JP6533093B2 - Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus in which sheet placement units on which sheets are placed are arranged in parallel.

  In the image forming apparatus, since the opportunity to be used is increased, it is expected to increase the storage amount of sheets in order to reduce the number of times of sheet replenishment. Further, there has been proposed a tandem type sheet feeding apparatus in which sheets are stacked at sheet feeding positions and spare positions juxtaposed to each other in consideration of sheet breakage during image formation. In such a tandem-type sheet feeding apparatus, when the gap between the main accommodating portion for accommodating sheets for sheet feeding and the sub-accommodating portion for accommodating spare sheets is narrow, the sheets are adjacent when replenishing the sheets. Operation is aggravated by the housing part. Then, the structure which improved workability | operativity is known so that the main accommodating part and the sub accommodating part can each be pulled out independently with respect to the problem mentioned above (for example, refer patent document 1).

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 11-157672

  The sheet feeding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a main sheet storage unit and a sub sheet storage unit arranged in parallel, and the amount of withdrawal of the sub sheet storage unit is larger than the amount of withdrawal of the main sheet storage unit. It is assumed. And, at the time of setting of the main sheet containing portion, a shielding member is provided which is protruded so as to close a gap between the both containing portions.

  However, in the sheet feeding device described in Patent Document 1, the sub sheet storage unit is not used for sheet feeding, and is configured to only transfer the sheet to the main sheet storage unit. Therefore, when the sheet is transferred from the sub sheet storage unit to the main sheet storage unit, there is a possibility that the conveyance failure of the sheet may occur. Further, since the sheets are common to the main sheet storage unit and the sub sheet storage unit, there is a problem that sheets of different sizes can not be stored.

  By the way, in addition to the sheet feeding device described in Patent Document 1, there are, for example, a left and right independent drawer type capable of independently pulling out the trays arranged side by side. The paper can be fed from the left and right trays respectively. However, in the left and right independent drawer type, there is a problem that the sheet can not be replenished unless the user confirms from which tray the sheet is being fed.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus capable of replenishing sheets without stopping feeding even when sheets are being fed. The purpose is to

A sheet feeding device according to the present invention is a sheet feeding device including a first placement portion and a second placement portion, which are disposed in parallel to each other and on which a sheet is placed, and the first placement portion and the second placement portion A housing for housing the second loading unit therein; a sheet transport path through which the sheet is transported; a first sheet feeding section for feeding the sheet from the first loading section to the sheet transport path; A second sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet from the second loading unit to the sheet conveyance path, a first locking unit that locks the first loading unit, and a second that locks the second loading unit (2) a locking portion, and a single operation portion provided on the front surface of the housing and having the first mounting portion and / or the second mounting portion pulled out to the outside of the housing by operation wherein the operating part relative to the first mounting portion and the second mounting part is used in common, the first placement unit, is restricted to the drawer relative to the housing b And the released state which can be pulled out with respect to the housing, by the locking of the first locking portion, and the second placement portion changes the locked state and the released state. The switching is performed by locking the second locking portion, and when the first sheet feeding portion is feeding, the first placement portion is in the locked state, and the second loading portion When the placement unit is in the release state and the second sheet feeding unit is feeding, the first placement unit is in the release state, and the second placement unit is in the locked state. It is characterized by being.

  In the sheet feeding device according to the present invention, the first locking portion locks the first mounting portion and the housing, and the second locking portion is the second mounting portion and the housing. It may be configured to be locked to the body.

  In the sheet feeding device according to the present invention, the first locking portion locks the first loading portion and the operation portion, and the second locking portion is the second loading portion and the operation. It is good also as composition which locks with a part.

  The sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a third sheet loading section on which a sheet is placed, and a third sheet feeding section for feeding a sheet from the third sheet loading section to the sheet conveyance path, The first placement unit and the second placement unit may be configured to be in the released state when the paper feeding unit is feeding paper.

  The sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention includes a number detection unit for detecting the number of sheets placed on the first placement unit and the second placement unit, and the first placement unit and the second placement unit. The placement unit is in the locked state when the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and is released when the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit is less than the specified number. It may be configured to be in the state.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

  According to the present invention, since one of the first loading unit and the second loading unit does not feed the sheet, it can be pulled out in the released state, and the other is feeding the sheet. , The drawer is regulated in the locked state. Therefore, even when the sheet is being fed, one of the first loading portion and the second loading portion can be pulled out, and the sheet can be replenished without stopping the feeding.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external front view of a sheet feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is an internal view which shows the state which removed the front panel from FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a sheet feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in arrow mark AA of FIG. It is an explanatory view showing the state where the 1st operation part was operated. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a coupled connection mechanism. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the coupling mechanism spaced apart; In 1st Embodiment, when a 1st mounting part is made into a cancellation | release state, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state which operated the operation part. In 1st Embodiment, when a 1st mounting part is made into a locked state, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state which operated the operation part. In 1st Embodiment, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which the 1st mounting part was pulled out from the housing | casing. In 1st Embodiment, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which the 1st mounting part and the 2nd mounting part were pulled out from the housing | casing. It is a schematic external view which shows the modification of a housing | casing. FIG. 6 is a processing flow diagram showing processing when feeding a sheet by the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a processing flow figure showing processing in a sheet feeding device concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is an internal view which shows the state which removed the front panel from the paper feeder which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic top view of the sheet feeding device concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing in arrow mark BB of FIG. In 3rd Embodiment, when a 1st mounting part is made into a cancellation | release state, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state which operated the operation part. In 3rd Embodiment, when a 1st mounting part is made into a locked state, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state which operated the operation part. In 3rd Embodiment, it is explanatory drawing which shows the state by which the 1st mounting part was pulled out from the housing | casing.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 1 has a copying function of reading an original and forming an image on a sheet, and the image reading unit 20, the document conveying unit 23 provided above the image reading unit 20, and the lower side of the image reading unit 20 The image forming unit 3, the sheet feeding device 30, and the stacking tray 13 are provided.

  The document transport unit 23 is supported openably and closably with respect to the image reading unit 20. When the document transport unit 23 is opened, the document placement table 21 provided on the upper surface of the image reading unit 20 is opened, and a document can be placed on the document placement table 21 by manual placement. Further, the image reading unit 20 is provided with a document passing unit 22 provided on the upper surface separately from the document placing table 21, and the document conveyance unit 23 automatically places the placed document on the document passing unit 22. Transport The image reading unit 20 reads an original placed on the original placement table 21 or an original conveyed from the original conveyance unit 23 to generate image data.

  In the image forming apparatus 1, image data corresponding to a color image using each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) or a monochrome image using a single color (for example, black) Is treated. The image forming unit 3 is provided with four developing devices 7 for forming four types of toner images, four photosensitive drums 4, four drum cleaning devices 8 and four chargers 5, each of black, cyan, magenta, And yellow, and four image stations are configured.

  The drum cleaning device 8 removes and collects residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 4. The charger 5 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 to a predetermined potential. The light scanning device 6 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing device 7 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 4 to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 4. A toner image of each color is formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 4 by the series of operations described above.

  An intermediate transfer belt unit 9 is disposed on the upper side of the photosensitive drum 4. The intermediate transfer belt unit 9 includes four intermediate transfer rollers 9a, an intermediate transfer belt 9b, an intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9c, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 9d, and a belt cleaning device 9f. The intermediate transfer belt 9b is stretched over and supported by an intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9c, an intermediate transfer belt driven roller 9d, and four intermediate transfer rollers 9a. The intermediate transfer belt drive roller 9c is connected to a drive unit (not shown) and rotationally driven, and causes the intermediate transfer belt 9b to rotate in the direction of the arrow mark C. The four intermediate transfer rollers 9a are pressed against the corresponding photosensitive drums 4 via the intermediate transfer belt 9b. In the intermediate transfer belt 9b, residual toners are removed and collected by a belt cleaning device 9f, and the toner images of the respective colors formed on the surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums 4 are sequentially transferred and superimposed to form the intermediate transfer belt 9b. A color toner image is formed.

  The transfer roller 10a of the secondary transfer device 10 has a nip area formed with the intermediate transfer belt 9b, and nips and conveys the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path S in the nip area. When the sheet passes through the nip area, the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 9 b is transferred to the fixing device 11.

  The fixing device 11 includes a fixing roller 11 a and a pressure roller 11 b that rotate while sandwiching a sheet. The fixing device 11 sandwiches the sheet on which the toner image is transferred to a nip portion between the fixing roller 11a and the pressure roller 11b, heats and presses the sheet, and fixes the toner image on the sheet. The fixing device 11 is provided with a heating unit 11 c that heats the fixing roller 11 a.

  The sheet feeding device 30 stores sheets used for image formation in the first loading portion 41, the second loading portion 42, and the third loading portion 43, and is provided below the light scanning device 6. ing. The sheet supplied from the sheet feeding device 30 is conveyed through the sheet conveyance path S, and is discharged to the stacking tray 13 through the sheet discharging roller 14 f via the secondary transfer device 10 and the fixing device 11. The sheet feeding device 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 described later.

  In the sheet conveyance path S, the sheet is temporarily stopped and the leading end of the sheet is aligned, and then, according to the transfer timing of the color toner image in the nip area between the intermediate transfer belt 9b and the transfer roller 10a. A registration roller 14e for starting conveyance, a conveyance roller 14d for urging conveyance of a sheet, a paper discharge roller 14f, and a reverse conveyance roller 14g are disposed.

  When image formation is performed not only on the front side of the sheet but also on the back side, the sheet is conveyed in the reverse direction from the sheet discharge roller 14f to the reverse path Sr, the sheet is reversed, and the sheet is transferred to the registration roller 14e The sheet is guided again, the image is formed on the back side in the same manner as the front side, and the sheet is discharged to the stacking tray 13.

  FIG. 2 is an external front view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The sheet feeding device 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is disposed in parallel to each other, and the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 on which the sheet is placed, the first placement portion 41, and the first And a housing 31 for housing the mounting portion 42 therein.

  The housing 31 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose inside is hollow, and the front surface is open. A front panel 33 independent of the housing 31 is provided on the front surface of the housing 31 to cover the front of the housing 31. Specifically, the housing 31 includes a housing lower surface 31a, a housing upper surface 31b, a first housing side 31e, a housing rear 31d (see FIG. 4 described later), and a second housing side 31c. . The first placement portion 41 is placed on the housing lower surface 31a via the first rail 34a, and the second placement portion 42 is placed on the lower surface 31a via the second rail 34b. The housing upper surface 31 b is opposed to the housing lower surface 31 a in the height direction Z. In the side surface of the housing 31, the first housing side 31e (left in FIG. 2) and the second housing side 31c (right in FIG. 2) face each other in the lateral direction X, and the depth direction Y (described later) 4) (see FIG. 4, the upper side) and the open front face (the lower side in FIG. 4) face each other. The first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are disposed to face each other in the lateral direction X, and each face the front panel 33. The first placement unit 41 is disposed on the side of the first housing side 31e, and the second placement unit 42 is disposed on the side of the second housing side 31c.

  The front panel 33 is provided with the operation unit 32 on the outer surface, is connected to the housing 31 via the first rail 34 a and the second rail 34 b, and is separated from the housing 31 by pulling in the depth direction Y. The operation unit 32 is, for example, a handle, and the user can move the front panel 33 by gripping. In addition, the structure of the operation part 32 is not limited to this, A shape may be suitably changed, such as a recessed part provided in the front panel 33. Moreover, the state which operated the operation part 32 and moved the front panel 33 is demonstrated in detail with reference to FIG. 7A and 7B mentioned later.

  3 is an internal view showing a state in which the front panel is removed from FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow A-A of FIG. 4 shows the upper surface 31b of the case in a transparent manner, and FIG. 5A shows the first side plate 41b in a transparent manner. Although FIG. 5A and other cross-sectional views show a viewpoint from which the operation unit 32 can not be seen, the operation unit 32 is shown projected to a corresponding position for the sake of explanation.

  Inside the housing 31, two first rails 34a, two second rails 34b, a first placement unit 41, a second placement unit 42, a first paper feeding unit 51, a second paper feeding unit 52, The first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70 are accommodated.

  The two first rails 34a are telescopic elongated rails connected to the lower surface 31a of the housing 31 with the depth direction Y as the longitudinal direction, and are spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction X. The two first rails 34a are connected at their ends to the front panel 33, and expand and contract in response to the movement of the front panel 33. The two second rails 34b have the same structure as the first rail 34a, and the description thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, two first rails 34a and two second rails 34b are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of first rails 34a and second rails 34b may be changed as appropriate. It is also good. Further, the state in which the first rail 34a and the second rail 34b are expanded and contracted will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B described later.

  The first sheet feeding unit 51 includes a first pickup roller 51 a and a first separation roller pair 51 b, and is located above the first placement unit 41. The first pickup roller 51 a is a pickup roller that supplies the sheet placed on the first placement unit 41 to the first supply path S <b> 1 of the sheet conveyance path S. The first separation roller pair 51b separates the sheets one by one and conveys the sheet to the first supply path S1 by sandwiching the sheet supplied from the first pickup roller 51a with two rollers. Although not shown in the drawings, the first sheet feeding unit 51 (the first pickup roller 51a and the first separation roller pair 51b) may be supported by the housing 31 as appropriate. Further, the first sheet feeding unit 51 may be configured to be pivotally supported by the first placement unit 41 instead of the housing 31.

  The second sheet feeding unit 52 has the same configuration as the first sheet feeding unit 51, and includes a second pickup roller 52a and a second separation roller pair 52b, and is disposed above the second placement unit 42. positioned. Accordingly, like the first sheet feeding unit 51, the second sheet feeding unit 52 separates the sheets placed on the second placement unit 42 one by one into the second supply path S2 of the sheet conveyance path S. And transport. Although not illustrated in the drawings, the second sheet feeding unit 52 may be configured to be pivotally supported by the housing 31 or the second placement unit 42.

  In FIG. 3, the first sheet feeding unit 51 is located above the second sheet feeding unit 52, and the first supply path S1 is located above the second placement unit 42 and the second sheet feeding unit 52. After passing, it is configured to merge with the second supply path S2 in the vicinity of the second housing side surface 31c. Openings or the like may be formed in the housing 31 (for example, the housing upper surface 31 b and the housing lower surface 31 a) in accordance with the positions of the first supply path S 1 and the second supply path S 2. Then, the sheet is fed to the sheet conveyance path S on the image forming unit 3 side through the opening.

  The first placement portion 41 is configured of a first placement plate 41a, a first locking side plate 41b, a first back side plate 41c, and a first opposing side plate 41d. The first placement plate 41a is a rectangular flat plate and is placed on the first rail 34a, and sheets are stacked. The first locking side plate 41b, the first back side plate 41c, and the first opposing side plate 41d are provided upright along the three sides of the upper surface of the first placement plate 41a. Specifically, the first locking side plate 41b is a substantially rectangular flat plate and is provided along the side on the side of the first housing side 31e (the left side of the first placement plate 41a in FIG. 4). And is disposed to face the first housing side surface 31e. In addition, the first locking portion 60 is connected to the surface of the first locking side plate 41 b facing the first housing side surface 31 e. The first back side plate 41c is a substantially rectangular flat plate and is provided along the side on the case back 31d side (the upper side of the first placement plate 41a in FIG. 4), and is provided on the case back 31d. It is arranged to face each other. The first opposing side plate 41 d is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and is provided along the side on the side of the second placement portion 42 (in FIG. 4, the right side of the first placement plate 41 a). It arrange | positions so that the 2nd opposing side plate 42d of the part 42 may be opposed. The first placement portion 41 and the first rail 34 a are not fixed but are coupled via the coupling mechanism 80. Therefore, the first mounting portion 41 is configured to slide on the first rail 34a when the first rail 34a expands and contracts. The connecting mechanism 80 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B described later.

  The second placement portion 42 has substantially the same structure as the first placement portion 41, and includes a second placement plate 42a, a second locking side plate 42b, a second back side plate 42c, and a second opposing side plate 42d. It consists of That is, the second mounting plate 42a corresponds to the first mounting plate 41a, the second locking side plate 42b corresponds to the first locking side plate 41b, and the second back side plate 42c is the first. The second opposing side plate 42d corresponds to the back side plate 41c, and the second opposing side plate 41d differs in that the positions of the second locking side plate 42b and the second opposing side plate 42d are switched. ing. That is, the second locking side plate 42b is provided along the side on the side of the second housing side 31c (the right side of the second placement plate 42a in FIG. 4) and faces the second housing side 31c. It is arranged as. The second opposing side plate 42d is provided along the side on the side of the first placement portion 41 (in FIG. 4, the left side of the second placement plate 42a), and the first opposing side plate of the first placement portion 41 It is arrange | positioned so as to oppose 41d. In addition, the second locking portion 70 is connected to the surface of the second locking side plate 42 b that faces the second housing side surface 31 c. The second placement portion 42 is not fixed to the second rail 34 b like the first placement portion 41, and is coupled via a coupling mechanism 80 described later.

  The first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are not limited to the above-described structure, and for example, side plates may be erected on all the side edges of the first placement plate 41a. Further, although the first locking side plate 41b, the first back side plate 41c, and the first opposing side plate 41d, etc. are configured to be separated from each other, the shape is appropriately selected, for example, by connecting the adjacent side plates and the end portion. You may change it.

  The first locking portion 60 is composed of a first locking block 61, a first locking lever 62, and a first operating portion 63. The first locking block 61 has a substantially rectangular shape and is provided with a locking convex portion 61a protruding upward from the periphery, and the upper portion of the first locking side plate 41b on the front panel 33 side (upper left in FIG. 5A) Section) is fixed. In the first locking lever 62, an elongated lever swinging portion 62b is pivotally supported by the first housing side surface 31e via a lever shaft 62a. Therefore, the first locking lever 62 is configured to pivot around the lever shaft 62a. At one end of the lever swinging portion 62b, a swing locking portion 62c extending downward is provided. In FIG. 5A, the swing locking portion 62c is in contact with the locking convex portion 61a, and is in a state in which the first locking block 61 is locked. The other end of the lever swinging portion 62b is provided with a lever connecting portion 62d which is extended and abuts on the first operating portion 63. The first operating portion 63 is fixed to the first housing side surface 31e, driven by a solenoid, and switched on (driven) and off (non-driven) to move the operating connection portion 63a provided at the end portion. (Stretch) Then, the operation connecting portion 63a and the lever connecting portion 62d are connected. That is, the first locking portion 60 is provided on the first locking lever 62 pivotally supported by the first housing side 31e (the housing 31) and the first locking side plate 41b (the first placement portion 41). The first mounting portion 41 and the housing 31 are locked by the fixed first locking block 61.

  The second locking portion 70 has a configuration similar to that of the first locking portion 60, and is provided with a second locking block 71, a second locking lever 72, and a second operation portion 73. In addition, since it is the same as that of the 1st latching | locking part 60 about the structure of each part of the 2nd latching | locking part 70, drawing is abbreviate | omitted and a different point is demonstrated. The second locking block 71 is fixed to the second locking side plate 42 b. The second locking lever 72 is pivotally supported by the first housing side surface 31 e and is rotatable. The second operating portion 73 is fixed to the second housing side surface 31 c and rotates the second locking lever 72 by operating. That is, the second locking portion 70 includes the second locking lever 72 pivotally supported by the second housing side surface 31c (the housing 31) and the second locking side plate 42b (the second placement portion 42). The second mounting portion 42 and the housing 31 are locked by the second locking block 71 fixed.

  FIG. 5B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the first operating unit is operated.

  FIG. 5B shows a state in which the first operating portion 63 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 5A and the operating connection portion 63a is extended. By extending the actuating connection portion 63a, the first locking lever 62 is pivoted about the lever shaft 62a, and the swinging locking portion 62c is lifted in the direction of the arrow D. As a result, the rocking locking portion 62c and the locking convex portion 61a are separated, and the locking of the first locking block 61 is released. That is, the locking between the first placement portion 41 and the housing 31 is released. Also in the second locking portion 70, similarly to the first locking portion 60, the second actuating portion 73 can be operated to release the locking between the second placement portion 42 and the housing 31. . Further, whether or not the first locking unit 60 and the second locking unit 70 are operated by, for example, a CPU (control unit) provided in the image forming apparatus 1 (sheet feeding device 30).

  Next, a connecting mechanism 80 for connecting the first placement unit 41 (second placement unit 42) and the first rail 34a (second rail 34b) will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 6A is a schematic view showing the coupled connection mechanism, and FIG. 6B is a schematic view showing the spaced connection mechanism.

  The connection mechanism 80 is composed of a spherical portion 81 and a holding portion 82 which are independent of each other. The spherical portion 81 is formed with a spherical end 81 a having a spherical shape at the tip, and a sphere connecting portion 81 b is extended from the spherical end 81 a. The pinching portion 82 is formed with an annular end 82a that is partially cut off at the tip end, and the pinching connection portion 82b is extended from the annular end 82a. The inner end of the annular end 82a has substantially the same diameter as the spherical end 81a, and in FIG. 6A, the annular end 82a grips the spherical end 81a. In the present embodiment, the ball connection portion 81b is fixed to the first rail 34a, and the sandwiching connection portion 82b is fixed to the first mounting portion 41, but the present invention is not limited thereto. One of the portions 82 may be fixed to the first rail 34 a, and the other may be fixed to the first placement portion 41. The second placement portion 42 and the second rail 34 b are connected to each other via the connection mechanism 80 in the same manner as the first placement portion 41 and the first rail 34 a.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, in the state where the spherical portion 81 and the holding portion 82 are connected, when the first rail 34a is moved, the first placement portion 41 is pulled through the connection mechanism 80. By the way, as shown to FIG. 5A, in the state which locked the 1st mounting part 41 by the 1st latching | locking part 60, 1st mounting is carried out with respect to force F1 which moves the 1st rail 34a and pulls the spherical part 81. A force F2 for holding the position of the holder 41 is applied. As a result, when opposing forces are applied to the spherical portion 81 and the sandwiching portion 82, the spherical end 81a comes off from the chipped portion of the annular end 82a, and as shown in FIG. 6B, the spherical portion 81 and the sandwiching portion As a result, the first mounting portion 41 and the first rail 34a are disconnected. From the state shown in FIG. 6B, the spherical end 81a is pinched by the annular end 82a by pushing the spherical end 81a from the cut portion of the annular end 82a, and the state shown in FIG. 6A is returned.

  As described above, the first mounting portion 41 is configured such that the first locking portion 60 is in the locked state in which the drawer is restricted with respect to the housing 31 and in the released state in which the first mounting portion 41 is pulled out with respect to the housing 31. It is configured to be switched by the locking of the Therefore, a state in which the front panel 33 is moved (pulled out) by operating the operation unit 32 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 7A is an explanatory view showing a state in which the operation unit is operated when the first placement unit is in the released state in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7A shows a state in which the operation unit 32 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 5B. In the state in which the locking between the first mounting portion 41 and the housing 31 is released, when the front panel 33 is pulled out in the depth direction Y, the first rail 34 a extends. As shown to FIG. 6A, the 1st mounting part 41 and the 1st rail 34a are connected by the connection mechanism 80, and the 1st mounting part 41 is combined with the 1st rail 34a, and the exterior of the housing | casing 31 is shown. Drawn out. That is, by releasing the engagement between the first placement portion 41 and the housing 31, the first placement portion 41 is in a released state in which the first placement portion 41 can be pulled out with respect to the housing 31.

  FIG. 7B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the operation unit is operated when the first placement unit is in the locked state in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 7B shows a state in which the operation unit 32 is operated from the state shown in FIG. 5A. In FIG. 7B, the first rail 34a is extended by pulling out the front panel 33 in the depth direction Y, as in FIG. 7A. In the state where the first placement portion 41 and the housing 31 are locked, as shown in FIG. 6B, the connection between the first placement portion 41 and the first rail 34a is released, and the first placement portion 41 , Stays inside the housing 31. That is, by locking the first placement portion 41 and the housing 31, the first placement portion 41 is in a locked state in which the drawer is restricted with respect to the housing 31. In addition, although the connection mechanism 80 is connected by pushing the front panel 33 to the housing 31 side from the state shown to FIG. 7B, the 1st latching | locking part 60 latches the 1st mounting part 41. While in operation, the first placement portion 41 can not be pulled out.

  Further, in the same manner as the first placement portion 41, the second placement portion 42 is configured such that the locked state and the released state can be switched by the locking of the second locking portion 70. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, when the second placement portion 42 is not locked to the second locking portion 70, the second placement portion 42 is in the released state and can be pulled out from the housing 31. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the second placement portion 42 is locked to the second locking portion 70, the second mounting portion 42 is in a locked state, so that the pulling out from the housing 31 is restricted.

  FIG. 8A is an explanatory view showing a state in which the first placement portion is pulled out of the housing in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 8A shows a state in which only the first placement portion 41 is pulled out of the housing 31 from the state shown in FIG. 4. At this time, the first placement portion 41 is in the released state, and the second placement portion 42 is in the locked state.

  FIG. 8B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the first placement unit and the second placement unit are pulled out of the housing in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 8B illustrates a state in which both the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are drawn out of the housing 31 from the state illustrated in FIG. 4. At this time, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are in the released state.

  In addition, although drawing is abbreviate | omitted, only the 2nd mounting part 42 can be pulled out by making the 1st mounting part 41 a locked state, and making the 2nd mounting part 42 a cancellation | release state. As described above, by appropriately operating the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70, the states of the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 can be switched, and the first placement It is possible to select which of the portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 can be pulled out. That is, the user can pull out the first placement unit 41 and / or the second placement unit 42 to the outside of the housing 31 by operating the operation unit 32. In the present embodiment, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are either in the released state or in the locked state based on an instruction (sheet feeding instruction) to feed a sheet to the sheet conveyance path S. You are in control. It may be determined by the control unit whether or not the sheet feeding instruction has been received.

  Although FIG. 2 shows the case 31 in which the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are stored, the paper placement device 30 further includes a third placement unit 43 (on which a sheet is placed). 1) and a third sheet feeding unit 53 for feeding a sheet from the third placement unit 43 to the sheet conveyance path S may be provided. Then, the modification of the housing | casing 31 provided with the 3rd mounting part 43 is demonstrated.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic external view showing a modified example of the housing.

  In the modification, in addition to the front panel 33, an additional panel 35 is provided in the housing 31. The additional panel 35 is provided with an additional operating unit 36 having the same shape as that of the operating unit 32. The addition operation unit 36 is configured to pull out the third placement unit 43 by operating in the same manner as the operation unit 32. That is, in the modification, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 correspond to the operation unit 32, and the third placement unit 43 corresponds to the additional operation unit 36. Therefore, even if the first placement unit 41 and / or the second placement unit 42 are pulled out, the first placement unit 43 does not affect the feeding of the third placement unit 43, and even when the third placement unit 43 is pulled out, It does not affect the sheet feeding of the placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42.

  Next, a process of feeding a sheet by the sheet feeding device 30 will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 10 is a processing flow chart showing processing when a sheet is fed by the sheet feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  At the start of the process, the sheet feeding device 30 is not in a state of being instructed to feed a sheet.

  In step S01, both the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are released by the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70. That is, in this state, as shown in FIG. 8B, both the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 can be pulled out of the housing 31 by operating the operation unit 32.

  In step S02, it is determined whether a sheet feeding instruction has been issued. As a result, when a sheet feeding instruction is issued (step S02: Yes), the process proceeds to step S03. On the other hand, when the sheet feeding instruction is not made (step S 02: No), the process waits until the sheet feeding instruction is made.

  In step S03, it is determined whether a sheet feeding instruction to the first sheet feeding unit 51 is issued. As a result, when it is a sheet feeding instruction to the first sheet feeding unit 51 (step S03: Yes), the process proceeds to step S04. On the other hand, when it is not the sheet feeding instruction to the first sheet feeding unit 51 (step S03: No), the process proceeds to step S05.

  In step S04, the first mounting portion 41 is locked by the first locking portion 60. That is, as shown to FIG. 5A, the 1st latching | locking part 60 latches the 1st mounting part 41, and regulates a drawer | drawer. Here, the second placement portion 42 is in the released state, and can be pulled out.

  In step S05, it is determined whether it is a sheet feeding instruction to the second sheet feeding unit 52. As a result, when it is a sheet feeding instruction to the second sheet feeding unit 52 (step S05: Yes), the process proceeds to step S06. On the other hand, when it is not the sheet feeding instruction to the second sheet feeding unit 52 (step S05: No), the process proceeds to step S07.

  In step S06, the second mounting portion 42 is locked by the second locking portion 70. That is, the second locking portion 70 locks the second placement portion 42 to restrict the withdrawal. Here, the first placement portion 41 is in the released state, and can be pulled out.

  In step S07, it is determined that the sheet feeding instruction is to a sheet feeding unit other than the first sheet feeding unit 51 and the second sheet feeding unit 52. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to include a plurality of placement units and a sheet feeding unit. For example, it is determined that a sheet feeding instruction to the third sheet feeding unit 53 is given. Here, the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are in the released state, and can be pulled out.

  In step S08, sheet feeding is performed by the designated sheet feeding unit. That is, the sheet is fed to the sheet conveyance path S by the sheet feeding units such as the first sheet feeding unit 51, the second sheet feeding unit 52, and the third sheet feeding unit 53. Then, when the sheet feeding is completed, the process returns to step S01, and the process is repeated.

  As described above, when the first sheet feeding unit 51 is feeding (for example, step S04), the first placement unit 41 is in the locked state, and the second placement unit 42 is in the released state. When the second sheet feeding unit 52 is feeding (for example, step S06), the first placement unit 41 is in the released state, and the second placement unit 42 is in the locked state. As described above, since one of the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 does not feed a sheet, it can be pulled out in the released state, and the other is feeding a sheet. Therefore, the drawer is restricted in the locked state. Therefore, even when the sheet is fed, one of the first loading portion 41 and the second loading portion 42 can be pulled out, and the sheet can be replenished without stopping the feeding. Further, since the states of the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are automatically switched by the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70, the first sheet feeding portion 51 and the second feeding portion It is not necessary for the user to confirm which one of the paper units 52 is feeding. That is, even if the user is feeding a sheet, the user can operate the loading unit (the first loading unit 41 or the second loading unit 42) that does not affect the feeding of the sheet only by operating the operation unit 32. It can be pulled out.

  Further, since the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 are configured to be locked to the housing 31, the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70 are configured to be the first mounting portion. It may be provided between the portion 41 or the second placement portion 42 and the housing 31, and the driving force (electric power) can be easily supplied via the housing 31. Further, since the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70 can be fixed to the housing 31, there is no need to consider that the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70 are drawn out. .

  In addition, when the third sheet feeding unit 53 is feeding (for example, step S07), the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are in the release state. Therefore, when the third sheet feeding unit 53 is feeding, both the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 can be pulled out together, and the sheets can be efficiently replenished. .

Second Embodiment
Next, a sheet feeding apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, since 2nd Embodiment is substantially the same as 1st Embodiment, an external view etc. are abbreviate | omitted, About the component with 1st Embodiment and a function substantially equal, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated. Omit.

  The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the remaining amount (the remaining amount of paper) of the sheets placed on the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 is detected. Specifically, the sheet feeding device 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a number detection unit that detects the number of sheets placed on the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42, respectively. There is. The first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are locked when the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, and the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit is a predetermined number If less than, it will be in the release state.

  The number detection unit may be provided in the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42, and is, for example, a sensor that detects the heights of the first placement plate 41a and the second placement plate 42a. . That is, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are configured to lift the first placement plate 41a and the second placement plate 42a when feeding a sheet, and the first pickup When the uppermost sheet comes in contact with the roller 51a and the second pickup roller 52a, the first placement plate 41a and the second placement plate 42a are stopped. As a result, the height of the sheet placed on the first placement plate 41 a and the second placement plate 42 a is grasped by the position at which the first placement plate 41 a and the second placement plate 42 a are stopped. The number detection unit detects the remaining amount of paper. In the present embodiment, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are configured to be able to place 1000 sheets of paper, and the prescribed number of sheets is 100. Instead of raising the whole of the first placement plate 41a and the second placement plate 42a, a raising plate may be provided to lift a part of the sheet. In this case, the height of the rising plate may be detected by a sensor.

  FIG. 11 is a processing flow chart showing processing in the sheet feeding device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The process shown in FIG. 11 is performed in a standby state in which no sheet feeding instruction has been issued. When a sheet feeding instruction is issued, the process shown in FIG. 10 may be performed.

  In step S11, the number detection unit detects the remaining amount of paper. Here, when the remaining amount of paper is detected, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 may be operated to detect the number of sheets. In addition, when the sheet is fed, the number of sheets may be detected and the remaining amount of the sheet may be stored. During standby, the determination may be made based on the remaining amount of sheet stored before the standby.

  In step S12, it is determined whether or not only the first placement unit 41 is the specified number or more. As a result, when only the first placement unit 41 is the specified number or more (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, when only the 1st mounting part 41 is not more than prescription number (step S12: No), it progresses to step S14.

  In step S13, the first mounting portion 41 is locked by the first locking portion 60. That is, the first locking portion 60 locks the first placement portion 41 to restrict the withdrawal. Here, the second placement portion 42 is in the released state, and can be pulled out.

  In step S14, it is determined whether or not only the second placement unit 42 is the specified number or more. As a result, when only the second placement unit 42 is the specified number or more (step S14: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, when only the 2nd mounting part 42 is not more than prescription number (step S14: No), it progresses to step S16.

  In step S15, the second mounting portion 42 is locked by the second locking portion 70. That is, the second locking portion 70 locks the second placement portion 42 to restrict the withdrawal. Here, the first placement portion 41 is in the released state, and can be pulled out.

  In step S16, it is determined whether or not both of the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are the specified number or more. As a result, when both of the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are equal to or more than the specified number (step S16: Yes), the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, when both the 1st mounting part 41 and the 2nd mounting part 42 are not more than prescription number (step S16: No), it progresses to step S18.

  In step S17, both the first mounting portion 41 and the second mounting portion 42 are locked by the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70.

  In step S18, both the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 are released by the first locking portion 60 and the second locking portion 70.

  After step S13, step S15, step S17 and step S18, the process returns to step S11 to repeat the process. Note that when returning to step S11, the process may stand by until a preset time elapses, or may return after the sheet feeding is performed.

  In the present embodiment, since the states of the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 can be switched according to the number of placed sheets, it is possible to appropriately pull out the placement unit requiring replenishment of the sheets. it can.

Third Embodiment
Next, a sheet feeding device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the third embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment, so components that have substantially the same function as the first and second embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Do.

  FIG. 12 is an internal view showing a state in which the front panel is removed from the sheet feeding device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a schematic top surface of the sheet feeding device according to the third embodiment FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 13 taken along arrow B-B. Note that, in consideration of the viewability of the drawing, FIG. 13 shows the upper surface 31b of the case in a transparent manner, and FIG. 14 shows the first locking side plate 41b in a transparent manner.

  The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the first placement portion 41 and the second placement portion 42 and the operation portion 32 (front panel 33) are engaged. Specifically, in the first locking portion 60, the first locking block 61 is fixed to the inner side surface of the front panel 33, and the first locking lever 62 is pivotally supported by the first locking side plate 41b, The first operating portion 63 is fixed to the first locking side plate 41 b.

  As described above, the first locking portion 60 is provided on the first locking lever 62 pivotally supported by the first locking side plate 41 b (first mounting portion 41) and the front panel 33 (operation portion 32). The first mounting portion 41 and the operation portion 32 are locked by the fixed first locking block 61. Further, like the first locking portion 60, the second locking portion 70 is provided with a second locking lever 72 pivotally supported by the second locking side plate 42b (the second placement portion 42), and a front panel The second mounting portion 42 and the operation portion 32 are locked by the second locking block 71 fixed to the reference numeral 33 (the operation portion 32).

  In the third embodiment, the connecting mechanism 80 is not provided between the first placement portion 41 (second placement portion 42) and the first rail 34a (second rail 34b). When the connection mechanism 80 is provided, for example, the connection mechanism 80 may be provided between the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 and the housing 31. Thus, the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are coupled to the coupling mechanism 80 so as to stay inside the housing 31.

  FIG. 15A is an explanatory view showing a state in which the operation unit is operated when the first placement unit is in the released state in the third embodiment.

  FIG. 15A shows a state in which the operation unit 32 is operated from the state shown in FIG. In a state in which the first mounting portion 41 and the front panel 33 are locked, when the front panel 33 is pulled out in the depth direction Y, the first mounting portion 41 is combined with the front panel 33 to the outside of the housing 31. Pulled out. That is, by locking the first placement portion 41 and the operation portion 32, the first placement portion 41 is in a released state in which the first placement portion 41 can be pulled out with respect to the housing 31.

  FIG. 15B is an explanatory view showing a state in which the operation unit is operated when the first placement unit is in the locked state in the third embodiment.

  FIG. 15B shows a state in which the operation portion 32 is operated from the state in which the locking of the first locking portion 60 is released. In the state in which the locking between the first mounting portion 41 and the front panel 33 is released, when the front panel 33 is pulled out in the depth direction Y, the first mounting portion 41 and the front panel 33 are not connected, The first placement unit 41 stays inside the housing 31. That is, by releasing the locking between the first placement portion 41 and the operation portion 32, the first placement portion 41 is in a locked state in which the drawer is restricted with respect to the housing 31.

  As described above, in the same manner as the first placement portion 41, the second placement portion 42 is configured to be switched between the locked state and the released state by the locking of the second locking portion 70. That is, as shown in FIG. 15A, if the second placement portion 42 is locked to the second locking portion 70, the second placement portion 42 is in the released state and can be pulled out from the housing 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, if the second placement portion 42 is not locked to the second locking portion 70, the second loading portion 42 is locked, so that the pulling out from the housing 31 is restricted.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the first placement portion is pulled out of the housing in the third embodiment.

  FIG. 16 shows a state in which only the first placement portion 41 is pulled out of the housing 31 from the state shown in FIG. At this time, the first placement portion 41 is in the released state, and the second placement portion 42 is in the locked state.

  As described above, since the first placement unit 41 and the second placement unit 42 are configured to be locked to the operation unit 32, the first placement unit 41, the second placement unit 42, and the operation unit It can be set as the structure which can be connected easily.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is an example in all points, and it is not a basis for a limited interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention is not interpreted only by the above-mentioned embodiment, and is defined based on the statement of a claim. Moreover, all the changes within the meaning and range equivalent to a claim are included.

Reference Signs List 1 image forming apparatus 30 sheet feeding device 31 housing 32 operation portion 41 first placement portion 42 second placement portion 51 first sheet feeding portion 52 second sheet feeding portion 60 first locking portion 70 second locking portion S Paper transport path X Horizontal direction Y Depth direction Z Height direction

Claims (6)

A sheet feeding apparatus including a first placement unit and a second placement unit, which are disposed in parallel to one another and on which a sheet is placed.
A housing that accommodates the first placement unit and the second placement unit therein;
A sheet transport path through which the sheet is transported;
A first sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet from the first loading unit to the sheet conveyance path;
A second sheet feeding unit configured to feed a sheet from the second placement unit to the sheet conveyance path;
A first locking portion that locks the first placement portion;
A second locking portion that locks the second placement portion;
And a single operation unit provided on the front surface of the housing and operated to pull out the first mounting unit and / or the second mounting unit to the outside of the housing by operation.
The operation unit is commonly used for the first placement unit and the second placement unit.
The first placement portion switches between a locked state in which the drawer is restricted with respect to the casing and a released state in which the casing is freely pulled out with respect to the casing by the locking of the first locking portion. And
The second placement portion is configured to be switched between the locked state and the released state by locking the second locking portion,
When the first sheet feeding unit is feeding, the first placement unit is brought into the locked state, the second placement unit is brought into the released state, and the second sheet feeding unit is brought into engagement. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein when the sheet is being fed, the first placement portion is brought into the release state, and the second placement portion is brought into the locked state. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein
The first locking portion locks the first mounting portion and the housing.
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion is configured to lock the second placement portion and the housing. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein
The first locking portion locks the first mounting portion and the operation portion,
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the second locking portion locks the second placement portion and the operation portion. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
A third placement unit on which a sheet is placed;
And a third sheet feeding unit configured to feed a sheet from the third placement unit to the sheet conveyance path.
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first loading portion and the second loading portion are in the released state when the third sheet feeding portion feeds a sheet. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
And a sheet number detection unit that detects the number of sheets placed on the first placement unit and the second placement unit.
The first placement unit and the second placement unit are in the locked state when the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit is equal to or more than a predetermined number set in advance, the number of sheets detected by the number-of-sheets detection unit When the number of sheets is less than the specified number, the sheet feeding device is brought into the release state.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images