JP4661628B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper feed tray for storing recording paper, an OHP sheet, or a recording sheet such as an envelope or a postcard.

A paper feed tray used in an image forming apparatus is usually configured to be removably mounted on the main body of the image forming apparatus, and has a single tray member that accommodates a recording sheet (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).
JP-A-2005-314067

  By the way, the above-described tray member normally stores recording sheets of A4 size, A5 size, etc., but a single tray member cannot simultaneously store recording sheets of a plurality of types of sizes. For this reason, when performing image formation (printing) on recording sheets of different sizes, an operation of removing the paper feed tray from the image forming apparatus main body and replacing the recording sheets accommodated in the tray member (hereinafter, this operation is replaced). Called work).

  In the image forming apparatus as described above, in order to print on recording sheets of various sizes, it is necessary to frequently perform replacement work, and the replacement work is relatively complicated work. From the viewpoint of a user (user) who prints on recording sheets of various sizes, there is a problem that the image forming apparatus as described above is unusable.

  This can be solved by using an image forming device that can simultaneously install (insert) multiple types of paper feed trays, such as a large copier, but multiple types of paper feed trays can be installed. Since such a large image forming apparatus is large, the above problem cannot be solved when a large installation space such as a general home cannot be secured.

  Therefore, the inventor has a recording sheet smaller than the recording sheet accommodated in the first sheet feeding tray on the upper opening side of the existing sheet feeding tray (hereinafter referred to as the first sheet feeding tray). Although a prototype of a two-stage paper feed tray in which a second paper feed tray capable of storing the paper was installed was examined, the following problems arose.

  That is, a guide member that regulates the position in the width direction end of the recording sheet accommodated in the first paper feed tray is provided at the bottom of the first paper feed tray according to the prototype study. It can be moved in the width direction by manual operation so as to be able to correspond to various sizes.

  In the two-stage type paper feed tray related to the trial manufacture, a part of the side wall portion is arranged so that the guide member can be easily moved even when the guide member is close to the side wall portion of the first paper feed tray. A notch is formed on the side wall.

  Further, in the two-stage type paper feed tray related to the prototype examination, the second paper feed tray is disposed on the first paper feed tray so as to cover the upper opening of the first paper feed tray. There is a possibility that it is difficult to replenish the recording sheet to the paper tray.

  Therefore, in the two-stage type paper feed tray related to the trial manufacture, the second paper feed tray can be moved in the insertion / removal direction (detachment direction) with respect to the first paper feed tray, so that the recording sheet to be fed The tray on which it is placed can be switched.

  However, in the two-stage paper feed tray related to the trial production, the second paper feed tray is movably assembled to the side wall, so that the position where the notch is formed is inappropriate. The function of the paper feed tray cannot be fully exhibited.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a paper feed tray suitable for a two-stage system.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the image forming apparatus main body (120) is detachably mounted in the opening (121) formed in the image forming apparatus main body (120). ) Is a sheet feeding tray for storing a recording sheet to be supplied to the image forming means (700), and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface side is opened, and a first feeding for storing the recording sheet. The first paper feed tray (310) and the bottom () of the first paper feed tray (310) are movably provided in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray (310). And a guide member (313) for regulating the position of the end of the recording sheet accommodated in the recording medium, and an upper surface side of the first sheet feeding tray (310), and are accommodated in the first sheet feeding tray (310). A recording sheet that is smaller than the recording sheet A second sheet feeding tray (360) that is accommodated, and the second sheet feeding tray (360) is movable between both side walls (312) of the first sheet feeding tray (310) while being movable in the insertion / removal direction. And a covering member (380) assembled to be openable and closable with respect to the supporting member (361), and further supporting the side wall portions (312). A cutout part (332) in which a part of the side wall part (312) is cut out in order to move the guide member (313) at a position shifted from the movable range (L1) of the member (361) toward the separation direction. ) Is provided.

  Accordingly, in the invention described in claim 1, since it is possible to prevent the presence of the notch (332) from becoming an obstacle and restricting the movable region of the support member (361), it is suitable for the two-stage system. A sheet feeding tray can be obtained.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the image forming means (700) is detachably attached to the opening (121) formed in the image forming apparatus main body (120) and disposed in the image forming apparatus main body (120). And a first paper feed tray (310) which is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an upper surface opened and which accommodates recording sheets supplied by the transport mechanism (500). , A recording sheet provided at the bottom () of the first paper feed tray (310) so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray (310) and accommodated in the first paper feed tray (310). A guide member (313) that regulates the end position of the first paper feed tray (310) is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray (310), and is smaller than the recording sheet accommodated in the first paper feed tray (310). The recording sheet is stored A second paper feed tray (360), and the second paper feed tray (360) spans between both side walls (312) of the first paper feed tray (310) while being movable in the insertion / removal direction. It has an assembled support member (361) and a covering member (380) assembled so as to be openable and closable with respect to the support member (361), and the movable range of the support member (361) among the side wall portions (312). In the part shifted to the separation direction side from (L1), a notch part (332) in which a part of the side wall part (312) is notched in order to move and operate the guide member (313) is provided. Further, the movable range (L1) of the support member (361) is such that the support member (361) is transported when the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray (310) is transported by the transport mechanism (500). A part deviated from the operating region of the mechanism (500) Characterized in that it is configured to be positioned.

  Accordingly, in the invention described in claim 2, as in the invention described in claim 1, the presence of the notch (332) becomes an obstacle, and the movable region of the support member (361) is limited. Therefore, a paper feed tray suitable for the two-stage system can be obtained.

  The movable range (L1) of the support member (361) is such that the support member (361) is transported when the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray (310) is transported by the transport mechanism (500). Since it is set to be located at a position deviated from the operating region of the mechanism (500), it is possible to prevent the transport mechanism (500) and the support member (361) from interfering with each other.

  In addition, a movable tray (350) assembled to be displaceable in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed tray (310) is provided, and a part of the movable tray (350) is slid on both side walls (312). When the storage portion (330) that can be stored is provided, the side wall portion (312) is cut into a portion that is shifted to the insertion direction side from the storage portion (330), as in the third aspect of the invention. It is desirable to provide a notch (332).

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an image forming means (700) that is disposed in the image forming apparatus main body (120) and forms an image on a recording sheet, and is detachably mounted on the image forming apparatus main body (120). The sheet feeding tray (300) that accommodates the recording sheet supplied to the image forming means (700) and the image forming apparatus main body (120) are swingably assembled and accommodated in the sheet feeding tray (300). A feeding mechanism (500) for feeding and feeding the recording sheet () to the image forming means (700), and the paper feed tray (300) is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface side is opened, and the recording sheet is accommodated therein. One feed tray (310) and a bottom portion () of the first feed tray (310) are provided to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction of the first feed tray (310). 310) And a recording member which is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray (310) and which is accommodated in the first paper feed tray (310). A second paper feed tray (360) that accommodates a smaller recording sheet, and the second paper feed tray (360) is movable in the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray (310). It has a support member (361) assembled so as to span between both side wall portions (312), and a covering member (380) assembled so as to be openable and closable with respect to the support member (361). 312), a part of the side wall portion (312) is cut away at a portion shifted from the movable range (L1) of the support member (361) toward the separation direction side in order to move the guide member (313). A notch (332) is provided. The movable range (L1) of the support member (361) is such that when the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray (310) is transported by the transport mechanism (500), the support member (361) is transported by the transport mechanism. (500) It is set so that it may be located in the site | part which shifted | deviated from the operation | movement area | region.

  Thus, similarly to the invention described in claim 2, since it is possible to prevent the presence of the notch (332) from becoming an obstacle and restricting the movable region of the support member (361), the two-stage system can be prevented. An image forming apparatus having a paper feed tray suitable for the above can be obtained.

  Further, the movable range (L1) of the support member (361) is set so that the support member (361) is always located at a position shifted from the operation region of the transport mechanism (500). 500) and the support member (361) can be prevented from interfering with each other.

  The movable tray (350) is mounted so as to be displaceable in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed tray (310), and a part of the movable tray (350) is slid on both side walls (312). When the storage portion (330) that can be stored is provided, as in the invention described in claim 5, the side wall portion (312) is cut into a portion shifted from the storage portion (330) toward the insertion direction. It is desirable to provide a notch (332).

  Incidentally, the reference numerals in parentheses for each of the above means are examples showing the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later, and the present invention is indicated by the reference numerals in the parentheses of the above respective means. It is not limited to specific means.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a so-called multi-function machine having a plurality of functions such as a printer function, a scanner function, a color copy function, and a facsimile function. Will be described with reference to the drawings.

1. Overview of Image Forming Apparatus 100 FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a paper feeding unit 60 and an image forming unit 700.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main body casing 120 constituting the image forming apparatus main body is a resin-made rectangular parallelepiped box-like body. In the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, the front side of the paper surface is the front side, and the upper side of the paper surface. The side is installed and used with the upper side in the direction of gravity.

  The main casing 120 includes an operation unit 111 on which various operation buttons for input operations are arranged, and a display unit 112 that displays information such as messages and images for the user. An operation panel 110 is provided.

  A scanner unit 200 that reads an image written on a document is provided at a position above the main body casing 120 and behind the operation panel 110. The scanner unit 200 has a scanner function and a color copy. It functions as an image reading means when using the function or the facsimile function. Note that the scanner unit 200 is a well-known unit configured to have an image capturing unit such as a CCD or a CIS, and therefore detailed description thereof is omitted in this specification.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a sheet feeding tray on which a plurality of sheet-like recording sheets such as recording sheets and OHP sheets are stacked (contained) is disposed at a lower position in the main body casing 120. 300 is provided.

  And this paper feed tray 300 can be removed (detached) from the main body casing 120 by horizontally pulling it forward from the opening 121 (see FIG. 1) formed on the front surface of the main body casing 120. Conversely, it can be attached to the main casing 120 by horizontally inserting it from the opening 121 of the main casing 120 to the rear side.

  The paper feed unit 500 is a transport mechanism that feeds (transports) the recording sheets placed on the paper feed tray 300 one by one toward the image forming unit 700. The paper feed unit 500 is a paper feed tray. It is supported by a frame 122 fixed to the main body casing 120 at a portion corresponding to the upper side of 300.

  In addition, in a portion corresponding to the rear end portion of the main body casing 120, that is, the rear end portion of the paper feed tray 300, the conveyance direction of the recording sheet fed (conveyed) from the paper feed tray 300 to the rear side is set. A conveyance path L is formed that makes a U-turn upward so as to be turned approximately 180 ° to the front side.

  An image forming unit 700 that forms (prints) an image on a recording sheet that has been conveyed (fed) via the conveying path L is disposed above the sheet feeding unit 500. The recording sheet on which image formation has been completed in the unit 700 is discharged to a position closer to the front on the upper surface of the paper feed tray 300.

Note that the image forming unit 700 is a well-known ink jet image forming unit, and therefore detailed description thereof is omitted in this specification.
2. Configuration of paper feed tray 300 2.0. 3 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 300 and the paper feed unit 500 in a state where the second paper feed tray 360 is mounted on the first paper feed tray 310. FIG. 3 is a top view of the sheet feeding tray 300 in the state shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from above, and FIG. 5 shows the sheet feeding tray 300 when the second sheet feeding tray 360 is moved to the near side with respect to the first sheet feeding tray 310. FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a top view of the paper feed tray 300 including the paper feed unit 500 when the second paper feed tray 360 is moved to the near side with respect to the first paper feed tray 310. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 300 in a state where the paper tray 360 is opened and the movable tray 350 is pulled out from the first paper feed tray 310.

  8 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 5, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 6, FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the second paper feed tray 360 is moved to the rear side (back side) in the EE cross section of FIG. 6, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a paper feed tray 300 and a paper feed unit 500 in a state where they are not placed.

  14 is a top view of the second paper feed tray 360, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the support member 361 in the FF cross section of FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a second paper feed in the FF cross section of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the tray main body 380, FIG. 17 is FF sectional drawing of FIG.

  18 is a cross-sectional view of the support member 361 in the GG cross section of FIG. 14, FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the second paper feed tray main body 380 in the GG cross section of FIG. 14, and FIG. FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along the line GG, FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along the line H-H in FIG. 14, and FIG. 22 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

2.1. Schematic Structure of Paper Feed Tray 300 As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed tray 300 is used to place or store a recording sheet that is supplied and conveyed to the image forming unit 700.

  The paper feed tray 300 is disposed so as to cover the first paper feed tray 310 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape (dish shape) with the upper surface side open, and the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray 310. The tray 360 and the first paper feed tray 310 are configured with a movable tray 350 and the like assembled so as to be displaceable in the insertion / removal direction (the front-rear direction in the present embodiment).

2.2. Structure of the first paper feed tray 310 As shown in FIG. 13, the first paper feed tray 310 is a thin dish formed in a rectangular shape on which a recording sheet is placed. In one sheet feeding tray 310, the size is set so that a maximum A4 size recording sheet can be placed in a normal state. Further, by pulling out the movable tray 350, a legal size recording sheet can be placed.

  Further, among the end portions of the first paper feed tray 310, there are bottom portions 311 (hereinafter referred to as bottom plates) of the first paper feed tray 310 at both ends in a horizontal direction (in this embodiment, the left-right direction) orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction. Side wall portions 312 that protrude in a direction orthogonal to 311 and extend in the insertion / extraction direction are formed. In this embodiment, the side wall portions 312 and the bottom plate 311 are integrally formed of resin.

  A pair of guide members 313 movable in the left-right direction is provided at the left and right end portions of the bottom plate 311. The pair of guide members 313 is always a pair of guide members regardless of the displaced position. The central portion 313 is configured to move in conjunction so that the central portion is located at the same position (in this embodiment, the central portion in the left-right direction of the paper feed tray 300).

  That is, the guide member 313 includes a placement plate portion 314 on which the recording sheet is placed on the upper surface, a side plate portion 315 erected vertically upward from an end portion of the placement plate portion 314 on the side wall portion 312 side, And the linear guide bar 316 extended toward the other guide member 313 side mutually from the bottom face of each mounting board part 314 is comprised.

  Both linear guide bars 316 are arranged in parallel in a state of being separated in the front-rear direction (recording sheet conveyance direction), and in a groove portion 317 provided in the left-right direction on the bottom plate 311 of the paper feed tray 300. The linear guide bars 316 are slidably fitted, and rack gears (not shown) are formed on the sides facing each other.

  Each rack gear meshes with a pinion gear (not shown) that is rotatably provided at a substantially central position in the left-right direction (width direction) of the bottom plate 311. For this reason, both the guide members 313 are mechanically interlocked with each other via the pinion gear and are displaced and displaced. Therefore, the pair of guide members 313 is arranged so that the central portion between the pair of guide members 313 is at the same position. Move in conjunction.

  Further, the portion of the side plate portion 315 that contacts the left and right end portions of the recording sheet is formed in a planar shape extending in parallel in the front-rear direction (recording sheet conveyance direction). The sheet is fed (conveyed) to the image forming unit 700 (conveyance path L) in a state where the position of the end portion in the left-right direction is regulated by 313.

  In addition, on the downstream side of the first sheet feeding tray 310 in the conveyance direction of the recording sheet, that is, on the rear end side of the first sheet feeding tray 310, the conveyance direction of the recording sheet to which the conveyance force is applied by the sheet feeding unit 500 is upward. A guide plate 318 that is turned to the side is provided, and a metal separation member 319 is provided at the center in the left-right direction of the guide plate 318.

  The separation member 319 is composed of a plurality of protrusions arranged vertically at a predetermined interval, and the tip of each protrusion slightly protrudes from the front surface of the guide plate 318. For this reason, since the leading end side in the transport direction of the plurality of recording sheets extruded toward the guide plate 318 by the paper feeding unit 500 is brought into contact with the front end of the separation member 319 (protrusion), it receives transport resistance. The recording sheets placed on the sheet are separated and conveyed (sheet fed) one by one toward the image forming unit 700.

  Further, on the guide plate 318 side of the left and right side wall portions 312, as shown in FIG. 8, a first rail portion 320 that movably supports the second paper feed tray 360, and an upper portion of the first rail portion 320. The second rail portion 325 is provided in a state of being spaced apart to the side and extending in a direction parallel to the first rail portion 320. As shown in FIG. 22, the second rail portion 325 includes the first rail portion 325, as shown in FIG. 320 is provided so as to be shifted outward in the direction (left-right direction) orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction (front-rear direction).

  By the way, if the 1st rail part 320 and the 2nd rail part 325 have shifted | deviated to the left-right direction, the lower side from the upper end of the 1st rail part 320 and the upper side from the lower end of the 2nd rail part 325 among the side wall parts 312. Will be separated.

  For this reason, the side wall portion 312 (including the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325) and the bottom plate 311 are integrally formed of resin, and are formed by upper and lower punching using an upper die and a lower die. In this case, there is a possibility that a portion of the side wall portion 312 connecting the lower side from the upper end of the first rail portion 320 and the upper side from the lower end of the second rail portion 325 cannot be formed.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, in the front-rear direction range L1 of the first rail portion 320, that is, the side wall portion 312 corresponding to the movable range L1 of the second paper feed tray 360 (support member 361). In addition, connecting portions 329 that connect the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 are provided discretely at a portion above the lower end of the second rail portion 325.

  Incidentally, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the connecting portion 329 is shifted to the outside from the second rail portion 325 to connect the upper end side and the lower end side of the side wall portion 312, whereby the first rail portion 320. The side and the 2nd rail part 325 side are connected.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, the insertion / extraction direction (front-rear direction) with respect to the first paper feed tray 310 is provided on the side of the first paper feed tray 310 in the separation direction (the front end side in this embodiment). A movable tray 350 assembled in a displaceable manner is provided, and a sheath-shaped storage portion that slidably stores the side wall portion 351 of the movable tray 350 in a predetermined range L2 on the front end side of both side wall portions 312. 330 is provided.

  Further, in the side wall portions 312, a portion that is shifted to the separation direction side from the movable range L <b> 1 of the second paper feed tray 360 (support member 361) and that is shifted to the insertion direction side from the storage portion 330 is As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, a notch portion 332 in which a part of the side wall portion 312 is notched is provided in order to move and operate the guide member 313.

2.3. Structure of the second paper feed tray 360 The second paper feed tray 360 is for placing (accommodating) a recording sheet that is smaller than the recording sheet placed (accommodated) on the first paper feed tray 310. Incidentally, examples of the recording sheet smaller than the recording sheet placed on the first paper feed tray 310 include a postcard and an envelope.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the second paper feed tray 360 is moved in the left-right direction so as to span between both side walls 312 of the first paper feed tray 310 in a state where it can be moved in the insertion / removal direction (front-rear direction). The support member 361 extends and is assembled to both side walls 312, and the second sheet feed tray main body 380 is assembled to the support member 361 via the hinge mechanism 370 so as to be openable and closable.

2.3.1. Details of the Support Member 361 The portion of the support member 361 that is assembled to the side wall portion 312 of the first paper feed tray 310 slidably contacts the upper end surface 321 of the first rail portion 320 as shown in FIG. The slider portion 362, the retaining slider portion 363 extending so as to penetrate the gap between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 in the direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction (the left-right direction in this embodiment), and the first supply An anti-rotation slider portion 364 that slidably contacts the side wall 322 of the first rail portion 320 from the inside of the paper tray 310 is provided.

  Further, on the outer side wall 323 side of the first rail portion 320, a wall portion 365 is provided so as to sandwich the first rail portion 320 together with the anti-rotation slider portion 364. In the present embodiment, this wall portion 365 is provided. Is integrated with the retaining slider 363. The surface of the wall portion 365 that faces the first rail portion 320 becomes farther away from the upper end surface 321 side of the first rail portion (320) toward the lower side, and the distance from the first rail portion 320 becomes larger. It is formed in such a taper shape.

  In this embodiment, the retaining slider portion 363 is integrally formed with the slider portion 362 so as to extend the extending direction of the slider portion 362 (the leftward direction in FIG. 22), and the wall portion 365 is retained. The slider portion 362 is integrally formed with the slider portion 362 so as to protrude downward from the front end side of the slider portion 363, and the anti-rotation slider portion 364 is integrated with the slider portion 362 so as to protrude downward from the base side of the slider portion 362. Molded.

  And the dimension D1 of the site | part parallel to the insertion / extraction direction (front-back direction) among the rotation prevention slider parts 364 becomes substantially the same as the dimension D2 of the site | part parallel to the insertion / extraction direction among the support members 361, as shown in FIG. Is set to

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the movable range L1 of the support member 361 is such that when the recording sheet placed on the first paper feed tray 310 is conveyed by the paper feed unit 500, the support member 361 feeds paper. It is set so as to be located at a position deviated from the operation region of the unit 500.

  On the other hand, when the recording sheet placed on the second paper feed tray 360 is transported by the paper feed unit 500, the support member 361 has the paper feed unit 500 (of the paper feed roller 600) as shown in FIG. Located in the vicinity.

2.3.2. Details of Hinge Mechanism 370 As shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, the hinge mechanism 370 is provided on the opening / closing shaft portion 371 provided on the support member 361 and the outer periphery of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 provided on the second paper feed tray body 380. The first bearing portion 376, the second bearing portion 377, and the like that are slidably in contact with the surface are configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 20, the first bearing portion 376 has an opening / closing shaft from one radial direction side of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 (in this embodiment, the upper side in the state shown in FIGS. 17 and 20). The second bearing portion 377 is in contact with the portion 371 and is in contact with the opening / closing shaft portion 371 from the other direction opposite to the one direction, that is, the opposite side of the first bearing portion 376 with the opening / closing shaft portion 371 interposed therebetween.

  In addition, the first bearing portion 376 has a shaft of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 so as to be positioned between the two second bearing portions 377 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 (for example, the vertical direction). It is provided at a position shifted from the second bearing portion 377 in the direction.

  And the shaft diameter differs in the site | part which contacts the 1st bearing part 376, and the site | part which contacts the 2nd bearing part 377 among the opening-and-closing shaft parts 371, and the small diameter which contacts the 1st bearing part 376 in this embodiment. The diameter dimension R1 (see FIG. 15) of the part 372 is smaller than the diameter dimension R2 (see FIG. 18) of the large diameter part 373 that contacts the second bearing part 377.

  Furthermore, the shaft center of the small diameter portion 372 and the shaft center of the large diameter portion 373 are configured to be coaxial, and the axial dimension D3 of the small diameter portion 372 is large as shown in FIG. The diameter 373 is configured to be smaller than the axial dimension D4.

  In the present embodiment, both the small diameter portion 372 and the large diameter portion 373 are not completely round, and the small diameter portion 372 is configured such that only the outer periphery that contacts the first bearing portion 376 is circular (see FIG. 15), similarly, the large-diameter portion 373 is configured such that only the outer periphery contacting the second bearing portion 377 has a circular shape (see FIG. 18).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 19, the second bearing portion 377 has a retaining member 378 that prevents the opening / closing shaft portion 371 from slipping out between the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377. The retaining member 378 is formed of a protruding portion that protrudes from a surface continuous with the sliding surface S1 with the opening / closing shaft portion 371.

  Note that the retaining member 378 according to the present embodiment has a surface on the base side of the second bearing portion 377 (on the second paper feed tray main body 380 side) that is continuous with the sliding surface S1 with the opening / closing shaft portion 371. It is orthogonal and the back surface is formed in a taper shape so that the cross-sectional area decreases toward the tip side of the retaining member 378.

  Therefore, when the second paper feed tray main body 380 is assembled to the support member 361 (opening / closing shaft portion 371), the tapered surface functions as a guide surface and the second bearing portion 377 is bent and deformed. The part 371 can be easily inserted and assembled between the first bearing part 376 and the second bearing part 377.

  On the other hand, in a state in which the opening / closing shaft portion 371 is inserted and assembled between the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377, as shown in FIGS. Both sides of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 in the radial direction are sandwiched between the bearing portions 377, and the end faces of the retaining member 378 and the second paper feed tray body 380 (the first bearing portion 376 and the first bearing portion 376) are arranged in the radial direction perpendicular to the radial direction. Between the two bearing portions 377).

  Further, a stopper that restricts the maximum opening / closing angle of the second paper feed tray main body 380 relative to the support member 361 is provided on the front end side of the second bearing portion 377 and on the surface opposite to the surface on which the retaining member 378 is provided. A portion 379 is provided, and the stopper portion 379 regulates the maximum opening / closing angle of the second paper feed tray main body 380 by colliding with a part of the support member 361.

3. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the paper feed unit 500, FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the paper feed roller 600, and FIG. 24 (a) shows the paper feed roller 600 (rotating shaft 650) as a through hole. FIG. 24B shows a state in which the paper feed roller 600 (rotating shaft 650) is inclined with respect to the center line of the through hole 551. FIG. FIG. 25 is a view showing the operation of the second torsion coil spring 580.

  The paper supply unit 500 applies a conveyance force to the recording sheet placed on the first paper supply tray 310 or the second paper supply tray 360 (the paper supply tray 300) and supplies the recording sheet to the image forming unit 700. As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed unit 500 is a transport mechanism that transports paper (conveys). One end side of the paper feed tray 300 from the center in the left-right direction above the paper feed tray 300 (in the present embodiment). , And swingably supported by a support shaft 510 arranged to extend to the right end side.

  The support shaft 510 is supported by a metal frame 122. Of the external force acting on the support shaft 510, the diametrical component of the support shaft 510 is mainly received by the frame 122, and the support shaft 510 is mainly supported. A torque acting on the shaft 510 is transmitted or received.

  Then, a large portion for transmitting the rotational force from the drive source to the support shaft 510 is transmitted to a portion corresponding to the left-right end portion (right end in the present embodiment) of the paper feed tray 300 among the axial end portions of the support shaft 510. A gear 530 is provided. On the other hand, a small gear 540 that rotates integrally with the support shaft 510 is provided at a portion corresponding to the central portion in the left-right direction of the paper feed tray 300 among the axial ends of the support shaft 510 (see FIG. 23).

  The roller arm 520 is an arm member that is rotatably attached to the support shaft 510 and extends in the diameter direction of the support shaft 510. The roller arm 520 extends in a direction parallel to the support shaft 510. A paper feed roller 600 that rotates about a rotation shaft 650 (see FIG. 24) is assembled. Therefore, when the roller arm 520 rotates about the support shaft 510 toward the bottom plate 311 (recording sheet), the sheet feeding roller 600 is pressed against the recording sheet, and the pressing force pressing the sheet feeding roller 600 against the recording sheet is applied. appear.

  On the other hand, the paper feed roller 600 is a transport unit that applies a transport force to the recording sheet by rotating while contacting the recording sheet placed on the paper feed tray 300. This paper feed roller 600 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a main body member 610 formed in a shaft shape, and roller members 620 attached to both ends in the axial direction of the main body member 610 are configured.

In this embodiment, the main body member 610 is made of a hard synthetic resin, and the roller member 620 is made of a resin that has a large friction coefficient such as rubber and that can be elastically deformed.
In addition, a gear abutting portion 651 is provided at a central position in the axial direction of the rod-shaped rotating shaft 650 that connects the cylindrical roller support portions 630 and 640 to which the roller member 620 is mounted, and the rotation of the gear abutting portion 651 is performed. Arm contact portions 652 are provided on both axial sides.

  The cross-sectional shape of the rotating shaft 650 is formed in a substantially cross shape as shown in FIG. 23, while the cross-sectional shape of the gear contact portion 651 is a round shaft having a diameter larger than the maximum dimension of the rotating shaft 650. And a cross-sectional shape of each arm contact portion 652 having a diameter larger than the maximum dimension of the rotating shaft 650. It is formed in a circular shape consisting of a shaft portion.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24, a through hole 551 into which the rotation shaft 650 is inserted is provided on the tip end side of the roller arm 520, and the rotation shaft 650 (the paper feed roller 600) is rotated by the through hole 551. A pivotal support portion 550 is configured to be supported.

  The rotating shaft 650 rotates to the shaft support portion 550 when the outer peripheral surfaces of the arm contact portions 652 provided on both sides of the gear contact portion 651 slidably contact the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 551. Supported as possible. At this time, since the outer dimension of the arm contact portion 652 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 551, the rotation shaft 650 is inclined with respect to the central axis of the through hole 551 as shown in FIG. It can rotate in the state.

  A driving gear 660 that transmits a driving force to the paper feed roller 600 (rotating shaft 650) is assembled between the two shaft support portions 550 so as to be rotatable with respect to the roller arm 520. A gear contact portion 651 is disposed in a through hole 661 provided at the center.

  A fan-shaped notch (recess) is formed in a part of the outer edge portion of the through hole 661, and the protrusion of the gear contact portion 651 is fitted into the notch, so that the through hole 661 The notch (concave portion) and the projection of the gear contact portion 651 are engaged.

  In this embodiment, the arc length of the fan-shaped notch (concave portion) is made larger than the arc length (width dimension) of the protrusion of the gear contact portion 651 so that the drive gear 660 and the gear contact portion are A backlash of a predetermined angle (in this embodiment, approximately 60 ° in terms of the rotation angle of the drive gear 660) occurs between the motor 651 and the rotation shaft 650.

  As shown in FIG. 23, the roller arm 520 includes a plurality of power transmission gears 560 that transmit a driving force from a small gear 540 fixed to the support shaft 510 to the driving gear 660. Built along the direction.

  At this time, the number of power transmission gears 560 is such that the tip side of the roller arm 520 swings toward the recording sheet (bottom plate 311) by rotating the support shaft 510 (small gear 540) in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. In this way, the tangential direction between the paper feed roller 600 and the recording sheet is set to coincide with the recording sheet conveyance direction.

  For this reason, when a driving force is applied to the paper feed roller 600, a conveyance force is applied to the recording sheet, and the roller arm 520 is swung to the recording sheet side by a reaction force acting on the paper feed roller 600 (drive gear 660). Therefore, even if a driving force is applied to the paper feed roller 600, the paper feed roller 600 does not move away from the recording sheet, and a conveying force is stably applied from the paper feed roller 600 to the recording sheet.

  By the way, as described above, the means for pressing the paper feed roller 600 toward the recording sheet using the reaction force of the driving force that rotates the paper feed roller 600 presses the paper feed roller 600 against the recording sheet. The pressure is likely to fluctuate, and no pressing force is generated particularly at the start-up time when the driving force is not acting.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the first torsion coil spring 570 that is disposed on the support shaft 510 side and generates an elastic force that always swings the roller arm 520 to the recording sheet side, and the roller arm 520. Is provided with a second torsion coil spring 580 that generates an elastic force that swings the roller arm 520 toward the recording sheet.

  The second torsion coil spring 580 is shown in FIGS. 25B and 25C when the angle formed by the roller arm 520 and the recording sheet is small, that is, when the roller arm 520 is substantially horizontal. As described above, the roller arm 520 is pressed (biased) toward the recording sheet by elastically deforming in contact with the contact piece 123 provided on the frame 122. Incidentally, the alternate long and short dash lines in FIGS. 24B and 24C indicate the uppermost recording sheet.

  On the other hand, when the angle between the roller arm 520 and the recording sheet is large, the second torsion coil spring 580 is separated from the contact piece 123 as shown in FIG. No elastic force is applied to the side. That is, the second torsion coil spring 580 presses (biases) the roller arm 520 toward the recording sheet only when the roller arm 520 is substantially horizontal.

4). Features of Image Forming Apparatus According to this Embodiment FIG. 26A is a schematic view of a hinge mechanism 370 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 26B is a schematic view of a C-type hinge mechanism described later.

  As shown in FIG. 26A, the height (thickness) dimension H1 of the hinge mechanism 370 according to the present embodiment is the dimension R1 from the axis of the small diameter part 372 to the first bearing part 376, and the first bearing part 376. The sum of the dimension (R2) from the axial center of the large diameter part 373 to the second bearing part 377 and the height (thickness) dimension T2 of the second bearing part 377 is added to the sum of the height (thickness) dimension T1. It becomes size.

  On the other hand, for example, the height (thickness) dimension H2 of a hinge mechanism (hinge mechanism is a C-type hinge mechanism) configured by fitting a bearing portion formed in a C shape into an opening / closing shaft portion is shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the height (thickness) dimension T3 and the other side in the radial direction of the portion of the bearing portion formed in a C-shape that contacts the opening / closing shaft portion from one side in the radial direction of the opening / closing shaft portion 371. To the sum of the height (thickness) dimension T4 of the portion that contacts the opening / closing shaft 371 and the diameter dimension R3 of the opening / closing shaft 371.

  Therefore, suppose that the radial dimension of the opening / closing shaft part 371 in the C-type hinge mechanism is the same as the radial dimension of the large diameter part 373 of the opening / closing shaft part 371 according to the present embodiment, and the first bearing part 376 and the second bearing Among the bearing portions formed in a C shape with the height (thickness) T1, T2 of the portion 377, the height (thickness) dimensions T3, T4 of the portion that contacts the opening / closing shaft portion 371 from the radial direction of the opening / closing shaft portion 371 Are the same, the height (thickness) dimension H1 of the hinge mechanism 370 according to the present embodiment is smaller than the height (thickness) dimension H2 of the C-type hinge mechanism.

That is, if T1 = T2 = T3 = T4 = t and R3 = 2 · R2,
H1 = R1 + R2 + 2 · t, and H2 = 2 · R2 + 2 · t. Therefore, the height (thickness) dimension H1 of the hinge mechanism 370 according to the present embodiment is smaller than the height (thickness) dimension H2 of the C-type hinge mechanism.

  In the present embodiment, the opening / closing shaft portion 371 is sandwiched between the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377, and the retaining member 378 is connected to the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377. Since the opening / closing shaft portion 371 is prevented from slipping out from between, the second paper feed tray main body 380 can be reliably prevented from being detached from the support member 361.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the hinge mechanism 370 can be downsized to reduce the size of the two-stage type paper feed tray, and the second paper feed tray main body 380 can be reliably removed from the support member 361. Can be prevented.

  Incidentally, since the diameter R1 of the small diameter portion 372 is smaller than the diameter R2 of the large diameter portion 373, the rigidity of the small diameter portion 372 is smaller than the rigidity of the large diameter portion 373, and the small diameter portion 372 becomes the large diameter portion 373. There is a risk of fatigue failure earlier.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the axial dimension D3 of the small diameter part 372 is smaller than the axial dimension D4 of the large diameter part 373, the stress generated in the small diameter part 372 is generated in the large diameter part 373. It can be made smaller than the stress. Therefore, the small diameter portion 372 can be suppressed from being fatigued before the large diameter portion 373.

  Further, since the hinge mechanism 370 according to the present embodiment is provided with the stopper portion 379, the maximum opening / closing angle of the second paper feed tray main body 380 can be regulated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem that the second paper feed tray main body 380 is excessively opened and the hinge mechanism 370 is damaged, or the second paper feed tray main body 380 is detached from the support member 361. .

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 22, the slider member 362 slides on the upper end side of the first rail portion 320 so that the support member 361 is supported movably with respect to the first rail portion 320. .

  Further, since the retaining slider portion 363 is configured to engage with the gap between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325, it is possible to prevent the support member 361 from being detached from the first paper feed tray 310. Can be prevented.

  Further, since the anti-rotation slider unit 364 slidably contacts the side wall of the first rail unit 320 from the inside of the first sheet feeding tray 310, the second sheet feeding tray 360 rotates with respect to the first sheet feeding tray 310. Can be prevented beforehand.

  Therefore, in the paper feed tray 300 according to the present embodiment, when the second paper feed tray 360 is moved relative to the first paper feed tray 310, the second paper feed tray 360 is moved relative to the first paper feed tray 310. It is possible to solve problems such as rotation or detachment from the first paper feed tray (310).

  By the way, in the present embodiment, since the first paper feed tray 310 including the side wall portion 312 is a resin molded product using a mold such as injection molding, the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 are temporarily provided. In the case where they are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction, it is necessary to use a core (nesting), a slide type or the like in order to form a gap between the first rail part 320 and the second rail part 325.

  For this reason, if the first rail part 320 and the second rail part 325 are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction, the mold cost increases and the productivity decreases, so the first paper feed tray 310 (paper feed tray) There is a high risk that the manufacturing cost of 300) will rise significantly.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the second rail portion 325 is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first rail portion 320, so that a core (nesting) or a slide mold is not used. A gap can be formed between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 by vertically removing the upper die and the lower die.

  For this reason, it is possible to prevent the mold cost from increasing, and it is possible to prevent the productivity from decreasing, and the manufacturing cost of the first paper feed tray 310 (paper feed tray 300) increases. Can be prevented.

  However, if the second rail portion 325 is displaced with respect to the first rail portion 320 in the direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction, the portion where the first rail portion 320 contacts the retaining slider portion 363 and the second rail portion 325 are removed. Since the part that contacts the stopper slider 363 is shifted, the stopper slider 363 has a part where the first rail part 320 contacts the stopper slider 363 as a fulcrum, and the second rail part 325 is prevented from falling off. A bending moment having a site of contact with the slider portion 363 as an action point is applied.

  When the retaining slider portion 363 is greatly curved and deformed by this bending moment, the retaining slider portion 363 is detached from the gap between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325, and the support member 361 is moved. There is a risk of detachment from the first paper feed tray 310.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the wall portion 365 is provided so as to sandwich the first rail portion 320 together with the anti-rotation slider portion 364, when the bending moment acts on the anti-detachment slider portion 363, the wall portion 365 is provided. When the portion 365 hits the side wall portion 323 of the first rail portion 320, the wall portion 365 functions as a stopper unit that suppresses the curvature of the retaining slider portion 363.

  Therefore, even if a bending moment is applied to the retaining slider portion 363, it is possible to prevent the retaining slider portion 363 from being greatly bent, so that the retaining slider portion 363 is formed between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325. The separation from the gap can be prevented.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the present embodiment, an increase in the manufacturing cost of the paper feed tray 300 can be suppressed while preventing the support member 361 from being detached from the first paper feed tray 310. .

  By the way, although the bending moment becomes smaller as the deviation amount (rail deviation amount) between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 in the direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction becomes smaller, the support member 361 becomes the first paper feed tray. When assembled to 310, the wall portion 365 is inserted through a slight gap between the first rail portion 320 and the second rail portion 325 when viewed in the vertical direction. 365 becomes difficult to insert and assemble.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the surface of the wall portion 365 that faces the first rail portion 320 has a greater distance from the first rail portion 320 as the distance from the upper end side of the first rail portion 320 increases. Since it is formed in a tapered shape, the surface of the wall portion 365 formed in a tapered shape functions as a guide wall surface. Therefore, even if the amount of rail shift is small, the wall portion 365 can be easily inserted and assembled.

  As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the support member 361 from being detached from the first paper feed tray 310 by reducing the bending moment acting on the retaining slider portion 363 without impairing the assembling property of the support member 361.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the notch portion 332 is provided in a portion of the both side wall portions 312 that is shifted to the separation direction side from the movable range L1 of the support member 361. Therefore, the presence of the notch portion 332 is an obstacle. Thus, it is possible to prevent the movable region of the support member 361 from being limited.

  Further, the movable range L1 of the support member 361 is shifted from the operation region of the paper feed unit 500 when the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray 310 is conveyed by the paper feed unit 500. Since it is set so as to be located at the site, it is possible to prevent the paper feed unit 500 and the support member 361 from interfering with each other.

5. Correspondences between Invention Specific Items and Embodiments In this embodiment, the main body casing 120 corresponds to the image forming apparatus main body described in the claims, and the second paper feed tray main body 380 is described in the claims. The image forming unit 700 corresponds to the image forming means described in the claims, and the paper feed unit 500 corresponds to the transport mechanism described in the claims.

(Other embodiments)
The connecting portion between the support member 361 and the side wall portion 312 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 22, and for example, the wall portion 365 is eliminated as shown in FIG. 27, or as shown in FIG. The taper surface of the wall portion 365 may be eliminated.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the slider portion 362, the retaining slider portion 363, and the rotation preventing slider portion 364 are all provided on the same cross section, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the slider Each of the part 362, the retaining slider part 363, and the rotation preventing slider part 364 may be displaced in the insertion / removal direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the second rail portion 325 is displaced in the direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first rail portion 320, but the present invention is not limited to this, You may arrange | position so that the rail part 320 and the 2nd rail part 325 may overlap with an up-down direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the wall portion 365 is disposed outside the first rail portion 320, and the anti-rotation slider portion 364 is disposed inside the first rail portion 320. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wall portion 365 may be disposed on the inner side with respect to the first rail portion 320, and the rotation stop slider portion 364 may be disposed on the outer side with respect to the first rail portion 320.

  In the above-described embodiment, the axial dimension D3 of the small diameter part 372 is smaller than the axial dimension D4 of the large diameter part 373. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the small diameter part 372 The axial dimension D3 may be larger than the axial dimension D4 of the large diameter portion 373 or may be the same dimension.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although it comprised so that the small diameter part 372 might be located between the large diameter parts 373, this invention is not limited to this.
In the above-described embodiment, the paper feed tray 300 has the movable tray 350. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the movable tray 350 may be eliminated.

  Moreover, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the site | part which contacts the 1st bearing part 376 of the opening-and-closing shaft part 371 was smaller diameter than the site | part which contacts the 2nd bearing part 377, this invention is limited to this. Instead, on the contrary, the part of the opening / closing shaft part 371 that contacts the first bearing part 376 may have a larger diameter than the part that contacts the second bearing part 377.

  In the above-described embodiment, the small-diameter portion 372 is configured such that only the outer periphery that contacts the first bearing portion 376 is circular, and the large-diameter portion 373 is only the outer periphery that contacts the second bearing portion 377. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and both the small diameter portion 372 and the large diameter portion 373 may be perfectly round.

  In the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing shaft portion 371 is provided on the support member 361, and the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377 are provided on the second paper feed tray main body 380. In contrast to this, the first bearing portion 376 and the second bearing portion 377 may be provided on the support member 361, and the opening / closing shaft portion 371 may be provided on the second paper feed tray body 380.

  In the above-described embodiment, the inkjet image forming unit is used as the image forming unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an electrophotographic image forming unit may be used. Needless to say.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as long as it matches the gist of the invention described in the claims.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a paper feeding unit 60 and an image forming unit 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a paper feed tray 300 and a paper feed unit 500 in a state where a second paper feed tray 360 is mounted on the first paper feed tray 310 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a top view of the sheet feeding tray 300 in the state shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 300 when the second paper feed tray 360 according to the embodiment of the present invention is moved to the front side with respect to the first paper feed tray 310. FIG. 6 is a top view of the paper feed tray 300 including the paper feed unit 500 when the second paper feed tray 360 according to the embodiment of the present invention is moved to the near side with respect to the first paper feed tray 310. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper feed tray 300 in a state where the second paper feed tray 360 according to the embodiment of the present invention is opened and the movable tray 350 is pulled out from the first paper feed tray 310. It is the B section enlarged view of FIG. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which moved the 2nd paper feed tray 360 to the back side (back side) in the EE cross section of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a paper feed tray 300 and a paper feed unit 500 in a state where a second paper feed tray 360 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not placed. FIG. 6 is a top view of a second paper feed tray 360 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the supporting member 361 in the FF cross section of FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the second paper feed tray main body 380 in the FF cross section of FIG. 14. It is FF sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the supporting member 361 in the GG cross section of FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the second paper feed tray main body 380 in the GG cross section of FIG. 14. It is GG sectional drawing of FIG. It is HH sectional drawing of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the paper feed unit 500 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a state in which the paper feed roller 600 (rotary shaft 650) is parallel to the center line of the through hole 551, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state inclined with respect to. It is a figure which shows the action | operation of the 2nd torsion coil spring 580 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A) is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism 370 which concerns on this embodiment, (b) is a schematic diagram of a C-type hinge mechanism. It is a figure which shows the modification of the slider part. It is a figure which shows the modification of the slider part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Image forming apparatus, 110 ... Operation panel, 111 ... Operation part,
120 ... main body casing, 121 ... opening, 122 ... frame, 123 ... contact piece,
200 ... scanner unit, 300 ... paper feed tray, 310 ... first paper feed tray,
311 ... Bottom plate, 311 ... Bottom, 312 ... Side wall,
313 ... Guide member, 314 ... Placing plate part, 315 ... Side plate part,
316 ... Linear guide bar, 318 ... Guide plate, 319 ... Separating member,
320 ... 1st rail part, 321 ... Upper end surface, 322 ... Side wall, 323 ... Side wall part,
325 ... 2nd rail part, 329 ... Connecting part, 330 ... Storage part, 332 ... Notch part,
350 ... movable tray, 351 ... side wall, 360 ... second paper feed tray,
360 ... 2nd paper feed tray, 361 ... support member, 362 ... slider part,
363 ... Stopper slider part, 364 ... Anti-rotation slider part,
365 ... Wall part, 370 ... Hinge mechanism, 371 ... Opening and closing shaft part, 372 ... Small diameter part,
373 ... large diameter part, 376 ... first bearing part, 377 ... second bearing part,
378 ... Retaining member, 379 ... Stopper part, 380 ... Second paper feed tray body,
500 ... feed unit, 510 ... support shaft, 520 ... roller arm,
530 ... Large gear, 540 ... Small gear, 550 ... Shaft support, 551 ... Through hole,
560 ... power transmission gear, 570 ... coil spring, 580 ... coil spring,
600 ... feed roller, 610 ... main body member, 620 ... roller member,
630 ... Roller support part, 650 ... Rotating shaft, 651 ... Gear contact part,
652 ... Arm contact portion, 660 ... Drive gear, 661 ... Through hole,
700: Image forming unit.

Claims (5)

A paper feed tray that is removably attached to an opening formed in the image forming apparatus main body and that stores recording sheets supplied to image forming means disposed in the image forming apparatus main body.
A first paper feed tray that is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface side is opened, and that stores recording sheets;
A guide member provided at the bottom of the first paper feed tray so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray and restricting the end position of the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray. When,
A second paper feed tray that is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray, and that contains recording sheets smaller than the recording sheets contained in the first paper feed tray,
The second paper feed tray is
A support member assembled so as to span between both side walls of the first paper feed tray in a state of being movable in the insertion / extraction direction;
A covering member assembled to the support member so as to be openable and closable,
Further, a notch portion in which a part of the side wall portion is notched is provided in a portion of the both side wall portions that is shifted to the separation direction side from the movable range of the support member in order to move the guide member. A paper feed tray characterized by A paper feed tray that is removably attached to an opening formed in the image forming apparatus main body, and that stores recording sheets supplied by a conveying mechanism to image forming means disposed in the image forming apparatus main body. ,
A first paper feed tray that is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface side is opened, and that stores recording sheets;
A guide member provided at the bottom of the first paper feed tray so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray and restricting the end position of the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray. When,
A second paper feed tray that is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray, and that contains recording sheets smaller than the recording sheets contained in the first paper feed tray,
The second paper feed tray is
A support member assembled so as to span between both side walls of the first paper feed tray in a state of being movable in the insertion / extraction direction;
A covering member assembled to the support member so as to be openable and closable,
A portion of the both side wall portions that is shifted to the separation direction side from the movable range of the support member is provided with a notch portion in which a part of the side wall portion is notched in order to move the guide member. And
Further, the movable range of the support member is located at a position where the support member is deviated from the operation region of the transport mechanism when the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray is transported by the transport mechanism. A paper feed tray characterized by being set to do. A movable tray assembled to be displaceable in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed tray;
The both side walls are provided with storage portions that slidably store a part of the movable tray,
The paper feed tray according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion is provided in a portion of the side wall portion that is shifted to the insertion direction side from the storage portion. An image forming unit disposed in the image forming apparatus main body and forming an image on a recording sheet;
A paper feed tray that is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus main body and that stores recording sheets supplied to the image forming means;
A conveyance mechanism that is swingably assembled to the image forming apparatus main body and that supplies and conveys a recording sheet stored in the paper feed tray to the image forming unit;
The paper feed tray is
A first paper feed tray that is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose upper surface side is opened, and that stores recording sheets;
A guide member that is provided at the bottom of the first paper feed tray so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the insertion / extraction direction of the first paper feed tray and regulates the position of the end of the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray. When,
A second paper feed tray that is disposed so as to cover the upper surface side of the first paper feed tray and that contains a recording sheet smaller than the recording sheet contained in the first paper feed tray;
The second paper feed tray is
A support member assembled so as to span between both side walls of the first paper feed tray in a state of being movable in the insertion / extraction direction;
A covering member assembled to the support member so as to be openable and closable,
A portion of the both side wall portions that is shifted to the separation direction side from the movable range of the support member is provided with a notch portion in which a part of the side wall portion is notched in order to move the guide member. And
Further, the movable range of the support member is located at a position where the support member is deviated from the operation region of the transport mechanism when the transport mechanism transports the recording sheet stored in the first paper feed tray. An image forming apparatus that is set to A movable tray assembled to be displaceable in the insertion / extraction direction with respect to the first paper feed tray;
The both side walls are provided with storage portions that slidably store a part of the movable tray,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cutout portion is provided in a portion of the side wall portion that is shifted to the insertion direction side from the storage portion.

Images