Cassette drawing-in device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023128977-A1
Application number	US-202218087613-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2022
Priority date	Apr 15, 2021
Publication date	Apr 27, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cassette drawing-in device includes a guide portion to guide a pin protruding from a paper feed cassette, a first member in which the guide portion is formed, a second member facing the first member, a first rotation shaft, a first link rotationally supported by the first rotation shaft, a second rotation shaft provided on the first link, a second link rotationally supported by the second rotation shaft and including an engagement groove which engages the pin and slides on the pin in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the pin, and a protruding portion on one or both of the first member and the second member within a range of movement of the second link that accompanies the rotation of the first link about the first rotation shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cassette drawing-in device, comprising:
a first member; a guide portion formed in the first member and configured to accept a pin that protrudes from a paper feed cassette to be inserted and removed along a first direction, the pin protruding from the paper feed cassette in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the guide portion positioning the pin in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction when the paper feed cassette is being inserted and removed; a second member fixed to the first member and facing the first member in the second direction; a first rotation shaft between the first member and the second member with a length from the second member to the first member in the second direction; a first link rotationally supported by the first rotation shaft; a second rotation shaft on the first link with a length in a direction facing the first member in the second direction; and a second link rotationally supported by the second rotation shaft and including an engagement groove which engages with the pin and slides on the pin in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the pin, wherein the first member and the second member partially protrude toward the second link within a range of movement of the second link accompanying the rotation of the first link around the first rotation shaft, the protruding portion of the first member and the protruding portion of the second member sandwiching the second link.

2 . The cassette drawing-in device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lubricant holding portion for holding a lubricant at a tip of each of the protruding portions of the first and second members.

3 . The cassette drawing-in device according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of at least one of the protruding portions when seen from the second direction is an arc shape centered on the first rotation shaft.

4 . The cassette drawing-in device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third rotation shaft with a length from the second member toward the first member in the second direction; a third link having a first end and a second end, the third link rotationally supported by the third rotation shaft at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end; a first elastic member locked with the first end of the third link and a first locking portion on the first link, the first elastic member applying a moment of force about the first rotation shaft to the first link; and a second elastic member locked with the second end of the third link and a second locking portion on the second member, the second elastic member applying a moment of force applied about the third rotation shaft to the third link in a direction opposite to the moment of force of the first elastic member, wherein an urging force from the first elastic member and the second elastic member is applied on a plane intersecting the first rotation shaft and the third rotation shaft, and an engagement position between the pin and the engagement groove is separated from the plane in a direction normal to the plane.

5 . The cassette drawing-in device according to claim 4 , wherein a side surface of the second link is separated from the plane in the direction normal to the plane.

6 . The cassette drawing-in device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lubricant holding groove in a tip of at least one of the protruding portions.

7 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
a main body housing; a sheet cassette accommodation section in the main body housing, the sheet cassette accommodation section configured to receive at least one paper feed cassette; and a cassette drawing-in device in the sheet cassette accommodation section and configured to receive a paper feed cassette, the cassette drawing-in device comprising:
a first member;
a guide portion formed in the first member and configured to accept a pin that protrudes from a paper feed cassette to be inserted and removed along a first direction, the pin protruding from the paper feed cassette in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the guide portion positioning the pin in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction when the paper feed cassette is being inserted and removed;
a second member fixed to the first member and facing the first member;
a first rotation shaft between the first member and the second member with a length from the second member to the first member;
a first link rotationally supported by the first rotation shaft;
a second rotation shaft on the first link with a length in a direction facing the first member; and
a second link rotationally supported by the second rotation shaft and including an engagement groove which engages with the pin and slides on the pin in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the pin, wherein
the first member and the second member partially protrude toward the second link within a range of movement of the second link accompanying the rotation of the first link around the first rotation shaft, the protruding portions of the first and second members sandwiching the second link.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cassette drawing-in device further comprises:
a lubricant holding portion for holding a lubricant at a tip of the each of the protruding portions.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a shape of each of the protruding portions is an arc shape centered on the first rotation shaft.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cassette drawing-in device further comprises:
a third rotation shaft with a length from the second member toward the first member; a third link having a first end and a second end, the third link rotationally supported by the third rotation shaft at an intermediate position between the first end and the second end; a first elastic member locked with the first end of the third link and a first locking portion on the first link, the first elastic member applying a moment of force about the first rotation shaft to the first link; and a second elastic member locked with the second end of the third link and a second locking portion on the second member, the second elastic member applying a moment of force applied about the third rotation shaft to the third link in a direction opposite to the moment of force of the first elastic member, wherein an urging force from the first elastic member and the second elastic member is applied on a plane intersecting the first rotation shaft and the third rotation shaft, and an engagement position between the pin and the engagement groove is separated from the plane in a direction normal to the plane.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a side surface of the second link is separated from the plane in the direction normal to the plane.

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
an image forming unit configured to receive a sheet from the paper feed cassette.

13 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the cassette drawing-in device further comprises:
a lubricant holding groove in a tip of at least one of the protruding portions.

14 . A multifunctional peripheral apparatus, comprising:
a main body housing; an image forming unit in the main body housing; a sheet cassette accommodation section in the main body housing, the sheet cassette accommodation section configured to receive at least one paper feed casse

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Yamamoto Mikio

Classifications

• G03G15/6502 Primary

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G2215/00383

  Cassette · CPC title

• B65H1/04

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

• G03G21/1842 Primary

  for guiding and mounting the process cartridge, positioning, alignment, locks (G03G21/1864 and G03G21/1871 take precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/6514 Primary

  Manual supply devices · CPC title