JP6939290B2 - Sheet loading device, paper cassette, image forming device and composite image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet loading device, a paper cassette, an image forming device and a composite image forming device.

Conventionally, a paper feed cassette used in an image forming apparatus is movably provided with an end fence, a side fence, or the like (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a fence) that regulates the position of paper loaded on the cassette. It is already known that the position of the fence is fixed by fitting the position-fixing protrusion provided on the fence with the position-fixing groove provided on the cassette body (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a support member (lock member) for fixing a position is provided on one side of an end fence in the paper width direction. Specifically, the support member is attached to the case integrally provided with the end fence so that it can move up and down by lever operation. A protrusion is provided at the lower end of the support member, and the protrusion fits into a groove provided in the bottom plate of the paper feed cassette to position the end fence.

However, in such a conventional paper feed cassette, there is a problem that the end fence shifts when the paper feed cassette is vigorously set in the main body of the image forming apparatus.

Specifically, when the paper cassette in which the paper bundle is set is vigorously set in the main body of the image forming apparatus, the end fence is pushed backward (in the direction opposite to the paper transport direction) by the inertia of the vigorous paper. As a result, a moment (rotational force) acts on the end fence when viewed from the upper side in the paper loading direction, centering on the support member located on one side of the end fence. The action of this moment is transmitted from the end fence to the support member, and the moment acts on the support member when viewed from above in the paper loading direction. Due to this moment, the support member rotates, and the protrusion of the support member and the groove on the cassette body side are disengaged, and there is a problem that the protrusion rides up from the groove and the end fence is displaced.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems so that the fence does not shift even when a sheet loading device such as a paper cassette is set vigorously on the main body of the device such as an image forming device. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sheet loading device according to the present invention is provided so as to be movable with respect to the main body on which the sheet is loaded and the main body, and regulates the position of the sheet loaded on the main body. A fence, a support member having a support portion for supporting the fence and a protrusion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the fence, and a support member provided on the main body and extending in the first direction. In a seat loading device including a groove that fits with the protrusion and fixes the support member from the seat loading direction, the fence supports the support member with a rotation fulcrum extending in the seat loading direction. It is characterized in that it is rotatably supported with respect to the portion.

According to the present invention, even if a sheet loading device such as a paper cassette is set vigorously on a device main body such as an image forming device, the fence can be prevented from shifting.

It is a perspective view of the laser printer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laser printer which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the end fence side part of the paper feed cassette which concerns on embodiment of this invention. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of a support member, (b) is a VV cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 4, and (c) is D1 of FIG. 5 (b). It is an enlarged view of a part. (A) is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5 (b), and FIG. 6 (b) is an enlarged view of a D2 portion of FIG. 6 (a). It is explanatory drawing which shows the existence range of the rotation fulcrum of an end fence. It is explanatory drawing which shows the force acting on the end fence which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. According to the second embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of a support member, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of a paper feed cassette on the end fence side. According to the third embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of a support member, and (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of a paper feed cassette on the end fence side. According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view of a support member, (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of a paper cassette on the end fence side, and (c) is FIG. 11 (b). It is an enlarged view of the D3 part of. According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper feed cassette on the end fence side, (b) is a perspective view taken along the line A of FIG. 12 (a), and the support member is provided. The housing portion on the end fence side in the removed state is shown, and (c) is an enlarged view of the D4 portion of FIG. 12 (a). It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the support member and the accommodating part on the end fence side which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. A conventional paper cassette is shown, (a) is a perspective view of a support member, (b) is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the paper cassette, and (c) is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper cassette on the end fence side. (D) is an enlarged view of the D5 portion of FIG. 14 (c). The action of the force acting on the end fence and the support member of the conventional paper cassette is shown. FIG. 15A is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper cassette on the end fence side, and FIG. (C) is an explanatory view showing the force acting on the end fence and the support member, and (d) is an explanatory view showing how the protrusion rides up from the groove.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
(Explanation of image forming apparatus)
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a laser printer as an example of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the laser printer.

In the following description, the "image forming apparatus" means an apparatus for forming an image by adhering a developer or ink to a sheet which is a recording medium for recording an image. Further, "image formation" means not only giving an image having a meaning such as characters and figures to a medium, but also giving an image having no meaning such as a pattern to the medium. The term "sheet" includes not only paper but also OHP sheets, cloths, and the like, and means a medium or a manuscript to which a developer or ink can be attached. In addition to plain paper, "paper" also includes thick paper, postcards, envelopes, thin paper, coated paper (coated paper, art paper, etc.), tracing paper, and the like. In the following embodiments, the sheet is described as "paper", and the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements thereof, etc. in the description of each component are examples, and the scope of the present invention is the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specified. Is not intended to be limited to them.

A paper feed cassette 30 as an example of a sheet loading device capable of stacking and accommodating a large number of sheets of paper is arranged below the device main body 100 of the laser printer 1 shown in FIG. The paper cassette 30 can be pulled out and inserted in the front-rear horizontal direction (direction of arrow A in the figure) with respect to the apparatus main body 100. A front cover 8 for internal inspection is arranged on the upper part of the paper cassette 30. The front cover 8 can be opened and closed in the front-rear direction (direction of arrow B in the figure) with respect to the device main body 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the front cover 8 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 12 arranged in the lower part of the apparatus main body 100. A paper ejection tray 44 is arranged on the upper part of the apparatus main body 100.

The front cover 8 includes a double-sided unit 9 on its inner surface. The double-sided unit 9 has a transport housing 9a, and a paper reversal transport path 41 is formed on the back side of the transport housing 9a. Further, the inner surface side of the transport housing 9a constitutes a part of the paper transport path on the device main body 100 side, and includes a secondary transfer roller 20 as a transfer member and one timing drive roller 142 of the timing roller pair 14. ing. The timing drive roller 142 constitutes a pair of two timing roller pairs 14 together with the timing driven roller 141 on the main body side.

Hereinafter, the main part of the laser printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The laser printer 1 has four process units 1K, 1Y, 1M, and 1C for forming an image on the image forming portion with a developer of each color of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan corresponding to the color separation component of the color image. It has. Each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C has toner bottles 6K, 6Y, 6M, 6C containing unused toners of different colors. Other than that, it has the same configuration.

Explaining the configuration of one process unit 1K as an example, the process unit 1K has a photoconductor (photoreceptor drum) 2K, a drum cleaning device 3K, a static elimination device, a charging device 4K, a developing device 5K, and the like. There is. The process unit 1K is detachably attached to the main body of the laser printer 1, and consumable parts can be replaced at once.

An exposure device 7 is arranged above each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C. The exposure device 7 is configured to emit laser light from a laser diode based on image data.

Further, a transfer device 15 is arranged below each process unit 1K, 1Y, 1M, 1C. The transfer device 15 includes four primary transfer rollers 19K, 19Y, 19M, 19C facing each photoconductor 2K, 2Y, 2M, 2C, each primary transfer roller 19K, 19Y, 19M, 19C, a drive roller 18, and a driven roller 17. It has an intermediate transfer belt 16, a secondary transfer roller 20, a belt cleaning device 21, a cleaning backup roller 22, and the like arranged so as to face the drive roller 18. If the photoconductors 2K, 2Y, 2M, and 2C are the first image carriers of each color, the intermediate transfer belt 16 is the second image carrier that synthesizes those images.

At the bottom of the laser printer 1, a paper cassette 30 capable of accommodating a large number of sheets P as an example of a sheet, and a feed means for feeding the paper P from the paper cassette 30 toward the paper feed path 31. A roller 32 is provided. A timing roller pair 14 for temporarily stopping the paper is arranged near the end of the paper feed path 31.

The timing roller pair 14 is located on the immediate upstream side of the intermediate transfer belt 16, and in order to accurately align the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 with the position of the paper tip, the paper P is once slackened and the intermediate transfer is performed. Immediately before the toner image formed on the belt 16 is transferred to the paper P at the secondary transfer nip portion, the paper P is sent out to the secondary transfer nip portion at a predetermined timing.

Generally, the secondary transfer roller 20 is often urged by the compression spring 25 against the intermediate transfer belt 16. However, in the full front operation type laser printer 1, the double-sided unit 9 is often arranged on the front side of the intermediate transfer belt 16, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the compression spring 25. Therefore, if the transfer nip portion is arranged in the oblique direction as shown in FIG. 2, the dead space of the double-sided unit 9 can be effectively used, and the laser printer 1 can be miniaturized in the front-rear direction.

A post-transcriptional transfer path 33 is provided above the nip portions of the secondary transfer roller 20 and the drive roller 18. A fixing device 34 is provided near the end of the post-transcriptional transport path 33. The fixing device 34 includes a fixing roller 34a including a heat generating source such as a halogen lamp, and a pressure roller 34b that rotates while abutting the fixing roller 34a at a predetermined pressure.

A post-fixing transport path 35 is arranged above the fixing device 34, and is branched into a paper discharge path 36 and a reverse transport path 41 at the end of the post-fixing transport path 35. A switching member 42 that swings and drives around the swing shaft 42a is arranged on the side of the transport path 35 after fixing. At the end of the paper ejection path 36, a paper ejection roller pair 37 is arranged as a paper ejection means for ejecting the paper to the outside of the machine. The reversing transport path 41 joins the paper feed path 31 at the end thereof, and a reversing transport roller pair 43 is arranged in the middle of the reversing transport path 41. Further, on the upper part of the laser printer 1, a paper ejection tray 44 having an upper cover recessed inward is arranged.

A powder container 10 (toner container) for accommodating waste toner is arranged between the transfer device 15 and the paper feed cassette 30. The powder container 10 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 100.

In the laser printer 1 of this embodiment, the space from the feeding roller 32 to the secondary transfer roller 20 needs to be separated to some extent due to the transfer paper transfer. The powder container 10 is installed in the dead space created for this purpose to reduce the size of the entire laser printer.

Although the laser printer as an example of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is described, any one of a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, a printing machine, and an inkjet recording apparatus, or at least two of them. The present invention can also be applied to a multifunction device as an example of a composite image forming apparatus formed by combining one or more.

Subsequently, the basic operation of the laser printer 1 will be described.
In FIG. 2, when the feed roller 32 is rotated by the paper feed signal from the control unit of the laser printer 1, only the top-level paper of the paper P loaded on the paper feed cassette 30 is separated and sent out to the paper feed path 31. .. When the tip of the paper P reaches the nip portion of the timing roller pair 14, the paper P is slackened in order to synchronize with the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 16 and to correct the tip skew of the paper P. Stand by in the state of forming.

The image forming operation will be described by taking one process unit 1K as an example. First, the surface of the photoconductor 2K is charged to a uniform high potential by the charging device 4K. The laser beam L is irradiated from the exposure device 7 to the surface of the photoconductor 2K based on the image data, and the potential of the irradiated portion is lowered to form an electrostatic latent image. Unused black toner is supplied from the toner bottle 6K to the developing device 5K.

The toner is transferred to the surface portion of the photoconductor 2K on which the electrostatic latent image is formed by the developing device 5K, and a black toner image is formed (developed). Then, the toner image formed on the photoconductor 2K is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16.

The drum cleaning device 3K removes the residual toner adhering to the surface of the photoconductor 2K after the intermediate transfer process. The removed residual toner is sent to the waste toner accommodating portion in the process unit 1K by the waste toner transport means and collected. Further, the static eliminator removes the residual charge of the photoconductor 2K after cleaning.

Similarly, in the process units 1Y, 1M, 1C of each color, a toner image is formed on the photoconductors 2Y, 2M, 2C, and the toner images of each color are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16 so as to overlap each other.

When the toner images of each color are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16 so as to overlap each other, the timing roller pair 14 and the feeding roller 32 start driving, and the timing (synchronization) is taken with the toner image superimposed and transferred on the intermediate transfer belt 16. Paper P is sent to the secondary transfer roller 20. Then, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred to the sent paper P by the secondary transfer nip portion of the secondary transfer roller 20.

The paper P on which the toner image is transferred is transferred to the fixing device 34 through the transfer path 33 after transfer. The paper P fed to the fixing device 34 is sandwiched between the fixing roller 34a and the pressure roller 34b, and the unfixed toner image is heated and pressed to be fixed on the paper P. The paper P on which the toner image is fixed is sent out from the fixing device 34 to the transport path 35 after fixing.

At the timing when the paper P is sent out from the fixing device 34, the switching member 42 is at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, and the vicinity of the end of the transport path 35 is opened after fixing. Then, the paper P sent out from the fixing device 34 passes through the transport path 35 after fixing, is sandwiched between the paper ejection rollers 37, and is ejected to the paper ejection tray 44.

In the case of double-sided printing, when the rear end of the paper P conveyed by the paper ejection roller pair 37 passes through the transfer path 35 after fixing, the switching member 42 swings to the position of the dotted line in FIG. 2 and is conveyed after fixing. The vicinity of the end of the road 35 is closed. Almost at the same time, the paper ejection rollers vs. 37 rotate in the reverse direction, and the paper P is fed back and enters the reverse transport path 41.

The paper P conveyed in the reverse transfer path 41 reaches the timing roller pair 14 via the reverse transfer roller pair 43, and is sent out at the same timing as the toner image for the back surface formed on the intermediate transfer belt 16. When passing through the secondary transfer roller 20, the toner image is transferred to the back surface of the paper P. Then, after the toner image on the back surface of the paper P is fixed by the fixing device 34, the toner image is discharged to the paper ejection tray 44 via the transport path 35, the paper ejection path 36, and the paper ejection roller pair 37 in that order after fixing.

Further, after the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred to the paper P, residual toner adheres to the intermediate transfer belt 16. The residual toner is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 by the belt cleaning device 21. Then, the toner removed from the intermediate transfer belt 16 is conveyed to the inlet of the powder container 10 by the waste toner conveying means and collected in the powder container 10.

(Paper cassette)
Next, the configuration of the paper feed cassette 30 as an example of the sheet loading device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paper feed cassette 30, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the end fence 201 side portion of the paper feed cassette 30. 5A is a perspective view of the support member 206, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional perspective view of VV of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5C is an enlarged view of a D1 portion of FIG. 5B. 6 (a) is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5 (b), and FIG. 6 (b) is an enlarged view of a D2 portion of FIG. 6 (a).

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the paper feed cassette 30 is provided in the cassette main body 200 as an example of the main body, the end fence 201 as an example of the fence, the support member (lock member) 206, and the cassette main body 200. It is provided with a groove (claw) 205. The cassette main body 200 has a bottom plate portion 203, and paper as an example of a sheet is loaded on the bottom plate portion 203.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rail 204 having a plurality of grooves (claw) 205 parallel to each other is provided on the bottom plate portion 203 of the cassette main body 200 along the moving direction (arrow A1 direction) of the end fence 201. Has been done. The groove (claw) 205 extends in the width direction of the paper (arrow A2 direction) and fits with the protrusion (claw portion) 209 of the support member 206 from the paper loading direction (Z direction in FIG. 5B). , The end fence 201 containing the support member 206 and the support member 206 is fixed.
Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.

(End fence)
The end fence 201 regulates the position of the rear end of the loaded paper in the paper transport direction (X direction in FIG. 5B). As shown in FIG. 5B, the end fence 201 is movable in the direction of arrow A1 and can be repositioned in response to a plurality of paper sizes. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a side fence 202 is provided as a fence to regulate the end position of the loaded paper in the width direction (direction of arrow A2).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, the end fence 201 extends substantially parallel to the fence main body 201a extending in the paper loading direction (Z direction) and the bottom plate portion 203 of the paper feed cassette 30, and is in the middle. It has a base portion 201b having a stepped portion inclined to the surface, and an accommodating portion 201c for accommodating the support member 206. The fence body 201a regulates the position of the edge of the loaded paper.

As shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201 is formed in a concave shape, and the support member 206 is accommodated inside the accommodating portion 201c. The support member 206 accommodated in the accommodating portion 201c is prevented from coming off rearward by the convex portion 201e provided at the rear end portion of the accommodating portion 201c.

(Support member)
As shown in FIG. 5A, the support member (lock member) 206 has a support portion (contact portion) 208 for supporting the end fence 201 and a protrusion (claw portion) 209 extending in a predetermined direction. ..

Specifically, the support portion (contact portion) 208 is provided on the side surface 207c of the support member main body 207 on the fence main body 201a side, and has a semi-cylindrical shape protruding from the side surface 207c. The protrusion 209 is provided at the lower end portion 207b of the support member main body 207 and extends in the paper width direction (direction of arrow A2).

The direction in which the protrusion (claw portion) 209 of the support member (lock member) 206 and the groove (claw) 205 of the rail 204 extend (predetermined direction) is the moving direction of the support member 206 and the end fence 201 (paper transport direction (X direction). )), That is, the width direction of the paper (direction of arrow A2) is preferable. This is because the protrusion 209 of the support member 206 can be easily removed from the groove 205 of the rail 204 and moved to the position of another groove 205 on the rail 204.

The shape of the support portion 208 of the present embodiment is a semi-cylindrical shape in which substantially half of the cylinder protrudes, but the shape is not limited to this, and a part of the cylinder may protrude.

A plurality of protrusions 209 are provided in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and a plurality of grooves 205 of the rail 204 are provided in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction. The plurality of protrusions 209 are fitted into the plurality of grooves 205 of the rail 204 from the paper loading direction (Z direction). As a result, the support member 206 can be reliably fixed as compared with the case where the protrusion 209 and the groove 205 are only one pair.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 (b) and 5 (c), the support member 206 has a plurality of protrusions extending in the paper width direction (direction from the front to the back of the paper surface in FIG. 5 (c)). Has 209. That is, a plurality of protrusions 209 are provided in a direction orthogonal to the paper width direction (direction of arrow A1). The support member 206 of the present embodiment has six protrusions 209, but the number is not limited to this. Further, a plurality of grooves 205 of the rail 204 are provided in a direction orthogonal to the paper width direction (direction of arrow A1).

In the present embodiment, the number of protrusions 209 and the number of grooves 205 are each plural, but it goes without saying that the number of protrusions 209 may be one and the number of protrusions 209 and grooves 205 may be one each. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 209 and the groove 205 does not have to be triangular, and may be, for example, rectangular or elliptical.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the support member 206 is housed in the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201, and the end fence 201 rotates with respect to the support portion 208 of the support member 206. It is supported as much as possible.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, the semi-cylindrical support portion (contact portion) 208 of the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201 at one point X on the outer surface having an arc shape when viewed in cross section. The end fence 201 is supported by abutting (contacting) the inner surface. Further, the support member main body 207 of the support member 206 has a shape in which both side surfaces 207d facing the inner surface 201d of the accommodating portion 201c are curved when viewed in cross section. As a result, the end fence 201 can rotate with the contact point X with the support portion 208 as the rotation fulcrum S when viewed in cross section. That is, the support member 206 has a rotation fulcrum S with respect to the end fence 201 on the outer surface of the support portion 208.

The rotation range (movable range) of the end fence 201 with respect to the support portion 208 may be set to a range in which the end fence 201 can rotate under impact. In the case of this embodiment, the rotation range is about 5 degrees (see θ in FIG. 8).

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the existence range of the rotation fulcrum S of the end fence 201. As shown in FIG. 7, the support portion 208 has a rotation fulcrum S with respect to the end fence 201 inside a range R corresponding to a width W in the paper width direction (direction of arrow A2) of the protrusion 209. As a result, when the end fence 201 rotates about the rotation fulcrum S, it becomes difficult for a moment (rotational force) to act from the end fence 201 on the support member 206.

Next, the operation / effect of the paper cassette 30 according to the present embodiment will be described.

(Conventional paper cassette)
For the sake of explanation, the conventional paper cassette 30Z will be described first.
14A is a perspective view of the support member 906 used in the conventional paper cassette 30Z, FIG. 14B is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the paper cassette 30Z, and FIG. 14C is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the paper cassette 30Z. It is a partial cross-sectional view on the end fence side, and FIG. 14D is an enlarged view of the D5 portion of FIG. 14C.

As shown in FIG. 14A, the conventional support member 906 has a support member main body 907 and a plurality of protrusions 909 provided at the lower ends thereof. As shown in FIGS. 14 (b), 14 (c), and 14 (d), the support member 906 is housed in the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201, and is housed at two locations in the cross section of FIG. 4 (d). The end fence 201 is supported by X.

As shown in FIG. 15A, when the paper P is loaded on the conventional paper feed cassette 30Z and set in the apparatus main body 100 while applying a pressing force (see C in FIG. 2), the inertial force F1 of the paper P is generated. It acts on the end fence 201. This inertial force F1 becomes large when the paper cassette 30Z is set vigorously.

FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of the D6 portion of FIG. 15A, showing how the protrusion 909 and the groove 205 are fitted together.

As shown in FIG. 14 (c), when the support member 906 is provided on only one side of the end fence 201 in the paper width direction (direction of arrow A2), the end fence 201 is provided as shown in FIG. 15 (a). When the inertial force F1 acts, a moment (rotational force) M1 is generated on the end fence 201 with the support member 906 as a fulcrum as shown in FIG. 15 (c). At this time, as shown in FIG. 14D, the support member 906 supports the end fence 201 with two contact points X. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15C, a moment (rotational force) M2 acts on the support member 906 from the end fence 201.

Then, when the support member 906 of the prior art receives the moment M2 from the end fence 201, a rotational force is also applied to the protrusion 909 below the support member 906. The support member 906 is pressed against the lower rail 204 by a spring 210 (see FIG. 15 (a)), but when the rotational force increases, the protrusion 909 resists this pressing force as shown in FIG. 15 (d). Then, it rotates as shown by the broken line and comes off from the groove 205. Due to such a rotational operation, the protrusion 909 rides up from a predetermined fixed position. In the case of the configuration of the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, the moment M2 can be eliminated or reduced, so that the ride can be prevented.

(Action / effect of the paper cassette of this embodiment)
Next, the operation / effect when the paper feed cassette 30 according to the present embodiment is set in the apparatus main body 100 will be described.

Similar to the case of the conventional paper cassette 30Z, when the paper cassette 30 is vigorously set in the apparatus main body 100, the inertial force F1 of the paper P is applied to the end fence 201 (see FIG. 15A). As shown in FIG. 6A, when the support member 206 is provided on only one side of the end fence 201 in the paper width direction (direction of arrow A2), when the inertial force F1 acts on the end fence 201, FIG. As shown in the above, a moment (rotational force) M1 is generated in the end fence 201 with the support member 206 as a fulcrum.

At this time, the support member 206 supports the end fence 201 only at one contact X (see FIG. 6B) having an arc-shaped cross section of the semi-cylindrical support portion 208. Therefore, the end fence 201 rotates with the contact point X as the rotation fulcrum S, and the support member 206 does not follow the rotation of the end fence 201, so that no moment (rotational force) is generated in the support member 206. Therefore, the protrusion 209 of the support member 206 does not ride on the groove 205 of the rail 204, the fitting of the protrusion 209 and the groove 205 is maintained, and the ability (holding force) to hold the end fence 201 in a predetermined position is improved as compared with the conventional configuration. Can be strengthened.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the second embodiment will be described.
9 (a) is a perspective view of the support member 306 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 9 (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper feed cassette 30A.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the support portion 308 has a triangular prism shape, which is a semi-cylindrical shape. Since the other components are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the protruding side portion 308a of the triangular prism-shaped support portion 308 abuts on the inner surface of the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201, and the end fence 201 rotates with respect to the support portion 308. It has come to support as much as possible. That is, the end fence 201 can rotate with the side portion 308a of the support portion 308 as a rotation fulcrum (rotation axis).

As a result, even when the paper feed cassette 30A is vigorously set in the apparatus main body 100 of the laser printer 1, it is possible to suppress the generation of a moment (rotational force) on the support member 306 when viewed from the upper side in the paper loading direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 309 provided at the lower part of the support member 306 from riding up from the groove 205 of the rail 204 and shifting the end fence 201.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the support member 406 according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper feed cassette 30B.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the support portion 408 has a hemispherical shape, which is a semi-cylindrical shape. Since the other components are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the protruding apex 408a of the hemispherical support portion 408 abuts on the inner surface of the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201, and the end fence 201 can rotate with respect to the support portion 408. It has come to support. That is, the end fence 201 can rotate with the apex 408a of the support portion 408 as a rotation fulcrum when viewed in cross section.

As a result, even when the paper cassette 30B is vigorously set in the apparatus main body 100 of the laser printer 1, it is possible to suppress the generation of a moment (rotational force) on the support member 406 when viewed from the upper side in the paper loading direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 409 provided at the lower part of the support member 406 from riding up from the groove 205 of the rail 204 and shifting the end fence 201.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described.
11 (a) is a perspective view of the support member 506 according to the fourth embodiment, FIG. 11 (b) is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper cassette 30C, and FIG. 11 (c) is FIG. 11 (b). It is an enlarged view of the D3 part of).

The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the support portion 508 has a cylindrical shape, as shown in FIG. 11A, and the support portion 208 has a semi-cylindrical shape. Since the other components are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIGS. 11 (b) and 11 (c), the cylindrical support portion 508 hits the inner surface of the accommodating portion 201c of the end fence 201 and the two corner portions at a total of three points X when viewed in cross section. In contact with the end fence 201, the end fence 201 is supported by the support portion 508 in a sliding and rotatable manner. Specifically, the end fence 201 can be rubbed and rotated around the center of the cylinder of the support portion 508 as a rotation axis.

In the present embodiment, the support portion 508 and the accommodating portion 201c are in contact with each other at three points when viewed in cross section, but the number of contacts does not have to be three. The shape for accommodating the support portion 208 of the accommodating portion 201c may be changed so that the number of contacts is more than 2 or 3.

As a result, even when the paper feed cassette 30C is vigorously set in the apparatus main body 100 of the laser printer 1, it is possible to suppress the generation of a moment (rotational force) on the support member 506 when viewed from the upper side in the paper loading direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 509 provided at the lower part of the support member 506 from riding up from the groove 205 of the rail 204 and shifting the end fence 201.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, since a plurality of contacts of the support portion 508 and the end fence 201 can be provided in cross section, the holding force of the end fence 201 can be strengthened.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a fifth embodiment will be described.
12 (a) is a partial cross-sectional view of the paper feed cassette 30D according to the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 12 (b) is a view of the accommodating portion 601c of the end fence 601 from the A direction in FIG. 12 (a). It is a perspective view, and FIG. 12 (c) is an enlarged view of a D4 portion of FIG. 12 (a).

In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (c), the portion of the end fence 601 supported by the support portion 908 has a concave arc shape in cross section, and the support member 906 has a cross section. It differs from the fourth embodiment in that it is rectangular. Since the other components are the same as those in the fourth embodiment, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

The support member 906 according to the present embodiment has the same shape as the conventional support member shown in FIG. 14 (a). As shown in FIG. 12 (c), the support member 906 has two contact points X on the concave arc-shaped inner peripheral surface 601f of the accommodating portion 601c of the end fence 601 in cross section, and the end fence 601 Is rotatably supported by the support member 906. That is, since the portion of the end fence 601 supported by the support member 906 has a concave arc shape in cross section, the support member 906 does not follow the rotational movement of the end fence 601. The center of rotation when the end fence 601 rotates is located inside the support member 906 in FIG. 12 (c).

As a result, even when the paper cassette 30D is vigorously set in the apparatus main body 100 of the laser printer 1, it is possible to suppress the generation of a moment (rotational force) on the support member 906 when viewed from the upper side in the paper loading direction. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protrusion 909 (see FIG. 14A) provided at the lower part of the support member 906 from riding up from the groove 205 of the rail 204 and shifting the end fence 601.

Further, in the present embodiment, the conventional support member 906 shown in FIG. 14A can be used without modification, and the holding force of the end fence 601 can be strengthened as compared with the conventional case.

[Sixth Embodiment]
Next, the sixth embodiment will be described.
FIG. 13 is a schematic explanatory view showing the configuration of the support portion 508 of the support member 506 and the accommodating portion 701c of the end fence 701 according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the sixth embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that the portion of the end fence 701 supported by the support portion 508 has a concave arc shape in cross section. Since the other components are the same as those in the fourth embodiment, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cylindrical support portion 508 abuts on the inner peripheral surface 701f of the accommodating portion 701c of the end fence 701 to rotatably support the end fence 701 with respect to the support portion 508. It has become. As a result, the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the present embodiment, the holding force of the end fence 701 can be strengthened by increasing the rubbing area between the end fence 701 and the support member 506.

[7th Embodiment]
Next, a seventh embodiment will be described.
In the seventh embodiment, the support portion of the support member is made of an elastic body. Other components may be the same as any of the first to sixth embodiments.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the conventional configuration shown in FIGS. 14 (a) to 14 (c), the support member main body 907 supports the end fence 201 (near the contact point X in FIG. 14 (d)). The entire support member main body 907 may be made of an elastic body. The elastic body may be, for example, rubber, elastomer, or the like having the required elasticity, or a spring may be provided on the support portion to elastically support the end fence.

With this configuration, the support portion of the support member of the present embodiment can absorb the moment load (rotational force) from the end fence regardless of its shape. As a result, it is possible to prevent the protrusions provided on the lower part of the support member from riding up from the groove of the rail and shifting the end fence.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the moment load (rotational force) is absorbed by the elastic body, it is not necessary to prevent the moment from being generated in the support member depending on the shape of the support portion. Therefore, the shape of the support portion does not necessarily have to be a semi-cylindrical shape, a triangular prism shape, or the like.

In each of the above embodiments, the present invention has been applied to an end fence that regulates the paper position at the rear end in the paper transport direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention may be applied to a side fence that regulates the paper position at the edge in the width direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction.

Further, the present invention can be applied to devices other than printers as long as the device regulates the position of the sheet-like medium. For example, it can be applied to a device that regulates the position of a prepreg (a sheet-like material in which carbon fibers are pre-impregnated with resin). The material of the sheet is not limited to paper, and may be a plastic sheet, a metal sheet, cloth, or the like.

Further, since the image forming apparatus or the composite image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the paper feed cassette according to each of the above-described embodiments, it is possible to exert the same actions / effects as the above-mentioned actions / effects.

As described above, the present invention has the effect that the fence does not shift even when the sheet loading device such as the paper feed cassette is vigorously set on the main body of the device such as the image forming device, and the sheet loading device and the paper feeding device have the effect of not shifting. It is useful for cassettes, image forming devices, and composite image forming devices in general.

1 Laser printer (an example of image forming device)
30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30Z paper feed cassette (an example of sheet loading device)
100 Device body 200 Cassette body (example of body)
201, 601, 701 End fence (an example of fence)
201a Fence body 201c, 601c, 701c Accommodating part 202 Side fence 203 Bottom plate part 204 Rail 205 Groove (claw)
206, 306, 406, 506, 906 Support member (lock member)
207, 307, 407, 907 Support member body 208, 308, 408, 508 Support part (contact part)
209, 309, 409, 509, 909 Protrusions (claw part)
210 spring

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-121007

Claims (15)

The main body on which the seat is loaded and
A fence that is movable with respect to the main body and regulates the position of the seat loaded on the main body.
A support member having a support portion for supporting the fence and a protrusion extending in a first direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the fence.
In a seat loading device provided in the main body, which includes a groove extending in the first direction and fitting with the protrusion to fix the support member from the loading direction of the seat.
A seat loading device characterized in that the fence is rotatably supported with respect to the support portion of the support member about a rotation fulcrum extending in the loading direction of the seat. A plurality of the protrusions are provided in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
A plurality of the grooves are provided in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
The sheet loading device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions are fitted into the plurality of grooves from the loading direction of the sheet. The seat loading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support portion has a rotation fulcrum with respect to the fence inside a range corresponding to the width of the protrusion in the first direction. The seat loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support portion has a rotation fulcrum for the fence on the outer surface of the support portion. The sheet loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support portion has a semi-cylindrical shape. The seat loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support portion has a triangular prism shape. The seat loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support portion has a hemispherical shape. The seat loading device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fence is capable of sliding and rotating with respect to the support portion. The sheet loading device according to claim 8, wherein the support portion has a cylindrical shape. The seat loading device according to claim 8, wherein the portion of the fence supported by the support portion has a concave arc shape in cross section. The sheet loading device according to claim 8, wherein the support portion has a cylindrical shape, and a portion of the fence supported by the support portion has a concave arc shape in cross section. The sheet loading device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the support portion is an elastic body. A paper cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sheet loading device is a paper cassette. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet loading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. A composite image forming apparatus comprising the sheet loading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

Images