Sheet Feeding Device and Image Forming Apparatus

Abstract

To suppress external contact with a feeding roller and a moving member.SOLUTION: A sheet feeding device has: a door (82) that can be opened and closed between an opening position and a closing position with respect to a device main body; a loading part (81) on which a sheet is loaded; and a cover part (83) that is positioned at a first position when the door is positioned at the opening position and is positioned at a second position when the door is positioned at the closing position. The sheet feeding device further has: a moving unit that includes a feeding roller (71) for feeding a sheet and a moving member (74) for supporting the feeding roller, the moving member being configured to move with respect to the loading part, toward a first direction where the feeding roller approaches the loading part and a second direction being the opposite direction of the first direction. The moving unit is positioned between the cover part and the door with the cover part positioned at the first position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet and an image forming device for forming an image on the sheet.

Background Art

[0002] Some image forming devices such as printers, copiers, and multifunction devices are provided with a manual feed tray type sheet feeding device (also called a multi-purpose feeding device) that feeds a sheet as a recording material from a loading tray provided on the side surface of the device body. As this type of sheet feeding device, in order to bring a pickup roller (feeding roller) that feeds the sheet from the loading tray into contact with and separate from the sheet on the loading tray, a configuration is used in which a lifting member that supports the pickup roller is moved. The lifting member is biased downward in the moving direction by a spring member or the like in order to bring the pickup roller into contact with the sheet with a predetermined pressing force, and is controlled to move up and down by a cam mechanism or the like.

[0003] By the way, the manual feed tray type loading tray is provided in an opening / closing unit that can be opened and closed with respect to the side surface of the device body, and when the loading tray is not used, a configuration is used in which the opening / closing unit is closed and stored in the device body. On the other hand, in order for the pickup roller to stably contact and separate from the sheet due to the swinging of the lifting member, a certain length is required for the lifting member. Therefore, in the configuration of the manual feed tray type, when the opening / closing unit is closed, the lifting member and the pickup roller having such a certain length are accommodated in the device body.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes that in a state where the tray is open, the lifting plate and the pickup roller are in a position protruding outside the side surface of the device body, and the lifting plate and the pickup roller are stored in the side surface of the device body in conjunction with the operation of closing the tray. In this case, as the tray closes, the tray contacts and pushes up the pickup roller, thereby moving the lifting plate and the pickup roller toward the device body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Document

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the configuration of the above document, when the tray is open, the lifting plate and the pickup roller are exposed to the outside, and it is possible to come into contact with the lifting plate and the pickup roller from the outside.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress external contact with the feed roller and the moving member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a moving unit including a door that can be opened and closed between an open position and a closed position with respect to an apparatus main body, a loading portion on which a sheet is loaded, and a cover portion that faces the door and is configured to move with respect to the apparatus main body in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the door, the cover portion being positioned at a first position when the door is at the open position and at a second position when the door is at the closed position, a feed roller that feeds the sheet, and a moving member that supports the feed roller, the moving member being configured to be movable with respect to the loading portion in a first direction that is a direction in which the feed roller approaches the loading portion and a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. The biasing portion, and a transmission portion configured to transmit the biasing force of the biasing portion to the moving member, and, with the cover portion positioned at the first position, the moving unit is positioned between the cover portion and the door Shi , In a state where the door is in the closed position, the moving member is biased in the second direction by the transmission portion A sheet feeding device characterized by the above.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress external contact with the feed roller and the moving member.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser beam printer which is the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the overall configuration and functions of this image forming apparatus 1 will be described. Inside the apparatus main body 1A of the image forming apparatus 1 (inside the apparatus main body), an image forming unit 1B is mounted in which four process cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK from the first to the fourth are arranged side by side in a substantially horizontal direction (in-line configuration, tandem type). Each of the process cartridges PY to PK has a different color of toner as the developer contained therein, but has the same configuration as each other. Each of the process cartridges PY to PK of the present embodiment is integrally assembled in the cartridge with a photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier (electrophotographic photoreceptor) and a developing roller 12 and the like as process means acting on the photosensitive drum 11. Each of the process cartridges PY to PK is configured to be detachable from the apparatus main body 1A.

[0013] Above the process cartridges PY to PK, a laser scanner 2 is arranged. Below the process cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK, an intermediate transfer belt unit 20 is arranged. In the intermediate transfer belt unit 20, an intermediate transfer belt 21 as an intermediate transfer member is stretched by a driving roller 22, a driven roller 23, and a tension roller 24 and rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure. The lower surface of the photosensitive drum 11 of each of the process cartridges PY to PK is in contact with the upper surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21. Inside the intermediate transfer belt 21, four primary transfer rollers 25 are arranged facing the photosensitive drums 11 of the process cartridges PY to PK. A secondary transfer roller 26 is abutted against the driving roller 22 via the intermediate transfer belt 21. Above the inside of the apparatus main body 1A, a fixing device 30 and a discharging device 40 are arranged. A discharge tray 43 is arranged on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1A. The fixing device 30 has a fixing film 31 having a heater substrate inside and a pressure roller 32 that is in pressure contact with the heater substrate via the fixing film 31. The discharging device 40 uses one having a discharging roller 41 and a discharging roller 42.

[0014] When the image forming apparatus 1 executes an image forming operation, the photosensitive drum 11 rotates, and the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged. The laser scanner 2 irradiates laser light based on the image information (print data) received from the outside to scan and expose the surface of the photosensitive drum 11, forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11. This electrostatic latent image is visualized (developed) as a toner image by the developing roller 12.

[0015] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 21 by the primary transfer roller 25. At this time, the toner images formed in each process cartridge PY to PK are multi-transferred so as to overlap each other, thereby forming a full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21. This toner image is carried on the intermediate transfer belt 21 and conveyed to the secondary transfer portion, which is the nip portion between the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the secondary transfer roller 26.

[0016] In parallel with the operation of the above-described image forming unit 1B, the sheets S, which are recording materials, are fed from the sheet feeding devices 50 and 70 toward the image forming unit 1B. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a storage tray type sheet feeding device 50 and a manual tray type sheet feeding device 70. As the sheet S, various sheets of different sizes and materials can be used, such as paper like plain paper and cardboard, plastic film, cloth, sheet materials with surface treatment like coated paper, and special-shaped sheet materials like envelopes and index paper.

[0017] The storage tray type sheet feeding device 50 includes a sheet S stacked in a storage tray 51 detachably attached to the apparatus main body 1A, and a feeding unit including a pickup roller 52, a feed roller 53, and a separation roller 54. The pickup roller 52 rotates in contact with the topmost sheet of the sheets S stacked in the storage tray 51 and feeds it out in the left direction in the figure. The feed roller 53 further conveys the sheet S received from the pickup roller 52. The separation roller 54 forms a separation nip in contact with the feed roller 53, and separates the sheet S conveyed by the feed roller 53 from the other sheets S by applying frictional force to the sheet passing through the separation nip. Next, the leading edge of the sheet S fed out from the feed roller 53 abuts against the nip portion between the conveyance roller 61d and the conveyance roller 62d of the conveyance roller pair 60 (registration roller pair) in the stopped state, thereby correcting the skew of the sheet S.

[0018] The manual feed tray type sheet feeding device 70 is provided on the side portion (right side surface in FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 1A. The sheets S stacked on the stacking tray 81 of the door unit 80 are fed one by one. The detailed configuration of the sheet feeding device 70 will be described later. The sheet S fed from the sheet feeding device 70 is conveyed toward the conveyance roller pair 60 by the conveyance rollers 61a, 61b, 61c, 61d and the conveyance rollers 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d. Then, the leading edge of the sheet S abuts against the nip portion of the conveyance roller pair 60 in the stopped state, thereby correcting the skew of the sheet S. After the sheet S reaches the nip portion of the conveyance roller pair 60, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 performed on the sheet S is the same as when the sheet S is fed from the storage tray type sheet feeding device 50.

[0019] After the skew correction of the sheet S, the pair of conveyance rollers 60 starts to convey the sheet S at a timing synchronized with the operation of the image forming unit 1B, and conveys the sheet S to the secondary transfer unit. In the secondary transfer unit, the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S. The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is sent to the fixing device 30, and is heated and pressed at the nip between the fixing film 31 and the pressure roller 32, so that the toner image is fixed on the sheet S. Thereafter, the sheet S is discharged outside the apparatus main body 1A by the discharge roller 41 and the discharge roller 42, and is stacked on the discharge tray 43.

[0020] The above-described image forming unit 1B is an example of an image forming means, and a direct transfer type electrophotographic mechanism that directly transfers the toner image formed on the image carrier onto the sheet may be used. Further, not limited to the electrophotographic method, an inkjet printing unit or an offset printing mechanism may be used as the image forming means.

[0021] <Configuration and Operation of Manual Tray Sheet Feeding Device> Hereinafter, the configuration and feeding operation of the manual tray type sheet feeding device (sheet conveying device) 70 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the sheet feeding device 70. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sheet feeding device 70 includes a stacking tray 81 supported by the door unit 80, and a feeding unit including a pickup roller 71, a feed roller 72, a separation roller 73, and a swing arm (lifting arm, moving arm) 74. The door unit 80 is an opening / closing unit of the present embodiment that can be opened and closed between an open position and a storage position (closed position) with respect to the apparatus main body 1A, and the stacking tray 81 is a stacking unit of the present embodiment. The pickup roller 71 is a feeding roller of the present embodiment, and the swing arm 74 is a swing member (lifting member, moving member) of the present embodiment. Note that the apparatus main body of the sheet feeding device refers to a housing that supports the opening / closing unit so as to be openable and closable, and in the present embodiment, the apparatus main body 1A of the image forming apparatus 1 is the apparatus main body of the sheet feeding device 70. That is, the sheet feeding device 70 may include the apparatus main body 1A.

[0022] The pickup roller 71 contacts and rotates against the topmost sheet of the sheets S loaded on the loading tray 81, and feeds it out in the sheet feeding direction (leftward in the drawing of FIG. 1). The feed roller 72 further conveys the sheet S received from the pickup roller 71. The separation roller 73 contacts the feed roller 72 to form a separation nip, and by applying a frictional force to the sheet passing through the separation nip, separates the sheet S conveyed by the feed roller 72 from the other sheets S. Thereafter, the sheet S is conveyed toward the conveyance roller pair 60 as described above and supplied to the image forming unit 1B.

[0023] Note that the above-described separation roller 73 is, for example, a roller member connected via a torque limiter to a shaft fixed to the frame of the apparatus main body 1A. Instead of this, as a separation member, a roller to which a driving force in a direction opposite to the rotation of the feed roller 72 is input via a torque limiter can be used. Also, a pad-shaped friction member may be used as the separation member.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, the feed roller shaft 72a that supports the feed roller 72 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion provided in the apparatus main body 1A (FIG. 1). The roller shaft that supports the pickup roller 71 is rotatably supported by a swing arm 74. The swing arm 74 is provided so as to be swingable (movable, rotatable) about the feed roller shaft 72a, and raises and lowers the pickup roller 71 with respect to the sheet S on the loading tray 81. Thereby, the pickup roller 71 can move between a feeding position (lower position) in contact with the sheet S and a separated position (upper position) separated from the sheet S. That is, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 are movable with respect to the apparatus main body 1A and the loading tray 81. Specifically, in a state where the loading tray 81 has stopped at a predetermined position with respect to the apparatus main body 1A, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 move with respect to the loading tray 81 and the apparatus main body 1A. The portion having the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 is called a moving unit. That is, the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 are part of the moving unit.

[0025] Hereinafter, the position of the swing arm 74 corresponding to the feeding position of the pickup roller 71 and the position of the swing arm 74 corresponding to the separation position of the pickup roller 71 will be described as the feeding position and the separation position of the swing arm 74, respectively. The lifting operation of the swing arm 74 is controlled by a lifting control mechanism described later.

[0026] (Roller drive configuration) The drive configuration of the sheet feeding device 70 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet feeding device 70 includes a toothless gear 91 that rotates by a driving force supplied from a motor as a drive source provided in the device main body 1A. Further, the sheet feeding device 70 has an input gear 72b and an output gear 72c, and a pickup gear 71a that rotates integrally with the pickup roller 71. The feed roller 72, the feed roller shaft 72a, the input gear 72b, and the output gear 72c are arranged coaxially and configured to rotate integrally. The toothless gear 91 and the input gear 72b are connected via an idler gear 92. Also, the output gear 72c and the pickup gear 71a are connected via an idler gear 93. The idler gear 93 and the pickup gear 71a are supported by the swing arm 74.

[0027] When the defective gear 91 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the input gear 72b via the idler gear 92, and the output gear 72c and the feed roller 72 rotate. Further, via the idler gear 93 drivingly connected to the output gear 72c, the pickup gear 71a disposed at the end of the pickup roller 71 rotates, so that the pickup roller 71 also rotates. The defective gear 91 is a gear unit in which two spur gears each having a toothless portion are overlapped, and is configured to be able to control rotation by an electromagnetic solenoid (not shown). The defective gear 91 is stopped by a regulating portion (not shown) that is moved by an electromagnetic solenoid in a state where the toothless portion faces a gear (not shown) rotated by a motor. One of the spur gears of the defective gear 91 is biased toward the gear (not shown). Each time a trigger is input to the electromagnetic solenoid, the regulating portion moves, and the tooth portion of the biased spur gear meshes with the gear (not shown). When one of the spur gears rotates, the other spur gear rotates, and the tooth portion of the other spur gear meshes with the gear (not shown). Then, the defective gear 91 makes one rotation, and the feed roller 72 and the pickup roller 71 rotate due to the rotation of the defective gear 91. The regulating portion regulates the defective gear 91 again so that the defective gear 91 stops after making one rotation.

[0028] (Lift control mechanism) Next, the configuration of the lift control mechanism for lifting the pickup roller 71 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views of a part of the sheet feeding device 70 as viewed in the rotational axis direction X (nip width direction of the separation nip, sheet width direction; see FIG. 2) of the pickup roller 71. FIG. 3 shows a state where the pickup roller 71 is in a separated position, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the pickup roller 71 is in a feeding position.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet feeding device 70 has a cam (regulating member) 77, a compression spring 76, and a pressure lever 75 as a lift control mechanism. The cam 77 is provided coaxially with the defective gear 91 and rotates together with the defective gear 91.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pressing lever 75, which is the transmission part (transmission member) of the present embodiment, is supported by the apparatus main body 1A and is rotatable about a shaft part 75a substantially parallel to the feed roller shaft 72a. In other words, the pressing lever 75 is rotatable about an axis different from the axis A1 (the center of the feed roller shaft 72a), which is the swing axis of the swing arm 74, and substantially parallel to the axis A1. The pressing lever 75 includes a cam contact part 75b that contacts the cam surface (outer peripheral surface) of the cam 77, and an arm contact part 75c that contacts a protrusion part 74a, which is the contact part of the swing arm 74. The pressing lever 75 is configured to be swingable (movable) in the D1 direction and the D2 direction shown in FIG. 3. The cam 77 is configured to be movable between a regulation position where it contacts the cam contact part 75b of the pressing lever 75 and regulates the position of the pressing lever 75 biased by the pressing spring 76, and a release position where it retracts from the regulation position. In the present embodiment, when the cam 77 is in the release position, the cam 77 is separated from the cam contact part 75b of the pressing lever 75.

[0031] Note that the arm contact part 75c of the pressing lever 75 has a first surface C1 and a second surface C2 that can each contact the protrusion part 74a of the swing arm 74 (see FIG. 6). The functions of the first surface C1 and the second surface C2 will be described later.

[0032] The pressing spring 76, which is the biasing part (biasing member) of the present embodiment, has a function of biasing the swing arm 74 toward the feeding position via the pressing lever 75 by biasing the pressing lever 75 in a predetermined rotation direction. In the present embodiment, a torsion coil spring attached around the shaft part 75a of the pressing lever 75 is used as the pressing spring 76. One end part 76a of this pressing spring 76 is attached to the spring hanging part 101, and the other end part 76b is attached to the spring hanging part 75d of the pressing lever 75. The pressing spring 76 generates a force to rotate the pressing lever 75 in the D1 direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3). The pressing spring 76 generates a force to rotate the pressing lever 75 in a direction in which the cam contact part 75b of the pressing lever 75 approaches the cam 77.

[0033] Hereinafter, among the swinging directions of the swing arm 74, the swinging direction (first direction) when moving (lowering) the pickup roller 71 from the separated position to the feeding position is defined as the E1 direction. Also, the swinging direction (second direction opposite to the first direction) when moving (raising) the pickup roller 71 from the feeding position to the separated position is defined as the E2 direction. In other words, the E1 direction is the direction in which the pickup roller 71 approaches the loading tray 81. The E2 direction is the direction in which the pickup roller 71 moves away from (recedes from) the loading tray 81.

[0034] Before the start of the sheet feeding operation, the door unit 80 is in the open position and the cam 77 is in the regulating position. As shown in FIG. 3, before the start of the sheet feeding operation, the pickup roller 71 is held at the separated position and is spaced upward from the loading tray 81 and the sheet S. In this state, the cam 77 and the pressing lever 75 are in contact at point P1, the pressing lever 75 and the swing arm 74 are in contact at point P2, and the position of the swing arm 74 is held. That is, when the cam 77 contacts the cam contact portion 75b of the pressing lever 75 at point P1, the pressing lever 75 biased in the D1 direction by the pressing spring 76 is received and the pressing lever 75 is held. Also, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by a swing arm biasing spring (self-weight canceling spring) (not shown). In this state, the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 contacts the arm contact portion 75c (the first surface C1 in FIG. 6) of the pressing lever 75, whereby the swing arm 74 is positioned at the separated position.

[0035] Note that the force of the swing arm biasing spring is set to a value slightly larger than the force that causes the swing arm 74 to rotate in the E1 direction due to the weight of the swing arm 74 and the weight of the member supported by the swing arm 74. The moment of the force in the E2 direction acting on the swing arm 74 by the swing arm biasing spring is sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the moment of the force in the E1 direction that can act on the swing arm 74 by the pressurizing spring 76. Therefore, the pressurizing lever 75 does not rotate in the D2 direction from the position shown in FIG. 3, and holds the swing arm 74 at the position shown in FIG. 3 in contact with the cam 77 at the point P1 against the biasing force of the swing arm biasing spring. In this way, since the pickup roller 71 is held at the separated position, the user can easily set the sheet S on the loading tray 81.

[0036] When the sheet S is fed, the door unit 80 is in the open position, the cam 77 is in the release position, and the cam 77 is separated from the pressurizing lever 75. In this state, the pressurizing lever 75 biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. As shown in FIG. 4, when the sheet feeding operation is started, the pickup roller 71 moves from the separated position to the feeding position and contacts the sheet S on the loading tray 81. That is, at the start of the sheet feeding operation, as described above, a trigger is input to the electromagnetic solenoid and the toothless gear 91 (FIG. 2) starts to rotate. Then, the cam 77 rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure together with the toothless gear 91, and the cam surface of the cam 77 retracts from the cam contact portion 75b of the pressurizing lever 75. Then, the pressurizing lever 75 rotates in the D1 direction (counterclockwise direction in the figure) by the biasing force of the pressurizing spring 76. Along with the rotation of the pressurizing lever 75 in the D1 direction, the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 is pressed against the arm contact portion 75c (the first surface C1 in FIG. 6), and the swing arm 74 swings in the E1 direction. Then, when the pickup roller 71 contacts the sheet S, the swing of the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction stops. The cam surface of the cam 77 is separated from the pressurizing lever 75 during the process in which the swing arm 74 swings in the E1 direction.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 4, when the pickup roller 71 is in contact with the sheet S, the pressing lever 75 is biased in the D1 direction by the biasing force of the pressing spring 76, and the arm contact portion 75c (the first surface C1) of the pressing lever 75 contacts the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 at the point P2. Due to the force with which the pressing lever 75 presses the swing arm 74, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E1 direction, and a pressing force is generated such that the pickup roller 71 contacts the sheet S at the point P3. In other words, the biasing force of the pressing spring 76 as the biasing portion is transmitted to the swing arm 74 as the lifting member via the pressing lever 75 as the transmission portion, thereby ensuring an appropriate feeding pressure of the pickup roller 71 (feeding roller). As described above, the moment in the E2 direction acting on the swing arm 74 by the swing arm biasing spring is smaller than the moment in the E1 direction acting on the swing arm 74 by the pressing spring 76. The biasing force of the pressing spring 76 is set such that the pickup roller 71 can contact the sheet S with an appropriate pressure against the biasing force of the swing arm biasing spring.

[0038] In parallel with the movement of the pickup roller 71 to the feeding position, the pickup roller 71 and the feed roller 72 rotate by the drive transmission through the above-described gear train, and one sheet S is fed from the loading tray 81. Thereafter, the cam 77 contacts the pressing lever 75 again, and the pressing lever 75 rotates in the D2 direction. The swing arm 74 swings in the E2 direction by the swing arm biasing spring, and the pickup roller 71 returns from the feeding position to the separated position. Then, when the rotation of the cam 77 is completed, the sheet feeding device 70 returns to the state shown in Fig. 3.

[0039] <Door unit> Hereinafter, the opening and closing operation of the door unit 80 in the present embodiment and the operation of the swing arm 74 interlocked therewith will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 9. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the door unit 80 and the swing arm 74.

[0040] The door unit 80 as the opening / closing unit in the present embodiment includes a loading tray 81, a door member (door) 82, a cover member (cover part) 83, and a door link 84. The loading tray 81 is configured to move together with the door member 82, and in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the door member 81, the loading tray 81 also moves with respect to the apparatus main body 1A. In the present embodiment, the loading tray 81 has a width restricting member 85 that restricts the position of the seat S in the seat width direction and is supported by the door member 82. The door member 82 rotates about a fulcrum 82a supported by the apparatus main body 1A (FIG. 1). The rotation axis of the door member 82 is substantially parallel to the swing axis of the swing arm 74. The rotation axis of the door member 82 is referred to as the first axis. The door member 82 swings around the first axis with respect to the apparatus main body 1A. The moving direction of the width restricting member 85 is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the door member 82.

[0041] As will be described later, the loading tray 81 functions as a displacement member that moves the swing arm 74 of the moving unit in the E2 direction when closing the door unit 80 (when closing the door member 82). The cover member 83 functions as a displacement member that moves the swing arm 74 of the moving unit in the E1 direction when opening the door unit 80 (when opening the door member 82). Regarding the moving direction of the door unit 80 (the moving direction of the door member 82) when closing the door unit 80 (when closing the door member 82), the loading tray 81 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71. Also, regarding the E2 direction, the loading tray 81 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71. Regarding the moving direction of the door unit 80 (the moving direction of the door member 82) when opening the door unit 80 (when opening the door member 82), the cover member 83 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71. Also, regarding the E1 direction, the cover member 83 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, when the door unit 80 is opened to a predetermined open position, the loading tray 81, the door member 82, and the cover member 83 protrude outward with respect to the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. Further, when the door unit 80 is opened to a predetermined open position, the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 protrude outward with respect to the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. With the door unit 80 in the open position, the loading tray 81 is exposed, and it is allowed to load the sheet S on the loading tray 81. In this state, the sheet feeding device 70 can feed the sheet S from the loading tray 81. On the other hand, when the door unit 80 is moved to the storage position, the loading tray 81, the cover member 83, the pickup roller 71, etc. are stored inside the apparatus main body 1A (inside the space formed between the door member 82 and the apparatus main body 1A). That is, with the door unit 80 in the storage position, the loading tray 81 is stored between the door member 82 (a part of the door unit 80) and the apparatus main body 1A. The storage position of the door unit 80 is the position where the door member 82 rotates counterclockwise in the figure from the open position shown in FIG. 1. In the present embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the outer surface (the lower right surface in FIG. 1) of the door member 82 forms the side surface of the image forming apparatus 1 together with the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. Further, in the present embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the outer surface of the door member 82 is in a state parallel to the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A.

[0043] The position of the door member 82 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is called the closed position of the door member 82, and the position of the door member 82 when the door unit 80 is in the open position is called the open position of the door member 82. The door member 83 is openable and closable between the open position and the closed position with respect to the apparatus main body 1A. In the present embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position and the door member 82 is in the closed position, the outer surface of the door member 82 is located on the same plane as the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. As understood from FIG. 1, when the door unit 80 is in the open position, at least a part of the cover member 83, at least a part of the swing arm 74, and the pickup roller 71 are located outside the apparatus main body 1A with respect to the closed position of the door member 82.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 83 is arranged to cover at least a part (preferably all) of the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 when viewed from above in the gravitational direction. The cover member 83 rotates about a fulcrum 83a supported by the apparatus main body 1A. The cover member 83 faces the door member 82. The rotation axis of the cover member 83 is referred to as the second axis. The cover member 83 swings around the second axis with respect to the apparatus main body 1A. The first axis of the door member 82 and the second axis of the cover member 83 are located at positions separated from each other. The first axis of the door member 82 and the second axis of the cover member 83 are parallel to each other.

[0045] In the rotation axis direction of the cover member 83, the pickup roller 71 is arranged at the central portion. The cover member 83 has a base portion and a tip portion on the opposite side of the base portion in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis direction of the cover member 83, and the fulcrum 83a is arranged at the base portion. The length from the base portion to the tip portion of the cover member 83 is such that the lengths at both ends in the rotation axis direction of the cover member 83 are shorter than the length at the central portion in the rotation axis direction of the cover member 83. The cover member 83 can surely cover the pickup roller 71 at the central portion and make it easier to visually recognize the sheet S at both ends.

[0046] The door link 84 includes a connecting shaft 84b and a guide groove 84c, and is connected to the door member 82 and the cover member 83. Specifically, the connecting shaft 84b engages with the guide groove 82b of the door member 82, and the guide groove 84c engages with the connecting shaft 83b of the cover member 83. Further, the door link 84 rotates about a fulcrum 84a supported by the apparatus main body 1A. When the door member 82 rotates, the connecting shaft 84b slides within the guide groove 82b, and the door link 84 rotates in conjunction with the door member 82. Further, with the rotation of the door link 84, the connecting shaft 83b slides within the guide groove 82b, and the cover member 83 rotates in conjunction with the door link 84. In other words, the cover member 83 rotates in conjunction with the door member 82. That is, the door link 84 functions as a link member that moves the cover member 83 in conjunction with the door member 82. More specifically, in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the door member 82, the cover member 83 moves relative to the apparatus main body 1A. When the door unit 80 is in the open position, the door member 82 is in the open position, and when the door member 82 is in the open position, the cover member 83 is in the first position. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the door member 82 is in the closed position, and when the door member 82 is in the closed position, the cover member 83 is in the second position.

[0047] Although a part is not shown in the perspective view of FIG. 5, the door link 84, the fulcrums 82a, 83a, etc. are provided on both sides in the seat width direction. Further, in FIGS. 6 to 8 used in the following description, the illustration of the width restricting member 85 is omitted.

[0048] <Operation when storing the door unit> Hereinafter, the operation when storing the door unit 80 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0049] Figs. 6 to 8 are all side views of the sheet feeding device 70 as seen in the sheet width direction (the direction X of the rotation axis of the pickup roller 71). Fig. 6 shows the state where the door unit 80 is in the open position. As described above, when the sheet feeding operation is not being performed, the pickup roller 71 is in the separated position, and the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 is received by the cam 77 at point P1. When the user grips the door member 82 and pushes up the door unit 80, the door member 82 rotates upward about the fulcrum 82a, and the loading tray 81 approaches the pickup roller 71.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6, in the state where the door unit 80 is in the open position, the door member 82 is in the open position and the cover member 83 is in the first position. At this time, at least a part (preferably all) of the moving unit is disposed between the door member 82 and the cover member 83. Also, when viewed along the vertical direction (parallel to the direction of gravity), the cover member 83 located in the first position overlaps with the feeding roller 71. Among the moving unit, it is preferable that the pickup roller 71 is disposed between the door member 82 and the cover member 83. The cover member 83 can suppress external contact with the moving unit.

[0051] When the door unit 80 moves from the open position to the storage position, the pickup roller 71 of the moving unit is configured to push against the biasing force of the pressure lever 75 so that the swing arm 74 swings in the E2 direction. FIG. 7 shows a state where the user further pushes up the door unit 80, causing the pickup roller 71 and the loading tray 81 to contact at point P3 and the swing arm 74 to start swinging upward from the separated position. In this state, the door unit 80 is at a position between the open position and the storage position, and the pickup roller 71 of the moving unit is in contact with the door unit 80. And the pressure lever 75 biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. When the pickup roller 71 is pushed by the door unit 80, the swing arm 74 rotates in the E2 direction. The swing arm 74 contacts the first surface C1 of the arm contact portion 75c of the pressure lever 75 and rotates the pressure lever 75 in the D2 direction. Then, the pressure lever 75 moves away from the cam 77, and the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 (see FIG. 6) received by the cam 77 acts on the swing arm 74 as a force that resists the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction through the first surface C1. In other words, the swing arm 74 receives the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 as a force that resists the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction (a force that biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction) through the first surface C1 of the pressure lever 75. Note that the door unit 80 may be configured to push other components than the pickup roller 71, for example, the swing arm 74.

[0052] When the swing arm 74 is biased in the E1 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76, the pickup roller 71 supported by the swing arm 74 pushes back the loading tray 81 in the direction opposite to the lifting direction of the door unit 80 at point P3. That is, in the process of the operation of storing the door unit 80, a force f that biases the door unit 80 in its opening direction is applied to the door unit 80 through the biasing force of the pressure spring 76, the pressure lever 75, the swing arm 74, and the pickup roller 71.

[0053] Figure 8 shows the state in which the door unit 80 has moved to the storage position. In the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 of the moving unit are in positions separated from the door unit 80. Between the state of FIG. 7 and the time when the door unit 80 reaches the storage position, the contact position of the pressure lever 75 with respect to the swing arm 74 changes from the first surface C1 to the second surface C2. This second surface C2 is formed such that the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by the biasing force of the compression spring 76 transmitted to the swing arm 74 through the second surface C2. When the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction, the swing arm 74 abuts against the cover member 83, and the door unit 80 is biased toward the storage position. Until the swing arm 74 abuts against a stopper 102 described later, the swing arm 74 biases the cover member 83. In the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 receives the biasing force of the compression spring 76 as a force that biases the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction through the second surface C2 of the pressure lever 75.

[0054] Here, in a state seen in the direction of the swing axis of the swing arm 74, the second surface C2 extends at an angle different from that of the first surface C1. The change in the direction of the biasing force of the compression spring 76 acting on the swing arm 74 as the door unit 80 is stored can also be described as follows. That is, when viewed in the direction of the axis A1 which is the swing axis of the swing arm 74, the normal vector of the first surface C1 that is in contact with the swing arm 74 in the state of FIG. 7 which is in the middle of the storage operation passes through one side of the axis A1. Further, the normal vector of the second surface C2 that is in contact with the swing arm 74 in the state of FIG. 8 where the door unit 80 has reached the storage position passes through the other side of the axis A1. In the state where the swing arm 74 is in contact with the first surface C1, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E1 direction by the pressure lever 75. In the state where the swing arm 74 is in contact with the second surface C2, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by the pressure lever 75.

[0055] In this way, as the contact position between the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 changes in conjunction with the storage operation of the door unit 80, the direction in which the biasing force of the compression spring 76 acts with respect to the swing axis of the swing arm 74 changes. As a result, during the storage operation of the door unit 80, the door unit 80 receives a force f (Fig. 7) from the swing arm 74 via the pickup roller 71. On the other hand, in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position (Fig. 8), the pickup roller 71 is separated from the door unit 80, and the door unit 80 does not receive a force in the opening direction from the swing arm 74. That is, the force received by the door unit 80 from the moving unit in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f received by the door unit 80 from the moving unit during the storage operation of the door unit 80.

[0056] Note that in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 is separated from the loading tray 81. Also, in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 are separated from the cover member 83. Note that in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the moving unit may be in contact with the cover member 83. The apparatus main body 1A is provided with a stopper 102 that restricts the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction. In the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 abuts against the stopper 102 at point P4, so that the swing arm 74 is positioned in a state where a gap G is formed between the pickup roller 71 and the loading tray 81. That is, in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the biasing force of the compression spring 76 is received by the stopper 102 provided in the apparatus main body 1A. By the swing arm 74 being received by the stopper 102, the biasing force of the swing arm 74 can be made to act on the stopper 102 and not on the cover member 83.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 8, in a state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the door member 82 in the closed position and the cover member 83 in the second position are substantially parallel to the vertical direction. At this time, a part of the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 are located between the cover member 83 and the door member 82. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in a state where the door unit 80 is in the open position, the door member 82 in the open position and the cover member 83 in the first position are inclined with respect to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In this state, the tip of the door member 82 is at a higher position than the base of the door member 82, and the tip of the cover member 83 is at a higher position than the base of the cover member 83. Further, the cover member 83 is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the loading tray 81.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the angle when the cover member 83 moves from the second position to the first position is larger than the angle when the door member 82 moves from the closed position to the open position. As a result, the distance between the tip of the cover member 83 and the door member 82 is shorter than the distance between the base of the cover member 83 and the door member 82. Therefore, when the door unit 80 is in the open position, contact from the outside to the moving unit can be more reliably suppressed.

[0059] <Operation when the door unit is opened> The operation when opening the door unit 80 will be described below. The cover member 83 is configured to push the swing arm 74 so that the swing arm 74 moves in the E1 direction when moving from the second position to the first position. The process of the opening operation of the door unit 80 is shown in FIG. 9. When the user pushes down the door unit 80 from the storage position shown in FIG. 8, the cover member 83 also rotates downward in conjunction via the door link 84. Then, when the cover member 83 contacts the swing arm 74 at the point P5, the swing arm 74 rotates in the E1 direction about the axis A1. As described above, in the state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 by contacting the second surface C2 of the pressure lever 75. Therefore, the swing arm 74 starts to swing in the E1 direction against the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 in the E2 direction by being pressed by the cover member 83. Thus, the door link 84 and the cover member 83 function as an interlocking mechanism that swings the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction in conjunction with the opening operation of the door unit 80.

[0060] When the swing arm 74 swings by a certain amount, as shown in FIG. 9, the contact position between the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 changes from the second surface C2 to the first surface C1. When the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 contact at the first surface C1, the swing arm 74 rotates in the E1 direction and separates from the cover member 83, and the pressure lever 75 rotates in the D1 direction and contacts the cam 77. Then, the swing arm 74 moves to the separated position, and the sheet feeding device 70 returns to the state shown in FIG. 6. In the state where the swing arm 74 is in contact with the first surface C1 of the pressure lever 75, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 acts as a force to rotate the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. Therefore, by opening the door unit 80 to the open position, the sheet feeding device 70 can perform a sheet feeding operation in which the swing arm 74 moves the pickup roller 71 up and down as the cam 77 rotates, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0061] Note that the cover member 83 and the swing arm 74 are configured not to contact each other even when the swing arm 74 moves up and down while the door unit 80 is in the open position (see FIG. 6). Therefore, even if the swing arm 74 moves up and down during sheet feeding, no collision sound with the cover member 83 occurs. Further, in the process of moving the door unit 80 from the open position to the storage position, the cover member 83 does not act on the swing arm 74.

[0062] <Advantages of the present embodiment> The advantages of the present embodiment will be described while comparing with the comparative example shown in FIGS. 10(a, b). The comparative example is different from the present embodiment in that the swing arm 174 is directly biased by the compression spring 176. That is, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the compression spring 176 is directly connected to the swing arm 174, and applies a biasing force in the E1 direction around the axis A1 to the swing arm 174. When the door unit 180 is in the open position and the sheet feeding operation is not performed, the protrusion 174a of the swing arm 174 abuts on the cam 177, and the biasing force of the compression spring 176 is received by the cam 177, whereby the swing arm 174 is held at the separated position.

[0063] When the user lifts the door unit 180 from the open position toward the storage position, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the loading tray 181 of the door unit 180 abuts on the pickup roller 171, causing the swing arm 174 to swing in the E2 direction. At this time, as the swing arm 174 swings in the E2 direction, the deformation amount of the compression spring 176 increases, and the contact pressure between the pickup roller 171 and the loading tray 181 increases. As a result, the force f' that is applied from the swing arm 174 to the door unit 180 and presses the door unit 180 in the open direction becomes the maximum value when the door unit 180 is in the storage position.

[0064] Such a force f' may cause creep deformation in the components of the door unit 180 when the door unit 180 is stored in the storage position. Generally, in the packaging state during product transportation, the door unit 180 is set to the storage position so that the outer shape of the image forming apparatus 1 becomes the smallest. Therefore, there is a concern about the occurrence of creep deformation in the packaging state. In addition to the above force f', if the packaged image forming apparatus 1 is placed in a high-temperature environment for a long time, creep deformation is likely to occur.

[0065] Generally, an opening / closing unit such as the door unit 180 often has lower rigidity than the apparatus main body. This is because a member with high strength is often used as the frame of the apparatus main body 1A, while the door unit, which has an openable structure, is often restricted in terms of the material and size of the members used from the viewpoints of miniaturization and weight reduction. Therefore, if an attempt is made to configure the door unit 180 with high-strength members so that deformation of the door unit 180 does not occur in the above comparative example, it will lead to an increase in cost and enlargement of the image forming apparatus.

[0066] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the contact position between the pressing lever 75 and the swing arm 74 changes as the door unit 80 moves from the open position to the storage position. And the force that the door unit 80 receives from the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f that the door unit 80 receives from the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of deformation of the door unit 80, which is difficult to ensure high rigidity compared to the apparatus main body 1A. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the door unit 80 from being opened by the force received from the moving unit.

[0067] Further, in the present embodiment, in a state where the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the biasing force of the biasing spring 76 transmitted to the swing arm 74 via the pressure lever 75 is received by the stopper 102 (FIG. 8) of the apparatus main body 1A. By receiving the biasing force of the biasing spring 76 with a configuration on the apparatus main body side that easily ensures high rigidity, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of creep deformation of the door unit 80 due to the biasing force of the biasing spring 76 in a packaged state or the like.

[0068] Further, in the present embodiment, when the door unit 80 moves from the storage position to the open position, the swing arm 74 is configured to move to the separated position by the cover member 83 interlocked with the door unit 80. In many cases, unlike a storage tray type sheet feeding device, a hand-feed tray type sheet feeding device is arranged at a position exposed outside the image forming apparatus main body. For this reason, the up-and-down movement of the swing arm 74 during sheet feeding is easily visible to the user, and there is a possibility that the user may inadvertently touch it. Since the cover member 83 in the present embodiment is arranged so as to cover the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 from above, in addition to the above-described operation, the up-and-down movement of the swing arm 74 during sheet feeding can be made less visible, and inadvertent contact by the user can be reduced.

[0069] <Modification Example> In addition, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction rather than the E1 direction by the compression spring 76, and it is assumed that the door unit 80 does not receive a force from the swing arm 74 (the force received from the swing arm 74 is 0). However, if the force received by the door unit 80 from the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f received by the door unit 80 from the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80, other configurations may be adopted. That is, even when the door unit is in the storage position and the pickup roller 71 is in contact with the door unit 80, it is sufficient that the biasing force of the pickup roller 71 is sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the force f. For example, even if the pressure lever 75 biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction by the biasing force of the compression spring 76 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, it is sufficient that the biasing force is sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the force f.

[0070] In addition, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 may be brought into contact with the cover member 83, and the cover member 83 may be biased in the direction in which the door unit 80 is closed. At this time, it is preferable to configure such that a part of the apparatus main body 1A is brought into contact with the cover member 83 and the cover member 83 is received by the apparatus main body 1A. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the door unit 80 from being opened by the force received from the moving unit. At this time, the biasing force received by the cover member 83 is preferably smaller than the maximum value of the force f received by the door unit 80 from the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80.

[0071] In addition to the torsion coil spring, a tension spring, a compression spring, a leaf spring, etc. can be used as the biasing portion so as to generate the same force as the compression spring 76 as the compression spring 76. Also, the biasing portion can be integrally formed with the pressure lever 75. For example, a leaf spring integrally formed with the pressure lever 75 can also be used as the biasing portion.

[0072] Also, in this embodiment, it has been described that the biasing force of the compression spring 76 is received by the stopper 102 (FIG. 8) when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, but the biasing force of the compression spring 76 may be received using the cam 77. That is, when the stopper 102 is omitted, the pressing lever 75 rotates slightly in the D1 direction from the position in FIG. 8 and comes into contact with the cam 77. In this state, since the biasing force by which the compression spring 76 biases the pressing lever 75 in the D1 direction is received by the cam 77, the biasing force of the compression spring 76 is not transmitted to the swing arm 74.

[0073] Also, in this embodiment, the loading tray 81 has a structure integrated with the door member 82, but the loading tray 81 may be configured to be movable with respect to the frame of the opening and closing unit such as the door member 82.

[0074] Also, the member that pushes up the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is moved from the open position to the storage position is not limited to the loading tray 81, and a part of the door unit 80 (for example, the door member 82) may push up the swing arm 74. Also, in this embodiment, a part of the door unit 80 is configured to contact the pickup roller 71 and push up the swing arm 74. Not limited to this, a part of the door unit 80 may contact the swing arm 74 or a member integrated with the swing arm 74 to push up the swing arm 74.

[0075] Also, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 moves from the storage position to the open position, the swing arm 74 is configured to be interlocked with the door unit 80 by a mechanism including the door link 84 and the cover member 83, but other interlocking configurations may be used. For example, the swing arm 74 may be connected to one end of a link member, and the other end of the link member may be connected to the door unit 80 so that the swing arm 74 is interlocked with the opening of the door unit 80.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0076] 1 Image forming apparatus 1A Apparatus main body 1B Image forming unit (image forming means) 70 Sheet Feeding Device 71 Feeding Roller (Pickup Roller) 74 Lifting Member (Swing Arm) 75 Transmission Part (Pressure Lever) 76 Biasing Part (Pressure Spring) 80 Opening and Closing Unit (Door Unit) 81 Loading Part (Loading Tray) 83, 84 Link Mechanism (Door Link, Cover Member) 102 Stopper C1 First Surface C2 Second Surface E1 First Direction E2 Second Direction

Claims

1. A door that can be opened and closed between an open position and a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body, A loading section on which a sheet is loaded, A cover section that faces the door and is configured to move with respect to the apparatus main body in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the door, and is positioned at a first position when the door is at the open position and at a second position when the door is at the closed position, A moving unit including a feeding roller that feeds the sheet and a moving member that supports the feeding roller, wherein the moving member is configured to be movable with respect to the loading section in a first direction in which the feeding roller approaches the loading section and a second direction opposite to the first direction, A biasing section, A transmission section configured to transmit the biasing force of the biasing section to the moving member, having, With the cover section positioned at the first position, the moving unit is positioned between the cover section and the door, With the door in the closed position, the moving member is biased in the second direction by the transmission section A sheet feeding device characterized by the above.

2. The door is configured to swing around a first axis with respect to the apparatus main body, The cover section is configured to swing around a second axis with respect to the apparatus main body, The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The angle when the cover section moves from the second position to the first position is larger than the angle when the door moves from the closed position to the open position, the sheet feeding device according to claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. With the door in the closed position, the moving member is received by the apparatus main body, the sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

5. It has a regulating member that is configured to be movable between a regulating position that abuts against the transmission portion and regulates the transmission portion, and a release position that has retreated from the regulating position. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the moving member is biased in the first direction by the biasing portion in a state where the door is in the open position and the regulating member is in the release position.

6. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cover portion located at the first position overlaps the feeding roller when viewed along the vertical direction.

7. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a link member that connects the cover portion and the door so that the cover portion moves to the apparatus main body in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the door.

8. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cover portion is separated from the moving member in a state where the cover portion is at the first position.

9. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cover portion pushes the moving unit so that the moving member moves in the first direction when the cover portion moves from the second position to the first position.

10. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cover portion is separated from the feeding roller when the cover portion is at the second position.

11. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cover portion is separated from the feeding roller when the cover portion is at the second position.

12. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the moving member is configured to be swingable with respect to the loading portion in the first direction and the second direction.

13. The moving member is moved in the second direction when the loading portion comes into contact with the feeding roller as the door moves from the open position to the closed position. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. With the door in the open position, the loading portion is exposed, and with the door in the closed position, the loading portion is housed between the door and the apparatus main body. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the loading portion is supported by the door.

16. A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, image forming means for forming an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising the same.

Images