Paper cassette feeder for easily removing paper jam and image forming apparatus having the same

Abstract

A paper cassette feeder and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The paper cassette feeder includes: a main frame; a loading unit on which paper is loaded; a first paper guide which is tilted up with respect to the loading unit; and a second paper guide which is disposed at the first paper guide in a turnable manner, and is tilted up with respect to the first paper guide according to a position of the second paper guide. Accordingly, a paper cassette feeder can be easily separated from an image forming apparatus when paper is jammed in a paper feeding path, so as to remove a paper jam easily.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of this invention. While the following written and illustrated disclosure focuses on disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and that the invention is not limited thereto. The spirit and scope of the present invention are limited only by the terms of the appended claims. The following represents brief descriptions of the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic lateral cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main cassette feeder shown in FIG. 1, slantly viewed from the top;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main cassette feeder shown in FIG. 1, slantly viewed from the bottom;

FIG. 4 is an extracted perspective view of a portion of a cassette feeder included in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an arrangement of paper guides shown in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6A and B are lateral cross-sectional views of a paper feeding structure shown in FIG. 4, to illustrate a paper jam removing operation.

Claims

1. A paper cassette feeder of an image forming apparatus, comprising: a main frame;a loading unit on which paper is loaded;a first paper guide arranged at one end of the main frame, and tilted up with respect to the loading unit to guide each sheet of paper; anda second paper guide disposed at the first paper guide in a turnable manner, and tilted up with respect to the first paper guide according to a position of the second paper guide.

2. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second paper guide and the first paper guide form a first paper feeding path through which each sheet of paper is fed into the image forming apparatus from the loading unit.

3. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second paper guide is arranged at a position to block the individual sheet of paper, via the first paper feeding path, and is turned to a position for opening the first paper feeding path when pushed by the individual sheet of paper that is being loaded from the loading unit, via the first paper feeding path.

4. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein a through-hole is formed in the main frame of the paper cassette feeder, to form a second paper feeding path through which the paper is supplied into the image forming apparatus from a second cassette feeder placed in a lower part of the main frame of the paper feeding cassette.

5. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second paper guide is joined with the first paper guide by using a hinge.

6. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an elastic member joining the first paper guide and the second paper guide, wherein the second paper guide is elastically biased by the elastic member in a direction for opening the first paper feeding path.

7. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of the second paper guides disposed at the first paper guide to be separated from one another.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising: a main frame;a printing unit mounted in the main frame, which prints an image onto a paper;a main cassette feeder detachably mounted in the main frame, which feeds the paper to the printing unit;a second cassette feeder located below the main cassette feeder, which supplies additional paper to the printing unit; anda third paper guide disposed in the main frame, which guides the paper fed from the main cassette feeder or the second cassette feeder to the printing unit,wherein the main cassette feeder includes a main frame, a loading unit on which paper is loaded, a first paper guide which is tilted up with respect to the loading unit, and a second paper guide which is disposed at the first paper guide in a turnable manner, and is tilted with up respect to the first paper guide according to a position of the second paper guide.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second paper guide and the first paper guide form a first paper feeding path through which the paper is fed into the image forming apparatus from the loading unit.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second paper guide normally stays at a position for blocking the first paper feeding path, and is turned to a position for opening the paper feeding path when pushed by a feeding paper as the paper is fed from the main cassette feeder through the first paper feeding path.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a through-hole is formed near the first and second paper guides of the main frame of the main cassette feeder, and is perpendicular to a flat surface of the main frame of the main cassette feeder.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein another through-hole is formed at the second cassette feeder connected to the through-hole of the main cassette feeder, and wherein the through-holes form a second paper feeding path through which the paper is fed from the second cassette feeder to the main cassette feeder.

13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second paper guide is joined with the first paper guide by using a hinge.

14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an elastic member joining the first paper guide and the second paper guide, wherein the second paper guide is elastically biased by the elastic member in a direction for opening the first paper feeding path.

15. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a plurality of the second paper guides are disposed at the first paper guide to be separated from one another.

16. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the third paper guide is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second paper guide.

17. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second and third paper guides are disposed in a zig-zag manner, so that, when the paper is fed through the second paper feeding path and a portion of one surface of the paper faces the second paper guide or the third paper guide, the corresponding portion of the other end of the paper does not face the third paper guide or the second paper guide.

18. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a lower end of the third paper guide is lower than an upper end of the second paper guide with respect to the based of the main frame of the main cassette feeder in a state that the second paper guide is turned to a position for opening the first paper feeding path.

19. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein, when the paper is jammed in the second paper feeding path, and the main cassette feeder is separated from the main frame of the image forming apparatus to remove the jammed paper, the second paper guide is pushed by the jammed paper, and is turned to a position for blocking the first paper feeding path.

20. A paper cassette feeder for use in an image forming apparatus, comprising: a main frame;a loading unit disposed inside the main frame to load each sheet of paper;a first paper guide arranged at one end of the main frame, tilted up with respect to the loading unit to guide each sheet of paper picked up from the loading unit; andone or more second paper guides disposed at the first paper guide, to rotate between a first position for opening a paper feeding path through which each sheet of paper picked up from the loading unit is fed into the image forming apparatus and a second position for blocking the paper feeding path.

21. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 20, wherein the one or more second paper guides are arranged at the second position for blocking the paper feeding path, and are rotated to the first position for opening the paper feeding path when each sheet of paper picked up from the loading unit is fed into the image forming apparatus.

22. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 20, wherein a through-hole is formed in the main frame adjacent to the first and second paper guides, and is perpendicular to a flat surface of the main frame so as to allow each sheet of paper to be fed from another cassette feeder into the image forming apparatus.

23. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 20, wherein the plurality of second paper guides are joined with the first paper guide at their distal ends using a hinge.

24. The paper cassette feeder as claimed in claim 20, wherein, when the paper is jammed in the through-hole, and the paper cassette feeder is separated from the image forming apparatus to remove the jammed paper, the one or more second paper guides are pushed by the jammed paper and are rotated to a position for blocking the paper feeding path.