JPH0743069Y2 - 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.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and facilitate the attachment and detachment of the paper feed cassette.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding device which prevents the sheet cassette from coming off with a simple structure while facilitating the attachment and detachment of the sheet 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. In a paper feeding device configured such that a paper feeding cassette having a pressing lever for depressing the paper feeding table against a force is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body,
A sidewall having an inclined surface formed in an opening for attaching and detaching the sheet feeding cassette of the apparatus main body, and a sheet feeding table of the sheet feeding cassette,
A projection member formed so as to push down the paper feed table by sliding friction with the inclined surface and contact the inner surface of the side wall when the paper feed cassette is inserted without operating the push lever. The protrusion member abuts the inner surface of the side wall to prevent the sheet cassette from being pulled out from the apparatus body, and the pressing lever pushes down the sheet feed tray to separate the protrusion member from the side wall. The paper feed cassette can be pulled out.

[Operation] With the above configuration, when the paper feed cassette is attached to the main body of the device, the projection on the paper feed base slides against the side wall of the main body and the paper feed base rotates, so operate the lever to feed the paper. The cassette can be installed without pushing down the paper table.

When the apparatus is in use, the projection on the paper feed table comes into contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the main body to be locked, preventing the cassette from coming off. Further, when the cassette is pulled out from the main body, it can be attached / detached by rotating the sheet feeding table by a lever operation.

[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.

1 is a feed roller pivotally supported by the main body 2 of the apparatus, and 3
Is a side wall of the main body 2 and forms an inclined surface 3a inwardly downward, 2a is a wall surface of the cassette housing portion of the main body 2, and is configured to abut against 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 cassette can be installed without pushing down the paper feed tray when it is attached to the main body, and the transfer paper on the paper feed tray can be directly fed. Can be sent.

Further, while the paper feed cassette is being used, the cassette can be prevented from coming off by the above means, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the operability can be achieved.

[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. 3a …… Sloping surface, 5 …… Paper feeding table 5a …… Protrusion

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A paper feed tray on which transfer sheets are stacked, a spring for urging the paper feed tray upward, and a pressing lever for depressing the paper feed tray against the urging force of the spring. In a paper feeding device in which a paper feeding cassette including a paper feeding cassette is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, a side wall having an inclined surface at an opening for attaching and detaching the paper feeding cassette of the device main body, A protrusion member formed so that when the paper feed cassette is inserted into the paper tray without operating the push lever, the paper feed tray is pushed down by the sliding contact with the inclined surface to contact the inner surface of the side wall. The projection member abuts on the inner surface of the side wall to prohibit the sheet cassette from being pulled out from the apparatus main body, and the pressing lever pushes down the paper feed tray to move the projection member to the side wall. Away from Sheet feeding apparatus characterized by being configured to be withdrawn the sheet feeding cassette by.