Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus

An image forming device comprising:

• a paper-feed cassette configured to be removably inserted to a cassette accommodation unit;
• a rail member provided at an inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit;
• an engagement surface provided at the paper-feed cassette and configured to movably engage with the rail member;
• a rotating roller configured to be brought into contact with the engagement surface and rotate in association with insertion and removal of the paper-feed cassette;
• a shaft member configured to pivotally support the rotating roller and have one end fixed to the rail member or an inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit;
• a supporting member configured to support another end of the shaft member to make the shaft member have a both-side supporting structure;
• and
• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet transported from the paper-feed cassette, wherein
• the paper-feed cassette includes a first paper-feed cassette and a second paper-feed cassette,
• the rotating roller includes a first rotating roller corresponding to the first paper-feed cassette, and a second rotating roller corresponding to the second paper-feed cassette,
• the shaft member includes a first shaft member corresponding to the first rotating roller, and a second shaft member corresponding to the second rotating roller,
• the supporting member includes a first supporting member corresponding to the first shaft member, and a second supporting member having a shape equal to the first supporting member and corresponding to the second shaft member,
• the first supporting member is attached, in a first posture, to the first shaft member, and
• the second supporting member is attached in a second posture rotated relative to the first posture with a shaft center of the second shaft member being a center thereof,
• the first and second supporting members are obtained by bending a metal sheet, and have a first portion at one end with respect to the bending, and a second portion at another end,
• the first portion includes a positioning portion, and
• a position, in an axial direction, of the positioning portion is restricted relative to the shaft member.

A paper feed device comprising:

• a paper-feed cassette configured to be removably inserted to a cassette accommodation unit;
• a rail member provided at an inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit;
• an engagement surface provided at the paper-feed cassette and configured to movably engage with the rail member;
• a rotating roller configured to be brought into contact with the engagement surface and rotate in association with insertion and removal of the paper-feed cassette;
• a shaft member configured to pivotally support the rotating roller and have one end fixed to the rail member or an inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit;
• and
• a supporting member configured to support another end of the shaft member to make the shaft member have a both-side supporting structure, wherein
• the supporting member is shaped so as to change an attachment posture relative to the rail member or the inner wall of the cassette accommodation unit,
• the supporting member is configured to switch between a first posture in which the supporting member is positioned by the shaft member and a second posture obtained by rotating the supporting member with a shaft center of the shaft member being a center, and
• the first posture and the second posture differ in a distance from a position of the shaft center of the shaft member to a bottom surface portion of the supporting member.