Seat storage device

Abstract

To enable a user to easily change a pressing force of a feed roller with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A sheet feeding device comprises: a housing; a storage unit that can be inserted into / pulled out of the housing and that stores sheets; a pick-up roller 231 that is provided in the storage unit and that comes into contact with and feeds the sheets stored in the storage unit; and first adjustment means 901 that is provided in the storage unit, that has a first lever 914, and that can adjust a pressing force for the pick-up roller 231 coming into contact with the sheets through operation of the first lever 914. The first lever 914 is disposed at a position where it is operably exposed when the storage unit is pulled out of the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 28

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet Storage apparatus provided with a storage portion capable of storing sheets. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, a sheet feeding apparatus that supplies sheets to an image forming portion of an image forming apparatus includes a feeding unit that feeds sheets stored in a storage portion formed of a sheet cassette or the like. This feeding unit generally has a feeding roller that feeds sheets in the storage portion, and a separation mechanism that separates and feeds the sheets fed from the feeding roller. The storage portion is configured such that sheets are stacked when pulled out from a housing, and after stacking, the sheets are pushed back into the housing for mounting. When the storage portion is mounted, the feeding roller rotates while contacting the uppermost surface of the sheets stacked in the storage portion with a constant pressing force, and feeds out the sheets toward the separation mechanism. The sheets fed by the feeding roller are separated by the separation mechanism and are fed toward the image forming portion. In addition, such a feeding unit is known in the art that includes a pressing force adjustment mechanism that automatically adjusts the pressing force of the feeding roller against the sheet in order to prevent sheet multi-feeding or non-feeding (see Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-137152 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] However, the sheet feeding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 requires an actuator such as a motor and a control means for automatically adjusting the pressing force of the feeding roller against the sheet, which causes problems that the pressing force adjustment mechanism is complicated and the cost increases.

[0005] This invention provides a sheet that allows users to easily change the pressing force of the feed roller with a simple configuration. Storage The purpose is to provide the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The sheet of the present invention Storage The device , A storage compartment for storing the sheet, and contact with the sheet stored in the storage compartment. It has rollers that move the sheet by the rollers The aforementioned storage unit Roller conveying section for transporting to the outside and, A first spring provided in the roller transport section, capable of biasing the roller so that it applies a first pressing force to the sheet; a first operating lever provided in the roller transport section, for adjusting the pressing force applied by the roller to the sheet by the first spring; a second spring provided in the roller transport section, capable of biasing the roller so that it applies a second pressing force to the sheet less than the first pressing force; a second operating lever provided in the roller transport section, for adjusting the pressing force applied by the roller to the sheet by the second spring; and a shielding section. Equipped with, The storage section and the roller transport section are provided so as to be integrally retractable from the main body of the device, and the roller transport section is provided so as to move to a spaced position when pulled out from the main body of the device so as not to come into contact with the sheet stored in the storage section, and the shielding section is provided such that, when the roller is in the spaced position, the operator can operate the first operating lever without shielding the first operating lever, and the operator cannot operate the second operating lever by shielding the second operating lever. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a user can easily change the pressing force of the feed roller with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming system according to another embodiment. [Figure 3] Front view of a multi-stage storage device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A side view showing the storage section of a multi-stage storage device according to an embodiment in the extended state. [Figure 5] An enlarged side view showing the storage section of the multi-stage storage device according to the embodiment in the extended state. [Figure 6] An enlarged perspective view showing the storage section of the multi-stage storage device according to the embodiment in the extended state. [Figure 7] A schematic diagram of the storage compartment according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] A front view showing a part of the sheet feeding unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing a part of the sheet feeding unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing a configuration for locking the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment to a first retracted position. [Figure 11] (a) is a perspective view showing the feeding position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment, and (b) is a perspective view showing the first retracted position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] (a) is a schematic structural cross-sectional view showing the feeding position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment, and (b) is a schematic structural cross-sectional view showing the first retracted position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] (a) is a side view and (b) is a perspective view showing the feeding position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] (a) is a side view and (b) is a perspective view showing the first retracted position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] (a) is a perspective view showing a state where the biasing spring of the pickup roller according to the embodiment is assembled to the storage portion, and (b) is a perspective view showing the biasing spring taken out from the storage portion. [Figure 16] A plan view showing the driving path from the motor to the pickup roller according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] A perspective view showing the driving path from the motor to the pickup roller according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] (a) is a view showing a state where the storage portion according to the embodiment is locked at the mounting position, and (b) is a view showing a state where the lock of the storage portion according to the embodiment is released. [Figure 19] A block diagram showing a part of the control configuration of the multi-stage storage device according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] A flowchart of the pull-out operation of the storage portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] A flowchart of the mounting operation of the storage portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] (a) is a view showing a state where the lock pin starts to contact the lock claw during the mounting operation of the storage portion according to the embodiment, and (b) is a view showing a state where the lock claw is pushed by the lock pin and swings, similarly. [Figure 23] A perspective view showing a state where the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment is locked at the first retracted position. [Figure 24] A perspective view showing a state where the lock of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment is released. [Figure 25](a) a side view and (b) a perspective view showing the second retracted position of the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] A perspective view showing the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment positioned at the feeding location. [Figure 27] (a) a side view of the first biased position and (b) a side view of the first unbiased position, showing the first adjustment means according to the embodiment. [Figure 28] A perspective view showing the sheet feeding unit according to the embodiment positioned in the first retracted position. [Figure 29] A cross-sectional view showing the state after cutting along line AA in Figure 28. [Figure 30] (a) a side view of the second biased position and (b) a side view of the second unbiased position, showing the second adjustment means according to the embodiment. [Figure 31] (a) A perspective view of the second biased position and (b) A perspective view of the second unbiased position, showing the second adjustment means according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments will be described using Figures 1 to 31. First, the image forming system of this embodiment will be described using Figure 1.

[0011] [Image Forming System] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of an image forming system comprising a multi-stage storage device and an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. In the following description, an electrophotographic laser printer system (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) will be used as an example of an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit. Note that the image forming apparatus constituting the image forming system may be a copier, facsimile, multifunction device, etc., in addition to a printer. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus may be configured using other methods, such as an inkjet method, rather than an electrophotographic method.

[0012] The image forming system 1000 of this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 100, a multi-stage storage device 200 connected to the image forming apparatus 100 as a sheet feeding device, and a feeding deck 500. As will be described in detail later, the multi-stage storage device 200 has multiple storage sections, each capable of storing multiple sheets, and sheets can be fed from each storage section to the image forming apparatus 100. The feeding deck 500 also has storage sections capable of storing multiple sheets and is located upstream of the multi-stage storage device 200 in the sheet transport direction. The sheets fed from the feeding deck 500 are transported to the image forming apparatus 100 via a relay transport device 400 provided in the multi-stage storage device 200. Examples of sheets include paper such as plain paper, thin paper, and thick paper, as well as plastic sheets.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image (image) on a sheet in response to an image signal from a document reader 102 connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus 101, or from a host device such as a personal computer that is communicatively connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus 101. In this embodiment, the document reader 102 is located above the main body of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0014] The document scanner 102 reads a document by irradiating the document placed on the platen glass 103 with light from a scanning optical system light source and inputting the reflected light to a CCD. The document scanner 102 is also equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF) 104, which can automatically transport the document placed on the tray 105 to the scanning unit of the document scanner 102 and read the document image. The scanned document image is then converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the laser scanner 113 of the image forming unit 110, which will be described later. The laser scanner 113 may also receive image data transmitted from a personal computer or the like, as mentioned above.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit 110, multiple sheet feeding devices 120, a sheet transport device 130, and the like. Each part of the image forming apparatus 100 is controlled by a control unit 140. The control unit 140 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU controls each part while reading programs corresponding to control procedures stored in ROM. In addition, working data and input data are stored in RAM, and the CPU controls the apparatus by referring to the data stored in RAM based on the aforementioned programs, etc.

[0016] Each of the multiple sheet feeding devices 120 includes a cassette 121 for storing sheets S, a pickup roller 122, and a pair of separation and conveying rollers 125 consisting of a feed roller 123 and a retard roller 124. The sheets S stored in the cassette 121 are separated one by one and fed by the pickup roller 122 and the pair of separation and conveying rollers 125, which move up and down and rotate at predetermined timings.

[0017] The sheet transport device 130 includes a transport roller pair 131 and a registration roller pair 133. The sheet S, fed from the sheet feeding device 120, is passed through the sheet transport path 134 by the transport roller pair 131 and then guided to the registration roller pair 133. After this, the sheet S is fed to the image forming unit 110 by the registration roller pair 133 at a predetermined timing.

[0018] Furthermore, the sheets transported from the multi-stage storage device 200 or the feed deck 500 (described later) via the transport roller pair 201 are transported into the image forming apparatus 100 via the connection path 202 to the image forming apparatus 100. Then, the sheets transported into the image forming apparatus 100 from the multi-stage storage device 200 or the feed deck 500 are fed into the image forming unit 110 at a predetermined timing via the registration roller pair 133, similar to the sheets transported from the sheet feed device 120 within the image forming apparatus 100.

[0019] The image forming unit 110 includes a photosensitive drum 111, a charger 112, a laser scanner 113, a developer 114, a transfer device 115, a cleaner 117, and the like. During image formation, the photosensitive drum 111 is rotated, and first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 111 is uniformly charged by the charger 112. Then, laser light from the laser scanner 113, which emits light in response to an image signal, is irradiated onto the charged photosensitive drum 111, forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 111. Furthermore, the electrostatic latent image thus formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is then revealed as a toner image by the developer 114.

[0020] Next, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 111 is transferred to the sheet S by the transfer device 115 in the transfer unit 116. Furthermore, the sheet S on which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 150 where the toner image is fixed, and then discharged to the discharge tray 152 outside the machine by the discharge roller 151.

[0021] When forming a toner image on the back side of sheet S, sheet S discharged from the fuser 150 is transported to the inversion transport path 160. Then, with its front and back sides reversed by the inversion transport path 160, sheet S is transported again to the transfer section 116 of the image forming section 110. Sheet S with the toner image transferred to the back side is transported to the fuser 150, and after the toner image is fixed, it is discharged to the discharge tray 152 by the discharge roller 151. Any remaining toner on the photosensitive drum 111 after transfer is removed by the cleaner 117.

[0022] The image forming system 1000 described above was equipped with a multi-stage storage device 200 and a feeding deck 500 as a sheet feeding device, but it may also be equipped with only the multi-stage storage device 200 or only the feeding deck 500. Furthermore, it may also be equipped with another feeding deck or the like.

[0023] Furthermore, the sheet feeding device is not limited to those equipped with multiple storage compartments. For example, Figure 2 shows an image forming system 1000A according to another example of this embodiment. The image forming system 1000A is equipped with an image forming apparatus 100 similar to that in Figure 1, and a feeding deck (storage device) 500A as a sheet feeding device. Unlike the multi-stage storage device 200, the feeding deck 500A is equipped with a single storage compartment. In addition, the configuration of the feeding deck 500A is basically the same as that of the multi-stage storage device 200, except for the configuration of sheet transport due to having multiple storage compartments and the inclusion of a relay transport device described later, such as the configuration for supplying sheets to the storage compartment and the configuration for feeding the stored sheets toward the image forming apparatus 100. For this reason, the multi-stage storage device 200 will be described in detail below.

[0024] [Multi-tiered storage device] The overview of the multi-stage storage device 200 will be explained using Figures 1, 3 to 7. The multi-stage storage device 200 includes multiple storage units 210, a relay conveying device 400, etc. In this embodiment, three storage units 210 are arranged in three vertical rows, and the relay conveying device 400 is placed between the bottom storage unit 210 and the second storage unit 210 from the top.

[0025] Sheets fed from the top storage unit 210 are transported to transport path 212, sheets fed from the second top storage unit 210 are transported to transport path 213, and sheets fed from the bottom storage unit 210 are transported to transport path 214. Sheets transported from the relay transport device 400 are transported to transport path 215. Transport path 213 merges with transport path 212 midway. Transport paths 212, 214, and 215 merge at the merging point 216, are transported through transport path 217 to the transport roller pair 201, and are transported to the image forming apparatus 100 via the connecting path 202.

[0026] Furthermore, double-feed detection sensors are provided in the transport path 212 after it merges with the transport path 213, the relay transport device 400, and the transport path 214, respectively, to detect double-feeding of sheets. Sheets in which double-feeding is detected by the double-feed detection sensors are transported to the transport path 217. Below the transport path 217, a double-feed sheet storage section (escape tray) 218 ​​is provided to accommodate sheets in which double-feeding has been detected. Sheets in which double-feeding has been detected and transported to the transport path 217 are transported to the double-feed sheet storage section when the transport path is switched by a switching member 219 provided in the transport path 217.

[0027] Figure 3 is a front view of the multi-stage storage device 200. As described above, the multi-stage storage device 200 has multiple storage compartments 210, each capable of storing multiple sheets. Each storage compartment 210 is arranged in multiple vertical rows and can be inserted into and pulled out of the housing (device body) 204 of the multi-stage storage device 200. Note that each storage compartment 210 has the same basic configuration, differing only in the number of sheets it can store. However, each storage compartment 210 may store the same number of sheets.

[0028] The sheets fed from each storage unit 210 are transported via transport paths 212, 213, and 214 to the connection path 202 (see Figure 1). The multi-stage storage device 200 is controlled by a control unit 203 (see Figure 1). The control unit 203 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 203 can also communicate with the control unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 100, and controls the sheet feeding timing and other parameters by communicating with the control unit 140.

[0029] The multi-stage storage device 200 has pull-out buttons 205 as operating parts for pulling out the storage compartments 210. Each pull-out button 205 is provided on the front of each storage compartment 210. For example, when an operator presses a pull-out button 205, the locking mechanism that locked the storage compartment 210 in the mounting position is released, and the storage compartment 210 is pushed out of the housing 204 by a spring (not shown). This allows the operator to pull out the storage compartment 210 to a position where the sheet can be stored, as shown in Figures 4 to 6. Alternatively, the storage compartment may be configured to automatically move to a position where the sheet can be stored by a motor or the like when the pull-out button 205 is pressed. The detailed configuration of the pull-out and mounting operations of the storage compartments will be described later.

[0030] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the storage unit 210 includes a sheet storage unit 220 capable of storing sheets S, and a sheet feeding unit 230 that feeds sheets S from the sheet storage unit 220 toward the image forming apparatus 100. As shown in Figure 6, the sheet storage unit 220 includes a loading tray 221 on which sheets S are stacked, a stopper 222, a rear end regulating plate 223, side regulating plates 224, etc. As shown in Figure 7, the loading tray 221 can be raised and lowered vertically by a lifting mechanism 226.

[0031] The lifting mechanism 226 includes a lifting motor 227 as a drive source, a drive pulley 228a, a guide pulley 228b, a wire 228c, and a rail 229. The wire 228c is connected to the loading tray 221 and the drive pulley 228a via the guide pulley 228b. The loading tray 221 is supported so as to be movable vertically along the rail 229. The lifting motor 227 rotates the drive pulley 228a, causing the wire 228c to be wound up or pulled out, and this movement of the wire 228c is transmitted to the loading tray 221 via the guide pulley 228b. As a result, the loading tray 221 moves up and down along the rail 229. That is, when loading a sheet S, the loading tray 221 lowers to a predetermined position, and as the loaded sheet S is fed, it gradually rises. The lifting motor 227 may be provided in the storage section 210 or in the housing 204. If the lifting motor 227 is provided in the housing 204, a mechanism is provided to connect and disconnect the drive pulley 228a and the power when the storage section 210 is installed and removed. In this embodiment, the lifting motor 227 is provided in the storage section 210, and power can be supplied to the lifting motor 227 from the housing 204 side via a cable.

[0032] As shown in Figure 6, the abutment portion 222 is positioned on the downstream side in the sheet transport direction within the storage space 225 where the sheets are stored, and the downstream end (front) of the sheets loaded on the loading tray 221 abuts against it. The rear end regulating plate 223 is positioned on the upstream side in the sheet transport direction within the storage space 225, and the rear end of the sheets loaded on the loading tray 221 abuts against it, thereby regulating the position of the rear end of the sheets. The rear end regulating plate 223 is movable in the sheet transport direction, and the position of the rear end of the sheets can be adjusted according to the sheet size. The side regulating plates 224 are positioned on both sides in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction within the storage space 225, and regulate the positions of both ends of the sheets in the width direction. The side regulating plates 224 are movable in the width direction, and the position of the regulating plate in the width direction of the sheets can be adjusted according to the sheet size.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the sheet feeding section 230 includes a pickup roller 231 as a feeding roller, a pair of separation and conveying rollers 234 consisting of a conveying roller 232 and a retard roller 233, a pair of conveying rollers 235, etc. As shown in Figure 6, the pickup roller 231 and the pair of separation and conveying rollers 234 are positioned at the downstream end in the sheet conveying direction above the storage space 225, and approximately in the center in the width direction.

[0034] The pickup roller (feeding roller) 231 is located in the storage section 210 and feeds (feeds out) the sheets stored in the storage section 210 by contacting them. Specifically, the pickup roller 231 is located above the loading tray 221 and feeds the sheets by contacting the top sheet of the sheets S loaded on the raised loading tray 221. For this purpose, as shown in Figure 7, the pickup roller 231 is positioned near the leading edge of the sheet S with respect to the sheet transport direction (arrow α direction) so as to be able to press against the top sheet on the loading tray 221 with appropriate force. By rotating under the drive of the feed motor 301, which serves as the drive source, the top sheet is fed out in the direction of arrow α.

[0035] The separation and transport roller pair 234 separates and transports only one sheet at a time when two or more sheets are fed overlapping from the pickup roller 231. Specifically, the transport roller 232 of the separation and transport roller pair 234 rotates in the direction of arrow α driven by the feed motor 301, transporting the sheet sent from the pickup roller 231. On the other hand, the retard roller 233 rotates in the opposite direction to the transport roller 232, pushing back the sheets other than the top sheet from the two or more sheets sent from the pickup roller 231 towards the loading tray 221. The retard roller 233 has a built-in torque limiter (not shown), and when only one sheet is sent to the separation and transport roller pair 234, it is moved along with the sheet transported by the transport roller 232.

[0036] The sheets separated and transported by the separation transport roller pair 234 are transported by the transport roller pair 235, which is rotationally driven by the transport motor 235a, to a transport path (not shown) within the multi-stage storage device 200, and are then transported to the image forming apparatus 100 via the connection path 202 (Figure 1) as described above.

[0037] In this embodiment, as described above, the sheet feeding unit 230 is provided in the storage unit 210. Therefore, when the storage unit 210 is pulled out and inserted into the housing 204 of the multi-stage storage device 200, it moves together with the storage unit 210. By configuring the sheet feeding unit 230 to be pulled out together with the storage unit 210 in this way, maintenance such as replacing each roller of the sheet feeding unit 230 is made easier.

[0038] [Sheet feeding unit] Next, the detailed configuration of the sheet feeding unit 230 will be explained using Figures 8 to 15. Note that Figures 8 to 10 and 15 show only a part of the sheet feeding unit 230, and the retard roller 233 and the transport roller pair 235 mentioned above are omitted. Figures 11(a) and (b) are perspective views of the sheet feeding unit 230, and Figures 12(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views of the area around the pickup roller 231 and the separation transport roller pair 234. Figures 11 and 12(a) show the state in which the pickup roller 231 is in the feeding position, and (b) shows the state in which the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position as a retracted position. Figures 13 and 14 show a view from the right of Figure 8, with some parts omitted.

[0039] As shown in Figures 8 to 11(b), the sheet feeding unit 230 includes a feeding unit 230A, a moving device 255, and the like. The feeding unit 230A includes a pickup roller 231, a pair of separation and conveying rollers 234, and support plates 240, 240A as guide members (see Figures 11(a) and (b)). As described above, the pair of separation and conveying rollers 234 includes a conveying roller 232 that conveys the sheet fed by the pickup roller 231. The support plate 240 is a support means and support member that supports the pickup roller 231, and in this embodiment, it is also a guide member that guides the upper surface of the sheet fed by the pickup roller 231.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), the support plate 240A is positioned on the opposite side of the support plate 240 with respect to the rotation axis direction of the rotating shafts 231a and 232a, which will be described later, with the pickup roller 231 and the conveying roller 232 in between. Such a support plate 240A is a guide member that guides the upper surface of the sheet fed by the pickup roller 231 together with the support plate 240. The support plate 240A is removable when replacing the pickup roller 231 or the conveying roller 232, as shown in Figure 11(a). Note that the support plate 240A is omitted in Figures 8 to 10, 13, 14, etc.

[0041] The contact / detachment device 255 is a moving means that moves the pickup roller 231 between a feeding position in which it contacts the sheet to feed the sheet and a first retracted position in which the pickup roller 231 is separated from the sheet. In this embodiment, the contact / detachment device 255 moves the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position by rotating the feeding unit 230A around the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232. Such a contact / detachment device 255 includes a retraction device 250 for retracting the pickup roller 231 from the feeding position, a holding device 260 for holding the pickup roller 231 in a second retracted position which will be described later, etc. That is, the pickup roller 231 is movable between a feeding position in which it contacts the sheet stored in the storage unit 210 and a first retracted position which is a separated position separated from the sheet stored in the storage unit 210, and moves to the first retracted position when the storage unit 210 is pulled out from the housing 204.

[0042] The support plate 240 is rotatably supported with respect to the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232, which serves as the transport roller's rotation axis. That is, the support plate 240 can swing around the rotation axis 232a (oscillation axis) of the transport roller 232. The rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232 is positioned approximately parallel to the rotation axis of the pickup roller 231, which is also a rotating body. That is, the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232 and the rotation axis 231a of the pickup roller 231 are positioned approximately parallel to each other. Furthermore, the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232 is rotatably supported by the frame 211 of the storage unit 210.

[0043] As shown in Figure 10, the rotation axis 231a of the pickup roller 231 is rotatably supported by the rotation support portion 241 of the support plate 240. Therefore, when the support plate 240 swings around the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232, the pickup roller 231 also swings around the rotation axis 232a. This causes the pickup roller 231 to move vertically. In other words, the pickup roller 231 performs a lifting and lowering operation relative to the sheets loaded on the loading tray 221. Specifically, the pickup roller 231 can move up and down between the feeding position shown in Figures 13(a) and (b) and the first retracted position shown in Figures 14(a) and (b). A detailed explanation of this lifting and lowering operation will be given later.

[0044] As described above, the feeding position is the position where the pickup roller 231 contacts the top sheet loaded on the loading tray 221 and can feed the sheet. At the feeding position, as shown in Figures 8, 9, 11(a), and 13, the support plates 240 and 240A are also positioned opposite the sheet in the storage section 210 and guide the upper surface of the sheet being fed by the pickup roller 231.

[0045] The first retracted position is a position in which a sheet can be stored in the storage section 210, and is the position in which the pickup roller 231 is retracted from the storage space 225 compared to the feeding position when a sheet is stored in the sheet storage section 220. That is, in this embodiment, the sheet feeding section 230 is provided in the storage section 210 and is pulled out together with the storage section 210. At this time, if the pickup roller 231 is in the feeding position, the pickup roller 231 and the sheet are likely to interfere with each other when loading the sheet onto the loading tray 221, making it difficult to load the sheet. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the storage section 210 is pulled out, the pickup roller 231 is moved to the first retracted position, which is a position that does not interfere with the loading of the sheet.

[0046] In this first retracted position, as shown in Figures 10, 11(b), and 14, the guide surface 240B of the support plates 240 and 240A that guides the sheet stands upright relative to the sheet feeding direction by the pickup roller 231 (direction of arrow α in Figure 7). That is, in the feeding position, the guide surface 240B is approximately parallel to the sheet feeding direction, but in the first retracted position, it moves in a direction closer to the vertical than in the feeding position.

[0047] As described above, the movement of the pickup roller 231 from the feeding position to the first retracted position is performed around the rotation axis 232a of the conveying roller 232. That is, as shown in Figure 12(a), the pickup roller 231 moves to the first retracted position shown in Figure 12(b) by swinging the feeding unit 230A in the direction of arrow β around the rotation axis 232a from the feeding position. As shown in Figure 12(b), at least a portion of the outer surface of the pickup roller 231 overlaps with the conveying roller 232 when viewed from the vertical direction at the first retracted position. The entire outer surface of the pickup roller 231 may overlap with the conveying roller 232 when viewed from the vertical direction at the first retracted position, but in this embodiment, a portion of the outer surface of the pickup roller 231 protrudes towards the storage space 225 side than the conveying roller 232.

[0048] Let me explain in detail. First, the downstream end in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet loading area of ​​the sheet storage section 220 is the abutment section 222. In this embodiment, if we take a virtual line γ that extends vertically from the abutment surface of the sheet at the abutment section 222, a part of the outer surface of the pickup roller 231 protrudes towards the sheet loading area from the virtual line γ at the first retracted position. In this way, even if a part of the outer surface of the pickup roller 231 protrudes into the sheet loading area at the first retracted position, the pickup roller 231 itself is retracted above the feeding position, making it easy to store sheets in the sheet storage section 220. Alternatively, the entire pickup roller 231 may be retracted from the sheet loading area at the first retracted position. That is, at the first retracted position, the pickup roller 231 may be positioned on the opposite side of the sheet loading area from the virtual line γ.

[0049] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, a detection sensor 290 is pivotably supported on the support plate 240 as a sheet detection means capable of detecting a sheet stored in the sheet storage section 220 (Figure 6) when the pickup roller 231 is in the feeding position. The detection sensor 290 has a contact portion 291 that can come into contact with the uppermost sheet loaded on the loading tray 221 (Figure 6). The detection sensor 290 can detect a sheet when the contact portion 291 comes into contact with the sheet, and the pickup roller 231 feeds out the sheet when the detection sensor 290 detects the sheet.

[0050] Such a detection sensor 290 is designed so that when the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 moves to the first retracted position, the sheet is retracted from a position where it can be detected. That is, when the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 is in the feeding position, the detection sensor 290 is positioned in a protruding position where the contact portion 291 protrudes further toward the sheet than the pickup roller 231, while the sheet stored in the sheet storage section 220 is not in contact with the pickup roller 231. On the other hand, when the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 is in the first retracted position, the detection sensor 290 is positioned in a non-protruding position where the contact portion 291 does not protrude further toward the pickup roller 231 than the protruding position.

[0051] For this purpose, a retraction lever 292 is pivotably supported on the support plate 240. The retraction lever 292 has one end in the longitudinal direction relative to the pivot axis that is located below the detection sensor 290, and the other end in the longitudinal direction that protrudes upward in the feeding position. When the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 moves to the first retraction position, the other end of the retraction lever 292 comes into contact with the frame 211, causing it to pivot around the pivot axis, and the one end of the retraction lever 292 lifts the detection sensor 290. As a result, the detection sensor 290 pivots so that the contact portion 291 is in a non-protruding position.

[0052] Furthermore, a support plate-side engaging portion 242 is integrally formed at the end of the support plate 240. The support plate-side engaging portion 242 is formed to protrude from one side of the rotating support portion 241 in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 232a, and can engage with the retraction engaging portion 254 (Figure 11(a), etc.) of the retraction device 250 described below.

[0053] As shown in Figures 10, 13(a), (b), and 14(a), (b), the retraction device 250 includes a retraction member 251 as a retraction means, which is positioned around the rotation axis 232a of the conveyor roller 232 and outside the support plate 240, and a one-way clutch (clutch) 252 positioned between the retraction member 251 and the rotation axis 232a. The retraction member 251 consists of a support portion 251a, a locking engagement portion 253, a retraction engagement portion 254, etc.

[0054] The support portion 251a is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is supported by the rotation shaft 232a, which serves as the rotation shaft of the conveyor roller, via a one-way clutch 252. The one-way clutch 252 transmits the drive of the rotation shaft 232a to the support portion 251a when the rotation shaft 232a of the conveyor roller 232 rotates in the opposite direction to the direction in which the conveyor roller 232 conveys the sheet (clockwise in Figures 13(a) and 14(a)). At this time, the feed motor 301 (Figures 16 and 17), which will be described later, rotates in the opposite direction to drive the conveyor roller 232.

[0055] On the other hand, the one-way clutch 252 slips when the rotation axis 232a of the conveyor roller 232 rotates in the same direction as the conveyor roller 232 conveying the sheet (counterclockwise in Figures 13(a) and 14(a)), and the drive of the rotation axis 232a is not transmitted to the support part 251a. In this case, the feed motor 301 (Figures 16 and 17), which will be described later, rotates in the forward direction.

[0056] The locking engagement portion 253 is formed to protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the support portion 251a, and constitutes a locking mechanism 270 capable of locking the pickup roller 231, supported by the support plate 240, to the first retracted position, as shown in Figure 10.

[0057] As shown in Figure 14(b), the retractable engaging portion 254 is formed in a substantially fan shape and is integrally provided with the support portion 251a on the support plate 240 side of the support portion 251a with respect to the rotation axis direction of the rotation shaft 232a. The retractable engaging portion 254 is an engaging portion that can engage with the support plate side engaging portion 242, which is part of the support plate 240 described above.

[0058] To move the pickup roller 231, supported by the support plate 240, from the feeding position to the first retracted position, the feeding motor 301 is rotated in the reverse direction, causing the retracted member 251 to rotate clockwise via the rotating shaft 232a as shown in Figures 13(a) and 14(a). This causes the retracted-side engaging surface 254a of the retracted engaging portion 254 of the retracted member 251 to engage with the support plate-side engaging portion 242. Further rotation of the retracted member 251 causes the support plate 240 and the pickup roller 231 to move to the first retracted position, as shown in Figures 14(a) and (b). The movement of the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position is detected when a flag 243 (see Figure 9) on the support plate 240 passes through a slit formed in the frame 211, and a sensor (not shown) on the back of the frame 211 detects the flag 243.

[0059] The locking mechanism 270, as a locking means, includes a swinging lever 271 and a locking engagement portion 253 of the retractable member 251. The swinging lever 271 is capable of swinging vertically around a swing axis 272 supported by the frame of the storage unit 210 (not shown in Figures 8 to 10). The swinging lever 271 also has a lever-side engagement portion 273 that can engage with the locking engagement portion 253. As described above, when the pickup roller 231 is moved to the first retracted position, the locking engagement portion 253 of the retractable member 251 engages with the lever-side engagement portion 273 of the swinging lever 271, thereby locking the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position.

[0060] The outer peripheral surface of the locking engagement portion 253 of the retraction member 251 on the clockwise downstream side is an inclined surface 253a that slopes away from the rotation axis 232a as it moves from the downstream side to the upstream side. On the other hand, an engagement surface 273a is formed below the lever-side engagement portion 273 of the swing lever 271. The engagement surface 273a is formed to engage with the inclined surface 253a when the retraction member 251 rotates to move the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 from the feeding position to the first retraction position, causing the swing lever 271 to swing upward around the swing axis 272. When the inclined surface 253a crosses over the engagement surface 273a, the swing lever 271 swings downward, causing the lever-side engagement portion 273 to engage with the locking engagement portion 253.

[0061] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the holding device 260 includes a solenoid 261 and a holding lever 262 driven by the solenoid 261. The solenoid 261 is turned ON when energized, causing the plunger 261a to retract, and when not energized (OFF), the plunger 261a protrudes. The holding lever 262 is capable of swinging up and down around a pivot axis 262a perpendicular to the direction of movement of the plunger 261a. Furthermore, the upper surface of the tip of the holding lever 262 is provided with a first engaging portion 263 that can engage with the support plate side engaging portion 242 of the support plate 240, and the upper surface between the first engaging portion 263 and the pivot axis 262a is provided with a second engaging portion 264 that can engage with the lower surface of the pivot lever 271.

[0062] A linkage mechanism 265 is provided between the plunger 261a of the solenoid 261 and the holding lever 262. When the solenoid 261 is turned ON, the plunger 261a retracts, and the holding lever 262 swings upward around the pivot axis 262a. On the other hand, when the solenoid 261 is turned OFF, the plunger 261a extends, and the holding lever 262 swings downward around the pivot axis 262a.

[0063] As will be described in more detail later, this type of holding device 260 can be switched between a holding position in which the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 is held in the second retracted position and a release position in which the support plate 240 supporting the pickup roller 231 is released by turning the solenoid 261 ON and OFF. The holding position is the position in which the holding lever 262 moves upward when the solenoid 261 is turned ON, and the release position is the position in which the holding lever 262 moves downward when the solenoid 261 is turned OFF.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 26, the sheet feeding unit 230 has a first adjustment means 901 and a second adjustment means 902. The first adjustment means 901 has a first lever 914 as a first operating part and a first biasing spring 910 as a first biasing means. The first biasing spring 910 is provided so as to be able to bias the pickup roller 231, which is supported by the support plate 240, from a first retracted position toward the feeding position. That is, the first biasing spring 910 can bias the support plate 240 downward around the rotation axis 232a via the lever 914, i.e., in the direction toward the feeding position toward the pickup roller 231. By operating the first lever 914, the pressing force when the pickup roller 231 contacts the sheet can be adjusted.

[0065] The second adjustment means 902 includes a second lever 924 as a second operating part and a second biasing spring 920 as a second biasing means. The second biasing spring 920 is provided so as to be able to bias the pickup roller 231, which is supported by the support plate 240, from the first retracted position toward the feeding position. That is, the second biasing spring 920 can bias the support plate 240 downward around the rotation axis 232a via the second lever 924, i.e., toward the direction toward the feeding position of the pickup roller 231. By operating the second lever 924, the pressing force when the pickup roller 231 contacts the sheet can be adjusted. The first adjustment means 901 and the second adjustment means 902 constitute a switching mechanism that switches the biasing force that biases the pickup roller 231 toward the feeding position from the first retracted position.

[0066] [First adjustment means] As shown in Figures 27(a) and (b), the first lever 914 is provided so as to be able to swing around the rotation axis 232a. The first biasing spring 910 is a torsion coil spring and has a coil portion 911, a hook portion 912 at one end, and a hook portion 913 at the other end. The coil portion 911 is attached to the outer circumference of the rotation axis 232a. The hook portion 913 is hooked onto a part of the support plate 240. The hook portion 912 is hooked onto a part of the first lever 914.

[0067] The first lever 914 is movable by swing between a first biased position shown in Figure 27(a) and a first unbiased position shown in Figure 27(b). As shown in Figure 27(a), in the first biased position, the first lever 914 is pressed against the frame 211 by the first biasing spring 910. Therefore, when the first lever 914 is in the first biased position, the first biasing spring 910 applies a biasing force to the frame 211 via the first lever 914, biasing the pickup roller 231 from the first retracted position towards the feeding position. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 27(b), in the first unbiased position, the first lever 914 is fixed to the support plate 240. Therefore, when the first lever 914 is in the first unbiased position, the first biasing spring 910 is sandwiched between the first lever 914 and the support plate 240, and the biasing force is canceled. In other words, the first lever 914 moves between a first biasing position in which the biasing force of the first biasing spring 910 is applied to the pickup roller 231, and a first non-biasing position in which no biasing force is applied.

[0068] Here, a configuration in which the first lever 914 is fixed to the support plate 240 in the first unbiased position will be described. Figure 28 is a perspective view showing the first lever 914 and the support plate 240 when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position. For the first lever 914, the solid line represents the first unbiased position, and the dashed line represents the first biased position, and in both cases the gripping portion 914a at the tip is exposed upward. That is, the first lever 914 is positioned so as to be operable when the storage portion 210 is pulled out from the housing 204. The first lever 914 is positioned so as to be operable when the pickup roller 231 is in at least the first retracted position. The user can operate the first lever 914 whether the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position or in the feeding position.

[0069] Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view showing the state when cut along line AA in Figure 28. As shown in Figure 29, the gripping portion 914a of the first lever 914 has a claw portion 914b that protrudes laterally. Also, a receiving portion 240a is formed on the support plate 240 at a position opposite to the claw portion 914b. As shown in Figure 29, when the first lever 914 is in the first unbiased position, the claw portion 914b catches on the receiving portion 240a, fixing the first lever 914 to the support plate 240 and neutralizing the biasing force of the first biasing spring 910.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first lever 914 is used by the user to adjust the pressing force of the pickup roller 231 according to the basis weight of the sheet. For example, when using a sheet with a basis weight of a predetermined value or more, the pressing force is set to be larger, and when using a sheet with a basis weight less than the predetermined value, the pressing force is set to be smaller. That is, the first lever 914 is movable between a first biasing position (first position) in which the pickup roller 231 is brought into contact with the sheet with a first pressing force, and a first non-biasing position (second position) in which the pickup roller 231 is brought into contact with the sheet with a second pressing force smaller than the first pressing force. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, it is preferable to affix a label 236 to the upper surface of the sheet feeding unit 230 indicating that the pressing force should be set to be larger when using a sheet with a basis weight of a predetermined value or more, and to be set to be smaller when using a sheet with a basis weight less than the predetermined value. This helps to draw the user's attention.

[0071] [Second adjustment means] As shown in Figures 30(a) and (b), the second lever 924 is provided so as to be able to swing around the rotation axis 232a. The second biasing spring 920 is a torsion coil spring and has a coil portion 921, a hook portion 922 at one end, and a hook portion 923 at the other end. The coil portion 921 is attached to the outer circumference of the rotation axis 232a. The hook portion 922 is hooked onto a part of the frame 211. The hook portion 923 is hooked onto a part of the second lever 924.

[0072] The second lever 924 is movable by swing between a second biased position shown in Figure 30(a) and a second unbiased position shown in Figure 30(b). As shown in Figure 30(a), in the second biased position, the second lever 924 is pressed against the support plate 240 by the second biasing spring 920. Therefore, when the second lever 924 is in the second biased position, the second biasing spring 920 applies a biasing force to the frame 211 via the second lever 924, biasing the pickup roller 231 from the first retracted position towards the feeding position. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 30(b), in the second unbiased position, the second lever 924 is fixed to the frame 211. Therefore, when the second lever 924 is in the second unbiased position, the second biasing spring 920 is sandwiched between the second lever 924 and the frame 211, canceling the biasing force. In other words, the second lever 924 moves between a second biasing position, where the biasing force of the second biasing spring 920 is applied to the pickup roller 231, and a second non-biasing position, where no biasing force is applied.

[0073] Here, we will describe a configuration in which the second lever 924 is fixed to the frame 211 in the second unbiased position. As shown in Figure 31(a), the second lever 924 has an engaging portion 924a. Also, a claw portion 211a is formed on the frame 211 at a position opposite to the engaging portion 924a. When the pickup roller 231 is in the feeding position, the second lever 924 is swung from the second biased position to the second unbiased position. As shown in Figure 31(b), when the second lever 924 is in the second unbiased position, the engaging portion 924a catches on the claw portion 211a, fixing the second lever 924 to the frame 211 and neutralizing the biasing force of the second biasing spring 920.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 28, the second lever 924 is not exposed when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position. That is, the second lever 924 is positioned so that it can be operated when the pickup roller 231 is in the feeding position, but cannot be operated when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position. Since the second lever 924 is intended for operation by a service technician rather than a user, it is covered by the support plate 240 when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position so that it cannot be operated when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position. That is, the second lever 924 is positioned so that it cannot be operated when the storage unit 210 is pulled out from the housing 204.

[0075] In this embodiment, the second lever 924 is used, for example, when a service technician adjusts the pressing force of the pickup roller 231 to reduce soiling of the sheet by the pickup roller 231. For example, if you want to reduce soiling, you set the pressing force to be smaller. That is, the second lever 924 is movable between a second biased position (first position) in which the pickup roller 231 is brought into contact with the sheet with a first pressing force, and a second unbiased position (second position) in which the pickup roller 231 is brought into contact with the sheet with a second pressing force smaller than the first pressing force.

[0076] [Pressing force of the pickup roller] The pressing force when the pickup roller 231 contacts the sheet is set by the sum of the biasing force of the first biasing spring 910, the biasing force of the second biasing spring 920, and the weight W of the pickup roller 231 and support plate 240. For example, the first lever 914 applies a biasing force F1 in the first biased position and no biasing force in the first unbiased position. Similarly, the second lever 924 applies a biasing force F2 different from biasing force F1 in the second biased position and no biasing force in the second unbiased position. In this case, by combining the positions of the first lever 914 and the second lever 924, the following four levels of pressing force can be set, which increases the degree of freedom compared to when there is a single operating part. (1) Set the first lever 914 to the first biasing position and the second lever 924 to the second biasing position. Pressing force = F1 + F2 + W (2) The first lever 914 is set to the first biased position, and the second lever 924 is set to the second unbiased position. Pressing force=F1+W (3) Set the first lever 914 to the first unbiased position and the second lever 924 to the second biased position Pressing force = F2 + W (4) Set the first lever 914 to the first unbiased position and the second lever 924 to the second unbiased position Pressing force = W

[0077] As described above, the retraction member 251, which moves the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 toward the first retraction position, receives power from the rotating shaft 232a when the rotating shaft 232a rotates in the opposite direction to the sheet conveying direction of the conveying roller 232 via the one-way clutch 252. On the other hand, when the rotating shaft 232a rotates in the opposite direction, power is not transmitted from the rotating shaft 232a to the retraction member 251. In this case, the one-way clutch 252 slips, and the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 swings toward the feeding position due to the sum of its own weight and the adjusted biasing force of the first biasing spring 910 and the second biasing spring 920 described above. Therefore, the retractable member 251 is driven by the reverse rotation of the feed motor 301 to move the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 from the feed position toward the first retractable position, and the forward rotation of the feed motor 301 allows the pickup roller 231 to move from the first retractable position toward the feed position.

[0078] [Drive transmission mechanism] Next, the drive transmission mechanism 300 for the transport roller 232 and the pickup roller 231 will be described using Figures 16 and 17. Note that Figures 16 and 17 only show the drive transmission path from the feed motor 301 to the pickup roller 231.

[0079] The feed motor 301, which serves as both the driving means and the drive motor, is, for example, a pulse motor and is provided in the housing 204 of the multi-stage storage device 200 (see Figure 6, etc.). Therefore, when the storage unit 210 is pulled out from the housing 204, the drive transmission mechanism 300 has a coupling 302 as a connecting means so that the drive transmission path from the feed motor 301 to the transport roller 232 is separated midway. That is, the drive transmission mechanism 300 has a motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 from the feed motor 301 to the coupling 302 and a roller-side drive transmission mechanism 320 from the coupling 302 to the pickup roller 231. The coupling 302 connects the feed motor 301 and the pickup roller 231 in a drive-transmission manner when the storage unit 210 is inserted into the housing 204, and releases the drive connection between the feed motor 301 and the pickup roller 231 when the storage unit 210 is pulled out.

[0080] The motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 transmits drive between the drive shaft 301a of the feed motor 301 and the transmission shaft 302a that transmits drive to the coupling 302 using a belt 311 and pulleys 312 and 313. Specifically, a pulley 312 is provided on the drive shaft 301a and a pulley 313 is provided on the transmission shaft 302a, and an endless belt 311 is stretched between these pulleys 312 and 313. As a result, the drive of the feed motor 301 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 302a via the pulleys 312, belt 311, and pulley 313. Note that the motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 may also be a mechanism that transmits drive using a gear train, in addition to this pulley and belt mechanism.

[0081] The roller-side drive transmission mechanism 320 is a mechanism that transmits drive from the other transmission shaft 302b of the coupling 302 to the pickup roller 231. The roller-side drive transmission mechanism 320 has a gear 321 provided on the transmission shaft 302b, a gear 322 provided at the end of the rotating shaft 232a of the conveying roller 232, a gear 323 provided in the middle of the rotating shaft 232a, a gear 324 provided on the rotating shaft 231a (feed roller rotating shaft) of the pickup roller 231, and an idler gear 325 provided between gear 323 and gear 324. In this embodiment, the drive of the feed motor 301 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 231a of the pickup roller 231 via the rotating shaft 232a of the conveying roller 232 and the idler gear 325.

[0082] The drive transmission from the transmission shaft 302b to the pickup roller 231 is performed as follows. First, the drive of the feed motor 301 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 302b via the motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 and coupling 302. Next, the rotation of the transmission shaft 302b is transmitted to the gear 322 which meshes with the gear 321, causing the rotating shaft 232a to rotate. This causes the conveying roller 232 to rotate. Next, the rotation of the rotating shaft 232a is sequentially transmitted to the idler gear 325 which meshes with the gear 323, and then to the gear 324 which meshes with the idler gear 325, causing the rotating shaft 231a to rotate. This causes the pickup roller 231 to rotate. The idler gear 325 is provided to make the rotation direction of the conveying roller 232 and the pickup roller 231 the same. Alternatively, the rotating shaft 231a may be fixed in a non-rotating position, and the pickup roller 231 and gear 324 may be rotatably supported on the rotating shaft 231a, with the gear 324 and the pickup roller 231 connected. In this case, the pickup roller 231 rotates relative to the rotating shaft 231a together with the gear 324 due to the drive transmission from the idler gear 325 to the gear 324.

[0083] The feed motor 301 is a motor capable of forward and reverse rotation. When it rotates forward, the conveyor roller 232 and the pickup roller 231 rotate in the direction of conveying the sheet. On the other hand, when the feed motor 301 rotates in reverse, the conveyor roller 232 and the pickup roller 231 rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of conveying the sheet. Furthermore, when the feed motor 301 rotates in reverse, rotation is transmitted from the rotating shaft 232a to the retractable member 251 (see Figure 13(a), etc.) via the one-way clutch 252, and as will be described later, the pickup roller 231 and the support plate 240 move from the feed position to the first retracted position.

[0084] The feed motor 301 and the motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 are located on the housing 204 side, while the pickup roller 231, the transport roller 232, and the roller-side drive transmission mechanism 320 are located on the storage section 210 side. When the storage section 210 is pulled out from the housing 204, the coupling 302 is disconnected, and the driving force of the feed motor 301 is not transmitted to the transport roller 232 side. On the other hand, when the storage section 210 is inserted into the housing 204 and the storage section 210 is mounted in a predetermined mounting position on the housing 204, the coupling 302 is connected, and the drive of the feed motor 301 can be transmitted to the transport roller 232 side. The predetermined mounting position is a position in which the sheets stored in the storage section 210 can be transported within the multi-stage storage device 200.

[0085] [Mechanism for locking and unlocking the storage compartment] Next, the configuration for holding (locking) the storage unit 210 in the mounting position of the housing 204 and releasing the holding (unlocking) will be described using Figures 18(a) and (b). The locking mechanism 600, as a holding means, is a mechanism that holds the storage unit 210 in the mounting position within the housing. Such a locking mechanism 600 has a locking pin 601 provided on the side plate of the storage unit 210, a locking claw 602 provided on the housing 204 side and capable of engaging with the locking pin 601, and a tension spring 604. One end of the locking claw 602 is supported so as to be able to swing freely with the support shaft 603 as a fulcrum, and by swinging, it can engage and disengage with the locking pin 601. The tension spring 604 pulls the other end of the locking claw 602 in the direction of engaging with the locking pin 601, and maintains the engaged state of the locking pin 601 and the locking claw 602. Note that the swinging of the locking claw 602 is restricted by a regulating piece 605 when it is in the locked position.

[0086] The unlocking mechanism 700, as a means of release, is a mechanism that releases the holding of the storage section 210 by the locking mechanism 600. Such an unlocking mechanism 700 comprises a pull-out solenoid 701 and a link member 703 that connects the plunger 702 of the pull-out solenoid 701 and the locking claw 602. When the pull-out solenoid 701 is energized, the plunger 702 is pulled, causing the locking claw 602 to swing in a direction that disengages from the locking pin 601 via the link member 703. On the other hand, when the power to the pull-out solenoid 701 is turned off, the force pulling the plunger 702 is released. Then, the locking claw 602 is pulled by the tension spring 604 and swings in a direction that engages with the locking pin 601. Note that the relationship between the on and off energization of the pull-out solenoid 701 and the engagement and disengagement of the locking claw 602 may be reversed from the above. Alternatively, when the power supply to the draw-out solenoid 701 is turned off, the plunger 702 may be biased by a spring (not shown) inside the draw-out solenoid 701, causing it to protrude and engage the locking claw 602 with the locking pin 601. In this case, the tension spring 604 may be omitted, or it may be included to ensure that the locking claw 602 and the locking pin 601 are securely engaged.

[0087] Furthermore, the locking pin 601 and locking claw 602 are provided on the front and rear sides of the multi-stage storage device 200, respectively. The front and rear locking claws 602 are connected by a support shaft 603 and are operated by a single drawout solenoid 701. The front side of the device is the front side of the page in Figures 18(a) and (b), which is the same as the front side (the side operated by the user) of the image forming apparatus 100. The rear side of the device is the back side of the page in Figures 18(a) and (b).

[0088] [Storage compartment mounting detection mechanism] Next, a mechanism for detecting whether the storage unit 210 has been pulled out of the housing 204 and whether it has been installed will be described using Figures 18(a) and (b). The detection mechanism 800, which is a detection means, is capable of detecting that the storage unit 210 has been installed in the installation position from the position in which it was pulled out of the housing 204. Such a detection mechanism 800 includes a detection piece 802 that can come into contact with a contact portion 801 provided at the rear end of the storage unit 210 in the insertion direction, an optical installation sensor 804 that can detect a detection flag 803 provided on the detection piece 802, and a spring 805 that biases the detection piece 802 in the pulling direction of the storage unit 210.

[0089] The detection piece 802 is supported by the housing 204 so as to be movable in the insertion and withdrawal directions of the storage section 210. When the storage section 210 is inserted, the detection piece 802 comes into contact with the contact portion 801 and moves in the insertion direction against the biasing force of the spring 805. At this time, as shown in Figure 18(a), the detection flag 803 enters the detection area of ​​the mounting sensor 804, causing the mounting sensor 804 to detect that the storage section 210 has been mounted in the mounting position. On the other hand, when the storage section 210 is pulled out from the mounting position, the detection piece 802 is biased by the spring 805 and moves in the direction in which the storage section 210 is pulled out. At this time, as shown in Figure 18(b), the detection flag 803 leaves the detection area of ​​the mounting sensor 804, causing the mounting sensor 804 to detect that the storage section 210 has been pulled out from the mounting position.

[0090] The aforementioned locking claw 602, tension spring 604, pull-out solenoid 701, detection piece 802, mounting sensor 804, and spring 805 are each attached to the frame of the housing 204. Furthermore, as described above, the storage unit 210 is equipped with a pull-out button 205 as a release instruction means, and the pull-out button 205 supports the release mechanism 700 from being held by the lock mechanism 600. Specifically, when the pull-out button 205 is pressed, the pull-out solenoid 701 is energized, and the engagement between the locking claw 602 and the locking pin 601 is released. The movement of each of the above-mentioned mechanisms during the mounting and pulling-out operations of the storage unit 210 will be described later.

[0091] [Control Configuration] Next, the control configuration of the multi-stage storage device 200 of this embodiment will be described using Figure 19. As described above, the multi-stage storage device 200 has a control unit 203 that controls the configuration of each part. That is, the control unit 203 receives commands from the image forming apparatus 100 and signals from various sensors such as the detection sensor 290, the mounting sensor 804, and the pull-out button 205, and controls various motors such as the feed motor 301, the transport motor 235a, the lifting motor 227, and solenoids 261 and 701.

[0092] [Storage compartment drawer operation] Next, the pulling operation of the storage unit 210 out of the housing 204 will be explained using Figure 20. First, when the control unit 203 detects that the pull-out button 205 has been pressed (Y in S1), it reverses the feed motor 301 (S2). As a result, the feed unit 230A, including the pickup roller 231, begins to rotate upward with the rotation axis 232a of the transport roller 232 as the pivot point (see Figures 12(a) and (b)). The control unit 203 then drives the feed motor 301 by a first predetermined amount and stops it (S3, S4). At this time, the feed unit 230A is in a state where it has moved to the first retracted position (Figure 12(b)). That is, when the pull-out button 205 is pressed (based on the instruction of the release instruction means), the contact device 255 moves the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position.

[0093] In the first retracted position, as described above, the pickup roller 231 moves to a position where a portion of its outer circumference is directly above the transport roller 232, and the support plates 240 and 240A of the feeding unit 230A are upright in a nearly vertical direction (Figure 11(b)). The first predetermined amount that drives the feeding motor 301 at this time is the amount of drive required to move the feeding unit 230A from the feeding position to the first retracted position. A more detailed explanation of this movement to the first retracted position will be given later.

[0094] When the feed unit 230A moves to the first retracted position, the control unit 203 turns ON (energizes) the pull-out solenoid 701 (S5). As a result, the plunger 702 of the pull-out solenoid 701 is attracted (pulled), and the locking claw 602 rotates upward to a position that releases engagement with the locking pin 601 (Figure 18(b)). That is, when the pull-out button 205 is pressed (based on the instruction of the release instruction means), the release mechanism 700 releases the holding by the locking mechanism 600 after the release device 255 moves the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position.

[0095] When the lock on the storage unit 210 is released by the movement of the locking claw 602, the operator manually pulls out the storage unit 210, including the sheet feeding unit 230. At this time, as shown in Figure 18(b), the detection piece 802 of the detection mechanism 800 slides along with the pulling out of the storage unit 210 due to the biasing force of the spring 805. When the detection flag 807 moves away from the detection area of ​​the mounting sensor 804, the mounting sensor 804 turns OFF, and it is detected that the storage unit 210 has been pulled out (Y in S6). When it is detected that the storage unit 210 has been pulled out, the pull-out solenoid 701 is turned OFF (power is cut off) (S7). As a result, the plunger 702 of the pull-out solenoid 701 becomes free, and the locking claw 602 moves to the locked position due to the action of the tension spring 604 (Figure 22(a), which will be described later).

[0096] Here, the movement of the feed unit 230A from the feed position to the first retracted position when the storage unit 210 is pulled out will be explained in detail. As described above, when the operator operates the pull-out button 205, the feed motor 301 is rotated in reverse to position the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position. That is, when the storage unit 210 is installed in the predetermined mounting position, the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 is in the feed position (see Figures 11(a), 12(a), 13(a), (b), etc.), and is in a state where the drive of the feed motor 301 can be transmitted to the transport roller 232 side. Therefore, in this state, the feed motor 301 is rotated in reverse to transmit the drive to the roller-side drive transmission mechanism 320 via the motor-side drive transmission mechanism 310 and the coupling 302.

[0097] As a result, the rotation axis 232a of the conveyor roller 232 rotates, and this rotation is transmitted to the retractable member 251 via the one-way clutch 252 (see Figures 14(a), (b), etc.). As described above, the one-way clutch 252 transmits the reverse rotation drive of the feed motor 301 to the retractable member 251. Therefore, when the feed motor 301 is rotated in reverse, the retractable member 251 rotates clockwise in Figure 13(a) via the rotation axis 232a and the one-way clutch 252, and the retractable engagement portion 254 also rotates in the same direction along with the retractable member 251. Then, as described above, the retractable side engagement surface 254a of the retractable engagement portion 254 engages with the support plate side engagement portion 242. Furthermore, as the retractable member 251 rotates, the support plate 240 and the pickup roller 231 move to the first retracted position, as shown in Figures 11(b), 12(b), 14(a), and (b).

[0098] At the same time, the locking engagement portion 253 provided on the retractable member 251 also rotates in the same direction, and as described above, the inclined surface 253a engages with the engagement surface 273a of the swinging lever 271, causing the swinging lever 271 to be lifted. When the inclined surface 253a overcomes the engagement surface 273a, the swinging lever 271 swings downward, as shown in Figure 10, and the lever-side engagement portion 273 engages with the locking engagement portion 253. As a result, the retractable member 251 is locked in this position, preventing it from unintentionally rotating in a direction that would move the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 toward the feeding position, even if the drive transmission from the feeding motor 301 is disconnected. Furthermore, with the retractable member 251 locked in this way, the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240, which is located in the first retracted position due to engagement with the retractable engagement portion 254, also becomes locked in the first retracted position.

[0099] As described above, when the pickup roller 231 is locked in the first retracted position, the control unit 203 releases the locking mechanism 600 that locked the storage unit 210 in the mounting position. When the pickup roller 231 moves to the first retracted position, a flag 243 (see Figure 14(a)) provided on the support plate 240 passes through a slit formed in the frame 211, and a sensor (not shown) provided on the back side of the frame 211 detects the flag 243. The control unit 203 determines that the pickup roller 231 is locked in the first retracted position when the sensor detects the flag 243 in this way. Alternatively, the movement of the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position may be determined by the amount of drive of the feed motor 301. That is, the sensor flag and the like can be omitted, and it may be determined that the pickup roller 231 has moved to the first retracted position when the feed motor 301 is rotated in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount.

[0100] When the control unit 203 releases the locking device described above, the storage unit 210 is pushed out from the housing 204 by a spring (not shown), allowing it to be pulled out to a position where the sheet can be stored. In this embodiment, when the storage unit 210 is pulled out in this manner, the feeding unit 230A, including the pickup roller 231, is retracted to a first retracted position and locked in this position. That is, the connecting / disconnecting device 255 retracts the pickup roller 231 to the first retracted position before the storage unit 210 is pulled out from the housing 204. Therefore, when the operator stores the sheet in the sheet storage unit 220, the pickup roller 231 does not get in the way, making it easier to store the sheet.

[0101] Furthermore, by moving the feeding unit 230A, including the pickup roller 231, to the first retracted position before pulling out the storage unit 210 from the housing 204, it is possible to prevent the operator, such as a user, from touching the pickup roller 231 when storing a sheet in the storage unit 210. That is, after pulling out the storage unit 210, the operator could manually move the feeding unit 230A from the feeding position to the retracted position where the sheet can be stored in the storage unit 210. However, in this case, there is a risk that the operator may touch the pickup roller 231 or the transport roller 232 with their hands. If the rollers are touched by hand, as mentioned above, dirt or oil may adhere to the rollers, which is undesirable. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the storage unit 210 is pulled out, the feeding unit 230A has already moved to the first retracted position where the sheet can be stored, thus preventing the operator from touching the rollers.

[0102] [Storage compartment installation procedure] Next, the installation operation of the storage unit will be explained using Figures 21 and 22. After the operator stores the sheet in the pulled-out storage unit 210, the operator inserts the storage unit 210 into the housing 204. The installation operation of the storage unit 210 is triggered by the ON state of the installation sensor 804 (detection that the storage unit 210 has been installed in the housing 204). That is, based on the detection by the installation sensor 804 that the storage unit 210 has been installed in the installation position, the contact / disconnection device 255 moves the pickup roller 231 to the feeding position. The operation at this time will be described later.

[0103] First, the operation of locking the storage unit 210 before the mounting sensor 804 is turned ON will be explained with reference to Figures 22(a) and (b). When the operator pushes the storage unit 210 in the mounting direction, the storage unit 210 moves, and as shown in Figure 22(a), the lock pin 601 comes into contact with the tip of the lock claw 602. Then, as shown in Figure 22(b), the tip of the lock claw 602 is pushed up against the pulling force (biasing force) of the pulling spring 604. As the storage unit 210 moves further, the lock pin 601 passes over the tip of the lock claw 602 and engages with the claw portion of the lock claw 602 (Figure 18(a)).

[0104] Next, the operation of the feeding unit 230A when the storage unit 210 is inserted into a predetermined mounting position within the housing 204 will be explained using Figure 21. First, when the storage unit 210 is mounted in the mounting position, for example, if there is a large amount of sheets loaded, the uppermost sheet may be at a height that comes into contact with the pickup roller 231 located in the feeding position. As described above, when moving the pickup roller 231 from the first retracted position to the feeding position, the feeding motor 301 is rotated (forward rotation) in the direction that the sheets are fed by the pickup roller 231.

[0105] Therefore, if the storage unit 210 is mounted in a predetermined position on the housing 204 and the pickup roller 231 is moved from the first retracted position to the feeding position without stopping, the top sheet will be transported by the pickup roller 231 because the pickup roller 231 is also rotating during this movement. In other words, since the pickup roller 231 moves to the feeding position while rotating, the sheet is transported at the same time as it comes into contact with it.

[0106] In this state, the pickup roller 231 does not contact the sheet with sufficient pressure, and for example, the pressure distribution in the direction of the roller's rotation axis is not constant. Therefore, when conveying a sheet with such unstable contact pressure, the sheet's orientation may shift, making it prone to problems such as jamming or the sheet being conveyed at an angle. To address this, in this embodiment, the sheet feeding unit 230 is operated as follows.

[0107] First, with the sheet stored in the storage compartment 210, the support plate 240 and the pickup roller 231 are in the first retracted position, as shown in Figures 14(a) and (b). At this time, as shown in Figure 23, the lever-side engaging portion 273 of the swing lever 271 of the locking mechanism 270 engages with the lock engaging portion 253 of the retracted member 251, thereby locking the pickup roller 231, which is supported by the support plate 240, in the first retracted position.

[0108] In this state, when the storage unit 210 is mounted in a predetermined position on the housing 204, the control unit 203 controls the feed motor 301 and the solenoid 261 as follows. This control flow is shown in Figure 21. As described above, when the storage unit 210 is mounted in a predetermined position on the housing 204, the coupling 302 is connected, and drive transmission from the feed motor 301 to the pickup roller 231 becomes possible (see Figures 16 and 17).

[0109] First, when the control unit 203 detects that the storage unit 210 has been mounted in a predetermined mounting position on the housing 204 using the mounting sensor 804 (Y in S21), it turns on the solenoid 261 (S22). Then, as shown in Figure 24, the plunger 261a retracts and the holding lever 262 swings upward around the pivot axis 262a. At this time, the second engaging portion 264 of the swing lever 271 engages with the lower surface of the swing lever 271, lifting the swing lever 271. That is, the holding device 260 is positioned in the holding position. As a result, the engagement between the lever-side engaging portion 273 of the swing lever 271 and the locking engaging portion 253 of the retracted member 251 is released, and the lock on the retracted member 251 is released. That is, the locking mechanism 270 releases the lock on the support plate 240 when the holding device 260 is switched to the holding position.

[0110] Next, the control unit 203 rotates the feed motor 301 in the forward direction (S23). This causes the one-way clutch 252 to slip, allowing the retractable member 251 to rotate counterclockwise as shown in Figure 14(a). In other words, when the feed motor 301 is energized, if the feed motor 301 is not rotating, the rotating shaft 232a, which is driven and connected to the feed motor 301, will remain stationary. A one-way clutch 252 exists between the rotating shaft 232a and the retractable member 251, locking the retractable member 251 from rotating counterclockwise as shown in Figure 14(a) relative to the rotating shaft 232a. That is, when the rotating shaft 232a tends to rotate clockwise relative to the retractable member 251, in other words, when the retractable member 251 tends to rotate counterclockwise relative to the rotating shaft 232a, the one-way clutch 252 is locked, and rotational transmission becomes possible between the rotating shaft 232a and the retractable member 251. Therefore, unless the feed motor 301 is rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the rotating shaft 232a in the counterclockwise direction, the retractable member 251 cannot be rotated in the counterclockwise direction.

[0111] When the feed motor 301 is rotated in the forward direction in this manner, allowing the retracted member 251 to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 14(a), the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 swings from the first retracted position toward the feed position due to the sum of its own weight and the adjusted biasing force of the first biasing spring 910 and the second biasing spring 920 (Figure 26). At this time, the retracted member 251 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 14(a) due to the engagement between the retracted engagement portion 254 and the support plate side engagement portion 242, as the support plate 240 swings.

[0112] Then, the pickup roller 231, supported by the support plate 240, swings to the second retracted position, as shown in Figure 25. Here, the second retracted position is a position between the first retracted position and the feeding position, and is a position where the pickup roller 231 does not come into contact with the top sheet even when the maximum amount of sheets is loaded in the sheet storage section 220. Also, at the second retracted position, the rotation axis of the pickup roller 231 is located vertically below the rotation axis of the conveying roller 232 (the pivot center of the swing axis).

[0113] In this state, the solenoid 261 remains ON, and the holding lever 262 keeps the swinging lever 271 raised. As described above, the tip of the holding lever 262 is provided with a first engaging portion 263 that can engage with the support plate side engaging portion 242 of the support plate 240. The first engaging portion 263 has an inclined surface such that the surface that engages with the support plate side engaging portion 242 when the holding lever 262 is raised upward is approximately horizontal.

[0114] Therefore, as described above, when the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 swings to the second retracted position, the first engaging portion 263 of the holding lever 262 engages with the support plate side engaging portion 242 of the support plate 240, and the pickup roller 231 is held in the second retracted position. In other words, the holding lever 262 is configured to hold the pickup roller 231 in the second retracted position when the solenoid 261 is ON.

[0115] The control unit 203 further rotates the feed motor 301 in the forward direction while the pickup roller 231 is held in the second retracted position. This causes the retracted member 251 to rotate, releasing the engagement between the retracted engagement portion 254 and the support plate side engagement portion 242. That is, the control unit 203 rotates the feed motor 301 in the forward direction by a second predetermined amount from the state in which the pickup roller 231 is held in the second retracted position (Y in S24). Specifically, the feed motor 301 continues to rotate so that the retracted engagement portion 254 and the support plate side engagement portion 242 are sufficiently separated, and the retracted engagement portion 254 moves to a predetermined position from which the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 can move to the feed position. In this embodiment, since the feed motor 301 is a pulse motor, the first predetermined amount and the second predetermined amount mentioned above are predetermined first and second pulse numbers. Furthermore, even if the feed motor 301 is a DC motor, the above-mentioned first and second predetermined amounts of rotation can be controlled by providing an encoder capable of detecting the amount of rotation of the motor.

[0116] In this manner, the retractable member 251 allows the pickup roller 231 to move to the feeding position when the feeding motor 301 is rotated in the forward direction while the pickup roller 231 is held in the second retracted position. Even in this state, the pickup roller 231 is held in the second retracted position by the holding lever 262. Once the retractable member 251 has been rotated to the predetermined position, the rotation of the feeding motor 301 is stopped (S25).

[0117] After stopping the drive of the feed motor 301, the control unit 203 turns off the solenoid 261 (S26). Then, as shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), the holding lever 262 swings downward around the pivot axis 262a, and consequently the support plate 240 also swings downward due to the sum of its own weight and the adjusted biasing force of the first biasing spring 910 and the second biasing spring 920, causing the pickup roller 231 supported by the support plate 240 to move to the feed position. The side of the retracted member 251 opposite to the retracted side engagement surface 254a of the retracted engagement portion 254 is designated as the stopper surface 254b, and is designed to engage with a stopper (not shown) provided on the housing 204 to prevent the retracted member 251 from rotating too much.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, the first lever 914 is positioned so as to be operable when the storage section 210 is pulled out from the housing 204. This allows the user to easily change the pressing force of the pickup roller 231 with a simple configuration.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a second lever 924 that is hidden by the support plate 240 when the pickup roller 231 is in the first retracted position. This allows the second lever 924 to be placed in a location that is difficult for the user to operate, thus making it an operating part for service personnel.

[0120] <Other Embodiments> In the above embodiment, the control unit 203 for controlling the feed motor 301 and solenoid 261 is provided in the multi-stage storage device 200, but these controls may also be performed by the control unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 100. Furthermore, the sheet feed device may have other configurations, such as a single-stage deck, regardless of the multi-stage storage device described above.

[0121] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the storage unit 210 is mounted on the housing 204, the pickup roller 231 is moved from the first retracted position to the second retracted position before being moved to the feeding position. However, it is also possible to have a configuration in which the pickup roller 231 is moved directly from the first retracted position to the feeding position when the storage unit 210 is mounted.

[0122] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the contact / detachment device 255, which serves as a means of movement, is configured to move the pickup roller 231 between the feeding position and the first retracted position. However, the means of movement may only have the function of moving the pickup roller 231 from the feeding position to the first retracted position. In this case, the pickup roller 231 is moved from the first retracted position to the feeding position by another mechanism. For example, a lever that can release the state in which the pickup roller 231 is held in the first retracted position may be provided, and by manually operating this lever with the storage unit extended, the pickup roller 231 may be moved from the first retracted position to the feeding position or the second retracted position. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0123] 200...Multi-stage storage device (sheet feeding device), 204...Housing, 210...Storage section, 231...Pickup roller (feeding roller), 901...First adjustment means (adjustment means), 902...Second adjustment means, 910...First biasing spring (first biasing means), 914...First lever (operating section, first operating section), 920...Second biasing spring (second biasing means), 924...Second lever (second operating section)

Claims

1. A storage compartment for storing a seat, A roller conveying unit having rollers that contact the sheet stored in the storage unit, and the rollers that transport the sheet to the outside of the storage unit, A first spring is provided in the roller conveying section and is capable of biasing the roller so that the roller applies a first pressing force to the sheet, A first operating lever is provided in the roller transport section and adjusts the pressing force that the roller applies to the sheet by the first spring, A second spring is provided in the roller conveying section and is capable of biasing the roller so that the roller applies a second pressing force to the sheet that is smaller than the first pressing force. A second operating lever is provided in the roller transport section and adjusts the pressing force that the roller applies to the sheet by the second spring, Shielding part and Equipped with, The storage section and the roller transport section are provided so as to be able to be pulled out integrally from the main body of the device. The roller conveying section is provided to move to a position where, when pulled out from the main body of the device, the rollers do not come into contact with the sheet stored in the storage section. The shielding portion, when the roller is in the separated position, does not obstruct the first operating lever so that the operator can operate the first operating lever, and obstructs the second operating lever so that the operator cannot operate the second operating lever. A seat storage device characterized by the following features.

2. The first operating lever is provided so as to be able to switch whether or not the roller applies the first pressing force to the sheet by the first spring, The second operating lever is provided so as to be able to switch whether or not the roller applies the second pressing force to the sheet by the second spring, A first fixing part that can fix the first operating lever in a position where the roller does not apply pressing force to the sheet due to the first spring, A second fixing part that can fix the second operating lever in a position where the roller does not apply pressure to the sheet due to the second spring, It also has, The seat storage device according to feature 1.

3. The roller conveying section is When the first operating lever is switched by the first spring so that the roller applies the first pressing force to the sheet, and the second operating lever is switched by the second spring so that the roller does not apply the pressing force to the sheet, a sheet of the first basis weight can be transported. When the first operating lever is switched by the first spring so that the roller does not apply pressure to the sheet, and the second operating lever is switched by the second spring so that the roller applies a second pressure to the sheet, a sheet with the first basis weight cannot be transported, but a sheet with a second basis weight smaller than the first basis weight can be transported. The seat storage device according to feature 2.

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