JP4807231B2 - Recording medium container and method for assembling recording medium container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium container and a method for assembling the recording medium container.

  The image forming apparatus includes a recording medium storage unit that stores a sheet-like recording medium for forming an image. The recording medium accommodating portion includes a guide portion that moves in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction according to the size (size) of the recording medium and regulates the position in the width direction of the recording medium. Further, a pair of guide portions are provided, and each guide portion includes a slide portion in which a rack that engages with the pinion with the pinion interposed therebetween is formed. Therefore, the other guide portion moves in conjunction with the movement of one guide portion.

The slide portion is attached by sandwiching the bottom surface of the main body of the recording medium accommodating portion between the separate guide portion and slide portion. Alternatively, stoppers are provided at both end portions of the slide part from the slit holes through which the slide part slides (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent No. 3410246 Japanese Patent No. 3689525

  However, if the slide part is fixed at two locations on the upper surface or both ends, the slide part is easily bent unless the strength of the slide part is sufficient. Further, when the slide part is bent, the slide part cannot be moved smoothly. For this reason, the strength of the slide portion is increased by increasing the thickness of the slide portion so that the slide portion does not bend.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the bending of the slide portion and allow it to slide smoothly.

The method for assembling the recording medium accommodating portion according to claim 1 is provided with a recording medium accommodating portion main body for accommodating a sheet-like recording medium, the recording medium accommodating portion main body, and orthogonal to the feeding direction of the recording medium. A slit hole having a longitudinal direction as a width direction, a mounting hole provided on the slit hole and larger than the slit hole, provided side by side in the width direction, and inserted in the mounting hole and then moved in the width direction By doing so, the slide part having three or more fixing parts that prevent the slit hole from coming off, and the slide part move integrally with the slide part and hit the end of the recording medium. A first portion for positioning the recording medium in the width direction, and bending at least one of the fixing portions and bending the slide portion to insert the fixing portions into the mounting holes. , The slide part Moving in the direction, it is characterized by having a a second step of mounting insert the fixing portion that was not inserted into the mounting hole in a first step the mounting hole.

In the method for assembling the recording medium housing portion according to the first aspect, in the first step, at least one of the fixing portions is left, the slide portion is bent, and the fixing portion is inserted into the mounting hole. Then, in the second step, the slide portion is moved in the width direction, and the fixing portion that has not been inserted into the attachment hole in the first step is inserted into the attachment hole and attached.

  By assembling in this way, it is possible to easily fix the slide part having three or more fixing parts that are prevented from coming out of the slit hole so as to be movable in the width direction.

Assembling method for the recording medium according to claim 2, in the structure according to claim 1, wherein in the first step, at least two fixing portions disposed on both end sides of the arranged in the width direction the fixing part The guide portion is left to be bent, and the fixing portions other than the two fixing portions arranged on both ends are inserted into the mounting holes.

In the method for assembling the recording medium according to claim 2 , in the first step, at least two fixing portions arranged at both ends of the fixing portions arranged in the width direction are left, and both ends in the width direction of the slide portion are set. Since the warped central part is greatly bent so as to be recessed and the remaining fixing parts (fixing parts other than the two fixing parts arranged at both ends) are inserted into the mounting holes, workability is good. In other words, since the slide portion can be easily bent greatly with the guide portion, workability is good.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium assembling method according to the first or second aspect , wherein the number of the mounting holes is smaller than the number of the fixing portions.

In the method for assembling the recording medium according to claim 3, the number of mounting holes is smaller than the number of fixing portions, but after the sliding portions are bent and the fixing portions are inserted into the mounting holes, the sliding portions are moved in the width direction. Then, the fixing portion that has not been inserted into the attachment hole can be attached by being inserted into the attachment hole.

  Further, even if the slide portion is moved in the width direction, all the fixed portions do not overlap with the mounting holes. Therefore, the slide part is unlikely to be detached from the recording medium housing part main body.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when the slide portion is slid in the width direction, the slide portion is bent by the fixing portion arranged between the two fixing portions arranged on both ends in the width direction. Since it is suppressed, the slide part moves smoothly.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  An image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 forms an image on a recording sheet P (see FIG. 2) as a sheet-like recording medium based on image information input from an external apparatus. In addition, a paper feed cassette 20 as a recording medium accommodating portion is disposed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper feed cassette 20 can be attached and detached by inserting and removing it in the insertion / removal direction (arrow S direction) from the mounting opening 18 formed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 12.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed cassette 20 is formed in a box shape and includes a cassette body 22 as a recording medium housing portion body that houses recording paper P (see FIG. 2). The cassette body 22 includes a rectangular bottom surface 24 and a frame wall 25 that forms an outer frame along the outer periphery of the bottom surface 24. A bottom plate 26 is provided on the bottom surface 24 of the cassette body 22 and lifted in the upward direction by the elastic force of an elastic member (not shown), and the recording paper P (see FIG. 2) is placed on the bottom plate 26. Loaded.

  Then, the recording paper P accommodated in the paper feed cassette 20 is sent out in the feed direction (arrow T direction) by a paper feed mechanism (not shown). The recording paper P fed from the paper feed cassette 20 is transported by a transport unit (not shown), and an image is formed in an image forming unit (not shown) in the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. The paper is discharged to the paper discharge unit 14.

  The image forming method of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus 10 may be any method. For example, an electrophotographic system or an inkjet system may be used. Alternatively, a thermal transfer method or an impact dot method may be used.

  Further, the sheet-like recording medium is not limited to the recording paper P. For example, an OHP sheet may be used. Any sheet-like recording medium on which an image can be formed may be used.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 3, frame walls 25 arranged on both sides in the width direction (arrow W direction) orthogonal to the feeding direction (arrow T direction) of the recording paper P in the cassette body 22 of the paper feed cassette 20. Two side guide portions 30A and 30B are provided on the inside. These side guide portions 30A and 30B are positioned in the width direction of the recording paper P by hitting the end of the recording paper P (see FIG. 2) accommodated in the cassette body 22 in the width direction.

  In the following description, one of the side guide portions 30A is denoted by A after the symbol (30), and the other is denoted by B after the symbol (30) as the side guide portion 30B. In addition, various members and the like corresponding to the one side guide portion 30A are denoted by A, and various members and the like corresponding to the other side guide portion 30B are denoted by B after the symbol. Furthermore, only one (or the other) may be illustrated and described, and the other (or one) may be omitted or described.

  The side guide portions 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B have a substantially rectangular plate shape, and are arranged so that the plate surfaces are substantially parallel to the frame walls 25 on both sides. Slide portions 32A and 32B extending in a direction away from the frame walls 25 on both sides (inward direction in the width direction W) are formed below the side guide portions 30A and 30B. And these slide parts 32A and 32B are arrange | positioned so that it may rank in parallel mutually. In addition, rack teeth H are formed on the sides facing each other in the slide portions 32A and 32B.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a pinion 34 that can mesh with the rack teeth H of the slide portions 32A and 32B is rotatably attached to the center portion of the bottom surface 24 in the width direction (arrow W direction) (FIG. 4). For the sake of clarity, the illustration of the bottom plate 26 is omitted, and the rack teeth H are schematically shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, slits 50 </ b> A and 50 </ b> B are formed on the bottom surface 24 in the longitudinal direction in the width direction (arrow W direction) below the slide portions 32 </ b> A and 32 </ b> B (FIG. It is the figure which looked at the paper cassette 20 from the back side (opposite side of FIG. 4). Further, mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, and 54B larger than the slit holes 50A and 50B are formed on the slit holes 50A and 50B (two mounting holes on each slit hole 50A and 50B, respectively). 52A, 54A, 52B, 54B are formed).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, inverted T-shaped fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A protruding downward from the lower surface of the slide portion 32A are inserted from these mounting holes 52A, 54A, and then in the width direction W. By moving, the slide portion 32A and the side guide portion 30A are attached so as to be freely movable in the width direction (details of the attachment method will be described later). In FIG. 6, only the slide part 32A and the side guide part 30A are shown, but the other slide part 32B and the side guide part 30B are the same. Details of the fixing portions 60A, 61A, and 62A and details of the mounting method will be described separately.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the side guide portions 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B move in the width direction (arrow W direction) while maintaining an equal distance from the center of the pinion 34. As described above, the bottom plate 26 (see FIG. 3) is disposed above the slide portions 32A and 32B and the pinion 34.

  Next, details of the fixing portions 60A, 62A, and 64A of the slide portion 32A will be described. Although only one slide portion 32A is illustrated and described, the same applies to the other slide portion 32B.

  As shown in FIG. 6, three inverted T-shaped fixing portions 60A, 61A, and 62A protrude downward from the lower surface of the slide portion 32A.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the fixing portions 60A, 61A, and 62A are arranged in the direction of the arrow S from the shaft portions 63A, 64A, and 65A that protrude downward from the lower surface of the slide portion 32A and the tip portions of the shaft portions 63A, 64A, and 65A. And hook portions 66A, 67A, 68A extending substantially horizontally in the direction perpendicular to the width direction W. The hook portions 66A, 67A, 68A are smaller than the attachment holes 52A, 54A, but are wider than the slit holes 50A.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, chamfered portions 70 are formed at upper corners of both end portions in the width direction W of the hook portions 66 </ b> A, 67 </ b> A, 68 </ b> A. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, chamfered portions 72 are formed at lower corners of both ends in the width direction of the mounting holes 52A and 54A.

Next, details of the mounting method of the slide portions 32A and 32B (and the side guide portions 30A and 30B) will be described. Similarly, only one slide portion 32A is shown and described, but the other slide portion 32B is also similar. As shown in FIG. ) In the mounting hole 52A. In that case, as shown to FIG. 7 (B), it bends so that the center part of 32 A of slide parts may dent.

  Next, as shown to FIG. 8 (A), it slides to the inner side of the width direction. In addition, as shown to FIG. 8 (B), the nail | claw 80 is bent and the slide part 32A is moved to an attachment position.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the front end side fixing portion 60A is inserted into the inner mounting hole 54A in the width direction, and the rear end side (side guide portion 32A side) fixing portion 62A is connected to the outer side in the width direction. Insert into the mounting hole 52A. As described above, the interval between the mounting holes 52A and 54A is equal to the interval between the front-end-side fixing portion 60A and the rear-end-side fixing portion 62A.

  Then, by sliding the slide portion 32A in the width direction, the hook portions 66A, 67A, and 68A of the fixing portions 60A, 61A, and 62A are hooked to prevent them from coming off (see FIG. 9B), and the fixing portions 60A, The shaft portions 63A, 64A, 65A of 61A, 62A can move along the slit hole 50A. That is, the slide portion 32A (and the side guide portion 30A) is mounted on the cassette body 22 so as to be movable in the width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 8C, after the attachment, the claw 80 returns due to elasticity and comes into contact with the end surface of the slide portion 32A, thereby restricting the movement to the attachment position (the state shown in FIG. 9).

  Next, a procedure for setting the recording paper P will be described.

  First, the paper cassette 20 is pulled out (see FIG. 2). Next, either the side guide portion 30A or the side guide portion 30B is moved in the width direction in accordance with the standard size (for example, A4 size, B5 size, letter size, etc.) of the recording paper P. At this time, the other side guide part 30B or the side guide part 30A moves in conjunction with the one side guide part 30A, 30B via the pinion 34.

  In this state, the recording paper P is set between the side guide portions 30A and 30B in the paper feed cassette 20. At this time, if there is a gap between the side guide portions 30A and 30B and the end portion of the recording paper P in the width direction, the side guide portions 30A and 30B are moved and brought into contact with each other. Then, the paper feed cassette 20 is mounted (see FIG. 1).

  At this time, when the size guides 30A and 30B are moved to the position of the end in the width direction of the standard size (for example, A4 size, B5 size, letter size, etc.) of the recording paper P stored in the cassette body 22 The fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A stop at positions where they do not overlap with the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, 54B. Further, at this time, the fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A are attached to the mounting holes 52A, 54A, It does not stop at positions near 52B and 54B.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C, the claw 80 protrudes. Therefore, after the slide portions 32A and 32B are attached, the end portions of the slide portions 32A and 32B hit the claw 80 and do not move to the attachment position (state shown in FIG. 9).

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

  The slide portions 32A and 32B that are mounted on the cassette body 22 of the paper feed cassette 20 so as to be movable in the width direction are provided with three fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, and 61B that prevent the slide holes 32A and 50B from coming off. 62B.

  Accordingly, when the slide portions 32A and 32B (side guide portions 30A and 30B) are slid in the width direction, the fixed portions disposed between the two fixed portions 60A, 62A, 60B and 62B disposed at both ends in the width direction. The bending of the slide portions 32A and 32B is suppressed by the portions 61A and 61B. Therefore, the slide portions 32A and 32B (side guide portions 30A and 30B) move smoothly. Further, it is not necessary to increase the strength of the slide portions 32A and 32B more than necessary by increasing the thickness of the slide portions 32A and 32B in order to prevent bending.

  Furthermore, there are two mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, and 54B, and there are three fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, and 62B. That is, the number of mounting holes is smaller than the number of fixing portions. Therefore, even if the slide portions 32A, 32B are moved in the width direction, all the fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, 62B do not overlap with the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, 54B. Therefore, the slide portions 32 </ b> A and 32 </ b> B are not easily detached from the cassette body 22.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the two fixed portions 60A, 62A, 60B, 62B arranged at both ends are left, and the slide portions 32A, 32B are bent at both ends so that the central portion is recessed. Thus, since the fixing portions 61A and 61B arranged in the central portion are assembled so as to be inserted into the mounting holes 52A and 52B, workability is good. That is, since the slide portions 32A and 32B are easily bent greatly, workability is good.

  Further, since the slide portions 32A and 32B are attached from above, workability is good, and there is no need to attach a retaining member separately.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, upper corners at both ends in the width direction of the hook portions 66A, 67A, 68A, 66B, 67B, and 68B of the fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, and 62B. The part is formed with a chamfered portion 70. Further, chamfered portions 72 are also formed at lower corners at both ends in the width direction of the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, and 54B.

  Therefore, when the fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, 62B pass through the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, 54B, the hook portions 66A, 67A, 68A, 66B, 67B, 68B are attached to the mounting holes 52A, 54A, Passes smoothly without being caught by 52B and 54B. That is, the slide portions 32A and 32B slide more smoothly. In the present embodiment, the chamfered portion 70 is provided in the hook portion of the fixed portion, and the chamfered portion 72 is provided in the attachment hole (that is, the chamfered portion is provided in both the hook portion and the attachment hole). However, a configuration in which a chamfered portion is provided in only one of the hook portion and the attachment hole may be employed.

  Further, when the size guides 30A and 30B are moved to the position of the end in the width direction of the standard size (for example, A4 size, B5 size, letter size, etc.) of the recording paper P stored in the cassette body 22, the fixed portion Since the positions where 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, and 62B stop do not overlap with the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 54A, and 54B, the slide portions 32A and 32B do not come off. Even in the vicinity of this position, the mounting holes 52A, 54A, 52B, 54B and the fixing portions 60A, 61A, 62A, 60B, 61B, 62B do not overlap, so that the fine adjustment of the guide portion can be performed smoothly.

  Furthermore, after the slide portions 32A and 32B are attached, the slide portions 32A and 32B hit the claw 80 (see FIG. 8C) and do not move to the attachment position (state of FIG. 9). It is prevented from moving to the original mounting position and coming off accidentally.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an image forming apparatus including a paper feed cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the image forming apparatus in a state where a paper feed cassette is pulled out. It is a perspective view which shows the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which looked at the paper feed cassette concerning the embodiment of the present invention from the back. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state before mounting one slide portion and a side guide portion in the paper feed cassette according to the embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a figure which shows the state which inserted the fixing | fixed part of the center part of one slide part and the side guide part from the state of FIG. 6, and (B) is a cross-sectional view. (A) is the figure of the state which moved the one slide part and the side guide part to the width direction from the state of FIG. 7, (B) is the figure which bent the nail | claw and moved the slide part to the attachment position. Yes, (C) is a diagram in which after the attachment, the claw is restored by elasticity to restrict the movement of the slide portion. (A) is a figure which shows the state which moved the one slide part and the side guide part to the width direction from the state of FIG. 8, and inserted the fixing | fixed part of the both ends of the width direction in the attachment hole, (B) It is a figure of the BB cross section of A). (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a front view showing a fixing part. It is sectional drawing of the bottom face which shows an attachment hole.

Explanation of symbols

P Recording paper (sheet-shaped recording medium)
20 Paper cassette (recording medium storage)
22 Cassette body (recording medium container body)
50A slit hole 50B slit hole 52A attachment hole 52B attachment hole 54A attachment hole 54A attachment hole 60A fixing portion 60B fixing portion 61A fixing portion 61B fixing portion 62A fixing portion 62B fixing portion 32A sliding portion 32B sliding portion 30A guide portion 30B guide portion 70 surface Chamfer 72 Chamfer 80 Claw (Regulator)

Claims (3)

  A recording medium storage unit main body for storing a sheet-like recording medium;
  A slit hole provided in the recording medium housing main body and having a longitudinal direction in the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the recording medium;
  A mounting hole provided on the slit hole and larger than the slit hole;
  A slide portion having three or more fixing portions that are provided side by side in the width direction and are inserted in the mounting hole and then moved in the width direction to prevent the slit hole from coming off,
  A guide portion that moves integrally with the slide portion in the width direction and contacts the end portion of the recording medium to position the recording medium in the width direction;
  With
  Leaving at least one or more of the fixed parts, bending the slide part and inserting the fixed part into the mounting hole;
  A second step of moving the slide portion in the width direction and attaching the fixing portion that has not been inserted into the attachment hole in the first step to the attachment hole; and
  A method for assembling a recording medium container, comprising:   In the first step, at least two fixing portions arranged on both end sides of the fixing portion arranged in the width direction are left, and the guide portions are bent to fix the two fixing portions arranged on both end sides. 2. The method for assembling a recording medium accommodation portion according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion other than the portion is inserted into the mounting hole.   3. The method for assembling a recording medium accommodation portion according to claim 1, wherein the number of the mounting holes is smaller than the number of the fixing portions.

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