JPH02193822A - Paper loading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a paper loading device having a side guide member consisting of a lock mechanism of simple construction and with minimal area requirement by installing a supporting shaft with an engaging member rotatably to the side guide member and providing the supporting shaft with a lock member, and the lock member/side guide member with a cam surface. CONSTITUTION:Paper 3 is placed on a paper loading box 1. To align the paper, a lock member 9 is placed to its release position by turning it in the direction of an arrow 12. This turning action causes the lock member 9 and a supporting shaft 7 to come down because of face cams 5d, 9b, producing a clearance between the top surface of an engaging member 6 and the underside of a bottom plate 2. This results in a side guide member 5 sliding freely in a direction of the width of the bottom plate 2 along a guide groove. The lock member 9, when turned in a direction opposite to the arrow 12, is placed to its lock position. This turning action causes the lock member 9 and the supporting shaft 7 to be lifted due to the face cams 5d, 9b, bringing the engaging member into close contact with the underside of the bottom plate 2. As a result, the side guide member 5 is locked securely to the bottom plate 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a paper stacking device such as a cassette or deck used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printing machine, and a laser beam printer.

(B) Prior Art Conventionally, a paper stacking device used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine has a side guide member that aligns with the side of paper of a predetermined size stacked thereon. An example of a side guide member of this type of paper stacking device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, a side guide member 21 is provided on the back side of the bottom plate 2 of the paper stacking box (paper stacking means) 1 and is slidable along the width direction of the paper stacking box 1 (in the direction of arrow B). The side guide part #22 fixed to one end of the side guide member 21 is arranged on the upper surface side of the bottom plate 2, and is fixed after being slid in the direction of arrow B according to the size of the paper to be placed. A rack 21a formed on the side of the side guide member 21, which is aligned with the side of the paper, has a base 23.
A plate spring 23 fixed to a fixing member (not shown) is engaged with a to fix the positioned side guide member 22.

Further, FIG. 6 shows another side guide member 25, the base portion 25a of which is attached to the bottom plate 2 so as to be slidable in the direction of the arrow. A band-shaped rubber sheet 26 is pasted on the surface of the bottom plate 2 along the movement path of the side guide member 25. An L-shaped locking member 27 is attached to a shaft 29 on an arm portion 25b formed on the side guide member 25.
This locking member 27 is urged in the direction of an arrow 31 by the elasticity of a torsion spring 30 whose both ends are locked to the side guide member 25 and the locking member 27, respectively. After the side guide member 25 has been positioned according to the paper size, the rubber member 32 attached to the back surface of the locking member 27 is pressed against the rubber sheet 26 by the elasticity of the torsion spring 30, so that the side guide member 25 is positioned at a predetermined position. Fixed.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention However, in the conventional example shown in FIG.
It is easy to adjust the position of the side guide member 22 according to the size of the paper placed on the paper 1, but since the side guide member 21 is held down only by the elasticity of the leaf spring 23, the side guide member 22 cannot be adjusted easily. In addition to not being able to securely fix the side guide member 22, the minimum adjustment range for the position of the side guide member 22 is the pitch C of the rack 21a, making it impossible to finely adjust the position of the side guide member 22 according to variations in paper size. There is a risk that the optimum position of the side guide member 22 cannot be set.

Further, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 6, the side guide member 25
The rubber sheet 26. for fixing the side guide member 25 is easy to slide the side guide member 25 according to the paper size.
Since the locking mechanism including the locking member 27 and the like occupies a large area, the paper stacking device is large and heavy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper stacking device including a side guide member comprising a locking mechanism that has a simple configuration and occupies a small area.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and will be explained using, for example, FIGS. 1 and 2. It aligns the stacked paper stacking means (1) with the side part (3a) of the paper (3) in the paper stacking means (1), and is capable of sliding freely onto the paper stacking means (1). In a paper stacking device comprising a side guide member (5), a supporting shaft (7) having an engaging member (6) facing the back surface of the paper stacking means (1) is connected to the side guide member (5). The support shaft (7) is provided with a locking member (9), and at least one cam surface (5d
, 9b) are provided on the locking member (9) and/or the site guide member (5), and the locking member (9) is provided with The mating member (6) is attached to the bottom plate (
2) It is characterized by being detachable from the back side.

Further, the locking member (9) also serves as the negative part of the side guide member (5) when located at the locking position (10A).
The sides (3a) of the stacked papers (3) are aligned.

(E) Function Based on the above configuration, when sliding the side guide member in the width direction of the paper stacking box 1, the side guide member (5
) is in a rotated position to the released position (IOB) as shown in FIG. In this state, the engagement member (6) is in a state separated from the back surface of the bottom plate (2), and the side guide member (5) is slid in the direction of arrow A and is attached to the side (3a) of the paper (3). Align. Also, side guide member (5)
When fixing the side guide member (5), the side guide member (5) is rotated to the lock position (IOA) as shown in FIG. During this rotation, the side guide member (5) and the lock member (9)
The support shaft (7) is raised by the action of the surface cams (5d, 9b), and the engagement member (6) is held in a state where the bottom plate (2) is sandwiched between the side guide member (5) and the engagement member (6). is the bottom plate (2)
The side guide member (5) presses against the back surface of the bottom plate (2).
Fixed.

Further, when the locking member (9) is located at the fixed position, the locking member (9) and the side guide member (5) also perform the function of aligning the side portion (3a) of the paper (3).

Note that the above-mentioned symbols in parentheses are added for reference and do not limit the structure of the present invention in any way.

(f) Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, paper 3 of a predetermined size is stacked on the bottom plate 2 of the paper stacking box 1, and a side guide member 5 is mounted on the bottom plate 2 in the width direction of the paper stacking device 1, that is, on the side of the paper 3. It is provided in the portion 3a so as to be slidable in the direction of advancing and retreating. The side guide member 5 has a notch 5 that opens at the top.
a, and a stopper 5b consisting of a step is formed on the negative side wall thereof.

A support shaft 7 having an engaging member 6 fixed to its lower end is rotatably attached to a stepped portion 5C formed in the cutout portion 5a at a position opposite to the stopper 5b. A lock member 9 having a stepped portion 9a at its free end is attached to this support shaft 7. A surface cam 9b is formed on the lower surface of the base of the locking member 9, and a surface cam 5d that engages with the surface cam 9b is formed on the stepped portion 5C of the side guide member 5, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is formed.

The lock member 9 is in the lock position 10A when the surface cam 9a is in contact with the stopper 5b of the side guide member 5 as shown in FIG. 1, and is in the lock position 10A as shown in FIG. When it is rotating, it is in the release position 10B. When the locking member 9 is at the locking position i10A, the support shaft 7 is
is in the raised state shown in FIG. 1, and the locking member 9
When is in the release position 10B shown in FIG. 2, the support shaft 7 is in the lowered state shown in FIG. 2 due to the action of the surface cams 5d and 9b.

The engaging member 6 is made of a material with a large coefficient of friction, such as rubber, and faces the back side of the bottom plate 2. A guide rail 11 for guiding the engaging member 6 is provided on the back side of the bottom plate 2. It is formed. When the locking member 9 is in the locking position 10A shown in FIG. 1, the engaging member 6 is in pressure contact with the back surface of the bottom plate 2 to lock the locking member 9 to the bottom plate 2.

To place and align the paper 3 of a predetermined size on the paper stacking box 1, the locking member 9 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 12 from the state shown in FIG. 1 to the release position 10B shown in FIG. Set the lock member 9. When the lock member 9 rotates, the lock member 9 and the support shaft 7 are lowered from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 by the surface cam action of the surface cams 5d and 9b, and the engaging member
A gap is formed between the top surface of the bottom plate 2 and the back surface of the bottom plate 2, so that the side guide member 5 can freely slide in the width direction of the bottom plate 2, that is, in the six directions of the arrows, while being guided by the guide groove.

After setting the position of the locking member 9 according to the paper size, the locking member 9 is rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of arrow 12 and set to the locking position 10A shown in FIG. 1. When the locking member 9 rotates, the locking member 9 and the support shaft 7 are lifted up by the surface cam mechanism of the surface cams 5d and 9b, whereby the engaging member 6 comes into pressure contact with the back surface of the bottom plate 2, and the side guide member 5 It is completely fixed to the bottom plate 2.

Note that when the lock member 9 is located at the lock position 10A, the inner surface 9c of the lock member 9 is located on the same plane as the inner surface 5e of the side guide member 5, and the lock member 9 is located on the same surface as the inner surface 5e of the side guide member 5. Part of the side 3 of the paper 3
It is consistent by regulating a. In the above embodiment, both the side guide member 5 and the lock member 9 have surface cams 5d and 9b.
As described above, this surface cam is provided on at least one of the side guide member 5 or the lock member 9, and when the lock member 9 rotates, the support shaft 7 and the engaging member 6 integrated therewith are may be moved up and down.

Since this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, the engaging member 6.
Since the locking mechanism consisting of the support shaft 79 surface cams 5d, 9b, the locking member 9, etc. can be provided on the side guide member 5 within the width (thickness of the side guide member 5) space of the side guide member 5, The volume of the paper stacking box 1 and the paper stacking device including the same can be significantly reduced, and as a result, the size of the image forming apparatus can be reduced. Furthermore, by making it possible to downsize the paper stacking device, it is also possible to reduce the cost of image forming apparatuses, etc. to which the paper stacking box 1 is applied, and to expand the versatility of the paper stacking box.

In the above embodiments, the paper stacking means is an intermediate plate member or a deck type member installed in the cassette that swings up and down, such as a sheet stacking plate that moves up and down by power. be. Or as a paper loading means,
This is called multi-manual feeding, and can also be applied to devices that place a bundle of sheets on a sheet stacking table (usually fixed). Furthermore, it can be applied not only to sheet materials such as copy paper, but also to the original table in the reading section.

(G) As described in detail, according to the present invention, at least one of the slideable side guide member (5) of the paper loading box (1) and the lock member (9) of the side guide member (5) is provided. Surface cams (5d, 9b) are formed on one side to constitute a surface cam mechanism, and the lock member (9) is engaged via the surface cam mechanism when the locking member (9) is rotated to the lock position W (10A) and the release position (10B). Move the engaging member (6) up and down to connect the engaging member (6) to the bottom plate (2).
), the side guide member (5) can be locked and unlocked with respect to the bottom plate 2 of the paper loading box 1, so the side guide member (5) can be adjusted to correspond to the paper size with a simple structure. Can be easily and reliably fixed in any position.

Furthermore, the lock member (9) is attached to the side guide member (5).
) by making it possible to use it as part of the paper loading box 1
And the paper stacking device can be downsized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a paper stacking device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an operational view, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the side guide member, and FIG. 4 is a front view, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional paper stacking device, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the main parts of another conventional paper stacking device. Fig. 1 1...Paper loading box 2...Bottom plate 3...Paper 3a...Side part of paper 5...Side guide member,
5d...Face cam, 6...Engaging member 7.
...Spindle 9...Lock member 9b...Face cam, 10A...Lock position M IOB...Release position.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A paper stacking means on which a plurality of sheets of paper of a predetermined size are stacked, and a side portion of the paper in the paper stacking means are aligned,
A paper stacking device comprising a side guide member slidable on the paper stacking means, wherein a support shaft having an engaging member facing the back surface of the paper stacking means is rotatably attached to the side guide member. , a locking member is provided on the support shaft, at least one cam surface is provided on the locking member and/or the side guide member, and the engaging member is moved in response to rotation of the locking member to the locking position and the release position. A paper stacking device that is attached to and detached from the back side of the bottom plate of the paper stacking means. 2. The paper stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the locking member also serves as a part of the side guide member when located at the locking position.