Sheet storage cassette and image forming apparatus including same

A sheet storage cassette which can be inserted and removed with respect to a cassette fitting portion in a main body of an apparatus, the sheet storage cassette comprising:

• a sheet storage portion which stores sheets;
• a sheet stacking plate which is provided in the sheet storage portion so as to be pivoted with a portion on an upstream side in a sheet feeding direction serving as a support point;
• a rack which is provided on a bottom surface of the sheet storage portion and which is extended along a first direction;
• and
• a cursor which can be moved along the rack and which makes contact with an end edge of the sheets in the first direction so as to align the sheets,
• wherein the rack includes rack teeth which are continuously provided with a predetermined pitch in the first direction,
• each of the rack teeth includes a first vertical surface which is extended vertically upward from a tooth bottom toward a tooth tip and a first inclination surface which is inclined from the tooth tip toward the tooth bottom in the first direction,
• the cursor includes a cursor main body, a regulation portion which makes contact with the end edge of the sheets and a lock portion provided on a lower surface of the cursor main body, the lock portion includes at least one engagement protrusion that engages with the rack teeth and which regulates a movement of the cursor,
• the at least one engagement protrusion each includes a second inclination surface which is inclined from a tip end portion toward a base portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
• at least one of the at least one engagement protrusion includes a second vertical surface which is extended vertically downward from the base portion toward the tip end portion,
• the second vertical surface engages with the first vertical surface such that the movement of the cursor in the first direction is regulated,
• at least one of the at least one engagement protrusion includes a third inclination surface which is inclined in the second direction and extended to the tip end portion of the at least one engagement protrusion,
• the lock portion includes a connection piece and a lever portion, the connection piece has one end portion connected to the cursor main body and is provided so as to be extended outward of the regulation portion in the first direction, the lever portion is provided so as to be extended upward from the other end portion of the connection piece,
• the at least one engagement protrusion includes a plurality of the engagement protrusions
• in the lock portion, the plurality of the engagement protrusions are arranged along the first direction and
• the third inclination surface is provided in at least the engagement protrusion of the engagement protrusions which is arranged closest to a side of the second direction.

A sheet storage cassette which can be inserted and removed with respect to a cassette fitting portion in a main body of an apparatus, the sheet storage cassette comprising:

• a sheet storage portion which stores sheets;
• a sheet stacking plate which is provided in the sheet storage portion so as to be pivoted with a portion on an upstream side in a sheet feeding direction serving as a support point;
• a rack which is provided on a bottom surface of the sheet storage portion and which is extended along a first direction;
• and
• a cursor which can be moved along the rack and which makes contact with an end edge of the sheets in the first direction so as to align the sheets,
• wherein the rack includes rack teeth which are continuously provided with a predetermined pitch in the first direction,
• each of the rack teeth includes a first vertical surface which is extended vertically upward from a tooth bottom toward a tooth tip and a first inclination surface which is inclined from the tooth tip toward the tooth bottom in the first direction,
• the cursor includes a cursor main body, a regulation portion which makes contact with the end edge of the sheets and a lock portion provided on a lower surface of the cursor main body, the lock portion includes at least one engagement protrusion that engages with the rack teeth and which regulates a movement of the cursor,
• the at least one engagement protrusion each includes a second inclination surface which is inclined from a tip end portion toward a base portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
• at least one of the at least one engagement protrusion includes a second vertical surface which is extended vertically downward from the base portion toward the tip end portion,
• the second vertical surface engages with the first vertical surface such that the movement of the cursor in the first direction is regulated,
• at least one of the at least one engagement protrusion includes a third inclination surface which is inclined in the second direction and extended to the tip end portion of the at least one engagement protrusion and
• the at least one engagement protrusion includes engagement protrusions,
• the engagement protrusions include a first engagement protrusion with the third inclination surface and a second engagement protrusion without the third inclination surface.