Sheet width aligning device and sheet feeding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9365371-B2
Application number	US-201514862199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A sheet width aligning device includes an elevator tray, a pair of guides, and a pinion. The pinion is rotatably supported by inserting a shaft portion into a shaft hole formed in the pinion. The shaft portion projects from the elevator tray. The sheet width aligning device is configured to move the pair of guides so as to increase or decrease the distance between the guides in operative association with the pair of racks meshed with the pinion. The sheet width aligning device includes a pressing mechanism. The pressing mechanism is provided on the back face side of the elevator tray and includes an abutment member that abuts against the pinion. The pressing mechanism separates the abutment member away from the pinion at the lower position, while abutting the abutment member against the pinion to press the pinion at the upper position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet width aligning device including an elevator tray that accommodates sheets of paper thereon and is capable of moving up and down between a lower position where the sheets are loaded and an upper position where the sheets are fed, a pair of guides that are provided on the elevator tray, are capable of moving in a width direction of the sheets, the width direction intersecting a feed direction in which the sheets are fed, and abut against sheet edges extending along the feed direction on the elevator tray to limit the movement of the sheets in the width direction, a pair of racks coupled with the pair of guides, respectively, and a pinion that is rotatably supported by inserting a shaft portion into a shaft hole formed in the pinion, the shaft portion projecting from the elevator tray, wherein the pair of guides are moved so as to increase or decrease the distance therebetween in operative association with the pair of racks meshed with the pinion, the sheet width aligning device comprising:
a pressing mechanism that is provided on a back face side of the elevator tray and includes an abutment member that abuts against the pinion, the pressing mechanism separating the abutment member away from the pinion when the elevator tray is in the lower position, and the pressing mechanism abutting the abutment member against the pinion to press the pinion when the elevator tray is in the upper position.

2. The sheet width aligning device according to claim 1 , wherein
the abutment member includes a shaft portion rotatably supported by a pair of wall portions provided on the back face side of the elevator tray and an arm portion extending from the shaft portion toward the pinion, the arm portion having a base end portion attached to the shaft portion so as to pivot about the shaft portion as a fulcrum, and
when the elevator tray is in the upper position, a tip end of the arm portion abuts against a lower surface of the pinion.

3. The sheet width aligning device according to claim 2 , wherein
the abutment member includes a first engagement portion that is formed in an area extending from the shaft portion in a different direction from the direction the arm portion extends,
a second engagement portion is provided on the sheet table so as to face the first engagement portion, and
the pressing mechanism includes a biasing member that couples the first engagement portion and second engagement portion, and when the elevator tray is in the upper position, biases the arm portion to pivot about the shaft portion as a fulcrum in the direction in which the arm portion presses against the pinion.

4. The sheet width aligning device according to claim 3 , wherein
the biasing member includes a spring hook.

5. The sheet width aligning device according to claim 1 , wherein
when the elevator tray is in the lower position, the tip end of the arm portion is separated from the pinion.

6. A sheet feeding device including a sheet feeding mechanism that feeds sheets of paper, comprising:
a sheet width aligning device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Tahara Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• B65H9/06

  Movable stops or gauges, e.g. rising and falling front stops {(B65H11/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H1/00 Primary

  Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated (carriers used for associating, collating, or gathering articles B65H39/00) · CPC title

• B65H9/101

  acting on the edge of the article · CPC title

• B65H2403/411

  Double rack cooperating with one pinion, e.g. for performing symmetrical displacement relative to pinion · CPC title

• B65H2405/1142

  Projections or the like in surface contact with handled material · CPC title