Sheet-feeding cassette and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus which includes an image forming apparatus main body having a sheet-feeding cassette, a cassette accommodating section for slidably accommodating the sheet-feeding cassette, and a locking portion, slidably provided in a cassette accommodating section of an image forming apparatus, and set by being inserted in an insertion direction toward the cassette accommodating section, and supplied with a sheet by being drawn out of the cassette accommodating section in a drawing direction which is opposite to the insertion direction, the image forming apparatus comprising:

• a sheet-feeding cassette main body drawn out in the drawing direction so that the sheet is supplied;
• a locked portion for allowing the sheet-feeding cassette main body to be locked to a locking portion provided in the cassette accommodating section by insertion of the sheet-feeding cassette main body to the cassette accommodating section;
• a first elastic member, provided in the cassette accommodating section, to bias the locking portion to engage with the locked portion to form a locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion;
• an unlocking unit for detaching the locked portion locked to the locking portion when the sheet-feeding cassette main body is drawn out of the cassette accommodating section;
• a handle provided at a downstream end of the sheet-feeding cassette main body in the drawing direction, the handle including:
• a grip portion which is to be gripped by a user with a hand;
• the grip portion having:
• a fixed grip portion having an open recess which is open to the insertion direction and having a “]” shaped cross section;
• and
• a movable grip portion so provided as to be slidable to a fitted state of being fitted in the opening recess of the fixed grip portion when the grip portion is gripped, and to a projecting state of partially projecting from the opening recess when gripping of the grip portion is loosened or released;
• and
• a second elastic member to bias the movable grip portion toward a direction of changing a state from the fitted state to the projecting state,
• wherein the unlocking unit operates to simultaneously overcome a bias force produced by the first elastic member and a bias force produced by the elastic member to unlock the locked state between the locking portion and the locked portion in accordance with changing of states of the movable grip portion from the projecting state to the fitted state.