Sheet detecting device, sheet feeding unit including the same and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016137446-A1
Application number	US-201514940422-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sheet detecting device includes a moving member supported movably from a standby position to a detecting position detecting a sheet by being pushed by the sheet moving on a sheet stacking portion toward a first direction and a detecting sensor detecting the move of the moving member. The sheet detecting device also includes a retracting mechanism retracting the moving member movably to the detecting position in associate with a move of the sheet to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet detecting device, comprising:
a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked; an edge restricting portion movable to restrict an edge of the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; a detecting member detecting the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion; and a retract portion interlocked with a moving operation of the edge restricting portion and retracting the detecting portion from a sheet detecting position.

2 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting member is movable between a detecting position where the detecting member detects the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion and a retracting position where the detecting member is in contact with no sheet, and
wherein the retract portion moves the detecting member to the retracting position.

3 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 2 , wherein the edge restricting portion comprises a guide portion guiding the sheet and a lock portion locking the guide portion, and
wherein the retract portion retracts the detecting member from the sheet detecting position by interlocking with an unlocking operation of the retract portion.

4 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the detecting member is located at a position where the detecting member is not in contact with the sheet being set on the sheet stacking portion when the detecting member is located at the retracting position.

5 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 3 , wherein the lock portion comprises a releasing lever for releasing the lock of the guide portion, and
wherein the detecting member is turnable and the retract portion comprises a link portion configured to turn the detecting member by being interlocked with the releasing lever to be manipulated.

6 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 5 , wherein a center of turn of the detecting member is disposed above the sheet being set on the sheet stacking portion.

7 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 5 , wherein a center of turn of the detecting member is disposed below a sheet being set on the sheet stacking portion.

8 . A sheet detecting device, comprising:
a moving member moved by being pushed by a sheet; a detecting sensor detecting the move of the moving member; and a supporting member supporting the moving member, pushed from a first direction, movably in the first direction and supporting the moving member, pushed from a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, movably in the first and second directions.

9 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the first direction is a feed direction in which the sheet is fed and the second direction is a sheet width direction orthogonal to the feed direction.

10 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the moving member turns in the first direction centering on a rotational shaft in response to the push from the first direction.

11 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 8 , wherein the moving member is movable from a standby position by being pushed by the sheet and is configured to be positioned at the standby position by own weight or by an elastic force of an elastic member.

12 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 10 , wherein the supporting member comprises a first supporting portion supporting one end of the rotational shaft such that the one end of the rotational shaft of the moving member moves in a direction opposite to the first direction when the moving member is pushed from the second direction.

13 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 12 , wherein the first supporting portion has a first hole allowing the one end of the rotational shaft to move in the direction opposite to the first direction.

14 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 12 , wherein the supporting member comprises a second supporting portion supporting another side of the rotational shaft of the moving member.

15 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 14 , wherein the second supporting portion has a second hole allowing the other side of the rotational shaft to move the first direction when the one end of the rotational shaft moves in a direction opposite to the first direction.

16 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 15 , wherein an inner diameter of the second hole on an inner side of the supporting member in terms of the sheet width direction is greater than an inner diameter of the second hole on an outer side of the supporting member.

17 . The sheet detecting device according to claim 13 , wherein the first hole is formed into a long hole extending upward and upstream, in a feed direction in which the sheet is fed, from a supporting position where the rotational shaft is rotatably supported.

18 . A sheet detecting device, comprising:
a moving member supported movably from a standby position to a detecting position detecting a sheet by being pushed by the sheet moving on a sheet stacking portion toward a first direction; a detecting sensor detecting the move of the moving member; and a retracting mechanism retracting the moving member movably to the detecting position in association with the move of the sheet in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

19 . A sheet feeding unit, comprising:
a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet is stacked; and the sheet detecting device, as set forth in claim 1 , detecting the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion.

20 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
the sheet feeding unit as set forth in claim 19 ; and an image forming portion forming an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Mizobe Junichiro
• Hashimoto Yoshinori

Classifications

• B65H2402/31

  Pivoting support means · CPC title

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title

• B65H2511/51

  Presence · CPC title

• B65H2511/12

  Width · CPC title

• B65H1/04

  adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile · CPC title