Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227192-B2
Application number	US-201815920719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including: a sheet feeding tray configured to support a sheet; and an apparatus main body configured to support the sheet feeding tray so as to be moveable in a direction parallel with a sheet feeding direction, the apparatus main body including a chute configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray, wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a guiding member configured to be displaced between an engaging position at which the guiding member engages with the chute and restrains movement of the sheet feeding tray and a separation position at which the guiding member separates from the chute and permits movement of the sheet feeding tray, and wherein the guiding member is configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray toward the chute when the guiding member is located at the engaging position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a sheet feeding tray configured to support a sheet that is to be fed; and
an apparatus main body configured to support the sheet feeding tray so as to be moveable in a direction parallel with a sheet feeding direction of the sheet, the apparatus main body including a chute configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray,
wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a guiding member configured to be displaced between an engaging position at which the guiding member engages with the chute and restrains movement of the sheet feeding tray and a separation position at which the guiding member separates from the chute and permits movement of the sheet feeding tray, and
wherein the guiding member is configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray toward the chute when the guiding member is located at the engaging position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a gripping part which is configured to be gripped when moving the sheet feeding tray in a direction of pulling out the sheet feeding tray from the apparatus main body, and
wherein the gripping part includes a coupling part which is coupled to the guiding member and is configured to displace the guiding member between the engaging position and the separation position in conjunction with a movement thereof.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guiding member includes an engaging part configured to engage with the chute,
wherein the engaging part includes:
an engaging surface configured to come into contact with the chute, and
a guide surface configured to guide the sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding tray, and

wherein the engaging surface and the guide surface are disposed in different regions.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the engaging part has a claw shape in which the engaging surface and the guide surface intersect with each other at an angle.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the apparatus main body includes an inward guiding part that comes into contact with the guiding member and displaces the guiding member to the separation position when the sheet feeding tray is moved in a direction of inserting the sheet feeding tray into the apparatus main body.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guiding member includes an urging member configured to urge the guiding member toward the engaging position.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet feeding tray includes a friction member configured to separate and feed the sheet one by one, and
wherein the guiding member is disposed downstream of the friction member with respect to the sheet feeding direction and is disposed so as to at least entirely overlap a region in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction in which the friction member is provided.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tatematsu Hirotaka

Classifications

• B65H1/266 Primary

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H5/36

  Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation · CPC title

• B65H3/66

  Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation · CPC title

• B65H9/12

  carried by article grippers · CPC title

• B65H2405/31

  Supports for sheets fully removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette · CPC title