Sheet feeding apparatus and an image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053312-B2
Application number	US-201715472524-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2017
Priority date	Apr 4, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus including: a tray unit provided rotatably with respect to an apparatus main body; a sheet stacking member which can be moved to a stand-by position for waiting for sheet feeding and a feeding position at which a sheet can be fed; a moving portion which abuts against the sheet stacking member from below and to move the sheet stacking member to the feeding position and the stand-by position, the moving portion being movable to a first position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the stand-by position and to a second position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the feeding position; and a restricting portion which restricts movement of the sheet stacking member by interfering with the moving portion located at the first position when the sheet stacking member moves.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
a tray unit provided rotatably with respect to an apparatus main body, the tray unit being configured to be capable of taking (1) a position at which the tray unit is closed with respect to the apparatus main body and (2) a position at which the tray unit is opened with respect to the apparatus main body;
a feeding portion configured to feed a sheet which is stacked on the sheet stacking member;
a sheet stacking member provided on the tray unit, the sheet stacking member being configured to be capable of being located (1) at a feeding position at which a sheet can be fed by the feeding portion and (2) at a stand-by position which is distant from the feeding position;
a moving portion configured to abut against the sheet stacking member from below and to move the sheet stacking member to the feeding position and to the stand-by position, the moving portion being configured to be movable (1) to a first position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the stand-by position and (2) to a second position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the feeding position; and
a restricting portion provided on the sheet stacking member, the restricting portion being configured to restrict movement of the sheet stacking member from the stand-by position to the feeding position by contacting with the moving portion which is located at the first position when the tray unit is opened.

2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a movement locus of the restricting portion in a case where the tray unit rotates does not contact with the moving portion located at the first position.

3. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein movement of the moving portion is restricted when the moving portion is located at the first position.

4. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the moving portion is drivingly connected to a motor and movement of the moving portion is restricted by the motor when the moving portion is located at the first position.

5. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet stacking member is rotatably provided on the tray unit such that the sheet stacking member can be located at the stand-by position and at the feeding position.

6. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tray unit is attached to the apparatus main body via a connecting member, and
wherein the connecting member has a first rotating portion about which the connecting member can rotate with respect to the apparatus main body and a second rotating portion about which the connecting member can rotate with respect to the tray unit.

7. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tray unit includes a buffering portion configured to an impact of buffer opening and closing of the tray unit on one side in a sheet width direction which intersects with a sheet feeding direction, and
wherein locking portions of the restricting portion, which are capable of engaging the moving portion are provided at two positions in the sheet width direction respectively and an engaging region of a locking portion among the locking portions, which is located closer to the buffering portion is wider than an engaging region of a locking portion among the locking portions, which is located farther from the buffering portion.

8. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a detecting portion configured to detect a position of the moving portion.

9. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the restricting portion permits movement of the tray unit from a position at which the tray unit is opened and to a position at which the tray unit is closed in a state in which the moving portion is located at the first position.

10. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet restricting member connected to the sheet stacking member, the sheet restricting member being configured to restrict movement of a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking member in a direction which intersects with a sheet feeding direction of the sheet.

11. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a center of rotation of the sheet stacking member is provided upstream in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the sheet restricting member.

12. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:
a tray unit which includes a sheet stacking tray on which a sheet is stacked and a bottom portion configured to rotatably support the sheet stacking tray and to be rotatable with respect to an apparatus main body, the tray unit being configured to be capable of taking (1) a position at which the tray unit is opened with respect to the apparatus main body and (2) a position at which the tray unit is closed with respect to the apparatus main body by rotating the bottom portion;
a feeding portion configured to feed a sheet which is stacked on the sheet stacking tray;
a lifter arm configured to abut against the sheet stacking tray from below and to move the sheet stacking tray such that the sheet stacking tray can be located (1) at a stand-by position and (2) at a feeding position at which a sheet can be fed, the feeding position being located above the stand-by position;
a motor configured to drivingly connected to the lifter arm; and
a restricting portion provided on the sheet stacking tray, the restricting portion being configured to restrict rotation of the sheet stacking tray by contacting with the lifter arm when the tray unit is opened with respect to the apparatus main body.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a sheet feeding apparatus; and
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet fed by a sheet feeding apparatus,
wherein the sheet feeding apparatus includes
(a) a tray unit provided rotatably with respect to an apparatus main body, the tray unit being configured to be capable of taking (1) a position at which the tray unit is closed with respect to the apparatus main body and (2) a position at which the tray unit is opened with respect to the apparatus main body;
(b) a sheet stacking member provided on the tray unit, the sheet stacking member being configured to be capable of being located (1) at a feeding position at which a sheet can be fed and (2) at a stand-by position which is distant from the feeding position;
(c) a feeding portion configured to feed a sheet which is stacked on the sheet stacking member;
(d) a moving portion configured to abut against the sheet stacking member from below and to move the sheet stacking member to the feeding position and to the stand-by position, the moving portion being configured to be movable (1) to a first position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the stand-by position and (2) to a second position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the feeding position; and
(e) a restricting portion provided on the sheet stacking member, the restricting portion being configured to restrict movement of the sheet stacking member from the stand-by position to the feeding position by contacting with the moving portion which is located at the first position when the tray unit is opened.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nakagawa Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title

• B65H2801/03

  Image reproduction devices · CPC title

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G15/6514

  Manual supply devices · CPC title

• B65H2405/324

  between operative position and non operative position · CPC title