JP7375567B2 - Sheet feeding device and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus equipped with the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some image forming apparatuses such as laser printers are equipped with a sheet tray on a cover that is openable and closable on the side of the main body of the apparatus. This sheet tray uses a pressure plate mechanism that supports the sheet with a pressure plate and raises and lowers it, in order to increase the loading capacity of sheets and reduce variations in the feeding pressure applied to the feeding roller due to changes in the loading capacity. There are some.

In such an image forming apparatus, it is necessary to hold the pressure plate in an appropriate position when the cover is opened. Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, the pressure plate is positioned in the width direction by having a structure in which a protrusion provided on the pressure plate engages with a groove in the apparatus main body when the cover is opened.

JP2008-87877A

However, according to the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the distance between the protrusion and the rotation axis of the pressure plate is long, the protrusion comes into contact with the side surface of the groove when the pressure plate is raised and lowered, causing malfunction due to twisting of the pressure plate. This is likely to occur and sheet feeding may become unstable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device in which the pressure plate is prevented from twisting by positioning the cover that supports the pressure plate in the apparatus main body when the cover is open, and the sheet feeding operation is stabilized. do. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet feeding device.

The sheet feeding device of the present invention has an apparatus main body, a feeding section provided in the device main body for feeding sheets, and an engaging portion provided in the device main body, and has a closed position and a closed position. and a cover that swings to an open position where an upper end portion is farther from the side surface of the device main body. Further, the sheet feeding device has one end rotatably supported by the cover, is capable of supporting the sheet when the cover is in the open position, and is configured to feed the sheet into pressure contact with the feeding section. A pressure plate is provided that swings between a position and a non-feeding position for separating the sheet from the feeding section. Further, the sheet feeding device is provided in the device main body and is capable of supporting the pressure plate when the cover is in the open position, and has a first position in which the pressure plate is in the supply position and a first position in which the pressure plate is in the supply position. A link member is provided to swing between a second position and a non-supply position. Further, the sheet feeding device has one end connected to the device main body, the other end connected to the pressure plate, and holds the pressure plate in a storage position above the feeding section when the cover is in the closed position. and a second holding position in which the pressure plate is movably held in the supply position and the non-supply position when the cover is in the open position. Further, the sheet feeding device is provided in the device main body, and when the cover is in the open position, the sheet feeding device engages with the engaging portion to prevent the cover from moving in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction. and a first regulating part that is spaced apart from the engaging part when the cover is in the closed position.

According to the above configuration, when the cover is in the open position, the engaging portion engages with the first restricting portion, and the cover is positioned in the width direction with respect to the device main body. Therefore, the pressure plate supported by the cover does not twist during rocking, and the sheet feeding operation becomes stable. Furthermore, since the engaging portion and the first restricting portion are separated when the cover is in the closed position, positioning of the cover in the closed position is not affected.

In the above configuration, a separation pad that faces the feeding section, a guide section that guides the sheet supplied from the pressure plate, and a feeding frame that is provided on the apparatus main body and supports the separation pad and the guide section. The first regulating portion may be provided on the feeding frame.

According to the above configuration, the positioning accuracy between the first regulating part and the guide part is improved, thereby improving the positioning precision between the guide part and the pressure plate supported by the cover, which is regulated by the first regulating part.

In the above configuration, the link member may be supported by the feeding frame.

According to the above configuration, the positioning accuracy between the pressure plate and the link member is improved.

In the above configuration, the link member supports the pressure plate at a position outside the first restriction part in the width direction, and the pressure plate supports the first restriction part when the cover is in the open position. has a notch at a position corresponding to the width direction, and the tip end of the pressure plate that is inside the first regulating part in the width direction is more likely to be disposed in the sheet feed than the tip part of the pressure plate that is outside the first regulating part. It may be located downstream in the feeding direction.

According to the above configuration, when the cover is in the open position, the tip of the pressure plate that is inside the first regulating part in the width direction can be brought closer to the main body of the apparatus, so that sheets can be stably fed from the pressure plate. can.

In the above configuration, the engaging portion has a pair of protrusions that protrude from the inner surface of the cover at a distance in the width direction, and the tip of the first restricting portion is configured to When in position, it may be located between the pair of protrusions.

According to the above configuration, the engaging portion can have a simple configuration.

In the above configuration, the first restricting portion may be formed such that the tip portion is thinner than other portions in the width direction.

According to the above configuration, by forming the tip end of the first regulating part thin, it is possible to improve positioning accuracy while ensuring strength in other parts.

In the above configuration, the pressure plate has a shaft portion that projects outward in the width direction from the side portion in the width direction and is connected to the arm, and the cover is located between the pressure plate and the arm. and a wall portion having a slot for slidably supporting the shaft portion, the shaft portion being engaged with the wall portion when the cover is in the open position, and the pressure plate being engaged with the wall portion when the cover is in the open position. It may have a second restriction part that restricts movement in the width direction relative to the width direction.

According to the above configuration, by providing the second regulating portion, the positioning accuracy of the pressure plate in the width direction is improved.

An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the sheet feeding device described above and an image forming section that forms an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding device.

According to the above configuration, the above sheet feeding device can be used in an image forming apparatus.

According to the present invention, when the cover is in the open position, the engaging portion engages with the first restricting portion, and the cover is positioned in the width direction with respect to the device main body. Therefore, the pressure plate supported by the cover does not twist during rocking, and the sheet feeding operation becomes stable. Furthermore, since the engaging portion and the first restricting portion are separated when the cover is in the closed position, positioning of the cover in the closed position is not affected.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 2 is a schematic central sectional view of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the MP feeding mechanism. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the feeding section and the frame supporting it are removed in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the pressure plate and the guide portion are removed in FIG. 4; FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of FIG. 4 with the guide section removed. FIG. 6 is a partial front sectional view of FIG. 5; FIG. 2 is a partial side sectional view of the image forming apparatus showing a state in which the MP tray is in a closed position.

In the following description, the image forming apparatus 1 is installed in a ready-to-use state as shown in FIG. The left and right directions are defined when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the front side, and the discharge tray 82 side of the image forming apparatus 1 is defined as the top, and the opposite side is defined as the bottom, and each direction is defined. In this embodiment, the left-right direction is the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction in the MP tray 27.

[Overall configuration of image forming apparatus]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic central sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a supply unit 3, a motor 4, an image forming unit 5 as an example of an image forming section, and a discharge unit 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the supply unit 3 is disposed at the bottom and front of the apparatus main body 2, and conveys the sheet S held by the supply unit 3 to the image forming unit 5. The image forming unit 5 is disposed downstream of the supply unit 3 in the conveyance direction of the sheet S, and forms an image on the sheet S conveyed from the supply unit 3. The discharge unit 8 is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 5 in the conveying direction of the sheet S, and discharges the sheet S on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit 5 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 .

The supply unit 3 includes a sheet cassette 10, a feeding mechanism 20, a pair of transport rollers 24, and a pair of registration rollers 25 in the lower part of the apparatus main body 2, and a front cover 90 and an MP feeder in the front part of the apparatus main body 2. A feeding mechanism 26 is provided.

The sheet cassette 10 is removably installed in a sheet cassette installation section 2B formed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2. The seat cassette 10 is inserted into the seat cassette mounting section 2B from the front toward the rear, so that the seat cassette 10 is mounted on the seat cassette mounting section 2B and positioned at the mounting position. Further, the seat cassette 10 is moved from the mounting position to the drawn-out position by pulling it out from the rear toward the front with respect to the seat cassette mounting portion 2B.

The sheet cassette 10 includes a cassette main body 11 capable of supporting a plurality of sheets S, a pressure plate 12 disposed in the cassette main body 11 on which the sheets S are loaded and capable of moving the sheets S in the vertical direction, and a pressure plate 12 that raises the pressure plate 12. It has a pressure plate raising member 13 for.

The pressure plate 12 is rotatably supported at a rotation fulcrum 12A, and can be moved in the vertical direction. The tip of the pressure plate raising member 13 is raised by being driven by the motor 4 . The pressure plate 12 is lifted by the rise of the pressure plate raising member 13, and the sheets S stacked on the pressure plate 12 are raised to a feeding position as shown in FIG.

The feeding mechanism 20 is a mechanism that separates and takes out the sheets S stacked on the sheet cassette 10 one by one and transports them toward a pair of transport rollers 24 . The feeding mechanism 20 includes a pickup roller 21, a separation roller 22, and a separation pad 23.

The pickup roller 21 is a roller for taking out the sheet S that has been lifted up to the feedable position by the pressure plate 12, and is arranged above the pressure plate 12. The separation roller 22 is disposed downstream of the pickup roller 21 in the conveying direction of the sheet S, and the separation pad 23 is disposed facing the separation roller 22 and is urged toward the separation roller 22.

The sheet S taken out by the pickup roller 21 is sent out to the separation roller 22 side, separated one by one between the separation roller 22 and the separation pad 23, and conveyed toward the conveyance roller pair 24.

The conveying roller pair 24 is a pair of rollers that applies a conveying force to the sheet S, and is arranged downstream of the feeding mechanism 20 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. The sheet S conveyed from the feeding mechanism 20 to the pair of conveying rollers 24 is conveyed toward the pair of registration rollers 25.

The registration roller pair 25 is arranged downstream of the conveyance roller pair 24 in the conveyance direction of the sheet S. The registration roller pair 25 restricts the movement of the leading edge of the sheet S to be conveyed, temporarily stops the sheet S, and then conveys the sheet S toward the transfer position at a predetermined timing.

A first opening 2A is formed in the front of the apparatus main body 2 for handling a jam of the sheet S or for replacing the image forming unit 5. A front cover 90 that can be opened and closed using its lower end as a fulcrum is attached to the first opening 2A. A second opening 90A for supplying the sheet S is formed on the front surface of the front cover 90.

An MP tray 27, which is an example of a cover that can be opened and closed using its lower end as a fulcrum, is attached to the second opening 90A. The MP tray 27 has two positions: a closed position (the position shown in FIG. 8) where it covers the second opening 90A, and an open position (the position shown in FIG. 1).

The MP feeding mechanism 26 is a mechanism that separates and takes out the sheets S on the MP tray 27 and the pressure plate 31 one by one, and conveys them toward the pair of registration rollers 25. The MP feeding mechanism 26 includes an MP tray 27, a pressure plate 31, a pickup roller 28, a separation roller 29, and a separation pad 30. The pickup roller 28 and the separation roller 29 constitute a feeding section 280. The feeding section 280 is supported by a frame 281 (see FIG. 3).

The pickup roller 28 is a roller for taking out the sheet S on the MP tray 27 and the pressure plate 31. The separation roller 29 is disposed downstream of the pickup roller 28 in the sheet conveyance direction, and the separation pad 30 is disposed facing the separation roller 29 and is urged toward the separation roller 29. The sheet S taken out by the pickup roller 28 is sent to the separation roller 29 side, separated one by one between the separation roller 29 and the separation pad 30, and conveyed toward the registration roller pair 25.

The image forming unit 5 includes a process cartridge 50 that transfers an image onto the surface of the sheet S conveyed from the supply unit 3, an exposure unit 60 that exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 54 of the process cartridge 50, and the process cartridge 50. A fixing unit 70 that fixes the image transferred to the sheet S is provided.

The process cartridge 50 is arranged above the sheet cassette mounting section 2B in the apparatus main body 2. The process cartridge 50 includes a developer storage chamber 51, a supply roller 52, a developing roller 53, a photosensitive drum 54, and a transfer roller 55.

The developer storage chamber 51 stores toner as a developer. The toner contained in the developer storage chamber 51 is sent to the supply roller 52 while being stirred by a stirring member (not shown). The supply roller 52 further supplies the toner sent from the developer storage chamber 51 to the developing roller 53.

The developing roller 53 is disposed in close contact with the supply roller 52 and carries the toner supplied from the supply roller 52. Further, a developing bias is applied to the developing roller 53 by a bias applying means (not shown).

The photosensitive drum 54 is arranged adjacent to the developing roller 53. After the surface of the photosensitive drum 54 is uniformly charged by a charger (not shown), it is exposed by an exposure unit 60. The exposed portion of the photoreceptor drum 54 has a lower potential than other portions, and an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the photoreceptor drum 54. Then, the charged toner is supplied from the developing roller 53 to the surface of the photoreceptor drum 54 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, whereby the electrostatic latent image is visualized and becomes a developer image.

The transfer roller 55 is arranged to face the photosensitive drum 54, and a transfer bias is applied by a bias applying means (not shown). By conveying the sheet S without nipping it between the photosensitive drum 54 on which the developer image is formed and the transfer roller 55 (transfer position) while a transfer bias is applied to the surface of the transfer roller 55. The developer image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 54 is transferred to the surface of the sheet S.

The exposure unit 60 includes a laser diode, a polygon mirror, a lens, and a reflecting mirror, and irradiates the photosensitive drum 54 with laser light based on image data input to the image forming apparatus 1. As a result, the surface of the photoreceptor drum 54 is exposed.

The fixing unit 70 includes a heating roller 71 and a pressing roller 72. The heating roller 71 is rotationally driven by the driving force from the motor 4, and the heating roller 71 is heated by supplying electric power from a power source (not shown). The pressure roller 72 is disposed opposite to the heating roller 71, and rotates in close contact with the heating roller 71. When the sheet S to which the developer image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing unit 70, the sheet S is conveyed while being held between a heating roller 71 and a pressing roller 72, and the developer image is fixed on the sheet S.

The discharge unit 8 includes a pair of discharge rollers 81 , a discharge tray 82 , and a discharge port 83 . The discharge roller pair 81 discharges the sheet S conveyed from the fixing unit 70 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 . The ejection tray 82 is formed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2, and the sheets S ejected from the ejection port 83 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2 by the ejection roller pair 81 are deposited on the ejection tray 82.

[MP feeding mechanism]
3 is an enlarged perspective view of the MP feeding mechanism 26, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the feeding section 280 and the frame 281 supporting it are removed in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the pressure plate 31 and the guide section 35 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of FIG. 4 with the guide portion 35 removed, and FIG. 7 is a partial front sectional view of FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a partial side sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 showing a state in which the MP tray 27 is in the closed position.

In addition to the above-described MP tray 27, pressure plate 31, pickup roller 28, separation roller 29, and separation pad 30, the MP feeding mechanism 26 includes a pair of left and right link members as shown in FIGS. 3 to 8. 32, a pair of left and right arms 33, a feeding frame 34, a guide section 35, and a first regulating section 36.

As shown in FIG. 3, the MP tray 27 includes an inner surface 27A that supports the pressure plate 31, a left wall portion 271 disposed between the left end of the pressure plate 31 and the arm 33, and an arm 33 on the right side of the pressure plate 31. It has a right wall portion 272 disposed via the right wall portion 272 and an engaging portion 274 (see FIG. 5). A long hole 273 that slidably supports the shaft 311 of the pressure plate 31 is formed in the left wall 271 and the right wall 272, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, the engaging portion 274 is a member that is provided near the left rear end of the inner surface 27A of the MP tray 27 and engages with the first restricting portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. . In this embodiment, the engaging portion 274 is comprised of a pair of protrusions that protrude from the inner surface 27A of the MP tray 27 with a gap in the left-right direction. This allows the engaging portion 274 to have a simple configuration. Note that there is no particular limitation on the form of the engaging portion 274, as long as it engages with the first restricting portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position to restrict movement in the left and right direction, for example, it may be a recessed portion. .

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure plate 31 is a plate-shaped member provided on the inner surface 27A side of the MP tray 27. As shown in FIG. The pressure plate 31 has a sheet support surface 31A that can support a plurality of sheets S when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, a supported portion 31D (see FIG. 2) supported by a support portion 32A of a link member 32, which will be described later, is provided at the rear end of the left end and the rear end of the right end of the pressure plate 31. is formed. A shaft portion 311 is formed at the front end of the left end portion and the front end of the right end portion of the pressure plate 31. The shaft portion 311 projects outward in the left-right direction and is supported by a hole portion 332 of an arm 33 and a long hole portion 273 of the MP tray 27, which will be described later. .

As a result, the pressure plate 31 moves the sheet between the supply position (the position shown in FIG. 2) and the non-supply position (the position shown in FIG. 3) around the shaft part 311 by the vertical movement of the link member 32. The rear end, which is the downstream end in the direction, is swingable. Specifically, the supply position is a position where the pressure plate 31 is lifted by the link member 32 and presses the sheet S against the pickup roller 28. On the other hand, the non-supply position is a position where the pressure plate 31 is lowered by lowering the link member 32, thereby separating the sheet S from the pickup roller 28.

As shown in FIG. 6, the left shaft portion 311 has a second restricting portion 312. As shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the second restricting portion 312 includes a left protrusion that protrudes rearward at the midpoint of the shaft portion 311, and a right protrusion that protrudes because a portion of the shaft portion 311 is thickened. ing. When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the second restricting portion 312 sandwiches the rear end edge of the elongated hole portion 273 in the left wall portion 271 between the two protruding portions. Thereby, movement of the pressure plate 31 in the left-right direction with respect to the MP tray 27 is restricted.

Therefore, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the positioning accuracy of the pressure plate 31 in the left and right direction is improved. Note that the form of the second restricting portion 312 is not particularly limited, as long as it can restrict movement of the pressure plate 31 in the left-right direction with respect to the MP tray 27, and may be a recessed portion, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure plate 31 has a notch 313. As shown in FIG. The cutout portion 313 is provided at a position corresponding to the first restriction portion 36 when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. By providing the cutout portion 313, the pressure plate 31 and the first restriction portion 36 do not interfere when the MP tray 27 is in the open position.

Further, by providing the notch 313, the tip 31B of the pressure plate 31 located inside the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction is more likely to feed the sheet than the tip 31C of the pressure plate 31 located outside the first regulating portion 36. Located downstream in the feeding direction. Therefore, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the tip portion 31B of the pressure plate 31, which is inside the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction, can be placed close to the guide portion 35, so that the sheet S is removed from the pressure plate 31. can be fed stably. Note that the tip portion 31B of the pressure plate 31 on the inner side of the first regulating portion 36 may be located upstream in the sheet feeding direction than the tip portion 31C of the pressure plate 31 on the outer side of the first regulating portion 36. .

As shown in FIG. 8, when the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, the pressure plate 31 is held in the storage position. At this time, the pressure plate 31 is held by its own weight using the shaft portion 311 as a fulcrum. The pressure plate 31 in the storage position is located above the feeding section 280.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the link member 32 is a member provided on the feeding frame 34 of the apparatus main body 2. As shown in FIGS. The link member 32 has a pair of left and right support parts 32A that can support the supported part 31D of the pressure plate 31 from below. The support portion 32A has a flat upper surface and supports the pressure plate 31 by abutting the supported portion 31D of the pressure plate 31 from below when the MP tray 27 is in the open position. Further, the link member 32 has a rotation shaft portion 32B that connects the two support portions 32A and is rotated by the driving force from the motor 4.

When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the link member 32 is moved to a first position (the position shown in FIG. 2) in which the pressure plate 31 is in the supply position and a second position in which the pressure plate 31 is in the non-supply position by the drive of the motor 4. The support portion 32A swings between the positions (the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) around the rotation shaft portion 32B. Specifically, the first position is a position where the support portion 32A lifts and holds the supported portion 31D, thereby holding the pressure plate 31 at the supply position. On the other hand, the second position is a position where the support part 32A is located below the first position and holds the pressure plate 31 in the non-supply position by holding the supported part 31D from below.

The left support portion 32A is arranged outside the first restriction portion 36 in the left-right direction. The support portion 32A supports the pressure plate 31 at a position outside the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction, thereby raising and lowering the pressure plate 31 on the outside with respect to the sheet feeding path, so that the arrangement does not interfere with the sheet S. be able to. Note that the first restricting portion 36 and the engaging portion 274 may be arranged outside the left support portion 32A in the left-right direction. In this case, there is no need to provide the notch 313.

Moreover, since the link member 32 is supported by the feeding frame 34, the positional accuracy with respect to the MP tray 27, which is positioned by a first regulating portion 36 provided on the feeding frame 34, which will be described later, is improved. As a result, the positional accuracy of the link member 32 with respect to the pressure plate 31 positioned on the MP tray 27 by the second regulating portion 312 is improved. Note that the link member 32 may be supported by a member other than the feeding frame 34 in the apparatus main body 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the arm 33 has a rear end, which is an example of one end, connected to the front cover 90 of the apparatus main body 2, and a front end, which is an example of the other end, is connected to the shaft 311 of the pressure plate 31. It is a rod-shaped member. A cylindrical shaft portion 331 (see FIG. 3) is formed at the rear end of the arm 33 and is movably supported in the long hole portion 901 of the front cover 90. As shown in FIG. 3, a hole 332 that rotatably supports the shaft 311 of the pressure plate 31 is formed in the front end of the arm 33.

The arm 33 moves between the first holding position (the position shown by the broken line in FIG. 8) and the second holding position (the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) by opening and closing the MP tray 27. Specifically, in the first holding position, as shown in FIG. This is the position where it is held in the storage position. On the other hand, in the second holding position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the shaft portion 331 is located at the upper end of the elongated hole portion 91B, and the hole portion 332 is located at the shaft portion of the pressure plate 31. 311 is held at the rear end edge of the elongated hole portion 273 of the MP tray 27, and the pressure plate 31 is held movably between the supply position and the non-supply position.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the feeding frame 34 is a member that is provided downstream of the pressure plate 31 in the sheet feeding direction in the apparatus main body 2 and extends in the left-right direction. The feeding frame 34 supports a frame 281 that supports the feeding section 280, and also supports the separation pad 30 and the guide section 35. The guide portion 35 is a member provided to cover a portion of the feeding frame 34 that faces the sheet feeding path. The guide section 35 guides the lower surface of the sheet S supplied from the pressure plate 31. The separation pad 30 is provided in the feeding frame 34 through an opening formed at a position facing the separation roller 29 in the center portion of the guide portion 35 in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the first restricting portion 36 is a member that protrudes forward from the feeding frame 34 toward the MP tray 27 in the open position. In this embodiment, the first regulating portion 36 is integrally molded with the feeding frame 34. The tip portion 36A located at the lower end of the first regulating portion 36 is formed thinner than other portions of the first regulating portion 36 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7).

When the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the tip portion 36A of the first restricting portion 36 is positioned between the pair of protrusions forming the engaging portion 274 of the MP tray 27, thereby engaging with the engaging portion 274. do. That is, the distal end portion 36A of the first restricting portion 36 is sandwiched between the protrusions in the left-right direction. Thereby, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the MP tray 27 is restricted from moving in the left-right direction, and is positioned in the left-right direction.

In this way, when the MP tray 27 is in the open position, the MP tray 27 is regulated in the left-right direction with respect to the apparatus main body 2, and the pressure plate 31 is not directly regulated by the apparatus main body 2, so that the pressure plate 31 is in the supply position. The sheet S is not twisted when swinging between the non-feeding position and the feeding operation of the sheet S is stabilized.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, when the MP tray 27 is in the closed position, the pressure plate 31 is located at the accommodation position above the feeding section 280, so the first regulating section 36 is separated from the engaging section 274. There is. As a result, the first restricting portion 36 and the engaging portion 274 do not affect the positioning of the MP tray 27 in the closed position.

Further, by providing the first regulating section 36 on the feeding frame 34 that supports the guide section 35, the positional accuracy between the first regulating section 36 and the guide section 35 is improved. As a result, the positional accuracy of the guide section 35 and the pressure plate 31 supported by the MP tray 27 regulated by the first regulating section 36 is improved.

Furthermore, since the tip end 36A of the first restricting part 36 is formed thinner than other parts of the first restricting part 36 in the left-right direction, the positioning accuracy of the MP tray 27 can be improved, and the other parts can be The strength of the first regulating portion 36 can be ensured. Note that the tip portion 36A of the first restricting portion 36 may be formed to be as thick or thick as the other portions of the first restricting portion 36 in the left-right direction.

Note that the first regulating section 36 may be separate from the feeding frame 34, and furthermore, the first regulating section 36 may be provided on a member other than the feeding frame 34 as long as it is the apparatus main body 2. Further, the form of the first restricting portion 36 is not particularly limited, as long as it can engage with the engaging portion 274 and restrict the MP tray 27 from moving in the left-right direction when the MP tray 27 is in the open position.

1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus body 5 Image forming unit (image forming section)
27 MP tray (cover)
30 Separation pad 31 Pressure plate 32 Link member 33 Arm 34 Feeding frame 35 Guide portion 36 First regulating portion 271 Wall portion 273 Long hole portion 274 Engagement portion 280 Feeding portion 311 Shaft portion 312 Second regulating portion 313 Notch portion S sheet

Claims (8)

The device body,
a feeding section that is provided in the apparatus main body and that feeds the sheet;
a cover that is provided on the device main body, has an engaging portion, and swings between a closed position and an open position in which an upper end portion is farther from a side surface of the device main body than the closed position;
a supply position in which one end is rotatably supported by the cover, the sheet can be supported when the cover is in the open position, and the sheet is brought into pressure contact with the feeding section; a pressure plate that oscillates between a non-feeding position and a non-feeding position for separating the sheet from the sheet;
a first position provided on the apparatus main body and capable of supporting the pressure plate when the cover is in the open position, the pressure plate being in the supply position; and a second position being the pressure plate in the non-supply position. a link member that swings between positions;
a first holding position where one end is connected to the apparatus main body and the other end is connected to the pressure plate, and holds the pressure plate in a storage position above the feeding section when the cover is in the closed position; an arm that moves between the supply position and a second holding position that movably holds the pressure plate in the non-supply position when the cover is in the open position;
provided on the apparatus main body, and when the cover is in the open position, engages with the engaging portion to restrict movement of the cover in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction; A sheet feeding device comprising: a first regulating portion that is spaced apart from the engaging portion when in the closed position. a separation pad facing the feeding section;
a guide portion that guides the sheet supplied from the pressure plate;
a feeding frame provided on the apparatus main body and supporting the separation pad and the guide section;
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the first regulating portion is provided on the feeding frame. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the link member is supported by the feeding frame. The link member supports the pressure plate at a position outside the first regulating portion in the width direction,
The pressure plate has a notch at a position corresponding to the first restriction part when the cover is in the open position,
The tip of the pressure plate that is located inside the first regulating portion in the width direction is located downstream in the sheet feeding direction from the tip of the pressure plate that is located outside of the first regulating portion. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The engaging portion has a pair of protrusions that protrude from the inner surface of the cover at a distance in the width direction,
5. The distal end portion of the first restricting portion is located between the pair of projections when the cover is in the open position. Sheet feeding device. 6. The sheet feeding device according to claim 5, wherein the first regulating portion is formed such that the leading end portion is thinner than other portions in the width direction. The pressure plate has a shaft portion that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side portion in the width direction and is connected to the arm,
The cover includes a wall portion having a long hole located between the pressure plate and the arm and slidably supporting the shaft portion,
The shaft portion may include a second restriction portion that engages with the wall portion when the cover is in the open position to restrict movement of the pressure plate in the width direction with respect to the cover. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming section that forms an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding device.

Images