Sheet supplying device

A sheet supply device for supplying sheets to an image forming apparatus one by one, said sheet supply device comprising:

• storing means including a bottom plate having stacked sheets thereon, a front end, a back end and lateral side wails for storing the stacked sheets;
• supply means for supplying the sheets from the storing means to the image forming apparatus one by one;
• regulating means provided at said supply means to adjust and regulate the position of a sheet in a sheet width direction when the sheet is supplied to the image forming apparatus by the supply means;
• and
• reinforcing means in said storing means for reinforcing the lateral side walls extending in a sheet supply direction at leading and trailing portions of said lateral side walls, said leading and trailing portions being out of engagement with the sheet when the sheet is supplied while being regulated by the regulating means.

A sheet supply device for supplying sheets to an image forming apparatus one by one, said sheet supply device comprising:

• storing means including a bottom plate having stacked sheets thereon, a front end, a back end and lateral side walls for storing the stacked sheets;
• supply means for supplying the sheets from the storing means to the image forming apparatus one by one;
• regulating means provided at said supply means to adjust and regulate the position of a sheet in a sheet width direction when the sheet is supplied to the image forming apparatus by the supply means;
• and
• reinforcing means for reinforcing the lateral side walls extending in a sheet supply direction at both leading portions or both trailing portions of said lateral side walls, said leading portions and trailing portions being out of engagement with the sheet when the sheet is supplied while being regulated by the regulating means.

A method performed in a sheet supply device for supplying sheets to an image forming apparatus one by one, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing storing means having a bottom plate, a front end, a back end and lateral side walls surrounding the bottom plate for storing stacked sheets therein;
• reinforcing the lateral side walls extending in a sheet supply direction at both ends of said storing means by means of reinforcing members;
• first regulating the position of the sheets in a sheet width direction in the storing means by means of the reinforcing members;
• supplying the sheets from the storing means one by one;
• and
• second adjusting and regulating the position of a supplied sheet in the sheet width direction by regulating members provided at said sheet supply device without the supplied sheet coming into contact with the reinforcing members.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• storing means including a bottom plate having stacked sheets thereon, a front end, a back end and lateral side walls for storing the stacked sheets;
• image forming means for forming an image onto a sheet, a distance from the storing means to the image forming means being shorter than a length of a sheet stored in the storing means;
• supply means for supplying the sheets from the storing means to the image forming means one by one;
• regulating means provided at said supply means to adjust and regulate the position of a sheet in a sheet width direction when the sheet is supplied to the image forming apparatus by the supply means;
• and
• reinforcing means provided at said lateral side walls to form convex portions relative thereto so as to reinforce the side walls and regulate the position of the sheet in the sheet width direction, and a concave portion formed between the convex portions so as not to contact the sheet when the sheet is supplied while being regulated by the regulating means.