Sheet loading device with sheet position regulator
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKazuyuki Morinaga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A trailing end regulating device is slidably and rotatably supported by a bottom plate of a sheet cassette so as to regulate trailing ends of sheets supported on an intermediate plate in the sheet cassette. The trailing end regulating device is supported to be orthogonal to a sheet supporting surface of the intermediate plate by a guide which is mounted on the intermediate plate. Thus, the trailing end regulating device can constantly be maintained in an orthogonal state even if the intermediate plate rotates due to a change in the amount of sheets loaded, and the trailing end position of the sheets can appropriately be regulated. It is thus possible to maintain a constant amount of engagement between the sheets and separation claws used to separated the sheets from each other.
Claims24
A sheet loading device mounted on a body of an apparatus and containing sheets to be fed by sheet feeding means, comprising:
- sheet containing means for containing a plurality of sheets;
- sheet supporting means, rotatably provided on said sheet containing means, for supporting sheets;
- a separation claw for separating, one by one, the sheets supported by said sheet supporting means when the sheets are fed by the sheet feeding means;
- trailing end regulating means for regulating the trailing end position of the sheets supported on said sheet supporting means;
- and
- guide means, selectively provided at one of a plurality of predetermined positions on said sheet supporting means, for maintaining said trailing end regulating means at a predetermined angle with respect to a supporting surface of said sheet supporting means while permitting said trailing end regulating means to move in a direction substantially at the predetermined angle with respect to the supporting surface.
A sheet loading device mounted on a body of an apparatus and containing sheets to be fed by sheet feeding means, comprising:
- sheet containing means for containing a plurality of sheets;
- sheet supporting means, rotatably provided on said sheet containing means, for supporting sheets;
- a separation claw for separating, one by one, the sheets supported by said sheet supporting means when the sheets are fed by the sheet feeding means;
- trailing end regulating means, swingably and slidably mountable to a bottom of said sheet containing means, for regulating the trailing end position of the sheets supported on said sheet supporting means;
- and
- guide means provided on said sheet supporting means for maintaining said trailing end regulating means at a predetermined angle with respect to a supporting surface of said sheet supporting means while permitting said trailing end regulating means to move in a direction substantially at the predetermined angle with respect to the supporting surface.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a sheet loading device mounted on said apparatus and containing sheets to be fed;
- said sheet loading device including:
- sheet containing means for containing a plurality of sheets;
- sheet supporting means, rotatably provided on said sheet containing means, for supporting sheets;
- a separation claw for separating, one by one, the sheets supported by said sheet supporting means when the sheets are fed;
- trailing end regulating means for regulating the trailing end position of the sheets supported on said sheet supporting means;
- and
- guide means, selectively provided at one of a plurality of predetermined positions on said sheet supporting means, for maintaining said trailing end regulating means at a predetermined angle with respect to a supporting surface of said sheet supporting means while permitting said trailing end regulating means to move in a direction substantially at the predetermined angle with respect to the supporting surface;
- sheet feeding means for feeding the sheets contained in said sheet loading device;
- and
- image forming means for forming an image on a sheet fed by said sheet feeding means.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a sheet loading device mounted on said apparatus and containing sheets to be fed, said sheet loading device comprising:
- sheet containing means for containing a plurality of sheets;
- sheet supporting means, rotatably provided on said sheet containing means, for supporting sheets;
- a separation claw for separating, one by one, the sheets supported by said sheet supporting means when the sheets are fed;
- trailing end regulating means, swingably and slidably mountable to a bottom of said sheet containing means, for regulating the trailing end position of the sheets supported on said sheet supporting means;
- and
- guide means provided on said sheet supporting means for maintaining said trailing end regulating means at a predetermined angle with respect to a supporting surface of said sheet supporting means while permitting said trailing end regulating means to move in a direction substantially at the predetermined angle with respect to the supporting surface;
- sheet feeding means for feeding the sheets contained in said sheet loading device;
- and
- image forming means for forming an image on a sheet fed by said sheet feeding means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.