Sheet storage device and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a sheet storage device and an image forming apparatus that can effectively prevent damage to the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and / or driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear when the upper limit position of the sheet placement section is not detected due to a malfunction in the upper limit position detection section or the like. [Solution] The seat storage device 200 is configured such that the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear (231) can be separated from the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear (241), and the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a at the point where the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear (231) and the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear (241) mesh always intersect a first virtual straight line γ1 that passes through the first rotation axis α1 of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear (231) and the second rotation axis α2 of the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear (241) through the rotation of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear (231).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sheet storage device provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a multifunction peripheral, a printer, and a facsimile apparatus, and an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a sheet storage device includes a sheet storage container (paper feed cassette), and the sheet storage container is provided so as to be insertable into and removable from the sheet storage device main body.

[0003] As such a sheet storage container, there is one having a sheet placement portion on which sheets are placed, and a container-side driving force transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force for lifting up the sheet placement portion to the sheet placement portion. In this case, the sheet storage device main body has a driving source and a main body-side driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force from the driving source to the container-side driving force transmission mechanism.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in a sheet storage device in which a sheet storage container that lifts up a sheet placement portion is provided so as to be insertable into and removable from the sheet storage device main body, for example, a driving-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear and a driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear may be provided in each of the main body-side driving force transmission mechanism and the container-side driving force transmission mechanism. Here, the "reverse-type parallel shaft gear" refers to a gear in which external gears of two gears meshing with each other mesh with each other so that the axes of the two gears are parallel and rotate in different directions from each other. Typically, a spur gear can be cited.

[0006] In such a sheet storage device, an upper limit position detection unit is provided to detect the upper limit position (stopping position) of the sheet placement section. When the upper limit position detection unit detects the upper limit position of the sheet placement section, the drive of the drive source is stopped.

[0007] However, if the upper limit position of the sheet mounting section is not detected due to a malfunction in the upper limit position detection section, the drive source will not stop even when the sheet mounting section is in the upper limit position, causing the sheet mounting section to lift up excessively. This could lead to damage to the drive-side reverse-rotating parallel shaft gear and / or the driven-side reverse-rotating parallel shaft gear.

[0008] In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat housing device having a gear-side arm that escapes when the phase of the drive gear and the sector gear are misaligned. However, this does not resolve the inconvenience of damage to the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and / or driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear when the upper limit position of the seat mounting section is not detected due to a defect in the upper limit position detection unit or the like.

[0009] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a sheet storage device and an image forming apparatus that can effectively prevent damage to the drive-side reversing type parallel shaft gear and / or driven-side reversing type parallel shaft gear when the upper limit position of the sheet placement section is not detected due to a defect in the upper limit position detection section or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the aforementioned problems, the sheet storage device according to the present disclosure comprises a sheet storage container having a sheet mounting section for placing a sheet, and a container-side drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the sheet mounting section for lifting the sheet mounting section, wherein the sheet storage container is detachably provided to a sheet storage device body having a drive source and a main body-side drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting the driving force from the drive source to the container-side drive force transmission mechanism, the main body-side drive force transmission mechanism having a drive-side reversing type parallel shaft gear to which the driving force is transmitted, and the container-side drive force transmission mechanism is provided so as to when the sheet storage container is inserted into the sheet storage device body. The device has a driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear that can mesh with the driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear when the seat storage container is inserted into the seat storage device body, and is configured such that the driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear can be separated from the driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear when the seat storage container is inserted into the seat storage device body, and the virtual tangents of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion and the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion at the point where the drive-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear and the driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear mesh always intersect a first virtual straight line passing through the first rotation axis of the drive-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear and the second rotation axis of the driven-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear through the rotation of the drive-side reverse-type parallel shaft gear.

[0011] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus according to this disclosure is characterized by being equipped with the sheet storage device according to this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this disclosure, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and / or driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear when the upper limit position of the sheet mounting section is not detected due to a defect in the upper limit position detection section or the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2]This is a perspective view from the front, slightly above, showing an example of a sheet storage container being pulled out of the main body of the sheet storage device. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view from the front, slightly below, showing an example of a sheet storage container being pulled out of the main body of the sheet storage device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which a sheet storage container is inserted into the main body of a sheet storage device. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the drive gear train and driven gear train as seen from above on the front side, when the seat storage container is inserted into the seat storage device body. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view including a longitudinal section showing the sheet placement section of the sheet storage device in its upper limit position. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which the sheet placement section of the sheet storage device is located at its lower limit position. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which the sheet placement section of the sheet storage device is in the upper limit position. [Figure 9] This is a front view showing the rotation process of the drive gear and the driven gear. [Figure 10] This is a front view showing the rotation process of the drive gear and the driven gear. [Figure 11] This is a front view showing the meshing state between the drive-side gear teeth and the driven-side gear teeth when the seat mounting section reaches its upper limit position. [Figure 12] This is a front view showing a state where the drive-side gear teeth meshing portion is disengaged from the driven-side gear teeth meshing portion (gear skipping state) when the drive source does not stop driving even when the seat mounting portion is in the upper limit position. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of the drive gear, upstream gear, and support member as seen from the front. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the drive gear, upstream gear and support member, as well as the driven gear and arc-shaped gear, viewed from the rear side. [Figure 15]FIG. 0 is a perspective view of an example of a restricting portion that restricts the swinging of a support member, as viewed from the back side. [Figure 16] FIG. 3 is a rear view of an example of a restricting portion that restricts the swinging of a support member, as viewed from the back side.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0015] (Image Forming Apparatus) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In the figure, the left-right direction is X, the right side is X1, the left side is X2, the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X is the depth direction Y, the front side is Y1, the back side is Y2, and the vertical direction orthogonal to the left-right direction X and the depth direction Y is Z. The following description will be made with these definitions.

[0016] The image data processed in the image forming apparatus main body 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to a color image using each of the colors black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) or a monochrome image using a single color (for example, black). For this reason, the photosensitive drum 1 (an example of an image carrier), the charger 2, the print head 3, the developing device 4, the primary transfer device 5, and the drum cleaning device 6 are each provided in four for forming four types of toner images corresponding to each color, and each is associated with black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively, to constitute four image stations Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd. Note that the image forming apparatus 100 may be a monochrome image forming apparatus.

[0017] At each image station Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd, the chargers 2-2 uniformly charge the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1, which are rotated in a predetermined rotation direction R, to a predetermined potential. The print heads 3-3 expose the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1, forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1. The developing device 4 develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1, forming a toner image on the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1. As a result, toner images of each color are formed on the surface 1a of each photoreceptor drum 1-1. The drum cleaning devices 6-6 remove and recover residual toner from the surface 1a of the photoreceptor drums 1-1. The primary transfer devices 5-5 sequentially transfer the toner images of each color on the surface 1a of each photoreceptor drum 1-1 onto an intermediate transfer belt 23 that moves circulating by the drive rollers 21 and driven rollers 22 of the belt drive device 20, forming a color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 23. The belt cleaning device 7 removes and recovers residual toner from the intermediate transfer belt 23.

[0018] A transfer nip section TN is formed between the intermediate transfer belt 23 and the transfer roller 81 of the secondary transfer device 8. The transfer roller 81 of the secondary transfer device 8 traps the sheet P, such as recording paper, that has been transported through the sheet transport path 11 in the transfer nip section TN and transports it together with the intermediate transfer belt 23, while transferring the color toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 23 onto the sheet P. The fixing device 9 traps the sheet P between a fixing member (fixing belt 91 in this example) and a pressurizing member (pressure roller 92 in this example), heats and pressurizes it, and fixes the color toner image on the sheet P.

[0019] The sheet P is pulled out from the sheet storage device 200 by the pickup roller 12, transported through the sheet transport path 11, passes through the secondary transfer device 8 and the fixing device 9, and is delivered to the discharge tray 15 via the discharge roller 31. The sheet transport path 11 is equipped with a registration roller 16 and the like. The registration roller 16 temporarily stops the sheet P, aligns the leading edge of the sheet P, and then starts transporting the sheet P in accordance with the timing of the toner image transfer at the transfer nip section TN between the intermediate transfer belt 23 and the transfer roller 81. The sheet P is transported along the sheet transport path 11 with the center of the image forming apparatus body 110 as the reference point (center reference) in the direction of the rotation axis (left-right direction X) of the photoreceptor drums 1~1.

[0020] <Sheet storage device> Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the sheet storage device 200, showing an example of a sheet storage container 220 being pulled out from the sheet storage device body 210, viewed from the front, diagonally above and diagonally below, respectively. In Figure 3, the cover member covering the main body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 has been removed. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210 in the sheet storage device 200.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the sheet storage device 200 includes a sheet storage container 220 (paper feed cassette). The sheet storage container 220 has a sheet mounting section 221 (see Figures 2 and 4) (sheet mounting plate) and a container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 (see Figures 2 and 4). The sheet mounting section 221 is on which the sheet P is placed. The container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 transmits a driving force to the sheet mounting section 221 to lift it up. This allows the sheet mounting section 221 to be lifted up by the driving force transmitted from the container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240, and consequently, the leading edge (downstream end in the transport direction W) of the uppermost sheet P placed on the sheet mounting section 221 can be positioned upward. In this example, the sheet mounting section 221 rotates around a first rotation axis β1 perpendicular to the transport direction W of the sheet P. Here, rotation refers to rotation of 360 degrees or more, and rotation refers to rotation of less than 360 degrees. The sheet storage container 220 further has a push-up member 222. The push-up member 222 is located below the sheet mounting section 221 and rotates around a second rotation axis β2 along a first rotation axis β1 to push up the sheet mounting section 221. As a result, the container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 can transmit a driving force to the sheet mounting section 221 via the push-up member 222 to lift up the sheet mounting section 221.

[0022] The sheet storage device body 210 includes a drive source 213 (see Figure 4) (stepping motor) and a body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 (see Figures 3 and 4). The body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 transmits the drive force from the drive source 213 to the container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0023] The sheet storage container 220 is provided so as to be insertable and removable from the sheet storage device body 210 in the insertion / removal direction S in the transport direction W.

[0024] The main body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 has a drive-side reversing type parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as the drive-side gear in this section) 231 (see Figures 3 and 4) to which the drive force is transmitted.

[0025] The container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 has a driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as the driven-side gear in this section) 241 (see Figures 2 and 4) that can mesh with the drive-side gear 231 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0026] More specifically, the drive source 213 is provided in the sheet storage device body 210 and transmits the driving force from the body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 and the container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 to the sheet mounting section 221 via the push-up member 222.

[0027] In other words, the sheet mounting section 221 is provided on the sheet storage container 220 so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis β1 along the left-right direction X (width direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction W of the sheet P (with the first rotation axis 211 as the pivot point). The sheet storage container 220 houses the sheet P placed on the sheet mounting section 221. The push-up member 222 is provided on the sheet storage container 220 so as to be rotatable around a second rotation axis β2 (with the second rotation axis 212 as the pivot point) below the tip side of the sheet mounting section 221 (downstream of the center in the conveying direction W). As a result, the push-up member 222 can move the tip side of the sheet mounting section 221 from the lower limit position to the upper limit position by rotating around the second rotation axis β2.

[0028] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drive-side gear train 230a and the driven-side gear train 240a, viewed from above on the front side, when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0029] The main body drive force transmission mechanism 230 includes a drive-side gear train 230a consisting of a plurality of main body gears. In this example, the drive-side gear train 230a consists of a drive-side gear 231, an upstream reversing parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as the upstream gear in this section) 232, an intermediate reversing parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as the intermediate gear) 233, and a motor reversing parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as the motor gear) 234.

[0030] The motor gear 234 receives the driving force from the rotating shaft 213a (see Figure 4) of the drive source 213. The intermediate gear 233 meshes with the motor gear 234 and the upstream gear 232 to transmit the driving force from the motor gear 234 to the upstream gear 232. The intermediate gear 233 and the motor gear 234 are rotatably supported on the main frame FL of the seat housing device body 210. The upstream gear 232 meshes with the intermediate gear 233 and the drive-side gear 231 to transmit the driving force from the intermediate gear 233 to the drive-side gear 231.

[0031] The drive-side gear 231 meshes with the upstream-side gear 232 and the driven-side gear 241 in the container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210, and transmits the driving force from the upstream-side gear 232 to the driven-side gear 241. The driven-side gear 241 is rotatably supported on the outer surface of the sheet storage container 220.

[0032] The container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 includes a driven-side gear train 240a consisting of a plurality of container-side gears. In this example, the driven-side gear train 240a consists of a driven-side gear 241 and an arc-shaped reversing parallel shaft gear (hereinafter simply referred to as an arc-shaped gear) 242.

[0033] The driven gear 241 meshes with the drive gear 231 and the arc-shaped gear 242 in the main body drive force transmission mechanism 230 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210, and transmits the driving force from the drive gear 231 to the arc-shaped gear 242. The arc-shaped gear 242 is fixed to the second rotation axis 212 of the push-up member 222. The arc-shaped gear 242 transmits the driving force from the driven gear 241 to the second rotation axis 212 of the push-up member 222. As a result, when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210, the drive source 213 rotates, causing the push-up member 222 to rotate around the second rotation axis β2 via the drive gear 231 and the driven gear 241, and consequently the tip of the sheet mounting section 221 to be raised around the first rotation axis β1. On the other hand, when the sheet storage container 220 is pulled out from the sheet storage device body 210, the engagement between the drive-side gear 231 and the driven-side gear 241 is released, thereby releasing the upward push of the push-up member 222 towards the sheet mounting section 221, and the tip of the sheet mounting section 221 descends.

[0034] In this example, the seat housing device 200 is positioned such that the upstream rotation axis α3 of the upstream gear 232 is located on the driven gear 241 side (pull-out direction S2 side) of the first virtual vertical line ε1 passing through the first rotation axis α1 of the drive gear 231.

[0035] Furthermore, when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210, the second rotation axis α2 of the driven gear 241 is located on the insertion direction S1 side (towards the driving gear 231) of the second virtual vertical line ε2 passing through the upstream rotation axis α3 of the upstream gear 232.

[0036] <Sheet supply device> Figure 6 is a perspective view including a longitudinal section showing the sheet mounting section 221 of the sheet storage device 200 in the upper limit position. Figures 7 and 8 are schematic diagrams illustrating the state in which the sheet mounting section 221 of the sheet storage device 200 is in the lower limit position and the upper limit position.

[0037] The sheet storage device 200 further comprises a sheet supply device 270. The sheet supply device 270 includes a pickup roller 271, a supply roller 272 (paper feed roller), a separation member [separation roller or separation pad (separation roller 273 in this example)], a roller support member 274, and a supply drive transmission mechanism 275.

[0038] The pickup roller 271 contacts the upper surface of the sheet P placed on the sheet loading section 221 of the sheet storage device 200 and supplies the sheet P in the transport direction W. The pickup roller 271 rotates while pressing down on the uppermost sheet P among the sheets P placed on the sheet loading section 221 of the sheet storage device 200, drawing it in. The pickup roller 271 also supplies the uppermost sheets P placed (stacked) on the sheet loading section 221 one by one in the transport direction W. The supply roller 272 and the separation roller 273 separate and transport the sheets P drawn in by the pickup roller 271 one by one. The supply roller 272, together with the separation roller 273, transports the sheets P drawn in by the pickup roller 271 one by one toward the sheet transport path 11 (see Figure 1) in the transport direction W. The separation roller 273 is positioned opposite the supply roller 272. The separation roller 273 restricts the transport of the second and subsequent sheets P from the top of the sheets P placed on the sheet placement section 221 in the transport direction W.

[0039] The roller support member 274 rotatably supports the rotation axis 271a of the pickup roller 271 along the depth direction Y, and also rotatably supports the rotation axis 272a of the supply roller 272 along the depth direction Y, along the rotation axis. The roller support member 274 is provided on the sheet supply device body 270a so as to be rotatable around the pivot axis λ (centered on the rotation axis 272a) with respect to the rotation axis 272a of the supply roller 272. The supply roller 272 receives rotational driving force from a supply drive unit (not shown) via a transport drive transmission mechanism (not shown). The supply drive transmission mechanism 275 consists of a gear train or a timing pulley and timing belt (in this example, timing pulleys 275a, 275b and timing belt 275c, as shown in Figures 7 and 8). The supply drive transmission mechanism 275 transmits the rotational driving force sent to the supply roller 272 to the pickup roller 271. The sheet supply device 270 further includes a biasing member 276 (a coil spring in this example). The roller support member 274 is biased by the biasing force of the biasing member 276 so that the pickup roller 271 side moves downward Z2. In this example, the biasing member 276 is provided between the roller support member 274 and the sheet supply device body 270a.

[0040] The sheet supply device 270 is further equipped with an upper limit position detection unit 277 (upper limit position sensor).

[0041] The upper limit position detection unit 277 detects the upper limit position (sheet supply position) of the sheet mounting unit 221. Here, the upper limit position of the sheet mounting unit 221 is the position for supplying the uppermost sheet P on the sheet mounting unit 221 (the position of the nip between the supply roller 272 and the separation roller 273). The roller support member 274 is provided with a detectable part (detectable piece 274a). The upper limit position detection unit 277 detects the presence or absence of the detectable piece 274a by the upward or downward movement of the pickup roller 271 due to the raising and lowering of the sheet mounting unit 221, or in this example, by the raising and lowering of the roller support member 274. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 can recognize (detect) whether or not the sheet mounting unit 221 is located at the upper limit position.

[0042] (Regarding this embodiment) The main body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 has a drive-side gear 231. The drive-side gear 231 transmits the drive force.

[0043] The container-side drive force transmission mechanism 240 has a driven-side gear 241. The driven-side gear 241 is capable of meshing with the drive-side gear 231 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0044] Figures 9 and 10 are front views showing the rotation process of the drive gear 231 and the driven gear 241, respectively. Figure 11 is a front view showing the meshing state between the drive gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven gear tooth meshing portion 241a when the seat mounting portion 221 reaches its upper limit position. Figure 12 is a front view showing the state in which the drive gear tooth meshing portion 231a is disengaged from the driven gear tooth meshing portion 241a (gear skipping state) when the drive of the drive source 213 does not stop even when the seat mounting portion 221 is in the upper limit position.

[0045] The sheet storage device 200 is configured such that the drive-side gear 231 can be separated from the driven-side gear 241 when the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0046] By the way, the seat housing device 200 has the following disadvantages when the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 of the contact surfaces of the drive gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven gear tooth meshing portion 241a at the point where the drive gear 231 and the driven gear 241 mesh are parallel to the first virtual straight line γ1 that passes through the first rotation axis α1 of the drive gear 231 and the second rotation axis α2 of the driven gear 241. Here, "gear tooth meshing portion" refers to the part of the gear teeth that mesh with and are in contact with each other.

[0047] In other words, if the upper limit position (stop position) of the sheet mounting section 221 is not detected due to a malfunction of the upper limit position detection section 277, and the drive of the drive source 213 does not stop even when the sheet mounting section 221 is in the upper limit position, even if the drive-side gear 231 is designed to be able to separate from the driven-side gear 241, if the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 are parallel to the first virtual straight line γ1, the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a will be difficult to disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a. As a result, the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 are prone to damage.

[0048] In this regard, the sheet storage device 200 according to this embodiment has the following configuration.

[0049] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the seat storage device 200 has virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 at the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a that always intersect a first virtual straight line γ1 passing through the first rotation axis α1 and the second rotation axis α2 through the rotation of the drive-side gear 231.

[0050] In this configuration, even if the upper limit position of the sheet mounting section 221 is not detected due to a malfunction of the upper limit position detection section 277, and the drive of the drive source 213 does not stop even when the sheet mounting section 221 is in the upper limit position, the drive-side gear 231 is configured to be able to separate from the driven-side gear 241. Since the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear tooth meshing section 231a and the driven-side gear tooth meshing section 241a always intersect with the first virtual straight line γ1 through the rotation of the drive-side gear 231 (see Figures 9 and 10), the drive-side gear tooth meshing section 231a can be made to disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing section 241a (the drive-side gear 231 can be made to skip gears relative to the driven-side gear 241) (see Figure 12). As a result, the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 are less likely to be damaged.

[0051] Therefore, damage to the drive-side gear 231 and / or driven-side gear 241 can be effectively prevented when the upper limit position of the sheet mounting section 221 is not detected due to a malfunction of the upper limit position detection section 277 or the like.

[0052] (First Embodiment) In this embodiment, the seat storage device 200 has an angle θ1, θ2 (see Figures 9 and 10) between the virtual tangents ω1, ω2 of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a and the first virtual straight line γ1 that is always 30 degrees or more and less than 45 degrees throughout the rotation of the drive-side gear 231.

[0053] In this configuration, even if the drive source 213 does not stop driving when the seat mounting portion 221 is in the upper limit position, the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a can be made more likely to disengage (more likely to skip gears) relative to the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a. This makes the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 less likely to be damaged.

[0054] (Second Embodiment) Figure 13 is a perspective view of the drive gear 231, the upstream gear 232, and the support member 235 from the front. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the drive gear 231, the upstream gear 232, the support member 235, the driven gear 241, and the arc-shaped gear 242 from the rear.

[0055] In this embodiment, the main body-side drive force transmission mechanism 230 further includes an upstream gear 232 and a support member 235 (link plate). The upstream gear 232 meshes with the drive-side gear 231. The support member 235 rotatably supports the drive-side gear 231 and the upstream gear 232 when they are meshed together, and is also capable of oscillating around a pivot axis δ that is coaxial with the upstream rotation axis α3 of the upstream gear 232 [with the pivot axis 235c (see Figure 14) as the fulcrum].

[0056] In this configuration, the support member 235 maintains the rotational movement of the drive gear 231 and the upstream gear 232, while the drive gear 231 can be easily and reliably oscillated around the pivot axis δ relative to the upstream gear 232. This makes it easy to realize a configuration in which the drive gear 231 can be separated from the driven gear 241 while the sheet storage container 220 is inserted into the sheet storage device body 210.

[0057] More specifically, the support member 235 comprises a support member body 2351, a first rotation axis 235a, a second rotation axis 235b, and a swing axis 235c. The support member body 2351 constitutes a plate-shaped swing arm portion extending along the direction of a second virtual straight line γ2 passing through the first rotation axis α1 and the upstream rotation axis α3. The first rotation axis 235a is erected on the drive-side gear 231 side of the support member body 2351. The drive-side gear 231 is provided on the support member body 2351 so as to be rotatable around the first rotation axis α1 (with the first rotation axis 235a as the pivot point). The second rotation axis 235b is erected on the upstream gear 232 side of the support member body 2351. The upstream gear 232 is mounted on the support member body 2351 so as to be rotatable around the upstream rotation axis α3 (with the second rotation axis 235b as the pivot point). The oscillating shaft 235c is erected on the support member body 2351 on the opposite side from the upstream gear 232, coaxial with the second rotation axis 235b. The support member body 2351 is supported on the main frame FL of the seat housing device body 210 so as to be rotatable around the oscillating axis δ (with the oscillating shaft 235c as the pivot point).

[0058] (Third embodiment) In this embodiment, the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear meshing portion 231a and / or the driven-side gear meshing portion 241a are formed in a curved shape such that the angles θ1 and θ2 between the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2 of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear meshing portion 241a and the first virtual straight line γ1 increase as the drive-side gear meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear meshing portion 241a come into contact and separate through the rotation of the drive-side gear 231.

[0059] In this configuration, even if the drive source 213 does not stop driving when the seat mounting portion 221 is in the upper limit position, the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a can be made more likely to disengage (more likely to skip gears) relative to the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a. This makes the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 less likely to be damaged.

[0060] (Fourth Embodiment) In this embodiment, the drive-side gear 231 is biased by its own weight or by a force component in the direction of contact with the driven-side gear 241 due to a biasing member (in this example, its own weight).

[0061] In this configuration, the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a and the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a can be made to mesh more easily while maintaining the ease with which the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a can disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a (ease of gear skipping).

[0062] (Fifth embodiment) In this embodiment, when the rotation of the driven gear 241 is restricted, the driving gear 231 oscillates around the oscillation axis δ such that the angle between the virtual tangents ω1, ω2 and the first virtual straight line γ1 increases.

[0063] In this configuration, even if the drive source 213 does not stop driving when the seat mounting section 221 is in the upper limit position, the drive-side gear tooth meshing section 231a can be made more likely to disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing section 241a (making it easier for the gears to skip). This makes the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 even less likely to be damaged.

[0064] (Sixth Embodiment) Incidentally, in the configuration of the sheet storage device 200 in which virtual normals μ1 and μ2 (see Figure 9), which are orthogonal to the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2, are parallel to a second virtual straight line γ2 (see Figure 9) that passes through the first rotation axis α1 of the drive-side gear 231 and the upstream rotation axis α3 of the upstream-side gear 232, if the drive of the drive source 213 does not stop even when the sheet mounting section 221 is in the upper limit position, the drive-side gear tooth meshing section 231a is difficult to disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing section 241a, and as a result, the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 are prone to damage.

[0065] In this embodiment, the seat storage device 200 has virtual normals μ1 and μ2 that are orthogonal to the virtual tangents ω1 and ω2, which intersect with a second virtual straight line γ2 that passes through the first rotation axis α1 of the drive-side gear 231 and the upstream rotation axis α3 of the upstream-side gear 232.

[0066] This makes it easier for the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a to disengage from the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a (making it easier for the gears to skip), even if the drive source 213 does not stop driving when the seat mounting portion 221 is in the upper limit position. This makes it easier for the drive-side gear 231 and / or the driven-side gear 241 to be damaged.

[0067] <Other embodiments> Figures 15 and 16 are a perspective view and a rear view, respectively, of an example (236a) of a restricting part 236 that restricts the swinging of the support member 235, viewed from the rear side.

[0068] By the way, the drive gear 231 sometimes skips gears too much relative to the driven gear 241.

[0069] In this regard, the seat storage device 200 has a restricting section 236 (see Figures 15 and 16).

[0070] The restricting section 236 restricts the swing of the support member 235 in the insertion direction S1 around the swing axis δ due to gear skipping by the drive-side gear 231 relative to the driven-side gear 241.

[0071] In this way, by restricting the oscillation of the support member 235 in the insertion direction S1 around the oscillation axis δ when the drive gear 231 skips gears relative to the driven gear 241, it is possible to effectively prevent the drive gear 231 from skipping gears too far relative to the driven gear 241.

[0072] More specifically, the support member body 2351 is provided with a restricted portion 235d (see Figures 14, 15, and 16). The restricted portion 235d protrudes from the support member body 2351 on the side opposite to the drive-side gear 231 and the upstream-side gear 232. The main frame FL of the seat housing device body 210 is provided with a through hole FLa (Figures 15 and 16) through which the restricted portion 235d passes. The restricting portion 236 includes a part of the through hole FLa. Specifically, the through hole FLa provided in the main frame FL has a pair of edges (236a, 236b) along the radial direction E centered on the oscillation axis δ. The restricting portion 236 includes a pair of edges (236a, 236b). One edge 236a is located below the restricted portion 235d and comes into contact with the restricted portion 235d due to the oscillation of the support member 235 in the first oscillation direction M1. The other edge 236b is located above the restricted portion 235d and comes into contact with the restricted portion 235d due to the swing of the support member 235 in a second swing direction M2, which is opposite to the first swing direction M1. At this time, the drive-side gear tooth meshing portion 231a disengages from the driven-side gear tooth meshing portion 241a (the drive-side gear 231 skips gears relative to the driven-side gear 241). In this example, the restricted portion 235d is formed by punching out a die from the support member body 2351 and then bending it to the opposite side from the drive-side gear 231 and the upstream gear 232.

[0073] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in a variety of other ways. Therefore, these embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be constrained. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Furthermore, any variations or modifications falling within the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 100 Image forming apparatus 110 Image forming apparatus main unit 200-sheet storage device 210 Sheet storage device main body 211 First moving axle 212 Second drive axle 213 Power source 220-sheet storage container 221 Sheet mounting section 222 Push-up member 230 Main unit side drive force transmission mechanism 230a Drive-side gear train 231 Drive-side gear (an example of a drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear) 231a Drive side gear tooth meshing portion 232 Upstream gear (an example of an upstream reverse-rotating parallel shaft gear) 233 Intermediate gear 234 Motor Gear 235 Support member 2351 Support member body 235a First rotation axis 235b Second rotation axis 235c oscillating axis 235d Regulated part 236 Regulatory Department 236a One edge 236b The other edge 240 Container-side driving force transmission mechanism 240a Driven gear train 241 Driven gear (an example of a driven reverse-rotating parallel shaft gear) 241a Driven gear tooth meshing portion 242 Arc-shaped gear 270 Sheet Feeding Device 270a Sheet supply device body 271 Pickup Roller 272 Supply Roller 273 Separation Roller 274 Roller support member 275 Supply drive transmission mechanism 276 Biasing member 277 Upper limit position detection unit E radial direction FL main frame FLa through hole M1 First oscillation direction M2 Second oscillation direction P Sheet S Insertion / removal direction S1 Insertion direction S2 Pull-out direction TN Transfer Nip Section W Conveying direction X Left / right direction Y (depth direction) Z vertical direction α1 First rotation axis α2 Second rotation axis α3 Upstream rotation axis β1 First Axis Line β2 Second Axis Line γ1 First virtual line γ2 Second virtual line δ oscillation axis ε1 First virtual vertical line ε2 Second virtual vertical line θ1 angle θ2 angle λ rotation axis μ1 virtual normal μ2 virtual normal ω1 virtual tangent ω2 virtual tangent

Claims

1. A sheet storage container comprising a sheet placement section for placing a sheet, and a container-side drive force transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force to the sheet placement section for lifting the sheet placement section, The sheet storage device is provided so as to be insertable and removable from a sheet storage device body having a drive source and a main body-side drive force transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force from the drive source to the container-side drive force transmission mechanism, The main body side drive force transmission mechanism has a drive side reversing type parallel shaft gear to which the drive force is transmitted, The container-side driving force transmission mechanism has a driven-side reversing-type parallel shaft gear that can mesh with the driving-side reversing-type parallel shaft gear when the sheet storage container is inserted into the sheet storage device body, With the sheet storage container inserted into the sheet storage device body, the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear is configured to be able to move away from the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear. A seat storage device characterized in that the virtual tangents of the contact surfaces of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear at the point where the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear mesh always intersect a first virtual straight line passing through the first rotation axis of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear and the second rotation axis of the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear through the rotation of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear.

2. A sheet storage device according to claim 1, A seat storage device characterized in that the angle between the virtual tangents of the contact surfaces of the drive-side gear meshing portion and the driven-side gear meshing portion and the first virtual straight line is always 30 degrees or more and less than 45 degrees throughout the rotation of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear.

3. A sheet storage device according to claim 1, The seat storage device is characterized in that the main body side driving force transmission mechanism further comprises an upstream reverse-type parallel shaft gear that meshes with the drive side reverse-type parallel shaft gear, and further comprises a support member that rotatably supports the drive side reverse-type parallel shaft gear and the upstream side reverse-type parallel shaft gear when the drive side reverse-type parallel shaft gear and the upstream side reverse-type parallel shaft gear are meshed, and is capable of swinging about a swing axis that is coaxial with the upstream rotation axis of the upstream side reverse-type parallel shaft gear.

4. A sheet storage device according to claim 1, A seat storage device characterized in that the contact surface of the drive-side gear meshing portion and / or the contact surface of the driven-side gear meshing portion are formed in a curved shape such that the angle between the virtual tangent to the contact surface of the drive-side gear meshing portion and the driven-side gear meshing portion and the first virtual straight line increases as the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear rotates, from the time the drive-side gear meshing portion and the driven-side gear meshing portion come into contact until they separate.

5. A sheet storage device according to claim 1, A seat housing device characterized in that the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear is biased by the weight of the drive-side reversing parallel shaft gear or by a force component in the direction of contact with the driven-side reversing parallel shaft gear due to a biasing member.

6. A sheet storage device according to claim 3, A seat accommodating device characterized in that, when the rotation of the driven-side reversing-type parallel shaft gear is restricted, the driving-side reversing-type parallel shaft gear oscillates around the oscillation axis such that it increases the angle between the virtual tangent and the first virtual straight line.

7. A sheet storage device according to claim 3, A seat storage device characterized in that a virtual normal perpendicular to the virtual tangent intersects a second virtual straight line passing through the first rotation axis of the drive-side reversing parallel-axis gear and the upstream rotation axis of the upstream-side reversing parallel-axis gear.

8. An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising a sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images