JP6519220B2 - Sheet feeding device, image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device used in an image forming apparatus. More specifically, a sheet feeding apparatus having a sheet feeding tray which can be taken out and put in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and which is pulled out on the front side of the image forming apparatus to supply the sheet, The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a scanner, or a complex machine of these, it is common to set the sheet conveyance direction to a lateral direction when viewed from the front of the apparatus. The sheet feeding tray used in such an image forming apparatus is a side loading type in which sheets are replenished by taking in and out in the sheet feeding direction or the reverse sheet feeding direction described above, and the sheet feeding tray in and out in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction. There is a front loading type that supplies paper. In recent years, from the viewpoint of the occupied floor area and the operability in a narrow place, a front loading type sheet feeding device has been increasing. In this front loading type sheet feeding apparatus, generally, the sheet feeding tray is slidably supported by a guide rail or the like on the image forming apparatus main body side, and the sheet is pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body to feed sheets. The sheet is stored in the apparatus body and the sheet feeding operation is performed.

  In either side loading type or front loading type, it is necessary to pull out the sheet feeding tray from the main body of the image forming apparatus and operate a side fence or an end fence for setting the sheet bundle in accordance with the sheet size. These fences are very troublesome because they require an operation to allow the user to move manually to unlock and change the position.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for facilitating sheet supply by setting the sheet supply position to the near side regardless of the type of sheet conveyance reference in the front loading type image forming apparatus. However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the user moves the sheet feeding tray from the image forming apparatus main body to move the side fence on the front side in the pulling direction away from the other side fence. Then, when the paper feed tray is inserted into the main body of the image forming apparatus after supplying the sheets to the paper loading space, the side fence moves so as to return to the original position. In this technology, the operation to unlock the side fence is not required, and the above problem seems to be solved. However, the number of parts is increased compared to a normal sheet feed tray, so space saving and low cost are achieved. It is difficult to achieve weight and cost reduction, and there is a problem that image positional deviation may occur because the sheet conveyance reference is not fixed.

  The present invention has a structure in which the side fence or end fence can be unlocked by pulling out the sheet feeding tray from the image forming apparatus main body in either the side loading type or the front loading type, so that the sheet can be easily set and the sheet edge is restricted. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that does not need to separately provide a locking mechanism for the fence, and thus does not require the user to lock the position of the fence.

A sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention is a sheet feeding apparatus used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus, and a position of an end portion of a sheet which is inserted into and withdrawn from an image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. A paper feed tray having a movable at least one paper end regulating member, and a main body side rack member provided at an insertion site of the paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus main body, the paper feed tray being the paper The sheet feeding apparatus further includes a pinion member for moving the end regulating member, and the main body side rack member meshes with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body, and the sheet feeding is engaged with the pinion member. the tray side of the rack member and the sheet edge regulation member are integral moved, a pair of the paper end regulating member, each of said rack member to the pair of the sheet edge regulating member When the pinion member is fixed and includes a large diameter pinion gear meshing with the main body side rack member and a small diameter pinion gear meshing with the rack member, when the insertion of the paper feed tray into the image forming apparatus main body is completed, When the main body side rack member is engaged with the pinion member, the sheet end regulating member is fixed and the pinion member can not rotate, and when the sheet feeding tray is pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body, the main body side rack The meshing between the member and the pinion member is released to widen the space between the sheet end regulating members, and the large and small diameter pinion gears are coaxially connected .

  According to the present invention, when the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the lock of the sheet end regulating member for regulating the position of the sheet end is released, and the user can easily set the sheet. There is no need to provide a separate lock mechanism for regulating, and therefore, the user does not have to operate to lock the position of the fence.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a front loading type copying machine which is an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. They are the top view (A) and perspective view (B) which show a general paper feed tray. It is a conceptual top view which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a conceptual top view which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is the conceptual top view (A) and perspective view (B) which show Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a conceptual perspective view (A), the same bottom view (B), and the same perspective view (B) which show Embodiment 3 of this invention. They are a conceptual top view (A) and a perspective view (B) which show operation | movement of Embodiment 3 of this invention. They are a conceptual top view (A) and a perspective view (B) which show operation | movement of Embodiment 3 of this invention. They are a conceptual top view (A) and a perspective view (B) which show operation | movement of Embodiment 3 of this invention. They are a conceptual top view (A) and a perspective view (B) which show operation | movement of Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a conceptual perspective view which shows Embodiment 5 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 6 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 7 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 8 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 9 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows operation | movement of Embodiment 9 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 10 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 11 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 12 of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows Embodiment 13 of this invention.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described. In summary, the present invention comprises the rack member on the image forming apparatus main body side, and the rack on the apparatus main body side and the pinion provided on the sheet feeding tray are engaged when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the apparatus body, the sheet feeding tray Move the fence integrated with the side rack in the required direction, and then automatically lock the fence to make it immobile, and pull out the paper feed tray from the main body of the device to move the fence freely. This makes it possible to improve the operability by using a small number of parts and a simple configuration.

The features of the present invention described above will be described in detail using the embodiments shown in the following drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a front loading type copying machine which is an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The copying machine 1 is provided with six stages of paper feed trays. Each of these sheet feeding trays is pulled out to the front of the apparatus to supply sheets, and the sheet is stored in the apparatus. Since the structure of each sheet feed tray is the same, one of the sheet feed trays 10 will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view (A) and a perspective view (B) showing a general sheet feeding tray for the purpose of explanation. As shown, the side fence 2 on the back side, the side fence 3 on the front side, and the end fence 4 are provided inside the paper feed tray 10, and one inner wall of the paper feed tray 10 A sheet stacking space Y is formed together with the inner wall 10r of the sheet. The fences 2 to 4 and the inner wall 10r guide the four sides of one or more sheets stored and loaded in the sheet loading space Y.

  In the side fences 2 and 3, rack members 2 a and 3 a integrally provided on the respective side fences 2 and 3 mesh with pinion members 6 provided on a bottom plate 10 s of the paper feed tray 10. And the side fences 2 and 3 can adjust the space | interval of both arbitrarily centering on the pinion member 6. As shown in FIG. Further, the end fence 4 is provided so as to be able to be fixed at an arbitrary position along a guide groove 16 provided in the bottom plate 10 s of the paper feed tray 10.

  The side fences 2 and 3 are adjusted and fixed in advance in accordance with the width of sheets to be loaded, and the end fence 4 is fixed on the bottom plate 10s in accordance with the length of sheets to form a sheet loading space Y. Further, at least one of the fences (the side fence 3 on the front side in the drawing) is provided with an operation unit 15 for position fixing and fixing release. In order to change the distance between the side fences 2 and 3, the fixed state of the side fence to be moved is released by operating the operation unit 15, and the operator holds the side fence made free and operates by hand. The position can be changed. The same is true for the end fence.

  The operation unit 15 has teeth, and the tray bottom also has teeth so as to engage with the teeth, and when fixed, the teeth of the operation unit 15 and the teeth at the tray bottom are engaged, so that the fence 2 (3) is released This is done by disengaging this mesh by the operation of the operation unit 15. Then, move the fence 2 (3) and the rack member 2a (3a), stop the operation of the operation unit 15 at a desired position, and mesh the teeth of the operation unit 15 with the teeth of the tray bottom Fix 3). Generally, in the non-operation state, the operation unit 15 is in meshing engagement with the teeth of the operation unit 15 and the teeth of the tray bottom.

  Note that the image forming apparatus targeted in the present embodiment is a normal image forming apparatus except that it is necessary to include a rack member on the image forming apparatus main body side (for example, the bottom of the portion where the paper feed tray is inserted). Can be implemented without problems. There is no limitation on the feeding method.

First Embodiment
FIG. 3 is a conceptual plan view showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the following, the same or similar parts as in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 will be described with the same reference numerals.
In the present embodiment, only one side fence is provided and moved. It is applicable also to the composition which makes an end fence movable. When the side fence is moved as in the illustrated example, the edge of the sheet opposite to the side fence may be restricted by the inner wall of the paper feed tray. Of course, a regulating member other than the inner wall may be used.

  The side fence 2 in FIG. 3 and the rack member 2a integrally provided therewith are disposed on the back side of the sheet feeding tray 10 and inserted into a frame for a sheet feeding device provided on the side of the image forming apparatus main body 1a not shown. And it is mounted so that it can be pulled out. A main body side rack member 20 capable of meshing with the pinion member 12 meshing with the rack member 2a is provided at the insertion site of the sheet feeding tray 10 on the image forming apparatus main body 1a side (not shown). The side fence 2 and the rack member 2 a are integrally provided, and the pinion member 12 is fixed to, for example, the bottom plate 10 s of the paper feed tray 10. In the figure, reference numeral 20a denotes a holder for attaching the main body side rack member 20 to the image forming apparatus main body 1a.

  That is, the pinion member 12 is configured to engage with both the rack member 2 a and the main body side rack member 20. For example, the position meshing with the rack member 2a and the position meshing with the main body side rack member 20 are shifted in the height direction (axial direction). Further, as the double pinion structure, the rotational direction is reversed between the rack member 2 a and the main body side rack member 20.

  Then, when the sheet feeding tray 10 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 1 a, the side fence 2 is moved to the opposing inner wall 10 f side of the sheet feeding tray 10 by the engagement of the main body side rack member 20 and the pinion member 12. . As a result, the sheet loading space Y is narrowed. Further, when the insertion of the sheet feed tray 10 into the image forming apparatus main body 1a is completed, the main body side rack member 20 is engaged with the pinion member 12, so the pinion member 12 can not rotate and the position of the side fence 2 is fixed. .

On the other hand, when the sheet feeding tray 10 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1a, the meshing between the main body side rack member 20 and the pinion member 12 is released as the sheet feeding tray 10 moves out of the image forming apparatus main body 1a. . Then Sai de fences 2, away from the inner wall 10f of the paper feed tray 10 by the engagement between the rack member 2a and the pinion member 12. As a result, the sheet loading space Y is expanded.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the sheet setting property is improved by expanding the sheet stacking space Y at the position of the side fence 2 which is the sheet end regulating member in a state of being pulled out from the sheet feeding tray 10. In addition, the side fence 2 can be freed when the paper is set (when the paper feed tray 10 is pulled out) (there is no mechanism or means for disturbing the movement). Therefore, when the sheet feeding tray 10 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 1a, the position of the side fence 2 is automatically locked, thereby improving the operability. Furthermore, the above points can be realized with a small number of parts and a simple configuration.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 4 is a conceptual plan view showing Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the side fence 2 is pressed against the inner wall 10f on the front side, but in the present embodiment, the side fence 3 on the front side is pressed against the inner wall 10b on the back side. In the first embodiment, the pinion member 12 is engaged on the same side as both the main body side rack member 20 and the rack member 2a, but in the present embodiment, the pinion member 12 is engaged on the opposite side with the pinion member 12 interposed therebetween. It has become. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the configuration in which the rack members 20 and 2a are engaged with each other in the height direction and has a double pinion structure is unnecessary.

  The pinion member 12 may have a double pinion structure as in the first embodiment. In view of the relationship between the movement distance when the paper feed tray 10 is inserted and the movement distance of the side fence 2 (3) (a distance of about several mm or less is assumed in an actual copying machine), the double pinion structure It is preferable to use

Embodiment 3
5 to 10 are conceptual plan view (A) and perspective view (B) showing Embodiment 3 of the present invention, respectively.
In the present embodiment, as in the previous embodiment, the rack members 2a and 3a are attached to the pair of side fences 2 and 3 which are attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1a so as to be insertable and extractable and restrict the position of the sheet end. It is fixed. A pinion member 12 is interposed between the two rack members 2a and 3a and meshes with each other. As a result, with the center of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction as a reference (sheet conveyance reference), the side fences 2 and 3 can be moved while maintaining an equal distance from the sheet conveyance reference.

  The pinion member 12 is composed of two stages of pinion gears 12a and 12b. A small diameter pinion gear 12a protrudes above the bottom plate 10s of the paper feed tray 10, and a large diameter pinion gear 12b is positioned below the bottom plate 10s (FIG. 6). Show). Thereby, the small diameter pinion gear 12a meshes with the rack members 2a and 3a of the side fences 2 and 3, and the large diameter pinion gear 12b can mesh with the main body side rack member 20 provided in the image forming apparatus main body 1a. A bracket 12c is provided to support the pinion member 12 with both shafts (the upper side of the small diameter pinion gear 12a and the lower side of the large diameter pinion gear 12b), and the large diameter pinion gear 12b is held in an exposed state. . Of course, it may be supported and held in other ways. The shape of the bracket 12c may be a shape other than the shape shown in the drawing.

  Then, when the sheet feeding tray 10 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 1a, the main body side rack member 20 meshes with the large diameter pinion gear 12b, thereby rotating the pinion gear 12b in the direction to narrow the space between the side fences 2 and 3. Further, when the insertion of the sheet feed tray 10 is completed, the main body side rack member 20 meshes with the large diameter pinion gear 12b, so the small diameter pinion gear 12a can not rotate, and the side fences 2 and 3 are fixed.

  On the other hand, when the paper feed tray 10 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1a, the engagement between the main body side rack member 20 and the large diameter pinion gear 12b is released in the process. At this time, the distance between the side fences 2 and 3 is increased by an equal distance from the above-described sheet conveyance reference. The spread of the side fence between 2 and 3 improves the paper settability. When setting the paper (when pulling out the paper feed tray 10), move the side fences 2 and 3 freely, and insert the paper feed tray 10 into the main body 1a of the image forming apparatus to automatically lock the side fences 2 and 3 Ru. This also improves the operability. These points can be realized with a simple configuration of few parts, space saving, low cost and low weight. In addition, paper jams are less likely to occur. Furthermore, since the sheet conveyance reference is fixed, it is difficult for the position of the image formed on the sheet to be fed to shift.

The operation of the above-described embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7 to 10.
In FIG. 5, the large diameter pinion gear 12b meshes with the main body side rack member 20, and the side fences 2 and 3 are in the locked state. The main-unit-side rack member 20 is provided in the same direction as the insertion and extraction direction of the paper feed tray 10. When the sheet feeding tray 10 is pulled out as shown in FIG. 7 from the state of FIG. 5, the large diameter pinion gear 12b is rotated, the small diameter pinion gear 12a is rotated, and the rack members 2a and 3a are moved. The interval between 3 is extended. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the large diameter pinion gear 12b is released from the main body side rack member 20, and the side fences 2 and 3 are released from the locked state.

  When the side fences 2 and 3 are set in accordance with the minimum width sheet that can be set in the paper feed tray 10, the position of the sheet end regulation portion (inner side) of the side fence 2 on the back side is the image forming apparatus The main rack member 20 and the large diameter pinion gear 12b are disengaged when they come to the same position or almost the same position as the position 1w of the front wall of the main body 1a. Even if the paper feed tray 10 is not completely pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body 1a, the engagement of the main body side rack member 20 and the large diameter pinion gear 12b is released (the lock of the side fences 2, 3 is released) Can be configured to be mobile. Then, the user pulls out the paper feed tray 10 by the amount that the paper can enter without fully opening the paper feed tray 10, and the user moves the side fences 2 and 3 (especially the side fence 3 on the front side of the image forming apparatus main body 1a). It can be moved, and operations such as paper supply can be performed.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the large diameter pinion gear 12b disengages from the main body side rack member 20 when the tray is pulled out, and the locks of the side fences 2 and 3 are automatically released. When the tray is pulled out, the side fences 2 and 3 are wider than the sheet width, so it is easy to set the sheet after the pulling out is completed. In addition, it is possible to prevent the damage caused by the sheet edge rubbing against the side fences 2 and 3. Of course, operability is improved because the user does not have to manually unlock the side fences 2 and 3 manually.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which the sheet feeding tray 10 is pushed into the image forming apparatus main body 1a and started to be inserted. In this state, the large diameter pinion gear 12b and the main body side rack member 20 are not engaged, but when the insertion proceeds to the state of FIG. 8 and the state of FIG. 7, the pinion gear 12b and the main body side rack member 20 mesh and Locks on fences 2 and 3 are automatically locked. Since the user does not have to lock the side fences 2 and 3 manually, operability is improved.

  Further, when the sheet is set in a state where the sheet is close to the sheet conveyance reference (one side fence), the side fence can bring the sheet to the sheet conveyance reference. Therefore, the image positional deviation does not easily occur (the inventor of the present invention has verified this by experiments).

Fourth Embodiment
FIG. 11 is a conceptual view showing Embodiment 4 of the present invention. Also in the present embodiment, the pinion member 12 includes the small diameter pinion gear 12a and the large diameter pinion gear 12b. One or more gears (two gear members 7 and 8 in the illustrated example) intervene between the main body side rack member 20 and the large diameter pinion gear 12b. In this configuration, by using a plurality of gears, it is possible to save space if it is desired to set a large reduction ratio between the main body side rack member 20 and the large diameter pinion gear 12b. However, if it is desired to further improve the connection accuracy, the backlash may be minimized by directly driving the gear members 7 and 8 without the need. By changing the number of gear members, the rotation direction of the small diameter pinion gear 12a can be freely changed. The intermediate gear member may be, for example, a planetary gear device. The pinion gears 12a and 12b can be coaxially connected. As a result, backlash in meshing between the pinion member 12 and the main body side rack member 20 can be reduced with a simple configuration, so that backlash can be reduced and position regulation of the side fences 2 and 3 can be accurately performed.

Fifth Embodiment
FIG. 12 is a conceptual view showing Embodiment 5 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the torque limiter 30 is interposed between the small diameter pinion gear 12a and the large diameter pinion gear 12b. The torque limiter 30 is provided on a shaft connecting the pinion gears 12a and 12b, or provided in the pinion gear 12a or in the pinion gear 12b. As is well known, the torque limiter 30 is a device that slips when a certain torque or more is applied between the pinion gears 12a and 12b.

  In this embodiment, when foreign matter or the like interferes with the movement of the side fences 2 and 3 while both or one of the side fences 2 and 3 are moving, damage such as breakage of a gear can be prevented. When there is no torque limiter, the pinion gear 12b meshes with the main body side rack member 20 in a non-rotatable state, and the paper feed tray 10 can not be further pushed into the image forming apparatus main body 1a. There is a risk that the gear will be broken if forced in such a state, but the occurrence of such a situation can be prevented by the function of the torque limiter. That is, when the distance between the side fences 2 and 3 is too narrow to be smaller than the actual sheet width, the torque limiter 30 releases the force transmitted from the large diameter pinion gear 12b to the small diameter pinion member 12a, thereby causing the sheet to be a load. Prevent problems such as non-feed, buckling, etc.

Embodiment 6
FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 6 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, an elastic member 40 is connected to the main body side rack member 20 so that a force is applied in the direction opposite to the insertion direction of the sheet feed tray 10. When a large force is applied to push the sheet feed tray 10 into the image forming apparatus main body 1a when it is inserted, an impact is generated when the main body side rack member 20 and the pinion gear 12b mesh, and it is preferable to absorb the impact. The elastic member 40 acts as an impact absorbing means for absorbing such an impact. And the reduction of the generation of the sound due to the impact and the wear of the pinion and rack over time is reduced with a simple configuration.

Seventh Embodiment
FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 7 of the present invention. This embodiment is to be also referred to as a modification of the sixth embodiment, in addition to the elastic member 40 of the sixth embodiment, another elastic member (in the example shown in the drawing) on the paper feed tray 10 side of the main body side rack member 20. Spring material) 41 is attached.

Eighth Embodiment
FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 8 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, it is possible to change the position at which the main-unit-side rack member 20 and the large-diameter pinion gear 12b start meshing in the direction along the pushing-in direction of the sheet feeding tray 10. With such a configuration, it is possible to change the movement distance of the side fences 2 and 3 when opening and closing the tray. Since the lengths of the teeth of the main body side rack member 20 are the same, for example, in the state of FIG. 15A in which the main body side rack member 20 largely protrudes to the paper feed tray 10 side, The movement distance becomes long and becomes short in the state of FIG.

<Embodiment 9>
FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 9 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the pair of rack members 20 and the rack members 20b are alternately arranged with the pinion member 12b interposed therebetween. When the rack member 20 and the pinion member 12b are engaged with each other, the rack member 20b and the pinion member 12b are disposed so as not to engage with each other. By this configuration, the side fences 2 and 3 repeatedly move in the narrowing direction and the spreading direction. Although one rack member 20 and one rack member 20b are shown in the drawing, one or more rack members may be used.

FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of Embodiment 9 of the present invention.
FIG. 17A shows a state in which the sheet feeding tray is pulled out, and the rack member 20 and the rack member 20b and the large diameter pinion gear 12b are not engaged with each other while the side fences 2 and 3 are expanded.
FIG. 17B shows the time of insertion of the paper feed tray, in which the gear of the rack member 20 meshes with the large diameter pinion gear 12b, and the space between the side fences 2 and 3 moves in the narrow direction.
FIG. 17C shows the time when the paper feed tray is inserted, and the gear of the rack member 20b provided on the opposite side of the rack member 20 with the large diameter pinion gear 12b being engaged with the large diameter pinion gear 12b. It moves in the direction in which the space between the side fences 2 and 3 spreads.
FIG. 17 (d) shows when the paper feed tray is inserted all the way in, the gear of the rack member 12 on the same side as FIG. 17 (b) meshes with the large diameter pinion gear 12b and the side fences 2, 3 are narrow. It moves in the direction to become fence locked.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the sheet is set in a state in which the sheet is close to the sheet conveyance reference (one side fence), the sheet can be brought close to the sheet conveyance reference by the side fences 2 and 3. The same applies to the case where the sheet is set obliquely to the sheet conveyance reference. Therefore, it is difficult for the image position shift to occur. And, by the movement which repeatedly moves in the direction in which the space between the side fences 2 and 3 narrows and the direction in which the side fences 2 and 2 spread, the shifting effect of the paper is enhanced compared to only the movement in the direction to narrow the space between the side fences 2 and 3.

<Embodiment 10>
FIG. 18 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 10 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a suitable relationship is obtained in consideration of the distance between the rack members, the gear module, and the number of teeth of the pinion member 12b.
That is, assuming that the distance of the tooth top between the rack member 20 and the rack member 20b provided on the opposite side is L, it is necessary to arrange so that the following equation holds. Here, m is a gear module and z is the number of teeth of the pinion member 12b. By configuring so as to satisfy the following relationship, the sheet is set in a state of being close to the sheet conveyance reference (one side fence) or set obliquely to the sheet conveyance reference with a simple configuration. However, as in the ninth embodiment, the image positional deviation can be made less likely to occur.

Embodiment 11
FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 11 of the present invention. In this embodiment, rack members 20 and 20b alternately provided on both sides of a large diameter pinion gear 12b are provided on the same rigid body 20c. Further, an elastic member 40 (for example, a rubber material) is connected to the side of the image forming apparatus main body 1a so as to apply a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the paper feed tray 10. Further, an elastic member 41 (for example, a spring member) is connected to the side of the sheet feeding tray of the rack member 20.

  In this embodiment, when the sheet feeding tray is pushed toward the image forming apparatus main body 1a, generation of sound due to contact (impact) with the rack members 20 and 20a and the pinion members 12a and 12b, and wear of the pinion and rack over time Mitigation can be realized with a simple configuration. Further, by providing the rack members 20 and 20a alternately arranged on the same rigid body, the distance between the rack members 20 and 20a is maintained even at the time of shock absorption, and two or more racks are simultaneously provided to the large diameter pinion member 12b. It prevents the members from biting.

Embodiment 12
FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 12 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the pinion member 12 d is connected to the pinion member 12 b, and the rack member 20 b is disposed so as to mesh with the pinion member 12 d. When one of the pinion members 12b and 12d is engaged with the rack member 20 or the rack member 20b, the other of the rack members 20 and 20b is disposed not to engage with the pinion member 12b or the pinion member 12d. As shown in FIG. 20B, the rack member 20b and the pinion member 12d are engaged with each other by giving a thickness to the pinion member 12d.

  In this embodiment, when there is no space on the right side of the paper feed tray in the pushing direction (right side in FIG. 20A) and no rack member is provided, the rack member may be disposed on the left side of the paper feed tray in the pushing direction. it can. In the illustrated example, the rack member 12b corresponds to such a rack member. Therefore, effective use of space is possible. For example, the distance L and the distance N can be reduced by reducing the diameter of the pinion member 12c.

Embodiment 13
FIG. 21 is a conceptual diagram showing Embodiment 13 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a plurality of rack members 20 and 20b are provided on the same rigid body 20c. Further, an elastic member 40 (for example, a rubber material) is connected to the image forming apparatus main body 1a side so as to apply a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction of the sheet feed tray 10 (FIG. 21A). As shown in FIG. 21B, an elastic member 41 (for example, a spring member) may be connected to the side of the sheet feeding tray of the rack member 20.

  Also in this embodiment, when the sheet feeding tray is pushed toward the image forming apparatus main body 1a, generation of sound due to contact (impact) with the rack members 20 and 20a and the pinion members 12a and 12b, and wear of the pinion and rack over time Mitigation can be realized with a simple configuration. Further, by providing the rack members 20 and 20a alternately arranged on the same rigid body, the distance between the rack members 20 and 20a is maintained even at the time of shock absorption, and two or more racks are simultaneously provided to the large diameter pinion member 12b. It prevents the members from biting.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and many modifications are possible within the technical idea of the present invention by those skilled in the art.

1: copier 1a: image forming apparatus body 2, 3: side fence 2a, 3a: rack member 4: end fence 6: pinion member 7: gear member 8: gear member 10: paper tray 12: pinion member 12a: pinion gear 12b: Pinion gear 12c: Bracket 15: Operation portion 16: Guide groove 20: Main body side rack member 30: Torque limiter 40, 41: Elastic member Y: Paper loading space

JP-A-6-263268

Claims (18)

A sheet feeding device used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding tray movably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be insertable and extractable and at least one sheet end regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet end to be loaded.
A main body side rack member is provided at an insertion site of the sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus main body;
The sheet feeding tray includes a pinion member for moving the sheet end regulating member;
The body side rack member is
Meshing with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body;
Moving the sheet end regulating member integrated with the sheet tray side rack member engaged with the pinion member ;
A pair of the sheet end regulating members is provided, and the rack member is fixed to each of the pair of sheet end regulating members,
The pinion member is
A large diameter pinion gear that meshes with the main body side rack member;
A small diameter pinion gear that meshes with the rack member;
Consists of
When the insertion of the sheet feeding tray into the image forming apparatus main body is completed, the main body side rack member is engaged with the pinion member, so that the sheet end regulating member is fixed and the pinion member can not rotate.
When the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the main body side rack member and the pinion member is released, and the space between the sheet end regulating members is widened.
The large and small diameter pinion gears are coaxially connected and provided.
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 1,
When the sheet feed tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the back side of the image forming apparatus main body when the sheet end regulating member is set according to the sheet having the minimum width that can be set in the sheet feed tray When the position of the sheet end regulating portion of the sheet end regulating member comes to the same position as the front wall of the image forming apparatus main body, the main rack member and the large diameter pinion gear are disengaged from each other Yes,
A sheet feeding device characterized by A sheet feeding device used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding tray movably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be insertable and extractable and at least one sheet end regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet end to be loaded.
A main body side rack member is provided at an insertion site of the sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus main body;
The sheet feeding tray includes a pinion member for moving the sheet end regulating member;
The body side rack member is
Meshing with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body;
Moving the sheet end regulating member integrated with the sheet tray side rack member engaged with the pinion member;
A pair of the sheet end regulating members is provided, and the rack member is fixed to each of the pair of sheet end regulating members,
The pinion member is
A large diameter pinion gear that meshes with the main body side rack member;
A small diameter pinion gear that meshes with the rack member;
Consists of
When the insertion of the sheet feeding tray into the image forming apparatus main body is completed, the main body side rack member is engaged with the pinion member, so that the sheet end regulating member is fixed and the pinion member can not rotate.
When the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the main body side rack member and the pinion member is released, and the space between the sheet end regulating members is widened.
When the sheet feed tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the back side of the image forming apparatus main body when the sheet end regulating member is set according to the sheet having the minimum width that can be set in the sheet feed tray When the position of the sheet end regulating portion of the sheet end regulating member comes to the same position as the front wall of the image forming apparatus main body, the main rack member and the large diameter pinion gear are disengaged from each other Yes,
A sheet feeding device characterized by The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The main body side rack member is provided with impact absorbing means for absorbing an impact when the large diameter pinion gear and the main body side rack member mesh with each other when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body.
A sheet feeding device characterized by A sheet feeding device used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding tray movably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be insertable and extractable and at least one sheet end regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet end to be loaded.
A main body side rack member is provided at an insertion site of the sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus main body;
The sheet feeding tray includes a pinion member for moving the sheet end regulating member;
The body side rack member is
Meshing with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body;
Moving the sheet end regulating member integrated with the sheet tray side rack member engaged with the pinion member;
A pair of the sheet end regulating members is provided, and the rack member is fixed to each of the pair of sheet end regulating members,
The pinion member is
A large diameter pinion gear that meshes with the main body side rack member;
A small diameter pinion gear that meshes with the rack member;
Consists of
When the insertion of the sheet feeding tray into the image forming apparatus main body is completed, the main body side rack member is engaged with the pinion member, so that the sheet end regulating member is fixed and the pinion member can not rotate.
When the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the main body side rack member and the pinion member is released, and the space between the sheet end regulating members is widened.
The main body side rack member is provided with impact absorbing means for absorbing an impact when the large diameter pinion gear and the main body side rack member mesh with each other when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body.
A sheet feeding device characterized by The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The center of the sheet in the sheet conveyance direction is used as a sheet conveyance reference, and the rack member and the pinion member are engaged with each other to move the sheet end regulating member while maintaining an equal distance from the sheet conveyance reference.
When the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the main body side rack member and the large diameter pinion gear is released.
Widening the sheet end regulating member by an equal distance from the sheet conveyance reference;
A sheet feeding device characterized by The sheet feeder according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The small diameter pinion member and the large diameter pinion member are connected via a torque limiter.
A sheet feeding device characterized by The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
It is possible to change the position at which the main body side rack member and the large diameter pinion gear start meshing along the insertion and withdrawal direction of the paper feed tray,
A sheet feeding device characterized by A sheet feeding device used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding tray movably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be insertable and extractable and at least one sheet end regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet end to be loaded.
A main body side rack member is provided at an insertion site of the sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus main body;
The sheet feeding tray includes a pinion member for moving the sheet end regulating member;
The body side rack member is
Meshing with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body;
Moving the sheet end regulating member integrated with the sheet tray side rack member engaged with the pinion member ;
The body-side rack member can be changed in position along the insertion and withdrawal direction of the paper feed tray,
The main body side rack member is connected to an elastic member for applying a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction when inserting the paper feed tray.
Sheet feeding apparatus, characterized in that. A sheet feeding device used for sheet feeding in an image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a sheet feeding tray movably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus so as to be insertable and extractable and at least one sheet end regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet end to be loaded.
A main body side rack member is provided at an insertion site of the sheet feeding tray of the image forming apparatus main body;
The sheet feeding tray includes a pinion member for moving the sheet end regulating member;
The body side rack member is
Meshing with the pinion member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body;
Moving the sheet end regulating member integrated with the sheet tray side rack member engaged with the pinion member;
A pair of the sheet end regulating members is provided, and the rack member is fixed to each of the pair of sheet end regulating members,
The pinion member is
A large diameter pinion gear that meshes with the main body side rack member;
A small diameter pinion gear that meshes with the rack member;
Consists of
When the insertion of the sheet feeding tray into the image forming apparatus main body is completed, the main body side rack member is engaged with the pinion member, so that the sheet end regulating member is fixed and the pinion member can not rotate.
When the sheet feeding tray is pulled out of the image forming apparatus main body, the engagement between the main body side rack member and the pinion member is released, and the space between the sheet end regulating members is widened.
A pair of the body side rack members is provided,
The pair of main body side rack members are alternately arranged centering on the large diameter pinion member,
When the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body, the large diameter pinion member engages with one of the main body side rack members to narrow the space between the sheet end regulating members, and When the other is engaged, the space between the sheet end regulating members is widened,
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 10,
When said one of the pair of body-side rack member is engaged with the pinion member of the large diameter, said the other of the present body-side rack member and a pinion member of a large diameter not mesh,
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 11,
When inserting the sheet feeding tray into the main body side rack member, the tooth tip on the back side of the main body side rack member meshing with the main body side rack member, and the tooth tip on the main body front side of the main body side rack member meshing secondly Distance m, the gear module of the main-unit-side rack member and the large-diameter pinion member is m, and the number of teeth of the large-diameter pinion member is z,
A sheet feeding apparatus characterized in that The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 10 to 12.
The body-side rack members are all connected identical rack rigid bodies, which are integrally formed, have predetermined strength, and are not easily elastically deformed,
The same rack rigid body is provided with an impact absorbing means for absorbing an impact received when the large diameter pinion member and the main body side rack member are engaged when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body. is there,
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 13,
The same rack rigid body is connected and provided with an elastic member for applying a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction when inserting the paper feed tray.
A sheet feeding device characterized by The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 10 to 12.
A reverse rotation pinion member disposed in the sheet feeding tray so as to mesh with the large diameter pinion member;
The main body side rack member is engaged with the large diameter pinion member and the reverse rotation pinion member, and when one is engaged, the other is not engaged.
When the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body, the main body side rack member engages with one of the pinion members to rotate the pinion member to narrow the space between the sheet end regulating members, When meshing with the pinion member, the pinion member is reversely rotated to widen the space between the sheet end regulating members.
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 15,
The body-side rack members are all connected identical rack rigid bodies, which are integrally formed, have predetermined strength, and are not easily elastically deformed,
The same rack rigid body absorbs an impact received when the large diameter pinion member or the reverse rotation pinion member engages with the main body side rack member when the sheet feeding tray is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body. Shock absorbing means are provided,
A sheet feeding device characterized by In the sheet feeding device according to claim 16,
The same rack rigid body is connected and provided with an elastic member for applying a force in a direction opposite to the insertion direction when inserting the paper feed tray.
A sheet feeding device characterized by   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 17.