Patent Application
20230174337
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device and an image forming apparatus providing the sheet feeding device.
A conventional image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copy machine, and a facsimile machine are provided a sheet feeding device including a sheet accommodating portion to store the sheet as a recording material on which an image is formed. A large sized image forming apparatus is constituted to comprise of a detachable sheet feeding device with a large capacity to be able to supply a bulk of sheet besides of the sheet feeding device built in the image forming apparatus. In the sheet feeding device with a large capacity a bulk of sheet stacked in a sheet stacking portion needs to be lifted up to a sheet feeding portion feeding the sheet to the main body of the image forming apparatus. In the sheet stacking portion a wire is used for lifting up and down since a movable area the sheet stacking portion is lifted up is increased by stacking a bulk of sheet on the sheet stacking portion. Most of the sheet feeding devices include this structure which lifts up and down the sheet stacking portion by winding and dispensing wire. The sheet stacking portion is fastened by a packaging material not to move since the sheet stacking portion may move and break in the sheet accommodating portion by vibration during transportation in the case that the wire of the sheet stacking portion is less winded when the sheet feeding device is shipping out. In the case that the sheet feeding device is run as the packaging material fastening the sheet stacking portion is not taken off after the sheet feeding device is mounted to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the packaging material may be fallen by the sheet stacking portion lifting or a driving portion may make a noise.
For example, in Japanese Patent No. 5489685 a structure of the image forming apparatus restricting the sheet stacking portion lifting when a sheet position senser detecting a sheet on the top of the sheet stacking portion detects the packaging material fastening the sheet stacking portion is suggested. Also, in Japanese Patent No. 5832123 a structure to fasten the sheet stacking portion not to move during transportation is referred in the following. That is, when a product is shipped out, the sheet stacking portion is lifted by winding up the wire that lifts up and down the sheet stacking portion to make the sheet stacking portion abut to a part of the sheet accommodating portion to restrict moving to lift up is suggested.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provide a sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet, the sheet feeding device comprising: a sheet stacking member on which the sheet is stacked; a feeding member provided above the sheet stacking member and configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking member; a lifting member configured to lift up and down the sheet stacking member; an accommodating unit provided with a supporting frame for supporting the sheet stacking member and configured to accommodate the sheet; and a restricting member configured to restrict a position of the sheet stacking member, wherein movement in a lifting down direction of the sheet stacking member is restricted by the restricting member when the restricting member is attached to the supporting frame in a state in which the sheet stacking member is lifted up to a predetermined position.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with referring the figures in the following.
The sheet accommodating portion 102 shown in
The sheet accommodating portion 102 includes a sheet stacking portion 104 stacking sheets and a sheet moving portion 105 which is a lifting unit moving the sheet stacking portion 104 into the sheet feeding portion 103 in order to feed a sheet stacked in the sheet stacking portion 104. The sheet moving portion 105 is comprised of a wire 106 which is a lifting member fastened to the sheet stacking portion 104, a driving train 107 lifting the sheet stacking portion 104 up and down by winding and dispensing the wire 106 and so on. The driving train 107 which is a gear train is driven by a driving portion (not shown in the figure) such as a motor. Note that, a structure of the sheet moving portion 105 will be described later in detail.
The sheet feeding portion 103 includes a pick-up roller 108 as a feeding member, feeding roller 109, a separating roller 110, and a conveying roller 111. The pick-up roller 108 picks up a sheet on top of the stack on the sheet stacking portion 104, and then, the feeding roller 109 and the separating roller 110 feeds and separates each sheet picked up by the pick-up roller 108 not to duplicated. The conveying roller 111 conveys a sheet to the main body of the printer 1.
Therefore, a position detecting portion 112 which is a position detecting member detects a position of the sheet stacking portion 104 and a position of a sheet on the sheet stacking portion 104 is located near the pickup roller 108. Such as a detecting device with a photo senser including an emitting portion emits a light and a light receiving portion detecting a light from emitting portion and a flag shutting a light from the emitting portion interlocking an object movement is used as the position detecting portion 112. In the sheet feeding device 101, as the sheet accommodating portion 102 including the sheet stacking portion 104 stacked with a pile of sheet is attached, the sheet stacking portion is lifted by the driving train 107 in the sheet moving portion 105 winding up the wire 106. And then the sheet moving portion 105 stops lifting the sheet stacking portion 104 when the position detecting portion 112 detects that the sheet on top of the pile stacking on the sheet stacking portion 104 reaches a predetermined position where the pick-up roller 108 is able to pick up the sheet. The pick-up roller 108 picks up the sheet on the top of the pile in the predetermined position on the sheet stacking portion 104 and then the sheet is conveyed by the feeding roller 109 and the separating roller 110 to the conveying roller 111. The conveying roller 111 conveys the sheet from the feeding roller 109 and the separating roller 110 to the main body of the printer 1.
Next, the sheet accommodating portion 102 in the sheet feeding device 101 will be described.
The sheet accommodating portion 102 is comprised of a sheet accommodating frame, a guide rail 118, the sheet stacking portion 104, a sheet guide member 119, and the sheet moving portion 105 described above. The sheet accommodating frame is comprised of a front supporting frame 113 which is a front side supporting frame constituting a frame body (casing body) of the sheet accommodating portion 102, a back supporting frame 114 of a back side, a left supporting frame 115 on a left side, a right supporting frame 116 of a right side, and a bottom board 117 of a bottom side. The guide rail 118 is attached onto the left supporting frame 115 and the right supporting frame 116 and is provided as it can slide smoothly when the sheet accommodating portion 102 is detached from the sheet feeding device 101 with moving in front and back direction in the figure. The sheet guide member 119 guides an end of the sheet to stack sheets easily when a pile of the sheet is stacked on the sheet stacking portion 104.
In both the left supporting frame 115 and the right supporting frame 116 constituting the sheet accommodating frame, a pair of opening portions 120 notching the left supporting frame 115 and the right supporting frame 116 from above in vertical direction (upper direction in the drawing) to nearby the guide rail 118 is provided. The opening portion 120 is provided to get hands grabbing sheets into (to access) inside of the sheet stacking portion 104 to stack sheets easily when sheets are stacked on the sheet stacking portion 104. The opening portion may be a notch shape or holes on both the left supporting frame 115 and the right supporting frame 116. On the back supporting frame 114 two grooves 127a and 127b are provided to guide a contact portion 104a provided on the sheet stacking portion 104 lifting by the sheet moving portion 105. Also, on the front supporting frame 113 two grooves 127a and 127b (not showing in figures) are provided to guide a contact portion 104a provided on the sheet stacking portion 104 lifting by the sheet moving portion 105 as same as the back supporting frame 114. At each end of the grooves 127a and 127b in the vertical direction, moving restricting portions 121a and 121b with which the contact portion 104a is in contact when the sheet stacking portion 104 is lifted by the sheet moving portion 105 and which restrict movement of the sheet stacking portion 104 in the vertical direction are provided.
Next, the structure of the sheet moving portion 105 will be described.
As
When the sheet accommodating portion 102 is inserted to attach to the sheet feeding device 101 along the guide rail 118, a driving power is transmitted to the driving train 107 in the sheet moving portion 105 (in
On the other hand, when the sheet accommodating portion 102 is pulled out of the sheet feeding device 101 along the guide rail 118, the driving train 107 in the sheet accommodating portion 102 is separated from the power source (not shown in the figure) of the sheet feeding device 101. Therefore, the sheet stacking 104 becomes able to move (go down) from the position on the sheet stacking portion 104 where the sheet on the top is able to be fed as the wire 106a, 106b, 106c, and 106d are dispensed from the wire winding member 122a, 122b by an own weight of the sheet stacking portion. The intermittent gear 123 and the damper gear 124 mentioned above are provided not to apply a load on the driving train 107 except the own weight of the sheet stacking portion 104. The sheet stacking portion 104 in the movable state is moved (gone down) vertically downward by its own weight. When the sheet stacking portion 104 comes down to a predetermined position, a missing teeth portion 125 of the intermittent gear 123 engages with the damper gear 124, the own weight of the sheet stacking portion 104 is not enough to dispense the wire 106a, 106b, 106c, and 106d by a load of the damper gear 124, and then the sheet stacking portion 104 is paused to go down. In a state no sheets on the sheet accommodating portion 102, the sheet stacking portion 104 is hang and held by the wire 106a, 106b, 106c, and 106d in a predetermined height.
Next, a state of the sheet accommodating portion 102 at shipping out will be described.
Compared with a state of the sheet accommodating portion 102 in
Here, a shape of the fastening member 126 will be described. Note that, though an explanation of the fastening member 126 following is about the fastening member 126 that is attached to the right supporting frame 116 side shown in
The fastening member 126 includes a shape that a board material (such as a thick paper or a plastic board) is processed to be a triangle shape. The fastening member 126 includes three surfaces 126c, 126d, and 126e and a pair of arms 126f and 126g. The surface 126c faces right side in the drawing. The surface 126d faces front side in the drawing, connects with the surface 126c, and is bended to make acute angle with the back surface of the surface 126c (facing left side in the drawing). On the other hand, the surface 126e faces back side in the drawing, connects with the surface 126c, and is bended to make acute angle with the back surface of the surface 126c (facing left side in the drawing). An upper surface 126b which is an end portion of an upper part of the fastening member 126 in the vertical direction is a top surface of the surface 126c, 126d, and 126e against the sheet stacking portion 104.
Also, in center of each bended end between the surface 126c and the surface 126d and 126e, an arm 126g sticking out to the front side in the drawing and an arm 126f sticking out to the back side in the drawing are provided. When the fastening member 126 shown in
Further, the surface 126c includes a surface which is extended to the downward in vertical direction from the bended end with the surface 126d and 126e. As same as the arm 126f and 126g, the extended surface functions as a stopper by contact on the right supporting frame 116 when the fastening member 126 is inserted through the opening portion 120. Note that, a bottom surface 126a is an end in downward in the vertical direction (lower end) of the surface 126c.
As described above, the sheet stacking portion 104 is restricted to move downward by the fastening member 126 supporting as a bottom surface 104c of the sheet stacking portion 104 is in contact with the top surface 126b of the fastening member 126. On the other hand, the bottom surface 126a of the fastening member 126 makes a position in downward direction of the fastening member 126 by contacting with a top surface 118a of the guide rail 118 which is attached to the right supporting frame 116 and the left supporting frame 115 of the sheet accommodating portion 102. For that, a position of the top surface 126b (which is a length of the surface 126c in the vertical direction in the figure) of the fastening member 126 is configured as following. That is, the position of the top surface 126b of the fastening member 126 is configured as a height that a contacting portion 104a of the sheet stacking portion 104 supported by the fastening member 126 does not touch movement restricting portions 121a and 121b provided in the front supporting frame 113 and the back supporting frame 114.
Further, in
As described above, the sheet stacking portion 104 is only restricted to move downward in the vertical direction by the fastening member 126. On the other hand, though the sheet stacking portion 104 is able to move upward in the vertical direction, the sheet stacking portion 104 is restricted to move upward in the vertical direction within a predetermined height where the contacting portion 104a is in contact on the move restricting portions 121a, 121b provided in the front supporting frame 113 and back supporting frame 114. Thereby, in case that vibration or fall occurs during transportation, the sheet stacking portion 104 does not move in the sheet accommodating portion 102. Further, in case that a user starts the sheet feeding device 101 without removing the fastening member 126, the sheet stacking portion 104 is restricted to move downward by the fastening member 126, but is able to move upward in the vertical direction. The sheet stacking portion 104 is moves upward in the vertical direction by the sheet moving portion 105, but is stopped lifting by the position detecting portion 112 provided the sheet feeding portion 103 detecting the sheet stacking portion 104. Furthermore, in case the sheet stacking portion 104 is in a detectable position by the position detecting portion 112 at the sheet feeding device starting, the sheet moving portion 105 does not execute to move upward in the vertical direction. That is, as the position detecting portion 112 detects that the sheet stacking portion 104 is in a position where is the same height as the pick-up roller 108 is able to pick up a sheet, the sheet moving portion 105 does not execute to move upward in the vertical direction. Therefore, in case conventionally occurs the user forgets to remove the fastening member, a noise made from the driving portion or a fall off the fastening member by the power of lifting the sheet stacking portion can be prevented.
As described above, by the structure of the sheet accommodating portion 102 in the present embodiment, it is not necessary for the sheet feeding device 101 in the present embodiment to use the fastening member with high quality because of the position detecting means with the high accuracy of detecting. Also, the sheet stacking portion can keep fastening state with the fastening member without falling by the detachable sheet accommodating portion in case the connection with the power source is released.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a cost of the fastening member fastening the sheet stacking portion can be decreased and a workability in shipping out can be improved.
In an embodiment 2 a method of fastening the sheet stacking portion at shipping out of the sheet feeding device provided the sheet accommodating portion which is different from the embodiment 1. Note that, the sheet feeding device and the image forming apparatus is the same as the embodiment 1 and the descriptions of the members including the same functions with the embodiment 1 are omitted.
A sheet accommodating portion 202 in the present embodiment will be described. The sheet accommodating portion 202 is the sheet accommodating portion storing sheets on a sheet stacking portion which includes a structure which is detachable from the sheet feeding device shown in
In the embodiment 2 a direction that the sheet accommodating portion 202 is pulled out of the sheet feeding device 101 is referred to as a ‘front’ side (in a foreground direction in the figure) and a direction that the sheet feed accommodating portion 202 is inserted (pushed) to attach to the sheet feeding device 101 is referred to as a ‘back’ side (in a depth direction in the figure). Therefore, a ‘right’ side is on the right as viewed from the ‘front’ side toward the ‘back’ side of the sheet feeding device 101 and a ‘left’ side is on the left side as viewed from the ‘front’ side toward the ‘back’ side of the sheet feeding device 101.
The sheet accommodating portion 202 comprises of a sheet accommodating frame, a rail roller 208, a sheet stacking portion 209, a sheet guide member 210, and a sheet moving portion 211. Note that, a structure of the sheet moving portion 211 is the same with the structure described in
In center of each the left supporting frame 205 and the right supporting frame 206 constituting the sheet accommodating frame, an opening portion 212 notching the left supporting frame 115 and the right supporting frame 116 from above in vertical direction (upper direction in the drawing) to nearby the center of the vertical direction. The opening portion 120 is provided to get hands grabbing sheets into (to access) inside of the sheet stacking portion 209 to stack sheets easily when sheets are stacked on the sheet stacking portion 209. On the back supporting frame 114 two grooves 216a and 216b are provided to guide a contact portion 209a provided on the sheet stacking portion 209 lifting by the sheet moving portion 211. Also, on the front supporting frame 203 two grooves 216a and 216b are provided as well to guide a contact portion 209a provided on the sheet stacking portion 209 lifting by the sheet moving portion 211 as same as the back supporting frame 204. At each end of the grooves 216a and 217b in the vertical direction, moving restricting portions 213a and 213b with which the contact portion 209a is contact on when the sheet stacking portion 209 is lifted by the sheet moving portion 211 and which restrict movement of the sheet stacking portion 209 in the vertical direction are provided.
Next, a state of the sheet accommodating portion 202 at shipping out will be described.
Compared with a state of the sheet accommodating portion 202 in
Here, a shape of the fastening member 214 will be described. Note that, though an explanation of the fastening member 214 following is about the fastening member 214 that is attached to the right supporting frame 206 side shown in
The fastening member 214 includes a shape that a board material (such as a thick paper or a plastic board) is processed to be a triangle shape. The fastening member 214 includes three surfaces 214c, 214d, and 214e and a pair of arms 214f and 214g. The surface 214c faces right side in the drawing. The surface 214d faces front side in the drawing, connects with the surface 214c, and is bended to make acute angle with the back surface of the surface 214c (facing left side in the drawing). On the other hand, the surface 214e faces back side in the drawing, connects with the surface 214c, and is bended to make acute angle with the back surface of the surface 214c (facing left side in the drawing). A top surface 214b which is an end portion of an upper part of the fastening member 214 in the vertical direction is a top surface of the surface 214c, 214d, and 214e against the sheet stacking portion 209.
Also, in center of each bended end between the surface 214c and the surface 214d and 214e, an arm 214g sticking out to the front side in the drawing and an arm 214f sticking out to the back side in the drawing are provided. When the fastening member 214 shown in
Further, the surface 214c includes a surface which is extended to the downward in vertical direction from the bended end with the surface 214d and 214e. As same as the arm 214f and 214g, the extended surface functions as a stopper by contacting on the right supporting frame 206 when the fastening member 214 is inserted through the opening portion 212. Note that, a bottom surface 214a is an end in downward in the vertical direction (lower end) of the surface 214c.
As described above, the sheet stacking portion 209 is restricted to move downward by the fastening member 214 supporting as a bottom surface 209c of the sheet stacking portion 209 is in contact with the top surface 214b of the fastening member 214. On the other hand, the bottom surface 214a of the fastening member 214 makes a position in downward direction of the fastening member 214 by contacting with the opening portion 212 provided to the right supporting frame 206 and the left supporting frame 205 of the sheet accommodating portion 202. For that, a position of the top surface 214b (which is a length of the surface 214d, 214e in the vertical direction in the drawing) of the fastening member 214 is configured as following. That is, the position of the top surface 214b of the fastening member 214 is configured as a height that a contacting portion 209a of the sheet stacking portion 209 supported by the fastening member 214 does not touch movement restricting portions 213a, 213b provided in the front supporting frame 203 and the back supporting frame 204.
Further, in
As described above, the sheet stacking portion 104 is only restricted to move downward in the vertical direction by the fastening member 214. On the other hand, though the sheet stacking portion 209 is able to move upward in the vertical direction, the sheet stacking portion 209 is restricted to move upward in the vertical direction within a predetermined height where the contacting portion 209a is contact on the move restricting portion 213a, 213b provided in the front supporting frame 203 and back supporting frame 204. Thereby, in case that vibration or fall occurs during transportation, the sheet stacking portion 209 does not move in the sheet accommodating portion 202. Further, in case that a user starts the sheet feeding device 101 without removing the fastening member 214, the sheet stacking portion 209 is restricted to move downward by the fastening member 214, but is able to move upward in the vertical direction. The sheet stacking portion 209 is moves upward in the vertical direction by the sheet moving portion 211, but is stopped lifting by the position detecting portion 215 provided the sheet feeding portion 103 detecting the sheet stacking portion 209. Furthermore, in case the sheet stacking portion 209 is in a detectable position by the position detecting portion 215 at the sheet feeding device 101 starting, the sheet moving portion 211 does not execute to move upward in the vertical direction. Therefore, in case conventionally occurs the user forgets to remove the fastening member, a noise made from the driving portion or a fall off the fastening member by the power of lifting the sheet stacking portion can be prevented.
As described above, by the structure of the sheet accommodating portion 202 in the present embodiment, it is not necessary for the sheet feeding device 101 in the present embodiment to use the fastening member with high quality because of the position detecting means with the high accuracy of detecting. Also, the sheet stacking portion can keep fastening state with the fastening member without falling by the detachable sheet accommodating portion in case the connection with the power source is released.
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a cost of the fastening member fastening the sheet stacking portion can be decreased and a workability in shipping out can be improved.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2021-195970, filed on Dec. 2, 2021, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-195970 | Dec 2021 | JP | national |
