Sheet storage device and image forming system equipped therewith, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a sheet storage device preventing a malfunction of a sheet feed while restricting to become an obstruction of a sheet supply.SOLUTION: A sheet storage device comprises a device body, a sheet storage part, an upper surface cover, a sheet feed part, a restriction cursor, a ventilation device, a sheet holding member and a movement mechanism. The sheet storage part comprises a sheet supply port and a sheet loading part. The upper surface cover can swing between an opened position and a closed position. The ventilation device comprises a ventilation fan and a ventilation port. The sheet holding member comprises a restriction piece. The movement mechanism couples with the sheet holding member and it contacts the upper surface cover when the upper surface cover is at the closed position and moves the sheet holding member to a restriction position projected from an abutment surface, and it is separated from the upper surface cover when the upper surface cover is at the opened position and moves the sheet holding member from the abutment surface to a retracted position retracted to the outside in a sheet width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet storage apparatus, an image forming system including the same, and an image forming apparatus. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, image forming systems that perform a series of various processes including image formation are known. One such image forming system includes an image forming apparatus (such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, etc.) and a sheet storage apparatus. The sheet storage apparatus can store thousands of sheets therein. The sheet storage apparatus is arranged at a side of the image forming apparatus, and is capable of feeding sheets to an image forming section of the image forming apparatus.

[0003] As such a sheet storage apparatus, some adopt an air system for feeding sheets (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). Such a sheet storage apparatus includes an apparatus main body, a sheet storage section, a top cover, a sheet feeding section, an air blower, and a sheet pressing member.

[0004] A supply opening for supplying sheets is formed on an upper surface of the apparatus main body. The sheet storage section communicates with the supply opening. The sheet storage section can store sheets via the supply opening. The top cover is swingably supported by the apparatus main body between a closed position (a position where the supply opening is closed) and an open position (a position where the supply opening is opened). The sheet feeding section feeds sheets toward a downstream side in a sheet conveying direction (toward the image forming apparatus side) at a predetermined position in a vertical direction (a feeding position). The air blower blows air along a sheet width direction toward the sheets in the sheet storage section to float the sheets located at an upper part of a sheet bundle.

[0005] Here, the sheet pressing member according to the sheet storage apparatus of Patent Document 1 is fixed to a back surface of the top cover (a surface on the sheet storage section side). The sheet pressing member abuts against the sheets floated by the air blower when the top cover is in the closed position, and restricts floating of the sheets at the feeding position.

[0006] Furthermore, the sheet retaining member related to the sheet storage device of Patent Document 2 is provided inside the sheet storage section so as to be movable in the vertical direction. This sheet retaining member moves so as to be positioned above the sheet bundle. This sheet retaining member protrudes inward from the sheet side edge in the sheet width direction. Similar to that of Patent Document 1, this sheet retaining member contacts the sheet being lifted by the blower and restricts the lifting of the sheet at the supply position. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-63675 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-037474 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Incidentally, the sheet retaining member in Patent Document 1 is fixed to the top cover and moves in conjunction with the swinging of the top cover. Therefore, when the top cover is moved to the open position, the sheet retaining member moves to the outside of the sheet storage section and is exposed. This means that the sheet retaining member may be damaged if the user touches it or if it comes into contact with the sheet bundle when replenishing sheets. If the sheet retaining member is damaged, the sheets may not be properly regulated at the feeding position, which may cause problems with sheet feeding. Furthermore, the sheet retaining member in Patent Document 2 is provided inside the sheet storage section so as to protrude above the sheet bundle. Therefore, the sheet retaining member gets in the way when replenishing sheets, making it difficult to set the sheets. In addition, the sheet retaining member may hinder sheet replenishment, such as damaging the sheets if they come into contact with the sheet retaining member during replenishment.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a sheet storage device that suppresses interference with sheet replenishment and is less prone to sheet feeding failures, an image forming system equipped with the same, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet storage device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the first configuration of the present invention is a sheet storage device comprising a main body, a sheet storage section, a top cover, a sheet feeding section, a regulating cursor, a blower, a sheet holding member, and a moving mechanism. The sheet storage section includes a sheet supply port opening on the top surface of the main body and a sheet loading section on which sheets can be loaded, and sheets can be loaded into the sheet loading section via the sheet supply port. The top cover is supported by the main body so as to be able to swing between an open position that opens the sheet supply port and a closed position that swings by a predetermined angle from the open position to close the sheet supply port. The sheet feeding section, at a feeding position which is a predetermined position in the vertical direction, contacts the sheets loaded in the sheet loading section and feeds the sheets downstream in the sheet transport direction. The regulating cursor is positioned at a predetermined position in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction and contacts the side edge of the sheet to restrict the movement of the sheets loaded in the sheet loading section in the sheet width direction. The blower device is provided on the regulating cursor and includes a blower fan that generates airflow and an air outlet formed on the contact surface of the regulating cursor that contacts the side edge of the sheet and exhausts the airflow. The air exhausted from the air outlet is blown to the sheet located near the supply position among the sheets loaded in the sheet loading section to make the sheet float. The sheet retaining member is pivotably supported on the regulating cursor and includes a regulating piece that protrudes inward in the sheet width direction from the contact surface of the regulating cursor to regulate the height to which the sheet floats. The moving mechanism is connected to the sheet retaining member and, when the top cover is in the closed position, contacts the top cover to move the sheet retaining member to a regulating position that protrudes from the contact surface, and when the top cover is in the open position, moves the sheet retaining member away from the top cover to a retracted position that is retracted outward in the sheet width direction from the contact surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the first configuration of the present invention, when the top cover is in the open position, the sheet retaining member moves to a retracted position away from the contact surface. In the retracted position, the sheet retaining member is located outside the sheet width direction of the contact surface, so that when a sheet is replenished in the sheet loading section, the sheet does not come into contact with the sheet retaining member. Also, when the top cover is in the open position, the sheet retaining member is not exposed to the outside of the sheet storage section and is difficult for the user to touch. Therefore, damage to the sheet retaining member can be suppressed while preventing it from hindering the replenishment of sheets.

[0012] Therefore, it is possible to provide a sheet storage device that suppresses interference with sheet replenishment while making sheet feeding failures less likely to occur. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of an image forming system 100 comprising a sheet storage device 20 and an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Perspective view showing the seat storage device 20 with the top cover 34 in the open position. [Figure 3] Front view showing the sheet loading tray 27 from above. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the AA section shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the BB section line shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the CC section line shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 with the insertion section 74 omitted. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 with the sheet retaining member 37 in the retracted position P4. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 as shown in Figure 6, cut along the DD cross-sectional line. [Figure 10] Side view showing sheets S loaded on a sheet loading tray 27 in a loaded state. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, a sheet storage device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image forming system 100 configured to include the sheet storage device 20 and an image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. The direction in which the sheet S is conveyed is referred to as a "sheet conveying direction", and the direction orthogonal to the sheet S conveying direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 and the vertical direction shown in FIG. 3) is referred to as a "sheet width direction".

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system 100 configured to include a sheet storage device 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a paper feeding section 2, a sheet conveying path 3, an image forming section 4, and a fixing device 5.

[0016] The paper feeding section 2 is located at a lower portion of the image forming apparatus 1. The paper feeding section 2 includes a plurality of paper feeding cassettes 7 and paper feeding rollers 8. The paper feeding cassettes 7 store sheets S, which are recording media such as plain paper and envelopes. The paper feeding cassettes 7 are detachably attached to a main body portion of the image forming apparatus 1. The paper feeding rollers 8 are rotatably supported above each of the paper feeding cassettes 7. By rotation of each paper feeding roller 8, the image forming apparatus 1 feeds sheets S one by one from a selected one of the paper feeding cassettes 7 onto the sheet conveying path 3.

[0017] The sheet conveying path 3 is connected to the paper feeding section 2. The sheet conveying path 3 conveys the sheet S fed from the paper feeding cassette 7 toward the image forming section 4. A discharge roller pair 22 is provided at the most downstream position of the image forming apparatus 1 with respect to the sheet conveying direction. The fixing device 5 is disposed between the discharge roller pair 22 and the image forming section 4 with respect to the sheet conveying direction.

[0018] A merging path 52 is connected to the portion of the sheet transport path 3 that is downstream of the paper feeding section 2 and upstream of the image forming section 4, relative to the sheet transport direction. The merging path 52 opens to the side of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0019] The image forming unit 4 forms a toner image on the sheet S by an electrophotographic process. The image forming unit 4 includes a photoreceptor 11 that is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, and around the photoreceptor 11 along its rotational direction, there are a charging unit 12, an exposure unit 13, a developer unit 14, a transfer unit 15, a cleaning unit 16, and a static elimination unit 17.

[0020] The charging unit 12 is equipped with a charging wire to which a high voltage is applied, and a predetermined potential is applied to the surface of the photoreceptor 11 by corona discharge from this charging wire, uniformly charging the surface of the photoreceptor 11. The exposure unit 13 irradiates the photoreceptor 11 with light based on the image data of the original. As a result, the surface potential of the photoreceptor 11 is selectively attenuated, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 11. The developing unit 14 supplies toner to the surface of the photoreceptor 11, forming a toner image (visible image) on the surface of the photoreceptor 11 that corresponds to the electrostatic latent image.

[0021] The transfer unit 15 faces the photoreceptor 11. With a toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 11, the transfer unit 15 transfers the toner image from the surface of the photoreceptor 11 to the sheet S that has been transported between the photoreceptor 11 and the transfer unit 15.

[0022] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser unit 5. The fuser unit 5 is equipped with a heating roller 18 and a pressure roller 19. The heating roller 18 and the pressure roller 19 are pressed against each other, forming a fuser nip between them. The heating roller 18 and the pressure roller 19 heat and pressurize the sheet S transported to the fuser nip, melting and fixing the toner image on the sheet S to the sheet S. The sheet S with the toner image fixed is discharged onto the discharge tray 21 by a pair of discharge rollers 22.

[0023] The cleaning unit 16 removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 11 after transfer. The static elimination unit 17 removes any remaining charge on the surface of the photoreceptor 11 after transfer. The photoreceptor 11 is then recharged by the charging unit 12, and image formation is performed in the same manner thereafter.

[0024] Next, the sheet storage device 20 according to the present invention will be described. Here, the sheet transport direction refers to the transport direction of the sheet from the sheet storage device 20 to the merging path 52 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0025] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the sheet storage device 20 with the top cover 34 in the open position. Figure 3 is a front view of the sheet loading tray 27 from above. As shown in Figure 1, the sheet storage device 20 is located adjacent to the side of the image forming apparatus 1. The sheet storage device 20 can store thousands of sheets S. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the AA section line shown in Figure 3. Note that in Figure 4, the housing 26, sheet loading tray 27, and tray lifting mechanism 60 are omitted.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sheet storage device 20 comprises a housing 26 (device body), a sheet storage section 33, an upper cover 34, a sheet feeding section 32, regulating cursors 35a and 35b, a blower 36, a sheet holding member 37, and a moving mechanism 38.

[0027] The housing 26 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The sheet storage section 33 can store thousands of sheets S inside. The sheet storage section 33 includes a sheet supply port 39, a sheet storage space 40, a sheet loading tray 27 (sheet loading section), and a tray lifting mechanism 60.

[0028] The seat supply port 39 is an opening formed on the upper surface of the housing 26. The seat storage space 40 is a cubic space formed inside the housing 26, extending downward from the opening edge of the seat supply port 39.

[0029] The sheet loading tray 27 is housed in the sheet storage space 40. The sheet loading tray 27 is a plate-like body on which sheets can be loaded. The sheet loading tray 27 has a pair of cursor entry recesses 41 formed on both ends in the sheet width direction, recessed inward. The edge located at the bottom of the cursor entry recesses 41 in the sheet width direction is called the positioning edge 42. The positioning edge 42 is a straight line parallel to the sheet transport direction.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the sheet loading tray 27 is supported so as to be able to move up and down inside the sheet storage space 40 via a tray lifting mechanism 60. The tray lifting mechanism 60 raises and lowers the sheet loading tray 27 so that the top of the bundle of sheets S loaded on the sheet loading tray 27 aligns with the air outlet 48, which will be described later, in the vertical direction. When multiple sheets S are supplied and the height of the bundle of sheets S decreases, the sheet loading tray 27 is raised accordingly.

[0031] The tray lifting mechanism 60 is composed of a plurality of wires 29, a plurality of intermediate pulleys 31, a winding pulley 28, a drive source 30, and a lifting guide 43.

[0032] The intermediate pulley 31 is rotatably supported by the housing 26 above the sheet loading tray 27. One end of each wire 29 is fixed to one of the four corners of the sheet loading tray 27. The other end of each wire 29 is fixed to the winding pulley 28. Each wire 29 is wound separately around each intermediate pulley 31 at an intermediate position from one end to the other.

[0033] The winding pulley 28 is connected to a drive source 30 such as a motor, and rotates in either forward or reverse direction due to the rotational force of the drive source 30. When the winding pulley 28 rotates forward, each wire 29 is wound onto the outer surface of the winding pulley 28, and the sheet loading tray 27 rises. Conversely, when the winding pulley 28 rotates backward, each wire 29 is unwound from the winding pulley 28, and the sheet loading tray 27 lowers.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the lifting guide 43 consists of a guide rail 44 and a guide projection 45. The guide rail 44 is a vertically elongated groove formed in the frame inside the housing 26. The guide rail 44 is parallel in the vertical direction, and the groove width in the sheet conveying direction is constant throughout the entire vertical range.

[0035] The guide projection 45 is a projection that protrudes in the sheet width direction from the edge of the sheet loading tray 27 in the sheet width direction. The guide projection 45 is inserted into the guide rail 44. When the sheet loading tray 27 moves up and down, the guide projection 45 slides on the inner wall surface of the guide rail 44, guiding the up and down movement of the sheet loading tray 27 while restricting its movement in the sheet transport direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top cover 34 is supported on the upper part of the housing 26 so as to be able to swing between a closed position P1 and an open position P2. The closed position P1 is the position in which the top cover 34 closes the sheet supply port 39 and forms the upper surface of the housing 26 (the position shown by the solid line in Figure 1). The open position P2 is the position in which the top cover 34 rotates by a predetermined angle from the closed position P1 and opens the sheet supply port 39 (the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 and the position shown by the solid line in Figure 2).

[0037] A rotating shaft 46 is formed at the end of the top cover 34 on the image forming apparatus 1 side with respect to the sheet transport direction. The rotating shaft 46 is a shaft body that protrudes outward from both ends of the top cover 34 with respect to the sheet width direction. The rotating shaft 46 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 26. The top cover 34 swings in the circumferential direction about the rotating shaft 46.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the sheet feeding unit 32 is located at the top of the housing 26. At the paper feeding position, the sheet feeding unit 32 feeds the sheets S loaded on the sheet stacking tray 27 downstream in the sheet transport direction (towards the image forming apparatus 1). The paper feeding position is the position where the top sheet S of the stack of sheets S loaded on the sheet stacking tray 27 contacts the pickup roller 53, which will be described later (the position of the top surface of the stack of sheets S shown in Figure 1).

[0039] The sheet feeding unit 32 includes a pickup roller 53, a pair of paper feed rollers 54, a pair of transport rollers 62, and a sheet discharge port 51. The pickup roller 53 is located above the sheet loading tray 27. The pickup roller 53 is positioned opposite the sheet loading tray 27 in the vertical direction.

[0040] The paper feed roller pair 54 is located downstream of the pickup roller 53 with respect to the sheet transport direction. The transport roller pair 62 is located downstream of the paper feed roller pair 54 with respect to the sheet transport direction. The sheet discharge port 51 is located at the downstream end of the sheet feeding unit 32 with respect to the sheet transport direction and opens onto the side of the housing 26.

[0041] When the pickup roller 53 rotates in the feeding direction (clockwise in Figure 1) while in contact with the upper surface of the sheet S, the sheet S is fed downstream in the sheet transport direction. The feed roller pair 54 and the transport roller pair 62 carry the sheet S fed by the pickup roller 53 into the confluence path 52 via the sheet discharge port 51.

[0042] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the regulating cursors 35a and 35b are positioned in the sheet storage space 40. The regulating cursors 35a and 35b face each other in the sheet width direction. The regulating cursors 35a and 35b are supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the sheet width direction at a position that overlaps with the cursor entry recess 41 with respect to the sheet transport direction (left-right direction in Figure 3).

[0043] The lengths of the restricting cursors 35a and 35b in the sheet transport direction are smaller than the width of the cursor entry recess 41. That is, when the restricting cursors 35a and 35b move toward the sheet loading tray 27 in the sheet width direction, they enter the inside of the cursor entry recess 41. When the restricting cursors 35a and 35b come into contact with the positioning edge 42, their movement toward the sheet loading tray 27 in the sheet width direction is restricted. When the restricting cursors 35a and 35b are at their outermost position in the sheet width direction, they are located outside the sheet loading tray 27.

[0044] The inner surfaces (facing the sheet loading tray 27) of the regulating cursors 35a and 35b in the sheet width direction (hereinafter referred to as "inner surfaces 47a and 47b") are planes perpendicular to the sheet width direction and parallel to the sheet transport direction. The inner surfaces 47a and 47b (contact surfaces) face the side edges of the sheets S loaded on the sheet loading tray 27 in the sheet width direction.

[0045] Multiple (two in this case) air outlets 48 and multiple (four in this case) protrusion passage holes 49 are formed on the inner surface 47a. Each air outlet 48 is arranged in a straight line parallel to the sheet conveying direction. The air outlets 48 are positioned to overlap with the pickup roller 53 in the vertical direction. Each protrusion passage hole 49 is arranged in a straight line parallel to the sheet conveying direction. One protrusion passage hole 49 is positioned on each side of the air outlet 48 in the sheet conveying direction. The protrusion passage holes 49 are positioned to overlap with the pickup roller 53 in the vertical direction.

[0046] As the restricting cursors 35a and 35b move inward in the sheet width direction (towards the positioning edge 42), the inner surfaces 47a and 47b come into contact with both side edges of the sheet S. This restricts the movement of the sheet S in the sheet width direction. As a result, the bundle of sheets S stacked in a bundle on the sheet stacking tray 27 is positioned in the sheet width direction while the side edges of the bundle are aligned.

[0047] The upper surface of the regulating cursor 35a (hereinafter referred to as the "cursor upper surface 50") is a horizontal, flat surface. When the top cover 34 is in the closed position P1, the cursor upper surface 50 faces the back surface of the top cover 34 (the surface on the sheet storage space 40 side) in the vertical direction. A rectangular button insertion hole 55 is opened in the cursor upper surface 50.

[0048] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the BB section line shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the blower device 36 is composed of the aforementioned air outlet 48, a blower fan 56, and a duct 57. The blower fan 56 is a sirocco fan mounted on the side of the regulating cursor 35a opposite to the inner surface 47a in the sheet width direction.

[0049] A fan cover 58 is provided on the outside of the blower fan 56 in the sheet width direction (opposite the sheet loading tray 27). The fan cover 58 covers the blower fan 56 by sandwiching it between the regulating cursor 35a. The fan cover 58 is fixed to the regulating cursor 35a.

[0050] The duct 57 communicates with the blower fan 56 and the air outlet 48. The duct 57 is located inside the regulating cursor 35a. Air supplied from the blower fan 56 passes through the duct 57 and is blown out from the air outlet 48. The downstream end of the duct 57 is provided with a straight section 59 that extends parallel to the sheet width direction. As the air supplied from the blower fan 56 passes through the straight section 59, the air blown out from the air outlet 48 is blown perpendicular to the side edges of the sheets S loaded on the sheet loading tray 27.

[0051] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the sheet retaining member 37 is composed of a plurality of hook portions 63a, 63b (regulating pieces) and a pivot shaft 64. The hook portions 63a, 63b are arranged in a straight line in the sheet conveying direction (horizontal direction). The hook portions 63a, 63b are arranged so as to overlap with the protruding portion passage hole 49 with respect to the sheet conveying direction. That is, one hook portion 63a, 63b is provided on each side of the air outlet 48. The pivot shaft 64 is supported inside the regulating cursor 35a so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction. The pivot shaft 64 extends parallel to the sheet conveying direction. The hook portions 63a, 63b are integrally connected to the pivot shaft 64.

[0052] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the CC section line shown in Figure 4. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 with the insertion section 74 omitted. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 with the sheet retaining member 37 in the retracted position P4. As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the hook portion 63a has an arm portion 65, a protruding portion 66, and a fin 67 (see Figure 7). The hook portion 63b has an arm portion 65 and a protruding portion 66 (see Figure 5).

[0053] The arm portion 65 is fixed to the pivot shaft 64. The arm portion 65 extends linearly along the radial direction of the pivot shaft 64. The projection portion 66 is connected to the tip of the arm portion 65 (the end opposite to the pivot shaft 64). The projection portion 66 is a rod-shaped portion that extends inward in the sheet width direction along the circumferential direction of the pivot shaft 64, perpendicular to the arm portion 65. The projection portion 66 and the projection portion through hole 49 are located on the circumference of the same circle centered on the pivot shaft 64. When the pivot shaft 64 rotates, the projection portion 66 passes through the projection portion through hole 49 or retracts from the projection portion through hole 49.

[0054] The sheet retaining member 37 is pivotable around the pivot axis 64 between a restricted position P3 and a retracted position P4. The restricted position P3 is the position where the sheet retaining member 37 is located inward in the sheet width direction (towards the positioning edge 42) from the inner surface 47a (the position shown in Figures 6 and 7).

[0055] When the sheet pressing member 37 is in the restricted position P3, the protrusion 66 is inserted into the protrusion passage hole 49. At this time, the tip of the protrusion 66 is located inside the inner surface 47a (towards the positioning edge 42) in the sheet width direction. When the sheet pressing member 37 is in the restricted position P3, the protrusion 66 is located above the lower edge of the outer circumferential surface of the pickup roller 53 in the vertical direction (see Figure 10).

[0056] When the sheet retaining member 37 is in the restricting position P3 and its inner surface 47a is in contact with the side edge of the sheet S loaded on the sheet loading tray 27, the protruding portion 66 faces the sheet S in the vertical direction. In this state, if the sheet S is lifted by the blower 36, the upper surface of the sheet S comes into contact with the protruding portion 66, restricting the lifting of the sheet S (see Figure 10).

[0057] The retracted position P4 is the position where the sheet retaining member 37 swings outward in the sheet width direction from the regulating position P3 and retracts to a position outside the inner surface 47a in the sheet width direction (the position shown in Figure 8). As shown in Figure 8, when the sheet retaining member 37 is in the retracted position P4, the protrusion 66 is retracted to the outside of the protrusion passage hole 49 (inside the regulating cursor 35a). At this time, the tip of the protrusion 66 is outside the inner surface 47a in the sheet width direction (opposite side of the positioning edge 42).

[0058] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the fin 67 is a plate-like portion that extends in the opposite direction to the protruding portion 66, with the arm portion 65 in between. The fin 67 is connected to a predetermined region from the upper end of the arm portion 65 to the pivot shaft 64. An axial insertion hole 69 is formed in the fin 67. The axial insertion hole 69 is an elongated through hole in the vertical direction. An inclined surface 70 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the axial insertion hole 69, which extends so as it moves upward, it inclins inward in the sheet width direction.

[0059] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet storage device 20 cut along the DD section line shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 9, the moving mechanism 38 is connected to the sheet retaining member 37. The moving mechanism 38 is a mechanism that moves the sheet retaining member 37 between a restricted position P3 and a retracted position P4. The moving mechanism 38 is composed of a push button 71, a first biasing member 72, and a link mechanism 73.

[0060] The push button 71 is a rectangular rod-shaped body. The push button 71 is inserted into the button insertion hole 55 and is supported by the regulating cursor 35a so as to be able to move up and down. The push button 71 comprises an insertion part 74 and an operating part 75. The insertion part 74 is a cubic rod-shaped portion that extends downward from the operating part 75 and has a smaller diameter than the operating part 75.

[0061] The inner circumferential surface of the button insertion hole 55 is provided with a positioning rib 76 that protrudes toward the inside of the hole. The insertion portion 74 is inserted inside the positioning rib 76. The insertion portion 74 slides with the tip of the positioning rib 76 and is guided up and down by the positioning rib 76. A positioning projection 77 that protrudes in the sheet width direction is formed on the side surface of the insertion portion 74.

[0062] The operating section 75 is connected to the upper end of the insertion section 74. The outer diameter of the operating section 75 is larger than the outer diameter and smaller than the inner diameter of the button insertion hole 55. Since the outer diameter of the operating section 75 is larger than the distance between the upper ends of the positioning ribs 76, the lower surface 78 of the operating section 75 faces the positioning ribs 76 in the vertical direction.

[0063] The first biasing member 72 is a coil spring. The first biasing member 72 is positioned between the positioning rib 76 and the operating part 75. The lower end 80 of the first biasing member 72 abuts against the positioning rib 76, and the upper end 79 of the first biasing member 72 abuts against the operating part 75. The first biasing member 72 biases the push button 71 in the upward direction.

[0064] When the push button 71 rises, the positioning projection 77 contacts the positioning rib 76 at a predetermined position, restricting the upward movement of the push button 71 and positioning it in the upward direction. This positioned position is defined as the operating position (the position shown in Figure 8).

[0065] With the operating unit 75 in the operating position, when the top cover 34 moves from the open position P2 to the closed position P1, the operating unit 75 contacts the back surface of the top cover 34 at a predetermined rotation angle, as shown in Figure 8. From this state, as the top cover 34 descends toward the closed position P1, the top cover 34 presses the push button 71 against the biasing force of the first biasing member 72. When the top cover 34 reaches the closed position P1, as shown in Figure 6, the push button 71 comes into contact with the top cover 34, restricting its upward movement and positioning it. This positioned position is defined as the pressed position (the position shown in Figures 6, 7, and 9).

[0066] As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the link mechanism 73 is composed of a connecting shaft portion 81, a second biasing member 82, and the aforementioned oscillating shaft 64 and shaft insertion hole 69. The connecting shaft portion 81 is a rod-shaped shaft provided in the insertion portion 74 and perpendicular to the sheet width direction. The connecting shaft portion 81 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 69. The connecting shaft portion 81 faces the inner circumferential surface in the radial direction of the connecting shaft portion 81.

[0067] When the push button 71 is in the pressed position, the upper cover 34 restricts its movement in the upward direction, so the connecting shaft portion 81 is not in contact with the inclined surface 70, or even if it is in contact, the biasing force of the first biasing member 72 is not acting on the inclined surface 70.

[0068] When the top cover 34 moves from the closed position P1 to the open position P2, the push button 71 rises due to the biasing force of the first biasing member 72. As the push button 71 rises, the connecting shaft portion 81 rises together with the insertion portion 74. At this time, the connecting shaft portion 81 comes into contact with the inclined surface 70 and slides the inclined surface 70 from bottom to top. As a result, the connecting shaft portion 81 presses the fin 67 upward via the inclined surface 70. This pressing force is decomposed by the inclined surface 70 into an upward component F1 (upward arrow in Figure 7) and a component F2 (rightward arrow in Figure 7) directed outward in the sheet width direction.

[0069] The second biasing member 82 is a torsion spring externally fitted to the oscillating shaft 64. The second biasing member 82 biases the arm portion 65 along the circumferential direction of the oscillating shaft 64. The direction of the biasing force of the second biasing member 82 is opposite to the direction of the component force F2 described above. The biasing force of the second biasing member 82 is smaller than the component force F2.

[0070] As described above, with the top cover 34 in the closed position P1, the push button 71 is positioned in the upward direction, and the biasing force of the first biasing member 72 is not acting on the inclined surface 70. Therefore, no component force F2 is generated, and the sheet retaining member 37 is positioned in the restricted position P3 by the biasing force of the second biasing member 82.

[0071] As described above, when the top cover 34 moves from the closed position P1 to the open position P2, a component force F2 is generated. Therefore, the first biasing member 72 moves the sheet retaining member 37 to the retracted position P4 against the biasing force of the second biasing member 82.

[0072] Figure 10 is a side view showing sheets S loaded on a sheet loading tray 27 in a loaded state. In Figure 10, the sheet retaining member 37 is in the restricting position P3.

[0073] As shown in Figure 10, when the sheet retaining member 37 is in the restricted position P3 and the blower 36 blows air onto the sheet S, the sheet S lifts up. As described above, the air outlet 48 is positioned to overlap with the pickup roller 53 in the vertical direction. Therefore, of the bundle of sheets S loaded on the sheet loading tray 27, several sheets S that are relatively close to the pickup roller 53 in the vertical direction lift up. The uppermost sheet S of the lifted sheets S then comes into contact with the protrusion 66 and is positioned at the sheet feeding position. In this state, the pickup roller 53 rotates, and the sheet S at the sheet feeding position is fed downstream in the sheet transport direction (towards the image forming apparatus 1).

[0074] As described above, when the top cover 34 is in the open position P2, the sheet retaining member 37 moves to the retracted position P4. In the retracted position P4, the sheet retaining member 37 is located outside the inner surface 47a in the sheet width direction, so when replenishing the sheet S to the sheet loading tray 27, the sheet S is less likely to come into contact with the sheet retaining member 37. Also, when the top cover 34 is in the open position P2, the sheet retaining member 37 does not move outside the sheet storage section 33, making it difficult for the user to touch. Therefore, damage to the sheet retaining member 37 can be suppressed while preventing it from hindering the replenishment of the sheet S.

[0075] Therefore, it is possible to provide a sheet storage device 20 that suppresses interference with the replenishment of sheets S while making it less likely for sheet feeding failures to occur.

[0076] Furthermore, as described above, the protrusions 66 are positioned on both sides of the air outlet 48 in the sheet transport direction. Therefore, when the sheet S is lifted by the blower 36, the lifted sheet S rises in a mountain-like shape with the peak being the point where it overlaps with the air outlet 48 in the sheet transport direction. This makes it easier for air to flow to the raised area, and the entire sheet S is more likely to lift in the sheet width direction. Consequently, the sheet S is more easily positioned in a suitable feeding position, and feeding defects of the sheet S can be suppressed.

[0077] Furthermore, as described above, the sheet retaining member 37 swings in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the top cover 34 by the moving mechanism 38. Therefore, a drive source such as a motor to swing the sheet retaining member 37 and control for the swinging of the sheet retaining member 37 are unnecessary. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the feeding of the sheet S while preventing interference with the replenishment of the sheet S with a simple configuration.

[0078] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the sheet pressing member 37 in the above embodiment is supported by the regulating cursor 35a, a configuration in which it is supported by both the regulating cursors 35a and 35b, or a configuration in which it is supported only by the regulating cursor 35b, can also be adopted. In this case, the moving mechanism 38 and the blower 36 are also provided on the regulating cursor 35b.

[0079] Furthermore, while the sheet retaining member 37 according to the above embodiment employs a configuration comprising one hook portion 63a and three hook portions 63b, it is not limited to this. For example, a configuration comprising multiple hook portions 63a can be adopted. In this case, the connecting shaft portion 81 can be inserted into the shaft insertion hole 69 formed in the fin 67 of each hook portion 63a.

[0080] The present invention can be used in a large-capacity sheet storage device capable of storing sheets to be supplied to an image forming apparatus. By using the present invention, it is possible to suppress defects in the feeding of sheets from the sheet storage device to the image forming apparatus.

[0081] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the feeding of sheets S in the sheet storage section 33 within the sheet storage device 20, but can also be applied to the feeding of paper in the paper feeding section 2 within the main body of the image forming apparatus 1. [Industrial applicability]

[0082] The present invention can be used in a large-capacity sheet storage device capable of storing sheets to be supplied to an image forming apparatus. By utilizing the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming system and an image forming apparatus that can suppress sheet feeding failures from the sheet storage device to the image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Image forming apparatus 3 Sheet transport path 4 Image forming unit 20-seat storage device 26 Housing (main unit of the device) 27. Seat loading tray (seat loading section) 32 Sheet feeding section 33 Seat storage section 34 Top cover 35a Restriction Cursor 36 Blower 37 Sheet retaining member 38 Moving mechanism 39 Seat Refill Port 47a Inner surface (contact surface) 48 Air outlet 56 Blower fan 57 Duct 63a, 63b Hook portion (regulating piece) 66 Protrusion 71 Push Button 72 First biasing member 73 Link Mechanism 81 Connecting shaft part 82 Second biasing member 100 Image Forming Systems P1 closed position P2 open position P3 regulation position P4 Evacuation position S Seat

Claims

1. The main body of the device, The device comprises a sheet supply port opening on the upper surface of the main body of the device, and a sheet loading section on which sheets can be loaded, and a sheet storage section on which sheets can be loaded into the sheet loading section via the sheet supply port, An upper cover supported on the main body of the device is provided so as to be able to swing between an open position in which the sheet supply port is opened and a closed position in which the sheet supply port is closed by swinging by a predetermined angle from the open position, A sheet feeding unit that, at a predetermined position in the vertical direction, contacts the sheet loaded in the sheet loading unit and feeds the sheet downstream in the sheet transport direction, A restricting cursor is positioned at a predetermined location in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction, and contacts the side edge of the sheet to restrict the movement of the sheet loaded in the sheet loading section in the sheet width direction. The ventilation device includes a fan provided on the regulating cursor that generates an airflow, and an air outlet formed on the contact surface of the regulating cursor that contacts the side edge of the sheet and exhausts the airflow, and blows the air exhausted from the air outlet to the sheet located near the supply position among the sheets loaded in the sheet loading section to levitate the sheet, A sheet retaining member includes a regulating piece that is pivotably supported by the regulating cursor and protrudes inward from the contact surface of the regulating cursor in the sheet width direction to regulate the height to which the sheet floats, A moving mechanism connected to the sheet retaining member, which, when the upper cover is in the closed position, contacts the upper cover and moves the sheet retaining member to a restricted position protruding from the contact surface, and when the upper cover is in the open position, moves the sheet retaining member to a retracted position, which is moved away from the upper cover and outward from the contact surface in the sheet width direction, A seat storage device equipped with a seat storage device.

2. The sheet storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the restricting piece has protrusions that are positioned on both sides of the air outlet with respect to the sheet transport direction and protrude from the contact surface of the restricting cursor and contact the upper surface of the sheet when in the restricting position.

3. The aforementioned moving mechanism is An operating unit is provided that is vertically movable between a first position protruding from the upper surface of the regulating cursor and a second position retracted from the upper surface. A link mechanism is connected to the operating unit and the sheet retaining member, and when the operating unit is lowered, the sheet retaining member moves toward the restricted position, and when the operating unit is raised, the sheet retaining member moves toward the retracted position. A first biasing member that biases the operating section to the first position, It has, The sheet storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, when the upper cover moves from the open position to the closed position, the moving mechanism contacts the operating part at the first position and pushes down the operating part against the biasing force of the first biasing member, and positions the sheet retaining member at the regulating position at the closed position.

4. The sheet retaining member swings between the restricting position and the retracted position around the pivot axis, The aforementioned link mechanism is The shaft insertion hole formed in the sheet retaining member, A connecting shaft portion is provided in the operating section and inserted into the shaft insertion hole, A second biasing member, having a smaller biasing force than the first biasing member, biases the sheet retaining member toward the regulating position along the circumferential direction of the pivot axis, The sheet storage device according to claim 3, comprising the following: when the operating part is pressed down, the connecting shaft portion is separated from the inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole, and the biasing force of the second biasing member moves the sheet retaining member to the restricting position; when the operating part is not pressed down, the biasing force of the first biasing member causes the connecting shaft portion to contact the inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole, and moves the sheet retaining member to the retracted position against the biasing force of the second biasing member.

5. The contact surface is located inside the regulating cursor in the sheet width direction, The aforementioned air outlet is located in a position that overlaps with the supply position in the vertical direction. The seat storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the blower has a duct connected to the blower fan that passes through the inside of the regulating cursor and communicates with the air outlet.

6. The shaft insertion hole is formed in the restricting piece, The sheet holding member includes a plurality of restricting pieces arranged along the sheet transport direction, Multiple air outlets are arranged along the sheet transport direction, The sheet storage device according to claim 4, wherein the link mechanism is such that the connecting shaft portion is inserted into the shaft insertion hole of each of the restricting pieces, and the sheet holding member moves in conjunction when the operating portion is pressed.

7. The image forming unit that forms an image on the aforementioned sheet, The image forming unit includes a sheet transport path for transporting the sheet, A sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheet feeding unit feeds the sheet to the sheet transport path, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising:

8. An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on the aforementioned sheet, A sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is connected to the image forming apparatus and supplies the sheet to the image forming section, An image forming system characterized by comprising the following features.

Images