JPH03166134A - Structure of sheet feed cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obviate labor of taking out a large format sheet each time to outside an image forming device and also necessity for securing the space therefore by mounting removably a sheet supply cassette for small formate sheets on the oversurface of a sheet supply cassette for large format sheets. CONSTITUTION:A sheet supply cassette 1 for large format sheets in which A1 sheets P1 are stacked and a holder 6 for small format sheets, in which A2 sheets P2 are stacked on the mentioned large sheet supply cassette 1, are installed in an image forming device 20 in the condition as placed one over the other. If in this condition the image forming operation is commenced by the image forming device 20, a supporting rod 9 drops in the direction of arrow and a roller 11 starts rotating. When this roller 11 comes in contact with the A2 sheets P2 in the small sheet holder 6, they are paid off to the right according to the attached illustration by the roller 11 rotating. In the case copying is made with A1 sheet P1, on the other hand, this small sheet holder 6 is removed from the large sheet supply cassette 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the structure of a paper feed cassette used when supplying copy paper to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

[Conventional technology]

When copying with a copying machine, copy paper is supplied from a paper feed cassette in which paper is stacked.

Conventionally, when feeding paper of different sizes to a copying machine, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-133540, paper is supplied from a paper feed cassette, and a width-adjustable paper provided on the top cover of the paper feed cassette is used. An apparatus has been proposed in which paper sheets of different sizes are manually fed from a guide member.

Furthermore, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 61-136835, by providing a regulating member in the cassette container and changing the arrangement position of this regulating member, it is possible to use the above regulating member with an A3-sized cassette, for example. It has been proposed to place size paper on top of A3 size paper, detect the placed A4 size paper, and supply it to a copying machine.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 62-133540, a width-adjustable guide member is provided on the top cover of the paper feed cassette, which makes the structure complicated and increases cost. Furthermore, since the single-sheet paper is manually fed one by one to the guide member, there is a problem in that it is not possible to copy many sheets at once, which takes time and effort.

Furthermore, the method disclosed in JP-A No. 61-136835 uses the same cassette and feeds paper using the claws of the cassette, so it is only possible to use paper of the same width. cannot be applied. Further, when changing the size of paper (within the same width range of paper), it is necessary to change the position of the regulating member within the cassette container, which is a problem in that it is time-consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to propose a structure of a paper feed cassette in which a cassette for small-sized paper can be placed over a built-in cassette for large-sized paper.

[Means to solve the problem]

In a paper feed cassette that sequentially feeds laminated paper from the top side, small-size paper is fed with its leading edge positioned above the large-size paper feed cassette built into an image forming apparatus. The cassette can be detachably attached.

[Effect]

According to the configuration of the present invention, when copying on small size paper,
Small size paper can be supplied by stacking and attaching the small size paper cassette on top of the built-in large size paper cassette. When copying onto large-sized paper, the large-sized paper can be supplied by removing the small-sized paper cassette.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structures of the built-in cassette for large-sized paper and the holder for small-sized paper (cassette for small-sized paper).

1 is a bottom plate part 2 and a side plate part 3 whose both sides are bent upward.
This is a paper feed cassette for large-sized paper, which is composed of a cassette guide 4, which has a paired structure at a suitable position on the upper surface of the bottom plate part 2, for example, to align and stack A1-sized papers Pl.
4 is provided.

Further, a pair of fitting holes 5 are bored on the front end side of the bottom plate portion 2 at a position immediately before the stacking position of the A1 size paper P0.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a holder for small size paper, which is composed of a bottom plate part (not visible in the figure) and a side plate part 7 whose both sides are bent upward, and inside thereof, for example, A2 size paper P2 can be stacked. ing. A pair of holder stops 8 are provided at appropriate positions at the tip of the small-sized paper holder 6 and are formed to be able to fit into the pair of fitting holes 5 .

This holder 6 for small size paper is positioned at the top of the paper feed cassette 1 for large size paper as shown by the arrow, and the pair of holder stops 8 are fitted into the pair of fitting holes 5. A small-sized paper holder 6 can be placed overlappingly on the upper surface of the paper feed cassette 1.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the state in which the small size paper holder 6 is attached to the large size paper feed cassette 1.

In this state shown in FIG. 1, copying using A2 size paper P2 is possible.

The holder 6 for small size paper is the paper feed cassette 1 for large size paper.
It is attached to the A1 size paper P1 inside.

Moreover, the holder 6 for small size paper has a pair of holder stops 8.
is fitted into the pair of fitting holes 5, so that it is always attached so as to be in contact with the upper end surface of the A1 size paper P1, regardless of the number of stacked sheets of the A1 size paper P1. As a result, the small-sized paper holder 6 is always maintained parallel to the large-sized paper feed cassette 1.

In addition, by setting the attachment position of the holder stopper 8 and the fitting hole 5 to a predetermined position,
The tip of the holder 6 for small size paper and the tip of the paper feed cassette 1 for large size paper can be aligned. Note that the attachment positions of the holder stopper 8 and the fitting hole 5 may be determined so that the leading ends of each of the stacked sheets P and P2 are aligned.

Then, in this state, it is mounted and stored in an image forming apparatus (not shown).

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the vicinity of the paper feed section showing a state in which the paper feed cassette is installed in the image forming apparatus 20.

Inside the image formatting device 20 are the paper feed cassette 1 for large size paper stacked with A1 size paper P1 and the paper feed a for the large size paper.
A small size paper holder 6 with A2 size paper P2 stacked on top of the cassette 1 (on top of the A1 size paper P if Al size paper P1 is stacked) is installed in a stacked state. .

In the figure, reference numeral 9 denotes a roller support rod, one end of which is rotatably attached to a shaft 10, and the other end provided with a roller 11 driven by a drive source (not shown). 12a. 12
Reference numeral b designates a pair of paper feed rollers for separating the sheets fed out by the roller 11 one by one and guiding them to the conveyance path 13.

When the image forming apparatus 20 starts the image forming operation in such a state, the support rod 9 falls in the direction of the arrow, and
The roller 11 starts rotating. When the roller 11 comes into contact with the A2 size paper P2 in the small size paper holder 6, the rotation of the roller 11 feeds out the A2 size paper P2 in the right direction in the figure. The fed-out A2 size paper P2 is transferred to the conveying roller pair 12a. 12b, the sheets are sorted one by one and fed toward the conveyance path 13, and then an image is transferred onto the A2 size paper P2 at an image forming section (not shown).

On the other hand, when copying with Al size paper P1, remove the small size paper holder 6 from the large size paper feed cassette 1, and when A1 size paper P1 is stacked, attach it to the image forming apparatus and store it. On the other hand, A1 size paper Pl
If they are not stacked, install and store them in a new stack. After this, the copying process as described above is performed.

A magnet is provided at the tip of the bottom plate part 2 of the paper feed cassette 1 for large-sized paper, and the holder stopper 8 of the holder 6 for small-sized paper is made of a magnetic material, so that the paper can be attracted by the bow absorption force of the magnet. The holder 6 for small size paper may be attached to the paper feed cassette 1 for large size paper.

Further, the number of fitting holes 5 and fasteners 8 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, since the small-sized paper supply cassette can be detachably attached to the top surface of the large-sized paper supply cassette, large-sized paper can be removed from the image forming apparatus each time. There is no need to take the trouble of taking it out or to secure the space for it.

Furthermore, space can be saved because there is no need to provide a separate cassette mounting section for small-sized cassettes in the image forming apparatus.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the attached state of the built-in cassette for large-sized paper and the holder for small-sized paper (cassette for small-sized paper) according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows the holder for small-sized paper and the holder for large-sized paper and the holder for large-sized paper. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing each structure of the paper cassette, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the state in which the paper feed cassette is installed in the paper feed section of the copying machine. 1... Paper feed cassette for large size paper, 2... Bottom plate section,
4... Cassette guide, 5... Fitting hole, 6... Holder for small size paper (paper feed cassette for small size paper), 8
...Holder stopper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In the paper feed cassette that feeds laminated paper sequentially from the top, place the paper feed cassette for small size paper with its leading edge aligned with the paper feed cassette for large size paper built into the image forming device. A paper feed cassette structure characterized by being able to be attached and detached.