Printing medium supplying unit and image forming apparatus having the same

#This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0067476, filed on Jul. 5, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present general inventive concept relate to a printing medium supplying unit and an image forming apparatus having the same, and more particularly, to a printing medium supplying unit with an improved structure to supply a printing medium and an image forming apparatus having the same.

#The above and/or other aspects and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

#FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional image forming apparatus;

#FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

#Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

#FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an image forming apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a printing medium supplying unit 200. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a casing 110, the printing medium supplying unit 200 to store a printing medium therein and to supply the printing medium, an image forming unit 400 to form an image on the printing medium supplied from the printing medium supplying unit 200, a fusing unit 500 fusing the image on the printing medium, and a discharging unit 600 discharging the image-formed printing medium.

#The casing 110 includes an upper casing and a lower casing. The upper casing accommodates the image forming unit 400 and a feeding unit 300 to feed the printing medium. The lower casing is provided under the upper casing and accommodates the printing medium supplying unit 200 which is detachably coupled thereto. The lower casing is provided to form a predetermined gap ‘h’ with respect to the printing medium supplying unit 200 in order to prevent interference of the printing medium supplying unit 200 with the lower casing when the printing medium supplying unit 200 is separated from or coupled to the lower casing.