JP2021113102A - Sheet feeding device and image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet feeding device which prevents a pressure plate from being twisted due to positioning of a cover supporting the pressure plate in a state where a cover is opened to a device body, and stabilizes a sheet feeding operation.SOLUTION: An image formation device 1 on which a sheet feeding device is mounted includes: an MP tray 27 having an engagement part 274; a pressure plate 31 that supports a sheet S and swings; a link member 32 that swings the pressure plate 31; an arm 33 which holds the pressure plate 31 at a storage position above a feeding part 280 when the MP tray 27 is at a close position, and movably holds the pressure plate 31 when the MP tray 27 is at an open position; and a first regulation part 36 which is provided in a device body 2, is engaged with the engagement part 274 when the MP tray 27 is at the open position, regulates movement in the width direction of the MP tray 27, and is separated from the engagement part 274 when the MP tray 27 is at the close position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

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, it is necessary to hold the pressure plate in an appropriate position when the cover is opened. Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, the protrusions provided on the pressure plate are engaged with the groove portion of the main body of the apparatus when the cover is opened, so that the pressure plate is positioned in the width direction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-87877

However, according to the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the distance between the protrusion and the rotation shaft of the pressure plate is long, the protrusion comes into contact with the side surface of the groove when the pressure plate is raised and lowered, and the pressure plate is twisted, resulting in malfunction. It is likely to occur and the feeding of sheets may become unstable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device in which the pressure plate is prevented from being twisted by positioning a cover on which the pressure plate is supported in a state where the cover is open so that the pressure plate is not twisted and the sheet feeding operation is stable. do. 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 has a main body of the device, a feeding section provided in the main body of the device to feed the sheet, and an engaging portion provided in the main body of the device, and has a closed position and the closed position. It is provided with a cover whose upper end portion swings to an open position far from the side surface of the apparatus main body. Further, in the seat feeding device, one end thereof is rotatably supported by the cover, the seat can be supported when the cover is in the open position, and the seat is pressed against the feeding portion. A pressure plate that swings between a position and a non-supply position that separates the seat from the feeding portion is provided. Further, the sheet feeding device is provided on the main body of the device, can support the pressure plate when the cover is in the open position, and has the pressure plate as the supply position and the pressure plate as the supply position. 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 the pressure plate is held in an accommodation position above the feeding unit when the cover is in the closed position. It is provided with an arm that moves between a first holding position to be moved and a second holding position that movably holds the pressure plate to the supply position and the non-supply position when the cover is in the open position. Further, the seat feeding device is provided on the main body of the device, and when the cover is in the open position, the seat feeding device engages with the engaging portion so that the cover moves in the width direction orthogonal to the seat feeding direction. It is provided with a first regulating portion that regulates and is separated from the engaging portion when the cover is in the closed position.

According to the above configuration, when the cover is in the open position, the engaging portion engages with the first regulating portion, and the cover is positioned in the width direction with respect to the apparatus main body. Therefore, the pressure plate supported by the cover does not twist when swinging, and the sheet feeding operation is stable. Further, when the cover is in the closed position, the engaging portion and the first regulating portion are separated from each other, so that the positioning of the cover in the closed position is not affected.

In the above configuration, a separation pad facing the feeding portion, a guide portion for guiding the sheet supplied from the pressure plate, and a feeding frame provided on the apparatus main body to support the separation pad and the guide portion. And, the first regulation part may be provided in the feed frame.

According to the above configuration, the positioning accuracy between the first regulating portion and the guide portion is improved, so that the positioning accuracy between the pressure plate supported by the cover regulated by the first regulating portion and the guide portion is improved.

In the above configuration, the link member may be supported by the feeding frame.

According to the above configuration, the positioning accuracy between the pressure plate and the link member is improved.

In the above configuration, the link member supports the pressure plate at a position outside the first regulation portion in the width direction, and the pressure plate is the first regulation portion when the cover is in the open position. The tip portion of the pressure plate inside the first regulation portion in the width direction has a notch at a position corresponding to, and the seat supply portion is more than the tip portion of the pressure plate outside the first regulation portion. It may be located downstream in the feeding direction.

According to the above configuration, when the cover is in the open position, the tip of the pressure plate inside the first regulation portion in the width direction can be brought closer to the device main body, so that the sheet can be stably fed from the pressure plate. can.

In the above configuration, the engaging portion has a pair of protruding portions protruding from the inner surface of the cover at intervals in the width direction, and the tip portion of the first regulating portion has the cover opened. It may be located between the pair of protrusions when in position.

According to the above configuration, the engaging portion can be made a simple configuration.

In the above configuration, the tip portion of the first regulating portion may be formed thinner than the other portions in the width direction.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy by forming the tip portion of the first regulating portion to be thin, and to secure the strength in other portions.

In the above configuration, the pressure plate has a shaft portion that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side portion in the width direction and is connected to the arm, and the cover is located between the pressure plate and the arm. The shaft portion is provided with a wall portion having an elongated hole portion that slidably supports the shaft portion, and the shaft portion engages with the wall portion when the cover is in the open position, and the pressure plate is the cover. It may have a second regulation unit that regulates the movement in the width direction.

According to the above configuration, the positioning accuracy in the width direction of the pressure plate is improved by providing the second regulating portion.

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, when the cover is in the open position, the engaging portion engages with the first regulating portion, and the cover is positioned in the width direction with respect to the device main body. Therefore, the pressure plate supported by the cover does not twist when swinging, and the sheet feeding operation is stable. Further, when the cover is in the closed position, the engaging portion and the first regulating portion are separated from each other, so that the positioning of the cover in the closed position is not affected.

It is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus of one Embodiment. It is a schematic central sectional view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. It is an enlarged perspective view of the MP feeding mechanism. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the feeding unit and the frame supporting the feeding unit are removed in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the pressure plate and the guide portion are removed in FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of a state in which the guide portion is removed in FIG. It is a partial front sectional view of FIG. It is a partial side sectional view of the image forming apparatus which shows the state which the MP tray is in a closed position.

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. As the rear, 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 apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1 of one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic central sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 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.

As shown in FIG. 2, 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 downstream of the supply unit 3 in the conveying direction of the sheet S, and forms an image on the sheet S conveyed from the supply unit 3. The discharge unit 8 is arranged downstream of the image forming unit 5 in the transport direction of the sheet S, 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 pair 24, and a resist roller pair 25 at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2, and a front cover 90 and an MP supply at the front portion of the apparatus main body 2. It is provided with a feeding mechanism 26.

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 pair 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 downstream of the pickup roller 21 in the transport direction of the sheet S, 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 pair 24.

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

The resist roller pair 25 is arranged downstream of the transport roller pair 24 in the transport direction of the sheet S. The resist roller pair 25 regulates the movement of the tip of the sheet S to be transported, temporarily stops the movement, and then transports the resist roller pair 25 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.

An MP tray 27 as an example of a cover that can be opened and closed with the lower end as a fulcrum is attached to the second opening 90A. The MP tray 27 has a closed position (position shown in FIG. 8) that covers the second opening 90A and an open position (FIG. 8) in which the upper end portion is farther from the front surface of the apparatus main body 2 than the closed position and the second opening 90A is opened. It can swing with (the position shown in 1).

The MP feeding mechanism 26 is a mechanism that separates and takes out the MP tray 27 and the sheet S on the pressure plate 31 one by one and conveys them toward the resist roller pair 25. The MP feeding mechanism 26 includes an MP tray 27, a pressure plate 31, 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 feeding unit 280 is supported by a frame 281 (see FIG. 3).

The pickup roller 28 is a roller for taking out the sheet S on the MP tray 27 and the pressure plate 31. 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 pair 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 carries 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 pair 81, a discharge tray 82, and a discharge port 83. The discharge roller pair 81 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 pair 81.

[MP feeding mechanism]
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the MP feeding mechanism 26, FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the feeding portion 280 and the frame 281 supporting the feeding portion 280 are removed in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a pressure plate 31 and a guide portion 35 in FIG. It is a partial perspective view which shows the state which removed. FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of FIG. 4 with the guide portion 35 removed, and FIG. 7 is a partial front sectional view of FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial side sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is in the closed position.

In addition to the MP tray 27, the pressure plate 31, the pickup roller 28, the separation roller 29, and the separation pad 30 described above, the MP feeding mechanism 26 includes a pair of left and right link members as shown in FIGS. 3 to 8. 32, a pair of left and right arms 33, a feeding frame 34, a guide portion 35, and a first regulating portion 36 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the MP tray 27 has an inner surface 27A supporting the pressure plate 31, a left wall portion 271 arranged between the left end portion of the pressure plate 31 and the arm 33, and an arm 33 to the right of the pressure plate 31. It has a right wall portion 272 and an engaging portion 274 (see FIG. 5) arranged via the above. The left wall portion 271 and the right wall portion 272 are formed with elongated hole portions 273 that slidably support the shaft portion 311 of the pressure plate 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, the engaging portion 274 is provided near the left rear end of the inner surface 27A of the MP tray 27 and is a member that engages with the first regulating portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. .. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 274 is composed of a pair of protruding portions that project from the inner surface 27A of the MP tray 27 at intervals in the left-right direction. As a result, the engaging portion 274 can be made into a simple structure. The form of the engaging portion 274 is not particularly limited as long as it engages with the first regulating portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position to restrict movement in the left-right direction, and may be, for example, a concave portion. ..

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure plate 31 is a plate-shaped member provided on the inner surface 27A side of 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 are supported by a supported portion 31D (see FIG. 2) supported by a supporting portion 32A of the link member 32 described later. Is formed. At the front end of the left end portion and the front end of the right end portion of the pressure plate 31, a shaft portion 311 projecting outward in the left-right direction and supported by a hole portion 332 of the arm 33 and a long hole portion 273 of the MP tray 27, which will be described later, is formed. ..

As a result, the pressure plate 31 feeds the sheet between the supply position (position shown in FIG. 2) and the non-supply position (position shown in FIG. 3) about the shaft portion 311 by the vertical movement of the link member 32. The rear end, which is the downstream end in the direction, can swing. Specifically, the supply position is a position where the pressure plate 31 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 pressure plate 31 is lowered by the lowering of the link member 32 to separate the seat S from the pickup roller 28.

As shown in FIG. 6, the left shaft portion 311 has a second regulation portion 312. In the present embodiment, the second regulating portion 312 is composed of a left protruding portion that protrudes rearward in the middle portion of the shaft portion 311 and a right protruding portion that protrudes because a part of the shaft portion 311 is thickened. ing. When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the second regulating portion 312 sandwiches the trailing edge of the elongated hole portion 273 in the left wall portion 271 with the two protruding portions. As a result, the pressure plate 31 is restricted from moving in the left-right direction with respect to the MP tray 27.

Therefore, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the positioning accuracy of the pressure plate 31 in the left-right direction is improved. The form of the second regulating unit 312 is not particularly limited, as long as the pressure plate 31 can be restricted from moving in the left-right direction with respect to the MP tray 27, and may be a recess, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure plate 31 has a notch 313. The cutout portion 313 is provided at a position corresponding to the first regulating portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. By providing the notch 313, the pressure plate 31 and the first regulating portion 36 do not interfere with each other when the MP tray 27 is in the open position.

Further, by providing the notch 313, in the left-right direction, the tip portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 inside the first regulation portion 36 is supplied with a sheet more than the tip portion 31C of the pressure plate 31 outside the first regulation portion 36. Located downstream in the feeding direction. Therefore, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the tip portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 inside the first regulation portion 36 can be arranged closer to the guide portion 35 in the left-right direction, so that the pressure plate 31 to the sheet S can be arranged. Can be stably delivered. The tip portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 inside the first regulation portion 36 may be located upstream of the tip portion 31C of the pressure plate 31 outside the first regulation portion 36 in the sheet feeding direction. ..

As shown in FIG. 8, 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 shaft portion 311 as a fulcrum. The pressure plate 31 in the accommodating position is located above the feeding unit 280.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the link member 32 is a member provided in the feeding frame 34 of the apparatus main body 2. The link member 32 has a pair of left and right support portions 32A capable of supporting the supported portion 31D 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 31D of the pressure plate 31 from below to support the pressure plate 31. 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 in FIG. 2) with the pressure plate 31 as a supply position and a second position with the pressure plate 31 as a non-supply position by driving 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 positions (positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Specifically, the first position is a position where the support portion 32A lifts and holds the supported portion 31D 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 31D from below.

The support portion 32A on the left side is arranged outside the first regulation portion 36 in the left-right direction. Since the support portion 32A supports the pressure plate 31 at a position outside the first regulation portion 36 in the left-right direction, the pressure plate 31 is moved up and down outside the seat feeding path, so that the pressure plate 31 is arranged so as not to interfere with the seat S. be able to. The first regulating portion 36 and the engaging portion 274 may be arranged outside the support portion 32A on the left side in the left-right direction. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the notch 313.

Further, since the link member 32 is supported by the feeding frame 34, the positioning accuracy with the MP tray 27 positioned by the first regulating unit 36 provided on the feeding frame 34, which will be described later, is improved. As a result, the position accuracy of the link member 32 with the pressure plate 31 positioned on the MP tray 27 by the second regulating unit 312 is improved. The link member 32 may be supported by a member other than the feeding frame 34 as long as it is the device main body 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rear 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 shaft 311 of the pressure plate 31. It is a rod-shaped member to be formed. At the rear end of the arm 33, a columnar shaft portion 331 (see FIG. 3) that is movably supported by the elongated hole portion 901 of the front cover 90 is formed. As shown in FIG. 3, a hole portion 332 that rotatably supports the shaft portion 311 of the pressure plate 31 is formed at the front end portion of the arm 33.

The arm 33 moves between the first holding position (the position shown by the broken line in FIG. 8) and the second holding position (the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) by opening and closing the MP tray 27. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the first holding position is such that the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, the shaft portion 311 is located at the lower end of the elongated hole portion 91B, and the pressure plate 31 is located above the feeding portion 280. It is a position to hold in the accommodation position. On the other hand, in the second holding position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the shaft portion 331 is located at the upper end of the elongated hole portion 91B, and the hole portion 332 is the shaft portion of the pressure plate 31. This is a position where the 311 is held at the trailing edge of the elongated hole portion 273 of the MP tray 27, and the pressure plate 31 is movably held at the supply position and the non-supply position.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the feeding frame 34 is a member provided downstream of the pressure plate 31 in the apparatus main body 2 in the sheet feeding direction and extending in the left-right direction. The feeding frame 34 supports the frame 281 that supports the feeding portion 280, and also supports the separation pad 30 and the guide portion 35. The guide portion 35 is a member provided so as to cover a portion of the feeding frame 34 facing the seat feeding path. The guide portion 35 guides the lower surface of the sheet S supplied from the pressure plate 31. The separation pad 30 is provided in the feeding frame 34 through an opening formed at a position facing the separation roller 29 in the central portion of the guide portion 35 in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first regulating unit 36 is a member that projects forward from the feeding frame 34 toward the MP tray 27 in the open position. In the present embodiment, the first regulation unit 36 is integrally molded with the feeding frame 34. The tip portion 36A located at the lower end of the first regulation portion 36 is formed thinner in the left-right direction than the other portions of the first regulation portion 36 (see FIG. 7).

When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the tip portion 36A of the first regulating portion 36 engages with the engaging portion 274 by being located between a pair of protrusions constituting the engaging portion 274 of the MP tray 27. do. That is, the tip portion 36A of the first regulating portion 36 is sandwiched by the protrusions in the left-right direction. As a result, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the MP tray 27 is restricted from moving in the left-right direction and is positioned in the left-right direction.

In this way, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the MP tray 27 is regulated in the left-right direction with respect to the device main body 2, and the pressure plate 31 is not directly regulated by the device main body 2, so that the pressure plate 31 is in the supply position. The feeding operation of the seat S is stable without twisting when swinging with the non-supply position.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, the pressure plate 31 is located in the accommodating position above the feeding portion 280, so that the first regulating portion 36 is separated from the engaging portion 274. There is. As a result, the first regulating portion 36 and the engaging portion 274 do not affect the positioning of the MP tray 27 in the closed position.

Further, by providing the first regulation unit 36 on the feed frame 34 that supports the guide unit 35, the positional accuracy between the first regulation unit 36 and the guide unit 35 is improved. As a result, the positional accuracy between the pressure plate 31 supported by the MP tray 27 regulated by the first regulation unit 36 and the guide unit 35 is improved.

Further, since the tip portion 36A of the first regulating portion 36 is formed thinner than the other portion of the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction, the positioning accuracy of the MP tray 27 is improved and the other portion is formed. The strength of the first regulation unit 36 can be ensured. The tip portion 36A of the first regulating portion 36 may be formed to be the same as or thicker than the other portions of the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction.

The first regulating unit 36 may be separate from the feeding frame 34, and the first regulating unit 36 may be provided on a member other than the feeding frame 34 as long as it is the device main body 2. Further, the form of the first regulating portion 36 is not particularly limited, and it is sufficient that the MP tray 27 can be restricted from moving in the left-right direction by engaging with the engaging portion 274 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position.

1 Image forming device 2 Device main body 5 Image forming unit (image forming unit)
27 MP tray (cover)
30 Separation pad 31 Pressure plate 32 Link member 33 Arm 34 Feeding frame 35 Guide part 36 1st regulation part 271 Wall part 273 Long hole part 274 Engagement part 280 Feeding part 311 Shaft part 312 2nd regulation part 313 Notch S sheet

Claims (8)

With the device body
A feeding unit provided on the main body of the device and feeding a sheet,
A cover provided on the device body, having an engaging portion, and swinging between a closed position and an open position where the upper end portion is farther from the side surface of the device body than the closed position.
A supply position in which one end is rotatably supported by the cover, the seat can be supported when the cover is in the open position, and the sheet is pressed against the feed section, and the feed section. A pressure plate that swings between the non-supply position that separates the seat from the
A second position provided on the main body of the apparatus, capable of supporting the pressure plate when the cover is in the open position, with the pressure plate as the supply position, and a second position with the pressure plate as the non-supply position. A link member that swings between the position and
A first holding position in which one end is connected to the device body, 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 cover is in the closed position. An arm that moves between a second holding position that movably holds the pressure plate to the supply position and the non-supply position when the cover is in the open position.
When the cover is provided in the apparatus main body and the cover is in the open position, it engages with the engaging portion to restrict the cover from moving in the width direction orthogonal to the seat feeding direction, and the cover is said to be the cover. A seat feeding device including a first regulating portion that is separated from the engaging portion when in a closed position. The separation pad facing the feeding part and
A guide unit that guides the sheet supplied from the pressure plate and
A feeding frame provided on the apparatus main body and supporting the separation pad and the guide portion is provided.
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first regulating unit is provided on the feeding frame. The sheet feeding device according to claim 2, wherein the link member is supported by the feeding frame. The link member supports the pressure plate at a position outside the first regulating portion in the width direction.
The pressure plate has a notch at a position corresponding to the first regulating portion when the cover is in the open position.
The tip portion of the pressure plate inside the first regulation portion in the width direction is located downstream of the tip portion of the pressure plate outside the first regulation portion in the sheet feeding direction. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The engaging portion has a pair of protruding portions protruding from the inner surface of the cover at intervals in the width direction.
The first portion according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tip portion of the first regulating portion is located between the pair of protrusions when the cover is in the open position. Sheet feeder. The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the first regulating portion is formed such that the tip portion thereof is formed thinner than the other portions in the width direction. The pressure plate has a shaft portion that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side portion in the width direction and is connected to the arm.
The cover includes a wall portion located between the pressure plate and the arm and having an elongated hole portion that slidably supports the shaft portion.
The shaft portion has a second regulating portion that engages with the wall portion when the cover is in the open position to restrict the pressure plate from moving in the width direction with respect to the cover. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheet feeding device is characterized. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding apparatus.

Images