Patent Application
20180186585
The present invention relates to a stacking device and an image forming apparatus.
Conventionally, there have been widely used electrophotographic image forming apparatuses configured to convey a sheet to an image forming unit to form an image on the sheet. Such image forming apparatuses are provided with a sheet stacking tray serving as a sheet storage device. The sheet stacking tray can store various sizes of sheets in the same tray. To be specific, the sheet stacking tray is provided with a trailing edge regulating device and a width regulating unit in such a manner that their positions can be changed according to the size of the set sheet. The trailing edge regulating device regulates an upstream side of the sheet in a conveyance direction, and the width regulating unit regulates the position of the sheet in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.
As the various sizes of sheets, sheets having predetermined sizes typically defined by a standard (hereinafter, the sheets are referred to as standard-sized sheets, and the sizes are A4, A3, 8.5×11 inches, and 11×17 inches, for example), and sheets having sizes that do not correspond to the above-described sizes under the standard (hereinafter, the sheets are referred to as non-standard-sized sheets) are widely used in various ways.
For the use of the standard-sized sheets, in order to facilitate operations of the width regulating unit and the trailing edge regulating device performed by a user, some sheet stacking trays are provided with labels or engraved marks in positions corresponding to the sizes of the standard-sized sheets to indicate desired positions of the width regulating unit and the trailing edge regulating device. Further, some sheet stacking trays are configured to indicate that the regulating unit and the regulating device are located in desired positions, by a click or the like provided at the time of operations of the regulating unit and the regulating device.
However, when the standard-sized sheets are used, even if the sheet stacking tray is provided with the configuration for facilitating the operations of the width regulating unit and the trailing edge regulating device performed by the user, the operations may fail to be performed as intended by the user. That is, an operation for adjusting the position of the regulating unit or device to an indication such as the label or the engraved mark by visual observation, and the determination based on the click provided at the time of the operation of the regulating unit or device slightly vary depending on each user. Therefore, there is confirmed a case in which the regulating unit or device unintentionally overruns, and slightly deviates from a desired position to be fixed at the position.
For example, when the trailing edge regulating device is set to a shorter side of the sheets than a desired position, the sheets are compressed by the regulating unit more than necessary, and leading edges and trailing edges of the sheets are in a pressed state. As a result, there is problem that a sheet bundle is not lifted up in a swing lift plate due to friction between the leading edges of the sheets and a wall of a leading edge of the tray, or sheet feeding failure occurs due to a loss of lift pressure.
When the trailing edge regulating device is set to a longer side of the sheet than a desired position, a leading edge position of the sheets on the sheet stacking tray may be changed from a desired position, and therefore, a relative position between the sheets and a feed roller that feeds and conveys the sheets may be changed. As a result, there is a problem that such changes may lead to sheet feeding failure such as non-feeding.
Therefore, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-223686, removing a positioning configuration of the trailing edge regulating device in a boundary of the standard-sized sheet and the non-standard-sized sheet clarifies a fixed position of the standard-sized sheet. As a result, an ideal position of the trailing edge regulating device to be set when the user uses the standard-sized sheet becomes easily-identifiable.
However, in the configuration described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-223686, in the vicinity of the position corresponding to the standard-sized sheet, the trailing edge regulating device may be positioned by neither a positioning mechanism of the standard size nor a positioning mechanism of the non-standard size. Since there is nothing to fix the position of the regulating device in a region where the positioning configuration of the regulating device is removed, when the trailing edge regulating device is used with slight deviation, the position of the regulating device changes during passing of the sheets. As a result, there is a problem that the sheet is obliquely conveyed.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a stacking device for stacking a sheet, includes a stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked, a regulating member, including a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion and provided on the stacking portion so as to be movable in a first direction and in a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction, configured to regulate a position of an end portion of the sheet, a first engaged portion provided in the stacking portion for positioning the regulating member to a position corresponding to a standard-sized sheet by being engaged with the first engaging portion, a second engaged portion provided in the stacking portion for positioning the regulating member to a position corresponding to a non-standard-sized sheet by being engaged with the second engaging portion, a moving member movable between a stand-by position and an operation position distant from the stand-by position, and a releasing unit including a first releasing unit configured to move the first engaging portion from a first engagement position where the first engaging portion is engaged with the first engaged portion to a first release position where the first engaging portion is not engaged with the first engaged portion, by the moving member moving to the operation position, and a second releasing unit configured to move the second engaging portion from a second engagement position where the second engaging portion is engaged with the second engaged portion to a second release position where the second engaging portion is not engaged with the second engaged portion, by the moving member moving to the operation position, wherein, when the moving member moves from the operation position to the stand-by position, the releasing unit moves the second engaging portion to the second engagement position after moving the first engaging portion to the first engagement position.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a stacking portion on which a sheet on which an image is to be formed by the image forming unit is stacked, a regulating member, including a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion and provided on the stacking portion so as to be movable in a first direction and in a second direction that is an opposite direction to the first direction, configured to regulate a position of an end portion of the sheet, a first engaged portion provided in the stacking portion for positioning the regulating member to a position corresponding to a standard-sized sheet by being engaged with the first engaging portion, a second engaged portion provided in the stacking portion for positioning the regulating member to a position corresponding to a non-standard-sized sheet by being engaged with the second engaging portion, a moving member movable between a stand-by position and an operation position distant from the stand-by position, and a releasing unit including a first releasing unit configured to move the first engaging portion from a first engagement position where the first engaging portion is engaged with the first engaged portion to a first release position where the first engaging portion is not engaged with the first engaged portion, by the moving member moving to the operation position, and a second releasing unit configured to move the second engaging portion from a second engagement position where the second engaging portion is engaged with the second engaged portion to a second release position where the second engaging portion is not engaged with the second engaged portion, by the moving member moving to the operation position, wherein, when the moving member moves from the operation position to the stand-by position, the releasing unit moves the second engaging portion to the second engagement position after moving the first engaging portion to the first engagement position.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
The sheets S are stacked and stored in a cassette 2 loaded in a lower portion of the apparatus. The sheets S are sequentially fed out one by one from an uppermost sheet S by a feed roller 3, and are fed to an image forming unit by a conveyance roller pair 4. Here, the image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum 51, a laser scanner 5 that writes an image onto the photosensitive drum 51, and a transfer roller 52 that transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 51, onto a recording material. These configurations are known, and thus detailed description is omitted. A cartridge P in
The sheet S on which an unfixed toner image is formed is fed to a fixing unit 6. The sheet S is subjected to fixing processing by being heated while passing through a fixing nip portion. Then, the sheet S is discharged outside the apparatus by a discharge roller pair 8 through a sheet discharge path 7, and is stacked on a discharge tray 9.
Next, a detailed configuration of the cassette 2 serving as a stacking device mounted on the image forming apparatus 1 will be described using
The cassette 2 illustrated in
The trailing edge regulating device 24 (regulating member) is freely movable in a sheet feeding direction of the sheets (first direction) and an opposite direction (second direction) opposite to the sheet feeding direction, along a guide groove provided in a bottom plate of the cassette main body 21 in the arrow C direction. Further, the trailing edge regulating device 24 is positioned along a groove (not illustrated) provided in the cassette main body 21 and by a fixing unit (not illustrated) provided in the trailing edge regulating device 24, similarly to the width regulating units 22 and 23.
In the cassette main body 21, a display portion 21a that serves as a reference when the trailing edge regulating device 24 is stopped at respective positions of the standard sizes, and a plurality of cassette standard size fixing holes (first engaged portions) 21b corresponding to the positions are provided. A non-standard size rack gear (second engaged portion) 21d including a plurality of teeth is a protrusion portion having a rack shape for being engaged with a non-standard size fixing member (second engaging portion) 34 to be described below, and is arrayed throughout the entire region of the trailing edge regulating device 24 in the moving direction or in positions corresponding to non-standard sizes. The trailing edge regulating device 24 is configured to be movable in the arrow C direction, and the position thereof is fixed and held by the trailing edge regulating device 24 being engaged with the standard size fixing hole 21b and/or the non-standard size rack gear 21d. A mark portion 50 included in the trailing edge regulating device 24 is positioned in accordance with a mark corresponding to each size on the display portion 21a, according to the sheet size, so that the trailing edge regulating device 24 is positioned in a position corresponding to each size.
Next, details of the configuration of the trailing edge regulating device 24 will be described.
As illustrated in
Detailed description of an inside of the trailing edge regulating device 24 will be described using
The standard size fixing member 33 and the non-standard size fixing member 34 are engaged with grooves (not illustrated) provided in the trailing edge regulating case 31, and are configured to be linearly movable in the upper and lower direction (vertical direction). The elastic members 36 such as compression springs are respectively arranged above the standard size fixing member and the non-standard size fixing member 34, and the standard size fixing member 33 and the non-standard size fixing member 34 receive the urging force in the lower direction (E direction). A flapper (pressing member) 37 has a contact surface of a sheet trailing edge portion.
The leading edge portion of the standard size fixing member 33 is provided with a standard size engaging portion (first engaging portion) 33a having a leading-in slope for being engaged with the standard size fixing hole 21b provided in the cassette 2 illustrated in
When the user operates the operating lever 32, the lever contact portion 32b pushes up the standard size contact portion 33b in accordance with the turning of the operating lever 32 in the β direction, and the standard size fixing member 33 is moved in the upper direction (F direction). Further, the lever contact portion 32d pushes up the non-standard size contact portion 34b, and the non-standard size fixing member 34 is moved in the upper direction (F direction). Accordingly, the trailing edge regulating device 24 becomes movable with respect to the cassette 2. When the user releases the hand from the operating lever 32, the operating lever 32 turns in the α direction (
Here, in the first exemplary embodiment, the standard size contact portion 33b and the non-standard size contact portion 34b are configured to have protrusions with different lengths. Thus, in accordance with a predetermined turning operation of the operating lever 32, the non-standard size fixing member 34 operates for a longer distance than the standard size fixing member 33 operates.
Therefore, when the user releases the hand from the operating lever 32 (in the middle of the turning of the operating lever 32 from the operation position to the stand-by position), the standard size fixing member 33 is lowered and comes into contact with the cassette main body 21 in advance of the non-standard size fixing member 34. Further, when the user loosens the operating lever 32 halfway (in an intermediate position between the operation position and the stand-by position), the standard size fixing member 33 comes into contact with the cassette main body 21. In contrast, the non-standard size fixing member 34 does not yet come into contact with the cassette main body 21.
Next, engagement operations of the standard size engaging portion 33a and the non-standard size engaging portion 34a with the cassette 2 will be described in detail using
Accordingly, the standard size engaging portion 33a and the non-standard size engaging portion 34a enter states of being respectively separated from the standard size fixing hole 21b and the non-standard size rack gear 21d. Therefore, there is nothing to regulate the position of the trailing edge regulating device 24 in the C direction, so that the trailing edge regulating device 24 becomes freely movable in the C direction with respect to the cassette main body 21, and the user can move the trailing edge regulating device 24 to a desired position.
As illustrated in
Next, the description will be given of an operation performed when the user moves the trailing edge regulating device 24 from the position corresponding to the standard size to the position corresponding to the non-standard size.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As described above, according to the first exemplary embodiment, when the operating lever 32 is moved from the operation position to the stand-by position, the standard size fixing member 33 is lowered in advance of the non-standard size fixing member 34. Therefore, when the user wishes to set the trailing edge regulating device 24 to the position corresponding to the standard size, the user can reliably engage the standard size engaging portion 33a of the trailing edge regulating device 24 with the standard size fixing hole 21b.
Further, according to the first exemplary embodiment, the non-standard size rack gear 21d can be provided throughout the entire region of a movable range of the trailing edge regulating device 24. Therefore, even in a state where the standard size engaging portion 33a is engaged with the standard size fixing hole 21b, only the non-standard size engaging portion 34a enters a state of being engaged with the non-standard size rack gear 21d. Therefore, force for holding the trailing edge regulating device 24 positioned in the position corresponding to the standard size, on the cassette main body 21 can be made strong, and positioning accuracy of the trailing edge regulating device 24 can be improved.
As illustrated in
Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the description has been given of a configuration in which the lengths of the protrusions of the standard size contact portion 33b and the non-standard size contact portion 34b are different. However, if the lever contact portions 32b and 32d are configured to have protrusions with different lengths, a similar effect can be obtained.
Hereinafter, a second exemplary embodiment will be described. In the description of the second exemplary embodiment below, description of configurations and operations similar to the first exemplary embodiment are appropriately omitted.
Details of a configuration of a trailing edge regulating device according to the second exemplary embodiment will be described.
The second exemplary embodiment is different from the first exemplary embodiment in a mechanism for operating (lifting) a standard size fixing member 33 and a non-standard size fixing member 34 according to the turning of an operating lever 32. As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the state illustrated in
The user presses the operating lever 32 in a G direction, so that the operating lever 32 is turned in a β direction. Accordingly, the lever contact portion 32b pushes up the standard size contact portion 33b, and the standard size fixing member 33 is moved in an upper direction (F direction). Further, the lever contact portion 32d pushes the non-standard size contact portion 34b, and the non-standard size fixing member 34 is moved in the upper direction (F direction). Accordingly, the trailing edge regulating device 24 becomes movable with respect to a cassette main body 21. Further, when the user continues to press the operating lever 32 in the G direction, the entire trailing edge regulating device 24 is moved in the G direction.
When the user releases the hand from the operating lever 32, the operating lever 32 is returned from the operation position to the stand-by position (
Here, in the second exemplary embodiment, the lever contact portion 32b and the lever contact portion 32d are configured to have different shapes. Thus, in accordance with a turning operation of the operating lever 32, the non-standard size fixing member 34 operates for a longer distance than the standard size fixing member 33 operates. Therefore, when the user loosens the force for pressing the operating lever 32 (in the middle of the turning of the operating lever 32 from the operation position to the stand-by position), the standard size fixing member 33 is lowered and comes into contact with the cassette main body 21 in advance of the non-standard size fixing member 34.
Operating force in the G direction that is necessary for separating the non-standard size fixing member 34 from a rack gear 21d is represented by A (second operating force). Further, operating force in the G direction that is necessary for separating the non-standard size fixing member 34 from the rack gear 21d, and further separating the standard size fixing member 33 from a standard size fixing hole 21b is represented by C (first operating force). Further, sliding resistance between the trailing edge regulating device 24 and the cassette main body 21 is represented by B (third operating force). At this time, in the second exemplary embodiment, a force relationship of the elastic members 36 and the like is set to satisfy A<B<C.
Next, engagement operations of a standard size engaging portion 33a and a non-standard size engaging portion 34a with the cassette 2 will be described in detail using
As illustrated in
At this time, force necessary for moving the trailing edge regulating device 24 is the operating force B (the sliding resistance between the trailing edge regulating device 24 and the cassette main body 21). This is because the non-standard size fixing member 34 is separated from the rack gear 21d, and the standard size fixing member 33 is separated from the standard size fixing hole 21b.
Since the operating force B is larger than the operating force A in the G direction that is necessary for separating the non-standard size fixing member 34, the non-standard size fixing member 34 remains separated. Therefore, the user can move the trailing edge regulating device 24 by applying, to the operating lever 32, force equal to or larger than the operating force B that is force smaller than the operating force C. At this time, as illustrated in
In a state where the operating lever 32 is positioned in the intermediate position, the non-standard size fixing member 34 is moved in the lower direction (E direction) by an amount of retraction of the lever contact portion 32d. However, as illustrated in
As described above, in the second exemplary embodiment, the trailing edge regulating device 24 is configured so that a timing at which the contact portion 32b and the standard size contact portion 33b come into contact with each other and a timing at which the contact portion 32d and the non-standard size contact portion 34b come into contact with each other become different from each other. Therefore, the user can move the trailing edge regulating device 24 while pressing (sliding) the standard size engaging portion 33a against (on) the flat portion of the cassette main body 21, in a state where the non-standard size fixing member 34 is separated from the rack gear 21d.
When the user further moves the trailing edge regulating device 24 in the G direction while maintaining the state of
At this time, as illustrated in
When the user releases the hand from the operating lever 32, the operating lever 32 is returned to the initial position as illustrated in
When the user wishes to move the trailing edge regulating device 24 to a position corresponding to another standard size, the user can fix the trailing edge regulating device 24 to a desired standard size position by repeating the above-described operation. Therefore, it becomes easier for the user to operate the trailing edge regulating device 24 in the operation using only the standard size.
Further, in the second exemplary embodiment, the description has been given of a case in which the operating lever 32 is pressed in the G direction. However, when the user desires to move the trailing edge regulating device 24 in the opposite direction to the G direction, by pressing the operating lever 32 in the opposite direction to the G direction, the user can perform a similar operation.
At this time, as illustrated in
As described above, according to the second exemplary embodiment, in addition to the effect of the first exemplary embodiment, the trailing edge regulating device 24 can be moved by pressing the operating lever 32 to the direction (the G direction or the opposite direction to the G direction) in which the user desires to move the trailing edge regulating device 24.
The present invention may have a configuration including a plurality of standard size fixing members 33 and a plurality of lines of standard size fixing holes 21b. This enables handling of a case in which the standard size positions of two sizes are close to each other and it is difficult to provide two standard size fixing holes 21b.
In the present exemplary embodiment, the description has been given of a configuration in which the standard size engaging portion 33a has a chamfered shape. However, the present invention may not have the chamfered shape. In this case, the trailing edge regulating device 24 can be fixed to a non-standard size position nearest to a standard size position. Therefore, a wider range of the non-standard size position can be handled.
Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the description has been given of a configuration in which the heights (shapes) of the contact portions 32b and 32d are different from each other. However, a similar effect can be obtained even in a configuration in which lengths (shapes) of the standard size contact portion 33b and the non-standard size contact portion 34b are different from each other.
Further, in the first and second exemplary embodiments, the description has been given of a configuration in which the present invention is applied to the trailing edge regulating device 24. However, the present invention may be applied to a width direction regulating unit.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a regulating member 107 of an image reading device 100, as illustrated in
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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-262789 | Dec 2014 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation, and claims the benefit, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/968,503, presently pending and filed on Dec. 14, 2015, and claims the benefit of, and priority to, Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-262789, filed Dec. 25, 2014, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14968503 | Dec 2015 | US |
| Child | 15906808 | US |
