# US 8,770,578 B2 · Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,578 B2 - Document ID: US8770578B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/013,777 - Filed: 2013-08-29 - Published: 2014-03-06 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shingo Yamamoto; Fumihiko Hayayumi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770578B2 ## CPC - B65H 3/00: Separating articles from piles (associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00; machines for separating superposed webs B65H41/00; unpiling thin material combined with folding B65H45/26; combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00) - B65H 1/00: Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated (carriers used for associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00) - B65H 1/266: {Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence)} - B65H 3/0607: {cooperating with means for automatically separating the pile from roller or rotary separator after a separation step} - B65H 2403/41: Rack-and-pinion, cogwheel in cog railway - B65H 2405/11162: Front portion pivotable around an axis perpendicular to transport direction - B65H 2405/121: Locking means - B65H 2511/11: Length - B65H 2511/20: Location in space - B65H 2511/22: Distance - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A sheet feeding apparatus restricts a position of an upstream end of a sheet by a restricting member supported rotatably to a restricting mechanism body. The restricting member moves between a hold position and a project position by interlocking with a rotating operation of an sheet supporting plate by engaging with an interlock member. An unlock mechanism unlocks the restricting mechanism body from a cassette body and also disengages the restricting member from the interlock member. When the restricting member is disengaged from the interlock member by the unlock mechanism, the restricting member is biased to the hold position by a bias portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet feeding apparatus comprising a sheet cassette storing a sheet and feeding the sheet from the sheet cassette, the sheet cassette comprising: a cassette body configured to store the sheet; a sheet supporting plate provided rotatably within the cassette body such that the sheet stored in the cassette body is stacked thereon; and an upstream end restricting mechanism provided within the cassette body to restrict an upstream end position in a sheet feeding direction of the sheet stored in the cassette body, the upstream end restricting mechanism comprising: a restricting mechanism body; a restricting member supported rotatably by the restricting mechanism body and abutting against an upstream end of the sheet to restrict the upstream end position of the sheet; an interlock member configured to engage with the restricting member and to move the restricting member by interlocking with a rotating operation of the sheet supporting plate between a hold position where the restricting member is held to the restricting mechanism body side and a project position where the restricting member projects to the sheet supporting plate side; a fixing member configured to fix the restricting mechanism body to the cassette body; an unlock mechanism configured to unlock the fixing member from the cassette body and to disengage the restricting member from the interlock member in linkage with the unlock of the fixing member from the cassette body to permit a position of the restricting mechanism body to be adjusted in the sheet feeding direction; and a bias portion that biases the restricting member disengaged from the interlock member by the unlock mechanism to the hold position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bias portion includes a bias member disposed between the restricting mechanism body and the restricting member such that a bias direction thereof orients in the sheet feeding direction, and generates a bias force such that the restricting member rotates to the hold position in the restricting member being disengaged from the interlock member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the restricting member includes a restricting plate attached to the restricting mechanism body rotatably centering on a rotating shaft, and an engage member attached to the restricting plate movably up and down along the restricting plate and engaging with the interlock member; the unlock mechanism includes an unlock lever rotatably attached to the restricting mechanism body, engaging respectively with the engage portion and the fixing member, and unlocking the fixing member and disengaging the restricting member from the interlock member by rotating; and the bias portion includes a bias member that generates a bias force biasing the engage member downward, and an engage portion engaging with the unlock lever of the engage member engaging with the unlock lever upstream in the sheet feeding direction more than a rotational center of the rotating shaft of the restricting plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the interlock member is configured to move downstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the upward rotation of the sheet supporting plate and to move upstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the downward rotation of the sheet supporting plate on a bottom surface of the cassette body; and wherein the upstream end restricting mechanism includes a bias member that biases the interlock member upstream in the sheet feeding direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interlock member is configured to move downstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the upward rotation of the sheet supporting plate and to move upstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the downward rotation of the sheet supporting plate on a bottom surface of the cassette body; and wherein the upstream end restricting mechanism includes a bias member that biases the interlock member upstream in the sheet feeding direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interlock member is configured to move downstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the upward rotation of the sheet supporting plate and to move upstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the downward rotation of the sheet supporting plate on a bottom surface of the cassette body; and wherein the upstream end restricting mechanism includes a bias member that biases the inter loch member upstream in the sheet feeding direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the restricting member includes a restricting plate attached to the restricting mechanism body rotatably centering on a rotating shaft, and an engage member attached to the restricting plate movably up and down along the restricting plate and engaging with the interlock member; the unlock mechanism includes an unlock lever rotatably attached to the restricting mechanism body, engaging respectively with the engage member and the fixing member, and unlocking the fixing member and disengaging the restricting member from the interlock member by rotating; and the bias portion includes a bias member that generates a bias force biasing the engage member downward, and an engage portion engaging with the unlock lever of the engage member engaging with the unlock lever upstream in the sheet feeding direction more than a center of the rotating shaft of the restricting plate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the interlock member is configured to move downstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the upward rotation of the sheet supporting plate and to move upstream in the sheet feeding direction in response to the downward rotation of the sheet supporting plate on a bottom surface of the cassette body; and wherein the upstream end restricting mechanism includes a bias member that biases the interlock member upstream in the sheet feeding direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming apparatus body; an image forming portion provided within the image forming apparatus body and forming an image on a sheet; and the sheet feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 comprising the sheet cassette formed to be able to be drawn in and out of the image forming apparatus body; wherein the sheet cassette is configured such that the sheet supporting plate is located at a lower position in a condition in which the sheet feeding apparatus is drawn out of the image forming apparatus body.