JP2002037461A - Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus and a sheet feed tray capable of solving the problems of the conventional sheet feed tray to stabilize sheet feeding performance and prevent breakage of the sheet feed dray. SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus body 10 is provided with a wrong setting preventing member 8, whereby when the sheet feed tray 1 is inserted in the image forming apparatus body 10 in the state of uncompletely setting an extension part 5, the wrong setting preventing member 8 interferes with a fixed member 7 so that the sheet feed tray 1 can not be inserted. Thus, a user becomes aware that the extension part 5 is not completely set, so that the fixed member 7 can prevent sheet feeding in the unset state. Accordingly, sheet feeding failure and breakage of parts can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like, and a paper feeder used for the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A paper feed tray for loading sheets used in an image forming apparatus includes:
In some cases, an extension is provided to accommodate large-size paper. In such a paper tray, when stacking small-sized paper, use it with the extension part contracted,
When loading large-size paper, use it with the extension part extended. For this reason, the extension portion is provided so as to be slidable, and can be fixed at the contracted position and the extended position.

The extension can be fixed or released by operating a fixing member. An operation of releasing the fixing member and extending or contracting the extension portion is performed. However, if the fixing member is not completely fixed or if the fixing member is forgotten to be fixed, the extension portion is displaced, whereby the position of the stacked paper is also displaced, which causes a paper feeding failure. Also,
The input tray can even be damaged.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which solves the problems of the conventional paper feed tray, stabilizes the paper feed performance and prevents the damage of the paper feed tray, and a paper feed tray used for the image forming apparatus. It is intended for.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder, comprising: an extension for accommodating large-size paper; In the sheet feeder having a fixing member for fixing the image forming apparatus to the image forming apparatus, the fixing member is a pressure contact portion for detecting the setting to the image forming apparatus main body.

[0006] Claim 1 of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus using a paper feeder having an extension for accommodating large-size paper and a fixing member for fixing the extension to the paper feed tray main body, The image forming apparatus has a fixing member for preventing the fixing member from being set erroneously.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus, comprising: an extension for accommodating large-size paper; and a fixing member for fixing the extension to a paper feed tray main body. An image forming apparatus using a paper device is characterized in that the image forming apparatus main body includes a set member of the fixing member.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main configuration of a paper feed tray constituting an embodiment of a paper feeder used in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an image forming apparatus according to the present invention using the paper feed tray of FIG. It is a perspective view showing composition of one embodiment of a device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus main body 10
Is provided with a paper feed tray 1 which can be slid in and out. The paper feed tray 1 is provided with an extension 5 to accommodate large-size paper. The extension 5 has a dustproof cover 11 and covers paper loaded inside.

Inside the paper feed tray 1, a bottom plate 2 on which paper is loaded is provided so as to be rotatable up and down around a fulcrum. In addition, side fence pair 3, which regulates the side edge of paper,
4. The extension 5 described above for handling a large-size sheet, the back fence 6 for regulating the rear end of the sheet on the extension 5, and fixing members 7 for fixing the extension 5 are provided.

The extension 5 can be slid in the direction of the arrow in FIG. When a large-size sheet is set, the extension portion 5 is extended obliquely to the upper left in FIG. When a small-size sheet is set, the extension unit 5 is contracted obliquely downward to the right.

FIG. 3 corresponds to an enlarged portion on the upper side of FIG. 1 in a state where the fixing member 7 is released from the side wall of the extension portion 5, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the fixing member 7 is set (fixed) on the side wall of the extension portion 5. Corresponds to the enlarged portion on the lower side of FIG.

Here, the fixing member 7 is released to change the size of the paper to be stacked (see the enlarged portion on the upper side in FIG. 1).
Then, after operating the extension portion 5, the fixing member 7 is fixed (FIG. 1).
May not be perfect, or you may forget to fix it. In this case, as described above, since the position of the back fence 6 is shifted and the position of the sheet is shifted, a sheet feeding failure such as jam or skew occurs, or the main body of the sheet feeding tray 1 and the extension 5 May be damaged.

In the embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an erroneous setting preventing member 8 is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 10, and an extension 5 shown in FIG.
When the sheet tray 1 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 10 in a state where the sheet tray 1 is not completely set (the arrow indicates the insertion direction), the erroneous setting prevention member 8 interferes with the fixing member 7 so that the sheet tray 1 cannot be inserted. It has become. For this reason, the user notices that the extension unit 5 is not completely set, and it is possible to prevent the sheet from being fed without the fixing member 7 being set, thereby preventing a defective sheet feeding or damage to components. FIG.
Is a state where the fixing member 7 is completely set.

FIG. 7 is a view showing another embodiment of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus main body 10 is provided with a set member 9, and the extension unit 5 is not completely set. When the paper feed tray 1 is inserted into the image forming apparatus main body 10,
The fixing member 7 is forcibly set along the setting member 9 to prevent the sheet from being fed without being set, so that it is possible to prevent defective sheet feeding and damage to components. FIG.
Is a state where the fixing member 7 is completely set.

FIG. 9 is a view showing still another embodiment of the sheet feeding apparatus according to the present invention, wherein a set detecting means for detecting that the sheet feeding tray 1 provided in the image forming apparatus main body 10 has been securely set. 12 are provided. The set detection means 12
Since the fixing member 7 is brought into contact with the fixing member 7, it is also possible to detect that the fixing member 7 is not completely set. . FIG. 10 shows a state in which the fixing member 7 is completely set, in which the setting member 12 is pushed by the fixing member 7 to indicate that the insertion of the sheet feeding tray 1 is complete.

[0017]

As described above, the paper feeding apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention has the effects of preventing erroneous setting of the fixing member, stabilizing the paper feeding performance, and preventing breakage of parts. is there.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising:
As described above, there is an effect that the setting of the fixing member can be surely performed, and both the improvement of the operability and the stability of the sheet feeding performance can be achieved.

In the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, as described above, since the unset state of the fixing member can be detected, there is an effect that the recognition can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a main configuration of a sheet feeding tray constituting an embodiment of a sheet feeding device used in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention using the paper feed tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing member is released from a side wall of an extension portion in the sheet feeding tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing member is set (fixed) on a side wall of an extension portion in the sheet feeding tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where a fixing member is not completely set in the sheet feeding tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing member is completely set in the sheet feeding tray of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which a fixing member is not completely set in another embodiment of the sheet feeding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state where the set of the fixing members is completed.

FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a state in which a fixing member is not completely set in still another embodiment of the paper feeding apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state where a set of the fixing members is completed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 paper feed tray 2 bottom plate 3, 4 pair of side fences 5 extension 6 back fence 7 fixing member 8 erroneous setting prevention member 9 setting member 10 image forming apparatus main body 11 dustproof cover 12 set detecting means

Claims (3)

[Claims] An extension portion for accommodating large-size paper;
A sheet feeding device having a fixing member for fixing the extension to the sheet feeding tray main body, wherein the fixing member is a press-contact portion for detecting setting to the image forming apparatus main body. 2. An extension for accommodating large size paper,
An image forming apparatus using a sheet feeding device having a fixing member for fixing the extension portion to a sheet feeding tray main body, wherein the image forming apparatus main body includes a member for preventing the fixing member from being erroneously set. 3. An extension for accommodating large size paper,
An image forming apparatus using a sheet feeding device having a fixing member for fixing the extension to a sheet feeding tray main body, wherein the image forming apparatus main body has a set member of the fixing member.