Sheet stacking apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440809-B2
Application number	US-201514955391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a main body, a first storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body and storing a sheet, and a second storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body, provided above the first storage unit, and storing a sheet. The first storage unit includes a guide portion, and the second storage unit includes an abutment portion guided by the guide portion when the second storage unit is drawn out of the main body in a state in which the first storage unit is being precedingly drawn out of the main body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet stacking apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a first storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body and storing a sheet, the first storage unit comprising a guide portion; and
a second storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body, provided above the first storage unit, and storing a sheet, the second storage unit comprising an abutment portion guided by the guide portion of the first storage unit when the second storage unit is being drawn out of the main body in a state in which the first storage unit has already been precedingly drawn out of the main body,
wherein the second storage unit comprises a second storage portion storing the sheet and a second exterior cover provided at an end portion of the second storage portion in a drawing direction of the second storage unit,
wherein the abutment portion is provided so as to project downward from a lower surface of the second exterior cover of the second storage unit, and
wherein the abutment portion is a rotator rotatably supported by the second exterior cover.

2. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second storage unit hangs downward in the state in which the second storage unit is drawn out of the main body in a case when a weight of sheets stacked in the second storage unit is heavier than a predetermined weight.

3. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first storage unit comprises a first storage portion storing the sheet and a first exterior cover provided at an end portion of the first storage portion in a drawing direction of the first storage unit, and
wherein the guide portion comprises an inclined surface inclined upward in the drawing direction of the first storage unit and being continuous to an upper surface of the first exterior cover.

4. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first storage unit comprises a positioning portion positioning the stored sheet and a manipulation portion disposed at a position shifted from the guide portion in a direction orthogonal to a drawing direction.

5. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the manipulation portion comprises a lock mechanism configured to lock a move of the positioning portion.

6. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion is provided at a center part of the first storage unit in a direction orthogonal to a drawing direction, and
wherein the abutment portion is provided at a center part of the second storage unit in the direction orthogonal to the drawing direction.

7. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion comprises first and second guide portions provided to be distant in the direction orthogonal to a drawing direction, and
wherein the abutment portion comprises first and second abutment portions provided to be distant in the direction orthogonal to the drawing direction.

8. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
an image forming portion forming an image on a sheet conveyed thereto;
a first storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body and storing a sheet on which an image is to be formed by the image forming portion, the first storage unit comprising a guide portion; and
a second storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body, provided above the first storage unit, and storing a sheet, the second storage unit comprising an abutment portion guided by the guide portion when the second storage unit is being drawn out of the main body in a state in which the first storage unit has already been precedingly drawn out of the main body,
wherein the second storage unit comprises a second storage portion storing the sheet and a second exterior cover provided at an end portion of the second storage portion in a drawing direction of the second storage unit,
wherein the abutment portion is provided so as to project downward from a lower surface of the second exterior cover of the second storage unit, and
wherein the abutment portion is a rotator rotatably supported by the second exterior cover.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the second storage unit hangs downward in the state in which the second storage unit is drawn out of the main body in a case when weight of sheets stacked in the second storage unit is heavier than a predetermined weight.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first storage unit comprises a first storage portion storing the sheet and a first exterior cover provided at an end portion of the first storage portion in a drawing direction of the first storage unit, and
wherein the guide portion comprises an inclined surface inclined upward in the drawing direction of the first storage unit and being continuous to an upper surface of the first exterior cover.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first storage unit comprises a positioning portion positioning the stored sheet and a manipulation portion disposed at a position shifted from the guide portion in a direction orthogonal to a drawing direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the manipulation portion comprises a lock mechanism configured to lock a move of the positioning portion.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the guide portion is provided at a center part of the first storage unit in a direction orthogonal to a drawing direction, and
wherein the abutment portion is provided at a center part of the second storage unit in the direction orthogonal to the drawing direction.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the guide portion comprises first and second guide portions provided to be distant in the direction orthogonal to a drawing direction, and
wherein the abutment portion comprises first and second abutment portions provided to be distant in the direction orthogonal to the drawing direction.

15. A sheet stacking apparatus, comprising:
a main body;
a first storage unit configured to be drawn out of and inserted into the main body and storing a sheet, the first storage unit comprising a guide portion; and
a second storage unit configured to be drawn out of/inserted into the main body, provided above the first storage unit, and storing a sheet, the second storage unit comprising an abutment portion guided by the guide portion of the first storage unit when the second storage unit is being drawn out of the main body in a state in which the first storage unit has already been precedingly drawn out of the main body,
wherein the first storage unit comprises a first storage portion storing the sheet, and a supporting portion configured to support the guide portion, and
wherein the guide portion is supported by the supporting portion so as to be located at a position higher than an upper end portion of the first storage portion in a height direction intersecting with a drawing direction of the first storage unit and comprises an inclined surface inclined upward in the drawing direction.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the guide portion is disposed on a center part of the supporting portion in a width direction intersecting with the drawing direction of the first storage unit.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the second storage unit comprises a second storage portion storing the sheet and a second exterior cover provided at an end port

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kuwata Takashi
• Osada Takehito

Classifications

• B65H1/22 Primary

  moving in direction of plane of articles, e.g. for bodily advancement of fanned-out piles · CPC title

• B65H1/04 Primary

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

• B65H1/266

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

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• B65H2402/10

  Modular constructions, e.g. using preformed elements or profiles · CPC title