come into contact with the tip portion 31D (see FIGS. 6 to 9) on the downstream side of the pressure plate 31 in the sheet feeding direction in the process of moving the MP tray 27 from the closed position to the open position. It is a member that guides the movement of the pressure plate 31.

The first guide portion 92 can come into contact with both ends in the left-right direction of the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31. As a result, the first guide portion 92 can be brought into contact with the pressure plate 31 even when the pressure plate 31 is tilted in the left-right direction, so that the pressure plate 31 can be reliably guided. Further, by providing the first guide portion 92 on the main body cover 91 that supports the MP tray 27, the positional accuracy of the first guide portion 92 with respect to the MP tray 27 can be improved.

The first guide portion 92 has an inclined surface 92A and a regulation surface 92B. The inclined surface 92A is a surface that can come into contact with the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 and is inclined downward along the front direction in which the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position. The front end portion of the inclined surface 92A is located near the front end portion of the support member 201. As a result, when the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position, the pressure plate 31 is smoothly guided along the inclined surface 92A, so that the MP tray 27 can be moved smoothly.

When the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position, when the MP tray 27 is opened by a normal operation, the pressure plate 31 swings forward by its own weight with the rotation shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 abuts on the second guide portion 27D, and the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 does not abut on the inclined surface 92A.

On the other hand, when the MP tray 27 is operated and the pressure plate 31 sways, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 is separated from the second guide portion 27D and the tip of the pressure plate 31 is separated from the second guide portion 27D as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. The portion 31D comes into contact with the inclined surface 92A. Therefore, even if the pressure plate 31 shakes when the MP tray 27 is moved from the closed position to the open position, the pressure plate 31 is guided by the inclined surface 92A. As a result, the MP tray 27 does not get caught on the upper surface of the support member 201, and the MP tray 27 can be reliably moved from the closed position to the open position.

As described above, when the MP tray 27 is opened by a normal operation, the pressure plate 31 abuts on the second guide portion 27D by its own weight and does not abut on the first guide portion 92, so that the first guide portion 92 is scratched. Hateful. Since the first guide portion 92 constitutes the appearance surface when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the aesthetic appearance due to scratches.

The regulation surface 92B is a surface extending upward from the rear end of the inclined surface 92A. The regulation surface 92B is a surface that regulates the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 when the pressure plate 31 swings while the pressure plate 31 is in the accommodation position. As a result, when the MP tray 27 is closed, the pressure plate 31 is regulated by the regulation surface 92B, and the pressure plate 31 can be prevented from fluttering.

In the present embodiment, when the pressure plate 31 is in the accommodation position, the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 has a distance from the regulation surface 92B, but may be in contact with the regulation surface 92B. The position of the pressure plate 31 when it is in the storage position is determined by the positional relationship between the position of the center of gravity of the pressure plate 31 in the storage position and the rotation shaft portion 31C.

In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 92A and the regulating surface 92B are flat surfaces, but may be curved surfaces such as an arc surface. Further, the first guide portion 92 may be in a form that does not have the regulation surface 92B.

<Operation of pressure plate when opening and closing the MP tray>
The operation of the pressure plate 31 when the MP tray 27 is opened and closed will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. First, a case where the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the MP tray 27 is moved from the closed position to the open position by the user, the rotating shaft portion 31C of the pressure plate 31 moves forward around the shaft portion. It is pushed down by the tilting arm 33 (see FIG. 6) and moves along the elongated hole 27E (see FIG. 6) of the MP tray 27. At this time, the pressure plate 31 swings by its own weight with the rotating shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum, and as shown in FIG. 8, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 comes into contact with the second guide portion 27D. In this state, the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 is not in contact with the inclined surface 92A.

When the pressure plate 31 sways in the state of FIG. 8, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 8 (b), the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 is separated from the second guide portion 27D, and the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 is tilted. The pressure plate 31 comes into contact with the surface 92A and is guided by the inclined surface 92A. Therefore, even if the pressure plate 31 shakes, the MP tray 27 does not get caught on the upper surface of the support member 201.

When the MP tray 27 is further moved from the state of FIG. 8 toward the open position, the pressure plate 31 swings by its own weight with the rotation shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum, and as shown in FIG. 9, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 is moved. The tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 descends to the front of the support member 201 while being in contact with the second guide portion 27D. Therefore, when the pressure plate 31 shakes in this state, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 31 separates from the second guide portion 27D, and the tip portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 comes into contact with the front end of the support member 201, so that the MP tray 27 supports the pressure plate 31. It does not get caught on the upper surface of the member 201.

When the MP tray 27 is further moved from the state of FIG. 9 toward the open position, the shaft portion of the arm 33 moves from the lower end to the upper end in the elongated hole portion 91B of the main body cover 91 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Then, the pressure plate 31 moves rearward along the elongated hole portion 27E of the MP tray 27. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the supported portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 is delivered to the supporting portion 32A, and the MP tray 27 reaches the open position. On the other hand, when the MP tray 27 moves from the open position to the closed position, the operation is the reverse of the above.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment will be described. The image forming apparatus of the second embodiment is different from the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment in the shape of the member in the MP feeding mechanism 260, and other than that, it is the same as the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. In the following description, the MP feeding mechanism 260 will be described, and the same members as those of the image forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

<Configuration of MP feeding mechanism>
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the MP feeding mechanism 260 of the second embodiment in which the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, and FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is in the open position side with respect to FIG. FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is on the open position side with respect to FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the MP feeding mechanism 260 of the second embodiment in which the MP tray 27 is in the open position. be. In the MP feeding mechanism 26 of the first embodiment, the MP feeding mechanism 260 of the second embodiment replaces the pressure plate 31 with the pressure plate 310, the main body cover 91 with the main body cover 910, and the support member 201 with the support member 202. It is a composition.

The pressure plate 310 is a plate-shaped member provided on the MP tray 27. The tip portion of the pressure plate 310 guided by the first guide portion is a protruding portion 311 provided at both left and right end portions. The protruding portion 311 may be provided outside the sheet feeding path in the left-right direction. As a result, the protruding portion 311 can be arranged so as not to interfere with the sheet S.

The main body cover 910 does not have an inclined surface of the first guide portion, but has a regulation surface 910A of the first guide portion. The regulation surface 910A is formed on the front end portion of the main body cover 910. The regulation surface 910A is a surface that regulates the protruding portion 311 of the pressure plate 310 when the pressure plate 310 swings while the pressure plate 310 is in the accommodation position. As a result, when the MP tray 27 is closed, the pressure plate 310 is regulated by the regulation surface 910A, and the pressure plate 310 can be prevented from fluttering. In the present embodiment, when the pressure plate 310 is in the accommodation position, the protruding portion 311 of the pressure plate 310 has a distance from the regulation surface 910A, but may be in contact with the regulation surface 910A.

Inclined surfaces 203 forming the first guide portion are formed on the left and right ends of the support member 202. The inclined surface 203 is a surface that can come into contact with the protruding portion 311 of the pressure plate 310 and guide the movement of the pressure plate 310 in the process of moving the MP tray 27 from the closed position to the open position. The inclined surface 203 is a surface that is inclined downward along the front direction in which the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position.

In the present embodiment, the upper half of the inclined surface 203 is a gentle slope, and the lower half of the inclined surface 203 is a steep slope having a larger inclination than the upper half. As a result, when the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position, the pressure plate 310 is smoothly guided along the inclined surface 203, so that the MP tray 27 can be moved smoothly.

When the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position, when the MP tray 27 is opened, the pressure plate 310 swings forward by its own weight with the rotation shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 310 comes into contact with the second guide portion 27D, and the protruding portion 311 of the pressure plate 310 comes into contact with the inclined surface 203. As a result, the MP tray 27 does not get caught on the upper surface of the support member 203, and the MP tray 27 can be reliably moved from the closed position to the open position. The protruding portion 311 of the pressure plate 310 in the state of FIG. 11 may not come into contact with the inclined surface 203 as in the first embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 203 and the regulation surface 910A are flat surfaces, but may be curved surfaces such as an arc surface. Further, the first guide portion may have a form that does not have the regulation surface 910A.

<Operation of pressure plate when opening and closing the MP tray>
The operation of the pressure plate 310 when the MP tray 27 is opened and closed will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 13. First, a case where the MP tray 27 moves from the closed position to the open position will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the MP tray 27 is moved from the closed position to the open position by the user, the rotating shaft portion 31C of the pressure plate 310 moves forward around the shaft portion. It is pushed down by the tilting arm 33 and moves along the elongated hole portion 27E of the MP tray 27. At this time, the pressure plate 310 swings by its own weight with the rotating shaft portion 31C as a fulcrum, and as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the back surface 31E of the pressure plate 310 comes into contact with the second guide portion 27D, and the protruding portion of the pressure plate 31 311 comes into contact with the inclined surface 203. Therefore, even if the pressure plate 31 shakes, the MP tray 27 does not get caught on the upper surface of the support member 203.

When the MP tray 27 is further moved from the state of FIG. 12 toward the open position, as shown in FIG. 13, the shaft portion of the arm 33 moves from the lower end to the upper end in the elongated hole portion 91B of the main body cover 910, and the pressure plate 310 moves rearward along the elongated hole 27E of the MP tray 27. Then, the supported portion 31B of the pressure plate 310 is delivered to the supporting portion 32A, and the MP tray 27 reaches the open position. On the other hand, when the MP tray 27 moves from the open position to the closed position, the operation is the reverse of the above.

1 Image forming device 2 Device main body 5 Image forming unit (image forming unit)
27 MP tray (opening and closing cover)
27D 2nd guide part 31, 310 Pressure plate 31A Seat support surface 32 Link member 33 Arm 91, 910 Main body cover 92 1st guide part 92A, 203 Inclined surface 92B, 910A Regulation surface 201, 202 Support member 280 Feeding part 311 Protruding part S sheet

Claims (9)

With the device body
A feeding unit provided on the main body of the device and feeding a sheet,
An opening / closing cover provided on the device main body and swinging between a closed position and an open position whose upper end portion is farther from the side surface of the device main body than the closed position.
A supply position provided on the opening / closing cover, capable of supporting the seat when the opening / closing cover is in the open position, and pressing the seat against the feeding portion, and separating the seat from the feeding portion. A pressure plate that swings between the non-supply position and
A first position provided on the main body of the apparatus, capable of supporting the pressure plate when the opening / closing cover is in the open position, with the pressure plate as the supply position, and a pressure plate as the non-supply position. A link member that swings between two positions,
A first holding position in which one end is connected to the main body of the device, the other end is connected to the pressure plate, and the pressure plate is held in an accommodation position above the feeding portion when the opening / closing cover is in the closed position. An arm that moves between the supply position and the second holding position that movably holds the pressure plate in the supply position and the non-supply position when the opening / closing cover is in the open position.
A sheet including a first guide portion that can abut on the tip end portion of the pressure plate and guides the movement of the pressure plate in the process of moving the opening / closing cover from the closed position to the open position. Feeding device. The first guide portion is capable of contacting the tip end portion of the pressure plate, and has an inclined surface that is inclined along a direction in which the opening / closing cover moves from the closed position to the open position. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1. The sheet feeding according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first guide portion can come into contact with both ends in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction at the tip end portion of the pressure plate. Device. In the process of moving the open / close cover from the closed position to the open position,
The opening / closing cover has a second guide portion that abuts on a surface of the pressure plate opposite to the seat support surface side and guides the pressure plate to the link member.
The claim is characterized in that the pressure plate is supported by the arm, swings by its own weight, abuts on the second guide portion, and does not abut on the first guide portion when it abuts on the second guide portion. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The apparatus main body has a main body cover having an accommodating portion for accommodating the pressure plate in the accommodating position.
The opening / closing cover is swingably supported by the main body cover.
The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first guide portion is provided on the main body cover. The first guide portion according to claim 5, wherein the first guide portion has a regulating surface that regulates the tip portion of the pressure plate when the pressure plate swings in a state where the pressure plate is in the accommodation position. Sheet feeder. The device main body has a support member that supports the feeding unit, and has a support member.
The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first guide portion is provided on the support member. 7. The seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the tip portion guided by the first guide portion of the pressure plate is a protruding portion provided outside the sheet feeding path in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. The described sheet feeder. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding apparatus.

Images