Sheet container, sheet conveying device incorporating the sheet container, and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet conveying device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865059-B2
Application number	US-201916248984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A sheet container includes a bottom plate, a regulating body, and a holding body. The bottom plate is disposed movable and has a bottom plate-side contact portion. The regulating body regulates a position of a trailing end of a sheet. The holding body has a holding body-side contact portion and to hold the regulating body. The bottom plate and the holding body have a gap between the bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body in a state in which the bottom plate is not rotated. The bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body contact with each other along with rotation of the bottom plate. The holding body moves to a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction in conjunction with the rotation of the bottom plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet container comprising:
a bottom plate disposed movable and having a bottom plate-side contact portion;
a regulating body configured to regulate a position of a trailing end of a sheet; and
a holding body configured to hold the regulating body, the holding body including a holding body-side contact portion, a bottom plate connecting body having a connecting portion to be connected with the bottom plate, a regulation moving body having a holding portion to hold the regulating body and movable in a sheet feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate connecting body, and a holding body securing device to secure the regulation moving body to the bottom plate connecting body; and
a container housing configured to contain the sheet, the container housing including a downstream housing forming a portion on a downstream side in the sheet feeding direction, an upstream housing forming a portion on an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction and movable along the sheet feeding direction with respect to the downstream housing, and a housing securing body to secure the upstream housing to the downstream housing, wherein
the bottom plate and the holding body have a gap between the bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body in a state in which the bottom plate is not rotated,
the bottom plate-side contact portion of the bottom plate and the holding body-side contact portion of the holding body come into contact with each other along with rotation of the bottom plate, and
the holding body moves to the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction in conjunction with the rotation of the bottom plate.

2. The sheet container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a biasing body configured to bias the holding body to the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the container housing.

3. The sheet container according to claim 1 , wherein the gap falls within a range from 0.5 [mm] to 2.0 [mm].

4. The sheet container according to claim 1 , wherein the gap is provided at a position at the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate-side contact portion and at an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the holding body-side contact portion.

5. The sheet container according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an abutted body against which the holding body abuts, the abutted body configured to regulate movement of the holding body to an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction,
wherein, when the bottom plate rotates to cause a downstream end in the sheet feeding direction to lower while the holding body-side contact portion and the bottom plate-side contact portion are in contact with each other, a position of the holding body-side contact portion is regulated as the holding body is regulated by the abutted body before the downstream end in the sheet feeding direction completely lowers, and
wherein, when the bottom plate further rotates to cause the downstream end in the sheet feeding direction to lower, the bottom plate-side contact portion moves to the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction and the gap is formed.

6. The sheet container according to claim 5 , wherein the abutted body is a wall portion on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the container housing.

7. A sheet conveying device comprising:
the sheet container according to claim 1 , the sheet container configured to contain a sheet; and
a sheet feeding body configured to feed the sheet contained in the sheet container.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the sheet conveying device according to claim 7 , the sheet conveying device configured to convey the sheet toward the image forming device.

9. A sheet container comprising:
a container housing configured to contain a sheet, the container housing including a downstream housing forming a portion on a downstream side in a sheet feeding direction, an upstream housing forming a portion on an upstream side in the sheet feeding direction and movable along the sheet feeding direction with respect to the downstream housing; and a housing securing body to secure the upstream housing to the downstream housing;
a bottom plate disposed rotatable;
a regulating body configured to regulate a position of a trailing end of the sheet;
a holding body configured to hold the regulating body, and to move to the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction in conjunction with rotation of the bottom plate, the holding body including a bottom plate connecting body having a connecting portion to be connected with the bottom plate, a regulation moving body having a holding portion to hold the regulating body and movable in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate connecting body, and a holding body securing device to secure the regulation moving body to the bottom plate connecting body;
an abutted body configured to regulate the holding body to move to the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction; and
a biasing body configured to bias the holding body to the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the container housing to abut against the abutted body when the bottom plate does not rotate.

10. The sheet container according to claim 9 , wherein the abutted body is a wall portion on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the container housing.

11. A sheet conveying device comprising:
the sheet container according to claim 9 , the sheet container configured to contain a sheet; and
a sheet feeding body configured to feed the sheet contained in the sheet container.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the sheet conveying device according to claim 11 , the sheet conveying device configured to convey the sheet toward the image forming device.

Assignees

• Aoyama Jumpei
• Horita Hirofumi
• Shiga Yuuki
• Kamichi Junpei
• Higaki Hideto
• Tsunoda Fumihiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoyama Jumpei
• Horita Hirofumi
• Shiga Yuuki
• Kamichi Junpei
• Higaki Hideto
• Tsunoda Fumihiro

Classifications

• B65H2405/1117

  pivotable, e.g. around an axis perpendicular to transport direction, e.g. arranged at rear side of sheet support · CPC title

• B65H2301/4222

  Squaring-up piles · CPC title

• B65H2403/5331

  with sliding slotted link · CPC title

• B65H2405/1122

  movable linearly, details therefor · CPC title

• B65H1/266

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