JPH0743068Y2 - Paper feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to a paper feed cassette which accommodates transfer paper used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer and which can be attached to and detached from an apparatus main body.

"Prior art and its problems" Transfer paper is stored in a paper feed cassette that has been conventionally used in an image forming apparatus, the cassette is stored in the main body of the apparatus, and then the paper feed table on which the transfer paper is placed is fed in the main body. A device is known which faces the roller side and separates and feeds the paper on the paper feed table.

In such an apparatus, an external operation member such as a lever for rotating the sheet feeding table to bring the sheet feeding table into and out of contact with the sheet feeding roller is provided, and the apparatus user can feed the sheet by rotating the lever. The state or the state in which paper cannot be fed is switched. Further, at this time, in the case of the paper feeding state, it is necessary to hold the cassette in the main body, and a locking means therefor is required. Therefore, it was troublesome to operate the upper and lower sides of the paper feed table and the lock of the cassette when the cassette was attached and detached.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, to facilitate the mounting of the paper feeding cassette by a simple operation, and to prevent the paper feeding cassette from coming off from the main body when the paper feeding cassette is mounted and ready for feeding. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device that is safe and has improved operability in mounting the sheet feeding cassette.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a paper feed tray on which transfer sheets are stacked, a spring for urging the paper feed tray upward, and an attachment of the spring. A paper feeding device configured to be attachable / detachable to / from an image forming apparatus main body, the paper feeding cassette including a lock member that locks the paper feeding table at a predetermined position when the paper feeding table is pushed down against a force. Of the side wall having an inclined surface at the opening for attaching and detaching the sheet feeding cassette, and the inclined surface when the sheet feeding cassette is inserted into the sheet feeding table of the sheet feeding cassette without pushing down the sheet feeding table. The paper feed table is pushed down by the rubbing so as to come into contact with the inner surface of the side wall, and when the paper feed cassette is inserted while the paper feed table is locked, the paper feed table passes through the side wall in a non-contact manner. And the locking of the paper feed tray And a release member formed by projecting a part of the lock member to the front of the paper feed cassette so that the release member is mounted when the paper feed cassette is mounted with the paper feed tray locked. The lock is released by abutting on the main body of the apparatus, and the protruding member abuts on the inner surface of the side wall to prohibit the withdrawal of the sheet feeding cassette.

[Operation] Since the present invention is configured as described above, when the paper feed cassette is mounted, the protruding member moves along the inclined surface of the side wall even when the transfer paper is loaded and the paper feed table is not locked. Then, it is attached to the main body of the device. On the other hand, when the paper feed tray is locked, the projection member passes without contact with the side wall, the lock release member of the paper feed cassette comes into contact with the main body to unlock, and the transfer paper can be supplied.

Further, by this mounting, the projecting member comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the apparatus main body, and the paper feeding cassette is locked.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic explanatory views of the main part of the present invention showing a state in which the paper feed cassette is detached from the main body of the apparatus, and FIG. 1 is a horizontal position in which the paper feed tray is unlocked, that is, paper can be fed. It is a diagram for explaining the operation of mounting on the main body in the state,
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of rotating the paper feed table downward and mounting it on the main body while it is locked.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a feed roller that is axially supported by the apparatus main body 2,
Reference numeral 3 denotes a side wall of the main body 2, which forms an inclined surface 3a inwardly downward, and 2a is a wall surface of the cassette housing portion of the main body 2, which is configured to come into contact with a lever described later.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a paper feeding cassette of the present invention, which is a paper feeding table 5 on which a transfer paper is placed on the upper surface with a fulcrum 4a as an axis and rotatable in an arrow direction.
A projection 5a that slidably contacts the inclined surface 3a is formed at the end of the upper surface of the paper feed table 5, and is urged upward by a spring 6 attached to the bottom wall of the cassette 4.

On the lower surface of the paper feed table 5, an engaging portion 7a at one end of the lock lever 7 is provided.
A locking portion 5b that engages with is provided. The sheet feeding table 5 is rotated by a sheet feeding table pressing lever (not shown), and at this time, the locking portion 5b is engaged with a lock lever engaging portion 7a described later, and the sheet feeding table 5 is locked below. Lock lever 7 is cassette 4
It is movably attached by being biased by a spring 8 in parallel with the bottom wall surface. The other end 7b of the lock lever 7 projects from the side wall 4b of the cassette 4, and when the cassette 4 is stored in the main body 2, the other end 7b of the lock lever comes into contact with the wall surface 2a and the lock lever 7 moves against the spring 8. Then, the engagement between the engagement portion 7a and the paper feed tray locking portion 5b is released, and the paper feed tray 5 is rotated upward so that the transfer paper on the paper feed tray 5 can be separately fed.

A case where the cassette is mounted on the main body without pushing down the paper feed tray will be described with reference to FIG.

The paper feed tray 5 is in a state where the lock lever 7 is released from the regulation. Therefore, when the cassette 4 is moved to the main body 2 in the arrow direction to be stored, the projection 5a on the paper feed tray 5 will cause the protrusion 5a on the side wall 3 of the main body.
However, at this time, the side wall of the main body is inclined 3a as shown in the figure.
Since the paper feed table 5a is only biased by the spring 6, the projection 5a slides along the inclined surface 3a even if the projection 5a collides with the inclined surface 3a. There is no hindrance to the installation. Cassette 4
In the state where the cassette has been slid to the regular storage position, the projection 5a is fitted on the inner surface of the side wall 3 of the apparatus body 2, and the cassette 4 is fixed to the apparatus body 2.

Therefore, in such a state, the protrusion 5a is separated from the inclined surface 3a, and the cassette is not taken out. Further, at this time, since the leading end of the paper feed table 5 is arranged so as to be biased upward by the spring 6, the feed roller 1 is pressed,
The transfer papers stacked on the paper feed table 5 can be automatically fed, and there is no need to separately prepare for feeding.

Next, a case in which the paper feed tray 5 in the cassette 4 is pushed down by a lever and is stored in the main body 2 while the paper feed tray 5 is locked will be described with reference to FIG. At this time, paper feed stand 5
Is rotated downwardly, and accordingly the protrusion 5a is also following, so that the cassette 4 can be mounted without the protrusion 5a on the paper feed table 5 and the main body side wall 3a contacting each other.

When the cassette 4 is stored up to the wall surface 2a in the main body 2, the other end 7b of the lock lever protruding from the cassette side wall 4b comes into contact with the wall surface 2a when the paper feed tray is locked. As a result, the other end 7b of the lock lever is pushed in the direction of the arrow, the engagement between the lock lever engaging portion 7a and the paper feed tray locking portion 5b is released, and the paper feed tray 5 is rotated upward by the elastic force of the spring 6. The transfer sheet on the sheet feeding table 5 can be separated and fed.

When the cassette 4 is detached from the main body 2 by the projections 5a when the sheet is in the sheet feeding state in both FIGS. 1 and 2, the cassette is smoothly pushed by pushing down the sheet feeding table 5 by operating the lever. Desorption of 4 can be performed.

[Advantage of Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the paper feed cassette can be easily attached regardless of whether the paper feed table of the paper feed cassette is locked or not.

In other words, it can be installed smoothly without any trouble in the installation of the paper feed cassette with or without the lock. Further, when it is mounted, the lock is released by the unlocking means of the paper feed table, and the paper is automatically ready to be fed. Furthermore, the paper feed cassette is secured to the main body by the protrusion when it is attached, and it is possible to prevent it from being pulled out from the main body of the device while the device is in use. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram when a cassette is attached to a main body without pushing down a paper feed table, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing at the time of pushing down a paper stand and attaching to a main body. 2a …… Wall surface, 5 …… Paper feeding stand 7 …… Lock lever

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A paper feed table on which transfer sheets are stacked, a spring for urging the paper feed table upward, and a predetermined paper feed table when the paper feed table is pushed down against the urging force of the spring. In a paper feeding device in which a paper feeding cassette having a lock member that is locked at a position is configured to be attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus main body, a sidewall having an inclined surface formed in an opening for attaching and detaching the paper feeding cassette of the apparatus main body And, when the paper feed cassette is inserted into the paper feed tray of the paper feed cassette without pushing down the paper feed tray, the paper feed tray is pushed down due to sliding friction with the inclined surface and abuts against the inner surface of the side wall,
On the other hand, when the paper feed cassette is inserted in the locked state of the paper feed tray, the projection member formed on the paper feed tray so as to pass through the side wall without contact, and the lock of the paper feed tray is released. And a release member formed by projecting a part of the lock member to the front of the paper feed cassette, and when the paper feed cassette is mounted with the paper feed tray locked, the release member is attached to the main body of the apparatus. A sheet feeding apparatus, wherein the sheet feeding apparatus is configured to abut and be unlocked, and a projecting member abuts on an inner surface of the side wall to prohibit extraction of the sheet feeding cassette.