JP6028610B2 - Sheet transport device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a sheet conveying apparatus in which a sheet is supplied from a sheet tray that can be inserted into and removed from a main body to a conveying path, and a roller pair provided in the conveying path conveys the sheet, and the roller pair is separated The present invention relates to a mechanism in which a release lever is slid in conjunction with a sheet tray insertion operation.

  In the conveyance device, in order to make it easy to take out a sheet jammed in the conveyance path while being sandwiched between the roller pair from the outside, a configuration in which a release lever for separating one of the rollers constituting the roller pair from the other is provided. Known (Patent Document 1). The user can separate the roller pair by operating the release lever in a state where the paper feed tray is pulled out. As a result, it is possible to easily remove a sheet jammed while being sandwiched between roller pairs.

  In order to prevent the user from operating the apparatus without returning the release lever to the original position so that the roller pair can convey the sheet, the original position is set to the original position. In the process of inserting the paper feed tray, a configuration is known in which the paper feed tray is brought into contact with the release lever, and when the paper feed tray is inserted, the release lever is pushed back to the original position.

JP 2012-91489 A

  In order to hold the sheet feeding tray at a position where sheets can be supplied, a configuration is adopted in which the sheet feeding tray is engaged with the main body at a position where insertion is completed. As described above, in the configuration in which the release lever is returned to the original position when the paper feed tray abuts, the load for sliding the release lever and the load for engaging the paper feed tray are: This occurs as a load for inserting a paper feed tray. When these loads increase rapidly, there arises a problem that smooth operation of the paper feed tray cannot be realized, or the operation is finished with the paper feed tray being inserted incompletely.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide means capable of smoothly inserting a paper feed tray in contact with a release lever.

  (1) A sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body having a conveying path through which a sheet is conveyed, a conveying mechanism having a pair of rollers that are disposed opposite to each other in the conveying path and convey the sheet while sandwiching the sheet. A sheet tray that is attachable to and detachable from the main body, a lock portion that is provided in the main body and engages with the sheet tray at a feeding position at which a sheet can be supplied to the conveyance path, and the conveyance mechanism And a release lever that is slidable between a first position that separates the roller pair by contacting the roller and a second position that enables the roller pair to convey a sheet, and the sheet tray. In the process of being inserted from the withdrawal position to the feeding position, the release lever contacts the release lever and slides the release lever from the first position to the second position. A contact portion, comprising a. A first load position at which a maximum value of a first load for engaging the sheet tray with the lock portion occurs in a path along which the sheet tray is moved from the withdrawal position to the feeding position; and the release lever Is different from the second load position where the maximum value of the second load for sliding from the first position to the second position occurs.

  When the release lever is slid from the second position to the first position in a state where the sheet tray is removed from the main body, the roller pair is separated. When the sheet tray is inserted from the removal position to the feeding position with respect to the main body, the release lever contacts the sheet tray and is slid from the first position to the second position. When the sheet tray reaches the feeding position, the lock portion engages with the sheet tray. In the path in which the sheet tray is inserted from the removal position to the feeding position, the first load position and the second load position are different, so the load generated when the sheet tray is inserted does not increase rapidly.

  (2) A sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention is provided in the main body, and is an arm that is rotatable in a direction in which a front end side comes into contact with and separates from a sheet placed on the sheet tray at the feeding position. And provided on the front end side of the arm, provided on the sheet tray, and a feed roller that contacts the sheet placed on the sheet tray and supplies the sheet to the conveyance path, A second abutting portion that abuts the arm and rotates the arm in a direction in which the feeding roller separates from the sheet in a process of inserting the sheet tray into the main body, A third load position at which a maximum value of a third load is generated for the second contact portion to rotate the arm in a path along which the sheet tray is moved from the withdrawal position to the feeding position; 1 load position and Serial and second load position, may be a different arrangement.

  In conjunction with the insertion of the sheet tray, the second contact portion rotates the arm, and the feeding roller is separated from the sheet. Since the first load position, the second load position, and the third load position are different in the path in which the sheet tray is inserted from the removal position to the feeding position, the load generated when the sheet tray is inserted increases rapidly. There is no.

  (3) According to the present invention, among the second loads, the fourth load when the release lever slides from the first position is larger than the fifth load when the release lever reaches the second position. It may be a thing.

  Since the load when the release lever is slid from the first position to the second position tends to decrease, the load tends to increase during the operation of inserting the sheet tray.

  (4) In the present invention, one roller of the roller pair is movable in a direction in which the roller contacts and separates from the other roller, and is biased toward the other roller by a biasing member. The release lever is configured to separate the one roller from the other roller in conjunction with the slide from the second position to the first position by an inclined surface intersecting the slide direction. May be.

  According to the present invention, the sheet tray that contacts the release lever can be smoothly inserted into the main body.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunction machine 10 as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. 3A is a perspective view of the main frame 74 and the guide rails 56 and 57, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the main frame 74 and the side frame 55. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of the main frame 74 and the release lever 90. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the release lever 90. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the main frame 74 and each member attached to the main frame 74. FIG. 6A shows the release lever 90 in the first position, and FIG. 6B shows the release lever. 90 shows a state of the second position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the main frame 74 and each member attached to the main frame 74 as seen obliquely from the front and above. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rear periphery of the main frame 74. FIG. 8A shows the release lever 90 in the first position, and FIG. 8B shows the release lever 90 in the second position. The state of is shown. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the paper feed tray 20. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back side of the paper feed tray 20. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the paper feed tray 20, the side frame 55, and the release lever 90. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process in which the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into the main frame 74. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a load in the process in which the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into the main frame 74.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it is needless to say that the embodiment of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the vertical direction 7 is defined with reference to a state in which the multifunction machine 10 is installed (the state of FIG. 1), and the side where the opening 13 is provided is the front side (front side). 8 is defined, and a left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction machine 10 is viewed from the front side (front side).

[Overall structure of MFP 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 is generally formed in a thin rectangular parallelepiped, and a printer unit 11 is provided in the lower part. The multifunction machine 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction device 10 has a function of recording an image on one side of the recording paper 12 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet method as a printing function.

  The multifunction machine 10 may record images on both sides of the recording paper 12. The method for recording an image on the recording paper 12 is not limited to the ink jet method, and may be another method such as an electrophotographic method. The presence or absence of functions other than the print function is arbitrary. The multifunction machine 10 is provided with a sheet conveying device. The sheet conveying apparatus is an apparatus that conveys the recording paper 12 inside the multifunction machine 10, and includes guide members 18 and 19, a sheet feeding tray 20, a conveying unit 80, and a release lever 90 which will be described later.

[Main frame 74 and side frame 55]
The printer unit 11 includes a main frame 74 (see FIG. 3B), a pair of side frames 55 (see FIG. 3B) attached to the main frame 74, and an exterior cover attached to cover the main frame 74. 14 (see FIG. 1). The main frame 74, the side frame 55, the exterior cover 14, and the like constitute a main body.

  In the present embodiment, the main frame 74 is integrally formed of resin. The main frame 74 may be made of a material other than resin, such as metal, or may not be integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 3B, the main frame 74 has a front upper portion 75, a right side portion 76 joined to the front upper portion 75 on the right side of the front upper portion 75, and a front upper portion 75 joined to the left side of the front upper portion 75. And a rear upper portion 79 disposed behind the front upper portion 75, and a rear lower portion 71 disposed below the rear upper portion 79. Each of the rear lower portion 71 and the rear upper portion 79 has a right end joined to the right side portion 76 and a left end joined to the left side portion 77.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 7, an opening 13 is formed on the front surface of the printer unit 11. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, the back side of the opening 13 in the printer unit 11 is a space defined by a front upper part 75, a right side part 76, and a left side part 77 of the main frame 74. A portion 78 is formed. That is, the accommodating portion 78 is a space that can be accessed from the outside of the multifunction machine 10 through the opening 13. In other words, the opening 13 is formed on a path that leads from the outside of the printer unit 11 to the storage unit 78.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rear lower portion 71 has a pair of lock portions 69 and 70 arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the left-right direction 9. The lock portions 69, 70 protrude forward in the front-rear direction 8, and each protruding end side has a hook shape that faces outward in the left-right direction 9. The lock portions 69 and 70 engage with lock claws 107 and 108 of the paper feed tray 20 described later.

  The pair of side frames 55 are attached to the upper side of the main frame 74. Specifically, the pair of side frames 55 are attached to the upper surfaces of the right end portion and the left end portion of the rear upper portion 79 so as to face each other in the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, the side frame 55 is made of metal, but the side frame 55 may be made of metal other than metal, for example, resin. The side frame 55 is a plate-like member bent at approximately 90 degrees. That is, when the side frame 55 is attached to the rear upper portion 79, a plate-like bottom portion 81 that extends in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9, and an upright direction from the bottom portion 81, and the vertical direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. And a plate-like side portion 82 that spreads out.

A hole is formed in the bottom portion 81. In the state where the side frame 55 is attached to the main frame 74, a hole is also formed at the same position as the hole of the bottom 81 in the rear upper part 79. The side frame 55 is fixed to the main frame 74 by inserting a screw 83 into the hole in the bottom portion 81 and screwing it into the hole in the rear upper portion 79. As shown in FIG. 3 (B), on the upper surface of the bottom portion 81 of the side frame 55, the guide portion 91 of the release lever 90 that will be described later (see FIG. 6) is supported. Therefore, the side frame 55 and the main frame 74 are fixed by the screw 83 at the same position as the guide portion 91 in the left-right direction 9.

  A concave groove 53 that is recessed downward from the upper end is formed on the rear side of the side frame 55 in the front-rear direction 8. The concave groove 53 supports a shaft 35 of a conveyance roller 60 described later. A long hole 54 that is long in the vertical direction 7 is provided on the front side of the side frame 55 in the front-rear direction 8. A shaft 64 of a discharge roller 62 described later is inserted into the long hole 54.

[Paper Tray 20]
As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feed tray 20 that can support the recording paper 12 of various sizes can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 78 through the opening 13 by moving backward through the printer portion 11. . The paper feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the main frame 74 and the like in the front-rear direction 8. The paper feed tray 20 corresponds to a sheet tray.

As shown in FIG. 9, the paper feed tray 20 has the shape of the outer shape of long rectangular dish shape in the direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 after prior Te viewed smell. The paper feed tray 20 has a tray body 21 and a discharge tray 22. The paper feed tray 20 has a two-stage configuration in which a discharge tray 22 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction 7 with respect to the tray body 21. The discharge tray 22 is supported by the tray body 21 . The paper feed tray 20 can store recording paper 12 of various sizes. The discharge tray 22 can support the recording paper 12 of various sizes.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the tray body 21 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9. The tray main body 21 has a bottom plate 101. The recording paper 12 is placed on the bottom plate 101. An inclined plate 102 is provided at the rear end of the bottom plate 101 in the front-rear direction 8. The inclined plate 102 is a plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction 9 of the tray body 21. The inclined plate 102 is tilted from the upper end side toward the rear side of the apparatus with respect to the lower end side. When the leading end of the recording paper 12 comes into contact with the inclined plate 102, the leading end of the recording paper 12 is guided obliquely upward along the inner surface 103 of the inclined plate 102.

  The tray body 21 is provided with a pair of side guides 23 and 24. The side guides 23 and 24 guide the position of the recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20 in the left-right direction 9 so as to substantially coincide with the center of the paper feed tray 20 in the left-right direction 9. When one of the side guides 23, 24 is slid in one direction in the left-right direction 9, the other of the side guides 23, 24 is slid in the other direction in the left-right direction 9 in conjunction with this. Therefore, when the width of the recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20 is shorter than the separation distance between the side guides 23 and 24, the side guides 23 and 24 are slid by sliding one of the side guides 23 and 24. Moved at the same time.

  Although not shown in each figure, a rear guide is provided in the center of the tray body 21 in the left-right direction 9. The rear guide restricts the recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20 from moving to the front side of the tray body 21 in the front-rear direction 8. The rear guide is slidable in the front-rear direction 8 with respect to the tray body 21.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the tray main body 21 is provided with side walls 104 and 105 facing in the left-right direction 9. The side walls 104 and 105 stand vertically upward from the bottom plate 101 of the tray main body 21. A cam 106 is formed on the rear side of the side wall 104 in the front-rear direction 8. The cam 106 transmits a motion associated with the insertion and removal of the paper feed tray 20 with respect to the main frame 74 to a cam follower 58 described later. The inclined plate 102 and the cam 106 correspond to the second contact portion.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the cam 106 includes a first inclined surface 111, a second inclined surface 112, and a horizontal surface 113. The first inclined surface 111, the second inclined surface 112, and the horizontal surface 113 are formed so as to form a continuous surface from the upper surface 114 of the side wall 104 to the rear end of the tray body 21 in the front-rear direction 8. The upper surface 114 and the horizontal surface 113 have substantially the same height from the bottom plate 101. The first inclined surface 111 and the second inclined surface 112 are provided between the upper surface 114 and the horizontal surface 113.

  The first inclined surface 111 is inclined between the upper surface 114 and the second inclined surface 112 so that the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 is lower than the front side. The second inclined surface 112 is inclined between the first inclined surface 111 and the horizontal surface 113 so that the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 is higher than the front side. The horizontal surface 113 is provided substantially parallel to the upper surface 114 along the front-rear direction 8 between the second inclined surface 112 and the tip of the tray body 21. In the cam 106 configured in this manner, the height in the vertical direction 7 with respect to the bottom plate 101 changes along the front-rear direction 8.

  In this embodiment, the cam 106 is formed on one of the side walls 104 and 105, but the cam 106 may be formed on the side wall 105 instead of the side wall 104. In this case, a cam follower 58 described later extends from the feeding arm 26 toward the side wall 105. The cam 106 may be formed on both the side walls 104 and 105.

As shown in FIG. 10 , lock claws 107 and 108 are provided on the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 on the back side (the side on which the recording paper 12 is not placed) of the bottom plate 101 of the tray body 21. The lock claws 107 and 108 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center in the left-right direction 9 on the back surface side of the bottom plate 101. The lock claws 107 and 108 protrude rearward in the front-rear direction 8, and the protruding end sides of the lock claws 107 and 108 are supported by the bottom plate 101 so as to be rotatable in a certain range outward in the left-right direction 9. Further, although not shown in each figure, the lock claws 107 and 108 are elastically urged by springs or the like at the protruding ends of the lock claws 107 and 108 inward in the left-right direction 9. When the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into the main frame 74 and the lock claws 107 and 108 reach the feeding position where the recording paper 12 can be fed to the transport path 65, the lock claws 107 and 108 are provided with a lock portion provided on the main frame 74. 69 and 70 are engaged. The paper feed tray 20 is held at the feeding position by the engagement between the lock claws 107 and 108 and the lock portions 69 and 70.

  The discharge tray 22 has a rectangular flat plate shape in plan view. The length of the discharge tray 22 in the front-rear direction 8 is shorter than the length of the bottom plate 101 of the paper feed tray 20 in the front-rear direction 8. The discharge tray 22 is arranged so that the front end in the front-rear direction 8 coincides with the front end in the front-rear direction 8 of the paper feed tray 20. The rear end of the discharge tray 22 in the front-rear direction 8 is positioned in front of the cam 106. From both ends in the left-right direction 9 at the rear end of the discharge tray 22, contact portions 109 and 110 protrude upward. The rear surface 8 of the contact portions 109 and 110 can contact an operation portion 92 of a release lever 90 described later. The contact portions 109 and 110 correspond to the first contact portion.

[Feeding unit 16]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , the feeding unit 16 is provided above the paper feed tray 20 accommodated in the accommodating unit 78 and below the recording unit 30 described later. The feeding unit 16 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a drive transmission mechanism 27. The feed roller 25 is pivotally supported at the distal end portion of the feed arm 26. The feeding arm 26 rotates in the direction of an arrow 29 about a support shaft 28 provided at the base end. Thereby, the feeding roller 25 can be brought into contact with and separated from the paper feed tray 20 or the recording paper 12 supported by the paper feed tray 20. The feeding arm 26 is biased toward the paper feed tray 20 by being biased by the weight of the feeding arm 26 or the feeding roller 25 or a spring.

  Although not shown in each figure, the support shaft 28 is rotatably supported by a rear upper portion 79 of the main frame 74. When the driving force of a conveying motor (not shown) is applied and the support shaft 28 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the feeding roller 25 by a driving transmission mechanism 27 in which a plurality of gears are engaged, and the feeding roller 25 is rotated. Rotates.

  When the feeding arm 26 is biased downward, the feeding roller 25 is pressed against the recording paper 12 on the paper feed tray 20. When the feeding roller 25 is rotated in this state, the uppermost recording sheet 12 in the sheet feeding tray 20 is moved to the inclined plate 102 by the frictional force generated between the roller surface of the feeding roller 25 and the recording sheet 12. Sent out. When the leading edge of the recording paper 12 comes into contact with the inclined plate 102, the topmost one of the bundles of the recording paper 12 is rolled and guided upward. In this way, the recording paper 12 is fed one by one from the paper feed tray 20 to the transport path 65.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the feeding arm 26 is provided with a cam follower 58. The cam follower 58 extends from the feeding arm 26 toward the cam 106 side in the left-right direction 9 (the front side in the drawing in FIG. 9 ), and the extending end reaches the cam 106. The length of the cam follower 58 along the direction in which the feed arm 26 extends is shorter than the length of the feed arm 26, and the tip (lower end) of the cam follower 58 is closer to the support shaft 28 than the tip of the feed arm 26. A roller 66 having an axial direction in the left-right direction 9 is rotatably provided at the extended end and the lower end of the cam follower 58 of the feeding arm 26. The roller 66 is supported by the cam 106 when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted and removed, and rotates as the paper feed tray 20 moves.

[Conveyance path 65]
As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance path 65 extends from directly above the inclined plate 102 of the paper feed tray 20. The conveyance path 65 includes a curved portion 33 and a straight portion 34. The bending portion 33 extends while curving upward with the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 as the curved outer side and the front side as the curved inner side. The straight portion 34 extends in the front-rear direction 8.

  The bending portion 33 is defined by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that face each other with a predetermined interval therebetween. The outer guide member 18 forms the curved outer side of the curved portion 33. The inner guide member 19 forms the curved inner side of the curved portion 33. The linear portion 34 is partitioned by the recording portion 30 and the platen 42 facing each other at a predetermined interval at a position where the recording portion 30 is disposed. Each guide member 18, 19 forms at least a part of the transport path 65.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording paper 12 supported by the paper feed tray 20 is conveyed so as to make a U-turn from the lower side to the upper side of the curved portion 33, and then conveyed forward in the front-rear direction 8. Then, the leading end side reaches the recording unit 30. The recording paper 12 on which image recording has been performed in order from the front end side to the rear end side by the recording unit 30 while being intermittently conveyed is conveyed in the front-rear direction 8 through the linear portion 34 and discharged to the discharge tray 22. In FIG. 2, the conveyance direction 15 in which the recording paper 12 is conveyed is indicated by a one-dot chain line arrow.

[Recording unit 30]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 30 is provided above the linear portion 34. A platen 42 is provided below the recording unit 30 and at a position facing the recording unit 30. The platen 42 is a member that supports the recording paper 12 that is transported through the linear portion 34 of the transport path 65. The recording unit 30 includes a carriage 40 and a recording head 38. The carriage 40 carries the recording head 38 and reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 which is the main scanning direction. The carriage 40 is supported by two guide rails 56 and 57 (an example of the support frame of the present invention, see FIG. 3A). The two guide rails 56 and 57 are arranged so as to extend in parallel in the left-right direction 9 with an interval in the front-rear direction 8. The carriage 40 is placed so as to straddle the two guide rails 56 and 57, and can slide in the left-right direction 9 on the two guide rails 56 and 57.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the two guide rails 56 and 57 are disposed above the pair of side frames 55, and both left and right ends are supported by the pair of side frames 55. The two guide rails 56 and 57 are attached to the pair of side frames 55 by screws or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recording head 38 is mounted on the carriage 40. Ink is supplied to the recording head 38 from an ink cartridge (not shown). A plurality of nozzles 39 are formed on the lower surface of the recording head 38. When the carriage 40 moves in the left-right direction 9, the recording head 38 selectively ejects ink droplets from the plurality of nozzles 39 toward the platen 42. The ink droplets land on the recording paper 12 supported by the platen 42 and an image is recorded on the recording paper 12.

[Conveying unit 80]
The conveyance unit 80 includes a conveyance roller pair 59 (see FIG. 2) disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction 15 from the recording unit 30 in the linear part 34 of the conveyance path 65, and the conveyance direction from the recording unit 30 in the linear part 34. 15 is provided with a discharge roller pair 44 (see FIG. 2), a roller holder 85 (see FIGS. 7 and 8), and a shaft 87 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The conveyance roller pair 59 is an example of the roller pair of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the conveyance roller pair 59 includes a conveyance roller 60 disposed below the linear portion 34 and a pinch roller 61 disposed above the linear portion 34 so as to face the conveyance roller 60. I have. The pinch roller 61 is pressed against the conveying roller 60 by receiving a biasing force of a coil spring 73 (see FIG. 7) described later. The pinch roller 61 may be in pressure contact with the transport roller 60 by an elastic member other than the coil spring 73.

  The discharge roller pair 44 includes a discharge roller 62 disposed below the straight portion 34 and a spur 63 disposed above the straight portion 34 and facing the discharge roller 62. The spur 63 is pressed against the discharge roller 62 by an elastic member (not shown).

  The conveyance roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 are rotated by a driving force transmitted from a conveyance motor (not shown). When the conveyance roller 60 rotates while the recording paper 12 is sandwiched between the conveyance roller pair 59, the recording paper 12 is conveyed in the conveyance direction 15 by the conveyance roller pair 59. When the discharge roller 62 rotates while the recording paper 12 is held between the discharge roller pair 44, the recording paper 12 is transported in the transport direction 15 by the discharge roller pair 44.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the conveyance roller 60 has a shaft 35 extending in the left-right direction 9, and both left and right end portions of the shaft 35 can rotate into the concave grooves 53 of the pair of side frames 55 via bearings. It is supported by. The shaft 35 has a cylindrical shape, and a roller surface 36 is formed by coating a part of the peripheral surface with ceramic.

  A plurality of pinch rollers 61 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction 9. In the present embodiment, four pinch rollers 61A to 61D are provided. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each pinch roller 61 is rotatably supported by a roller holder 85. In the present embodiment, four roller holders 85A to 85D corresponding to each pinch roller 61 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the roller holder 85 supports the pinch roller 61 rotatably at the front end portion 88 and is attached to the guide rail 56 at the rear end portion 89. The roller holder 85 can be bent in the vertical direction 7 at the front end 88 around the rear end 89. A coil spring 73 (see FIG. 7) is attached to the upper side of the roller holder 85. The coil spring 73 has a lower end in contact with the roller holder 85 and an upper end in contact with the guide rail 56. The front end portion 88 of the roller holder 85 is elastically deformed so as to bend upward in accordance with the thickness of the recording paper 12 sandwiched between the conveying roller 60 and the pinch roller 61.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the roller holder 85 has a hole 86 along the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a shaft 87 is inserted into the hole 86. As shown in FIG. 6, the shaft 87 is supported by release levers 90 described later at both left and right ends thereof, and moves in the vertical direction 7 in conjunction with the movement of the release lever 90 as described later. .

  When the pinch roller 61 is in pressure contact with the roller surface 36 of the conveying roller 60 and the shaft 87 moves upward, the roller holder 85 is lifted by the shaft 87 and the front end 88 of the roller holder 85 is attached to the coil spring 73. Move upward against the forces. As a result, the pinch roller 61 supported by the roller holder 85 moves upward and is separated from the roller surface 36 of the transport roller 60.

  When the pinch roller 61 moves away from the roller surface of the conveying roller 60 and the shaft 87 moves downward, the shaft 87 moves away from the upper edge of the hole 86 of the roller holder 85. Then, due to the biasing force of the coil spring 73, the front end portion 88 of the roller holder 85 moves downward, and accordingly, the pinch roller 61 supported by the roller holder 85 moves downward. Thereby, the pinch roller 61 is pressed against the roller surface 36 of the transport roller 60.

As shown in FIG. 6, the discharge roller 62 includes a shaft 64 extending in the left-right direction 9 and a plurality of roller portions 67 attached around the shaft 64. The roller portion 67 is attached to the shaft 64 with an interval in the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft 64 is inserted through the long holes 54 of the pair of side frames 55 at both left and right ends . Bearing members 52 are provided at both left and right ends of the shaft 64, and a part of the bearing member 52 is also inserted through the long hole 54. A torsion coil spring 51 is provided across the bearing member 52 and the side frame 55, and the bearing member 52 is urged toward the upper end side of the long hole 54 together with the shaft 64 by the torsion coil spring 51. The shaft 64 is inserted through an opening 72 (see FIG. 5) formed in a release lever 90 described later. The shaft 64 moves in the vertical direction 7 in conjunction with the slide of the release lever 90 as will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the spur 63 is attached to a shaft 68 that extends in the left-right direction 9. The shaft 68 is constituted by a coil spring and can be elastically deformed in the vertical direction 7. Each spur 63 is disposed to face each of the plurality of roller portions 67. The left and right ends of the shaft 68 are rotatably supported by a spur holder (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the guide rail 57.

  If the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 moves downward while the roller portion 67 of the discharge roller 62 is in contact with the spur 63, the roller portion 67 of the discharge roller 62 is separated from the spur 63. When the roller portion 67 of the discharge roller 62 moves away from the spur 63 and the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 moves upward, the roller portion 67 of the discharge roller 62 comes into contact with the spur 63.

[Release lever 90]
As shown in FIG. 6, the release lever 90 is supported on the upper surface (see FIG. 3B) of the bottom 81 of the side frame 55. The release lever 90 is provided with a pair corresponding to each of the pair of side frames 55. The right release lever 90 is provided on the left side of the side portion 82 of the right side frame 55, and the left release lever 90 is provided on the right side of the side portion 82 of the left side frame 55.

When the release lever 90 is supported by the side frame 55, the lower surface thereof is in contact with the bottom 81 (see FIG. 3B) of the side frame 55, and the side surface thereof is the side 82 ( see FIG. 3) . 3 (B)), and the upper surface thereof is in contact with the lower surfaces of the guide rails 56 and 57 (see FIG. 3 (A)) . Thus, the upper surface of the release lever 90 is positioned by the guide rails 56 and 57, the side surface is positioned by the side frame 55, and the lower surface is positioned by the main frame 74. Note that the upper surface and the side surface of the release lever 90 may be spaced from the guide rails 56 and 57 and the side portion 82 of the side frame 55.

The release lever 90 can slide in the front-rear direction 8 along the upper surface of the bottom 81 of the side frame 55. Release lever 90, the first position shown in the second position, and the second located at the front side than the position diagram 6 (B) and FIG. 8 (B) shown in FIG. 6 (A) and FIG. 8 (A) It can be moved between.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the release lever 90 has a plate shape that extends in the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9, and the first plate portion 94 has a length in the front-rear direction 8 that is longer than the length in the left-right direction 9; And a second plate portion 95 erected upward from the front end portion and the rear end portion of the first plate portion 94.

The second plate portion 95 has a first contact surface 93A, a first plane 93C, and a second plane 93D that support the shaft 87 by contacting the shaft 87 from below, and a second contact that contacts the shaft 64 from above. A contact surface 93B and a third contact surface 93E are formed. The first contact surface 93A, the second contact surface 93B, and the third contact surface 93E correspond to inclined surfaces.

The first contact surface 93 </ b> A is an inclined surface that extends in the left-right direction 9, with the front side in the front-rear direction 8 being lower than the rear side. The first flat surface 93C is continuous with the first contact surface 93A on the front side of the first contact surface 93A, and supports the shaft 87 when the release lever 90 is in the second position. The second plane 93D is continuous with the first contact surface 93A on the rear side of the first contact surface 93A, and supports the shaft 87 when the release lever 90 is in the first position. The first plane 93 </ b> C and the second plane 93 </ b> D are planes that extend along the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9.

The second contact surface 93 </ b> B is an inclined surface that extends in the left-right direction 9 while the front side in the front-rear direction 8 is slightly below the rear side. The third abutment surface 93E is continuous on the front side of the second abutment surface 93B, is an inclined surface extending along a left-right direction 9 A lower also than side is front side after the front-rear direction 8. Accordingly, the boundary between the second abutment surface 93B and the third abutment surface 93E is formed into a ridge to slightly protrude downward in the vertical direction 7.

  Further, the second plate portion 95 includes a guide portion 91 formed at the rear end portion of the first plate portion 94 and an opening 13 in the moving direction of the release lever 90 (FIG. 4). An operation unit 92 extending from the end of the reference) side to the center side of the printer unit 11 in the left-right direction 9 is formed.

The guide portion 91 is formed with a curved surface 96 that is curved in substantially the same manner as the contact surface 17 (see FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the recording paper 12 in the inner guide member 19. The curved surface 96 of the guide portion 91 forms at least a part of the inner guide member 19 when the release lever 90 is in the second position.

4 and 11 , the operation portion 92 extends to the left from the first plate portion 94 of the right release lever 90 and extends to the right from the first plate portion 94 of the left release lever 90. Yes. The operation unit 92 is provided in a state of protruding to the storage unit 78. The user of the multifunction machine 10 can slide the release lever 90 in the front-rear direction 8 by accessing the accommodating portion 78 through the opening 13 and holding the operation portion 92. Further, when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into the accommodating portion 78, the contact portions 109 and 110 of the paper feed tray 20 come into contact with the operation portion 92, and the release lever 90 is moved to the rear side in the front-rear direction 8 together with the paper feed tray 20. Can be slid to.

[Change in posture of feeding arm 26 accompanying insertion and removal of paper feed tray 20]
Next, the posture change of the feeding arm 26 when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the main frame 74 will be described.

  Image recording in the printer unit 11 is performed with the paper feed tray 20 mounted on the main frame 74. In the sheet feeding tray 20 at the feeding position, the lock claws 107 and 108 are engaged with the lock portions 69 and 70 of the main frame 74.

As shown in FIG. 9 , in the feeding position, the roller 66 of the cam follower 58 is positioned above the first inclined surface 111 or the second inclined surface 112 of the cam 106. When the recording paper 12 is not placed on the paper feed tray 20, the feed roller 25 contacts the bottom plate 101. When the recording paper 12 is placed on the paper feed tray 20, the feeding roller 25 is moved upward by the thickness of the placed recording paper 12. Since the feed roller 25 is supported from below on the recording paper 12 on the paper feed tray 20, the feed roller 25 contacts the recording paper 12 on the paper feed tray 20. In this state, the recording roller 12 on the sheet feeding tray 20 is supplied to the conveyance path 65 by rotating the feeding roller 25.

  For example, when there is no recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20 or when a paper jam occurs in the conveyance path 65 or the like, the paper feed tray is used to replenish the recording paper 12 or to perform jam processing. 20 is extracted forwardly in the front-rear direction 8 from the state where it is mounted on the main frame 74. Due to the movement of the paper feed tray 20, the second inclined surface 112 of the cam 106 contacts the roller 66 of the cam follower 58. Since the height of the second inclined surface 112 from the bottom plate 101 is increased backward in the front-rear direction 8, the roller 66 ascends the second inclined surface 112 with the removal of the paper feed tray 20, and the cam follower 58. And the feeding arm 26 is rotated upward. As a result, the feed roller 25 starts to move upward with respect to the paper feed tray 20 and moves away from the recording paper 12.

  When the sheet feeding tray 20 is further extracted, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal surface 113 from the second inclined surface. As a result, the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are rotated to the uppermost position with respect to the sheet feeding tray 20, and the feeding roller 25 is positioned higher than the upper end of the inclined plate 102. In the removal of the sheet feeding tray 20, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal plane 113 earlier than the feeding roller 25 reaches the position in the front-rear direction 8 corresponding to the inclined plate 102. Accordingly, when the paper feed tray 20 is removed, the feed roller 25 does not come into contact with the inclined plate 102.

  When the paper feed tray 20 is further extracted, the roller 66 reaches the rear side from the rear end of the horizontal plane 113 in the front-rear direction 8 and the cam 106 does not support the cam follower 58. As a result, the feeding arm 26 rotates downward due to its own weight or the weight of the feeding roller 25 and the cam follower 58. At this time, since the inclined plate 102 is located in front of the feed roller 25 in the front-rear direction 8, the feed roller 25 does not contact the inclined plate 102. As described above, when the paper feed tray 20 is removed, the cam 106 rotates the feed arm 26 upward via the cam follower 58 so that the recording paper 12 is pulled out from the paper feed tray 20 or the feed roller 25 is moved. Contact with the inclined plate 102 is prevented.

  When the paper feed tray 20 is inserted into the main frame 74, the feed arm 26 rotates upward in the reverse order to the above-described removal / removal. Specifically, when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted from the main frame 74 in the rearward direction 8 in the rearward direction, the inclined plate 102 of the paper feed tray 20 contacts the roller 66 of the cam follower 58. Since the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are in a posture extending rearward and downward in the front-rear direction 8 from the support shaft 28, the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are pushed by the inclined plate 102. Rotate upward.

  When the paper feed tray 20 is further inserted, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal surface 113. As a result, the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are rotated to the uppermost position with respect to the sheet feeding tray 20, and the feeding roller 25 is positioned higher than the upper end of the inclined plate 102. In inserting the paper feed tray 20, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal plane 113 earlier than the feed roller 25 reaches the position in the front-rear direction 8 corresponding to the inclined plate 102. Therefore, when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted, the feed roller 25 does not come into contact with the inclined plate 102.

  When the paper feed tray 20 is further inserted, the roller 66 reaches the second inclined surface 112 from the horizontal surface 113. Since the second inclined surface 112 has a height from the bottom plate 101 that is lowered forward in the front-rear direction 8, the roller 66 descends the second inclined surface 112 along with the insertion of the paper feed tray 20, and the cam follower 58 and The feeding arm 26 is rotated downward.

  When the paper feed tray 20 reaches the feeding position, the roller 66 reaches the vicinity of the lower end of the second inclined surface 112. The feeding roller 25 contacts the recording paper 12 before the roller 66 reaches the lower end of the second inclined surface 112 according to the amount of the recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the cam 106 does not support the cam follower 58. The paper feed tray 20 that has reached the feeding position rotates against the urging force when the lock claws 107 and 108 come into contact with the lock portions 69 and 70 of the main frame 74, and then the lock claws 107 are moved. 108 and the lock portions 69 and 70 are engaged with each other. As a result, in order to pull out the paper feed tray 20 forward in the front-rear direction 8, a load sufficient to rotate the lock claws 107 and 108 against the urging force is applied. , 70, the user can sense that the paper feed tray 20 has reached the feeding position by the fluctuation of the load when engaged with each other.

[Slide of release lever 90]
Hereinafter, the sliding operation of the release lever 90 will be described. The release lever 90 is slid when a jam occurs in the linear portion 34 of the conveyance path 65. The release lever 90 is positioned at the second position in the image recording operation, and is slid to the first position during jam processing or the like. When the release lever 90 is positioned at the first position, the nip state between the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 is released.

When the release lever 90 is slid to the first position, the paper feed tray 20 is first extracted from the main frame 74 as described above. Thereby, the user can access the operation part 92 ( refer FIG. 4) of the release lever 90 through the accommodating part 78 (refer FIG. 4) .

As shown in FIG. 6A, when the release lever 90 is in the second position, the shaft 87 is supported by the first plane 93C. At this time, the pinch roller 61 (see FIG. 8A) is pressed against the roller surface 36 of the conveying roller 60 by the urging force of the coil spring 73 (see FIG. 7). The shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 is in a state of being separated from the second contact surface 93B. At this time, the spur 63 is pressed against the roller portion 67 of the discharge roller 62.

  When the user grasps the operation unit 92 and pulls the release lever 90 located at the second position forward in the front-rear direction 8, the release lever 90 slides forward from the second position. As the release lever 90 slides, the shaft 87 moves from the first flat surface 93C to the first contact surface 93A. When the release lever 90 is slid further forward, the shaft 87 is guided by the first contact surface 93A and moves upward in the vertical direction 7 against the urging force of the coil spring 73. When the release lever 90 is further slid forward to reach the second position, the shaft 87 is supported by reaching from the first contact surface 93A to the second plane 93D as shown in FIG. 6B. Is done. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8B, the pinch roller 61 is separated from the roller surface 36 of the transport roller 60.

When the release lever 90 slides forward from the first position, the shaft 64 of the discharge roller 62 comes into contact with the third contact surface 93E. When the release lever 90 slides further forward, the shaft 64 is pushed downward by the third contact surface 93E and moves downward through the long hole 54 of the side frame 55 against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 51. In the process in which the release lever 90 slides further forward and reaches the first position, the shaft 64 passes through the ridge line between the third contact surface 93E and the second contact surface 93B, and the release lever 90 is in the first position. As shown in FIG. 6B, the shaft 64 comes into contact with the rear end side of the second contact surface 93B. At this time, the discharge roller 62 is separated from the spur 63.

  As described above, when the release lever 90 is positioned at the first position, the nip state of the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 is released. Thus, the user can remove the recording paper 12 that is jammed while being nipped by the transport roller pair 59 or the discharge roller pair 44.

  When the jam processing or the like is finished, the user grasps the operation unit 92 and pushes the release lever 90 located at the first position backward in the front-rear direction 8 to move the release lever 90 from the first position to the second position. Slide. By this slide, the conveyance roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 are returned to the nip state in the reverse order to the operation described above. Specifically, the shaft 87 is supported by the first plane 93C from the second plane 93D through the first contact surface 93A. The shaft 64 is separated from the second contact surface 93B and the third contact surface 93E.

[Slide of release lever 90 with insertion of paper feed tray 20]
As described above, the release lever 90 moves from the second position to the first position when the user grips and slides the operation unit 92. However, after the user removes the paper feed tray 20 and sets the release lever 90 to the first position, the user inserts the paper feed tray 20 into the accommodating portion 78 without sliding the release lever 90 to the second position. Is also envisaged. In this case, the contact portions 109 and 110 of the paper feed tray 20 come into contact with the operation portion 92 of the release lever 90, and the release lever 90 is moved from the first position to the second position as the paper feed tray 20 is inserted. Slide to position. Hereinafter, the operation will be described.

As shown in FIG. 12A, after the jam processing and the like are finished, the user keeps the release lever 90 in the first position and opens the removed paper feed tray 20 with the opening 13 ( When the sheet is inserted into the accommodating portion 78 (see FIG. 7) , the feeding arm 26 is lifted by the sheet feeding tray 20 as described above. Specifically, when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted from the main frame 74 in the rearward direction 8 in the rearward direction, the inclined plate 102 of the paper feed tray 20 contacts the roller 66 of the cam follower 58. Since the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are in a posture extending rearward and downward in the front-rear direction 8 from the support shaft 28, the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are pushed by the inclined plate 102. Rotate upward.

  As shown in FIG. 12B, when the paper feed tray 20 is further inserted, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal surface 113. As a result, the cam follower 58 and the feeding arm 26 are rotated to the uppermost position with respect to the sheet feeding tray 20, and the feeding roller 25 is positioned higher than the upper end of the inclined plate 102. In inserting the paper feed tray 20, the roller 66 reaches the horizontal plane 113 earlier than the feed roller 25 reaches the position in the front-rear direction 8 corresponding to the inclined plate 102. Therefore, when the paper feed tray 20 is inserted, the feed roller 25 does not come into contact with the inclined plate 102.

  As shown in FIG. 12C, when the paper feed tray 20 is further inserted, the rollers 66 reach the second inclined surface 112 from the horizontal surface 113. Since the second inclined surface 112 has a height from the bottom plate 101 that is lowered forward in the front-rear direction 8, the roller 66 descends the second inclined surface 112 along with the insertion of the paper feed tray 20, and the cam follower 58 and The feeding arm 26 is rotated downward. In this state, the abutting portions 109 and 110 of the sheet feeding tray 20 abut on the operation portions 92 of the release levers 90 at the first position.

  As shown in FIG. 12D, when the paper feed tray 20 reaches the feeding position, the roller 66 reaches near the lower end of the second inclined surface 112. The feeding roller 25 contacts the recording paper 12 before the roller 66 reaches the lower end of the second inclined surface 112 according to the amount of the recording paper 12 placed on the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the cam 106 does not support the cam follower 58.

  Further, while the roller 66 descends the second inclined surface 112, the contact portions 109 and 110 contact the respective operation portions 92, and the release lever 90 is moved to the first position along with the insertion operation of the paper feed tray 20. Slide from position to second position. By this slide, the conveyance roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 are returned to the nip state in the same manner as described above. Specifically, the shaft 87 is supported by the first plane 93C from the second plane 93D through the first contact surface 93A. The shaft 64 is separated from the second contact surface 93B.

  The paper feed tray 20 that has reached the feeding position rotates against the urging force when the lock claws 107 and 108 come into contact with the lock portions 69 and 70 of the main frame 74, and then the lock claws 107 are moved. 108 and the lock portions 69 and 70 are engaged with each other.

  In such an operation of inserting the paper feed tray 20, as shown in FIG. 13, the first load position at which the maximum value of the first load for the lock claws 107 and 108 to engage with the lock portions 69 and 70 occurs is as follows. This is just before the sheet feeding tray 20 reaches the feeding position (immediately before FIG. 12D). That is, when the lock portions 69 and 70 come into contact with the lock claws 107 and 108, a first load is generated, and in the state immediately before the lock where the lock claws 107 and 108 are rotated to the maximum against the urging force, the first load is generated. Maximum load.

  Further, at the second load position where the maximum value of the second load for sliding the release lever 90 from the first position to the second position is generated, the contact portions 109 and 110 of the paper feed tray 20 are operated by the release levers 90. Immediately after contact with each of the portions 92 (immediately after FIG. 12C).

In the state where the release lever 90 is in the first position, the coil spring 73 and the torsion coil spring 51 are compressed more than in the state where the release lever 90 is in the second position. Therefore, when the release lever 90 is slid, the frictional force generated between the second plane 93D and the shaft 87 and the total frictional force generated between the second contact surface 93B and the shaft 64, that is, the first The frictional force generated when sliding the release lever 90 in the position is larger than the frictional force generated when sliding the release lever 90 in the second position.

When the release lever 90 is slid from the first position to the second position, when the shaft 87 reaches the first contact surface 93A, the release lever 90 is attached to the second position side by the biasing force of the coil spring 73. Be forced. When the shaft 64 reaches the second contact surface 93 </ b > B , the release lever 90 is biased toward the second position by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 51.

  Accordingly, among the second loads generated when the release lever 90 at the first position is slid to the second position, the load when the release lever 90 slides from the first position (fourth load) is the second at the release lever. It is larger than the load (fifth load) when reaching the position.

  Further, the third load position where the maximum value of the third load for causing the sheet feeding tray 20 to rotate the feeding arm 26 upward is generated when the inclined plate 102 of the sheet feeding tray 20 contacts the roller 66 and feeds. This is when the arm 26 is lifted upward (FIG. 12A).

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
According to the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment, each operation linked to the insertion operation of the paper feed tray 20, that is, the engagement between the lock claws 107 and 108 and the lock portions 69 and 70, and the first position of the release lever 90. The first load position, the second load position, and the third load position in each of the slide to the second position and the rotation of the feeding arm 26 are in the direction in which the paper feed tray 20 is inserted, that is, the front-rear direction 8. Since the arrangement is different in the direction along the direction, it is possible to prevent the load from rapidly increasing in the insertion operation of the paper feed tray 20. As a result, the paper feed tray 20 in contact with the release lever 90 can be smoothly inserted into the main frame 74.

  Of the second load when the release lever 90 is slid from the first position to the second position, the load when the release lever 90 is slid from the first position (fourth load) is Since it is larger than the load when the second position is reached (fifth load), the load when the release lever 90 is slid from the first position to the second position tends to decrease. As a result, the load tends to increase during the operation of inserting the paper feed tray 20.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the feeding unit 16 has the feeding arm 26, but the feeding unit 16 does not have the feeding arm 26, and for example, the feeding tray 25 has the feeding tray 25. A configuration in which the recording paper 12 is brought into contact with and separated from the feeding roller 25 by moving the bottom plate 101 up and down may be employed.

  In the above-described embodiment, the nip between the transport roller pair 59 and the discharge roller pair 44 is released when the release lever 90 is positioned at the first position. Only one nip may be released by the release lever 90. Further, the nip may be released by moving any one of the conveying roller 60 or the pinch roller 61 constituting the conveying roller pair 59 and the discharging roller 62 or the spur 63 constituting the discharging roller pair 44, The nip may be released by being moved.

  Further, the release lever 90 is not necessarily slid along the front-rear direction 8 and may be slid in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction 8.

20 Paper tray (sheet tray)
25 Feed roller 26 Feed arm (arm)
44 discharge roller pair 59 transport roller pair 60 transport roller 61 pinch roller 62 discharge roller 63 spur 65 transport path 69, 70 lock part
74 main frame (main unit)
90 Release lever 93A First contact surface (inclined surface)
93B Second contact surface (inclined surface)
93E Third contact surface (inclined surface)
102 Inclined plate (second contact part)
106 Cam (second contact part)
109,110 contact part

Claims (4)

A main body having a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed;
A transport mechanism that is disposed oppositely in the transport path and has a pair of rollers that sandwich and transport the sheet; and
A sheet tray that can be attached to and removed from the main body;
A lock portion that is provided on the main body and engages with the sheet tray at a feeding position where the sheet can be supplied to the conveyance path;
A release lever that is slidable between a first position that separates the roller pair by contacting the conveying mechanism, and a second position that enables the roller pair to convey a sheet;
Is provided in the sheet tray, maintained in the course of the sheet tray is inserted from the disengaged position to the feed position, and contact with the release lever of the first position, the abutment until the feed position However, the first abutment portion for sliding the release lever from the first position to the second position,
A first load position at which a maximum value of a first load for engaging the sheet tray with the lock portion occurs in a path along which the sheet tray is moved from the withdrawal position to the feeding position; and the release lever A sheet conveying apparatus having a different arrangement from a second load position at which a maximum value of a second load for sliding from the first position to the second position occurs. An arm that is provided in the main body and is rotatable in a direction in which a front end side comes into contact with and separates from a sheet placed on the sheet tray at the feeding position;
A feeding roller that is provided on the tip end side of the arm and that abuts on a sheet placed on the sheet tray and supplies the sheet to the conveyance path;
A second abutting portion provided on the sheet tray, wherein the arm contacts the arm and rotates the arm in a direction away from the sheet in the process of inserting the sheet tray into the main body. And further comprising
A third load position at which a maximum value of a third load is generated for the second contact portion to rotate the arm in a path along which the sheet tray is moved from the withdrawal position to the feeding position; The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first load position and the second load position are different from each other.   The 4th load when the release lever slides from the 1st position among the 2nd loads is larger than the 5th load when the release lever reaches the 2nd position. Sheet transport device. One roller of the pair of rollers is movable in a direction in contact with and away from the other roller, and is biased toward the other roller by a biasing member,
The release lever is configured to separate the one roller from the other roller in conjunction with a slide from the second position to the first position by an inclined surface intersecting the slide direction. The sheet conveying apparatus according to 3.

Images