Paper feeding device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

A paper feeding device is provided with a paper feeding cassette which is inserted in an insertion direction with respect to a device main body, and includes a lock lever which is mounted to the paper feeding cassette via a lever shaft, a spring which applies a rotational force which rotates the lock lever in a locking direction, and a lock member which is provided to the device main body. The lock lever is provided with a lever claw at a front end which extends from the lever shaft toward a downstream side in the insertion direction. The lock member has a locking portion in which the lever claw is locked, and a pulling portion which is provided to an upstream side in the insertion direction further than the locking portion. The pulling portion is inclined in a manner which descends toward a downstream side in the locking direction as toward the locking portion. The lever claw presses the pulling portion when the paper feeding cassette is inserted into the device main body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a paper feeding device that feeds paper, and an image forming apparatus including the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] In an image forming apparatus, by providing a paper feeding section (paper feeding device) that can accommodate a plurality of sheets of paper, the number of times of replenishing paper is reduced, and the user's trouble is reduced. In the paper feeding section, in order to improve the workability at the time of replenishment, there is a paper feeding section that is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus.

[0003] However, when the number of sheets of paper housed in the paper feeding section is large, the weight increases, and sometimes a large burden is placed on the user. Therefore, a scheme is proposed in which a pulling mechanism that pulls the paper feeding section toward the main body is provided (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-198925, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-254841, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-209311). SUMMARY

[0004] The sheet storage container conveying device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-198925 has a sheet storage container that stores a plurality of sheets, a conveying unit that conveys the sheet storage container, and a drive unit that drives the conveying unit.

[0005] In the above-described sheet storage container conveying device, in order to drive the conveying unit, a motor is used as the drive unit, and power must be supplied to the motor, and the device becomes complex.

[0006] The image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-254841 has a paper cassette that is detachably attached to a housing section of the main body of the apparatus, a locking section that is provided to the paper cassette, and a pulling member that is provided to the housing section and has a locking groove. The pulling member is moved while locking the locking section with the locking groove, and pulls the paper cassette.

[0007] In the above-described image forming apparatus, in a case where the pulling member is in a pulling position, the locking guide section is used only to guide the locking section so as to be locked to the locking groove, and the pulling member does not contribute to the action of pulling the paper cassette, and there is a problem in that the burden on the user cannot be reduced.

[0008] The unit pulling device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-209311 has a hook member that engages with an engaged section provided to the unit, a pulling force generating mechanism that causes a pulling force to act on the hook member, and a suppression member that generates a load corresponding to the pulling speed when the unit is pulled to the main body of the apparatus, and suppresses an increase in the pulling speed.

[0009] In the aforementioned unit traction device, the unit is tractioned by multiple components, such as a first rotating component located in the traction force generating mechanism and a secondary gear arranged between the traction force generating mechanism and the suppression component, making the device complex.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a paper feeding device and an image forming apparatus that can assist in the force of pulling the paper feed box.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention relates to a paper feeding device comprising a device body and a paper feeding cassette inserted relative to the device body in an insertion direction, characterized in that it includes: a locking lever mounted to the paper feeding cassette via a lever shaft; a spring applying a rotational force to rotate the locking lever in a locking direction; and a locking member disposed in the device body, wherein the locking lever has a pawl at a front end extending downstream from the lever shaft in the insertion direction, the locking member having a locking portion for the pawl to lock and a traction portion disposed upstream of the locking portion in the insertion direction, the traction portion being inclined such that it descends downstream in the locking direction as it moves toward the locking portion, and the pawl pressing the traction portion when the paper feeding cassette is inserted into the device body.

[0012] The paper feeding device according to one aspect of the present invention may also be configured to include: a handle disposed on the paper feeding tray and for a user to hold when pulled out; and a transmission mechanism that transmits the force of pulling out the paper feeding tray to the lever shaft by holding the handle, wherein the locking lever rotates in the opposite direction to the locking direction by means of the force transmitted from the transmission mechanism.

[0013] In a paper feeding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the locking member may also be configured such that it has an upward pushing portion located upstream of the insertion direction than the traction portion, the upward pushing portion being inclined as it rises toward the traction portion.

[0014] One aspect of the image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized by having the paper feeding device of the present invention.

[0015] Invention Effects

[0016] According to one aspect of the invention, a simple mechanism can be used to assist the force pulling the paper feed tray, and can reliably lock the locking member and the locking lever. That is, when the lever claw abuts against the traction part, the rotational force from the spring generates a component force due to the tilt of the traction part, and acts as a force to pull the paper feed tray to the side of the device body. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a paper feeding device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a paper feeding cassette of the paper feeding device shown in Figure 3

[0021] Figure 5 is a main part perspective view showing a part of the paper feeding device pulled out and a main part.

[0022] Figure 6 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member (one of).

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member (two of).

[0024] Figure 8 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member (three of).

[0025] Figure 9 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member in Modification 1.

[0026] Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member in Modification 2.

[0027] Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member in Modification 3.

[0028] Figure 12 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member in the second embodiment of the present invention (one of).

[0029] Figure 13 is a schematic side view showing a positional relationship between a lock lever and a lock member in the second embodiment of the present invention (two of). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] (First Embodiment)

[0031] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. ​

[0032] Figure 1 is an appearance perspective view of an image forming apparatus to which a first embodiment of the present application relates, Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the image forming apparatus to which the first embodiment of the present application relates.

[0033] The image forming apparatus 1 to which the first embodiment of the present application relates is provided with a main body section that performs image formation, a document reading section 44 and a document conveying section 45 provided at an upper section, and a paper feeding device 50 provided at a lower section. The paper feeding device 50 is composed of a device main body 52 and a paper feeding cassette 51 that is inserted into the device main body 52. A handle 53 that is held by a user when pulled out is provided at a front surface of the paper feeding cassette 51. In addition, regarding the detailed structure of the paper feeding device 50, a detailed description will be given later with reference to FIG. 6. Figure 3 The description will be given.

[0034] The document reading section 44 is provided with a document placement table 43 on which a document is placed, reads an image of the document on the document placement table 43, generates image data, and transmits the image data to the image forming apparatus 1. The document conveying section 45 automatically conveys a document on the document placement table 43. In addition, the document conveying section 45 is rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus 1, and by rotating the document conveying section 45, the upper side of the document placement table 43 is opened, so that a document can be manually placed.

[0035] The main body section of the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an exposure device 11, a developing device 12, a photosensitive drum 13, a cleaning device 14, a charger 15, an intermediate transfer belt 21, a fixing device 17, a paper discharge tray 39, and a paper conveying path Rl, and forms a multicolor and monochrome image on a prescribed paper according to image data transmitted from the outside or the document reading section 44.

[0036] The image data processed in the image forming apparatus 1 is data corresponding to a color image using various colors of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and the like. Therefore, the developing device 12, the photosensitive drum 13, the charger 15, and the cleaning device 14 are each provided with four, to form four latent images corresponding to the various colors, and are respectively set to black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, and form four image stations Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd by these.

[0037] The photosensitive drum 13 is disposed at substantially the center of the image forming apparatus 1. The charger 15 uniformly charges the surface (periphery) of the photosensitive drum 13 with a prescribed potential. The exposure device 11 exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 13 and forms an electrostatic latent image. The developing device 12 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 13, and forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 13. By the above series of actions, toner images of various colors are formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum 13. The cleaning device 14 removes and recovers residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 13 after development and image transfer.

[0038] The intermediate transfer belt 21 moves in the direction of the arrow C and is cleaned and recovered of the remaining toner by the intermediate transfer belt cleaning device 25, and the toner images of the respective colors formed on the surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums 13 are sequentially transferred and superimposed, so that a color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21.

[0039] The image forming apparatus 1 further has a secondary transfer device 26 including a transfer roller 26a. A nip area is formed between the transfer roller 26a and the intermediate transfer belt 21, and a sheet conveyed through the paper conveying path Rl is pinched into the nip area to be conveyed. The sheet is transferred with the toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21 when passing through the nip area.

[0040] The image forming apparatus 1 performs image formation using the sheets accumulated in the paper cassette 51. The paper feeding device 50 is provided on the lower side of the exposure device 11. In addition, the paper discharge tray 39 is provided below the original reading section 44, and is a tray for placing the sheets on which images have been formed.

[0041] The sheet is guided out from the paper cassette 51 by the sheet pick-up roller 33, and is fed to the S-shaped paper conveying path Rl. Along the paper conveying path Rl, further provided are a conveying roller 35, a registration roller 34, the secondary transfer device 26, the fixing device 17, and a paper discharge roller 36.

[0042] The registration roller 34 temporarily holds the sheet conveyed from the paper cassette 51, and at the time point when the leading end of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 13 is aligned with the leading end of the sheet, the sheet is conveyed toward the transfer roller 26a. The conveying roller 35 is a small roller for promoting and assisting the conveyance of the sheet.

[0043] In the fixing device 17, the sheet on which the unfixed toner image is formed is pinched between the heating roller 31 and the pressure roller 32 to be heated and pressed, so that the toner image on the sheet is fixed. The fixed sheet is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 39 by the paper discharge roller 12b.

[0044] In addition, in the case where an image is to be formed not only on the surface but also on the back of the sheet, the sheet is reversely conveyed from the paper discharge roller 36 toward the reversing path Rr, and the surface of the sheet is reversed, and the sheet is guided again to the registration roller 34, and an image is formed on the back as well as on the surface, and the sheet is carried out to the paper discharge tray 39.

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a paper feeding device according to a first embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 is a schematic plan view showing that a paper cassette of the paper feeding device shown in Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the state of the paper cassette of the paper feeding device shown in

[0046] In the paper feeding device 50, the paper feeding cassette 51 is configured to be housed in the device main body 52. The paper feeding cassette 51 is inserted from an opening provided on the front surface of the device main body 52 toward the inside. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the direction in which the paper feeding cassette 51 is inserted into the device main body 52 (upward in the drawing) is referred to as the insertion direction S1, the direction in which the paper feeding cassette 51 is pulled out of the device main body 52 (downward in the drawing) is referred to as the pull-out direction S2, and the insertion direction S1 and the pull-out direction S2 are collectively referred to as the in-out direction S. Figure 3 Figure 3

[0047] The paper feeding cassette 51 has a front surface panel 51a that covers the front surface of the device main body 52, and a cassette main body portion 51b that is housed inside the device main body 52. The cassette main body portion 51b is a container in which a wide range of the central portion is recessed, and is surrounded by portions higher than the central portion. In the cassette main body portion 51b, paper sheets are stacked in the flat central portion. In the drawing, the cassette main body portion 51b is simply shown, but is not limited thereto, and a restricting portion for aligning the end portions of the paper sheets, a guide plate that lifts one end of the paper sheets, or the like can be provided in the central portion. Figure 3

[0048] The paper feeding cassette 51 and the device main body 52 are connected via a guide rail 52a. The guide rail 52a is provided between the inner side surface of the device main body 52 and the side edge portion of the cassette main body portion 51b, which extend in the in-out direction S. In a state in which the paper feeding cassette 51 is housed in the device main body 52, the side edge portion of the cassette main body portion 51b is caught by the guide rail 52a. Furthermore, the guide rail 52a is not limited thereto, and can be provided at a portion at which the device main body 52 and the cassette main body portion 51b face each other, for example, between the back surface of the cassette main body portion 51b and the bottom surface of the device main body 52. In addition, the guide rail 52a can be provided so as to be separated from the inner side surface of the device main body 52 by a frame or the like that supports the guide rail 52a. By moving the paper feeding cassette 51 in the in-out direction S while being guided by the guide rail 52a, the paper feeding cassette 51 can be inserted into the device main body 52 or pulled out of the device main body 52.

[0049] The paper feeding cassette 51 has a lock lever 61 mounted via a lever shaft 62, and the device main body 52 has a lock member 70 provided thereon, and in a state in which the paper feeding cassette 51 is housed in the device main body 52, the lock lever 61 is configured to be caught by the lock member 70. The paper feeding cassette 51 has a transmission mechanism 60 that transmits a force for pulling out the paper feeding cassette 51 to the lever shaft 62. When the paper feeding cassette 51 is pulled out of the device main body 52, the lock lever 61 is rotated by the transmission mechanism 60, and thus the catch with the lock member 70 can be released. Furthermore, the detailed structure of the lock lever 61, the lock member 70, and the transmission mechanism 60 will be described later with reference to Figure 5 .

[0050] Figure 5 ​​​is a component that is a part of the pull-out paper feeding device and a main part perspective view is shown.

[0051] In Figure 5 , the handle 53, the lock lever 61, the lock member 70, and the transmission mechanism 60 in the pull-out paper feeding device 50 are shown, and are in a state in which components such as the front surface plate 51a, the cassette main body portion 51b, the device main body 52, and the guide rail 52a are removed.

[0052] In the handle 53, a grip portion 53a that is gripped by a user is provided on the outside of the front surface plate 51a, and an extension portion 53b that extends from the grip portion 53a is inserted into a hole provided in the front surface plate 51a. The handle 53 is not fixed to the front surface plate 51a, and is held so as to slightly swing back and forth with respect to the front surface plate 51a. A lever shaft 62 is installed on the inside of the front surface plate 51a, and a link portion 64 is provided at a position corresponding to the extension portion 53b. The extension portion 53b is hooked to the link portion 64, and by pulling the handle 53, the handle 53 is swung, and thus the lever shaft 62 is rotated. The lock lever 61 is installed to the lever shaft 62, and rotates with the lever shaft 62 as a fulcrum. The lock lever 61 is provided with a lever claw 61a at a front end that extends from the lever shaft 62 toward the downstream side in the insertion direction S1. In addition, a spring 63 that imparts a rotational force is installed on the lever shaft 62. Furthermore, the direction in which the lock lever 61 rotates by the spring 63 and the relationship with the lock member 70 will be described together later. Figure 6 to Figure 8

[0053] The lock member 70 is provided at a position that abuts against the lock lever 61 when the paper feeding cassette 51 is accommodated in the device main body 52, and is provided so as to be movable in the insertion direction S1. Figure 5 In the state in which the lock lever 61 is caught in the lock member 70 is shown. In the present embodiment, the lock member 70 is positioned below the lock lever 61, and when the paper feeding cassette 51 is accommodated in the device main body 52, the lever claw 61a that protrudes downward from the front end of the lock member 70 moves so as to pass over the upper surface of the lock member 70. The lock member 70 is provided with a push-up portion 73, a pulling portion 72, and a catching portion 71 in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the insertion direction S1. That is, when the paper feeding cassette 51 is accommodated in the device main body 52, the lever claw 61a abuts against the lock member 70 in the order of the push-up portion 73, the pulling portion 72, and the catching portion 71.

[0054] ​The upper pushing portion 73 is provided at the upper portion of the side surface (side surface on the pull-out direction S2 side) of the lock member 70 on the opposite side in the access direction S, and is formed as a slope whose apex is inclined toward the pulling portion 72. The pulling portion 72 is provided at the upper surface of the lock member 70, and is formed as a slope inclined in such a manner as to descend downward as it goes toward the downstream side on the insertion direction S1. The locking portion 71 is provided at the upper portion of the side surface (side surface on the insertion direction S1 side) of the lock member 70 on the opposite side in the access direction S, and is formed as a slope inclined in such a manner that the upper end protrudes more toward the insertion direction S1 than the lower end. The lock lever 61 is locked to the lock member 70 by the lever claw 61a being hooked to the locking portion 71.

[0055] Further, in the lock member 70, the main portions constituting the upper pushing portion 73, the pulling portion 72, and the locking portion 71, and the portions fixed to the guide rail 52a by screws or the like are formed as one body, but are not limited thereto, and can be fixed to the device main body 52 in such a manner as not to interfere with the locking of the lock lever 61.

[0056] Next, the positional relationship between the lock lever 61 and the lock member 70 when the paper feed cassette 51 is accommodated in the device main body 52 will be described with reference to Figure 6 to Figure 8 , and in Figure 6 to Figure 8 , the main portions constituting the upper pushing portion 73, the pulling portion 72, and the locking portion 71 in the lock member 70 are schematically shown, and the portions other than these are omitted. Also, with regard to the lever shaft 62, only the lock lever 61 among the components mounted thereto is shown, and the other components are omitted.

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic side view (one of) showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member.

[0058] Figure 6 The boundary between the front end of the lever claw 61a and the upper pushing portion 73 and the pulling portion 72 in the lock member 70, that is, the state in which the apex of the pulling portion 72 is abutted, is shown in

[0059] The lock lever 61 is rotated by the spring 63 mounted to the lever shaft 62 in the direction in which the lever claw 61a descends (counterclockwise direction in Figure 6 . Further, with regard to the lever shaft 62, the range of rotation is limited by the front surface panel 51a or the like supporting itself, and as shown in Figure 5 , the rotation is stopped when the lever claw 61a descends to the height at which it is hooked to the locking portion 71. Also, when the handle 53 is pulled, the lock lever 61 is configured to rotate in the direction opposite to the rotation due to the spring 63 (clockwise direction in Figure 6 ), and the lever claw 61a ascends.

[0060] When the paper feed cassette 51 is housed in the device main body 52, the lever claw 61a is lowered by the rotational force from the spring 63, and the lever claw 61a abuts against the push-up portion 73. Further, when the paper feed cassette 51 is moved further in the insertion direction SI, the lever claw 61a is pushed upward by the push-up portion 73, and the lock lever 61 is rotated so as to abut against the apex of the pull portion 72. In this way, when the paper feed cassette 51 is inserted, the lock lever 61 is pushed upward in correspondence with the inclination of the push-up portion 73, and is retracted, and thus it is possible to avoid the lock lever 61 from interfering with the insertion of the paper feed cassette 51.

[0061] Figure 7 is a schematic side view (No. 2) showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member.

[0062] Figure 7 shows a state in which the lock lever 61 is moved in the insertion direction SI from the state shown in Figure 6 , the front end of the lever claw 61a abuts against the pull portion 72 in the lock member 70. As described above, if the paper feed cassette 51 is pushed into the device main body 52 by the user, the lever claw 61a is moved so as to pass over the upper surface of the lock member 70. As shown in Figure 7 , when the front end of the lever claw 61a abuts against the pull portion 72, the rotation in the locking direction K is blocked by the pull portion 72. Here, the locking direction K refers to the direction of the locus along which the front end of the lever claw 61a travels when the lock lever 61 is rotated by the rotational force from the spring 63, and overlaps with the circle centered on the lever shaft 62.

[0063] In the state shown in Figure 7 , between the lock lever 61 and the lock member 70, a pressing force AF in which the lever claw 61a presses the pull portion 72 that is stopped from rotating is generated. This pressing force AF is inclined with respect to the pull portion 72. However, in the paper feed device 50, since the moving direction of the paper feed cassette 51 is restricted to the in-out direction S by the guide rail 52a, the lever shaft 62 also moves only in the in-out direction S. When the pressing force AF is decomposed and only the force acting in the in-out direction S is extracted, as shown in Figure 7 , it can be expressed as a component force BF acting in the pull-out direction S2. This component force BF corresponds to the force in which the lever claw 61a presses the pull portion 72 in the in-out direction S, but since the pull portion 72 is fixed to the device main body 52 (the guide rail 52a), it does not move by itself. Therefore, in the lock lever 61, as a force repelling the component force BF, a pulling force HF is applied in the insertion direction SI, and the pulling force HF acts so as to move the lock lever 61 in the insertion direction SI. In the present embodiment, the pulling force HF is about 4 N. Further, the pulling force HF here indicates a calculated value in which alleviation due to friction and the like is ignored.

[0064] In the paper feeding device 50, the weight of the paper feeding cassette 51 itself is about 1 kg, and the weight of the paper itself when the paper feeding cassette 51 is filled with paper is about 5 kg. When the paper feeding cassette 51 in this state is inserted, a force of about 11 N is required as a result of being reduced by the guide rail 52a and the like. In the present embodiment, the force required to insert the paper feeding cassette 51 is assisted by the pulling force HF acting on the lock lever 61. In this way, the force to pull the paper feeding cassette 51 is assisted by a simple mechanism, and the engagement between the lock member 70 and the lock lever 61 can be reliably performed. That is, in a state in which the lever claw 61a abuts against the pulling portion 72, the rotational force from the spring 63 generates a component force BF due to the inclination of the pulling portion 72, and functions as a force to pull the paper feeding cassette 51 to the device main body 52 side.

[0065] Further, in the present embodiment, the pulling force HF is set to about 4 N, which is less than the force of about 11 N required when the paper feeding cassette 51 is inserted, but the pulling portion 72 and the like are merely an assisting mechanism, and the pulling of the paper feeding cassette 51 is not completed by only this mechanism. The same applies to Modification Example 1 and Modification Example 2 described later. In order to complete the pulling of the paper feeding cassette 51, another pulling unit, which is not shown, is required, but since the pulling unit is assisted by the assisting mechanism, the load borne by the pulling unit can be reduced.

[0066] In addition, in the case of Modification Example 3 described later, the pulling force is set to about 12.5 N, which exceeds 11 N, and thus another pulling unit is not required.

[0067] Figure 8 is a schematic side view (three) showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member.

[0068] Figure 8 shows a state after the lock lever 61 is further moved in the insertion direction S1 from the state shown in Figure 7 . As shown in Figure 8 , when the front end of the lever claw 61a passes the pulling portion 72, it rotates downward since it is not blocked by the pulling portion 72, and the lever claw 61a is hooked to the engagement portion 71.

[0069] As described above, when the paper feeding cassette 51 is pulled out from the device main body 52, if the user pulls out the handle 53, the lock lever 61 rotates in the opposite direction of the engagement direction K by the force transmitted from the transmission mechanism 60. In this way, the engagement between the lock lever 61 and the lock member 70 can be released by the force to pull the paper feeding cassette 51.

[0070] Next, Modification Examples 1 to 3 in which the shape of the lock member 70 is different will be described with reference to Figure 9 to Figure 11 .

[0071] Figure 9is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member in Modification 1.

[0072] In Modifications 1 to 3, the inclination angle θ and the stroke distance SL of the lock member 70 are different from those shown in Figure 6 the structure shown in Modification 1. Specifically, the inclination angle θ is set to about 20 degrees and the stroke distance SL is set to 40 mm. By changing the inclination angle θ, the component force BF becomes large and the pulling force HF becomes about 6.0 N.

[0073] Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member in Modification 2.

[0074] The inclination angle θ in Modification 2 is about 30 degrees and the stroke distance SL is 25 mm. By changing the inclination angle θ, the component force BF becomes large and the pulling force HF becomes about 8.8 N.

[0075] Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member in Modification 3.

[0076] The inclination angle θ in Modification 3 is set to about 45 degrees and the stroke distance SL is set to 14 mm. By changing the inclination angle θ, the component force BF becomes large and the pulling force HF becomes about 12.5 N.

[0077] When the inclination angle θ is increased as in Modifications 1 to 3, the pulling force HF becomes large, and even if the stroke distance SL is short, the paper feed cassette 51 can be moved, so the stroke distance SL can be shortened, thereby shortening the lock member 70.

[0078] (Second Embodiment)

[0079] Next, a second embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present application will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0080] In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is the structure around the lock member 70. Further, the second embodiment is substantially the same structure as the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 to Figure 8 , so the description will be omitted and only the difference will be described.

[0081] Figure 12 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member in the second embodiment of the present application (one of two), Figure 13 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the lock lever and the lock member in the second embodiment of the present application (the other of two).

[0082] Figure 12 shows a state in which the front end of the lever claw 61a abuts against the pulling portion 72 in the lock member 70,Figure 13 The state in which the lever claw 61a is caught by the catching portion 71 of the locking member 70 is shown.

[0083] In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is the structure of the pulling portion 72 in the locking member 70. Specifically, the pulling portion 72 is provided as a surface parallel to the insertion direction S1. In addition, the lever shaft 62 is provided at a position lower than the pulling portion 72. As a result, the lever claw 61a abuts against the pulling portion 72 from an oblique upper side, and the angle of the pressing force AF with respect to the pulling portion 72 is not a right angle. Therefore, even in this structure, the pulling portion 72 is inclined in a manner that descends toward the downstream side in the catching direction K as it approaches the catching portion 71. And, by the component force BF acting in the pulling-out direction S2, a pulling force HF in the insertion direction S1 is applied to the locking lever 61, and the locking lever 61 is moved in the insertion direction S1.

[0084] In addition, all aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein are examples, and cannot be a basis for a limiting interpretation. Therefore, the technical scope of the present application is not interpreted only by the above-described embodiments, but is defined by the recitations of the claims. Moreover, all modifications within the meaning and range equivalent to the claims are included.

Claims

1. A paper feeding device provided with a device main body and a paper feeding cassette inserted in an insertion direction with respect to the device main body, characterized by comprising: a lock lever installed to the paper feeding cassette via a lever shaft; a spring that exerts a rotational force that rotates the lock lever in a locking direction; and a lock member provided to the device main body, the lock lever is provided with a lever claw at a front end that extends from the lever shaft toward a downstream side in the insertion direction, the lock member has a locking portion in which the lever claw is locked and a pulling portion provided to an upstream side in the insertion direction than the locking portion, the pulling portion is inclined so as to descend toward a downstream side in the locking direction as it approaches the locking portion, and is provided as a surface that is parallel with respect to the insertion direction, the lever claw presses the pulling portion when the paper feeding cassette is inserted into the device main body, the lever shaft is provided at a position lower than the pulling portion, the lever claw abuts against the pulling portion from an oblique upper side with respect to the pulling portion, and the angle of the pressing force with respect to the pulling portion is not a right angle.

2. The paper feeding device according to claim 1, wherein comprising: a handle provided to the paper feeding cassette and held by a user when pulled out; and a transmission mechanism that transmits a force that pulls out the paper feeding cassette to the lever shaft by holding the handle, the lock lever rotates in a direction opposite to the locking direction with the force transmitted from the transmission mechanism.

3. The paper feeding device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lock member has a push-up portion provided to an upstream side in the insertion direction than the pulling portion, the push-up portion is inclined so as to rise as it approaches the pulling portion.

4. An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising the paper feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. ​ ​

Images