# US 10,179,713 B2 · Sheet feeding device, feeding tray, and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,179,713 B2 - Document ID: US10179713B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/803,314 - Filed: 2017-11-03 - Published: 2018-05-10 - Granted: 2019-01-15 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-08 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Satoshi Kuno; Yosuke Eguchi - Inventors: Satoshi Kuno; Yosuke Eguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10179713B2 ## CPC - B65H 1/266: {Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence)} - B65H 1/04: adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile - B65H 2402/51: Joints, e.g. riveted or magnetic joints - B65H 2403/53: Articulated mechanisms - B65H 2405/112: Rear, i.e. portion opposite to the feeding / delivering side - B65H 2405/1132: with stepped surface portions - B65H 2405/115: Cover - B65H 2405/121: Locking means - B65H 2405/31: Supports for sheets fully removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette - G03G 2215/00358: Plural feed trays for document sets, e.g. multi-job - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet feeding device includes a device body including a stopper portion and a feeding tray detachably mounted to the device body. The feeding tray includes a stopper, a lock assembly, and an operating member. The stopper includes a stopped portion movable between a stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion and a release position. The lock assembly prevents drawing of the feeding tray from the device body. An operating member rotates from an initial state by a predetermined angle to move the stopped portion from the stop position to the release position. The lock assembly restricts rotation of the operating member when the lock assembly is locked. The stopped portion is movable from the stop position to the release position with an operation of mounting the feeding tray to a mount position of the device body without rotation of the operating member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet feeding device comprising: a device body including a stopper portion; and a feeding tray detachably mounted to the device body, the feeding tray including: a stopper including a stopped portion to be stopped by the stopper portion, the stopper movable between a stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion and a release position at which the stopped portion is released from the stopper portion; a lock assembly to prevent drawing of the feeding tray from the device body; and a handle to rotate from an initial state by a predetermined angle to move the stopped portion from the stop position to the release position, the lock assembly to restrict rotation of the handle when the lock assembly is locked, the stopped portion of the stopper movable from the stop position to the release position with an operation of mounting the feeding tray, which is drawn from the device body, to a mount position of the device body without rotation of the handle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a link member disposed between the handle and the stopper to convert rotation of the handle to a movement of the stopped portion between the stop position and the release position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the lock assembly includes: a cylinder lock having a rotary cylinder portion; and a hook mounted on the rotary cylinder portion, wherein, when the cylinder lock is locked, at least a portion of the hook is put in a rotation space of the handle to restrict rotation of the handle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sheet feeding device according to claim 3, further comprising: a link member disposed between the handle and the stopper to convert the rotation of the handle to a movement of the stopped portion between the stop position and the release position, wherein the stopper and the link member are disposed to not contact the hook when the stopper and the link member operate in a state in which the cylinder lock is locked. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the stopped portion and the stopper portion contact each other before mounting of the feeding tray, which is drawn from the device body, to the mount position of the device body is completed, and wherein at least one of the stopped portion and the stopper portion is tapered. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a biasing member to urge the stopped portion toward the stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a biasing member to urge the handle in a direction in which the handle returns to the initial state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising: paired vertical conveying rollers disposed downstream from the feeding tray in a drawing direction of the feeding tray, to vertically convey a sheet, wherein a driving roller of the paired vertical conveying rollers is disposed on the device body and a driven roller of the paired vertical conveying rollers is disposed on the feeding tray. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet; and the sheet feeding device according to claim 1 to feed the sheet to the image forming unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sheet feeding device further includes a link member disposed between the handle and the stopper to convert rotation of the handle to a movement of the stopped portion between the stop position and the release position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the lock assembly includes: a cylinder lock having a rotary cylinder portion; and a hook mounted on the rotary cylinder portion, and wherein, when the cylinder lock is locked, at least a portion of the hook is put in a rotation space of the handle to restrict rotation of the handle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sheet feeding device further includes a link member disposed between the handle and the stopper to convert the rotation of the handle to a movement of the stopped portion between the stop position and the release position, and wherein the stopper and the link member are disposed to not contact the hook when the stopper and the link member operate in a state in which the cylinder lock is locked. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the stopped portion and the stopper portion contact each other before mounting of the feeding tray, which is drawn from the device body, to the mount position of the device body is completed, and wherein at least one of the stopped portion and the stopper portion is tapered. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sheet feeding device further includes a biasing member to urge the stopped portion toward the stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sheet feeding device further includes a biasing member to urge the handle in a direction in which the handle returns to the initial state. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sheet feeding device further includes paired vertical conveying rollers disposed downstream from the feeding tray in a drawing direction of the feeding tray, to vertically convey a sheet, and wherein a driving roller of the paired vertical conveying rollers is disposed on the device body and a driven roller of the paired vertical conveying rollers is disposed on the feeding tray. ### Claim 17 A feeding tray detachably mountable to a device body of a sheet feeding device, the feeding tray comprising: a stopper including a stopped portion to be stopped by a stopper portion of the device body, the stopper movable between a stop position at which the stopped portion is stopped by the stopper portion and a release position at which the stopped portion is released from the stopper portion; a lock assembly to prevent drawing of the feeding tray from the device body; and a handle to rotate from an initial state by a predetermined angle to move the stopped portion from the stop position to the release position, the lock assembly to restrict rotation of the handle when the lock assembly is locked, the stopped portion of the stopper movable from the stop position to the release position with an operation of mounting the feeding tray, which is drawn from the device body, to a mount position of the device body without rotation of the handle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit to form an image on a sheet; and the feeding tray according to claim 17 to stack the sheet to be fed to the image forming unit.