JP4116974B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a paper feed cassette configured to be detachable, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a mechanism for locking the detachment of the paper feed cassette.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a cassette (paper feed cassette) that stores paper for image formation can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body, that is, by replenishing paper to the paper feed cassette. And a mechanism (lock mechanism) that locks the attachment / detachment of the sheet cassette relative to the apparatus body (positions the sheet cassette).

With regard to this paper cassette mounting / dismounting mechanism, for example, in Patent Document 1, a push button is provided on the paper cassette cover, and by pressing this push button, a claw portion that is hooked on the paper cassette is removed. A technique for removing the lock and releasing the paper cassette is disclosed.
JP 2001-180830 A

  However, in the above-described prior art, at least 2 such as firstly releasing the lock by first placing a hand at the position of the lock mechanism, then holding the handle for pulling out the sheet cassette and pulling out the sheet cassette. It is necessary to move the hand to the place and perform each operation (the operation for unlocking and the operation for pulling out the paper cassette), which is troublesome. Further, when the above attachment / detachment function is viewed from the viewpoint of universal design, it cannot be said that the mechanism can easily pull out the paper feed cassette, and it cannot be denied that it does not match the current trend of universal design.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus that can efficiently and easily pull out a paper feed cassette.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is configured to be detachable from an apparatus main body, and includes a paper feed cassette that stores paper for paper feed, a positioning unit that positions the paper feed cassette in a mounting and detaching direction, and the paper feed cassette. A drawer assisting means provided on the paper cassette, wherein the drawer assisting the drawer of the sheet cassette from the apparatus main body and assisting the drawer of the sheet cassette and releasing the positioning state of the sheet cassette by the positioning means ; the pull-out assisting means, the paper feed cassette, and wherein the der Rukoto what gives the force which the sheet cassette is pulled out.

  Further, the pull-out assisting means moves in the pulling-out direction of the paper feeding cassette while applying pressure to the apparatus body in conjunction with an operation of gripping the handle of the paper feeding cassette during the pulling-out operation of the paper feeding cassette. It is preferable to cancel the positioning state.

  The drawer assisting means includes a gripping portion that is provided in the sheet feeding cassette and rotates around a predetermined rotation center axis in accordance with an operation of gripping the handle portion, and a predetermined number of connecting members. A connecting portion that interlocks with the rotation of the gripping portion, and a pressing portion that rotates around a predetermined rotation center axis in accordance with the interlocking of the connecting portion, protrudes toward the apparatus body, and applies pressure to the apparatus body It is preferable to consist of.

  Further, the positioning means is provided on the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation center axis, and is provided to protrude from the paper feed cassette, a latching portion that latches in a state of being pressed by a predetermined biasing force, The positioning state includes a latching portion latched by the latching portion, and the latching portion is pushed up while being rotated according to the movement of the latching portion when the paper cassette is pulled out. Is preferably released.

  The paper feed cassette further includes drive means connected to the paper feed cassette for driving the paper stored in the paper feed cassette toward the paper carry-out port at the top of the paper feed cassette. Accordingly, it is preferable that the connection between the sheet feeding cassette and the driving unit is released.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the paper for feeding is stored in the paper feed cassette configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body, and the positioning unit positions the paper feed cassette in the attaching / detaching direction. Positioning means that assists in pulling out the paper feed cassette by applying a force in the direction in which the paper feed cassette is pulled out according to the pulling-out operation of the paper feed cassette from the apparatus body by the pull-out assisting means provided in the paper cassette. The positioning state of the paper feed cassette is canceled. In this way, the positioning state is canceled by the positioning means while assisting the drawer of the paper cassette according to the drawer operation of the paper cassette, that is, the drawer of the paper cassette is pulled out. Since the operation, the assist operation for pulling out the paper cassette, and the positioning release operation are performed at the same time, the paper cassette can be pulled out efficiently and easily.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pull-out assisting means is interlocked with the operation of gripping the handle portion of the paper feed cassette during the paper feed cassette pull-out operation. While being added, the paper feed cassette is moved in the drawing direction and the positioning state is released. In this way, in conjunction with the user's operation of gripping the handle of the sheet cassette, the configuration is such that the sheet cassette is moved in the direction of pulling out while applying pressure to the apparatus body, and the positioning state is released. That is, the structure is such that the drawer of the paper feed cassette is assisted using the operation of gripping the handle of the paper feed cassette and the positioning state is released, so that the paper feed cassette can be efficiently and easily A configuration that can be pulled out can be realized with a simpler configuration.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the gripping portion provided in the paper feed cassette is rotated around the predetermined rotation center axis according to the operation of gripping the handle portion, and the predetermined number of connecting members The connecting portion is interlocked with the rotation of the gripping portion, and the pressing portion is rotated around a predetermined rotation center axis in accordance with the interlocking of the connecting portion and protrudes toward the apparatus main body side. Is pressed against. In this way, the pull-out assisting means is composed of the gripping part, the connecting part and the pressing part, the gripping part is rotated and this turning force is transmitted by the connecting part, and the pressing part is turned by this turning force. Since the structure is such that the apparatus main body is pressed, the drawing assisting means can be made simpler, and the paper cassette can be pulled out efficiently and easily by a simpler method. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the positioning means composed of the latching portion and the latched portion is provided on the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation center axis, and is pressed with a predetermined urging force. The latched portion that is projected from the paper feed cassette is latched by the latched portion, and the latching portion is rotated in accordance with the movement of the latched portion as the paper cassette is pulled out. By being pushed up, the positioning state is released. In this way, the positioning means is composed of the latching portion and the latching portion, and is positioned by being pushed up while the latching portion is rotated in accordance with the movement of the latching portion accompanying the drawer of the paper feed cassette. Therefore, the positioning means that can be released according to the pulling-out operation of the paper feed cassette can be realized with a simpler configuration.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the drive unit connected to the paper feed cassette is driven to lift the paper stored in the paper feed cassette toward the paper carry-out port at the top of the paper feed cassette. In response to the drawer of the cassette, the connection between the paper feed cassette and the driving means is released. As described above, since the connection between the paper feeding cassette and the driving means is released in accordance with the drawer of the paper feeding cassette, a special function for releasing the connection with the driving means when the paper feeding cassette is pulled out. An operation (or apparatus) is not required, and the paper feeding cassette can be pulled out efficiently and easily.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of a copying machine 1 which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The copying machine 1 is disposed above the document reading unit 5, the main unit 2, the stack tray 3 disposed on the left side of the main unit 2, the document reading unit 5 disposed on the top of the main unit 2. And a document feeding unit 6 provided. Further, a start key 471 for a user to input a print execution instruction, a numeric keypad 472 for inputting the number of copies to be printed, and operations for inputting settings for various copying operations, etc. An operation panel 47 including a display 473 (display) including a liquid crystal display (LCD) for displaying guide information and the like and various operation buttons for inputting various operation commands. Is provided.

  The document reading section 5 includes a scanner 51 including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor and an exposure lamp, a document table 52 (platen glass) made of a transparent member such as glass, and a document reading slit 53. The scanner 51 is configured to be movable by a drive unit (not shown). When reading a document placed on the document table 52, the scanner 51 is moved to a position facing the document table 52, and acquires image data acquired while scanning the document image. It outputs to the control part 10 mentioned later. Further, when reading the document fed by the document feeding unit 6, the document is moved to a position facing the document reading slit 53, and the document is synchronized with the document feeding operation by the document feeding unit 6 via the document reading slit 53. And the image data is output to the control unit 10.

  The document feeding unit 6 includes a document placing unit 61 for placing a document, a document discharging unit 62 for discharging a document after image reading, and a document placed on the document placing unit 61. A document transport mechanism 63 including a paper feed roller and a transport roller (not shown) for feeding the paper one by one in order and transporting it to a position facing the document reading slit 53 and discharging it to the document discharge section 62 is provided. The document conveyance mechanism 63 further includes a paper reversing mechanism (not shown) that reverses the document and conveys the document to a position facing the document reading slit 53, and reads images on both sides of the document from the scanner 51 via the document reading slit 53. It is possible.

  Further, the document feeding unit 6 is configured to be retractable, and when the document table 52 is lifted upward so as to open the upper surface of the document table 52, a read document, for example, a book that is opened in a spread state, is placed on the upper surface of the document table 52. Etc. can be placed.

  The main body unit 2 is configured to feed a plurality of sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 storing recording sheets (paper sheets) of different sizes, and to feed the recording sheets one by one from the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 to the recording unit 40. A sheet feeding roller 460 disposed above each sheet feeding cassette and a recording unit 40 that forms an image on recording sheets conveyed from the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 are provided.

  Here, the paper feed cassettes 461 and 462 are vertically longer than the paper feed cassettes 463 and 464 in order to store a large amount (for example, 1000 sheets) of frequently used recording paper (for example, A4 size recording paper). (Deep bottom). A portion of the main body 2 that includes the paper feeding cassettes 461 to 464 and stores recording paper for paper feeding is hereinafter referred to as a housing portion 20.

  The recording unit 40 outputs an laser beam based on the image data acquired by the scanner 51 to expose the photosensitive drum 43, and an image forming unit 44 that forms a toner image on the photosensitive drum 43. A transfer unit 41 for transferring the toner image on the photosensitive drum 43 to the recording paper, a fixing unit 45 for fixing the toner image to the recording paper by heating the recording paper to which the toner image has been transferred, And a paper transport device 46 that transports the recording paper by a transport roller or the like provided in the paper transport path and discharges the recording paper to the stack tray 3 or the discharge tray 48.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the copying machine 1 shown in FIG. The image memory 7 is a memory that temporarily stores document image data read by the document reading unit 5 (scanner 51). An HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 8 is a storage device that stores image data read by the document reading unit 5 and an output format set in the image data.

  The control unit 10 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program of the copying machine 1, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, a CPU that reads and executes the control program from the ROM, and the like. Thus, the entire apparatus is controlled in accordance with the instruction information received by the operation panel 47 or the like or the detection signals from the sensors provided in various places of the apparatus.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the storage unit 20 of the copying machine 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the storage unit 20 arranged at the lower part of the copying machine 1 (main body unit 2) when viewed from the front (operation panel 47 side) of the copying machine 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 20 includes paper feed cassettes 461 to 464, main body frames 21 and 22, a drawer auxiliary unit 100, and the like.

  Each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 has storage case portions 461a to 464a (only the storage case portion 463a is shown in FIG. 3) in which recording sheets of various sizes are stored, and these storage case portions 461a to 464a. Cover portions 461b to 464b for covering (or covering) (or covering) the front surfaces of the storage case portions 461a to 464a. The end portions (end portions 465 and 466) in the longitudinal direction of these cover portions, that is, the arrow direction (in the direction of arrow A) indicated by reference numeral A are extended toward the main body frames 21 and 22, that is, It is formed so as to protrude from the side surface portion of each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 by the length of the distance α shown in the drawing.

  A recessed portion 467 (recessed portion) having a predetermined shape is formed, for example, at an upper position near the center on the front surface of each cover portion 461b to 464b, and the recessed portion 467 is formed in front of the copying machine 1 (indicated by an arrow B). A handle portion 468 is provided that is gripped by the user's hand or the like when pulling out each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 in the direction (hereinafter referred to as arrow B direction). The handle portion 468 is gripped by turning (inserting) a hand (finger) from the front and below to the back side of the handle portion 468 as indicated by the arrow C in FIG.

  The handle portion 468 may be fixed so as not to move with respect to the cover portions 461b to 464b, or the upper end side of the handle portion 468 is rotatably supported with respect to each cover portion. In addition, the handle portion 468 may be configured such that the lower side faces in the direction of the arrow B. However, in this case, the rotation of the handle portion 468 is preferably restricted so as to have a degree of freedom that allows the handle portion 468 to be moved slightly, so that the handle portion 468 and the grip portion 101 can be gripped simultaneously. In addition, it is easy to apply a force to rotate the gripping portion 101, and the gripped portion 468 and the gripping portion 101 are easily fitted and held in the hand. The operation becomes easier.

  Further, members denoted by reference numerals 4611 and 4621 in FIG. 3 are substantially box-like external views attached to the back surfaces of the cover portions 461b and 462b, respectively, and open to the storage case portions 461a and 462a (frames). 4611 and 4621), and supports the drawer auxiliary portion 100 so as to be movable (turnable) as will be described later. Although not shown in FIG. 3, frame bodies 4631 and 4641 are provided on the back surfaces of the cover portions 463b and 464b, respectively, similarly to the frame bodies 4611 and 4621.

  The support frames 21 and 22 are so-called frame bodies that are erected at both front ends (corner portions) of the lower portion of the main body 2. The support frames 21 and 22 include the end portions 465 and 466. The opposing surface portions 23 and 24 are arranged so as to face the back surface portions 465b and 466b.

  The drawer auxiliary unit 100 is attached to each of the cover units 461b to 464b, and positioning the paper cassettes 461 to 464 by the positioning unit 200 described later while assisting the drawer of the paper cassettes 461 to 464. The state is released. The drawer auxiliary unit 100 will be described in detail below.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the front cover portions 461b to 464b are removed from the respective paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 in the storage portion 20 shown in FIG. However, the storage case portions 461a to 464a are not shown. As shown in FIG. 4, the drawer auxiliary unit 100 is provided for each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464, and extends from the position of the handle unit 468 across the support frames 21 and 22. The drawer assisting unit 100 is different in the shape of the arm portion for transmitting the rotational force, which will be described later, from the one for the upper sheet cassettes 461 and 462 and the one for the lower sheet cassettes 463 and 464. The drawer auxiliary sections 100 for the upper sheet cassettes 461 and 462 are the drawer assist sections 120 and 130, respectively, and the drawer auxiliary sections 100 for the lower sheet cassettes 463 and 464 are the drawer assist sections 140 and 150, respectively. Note that the upper drawer auxiliary portions 120 and 130 are mirror-symmetrically arranged (configuration) with the plane between the frame body 4611 and the frame body 4621 as the symmetry center plane.

  The drawer auxiliary unit 100 includes a gripping part 101, a connecting part 102, and a pressing part 103. The gripping portion 101 rotates around a predetermined rotation center axis (an axis point 101b described later) in accordance with the operation in which the handle portion 468 in each of the cover portions 461b to 464b is gripped by the user. The grip portion 101 is a plate-like body having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and is juxtaposed with the handle portion 468 in the pull-out direction so as to be substantially opposed to the back surface of the handle portion 468 (see FIG. 6). Each grip portion 101 is supported at its upper end side so as to be rotatable (swingable) with respect to each frame body 4611, 4621, 4631, and 4641, and is gripped by a user (such as a hand) together with the handle portion 468. Then, the lower end side of the gripping portion 101 moves in an arc shape toward the front side in the direction of arrow D and rotates so as to approach the back side of the handle portion 468.

  The gripping part 101 is provided with a latching member 101a for latching a biasing part such as a wound spring body for applying a biasing force in the rotation direction to the gripping part 101. For example, the hooking member 101a is fixed to both ends of the gripping portion 101 in the direction of arrow A, extends downward in an arm shape, and has a lower end formed in a hook shape (key claw shape). It will be. One end side of the urging portion is hooked on the hook-like portion. However, the other end side of each of the urging portions is fixed to each of the cover portions 461b to 464b (or each frame body), and the pivot point 101b is pivoted with respect to the hooking member 101a, that is, the handle portion 468. As shown, the biasing force is applied to rotate toward the storage case portions 461a to 464a (in the direction indicated by the arrow E; backward).

  The connecting portion 102 is composed of a predetermined number of connecting members and interlocks with the rotation of the gripping portion 101, in other words, the gripping portion 101 is moved by the user holding the gripping portion 101 together with the handle portion 468. The applied force, that is, the force by which the gripping portion 101 rotates is transmitted to move. However, it is not necessary to grip the handle portion 468 and the grip portion 101 together (simultaneously). For example, the hand is brought into contact with only the back portion of the grip portion 101, and the front side (front side) is directed in this state. It may be configured such that only the gripping part 101 is gripped, for example.

  The connecting part 102 includes an arm part 1021 and a shaft part 1022. The arm portion 1021 connects the grip portion 101 and the shaft portion 1022, and transmits the turning force of the grip portion 101 to the shaft portion 1022. The configuration of the arm unit 1021 will be described in detail later.

  The shaft portion 1022 is a shaft body extending in the arrow A direction, and connects the arm portion 1021 and the pressing portion 103 to transmit the rotational force of the arm portion 1021 to the pressing portion 103. The shaft portion 1022 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow F with the axial direction of the shaft portion 1022 as the center of rotation.

  In the upper drawing auxiliary portion 100, that is, in the drawing auxiliary portions 120 and 130, the shaft portion 1022 is supported at the support points 1022a and 1022b on both side surfaces (both side plates) of the frame bodies 4611 and 4621, respectively, so that the shaft can rotate. Has been. On the other hand, the lower drawer side auxiliary portions 140 and 150 are similarly supported so as to be axially rotatable at support points 1022a and 1022b on both side surface portions (both side plates) of the frame bodies 4631 and 4641, respectively.

  Here, the shaft portion 1022 is formed of a so-called round bar having a substantially circular cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a square bar (supporting point for shaft rotation has a structure capable of rotating the shaft). It may be).

  The pressing portion 103 rotates around the rotation center axis of the shaft portion 1022 in accordance with the interlocking of the connecting portion 102, that is, the movement according to the rotation of the gripping portion 101 in the connecting portion 102, and the main body frames 21 and 22 side. It projects toward the main body 2 side, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow G (in the direction of arrow G), and applies pressure to the main body frames 21 and 22.

  When projecting in the direction of the arrow G and applying pressure to the main body frames 21 and 22, the pressing portions 103 of the drawer auxiliary portions 120, 140, and 150 abut against the opposing surface portion 23 of the main body frame 21, while the drawer auxiliary portions The pressing portion 103 of 130 is in contact with the facing surface portion 24 of the main body frame 22.

  The pressing portion 103 is fixed (connected) to the end portion of the shaft portion 1022 on the main body frame 21, 22 side, and has a substantially quadrangular prism shape in an external view extending downward. The pressing portion 103 is disposed so that one side surface portion of the pressing portion 103 faces the facing surface portions 23 and 24 (or faces and abuts).

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover portions 461b to 464b as viewed from the back side, and is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between the cover portions and the drawer assisting portions 120 to 150 respectively attached to the cover portions. As shown in FIG. 5, the frame bodies 4611, 4621, 4631, and 4641 to which the drawer auxiliary parts 100 are attached are provided on the back surfaces (back surfaces) of the cover portions 461 b to 464 b to reinforce the cover portions. At the intersection portion 470 of each rib, for example, it is attached by being screwed by a predetermined screw body or the like. However, these frames 4611, 4621, 4631, and 4641 are not shown.

  Note that a protective cover 469 for preventing a hand or the like from being inserted into the inside of the cover portion when gripping the handle portion 468 is provided at a position above the recess portion 467 and facing the grip portion 101. Is attached (in FIG. 5, only the protective cover 469 for the drawer auxiliary portion 130 is shown).

  Next, the operation of the drawer assisting unit 100 when the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 are pulled out from the main body 2 will be described in detail below.

  6 is a side cross-sectional view of the storage unit 20 shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow H (in the direction of arrow H), and shows the lower drawing side auxiliary part 100 (drawing auxiliary parts 140 and 150). It is an enlarged view which shows an example. As shown in FIG. 6, the arm portion 1021 in the connecting portion 102 of the drawer assisting portions 140 and 150 includes a first arm 1021 a and a second arm 1021 b that are formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as viewed from the outside. One end side of the first arm 1021a is fixed at a substantially central position on the upper end side of the gripping portion 101 at a shaft point 101b (in a state of being erected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface direction of the gripping portion 101). The end side is connected to the second arm 1021b at the axial point 1023. The first arm 1021a and the second arm 1021b are rotatably connected to each other with an axis point 1023 as a rotation center axis point. The second arm 1021b is fixed to the pressing portion 103 at the shaft portion 1022. However, the grip portion 101 and the first arm 1021a, and the second arm 1021b and the pressing portion 103 may be integrally formed.

  When pulling out the lower paper feed cassettes 463 and 464, the grip portion 101 is gripped together with the handle portion 468, and a pressing force is applied from the direction indicated by the arrow I (arrow I direction) by the fingers of the hand. As a result, the gripping portion 101 rotates in the direction of arrow D using the pivot point 101b as a pivot point, and the first arm 1021a moves in the direction of the arrow indicated by symbol J (arrow J direction) as the gripping portion 101 rotates. Rotate. As the first arm 1021a rotates, the second arm 1021b connected at the axial point 1023 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow K with the shaft portion 1022 as the center of rotation, and the rotation of the second arm 1021b. Accordingly, the pressing portion 103 rotates so as to protrude toward the facing surface portion 23 of the main body frame 21 (in the direction of arrow G) using the shaft portion 1022 as a rotation fulcrum. Then, the rotation of the pressing portion 103 applies a pressure from the pressing portion 103 to the main body frame 21, and as a result, the paper feeding cassette is pulled out from the paper feeding cassettes 463 and 464 based on the so-called law of action and reaction. Force in the direction (arrow B direction) is applied.

  In this way, the force for gripping the handle portion 468 (or the force for gripping the handle portion 468 and pulling out the paper feed cassettes 463 and 464) causes the main body frame 21 to be pulled through the pull-out auxiliary portions 140 and 150. It is used as a pressing force to assist in pulling out the paper feed cassettes 463 and 464.

  In addition, as shown in the figure, the pressing portion 103 has a shape in which the front and rear surface portions (the direction of the arrow B is the front) of the lower end portion are arc-shaped and tapered in a side view (hereinafter, this portion is a circular arc). In other words, the main body frame 21 may be pressed while the arc portion 1031 on the rear surface side is in sliding contact with the facing surface portion 23 by the rotation of the pressing portion 103. In this case, the presence of the arc portion 1031 allows the operation of applying pressure to the main body frame 21 while the pressing portion 103 moves in the direction of arrow B to be performed smoothly.

  FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the storage unit 20 shown in FIG. 4 as seen from the direction of the arrow H, similar to FIG. 6, and is an enlarged view showing an example of the upper drawer auxiliary unit 100. However, in FIG. 7, the drawer auxiliary part 130 side of each of the upper drawer auxiliary parts 100 is shown (the drawer auxiliary part 120 is arranged mirror-symmetrically with the drawer auxiliary part 130 as described above, Since the operation described below is the same as that of the drawer auxiliary unit 130, the illustration is omitted).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the arm portion 1021 in the connecting portion 102 of the drawer assisting portion 130 extends downward from the first arm 1021 c and the second arm 1021 d that are each formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in external view. In addition, a third arm 1021e having a shape in which the upper and lower ends are bent in the direction of arrow B is provided. One end side of the first arm 1021c is fixed at a substantially central position on the upper end side of the gripping portion 101 at a shaft point 101b (in a state of being erected in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface direction of the gripping portion 101). The end side is connected to the second arm 1021d at the axial point 1024. The first arm 1021c is rotatably connected to the second arm 1021d with the axis 1024 as the rotation center axis. The second arm 1021d is connected to the third arm 1021e at the shaft portion 1025. The third arm 1021e is fixed to the pressing portion 103 at the shaft portion 1022. However, the grip portion 101 and the first arm 1021c, and the third arm 1021e and the pressing portion 103 may be integrally formed.

  When pulling out the upper paper feed cassette 462 (461), the grip portion 101 is gripped together with the handle portion 468, and a pressing force is applied from the direction of arrow I by a finger of a hand or the like. As a result, the gripping portion 101 rotates in the direction of arrow D with the pivot point 101b as the pivot point, and the first arm 1021c rotates in the direction of arrow J as the gripping portion 101 rotates. Further, as the first arm 1021c rotates, the second arm 1021d connected at the axial point 1024 moves (lowers) in the direction indicated by the symbol L, and as the second arm 1021d moves, The third arm 1021e rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow M, with the shaft portion 1022 as the center of rotation. With the rotation of the third arm 1021e, the pressing portion 103 rotates so as to protrude toward the facing surface portion 24 of the main body frame 22 (in the direction of arrow G) with the shaft portion 1022 as a rotation fulcrum. Then, the pressing portion 103 is pressed against the main body frame 22 by the rotation of the pressing portion 103. As a result, based on the so-called action-reaction law, the sheet feeding cassette is moved against the sheet feeding cassette 462 (461). A force in the direction of drawing (direction of arrow B) is applied.

  As described above, in FIG. 7, as in the case shown in FIG. 6, the force for gripping the handle portion 468 (or the force for gripping the handle portion 468 and pulling out the paper feed cassette 462 (461). ) Is used as a force to push the main body frame 22 (21) via the drawer assisting unit 130 (120), and the drawer of the sheet feeding cassette 462 (461) is assisted.

  Also, the pressing portion 103 shown in FIG. 7 has a shape in which the front and rear surface portions of the lower end portion are arc-shaped and tapered in a side view, as in the case shown in FIG. The rear surface side arc portion 1031 may be configured to press the main body frame 22 while being in sliding contact with the facing surface portion 24.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the pressing portion 103 is rotated so as to protrude toward the main body frames 21 and 22 with the shaft portion 1022 as a rotation fulcrum in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8, the positions of the opposing surface portions 23 and 24 of the main body frames 21 and 22 that face the rear surface (rear surface) of the pressing portion 103 (this position is referred to as the opposing portion 231) are vertically A plurality of grooves extending in the direction and arranged in parallel with each other are formed, in other words, rib-shaped (plate-shaped) members (referred to as ribs 233) are formed between the grooves. ing. However, on the upper end side of the facing portion 231, a recess is formed in which the rib 233 is cut out in an arc shape in accordance with the shape of the upper portion of the pressing portion 103 (columnar body 1032).

  The pressing portion 103 rotates toward the main body frames 21 and 22, and the rib 103 is slidably contacted with the surface portion on the arrow B direction side of the rib 233 at, for example, the arc portion 1031 (rear surface side) of the pressing portion 103. A pressure is applied to 233 (opposing portion 231). By providing such a facing portion 231, the contact area with respect to the main body frames 21 and 22 when the pressing portion 103 rotates can be further reduced (the frictional force (resistance) at the time of sliding contact can be further reduced). That is, the force for gripping the grip portion 101 and rotating the pressing portion 103 can be further reduced, and each paper feed cassette can be pulled out more easily.

  In addition, the structure of the said drawer | drawing-out assistance part 100 may be structures (arrangement | positioning, a shape, the number of parts, etc.) other than the thing of the upper stage side mentioned above and a lower stage side. For example, the connecting portion 102 may be composed of an arm portion 1021 composed of four or more arms, or two or more shaft portions 1022. Moreover, the structure which the connection part 102 consists only of the arm part 1021, or the structure where the connection part 102 consists of one connection member (one member which is not connected) may be sufficient. Further, the gripping part 101 does not have to rotate (turn) around the upper part of the gripping part 101 as shown in FIGS. The configuration may be such that the portion 468 and the grip portion 101 are attached to, for example, a lower position of each cover portion, and the user inserts a hand from the top to the bottom to grip the grip portion 101. In addition, when the grip portion 101 (and the handle portion 468) is attached vertically (in the case shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is assumed to be horizontal), that is, the grip portion 101 has the back side as the center of rotation. The structure which rotates in the direction (left-right direction) which opens and closes may be sufficient.

  Further, when the pressing part 103 applies pressure to the main body frames 21 and 22, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper part of the pressing part 103 does not rotate and protrude from the bottom to the top, For example, a configuration in which the lower part is rotated from the upper side to the lower side as a rotation center and protrudes may be used. Further, as described above, instead of projecting by rotating in the vertical direction, it may be configured to project by rotating in the horizontal direction (rotating from right to left, rotating from left to right) or in an oblique direction. .

  By the way, when the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 are set in the main body 2, that is, each paper feed cassette is pushed (inserted) toward the back of the main body 2. The paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 are positioned (locked), and one end of the recording paper stored in the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 is a transport port (feed) arranged at the upper position of each paper feed cassette. The paper roller is lifted toward the paper roller. When the paper feeding cassettes 461 to 464 are pulled out from this state as described above, it is necessary to cancel the positioning state or lower the recording paper that has been lifted.

  The positioning of each paper feed cassette or the raising / lowering of the recording paper will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the storage case portion 463 of the paper feed cassette 463 as viewed from above, and shows a state where the storage case portion 463 is positioned with respect to the main body portion 2. FIG. 10 is a side view when viewed from the arrow direction (the arrow N direction) indicated by the symbol N in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the storage case portion 463 of the paper feed cassette 463 as viewed from above, and shows a state in which the paper feed cassette 463 is pulled out and the positioning is released. FIG. 12 is a side view when viewed from the direction of arrow N in FIG. The paper cassettes 461, 462, and 464 have the same configuration as that of the paper cassette 463, and a description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, an elevating plate 400 is provided at the bottom of the storage case portion 463 in the paper feed cassette 463. The elevating plate 400 is, for example, a plate-like body having a substantially H shape in a top view, and is a so-called table for moving the recording paper (recording paper bundle) on the elevating plate 400 up and down. A recording sheet of a predetermined size (for example, “A3” size) is placed on the elevation 400 in a predetermined direction. The lifting plate 400 has a rotation fulcrum (rotation fulcrum 401) at a position indicated by a reference numeral 401 on both side plates in the front-rear direction (arrow B direction is front) of the storage case 463 with respect to the storage case 463. ) Is attached so as to be rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow O.

  A drive unit 300 is disposed behind the storage case unit 463a (on the main body unit 2 side), and the lifting plate 400 is moved up and down by the driving force (rotational drive) of the drive unit 300. The drive unit 300 will be described later. When the paper feed cassette 463 is pushed into the main body 2, the lift plate 400 is lifted by the drive unit 300 in the direction indicated by the arrow P with the rotation fulcrum 401 as the center (lift). The leading edge of the recording sheet on the raised side is directed one by one in the direction indicated by the arrow Q toward the lip portion of the paper feed roller 460 (paper feed roller pair). It is paid out.

  An elevating mechanism for moving the elevating plate 400 up and down while supporting the elevating plate 400 from below by a driving force transmitted from the driving unit 300 is provided below the elevating plate 400. For example, the elevating mechanism is connected to the drive unit 300 to receive a driving force from the drive unit 300 (a shaft body 306 in FIG. 10 described later), and extends in the radial direction of the shaft body. It consists of a plate-like body, and the plate-like body rotates according to the shaft rotation of the shaft body, and the lifting plate 400 is raised and lowered by the rotation of the plate-like body.

  One side surface portion 410 (side plate) in a direction perpendicular to the arrow B direction (the direction in which the paper feeding cassette 463 is pulled out) in the storage case portion 463a is projected in a horizontal direction along the side surface portion 410 and outward. A strip-shaped rail body 411 is provided. The paper feed cassette 463 is slid in the direction along the rail body 411 and pulled out or pushed into the main body 2. A positioning unit 200 is provided at a rear position (back side position) of the rail body 411.

  The positioning unit 200 is a so-called lock mechanism for positioning the paper feed cassette 463 set in the main body unit 2. The positioning part 200 includes a hooking part 210 and a hooked part 220. The latching portion 210 is provided on the main body portion 2 (the main body portion 2 is not shown in the figure) so as to be rotatable around the rotation center axis 211. The latching portion 210 is rotated in the rotational direction (rotation) indicated by the symbol R in FIGS. 9 and 10 by an urging member (not shown) such as a winding spring provided between the main body 2 and the latching portion 210. An urging force toward the direction R) is applied, and the urging force is applied in a state where the urging force is pressed against the hooked portion 220. However, the latching part 210 is configured not to rotate downward (in the rotation direction R) from the horizontal state shown in FIG.

  Further, a claw-like body 212 formed in a substantially inverted triangle (isosceles triangle) shape in a side view is formed on the front end side in the arrow B direction in the latching portion 210. In other words, the latching portion 210 has a substantially inverted V-shaped notch 213 in a side view in front of the rotation center shaft 211 and in the lower portion near the center. Is the nail-like body 212.

  On the other hand, the hooked portion 220 is projected upward from the rail body 411 of the storage case portion 463 a and is hooked by the hooking portion 210. The hooked portion 220 has a substantially triangular shape (isosceles triangular shape) in a side view, in which the front side is an inclined surface 221 inclined by about 45 degrees, for example, and the rear side is a vertical surface 222 (vertical surface), for example. Is the body. The upper part (the apex side of the triangle) of the hooked part 220 is formed in a substantially arc shape when viewed from the side (hereinafter referred to as a top part 223), and the top part 223 and the bottom part of the notch part 213 are in contact with each other ( Engagement).

  When the paper feeding cassette 463 is pushed and slides backward, the top portion 223 is in sliding contact with the lower surface portion 2121 of the claw-like body 212 and the hooking portion 210 faces upward (in the direction of arrow T described later). Slowly rotate and push up. At this time, the latching part 210 is pushed up against the urging force acting on the latching part 210. When the hooked portion 220 further moves to the rear side, the hooking portion 210 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R by the urging force, and the hooked portion 220 (the top portion 223) is fitted into the notch portion 213, whereby the main body The paper feed cassette 463 is positioned with respect to the section 2.

  The drive unit 300 is connected to the paper feed cassette 463 and drives to lift the recording paper (paper) stored in the paper feed cassette 463 toward the paper exit of the paper feed cassette 463. The plate 400 is driven up and down (one drive unit 300 is provided for each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464). The drive unit 300 includes a drive motor 301 formed of a DC motor, a rotary solenoid, or the like, a drive shaft 302 that is a rotation shaft of the drive motor 301, and a connecting body 303 provided on the distal end side of the drive shaft 302. The coupling body 303 has a substantially cylindrical shape in external view that receives the shaft body 306 of the lifting mechanism, and has a plurality of notches cut into a sawtooth shape at an end (end surface) on the storage case portion 463a side. A tooth portion 305 (gear portion) having the portion 304 along the circumference of the coupling body 303 is formed. The drive unit 300 includes a fixed leg 308 for fixing the drive motor 301 to the main body 2.

  When the paper feeding cassette 463 is pushed in, the shaft body 306 of the lifting mechanism disposed below the lifting plate 400 moves toward the driving unit 303 and is engaged with the coupling body 303 of the driving unit 300. A pair of projecting shafts 307 projecting linearly in the radial direction is provided on the peripheral surface of the shaft body 306 on the side of the coupling body 303 side, and when the coupling body 303 is engaged, The projection shaft 307 is fitted into the notch 304 of the coupling body 303, and the tooth portion 305 and the projection shaft 307 are engaged with each other. Then, the drive motor 301 is rotationally driven, and this rotational driving force is transmitted in order to the connecting body 303, the protruding shaft 307, and the shaft body 306, and the shaft body 306 rotates to lift the lifting plate 400 together with the recording paper.

  On the other hand, when the paper feed cassette 463 is pulled out from the main body 2, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the hooked portion 220 moves in the arrow B direction as the paper feed cassette 463 is pulled out. Accordingly, the latching portion 210 is pushed up while being rotated upward. That is, when the paper feed cassette 463 is pulled out and slid forward, the top portion 223 of the latched portion 220 slidably contacts the lower surface portion 2122 of the claw-like body 212 on the notch portion 213 side. It is pushed up by gradually rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow T (in the direction of arrow T). When the hooked portion 220 further slides forward, the top portion 223 of the hooked portion 220 is in sliding contact with the lower surface portion 2121 of the claw-like body 212, and the hooked portion 210 that has been pushed up is moved in the direction of the arrow R. Rotating gradually, the latching portion 210 is in a state of facing the horizontal direction.

  Further, when the paper feed cassette 463 is pulled out as described above, the shaft body 306 retracts (moves in the direction of arrow B) from the coupling body 303, that is, the protruding shaft 307 retracts from the notch 304 of the coupling body 303. When the meshing between the tooth portion 305 and the shaft body 306 is released, the connection between the driving unit 330 and the paper feed cassette 463 is released. When the connection is released, the lifting plate 400 lifted by the lifting mechanism is lowered to the bottom of the storage case portion 463a together with the recording paper.

  It should be noted that the distance at which the paper feeding cassette 463 is pulled out by the drawer auxiliary unit 100 (here, the drawer auxiliary unit 140 or 150), that is, the pressing portion 103 of the drawer auxiliary unit 100 rotates toward the main body frame 21 and protrudes. The distance is a distance S (see FIG. 10) for the hooked portion 220 to move with respect to the hooking portion 210 for releasing the hooking state in the positioning portion 200, and a paper feed cassette 463 in the driving portion 300. The distance U (for releasing the engagement state by releasing the shaft body 306 (protrusion shaft 307) from the tooth portion 305 (notch portion 304) of the connection body 303. The configuration is larger than that shown in FIG. As a result, while holding the grip portion 101 together with the handle portion 468 of the paper feed cassette 463 and assisting withdrawing the paper feed cassette 463, the positioning portion 200 cancels the positioning, and the drive portion 300 and the paper feed cassette 463. Can be released.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the recording sheets for paper feed are stored in the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 that are configured to be detachable from the main body 2, and are fed by the positioning units 200. The paper cassettes 461 to 464 are positioned in the attaching / detaching direction. Then, the drawer auxiliary unit 100 (120 to 150) provided in each of the sheet cassettes 461 to 464 pulls out the sheet cassette in accordance with the operation of pulling out each of the sheet cassettes 461 to 464 from the main body unit 2. While being assisted, the positioning state of the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 by the positioning unit 200 is released. As described above, since the positioning unit 200 releases the positioning state of each paper feeding cassette while assisting the drawing of the paper feeding cassettes 461 to 464 in accordance with the drawing operation of the paper feeding cassettes 461 to 464. In other words, since the drawer operation of the sheet cassettes 461 to 464, the drawer auxiliary operation of the sheet cassette and the positioning release operation are performed at the same time, the sheet cassettes 461 to 464 can be efficiently and easily operated. Can be pulled out.

  Further, each drawer assisting unit 100 is interlocked with the operation of gripping the handle 468 of the sheet feeding cassette at the time of the drawer operation of each sheet feeding cassette 461 to 464, and is pressed against the main body 2 by the drawer assisting unit 100. The sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 are moved in the drawing direction while being added, and the positioning state is released. In this way, in conjunction with the operation of gripping the handle portion 468 of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 by the user, the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 are moved in the direction of pulling out while being pressed against the main body portion 2 and positioned. Since the state is released, that is, the drawing state of the paper cassettes is assisted by using the operation of grasping the handle 468 of the paper cassettes 461 to 464, and the positioning state is released. Therefore, it is possible to realize a configuration in which the paper feeding cassettes 461 to 464 can be pulled out efficiently and easily with a simpler configuration.

  Further, the gripping portion 101 provided in the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 is rotated around a predetermined rotation center axis (axial point 101b) according to the operation of gripping the handle portion 468, and a predetermined number of connections are made. The connecting portion 102 composed of members (arm portion 1021 and shaft portion 1022) is interlocked with the rotation of the gripping portion 101, and the pressing portion 103 is rotated around a predetermined rotation center axis (shaft portion 1022) according to the interlocking of the connecting portion 102. To the main body 2 side (the main body frames 21 and 22 side), and the pressing portion 103 applies pressure to the main body 2 (the main body frames 21 and 22). As described above, the pull-out assisting unit 100 includes the gripping part 101, the connecting part 102, and the pressing part 103. The gripping part 101 is rotated and this turning force is transmitted by the connecting part 102. Since it is the structure which is rotated by the rotational force and presses the main body 2, the drawer assisting part 100 can be made simpler, and the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 can be pulled out efficiently and easily. This can be realized by a simpler method.

  In addition, the positioning unit 200 including the latching part 210 and the latching part 220 is provided on the main body 2 so as to be rotatable around the rotation center axis 211 and pressed by the urging force of the urging part such as a winding spring. The paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 (the hooked portions 220 projecting from the rail bodies 411 of the storage cases 461a to 464a) are hooked by the latching portions 210 that are latched by the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464. In response to the movement (sliding movement) of the latched portion 220 associated with the drawer, the latching portion 210 is pushed up while being rotated, so that the positioning state is released. 210 and the latching portion 220, and the latching portion 210 is pushed up while being rotated in accordance with the movement of the latching portion 220 as the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 are pulled out. Since the positioning state is configured to be released Te, the releasable positioning unit 200 in response to the operation of pulling out the paper feed cassette can be realized with a simpler configuration.

  Further, the drive unit 300 connected to each of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 causes the paper stored in the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 to be ejected from the paper feed outlet (the lip portion of the paper feed roller 460). The paper feed cassettes 461 to 464 and the drive unit 300 are disconnected in response to the pulling out of the paper feed cassettes 461 to 464. As described above, since the connection between each of the sheet cassettes and the driving unit 300 is released according to the drawer of the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464, the connection with the driving unit 300 when the sheet feeding cassette is pulled out. Therefore, the sheet feeding cassettes 461 to 464 can be pulled out efficiently and easily without requiring a special operation (or device) for canceling.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of a copier that is an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the copier illustrated in FIG. 1. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a storage unit of a copying machine. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a front cover portion is removed from each paper feed cassette in the storage section shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship between each cover part and each drawing auxiliary part attached to the cover part, as viewed from the back side. It is a sectional side view at the time of seeing from the arrow H direction in the accommodating part shown in FIG. 4, and is an enlarged view which shows an example of the drawer | drawing auxiliary part of the lower stage side. It is a sectional side view at the time of seeing from the arrow H direction in the accommodating part shown in FIG. 4, and is an enlarged view which shows an example of the drawer | drawing auxiliary part of the upper stage side. It is a perspective view which shows the state which the press part rotated so that it might protrude toward the main body frame side by using the axial part as a rotation fulcrum. It is a perspective view when the storage case part in a paper feed cassette is seen from the upper part, and is a figure which shows the state positioned with respect to the main-body part. It is a side view at the time of seeing from the arrow N direction in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a storage case portion of the paper feed cassette as viewed from above, and shows a state in which the paper feed cassette is pulled out and positioning is released. It is a side view at the time of seeing from the arrow N direction in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Copying machine (image forming device)
2 Main unit (device main unit)
20 Storage parts 21 and 22 Main body frames 23 and 24 Opposing surface part 5 Document reading part 6 Document feeding part 40 Recording part 100, 120 to 150 Draw assist part (draw assist means)
101 Gripping part 101b Axis point ("predetermined rotation center axis" described in the beginning of claim 3)
102 connection part 1021 arm part (connection member)
1021a, 1021c 1st arm (connection member)
1021b, 1021d Second arm (connection member)
1021e 3rd arm (connection member)
1022 Shaft (connecting member, “predetermined rotation center shaft” described in the latter stage of claim 3)
1023, 1024 Axis point 1025 1025 Shaft portion 103 Pressing portion 200 Positioning portion (positioning means)
210 Latching part 211 Rotation center axis (predetermined rotation center axis according to claim 4)
212 Claw-like body 213 Notch 220 Retained part 223 Top part 231 Opposing part 233 Rib 300 Drive part (drive means)
301 drive motor 302 drive shaft 303 coupling body 306 shaft body 307 protrusion shaft 400 lifting plate 401 rotation fulcrum 411 rail body 460 paper feed rollers 461-464 paper feed cassettes 461a-464a storage case portions 461b-464b cover portion 468 handle portion 4611 , 4621, 4631, 4641

Claims (5)

A paper feed cassette configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body and storing paper for paper feed;
Positioning means for positioning the paper feeding cassette in the attaching / detaching direction;
A drawer assisting means provided in the sheet feeding cassette and for releasing the positioning state of the sheet feeding cassette by the positioning means while assisting the drawer of the sheet feeding cassette in accordance with the pulling operation of the sheet feeding cassette from the apparatus main body . With
The pull-out assisting means, the paper feed cassette, the image forming apparatus according to claim der Rukoto what gives the force which the sheet cassette is pulled out.
  The pull-out assisting means moves in the pulling-out direction in the pulling-out direction while applying pressure to the apparatus body in conjunction with an operation of gripping the handle portion of the paper feeding cassette during the pulling-out operation of the paper feeding cassette. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning state is released. The pull-out assisting means is provided in a paper feed cassette, and a gripping part that rotates around a predetermined rotation center axis according to an operation of gripping the handle part,
A connecting portion made of a predetermined number of connecting members and interlocking with the rotation of the gripping portion;
3. The pressing unit according to claim 2, further comprising: a pressing unit that rotates around a predetermined rotation center axis in accordance with the interlocking of the connecting portion, protrudes toward the apparatus main body, and applies pressure to the apparatus main body. Image forming apparatus. The positioning means is provided in the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation center axis, and is a latching portion that latches in a state of being pressed by a predetermined urging force;
The paper feeding cassette is provided with a hooked portion that is protruded from and hooked by the hooking portion,
The positioning state is released by pushing up the latching portion while being rotated according to the movement of the latched portion accompanying the drawer of the paper feed cassette. The image forming apparatus described in 1. Drive means connected to the paper feed cassette and for driving to lift the paper stored in the paper feed cassette toward the paper carry-out port at the top of the paper feed cassette,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the paper feed cassette and the driving unit is released according to the drawer of the paper feed cassette.

Images