Sheet tray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855771-B2
Application number	US-201715412686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2017
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A sheet tray includes a first tray and a second tray each including a first friction portion or a first contact portion, and a second friction portion or a second contact portion. In a process of movement of the second tray from a first position to a second position, the first friction portion contacts the first contact portion to deform the first contact portion and starts returning the first contact portion from a deformed shape to an original shape when the second tray is located at a position spaced apart from the second position in a second direction. The second friction portion contacts the second contact portion when the second tray moved from the first position in a first direction has reached the second position, and the second friction portion deforms the second contact portion when the second tray is moved from the second position in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet tray, comprising:
a first tray comprising a first support surface that supports a sheet; and
a second tray comprising a second support surface that supports the sheet, the second tray being movable with respect to the first tray in a first direction,
wherein the second tray is movable to a first position, a second position, and a third position, wherein when the second tray is located at the first position, an overlapping area which is an area on which the second support surface overlaps the first support surface in plan view is a first area, wherein the second position is spaced apart from the first position at a first distance in the first direction, and when the second tray is located at the second position, the overlapping area is a second area which is less than the first area, wherein the third position is spaced apart from the second position at a second distance in the first direction, and when the second tray is located at the third position, the overlapping area is a third area which is less than the second area,
wherein the first tray comprises: one of a first friction portion and a first contact portion deformable elastically; and one of a second friction portion and a second contact portion deformable elastically,
wherein the second tray comprises: the other of the first friction portion and the first contact portion deformable elastically; and the other of the second friction portion and the second contact portion deformable elastically,
wherein the second contact portion differs from the first contact portion in position in a widthwise direction which is orthogonal to the first direction and along the first support surface,
wherein, in a process of movement of the second tray from the first position to the second position, the first friction portion contacts the first contact portion to elastically deform the first contact portion and thereafter starts elastically returning a shape of the first contact portion from an elastically deformed shape to an original shape thereof when the second tray is located at a position spaced apart from the second position at a third distance in a second direction reverse to the first direction, and
wherein the second friction portion contacts the second contact portion at a point in time when the second tray moved from the first position in the first direction has reached the second position, and thereafter the second friction portion elastically deforms the second contact portion when the second tray is moved from the second position in the first direction.

2. The sheet tray according to claim 1 , wherein the first contact portion and the first friction portion are located farther from a center of the first tray and the second tray in the widthwise direction than the second contact portion and the second friction portion in the widthwise direction.

3. The sheet tray according to claim 1 , wherein the second friction portion elastically returns a shape of the second contact portion from an elastically deformed shape to an original shape thereof in a process of movement of the second tray from the second position to the third position.

4. The sheet tray according to claim 3 , wherein one of the first tray and the second tray which one comprises the second friction portion comprises a third friction portion that, in the process of movement of the second tray from the second position to the third position, contacts the second contact portion to elastically deform the second contact portion at a position spaced apart from the second friction portion at a fourth distance in the first direction and elastically returns the shape of the second contact portion from the elastically deformed shape to the original shape thereof when the second tray is located at the third position.

5. The sheet tray according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first tray and the second tray which one comprises the first friction portion comprises a limiter that contacts the first contact portion to limit movement of the second tray in the first direction when the second tray is located at the third position.

6. The sheet tray according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first friction portion is a rib extending along the first direction and protruding in a protruding direction, and
wherein a protruding distal end surface of the rib comprises:
a first-direction-side end portion located on a side of a center of the protruding distal end surface in the first direction;
a second-direction-side end portion located on a side of the center of the protruding distal end surface in the second direction;
a first inclined surface extending in the protruding direction with increase in distance from the second-direction-side end portion in the first direction; and
a second inclined surface extending in the protruding direction with increase in distance from the first-direction-side end portion in the second direction.

7. The sheet tray according to claim 6 , wherein an angle of the first inclined surface with respect to the first direction is less than an angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the first direction.

8. The sheet tray according to claim 1 , wherein a greatest frictional force between the second contact portion and the second friction portion which is generated when the second contact portion is elastically deformed by contact thereof with the second friction portion is greater than a greatest frictional force between the first friction portion and the first contact portion which is generated when the first contact portion is elastically deformed by contact thereof with the first friction portion.

9. A sheet tray, comprising:
a first tray having a first support surface configured to support a sheet; and
a second tray having a second support surface configured to support the sheet, the second tray being configured to move relative to the first tray in a first direction from a first position via a second position to a third position, the second support surface of the second tray located at the first position overlapping the first support surface by a first area, the second support surface of the second tray located at the second position overlapping the first support surface by a second area less than the first area, and the second support surface of the second tray located at the third position overlapping the first support surface by a third area less than the second area,
wherein the first tray includes: one of a first friction portion and a first contact portion deformable elastically; and one of a second friction portion and a second contact portion deformable elastically,
wherein the second tray includes: the other of the first friction portion and the first contact portion; and the other of the second friction portion and the second contact portion,
wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are located at different positions in a width direction which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the first support surface,
wherein the first friction portion is configured to:
when the second tray moves in the first direction from the first position toward the second position, contact and elastically deform the first contact portion to a deformed shape; and
when the second tray reaches a position upstream of the second position in the first direction, start elastically returning the first contact portion from the deformed shape to an original shape, and
wherein the second friction portion is configured to:
when the second tray reaches the second position from the first position, contact the second contact portion; and
when the second tray leaves the second position in the first direction, elastically deform the second contact portion to

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Sugiyama Wataru
• Washino yoshiyuki

Classifications

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title

• B65H2405/3322

  discharge tray superposed to feed tray · CPC title

• B65H1/04

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

• B65H2405/11164

  Rear portion extensible in parallel to transport direction · CPC title

• B65H2801/03

  Image reproduction devices · CPC title