Sheet conveying apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850083-B2
Application number	US-201615019065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a stacking unit, a feeding member, a conveyance guide, and a movement unit. The stacking unit is drawably mounted on an apparatus body and includes a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked. The feeding member feeds the sheet stacked on the stacking member. The conveyance guide is provided with an opening and disposed above the stacking unit. The conveyance guide configures a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed. The movement unit moves the feeding member between a first position on which the feeding member comes into contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member and a second position disposed above the first position. The movement unit includes an entry portion configured to be located within the opening in a state where the feeding member is positioned at the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
a stacking unit drawably mounted on an apparatus body, the stacking unit comprising a stacking member on which a sheet is stacked;
a feeding member configured to feed the sheet stacked on the stacking member;
a conveyance guide forming a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed, the conveyance guide being disposed above the stacking unit and having an opening; and
a movement unit configured to move the feeding member between a first position on which the feeding member comes into contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member and a second position disposed above the first position, the movement unit comprising an entry portion configured to be located within the opening upon the feeding member being positioned at the second position,
wherein the stacking unit comprises a contact portion,
wherein the movement unit comprises a movable portion configured to come into contact with the contact portion and a first urging member urging the feeding member toward the second position,
wherein upon mounting the stacking unit on the apparatus body, the contact portion presses the movable portion against an urging force of the first urging member so as to move the feeding member from the second position to the first position, and
wherein upon drawing the stacking unit from the apparatus body, the contact portion is separated from the movable portion so that the first urging member moves the feeding member from the first position to the second position.

2. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the entry portion comprises a guide rib formed on an upper surface of the entry portion so as to guide the sheet.

3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the movement unit moves the feeding member, in response to a drawing operation of the stacking unit from the apparatus body, from the first position to the second position, and
wherein the movement unit moves the feeding member, in response to a mounting operation of the stacking unit on the apparatus body, from the second position to the first position.

4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the movement unit comprises a second urging member configured to urge the feeding member toward the first position, and
wherein upon mounting the stacking unit on the apparatus body, the feeding member pressurized by the second urging member comes into pressure contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member while the contact portion pressing the movable portion against the urging force of the first urging member.

5. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the urging force, in a state where the stacking unit is drawn from the apparatus body, of the first urging member is greater than an urging force of the second urging member.

6. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the movement unit comprises a connection portion connecting the entry portion and the movable portion.

7. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the connection portion comprises a swing member configured to swing in accordance with moving of the movable portion, and
wherein the entry portion is supported on the swing member and integrally swings with the swing member so that the entry portion moves the feeding member between the first position and the second position.

8. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the movement unit comprises a support member supporting the feeding member and configured to pivot about a pivotal shaft extending in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction so that the feeding member is moved between the first position and the second position, and
wherein the support member comprises an engagement portion disposed on an end portion, on a side distant from the pivotal shaft, of the support member and configured to engage with the entry portion.

9. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the engagement portion comprises a protrusion portion,
wherein the entry portion comprises a cavity portion formed to engage with the protrusion portion, and
wherein the cavity portion and the protrusion portion are engaged to form a backlash to absorb posture change of the swing member in swinging.

10. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the connection portion comprises a release member configured to move integrally with the movable portion and to move independently from the swing member,
wherein the swing member is coupled with the second urging member, and
wherein the release member is coupled with the first urging member such that the release member restricts the swing member from moving under the urging force of the second urging member in a state where the movable portion is away from the contact portion, and that the release member releases the swing member in a state where the movable portion is pressed by the contact portion.

11. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the entry portion is provided on a middle portion in an orthogonal direction to the sheet conveyance direction while the movable portion is provided on a side portion in the orthogonal direction.

12. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the movement unit comprises a support member supporting the feeding member such that the support member swings between the first position and the second position, and
wherein the entry portion is connected to the support member.

13. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance path formed by the conveyance guide configures a part of a duplex path through which the sheet that is formed an image on a first surface is conveyed to be formed another image on a second surface.

14. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance path is configured such that the sheet is conveyed while passing over the conveyance guide in a state where the stacking unit is drawn from the apparatus body.

15. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder holding the feeding member and having an engage portion that engages with the entry portion.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; and
a sheet conveying apparatus configured to convey the sheet, the sheet conveying apparatus comprising:
a stacking unit drawably mounted on an apparatus body, the stacking unit comprising a stacking member on which the sheet is stacked;
a feeding member configured to feed the sheet stacked on the stacking member;
a conveyance guide forming a conveyance path through which the sheet is conveyed, the conveyance guide being disposed above the stacking unit and having an opening; and
a movement unit configured to move the feeding member between a first position on which the feeding member comes into contact with the sheet stacked on the stacking member and a second position disposed above the first position, the movement unit comprising an entry portion configured to be located within the opening upon the feeding member being positioned at the second position,
wherein the stacking unit comprises a contact portion,
wherein the movement unit comprises a movable portion configured to come into contact with the contact portion and a first urging member urging the feeding member toward the second position,
wherein upon mounting the stacking unit on the apparatus body, the contact portion presses the movable portion against an urg

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nishiyama Tatsuo

Classifications

• B65H2404/6111

  and shaped for curvilinear transport path · CPC title

• B65H2403/541

  Trigger mechanisms · CPC title

• B65H5/38

  immovable in operation · CPC title

• B65H5/36

  Article guides or smoothers, e.g. movable in operation · CPC title

• B65H3/0684 Primary

  on moving support, e.g. pivoting, for bringing the roller or like rotary separator into contact with the pile · CPC title