JP2019018955A - Sheet housing device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sheet housing device which is simply configured by a small number of components to prevent a regulation member from falling down.SOLUTION: In the sheet housing device, a sheet housing part 20 places a seat thereon and houses it therein; a side regulation plate 31 is movably provided in the sheet housing part 20 to regulate an end part of the seat housed in the sheet housing part 20; a falling prevention member 33 is movable interlocking with the movement of the side regulation plate 31; fixing parts 21, 22 are engaged with the falling prevention member 33 according to a moving position of the falling prevention member 33 to prevent the side regulation plate 31 from moving in a direction of separating from a regulated seat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet storage device that stores a sheet and is movable in a predetermined direction.

  2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses that can draw out sheet supply devices such as cassettes and decks from a feeder main body or an image forming apparatus and supply sheets are widely used. The sheet storage device includes a regulating member that regulates an end surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet storage device.

  When the regulating member regulates the end surface on the leading side and the trailing end side in the insertion direction of the sheet accommodating device of the sheet fixed to the bottom surface of the sheet accommodating device and stacked on the sheet accommodating device, the sheet accommodating device with respect to the apparatus main body As the sheet is pulled out or inserted, the regulating member may be tilted by being pushed by the inertial force of the stacked sheets.

  In particular, when the sheet storage device is vigorously inserted into the feeder main body and suddenly stops at the cassette mounting position, the leading regulating member in the insertion direction of the sheet storage device receives a large inertial force in the insertion direction and is inserted. It may tilt to fall in the direction.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet storage device in which a regulating member regulates an end surface on the leading side in the insertion direction of sheets stacked on the sheet storage device.

  Here, in order to prevent the regulation member from falling down when the sheet storage device is vigorously inserted and suddenly stops, the device main body into which the sheet storage device is inserted is supported by striking the regulation member against the regulation member. A supporting member is provided.

JP 2002-21770 A

  The sheet storage device disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a large support member between the opposing surface of the apparatus main body with respect to the regulating member and the regulating member. In order to support a plurality of types of sheet sizes, it is necessary to provide a dedicated support member having a different length for each sheet size, and to provide a mechanism for selecting a support member corresponding to the sheet size on the sheet storage device side. .

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet storage device that prevents the regulation member from falling down with a simple configuration having a small number of parts.

  The sheet storage device of the present invention includes a sheet storage unit that stacks and stores sheets, a regulation unit that is movably provided in the sheet storage unit and that regulates an end of the sheet stored in the sheet storage unit, The interlocking means that can move in conjunction with the movement of the restricting means, and the interlocking means are engaged according to the movement position of the interlocking means, so that the restricting means does not move in a direction away from the sheet to be restricted. Engaging means.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the regulation member from falling down with a simple configuration having a small number of parts.

2 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the drawer structure of a cassette. (A) is the state which accommodated the cassette, (b) is the state which pulled out the cassette. It is a perspective view of a cassette. It is explanatory drawing of the moving mechanism of a side control board. It is explanatory drawing of insertion operation of the cassette to an apparatus main body. It is explanatory drawing of the fall of a side control board. In FIG. 6, (a) is before accommodation, (b) collides with the accommodation end, and (c) is after accommodation. It is explanatory drawing of the attachment state of the fall prevention member with respect to a side control board. 7A is an overall view of the side regulating plate, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the fall prevention member. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the fall prevention member in the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, (a) is the unlocked state, (b) is the locked state at 16K size, and (c) is the locked state at A4 size. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of arrangement of contact portions in the second embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of a contact part. In FIG. 10, (a) is the unlocked state, (b) is the guidance start state, and (c) is the locked state. It is explanatory drawing of the attachment state of the fall prevention member with respect to a sheet | seat accommodating part. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of contact portions in the fourth embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of operation | movement of a contact part. In FIG. 13, (a) is the locked state, (b) is the contact state, and (c) is the unlocked state.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
The first embodiment is an embodiment in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. Further, an example of a connecting unit that rotates and engages the leading end is disposed on the leading side in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet storage device.

(Printer)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the drawer structure of the cassette. In FIG. 2, (a) shows a state in which the cassette is stored, and (b) shows a state in which the cassette has been pulled out.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1, which is an example of an image forming apparatus, is an electrophotographic monochrome copying machine in which an image reading apparatus 2, which is a so-called flatbed scanner, is disposed above an apparatus body 3.

  In the apparatus main body 3, an image forming unit 6 is disposed above the paper feeding unit 5, and a fixing device 7 is disposed above the image forming unit 6. The image forming unit 6 and the fixing device 7 which are an example of an image forming unit form an image on a sheet fed from a paper feeding unit 5 which is an example of a sheet storage device.

  The image forming unit 6 transfers the toner image to the sheet supplied from the paper feeding unit 5. The fixing device 7 fixes the image on the sheet by heating and pressurizing the sheet on which the toner image is transferred to melt the toner. The discharge tray 8 discharges and stacks sheets on which images are fixed by the fixing device 7.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the printer 1 has an operation panel 4 disposed on the front.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the cassette 10 of the paper feeding unit 5 is mounted below the apparatus main body 3 so as to be drawn from the storage position to the drawing position P <b> 2 while being guided by the sliders 61 a and 62 a.

  The user sets plain paper, which is an example of a sheet, in the cassette 10 at the pull-out position P2, inserts the cassette 10 into the apparatus main body 3, and stores it in the storage position P1 shown in FIG. Then, the operation panel 4 is operated to perform copying.

(cassette)
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cassette. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a moving mechanism of the side regulating plate from which the loading plate is removed. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of inserting the cassette into the apparatus main body.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sheet storage unit 20, which is an example of a sheet storage unit, stacks and stores sheets and is movable in the direction of arrow A, which is an example of a predetermined direction. The sheet storage unit 20 moves in the direction of arrow C, which is an example of a direction opposite to the direction of arrow A, and is pulled out from a cassette storage unit 60 (see FIG. 5), which is an example of a sheet storage device body. That is, the sheet storage unit 20 can be pulled out from the cassette storage unit 60. The sheet storage unit 20 moves in the direction of arrow A and is stored in the cassette storage unit 60.

  The sheet stored in the sheet storage unit 20 is fed in the arrow B direction, which is an example of the feeding direction orthogonal to the arrow A direction. The side restricting plate 31, which is an example of a restricting means, is provided so as to be movable in the arrow W direction with respect to the sheet accommodating portion 20, and restricts an end portion of the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion 20 in the arrow A direction. The side regulating plate 31 can be moved and fixed to a position in the arrow W direction according to the size of the sheet to be regulated.

  A stacking plate 26 is disposed in the center of the sheet storage unit 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the loading plate 26 is urged upward by a compression coil spring 28 disposed below the loading plate 26. For this reason, when there is no sheet P, the stacking plate 26 contacts the separation claws 32 and 42, and when the sheet P is present, both ends of the leading edge in the sheet feeding direction contact the separation claws 32 and 42. .

  Side regulating plates 31 and 41 are arranged with the stacking plate 26 in between. The side regulating plates 31 and 41 are moved in the arrow W direction and regulate the end surfaces of the stacked sheets in a state where the side regulating plates 31 and 41 are positioned at a position corresponding to the sheet size of the sheets stacked on the stacking plate 26.

  The side regulating plates 31 and 41 are in contact with both end surfaces of the sheet placed on the stacking plate 26 in the arrow W direction, and align the sheets on the stacking plate 26 in the arrow W direction. Since the insertion direction (arrow A direction) of the cassette 10 and the sheet feeding direction (arrow B direction) are orthogonal to each other, both ends of the sheet P in the drawing / insertion direction (arrow C / A direction) of the cassette 10 are regulated. Side regulating plates 31 and 41 are provided.

  The side regulating plates 31 and 41 regulate the position of the sheet P in the cassette 10 in the direction of the arrow C / A to prevent the positional deviation in the width direction of the sheet fed to the image forming unit 6 in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the moving mechanism 50 has a rack gear 51 that can move in the direction of arrow W and a rack gear 53 that can move in the direction of arrow W mesh with a rotatable pinion gear 52 to interlock them.

  The side regulating plate 31 is fixed to the rack gear 51. The side regulating plate 41 is fixed to the rack gear 53. For this reason, when the user moves the side restricting plate 41 in order to change the sheet size in a state where there is no sheet in the cassette 10, the moving mechanism 50 interlocks the rack gears 51 and 53 so that the side restricting plates 31 and 41 are moved. It moves symmetrically in the direction of arrow W. Accordingly, the side regulating plates 31 and 41 match the center line in the width direction of the sheet supplied to the image forming unit 6 shown in FIG. 1 with the center line in the width direction of the toner image formed in the image forming unit 6. .

  As shown in FIG. 5, a cassette housing portion 60 is fixed to the lower part of the apparatus main body 3. A slider 62 a is attached to the left frame 62 of the cassette housing portion 60, and a slider 61 a is attached to the right frame 61. The cassette 10 is supported by the slider 62a and the slider 61a and is movable in the directions of arrows A and C.

(Separated nails)
As shown in FIG. 3, a separation claw 32 is provided at the end of the side regulating plate 31 in the arrow B direction. The separation claw 32 moves in the arrow W direction integrally with the side regulating plate 31. A separation claw 42 is provided at the end of the side regulating plate 41 in the arrow B direction. The separation claw 42 moves in the arrow W direction integrally with the side regulating plate 41.

  On the stacking plate 26, sheets are stacked in a state where the leading ends in the direction of arrow B are pressed by the separation claws 32 and 42. The separation claws 32 and 42 press down both corners on the leading end side (downstream side in the sheet feeding direction) of the sheets on the stacking plate 26 regulated by the side regulating plates 31 and 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the half-moon-shaped feeding roller 5a rotates in the direction of the arrow 5r to push down the sheet P. The feeding roller 5a abuts on the uppermost sheet P1 in a state where the sheet P is separated from the separation claws 32 and 42, and is rubbed to move in the arrow B direction. The sheet P1 is bent at both ends of the tip in the arrow B direction against the separation claws 32 and 42, the uppermost sheet P1 passes over the separation claws 32 and 42, and is pulled out in the arrow B direction. The tip is brought into contact with the separation claws 32 and 42 and stopped. Thus, when the sheet is pulled out from the cassette 10 in the direction of arrow B, the sheets are separated one by one by the separating action of the separation claws 32 and 42.

  The conveyance roller 5c conveys the sheet P1 in the arrow B direction. The retard roller 5b incorporates a torque limiter and is driven so as to convey the sheet P1 in the direction opposite to the arrow B. However, the retard roller 5b is driven to rotate when it is in contact with the conveyance roller 5c. When a plurality of sheets are conveyed at a time, the retard roller 5b pushes back the sheet that is overlapped with the uppermost sheet P1 to the cassette 10.

(Side control plate collapsed)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the fall of the side regulating plate. In FIG. 6, (a) is before accommodation, (b) collides with the accommodation end, and (c) is after accommodation.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the cassette 10 is in the direction of arrow A with respect to the cassette housing portion 60 in a state where the end portion of the sheet P is regulated by the side regulating plates 31 and 41 supported by the moving mechanism 50. Inserted into.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the cassette 10 is vigorously inserted into the cassette housing portion 60, the cassette 10 was housed in the cassette 10 when it collided with the positioning portion 65 and suddenly stopped. A large inertial force of the sheet P acts on the side regulating plate 31. When the side regulating plate 31 is rotated or tilted by receiving the inertial force of the sheet P, the center position in the width direction of the sheet accommodated in the cassette 10 is shifted. If the center position in the width direction of the sheet is deviated, the position of the image formed image may be deviated, or the positional relationship with the feeding roller (5a: FIG. 1) may be changed and the sheet may be skewed.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the end portion of the leading end of the sheet that has come out of the separation claw 42 when the side regulating plate 31 falls down cannot be returned under the separation claw 42 and overlaps the separation claw 42. The corner may be bent by colliding with the separation claw 42. If the sheet is fed in a state where the end of the sheet end overlaps or bends over the separation claw 42, the separation claw 42 cannot fold the sheet, and sheet jam or sheet double feeding It will cause.

  Accordingly, it has been considered to increase the rigidity of the side regulating plate 31 by increasing the thickness of the side regulating plate 31 and increasing the rigidity of the moving mechanism 50. By increasing the rigidity of the side regulating plate 31, it can withstand the inertial force of the sheet P generated when the cassette 10 is inserted and prevents the side regulating plate 31 from moving or falling. However, using an expensive member to increase the rigidity hinders cost reduction of the image forming apparatus. Employing heavy components to increase the rigidity hinders the weight reduction of the image forming apparatus 1.

  Therefore, it has been considered to arrange a fall prevention member between the side regulating plate 31 and the inner wall surface on the back side of the sheet accommodating portion 20 of the cassette 10. The load acting on the side regulating plate 31 from the sheet P is received by the compressive stress of the falling preventing member to prevent the side regulating plate 31 from falling.

  However, the fall prevention member that supports the side regulation plate 31 with compressive stress requires a wide space for arranging the fall prevention member between the side regulation plate 31 and the inner wall surface of the sheet accommodating portion 20. For this reason, the length of the cassette 10 in the drawing / inserting direction is increased, and the cassette 10 is increased in size. In order to receive the pressing force from the fall prevention member, a new reinforcing structure is required on the wall of the sheet storage unit 20, and the weight of the sheet storage unit 20 increases.

  Further, since the same fall prevention member cannot be used at the same place when the sheet size is changed, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of types of dedicated fall prevention members according to the sheet size. Or it is necessary to provide the some attachment position according to the sheet size with respect to the fall prevention member. As a result, the cassette 10 becomes larger, and the work of changing the sheet size in the cassette 10 becomes complicated.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, a fall prevention member that supports the side regulating plate 31 that receives the inertial force of the sheet P with a tensile load is provided. This eliminates the need to reinforce the wall on the back side of the seat accommodating portion 20 and prevents the side regulating plate 31 from falling with a simple configuration with a small number of parts.

(Attaching the fall prevention member)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a state in which the fall prevention member is attached to the side regulating plate. 7A is an overall view of the side regulating plate, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the fall prevention member.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the separation claw 32 is fixed to the tip portion of the side regulating plate 31 in the arrow B direction (downstream portion in the sheet conveying direction). The bearing portion 31 a is integrally molded with the side regulating plate 31 so as to be positioned below the separation claw 32.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the rotation shaft 35 is inserted into the bearing portion 31 a, and the fall prevention member 33 is rotatably provided by the rotation shaft 35. The fall prevention member 33 is a hook member made of a magnetic material formed by bending a steel plate to form a rotation hole 33a and an engagement portion 33b, and the surface thereof is coated.

  A spring accommodating portion 31b is formed at an interval between the bearing portions 31a, and a torsion coil spring 34 is inserted into a rotating shaft 35 penetrating the spring accommodating portion 31b. The torsion coil spring 34 is arranged with one end abutting against the side regulating plate 31 and the other end abutting against the fall prevention member 33. The torsion coil spring 34 biases the fall prevention member 33 in the direction of arrow E with respect to the side regulating plate 31. The side restricting plate 31 is in contact with the front end surface of the bearing portion 31a to define the rotational position in the released state.

(Operation of the fall prevention member)
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the fall prevention member in the first embodiment. 8, (a) is the unlocked state, (b) is the locked state at 16K size (195 × 270 mm), and (c) is the locked state at A4 size (210 × 297 mm).

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the fall prevention member 33, which is an example of an interlocking unit, is provided to be movable in conjunction with the movement of the side regulating plate 31 that is one of the sheet storage portion and the side regulating plate. Yes. For this reason, the side regulating plate 31 and the sheet storage portion 20 can be connected by an easy operation of switching and engaging the fixing portions 21 and 22.

  The fixing portions 21 and 22, which are examples of engaging means, are provided in the sheet storage portion 20, which is the other of the sheet storage portion and the side regulating plate, and engage with the fall prevention member 33 according to the movement position of the fall prevention member 33. Is possible. And the fixing | fixed part 21 and 22 engages with the fall prevention member 33, and prevents the side regulation board 31 from moving to the direction away from the sheet | seat to regulate. For this reason, the load applied to the side regulating plate 31 is received by the sheet storage portion 20 via the fall prevention member 33. The load borne by the side regulating plate 31 is reduced, and the movement and falling of the side regulating plate 31 are prevented. The fixing portions 21 and 22 are arranged in correspondence with the fall prevention members 33 that move according to the fixing positions of the side regulating plates 31. In the present embodiment, a plurality of fixing portions 21 and 22 are arranged corresponding to a plurality of types of sheet sizes. Therefore, the adjustment according to the sheet size is completed only by releasing the engagement of the fall prevention member 33 and changing the fixing portions 21 and 22 to be engaged.

  The fall prevention member 33 is disposed at an outer position in the arrow B direction of the sheet stored in the sheet storage unit 20. For this reason, it is not necessary to arrange | position the member which prevents the side control board 31 from falling between the wall of the back side of the sheet | seat accommodating part 20, and the side control board 31. FIG. When the supporting rigidity of the lower end portion of the side regulating plate 31 by the moving mechanism 50 is low, even if the rigidity of the side regulating plate 31 itself is low, by locking the leading position of the side regulating plate 31 in the arrow B direction, separation on the opposite side It is possible to efficiently prevent the nail 42 from slipping out of the sheet. The fall prevention member 33 engages with the fixing portions 21 and 22 at the center in the height direction of the side regulating plate 31 or at a position higher than the center. For this reason, the tensile force which the fall prevention member 33 bears in order to generate the torque which prevents the fall of the side control board 31 becomes small.

  The fall prevention member 33 receives a tensile load in the arrow A direction due to an inertial force that acts on the side regulating plate 31 when the sheet storage portion 20 moves and stops in the arrow A direction. For this reason, the fall prevention member 33 does not buckle and can be configured to be lighter and smaller than a member that receives a compressive load that requires measures against buckling deformation. The fall prevention member 33 rotates in a horizontal plane in a state where the longitudinal direction of the cross section of the thin plate material is substantially vertical. For this reason, the fall prevention member 33 having a relatively large area can be arranged in the limited space of the cassette 10 and rotated greatly.

  A fixed portion 21 for 16K size and a fixed portion 22 for A4 size lateral feed size are also formed to serve as ribs for reinforcing the leading wall 10a in the arrow B direction of the cassette 10. The fixing portions 21 and 22 are provided with magnets (not shown) that can attract and hold the fall prevention member 33 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 34. A magnet (not shown) generates a magnetic force necessary to hold the fall prevention member 33 on the fixing portions 21 and 22.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the user engages the fall prevention member 33 with the fixing portions 21 and 22 by manual operation before inserting the cassette 10 into the cassette housing portion 60. The user moves the cassette 10 in the direction of arrow A and positions the cassette 10 at the storage position P1 after engaging the fall prevention member 33 with the fixing portions 21 and 22 at the pull-out position P2. As a result, the inertial force of the sheet acting on the side restricting plate 31 is transmitted to the sheet accommodating portion 20, and the side restricting plate 31 is prevented from falling when the cassette 10 is vigorously inserted into the cassette accommodating portion 60. Is done.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the side regulating plate 31 is locked in accordance with a 16K size sheet by engaging the falling prevention member 33 with the fixing portion 21. As shown in FIG. 8C, the side regulating plate 31 is locked in accordance with a sheet of A4 lateral feed size by engaging the falling prevention member 33 with the fixing portion 22.

(Adjustment procedure)
The user executes the engagement of the fall prevention member 33 according to the following procedure.
(1) As shown in FIG. 8A, when the user releases the engagement of the fall prevention member 33 by manual operation, the fall prevention member 33 is released from the engagement by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 34. Keep state.
(2) In the state of (1), the user moves the side regulating plate 31 in the direction of arrow W by manual operation, and abuts against the end of the sheet.
(3) When the operation of (2) is completed, the user engages the fall prevention member 33 with the fixing portion 21 or the fixing portion 22 by manual operation and holds it with the magnet.

(Effect of Embodiment 1)
In the first embodiment, the side restriction plate 31 is moved and fallen by engaging the fall prevention member 33 of the hook member rotatably provided on the side restriction plate 31 with the fixing portions 21 and 22 of the sheet storage portion 20. To prevent. For this reason, it is not necessary to arrange | position a fall prevention member between the side control board 31 and the inner wall surface of the back | inner side of the sheet | seat accommodating part 20. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, the side regulating plate 31 can be effectively prevented from falling down at a low cost by a simple mechanism without increasing the size of the cassette 10 in the arrow A / C direction (depth direction).

  In the first embodiment, by preventing the side regulating plate 31 from falling down, even when the cassette 10 is vigorously inserted and suddenly stopped, the sheet is displaced in the width direction, skewed, and the separation claw 32 from below. It can prevent slipping out. Thereby, it is possible to prevent center deviation, oblique deviation, double feeding, and sheet jam of the image formed on the sheet.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, the user engaged and disengaged the fall prevention member 33 from the sheet storage unit 20 by a manual operation. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the fall prevention member 33 is automatically engaged and disengaged with respect to the sheet storage portion 20 as the cassette 10 is inserted into and removed from the cassette storage portion 60.

(Contact part)
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the contact portions 63 in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the contact portion 63. In FIG. 10, (a) is the unlocked state, (b) is the guidance start state, and (c) is the locked state. The second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the first embodiment except for the presence or absence of the contact portion 63, and functions in the same manner. Therefore, in FIG. 9, FIG. 10, the same structure as Embodiment 1 is attached | subjected to the same code | symbol as FIGS. 1-5, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the second embodiment, no magnet is provided in the fixing portions 21 and 22, so that the fall prevention member 33 is unlocked with respect to the fixing portions 21 and 22 of the sheet storage portion 20 at the pull-out position P <b> 2. Has been. In the process in which the user manually moves the cassette 10 from the pull-out position P2 to the storage position P1, the contact portion 63 contacts and rotates with the fall-preventing member 33, so that the sheet storage portion 20 is fixed to the fixing portions 21 and 22. Engagement of the fall prevention member 33 is realized.

  A contact portion 63 is provided at a height position where it can contact the fall prevention member 33 in the left frame 62 of the cassette housing portion 60. As indicated by the broken line, the contact part 63 continues to the innermost part of the cassette housing part 60. The contact portion 63 engages the fall prevention member 33 with the fixing portions 21 and 22 of the sheet storage portion 20 against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 34 shown in FIG.

  When the cassette 10 is located at the drawing position P2, as shown in FIG. 10A, the engagement of the torsion preventing member 33 and the sheet accommodating portion 20 with respect to the fixing portions 21 and 22 is released by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 34. Has been. For this reason, the user can freely set the facing distance between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 without performing the unlocking operation.

  The user inserts the cassette 10 into the cassette housing portion 60 after placing the sheet at the interval between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 of the cassette 10. In the process of moving the cassette 10 from the pull-out position P2 to the storage position P1, as shown in FIG. 10B, the fall prevention member 33 contacts the contact portion 63 and is pressed toward the sheet storage portion 20 to be fixed. Engages with one of the parts 21, 22. The pressed state by the contact portion 63 and the engaged state of the fall prevention member 33 continue until the cassette 10 is pulled out next time.

  The contact portion 63 keeps the fall prevention member 33 engaged with one of the fixing portions 21 and 22 as shown in FIG. 10A until the cassette 10 moves to the accommodation position P1. The contact part 63 maintains the engagement of the fall prevention member 33 with respect to the fixing parts 21 and 22 instead of the magnet of the first embodiment. When the fall prevention member 33 is engaged with one of the fixing portions 21 and 22, the sheet storage portion 20 and the side regulating plate 31 are connected.

  Since the sheet storage unit 20 and the side regulation plate 31 are connected, the cassette 10 abuts against the inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit 60 and the side regulation plate 31 receives the load of the sheets stacked on the sheet storage unit 20. At this time, the side regulating plate 31 is unlikely to move or fall over.

  In the process in which the cassette 10 is pulled out from the cassette housing portion 60, as shown in FIG. 10B, the contact of the contact portion 63 disappears, and the elasticity of the torsion coil spring 34 causes the one of the fixed portions 21 and 22 to be pulled. The engagement of the fall prevention member 33 is automatically released.

  In this way, in the second embodiment, the torsion coil spring 34 and the contact portion 63, which are examples of the release means, rotate (move) the fall-preventing member 33 as the sheet accommodating portion 20 is pulled out. Thus, the engagement with the fixing portions 21 and 22 is automatically released. Further, the contact portion 63, which is an example of an execution unit, automatically engages with the fixing portions 21 and 22 by rotating (moving) the fall-preventing member 33 as the sheet storage portion 20 is accommodated. Let it run.

  In the second embodiment, in conjunction with the insertion / extraction of the cassette 10 with respect to the cassette housing portion 60, the fall prevention member 33 and the sheet housing portion 20 are automatically engaged and released. When the cassette 10 is pulled out, the engagement is released by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 34, and when the cassette 10 is inserted, the engagement is performed by the contact portion 63. For this reason, it is not necessary for the user to manually unlock when changing the sheet size. There is no need to unlock and lock the side regulating plate 31 when changing the sheet size or replenishing the sheet. Even if forgetting to unlock and lock the side regulating plate 31 when the facing distance between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 is set, there is no problem because the locking is automatically performed.

  In the second embodiment, the contact portion 63 is disposed at the inlet of the cassette housing portion 60. However, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 5, the contact portion 63B is arranged so as to rotate the fall prevention member 33 on the back side in the arrow A direction, and the fall prevention member 33 is fixed to the fixing portion 21 immediately before the accommodation position P1. , 22 may be engaged.

<Embodiment 3>
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the fall prevention member 33 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the side regulating plate 31, and the fixing portions 21 and 22 for engaging the fall prevention member 33 are provided in the sheet storage portion 20. Provided. On the other hand, in the third embodiment, the fall prevention member is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the sheet storage portion, and a fixing portion for engaging the fall prevention member is provided on the side regulating plate.

(Attaching the fall prevention member)
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the fall prevention member is attached to the sheet storage portion. FIG. 11 schematically illustrates the cassette and the cassette housing portion, and members substantially the same as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 11, a cassette housing portion 60 is fixed to the lower part of the apparatus main body 3. The cassette 10 feeds the sheet in the direction of the arrow B in a state where the cassette 10 is moved in the direction of the arrow A with respect to the cassette housing portion 60 and positioned at the storage position P1. The cassette 10 is replenished with sheets from above in a state in which the cassette 10 is moved in the direction of arrow C with respect to the cassette housing portion 60 and positioned at the drawing position P2. Side regulating plates 31 and 41 are attached to the sheet storage portion 20 so as to be movable in the arrow W direction. The side regulating plates 31 and 41 are moved symmetrically in the arrow W direction in conjunction with the moving mechanism 50 including the rack gears 51 and 53 and the pinion gear 52.

  A rotation shaft 35 </ b> B is provided on the far wall in the direction of arrow A of the sheet storage portion 20 of the cassette 10. The fall prevention member 33B can be rotated with respect to the sheet storage unit 20 by a rotation shaft 35B. The fixing portions 21B and 22B with which the fall prevention member 33B is engaged are molded of resin integrally with the side regulating plate 31 that regulates the end surface of the sheet storage portion 20 in the arrow A direction.

  The torsion coil spring 34B is provided between the sheet storage portion 20 and the fall prevention member 33B, and urges the fall prevention member 33B to engage the fixing portions 21B and 22B, contrary to the first embodiment. ing.

  The user moves the fall prevention member 33B against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 34B to release the engagement with the fixing portions 21B and 22B, and in that state, moves the side regulating plates 31 and 41 to the sheet size. Corresponding spacing between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 is adjusted.

  When the user releases the fall prevention member 33B, the fall prevention member 33B engages with the fixing portions 21B and 22B by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 34B. Thereby, when the cassette 10 is vigorously inserted into the cassette housing portion 60 and suddenly stops, the side regulating plate 31 is unlikely to fall down in the direction of arrow A.

<Embodiment 4>
In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the fall prevention member 33 provided on the side regulating plate 31 is brought into contact with the cassette housing portion 60 to engage the fall prevention member 33 with the fixing portions 21 and 22. On the other hand, in the fourth embodiment, the fall prevention member provided in the sheet storage portion is brought into contact with the contact portion of the cassette storage portion and engaged with the fixing portion provided in the side regulating plate 31.

(Contact part)
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of the contact portions in the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the contact portion. In FIG. 13, (a) is the locked state, (b) is the contact state, and (c) is the unlocked state. FIG. 12 schematically shows a cassette and a cassette housing portion, and members substantially the same as those described in the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. .

  As shown in FIG. 12, the cassette 10 is inserted in the direction of the arrow A and pulled out in the direction of the arrow C with respect to the cassette housing portion 60 disposed at the lower part of the apparatus main body 3. The cassette 10 regulates the sheets stacked in the sheet storage unit 20 by the side regulation plates 31 and 41 that move symmetrically in conjunction with the arrow W direction.

  The fall prevention member 33 </ b> C is rotatable around a rotation shaft 35 </ b> B provided on the back wall of the sheet storage unit 20. The side regulating plate 31 is provided with fixing portions 21B and 22B to which the falling prevention member 33C can be engaged.

  A detent mechanism 36 that biases the fall prevention member 33C to the engagement position and the engagement release position with respect to the fixing portions 21B and 22B is provided. The detent mechanism 36 includes a cam 36a fixed to the fall prevention member 33C and a leaf spring 36b that presses the cam 36a.

  The cam 36a rotates integrally with the fall prevention member 33C to switch the contact position of the leaf spring 36b between two guide surfaces that sandwich the ridgeline. The cam 36a holds the fall prevention member 33C in one of the engagement position and the engagement release position with respect to the fixing portions 21B and 22B.

  As shown in FIG. 13A, the user moves the cassette 10 in the direction of arrow A and inserts it into the cassette housing portion 60. At this time, the lever 33d of the fall prevention member 33C comes into contact with the contact portion 63, and the fall prevention member 33C rotates and moves to the engagement position with respect to the fixing portions 21B and 22B. Thereafter, the engagement position of the fall prevention member 33 </ b> C is held by the detent mechanism 36.

  As shown in FIG. 13C, the user moves the cassette 10 in the direction of arrow C and pulls it out of the cassette housing portion 60. At this time, the lever 33d of the fall prevention member 33C comes into contact with the contact portion 63, the fall prevention member 33C rotates, and moves to the engagement release position with respect to the fixing portions 21B and 22B. Thereafter, the disengagement position of the fall prevention member 33 </ b> C is held by the detent mechanism 36.

  The user adjusts the side restriction plate 31 according to the sheet size by moving the side restriction plate 31 while the detent mechanism 36 holds the disengagement position of the fall prevention member 33C. In a state where the detent mechanism 36 is engaged with the fall prevention member 33C, the fall prevention member 33C is engaged with the fixing portions 21B and 22B. For this reason, when the cassette 10 is vigorously inserted into the cassette housing portion 60 and suddenly stops, the side regulating plate 31 is unlikely to fall down in the direction of arrow A.

<Other embodiments>
The sheet storage device of the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration described in the first to fourth embodiments. Other embodiments in which a part or all of the configurations of the first to fourth embodiments are replaced with equivalent members can also be implemented. The sheet storage apparatus may be implemented by an apparatus that processes sheets other than the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is not limited to the electrophotographic system, and may be implemented by an inkjet system, an offset printing system, or the like. The image forming apparatus is not limited to a monochrome copying machine, and may be implemented by other image forming apparatuses such as a fax machine, a multifunction machine, and a full color printer.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the interlocking unit moves so as to rotate about the rotation axis. However, the interlocking unit may engage with the engaging unit by performing a slide movement. Further, when the movement of the interlocking means is turning, the turning surface is not always horizontal. The interlocking means may rotate in a vertical plane and engage with the engaging means by gravity.

  In the first and second embodiments, the interlocking means supports the regulating means while receiving a tensile load. However, as in the third and fourth embodiments, the interlocking unit may support the regulating unit while receiving a compressive load.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, examples of the magnet, the pressing by the contact portion, and the detent mechanism have been described as the configuration for maintaining the engaged state between the interlocking unit and the engaging unit. However, the configuration for maintaining the engaged state between the interlocking means and the engaging means is a different method, such as a hook-and-loop fastener, solenoid, gravity, frictional force, hook, and a mechanism sandwiched by opposed leaf springs. Also good. The torsion coil spring 34 may be used for biasing in the engaging direction with respect to the engaging means, or may be used for biasing in the disengaging direction.

  In the first to fourth embodiments, the example in which the user adjusts the facing distance between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 by manual operation has been described. However, the adjustment of the facing distance between the side regulating plates 31 and 41 may be automatically executed by a motor or the like. Thereafter, the engagement of the interlocking unit with the engaging unit may be performed manually, or may be automatically performed following the adjustment of the facing distance between the side regulating plates 31 and 41.

1: image forming apparatus, 2: image reading apparatus, 3: apparatus main body, 5: paper feeding section, 6: image forming section (image forming means), 7: fixing apparatus (image forming means), 10: cassette (sheet storage) Apparatus), 20: sheet accommodating portion (sheet accommodating means), 21, 21B: fixing portion (engaging means), 22, 22B: fixing portion (engaging means), 31: side regulating plate (regulating means), 32: Separation claw, 33, 33B, 33C: fall prevention member (interlocking means), 34: torsion coil spring, 35: rotating shaft, 36: detent mechanism, 41: side regulating plate, 42: separation claw, 50: moving mechanism, 51 : Rack gear, 52: pinion gear, 53: rack gear, 60: cassette housing section (sheet housing apparatus main body), 61: right frame, 61a, 62a: slider, 62: left frame, 63: contact section (release means, execution means) )

Claims (7)

Sheet storage means for stacking and storing sheets;
A restricting means that is movably provided in the sheet accommodating means and restricts an end portion of the sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating means;
Interlocking means movable in conjunction with movement of the restricting means;
Engagement means that engages with the interlocking means according to the movement position of the interlocking means, and prevents the restricting means from moving in a direction away from the sheet to be regulated.
A sheet storage device. The regulating means can be moved and fixed to a position corresponding to the size of the sheet to be regulated,
The engaging means is arranged corresponding to the interlocking means that moves according to each fixed position of the restricting means.
The sheet storage device according to claim 1. The interlocking means is provided on one of the sheet accommodating means and the restricting means,
The engaging means is provided on the other of the sheet accommodating means and the restricting means.
The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet storage device is provided. The sheet storage means is freely drawable from the sheet storage apparatus main body, and the interlocking means engages with the engagement means at the center in the height direction of the restriction means or at a position higher than the center.
The sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sheet storage device is provided. A release means for releasing the engagement with the engagement means by moving the interlocking means in accordance with the movement of the sheet storage means pulled out from the apparatus main body;
The sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet storage device is provided. An execution means for moving the interlocking means in accordance with the movement of the sheet storage means accommodated in the apparatus main body and executing the engagement with the engagement means;
The sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sheet storage device is provided. The sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet fed from the sheet storage device,
An image forming apparatus.

Images