Sheet feed device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9415957-B2
Application number	US-201414277903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A sheet feed device that includes a sheet feed tray configured to be enabled to be drawn from a main body of an image forming apparatus; a bottom plate arranged in the sheet feed tray and configured to stack thereon a plurality of sheets; a driving unit configured to move the bottom plate upward; a drive transmitting unit configured to transmit a driving force from a drive source arranged on the main body to the driving unit; and a one-way rotation transmitting unit configured to unidirectionally transmit input from the drive transmitting unit to the driving unit and configured to be arranged on one side of the drive transmitting unit opposite to a side connected to the driving unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet feed device comprising:
a sheet feed tray configured to be enabled to be drawn from the sheet feeding device;
a bottom plate arranged in the sheet feed tray and configured to stack thereon a plurality of sheets;
a driving unit comprising a drive shaft and a wire winding pulley on one end of the drive shaft, the driving unit being arranged on the sheet feed tray and configured to move the bottom plate upward;
a drive transmitting unit arranged on the sheet feed tray and configured to transmit a driving force from a drive source arranged outside of the sheet feed tray on the sheet feed device to the driving unit on the sheet feed tray; and
a one-way rotation transmitting unit on an opposite end of the drive shaft and arranged in the sheet feed tray, the one-way rotation transmitting unit being configured to unidirectionally transmit the driving force to the driving unit, wherein
the drive transmitting unit includes a gear train,
the one-way rotation transmitting unit is arranged on an output side of the gear train connected to the driving unit, and
the gear train of the drive transmitting unit includes gears having a reduction ratio of 5 or greater.

2. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive transmitting unit includes a braking unit.

3. The sheet feed device according to claim 2 , wherein
the braking unit is arranged close to the drive source relative to the one-way rotation transmitting unit, and
the drive source and the braking unit are connected to each other via a gear that transmits the driving force of the drive source.

4. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit is configured to move the bottom plate upward while retaining the bottom plate in a horizontal position.

5. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit is configured to move the entire bottom plate upward.

6. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit is arranged above the bottom plate when the bottom plate is in a lowermost position in the sheet feed tray.

7. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving unit is arranged on a vertical sidewall of the sheet feed tray.

8. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the entire drive transmitting unit is arranged inside of the sheet feed tray.

9. The sheet feed device according to claim 1 , wherein the entire drive transmitting unit is arranged downstream of the entire bottom plate in a paper feed direction.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet feed device, wherein
the sheet feed device comprises:
a sheet feed tray configured to be enabled to be drawn from a main body of an image forming apparatus;
a bottom plate arranged in the sheet feed tray and configured to stack thereon a plurality of sheets;
a driving unit comprising a drive shaft and a wire winding pulley on one end of the drive shaft, the driving unit being arranged on the sheet feed tray and configured to move the bottom plate upward;
a drive transmitting unit arranged on the sheet feed tray and configured to transmit a driving force from a drive source arranged outside of the sheet feed tray on the main body to the driving unit on the sheet feed tray; and
a one-way rotation transmitting unit on an opposite end of the drive shaft and arranged inside of the sheet feed tray, the one-way rotation transmitting unit being configured to unidirectionally transmit the driving force to the driving unit, wherein
the drive transmitting unit includes a gear train,
the one-way rotation transmitting unit is arranged on an output side of the gear train connected to the driving unit, and
the gear train of the drive transmitting unit includes gears having a reduction ratio of 5 or greater.

11. The sheet feed device according to claim 10 , wherein the driving unit is arranged above the bottom plate when the bottom plate is in a lowermost position in the sheet feed tray.

12. The sheet feed device according to claim 10 , wherein the driving unit is arranged on a vertical sidewall of the sheet feed tray.

13. The sheet feed device according to claim 10 , wherein the entire drive transmitting unit is arranged inside of the sheet feed tray.

14. The sheet feed device according to claim 10 , wherein the entire drive transmitting unit is arranged downstream of the entire bottom plate in a paper feed direction.

Assignees

• Fuda Munehisa
• Ochiai Takaya
• Seto Kazuki
• Katsumata Shinji
• Sugawara Tatsuya
• Kim Taewon
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fuda Munehisa
• Ochiai Takaya
• Seto Kazuki
• Katsumata Shinji
• Sugawara Tatsuya
• Kim Taewon

Classifications

• B65H2403/72

  Clutches, brakes, e.g. one-way clutch +F204 · CPC title

• B65H2403/61

  Rotation damper · CPC title

• B65H1/14 Primary

  comprising positively-acting mechanical devices {(B65H1/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H2403/544

  involving rolling up - unrolling of transmission element, e.g. winch · CPC title

• B65H2405/15

  Large capacity supports arrangements · CPC title