JP2009292634A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device of simple structure enabled to easily set sheets one by one in a manual paper feeding section. <P>SOLUTION: A manual paper feeding part 4 for feeding sheets P to an image forming section is provided with a manual feeding tray 14 capable of moving between a first and a second positions, and a first and a second regulating parts 13a and 13b for regulating position of the sheet P in a direction crossing the feeding direction. When the manual feeding tray 14 is positioned in the first position, the first regulating part 13a regulates position of the sheet P, and when the manual feeding tray 14 is positioned in the second position, the second regulating part 13b regulates position of the sheet P. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer provided with a sheet feeding device for feeding sheets.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some image forming apparatuses include a manual feed unit that takes out sheets placed on a manual feed tray one by one and feeds them into the apparatus. In this manual feed unit, a user places a desired size or type of sheet on a manual feed tray and uses it.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the apparatus main body 100 is provided with a conveyance path 115 that reaches from the manual feeding port 101 of the manual paper feeding unit to the pair of registration rollers 106 immediately upstream of the image forming unit 102, so that the sheet can be fed. Each sheet is set and fed to the image forming unit 102.

  The manual feed port 101 is provided with a sheet regulating member (hereinafter referred to as a paper guide) 113. The regulation surface of the paper guide 113 is movably provided so as to be in contact with the end surface in the width direction of the sheet. The sheet is regulated by the regulation surface of the paper guide 113 and is set at a predetermined position of the manual feed port 101. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 7-81807 A

  However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, since the paper guide 113 is provided inside the apparatus main body 100 and the opening of the manual feed port 101 is small, the sheets are set one by one from the manual feed port 101. There is a problem that it is difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which sheets are easily set one by one in a manual feeding unit with a simple configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, a typical configuration according to the present invention is provided with a manual feeding unit that feeds a sheet to the image forming unit in an apparatus main body having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet. In the image forming apparatus, the manual feeding unit includes a manual tray that is movable between a first position and a second position, and a sheet regulating member that regulates a position in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction. When the sheet restricting member is provided with first and second restricting portions and the manual feed tray is in the first position, the first restricting portion restricts the position of the sheet, and the second restricting portion When in the position, the second restricting portion restricts the position of the sheet.

  According to the present invention, the operability of the paper guide can be improved with a simple configuration while ensuring miniaturization.

[Embodiment 1]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 4 are perspective views of essential parts of the sheet feeding apparatus, and FIGS. 3 and 5 are essential parts of the sheet feeding apparatus. FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer. The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a sheet feeding device 2. The sheet feeding device 2 includes a feeding cassette 3 and a manual feeding unit 4, and the manual feeding unit 4 is disposed on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 (on the right side in the drawing, the side operated by the user). .

  In the image forming apparatus 1, when feeding the cassette, the sheet P, which is a recording material fed from the feeding cassette 3, is conveyed to the registration roller pair 6 by the conveyance roller pair 5. During manual feeding, the sheet P is conveyed from the manual feeding unit 4 to the registration roller pair 6.

  A toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 8 of the process cartridge 7 as a developing unit is transferred by the transfer roller 9 to the sheet P conveyed by the registration roller pair 6. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a fixing device 10 that heats and pressurizes the sheet P on which the toner image is transferred and fixes the sheet P on the sheet P, and discharges the discharged sheet P to the discharge tray 11 on which the sheets P are fixed. It has a roller pair 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the manual feed unit 4 includes a manual feed tray 14, a first regulating unit 13 a as a paper guide that regulates the side edge of the manually fed sheet P, and a second regulating unit. 13b. Further, a manual feeding path 15 for guiding the sheet P manually fed via the manual feeding unit 4 to the registration roller pair 6 is provided.

  A sheet presence / absence sensor (not shown) for detecting a manually inserted sheet is arranged on the upstream side of the registration roller pair 6. And a photo interrupter (light transmission type detecting means) for detecting the presence or absence of the sheet P according to the position of the sensor flag. Then, based on the detection of the sensor, the registration roller pair 6 rotates to nip the leading edge of the sheet and stop. Thereafter, the registration roller pair 6 rotates in accordance with the image formation timing and supplies the sheet P.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the manual feed tray 14 includes an upper surface plate 16 and a lower surface plate 17. The upper surface plate 16 is formed with a pair of long holes 18 for guiding the paper guides (first and second restricting portions 13a and 13b) in the sheet width direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction). The slider 19 and the gear 20 are provided. In addition, the 1st control part 13a and the 2nd control part 13b which comprise a paper guide are each protrudingly provided in the opposite direction.

  The pair of sliders 19 slid in the sheet width direction together with the paper guide through the long hole 18, and a rack gear portion 19 a is formed on the opposing surfaces of the pair of sliders 19. The gear 20 meshes with the rack gear portion 19a of the slider 19, and the pair of sliders 19 moves in directions opposite to each other.

  The bottom plate 17 is formed with an elongated opening portion 17a, and rotational fulcrums 17b and 17c are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the opening portion 17a. The manual feed tray 14 is opened and closed around the rotational fulcrums 17b and 17c. It is possible. The second restricting portion 13b of the paper guide is movable in the sheet width direction within the opening 17a.

  When performing manual feeding, first, the manual feed tray 14 is opened (first position). Thereafter, the first and second restricting portions 13a and 13b are moved to positions where the width direction of the sheet P is restricted. Then, the width direction of the sheet P is restricted by the first restricting portion 13a, and the sheet P is inserted toward the manual feed path 15 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

  As a result, the sensor flag of the sheet presence / absence sensor is tilted by the leading edge of the sheet P, and the sensor flag shields the sheet presence / absence sensor, thereby detecting that the sheet P has been inserted and rotating the registration roller pair 6. P is niped by the registration roller pair 6.

  Thereafter, the sheet P is fed at a predetermined timing so that the toner image is transferred to a predetermined position on the sheet P. After feeding the sheet P, the manual feed tray 14 is closed (second position).

  When a sheet having the same size as the previously used sheet P is set, since the position of the paper guide has already been adjusted, the sheet P is moved by the second restricting portion 13b while the manual feed tray 14 is closed. Guide (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the first and second restricting portions 13a that restrict the position of the manual feed tray 14 that is openable and closable (rotatable) in the direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the sheet P. , 13b.

  Therefore, when the sheet P is set in the manual feeding portion 4, the position of the first restricting portion 13a is easily adjusted with a simple configuration by opening the manual tray 14 and placing the sheet P thereon. .

  After feeding the sheet P, the manual feed tray 14 is closed, and when the same size as the previously used sheet P is set, the second paper already adjusted in position with the manual feed unit 4 closed. It can regulate by the regulation part 13b. That is, the apparatus can be reduced in size by closing the manual feed tray 14.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the scope does not depart from the spirit of the invention described in the claims of the present invention. Thus, various changes can be made.

  [Embodiment 2]

  For example, a second embodiment of the sheet feeding apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

  6 and 7 are cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the sheet feeding apparatus. In the figure, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  6 and 7, the sheet feeding apparatus includes a manual feed tray 14, an opening 27a, and rails 27b and 27c. The manual feed tray 14 is slidably provided in the opening 27a, and is slid by the rails 27b and 27c from the opening 27a and pulled out.

  In the case of manual feeding, the manual feed tray 14 is pulled out, the sheet P is regulated in the sheet width direction by the first regulating portion 13a of the paper guide, and the sheet P is set. After the sheet P is fed, the manual feed tray 14 is closed and the same size as the previously used sheet P is set. In this case, since the position of the second restricting portion 13b has already been adjusted, the second restricting portion 13b is guided and fed in the closed state.

  In the present embodiment, the first and second restricting portions 13a and 13b are configured to operate as a pair. The structure which operate | moves only one side of the 2nd control part 13a, 13b may be sufficient.

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a main part of the sheet feeding device illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining the sheet feeding device of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4. It is principal part sectional drawing explaining the sheet feeding apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing explaining the sheet feeding apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the conventional image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Sheet feeding apparatus 3 Feed cassette 4 Manual feed part 5 Conveying roller pair 6 Registration roller pair 7 Process cartridge 8 Photosensitive drum 9 Transfer roller
10 Fixing unit
11 Output tray
12 Discharge roller pair
13a First Regulatory Department
13b Second Regulatory Department
14 Bypass tray
15 Manual feed route
16 Top plate
17 Bottom plate
17a, 27a opening
17b, 17c fulcrum
18 Long hole
19 Slider
19a Rack gear section
20 gear
27b, 27c Rail part P sheet

Claims (6)

An apparatus main body having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet is provided with a manual feeding unit that feeds the sheet to the image forming unit, and the manual feeding unit is provided between the first and second positions. In an image forming apparatus having a movable manual feed tray and a sheet regulating member that regulates a position in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction,
When the sheet restricting member is provided with first and second restricting portions, and the manual feed tray is in the first position, the first restricting portion restricts the position of the sheet, and the second restricting portion When in the position, the second restricting portion restricts the position of the sheet. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second restricting portions are provided at the same position in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction. 3. The image according to claim 1, wherein when the manual feed tray is at the first position, the manual tray protrudes from the apparatus main body, and when the manual feed tray is at the second position, the image is stored in the apparatus main body. Forming equipment. The said manual feed tray is rotatably attached with respect to the said apparatus main body, and rotates between said 1st position and said 2nd position, The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The image forming apparatus described in the item. The said manual feed tray is slidably attached with respect to the said apparatus main body, and slides between said 1st position and said 2nd position, The any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The image forming apparatus described. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet regulating member is mounted on the manual feed tray so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction. apparatus.

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