Feeding cassette and image forming device

Abstract

An upstream end regulation member (205) comprises a base portion (2051), a first contact member (2052), and a second contact member (2053). When in a first state where the first contact member (2052) is in a first upright posture and the second contact member (2053) is in a second tilted posture, a first contact surface (2052b) of the first contact member (2052) is capable of regulating the position of a rear end of a sheet of a first size. When in a second state where the first contact member (2052) is in a first tilted posture and the second contact member (2053) is in a second upright posture, a second contact surface (2053b) of the second contact member (2053) is capable of regulating the position of a rear end of a sheet of a second size smaller than the first size. The upstream end regulation member (205) comprises a display portion (210) positioned so as to be visible in the second state, the display unit indicating that the second state corresponds to a sheet of the second size.

Description

Feeding cassette and image forming apparatus

[0001] This disclosure relates to a feed cassette in which sheets are fed along a predetermined feeding direction are contained, and to an image forming apparatus equipped with the feed cassette.

[0002] The image forming apparatus has a feeding cassette in which sheets for feeding to the image forming section are contained. The feeding cassette has side regulating plates that restrict the positions of both ends in the width direction intersecting the feeding direction of the sheet within the cassette body, and a rear end regulating plate (rear end regulating member) that restricts the upstream end (rear end) of the sheet in the feeding direction. The rear end regulating plate engages with a guide portion formed on the bottom plate of the cassette body and is movable along the feeding direction according to the size of the sheet. For example, in the case of a relatively small first size sheet, the rear end regulating plate moves to the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction.

[0003] Here, it is desirable for the feed cassette to accommodate a second-size sheet, which is even smaller than the first-size sheet. However, since mechanisms for moving the side regulating plates and lifting plates for raising and lowering the sheet housed inside the cassette body are located downstream in the feed direction of the cassette body, it may be difficult to extend the guide section further downstream in the feed direction.

[0004] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a rear-end regulating plate is composed of two abutting members each capable of abutting against the rear end of a sheet, and capable of regulating the rear end of a second-size sheet smaller in size than a first-size sheet. In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the rear-end regulating plate has a base portion movable along a guide portion, a first abutting member rotatably supported with respect to the base portion, and a second abutting member rotatably supported with respect to the first abutting member. Then, for the above-described first-size sheet, in a first state where the first abutting member and the second abutting member are folded and erected on the bottom plate of the cassette body, the rear end of this sheet is regulated by the abutting surface of the first abutting member. On the other hand, for the second-size sheet, by setting it to a second state where the first abutting member is laid down so as to overlap the bottom plate of the cassette body and the second abutting member is erected, the rear end of this sheet is regulated by the abutting surface of the second abutting member (second state).

[0005] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-20334

[0006] However, in a configuration where the rear-end regulating plate can take the first state and the second state as described above, it is difficult to understand which state corresponds to which sheet. For this reason, an inexperienced operator may find it difficult to set the rear-end regulating plate in an appropriate state with respect to the sheet and may perform an incorrect operation.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a configuration capable of suppressing incorrect operations by an operator in a configuration where a rear-end regulating member has two abutting members and the state of the rear-end regulating member is changed according to the size of a sheet.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cassette body containing a sheet to be fed in a predetermined feeding direction; a guide portion formed on the bottom plate of the cassette body in the feeding direction; and an upstream end restricting member that is movably supported along the guide portion and contacts the upstream end of the sheet contained in the cassette body in the feeding direction to restrict the position of the upstream end of the sheet in the feeding direction, wherein the upstream end restricting member has a base portion that engages with the guide portion and is movable along the guide portion, and a first contact portion that can contact the upstream end of the sheet contained in the cassette body in the feeding direction A first contact member having a contact surface and a first back surface which is the back surface of the first contact surface, supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the base portion about a first pivot axis, and capable of changing its orientation from a first orientation in which the first contact surface faces downstream in the feeding direction and the first contact surface is upright in a direction intersecting the bottom plate, to a second orientation in which the first contact surface is tilted so as to overlap the bottom plate by rotating from the first orientation about the first pivot axis, a second contact surface capable of contacting the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a second back surface which is the back surface of the second contact surface The first contact member has a back surface and is supported so as to be rotatable about a second pivot axis relative to the first contact member, and has a second contact member whose orientation can be changed to a third orientation in which the second back surface overlaps with the first back surface, and a fourth orientation in which the second contact surface stands upright in a direction intersecting the first contact surface by rotating from the third orientation about the second pivot axis, and when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction in a first state in which the first contact member is in the first orientation and the second contact member is in the third orientation, the first contact surface makes contact with a sheet of a first size The feeding cassette is capable of restricting the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction, and when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end in the feeding direction of the guide portion in a second state in which the first contact member is in the second position and the second contact member is in the fourth position, the second contact surface can restrict the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of a second-size sheet having a smaller width in the feeding direction than the first size, and the upstream end restricting member is a feeding cassette having a display portion in a position visible in the second state that indicates that the second state corresponds to a second-size sheet.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is an image forming apparatus comprising: a feeding cassette for containing sheets; an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet fed from the feeding cassette in a predetermined feeding direction; an operating unit having a display screen capable of displaying information and an input unit for an operator to input the size of the sheet on which to form an image; and a control unit, wherein the feeding cassette comprises: a cassette body for containing sheets fed along the predetermined feeding direction; a guide portion formed on the bottom plate of the cassette body along the feeding direction; and a cassette body supported so as to be movable along the guide portion. The cassette body comprises an upstream end restricting member that abuts against the upstream end of the sheet housed in the cassette body in the feeding direction and restricts the position of the upstream end of the sheet in the feeding direction, the upstream end restricting member having a base portion that engages with the guide portion and is movable along the guide portion, a first contact surface that can abut against the upstream end of the sheet housed in the cassette body in the feeding direction, and a first back surface which is the back surface of the first contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis with respect to the base portion, with the first contact surface facing downstream in the feeding direction and the first contact surface intersecting with the bottom plate A first contact member whose posture can be changed between a first posture in which it is upright in the direction of feeding and a second posture in which it is tilted so that the first contact surface overlaps the bottom plate by rotating from the first posture around the first pivot axis, a second contact surface that can contact the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a second back surface which is the back surface of the second contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the first contact member around the second pivot axis, and a third posture in which the second back surface overlaps the first back surface, and the second contact surface is tilted so that it overlaps the bottom plate by rotating from the third posture around the second pivot axis The device has a second contact member whose orientation can be changed, and a fourth orientation in which it is upright in a direction intersecting the first contact surface, and when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction in a first state in which the first contact member is in the first orientation and the second contact member is in the third orientation, the position of the upstream end of the first size sheet in the feeding direction can be restricted by the first contact surface, and when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction in a second state in which the first contact member is in the second orientation and the second contact member is in the fourth orientation,The second contact surface can restrict the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of a second-size sheet, which has a smaller width in the feeding direction than the first size. The control unit, when a second-size sheet is input from the input unit as the sheet size for image formation, displays an explanation or diagram on the display screen indicating that the upstream end restricting member is in the second state.

[0010] According to this disclosure, in a configuration in which the rear end regulating member has two contact members and changes the state of the rear end regulating member according to the size of the sheet, operator error can be suppressed. Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become clear from the following description with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, the same or similar components are given the same reference numeral.

[0011] A schematic diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. A perspective view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end regulating plate is located at the upstream end in the feed direction of the guide recess in the first state. A plan view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end regulating plate is located at the upstream end in the feed direction of the guide recess in the first state. An enlarged perspective view of the rear end regulating plate in the first state according to the first embodiment. An enlarged perspective view of the rear end regulating plate in the third state according to the first embodiment. An enlarged perspective view of the rear end regulating plate in the second state according to the first embodiment. A schematic side view showing the second state of the rear end regulating plate according to the first embodiment. A perspective view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end regulating plate is located at the downstream end in the feed direction of the guide recess in the first state. A plan view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end regulating plate is located at the downstream end in the feed direction of the guide recess in the first state. A perspective view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end restrictor plate is located at the downstream end of the guide recess in the feed direction in the third state. A plan view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end restrictor plate is located at the downstream end of the guide recess in the feed direction in the third state. A perspective view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end restrictor plate is located at the downstream end of the guide recess in the feed direction in the second state. A plan view of the feed cassette according to the first embodiment, where the rear end restrictor plate is located at the downstream end of the guide recess in the feed direction in the second state. A control block diagram relating to the feed cassette of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the home screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the system menu screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the cassette setting screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the cassette 1 setting screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the paper size setting screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the paper type setting screen in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A diagram showing the screen when an envelope is selected in the operation panel according to the second embodiment. A control block diagram relating to the feeding cassette of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. A diagram showing the screen in the operation panel according to the third embodiment indicating that the position of the rear end regulating plate is incorrect relative to the envelope.

[0012] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 7. First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described using Figure 1.

[0013] [Image Forming Apparatus] The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem-type intermediate transfer image forming apparatus in which image forming stations PY, PM, PC, and PK are arranged in series along the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 12. In response to image signals transmitted from external devices such as personal computers or from document scanning devices, such an image forming apparatus 100 forms a full-color image on a recording material sheet S (paper, plastic sheet, etc.) using an electrophotographic method.

[0014] Such an image forming apparatus 100 is capable of performing an image forming operation to form an image on a sheet S, and is arranged within the apparatus body 101 and includes an image forming unit 110 for forming an image on the sheet S, a fuser 13, a feeding unit 28, etc. The image forming unit 110 includes a plurality of image forming stations PY, PM, PC, PK, an exposure device 10, an intermediate transfer belt 12 as an intermediate transfer body, etc. In the image forming stations PY, PM, PC, and PK, toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are formed, respectively.

[0015] The four image forming stations PY, PM, PC, and PK of the image forming apparatus 100 have substantially the same configuration except for the difference in development color. Therefore, the image forming station PY will be described as a representative example below, and the configurations of the other image forming stations will be shown by replacing the subscript "Y" used in the configuration of image forming station PY with M, C, and K respectively, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0016] The image forming station PY is equipped with a cylindrical photosensitive drum, i.e., a photosensitive drum 5Y, as the image carrier. The photosensitive drum 5Y is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Around the photosensitive drum 5Y are a charger 7Y as a charging means, a developer 8Y as a developing means, and a primary transfer roller 4Y as a primary transfer means. An exposure device (laser scanner) 10 is located below the photosensitive drum 5Y in the figure.

[0017] The photosensitive drum 5Y, charger 7Y, and developer 8Y are mounted on a cartridge 22Y that can be attached to the main body 101 of the device. The primary transfer roller 4Y can change position by operating a solenoid (not shown), which can switch between a contact state and a separated state between the intermediate transfer belt 12 and the photosensitive drum 5Y.

[0018] The photosensitive drum 5Y is constructed by coating the outer circumference of an aluminum cylinder with an organic photoconductive layer, and rotates when the driving force of a drive motor (not shown) is transmitted to it. The drive motor rotates the photosensitive drum 5Y in the clockwise direction shown in Figure 1 according to the image forming operation. The charger 7Y is equipped with a charging roller 7YR that rotates in contact with the photosensitive drum 5Y, and uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 5Y. The exposure apparatus 10 irradiates the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 5Y with exposure light (laser light), selectively exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 5Y and forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 5Y.

[0019] As described above, the developer unit 8Y can develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 5Y using a developer. Specifically, the developer unit 8Y contains toner as the developer and is equipped with a developing roller 8YR. The developing roller 8YR, acting as a developer carrier, is positioned opposite the photosensitive drum 5Y and rotates while carrying the developer inside the developer unit 8Y. Then, using the toner transported by the developing roller 8YR to the part opposite the photosensitive drum 5Y, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 5Y is developed to form a toner image.

[0020] During full-color image formation, the intermediate transfer belt 12 rotates counterclockwise while in contact with the photosensitive drums 5Y, 5M, 5C, and 5K. In the primary transfer section, the toner images of each color are transferred by the primary transfer bias applied to the primary transfer rollers 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K. Then, by gripping and transporting the sheet S at the position of the secondary transfer roller 9, the full-color toner images are simultaneously superimposed and transferred onto the sheet S.

[0021] On the other hand, during monochrome image formation, the intermediate transfer belt 12 rotates counterclockwise while in contact only with the photosensitive drum 5K, and in the primary transfer section, the toner image is transferred by the primary transfer bias applied to the primary transfer roller 4K. Then, by gripping and transporting the sheet S at the position of the secondary transfer roller 9, the monochrome toner image is transferred to the sheet S. The primary transfer rollers 4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K and the secondary transfer roller 9 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 12.

[0022] The sheet S is housed in the feed cassette 200 of the feed unit 28. The sheet S is then transported from the feed cassette 200 through the transport path 25 to the registration roller pair 3 by the pickup rollers 32A, 32B, feed rollers 33A, 33B, and the pull-out roller pair 34A, 34B. Furthermore, the sheet S is transported by the registration roller pair 3 to the position of the secondary transfer roller 9 (secondary transfer unit) in synchronization with the timing of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12, and the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 12 as described above. The sheet S can also be fed from a manual feed tray (not shown), and sheets fed from the manual feed tray are also transported to the secondary transfer unit via the registration roller pair 3.

[0023] The fuser unit 13 transports the sheet S on which the toner image has been transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 12, and fixes the transferred toner image to the sheet. Such a fuser unit 13 includes a fuser roller 14 for heating the sheet S and a pressure roller 15 for pressing the sheet S against the fuser roller 14. The fuser roller 14 and the pressure roller 15 are formed in a hollow shape, and a heater is built into the fuser roller 14, which is controlled to reach a temperature suitable for the specified type of sheet S. The sheet S holding the toner image is transported by the fuser roller 14 and the pressure roller 15, and the toner is fixed to the surface by applying heat and pressure. After the toner image has been fixed, the sheet S is discharged into the discharge tray 27 by the discharge roller pair 31. This completes the image forming operation.

[0024] The control unit 120 controls the entire image forming apparatus 100. This control unit 120 includes 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 the ROM. The RAM stores working data and input data, and the CPU controls the apparatus by referring to the data stored in the RAM based on the aforementioned programs.

[0025] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 has an operation panel 35 as an operation unit. The operation panel 35 has a display screen capable of displaying information and an input unit into which the operator can input the size of the sheet on which to form an image. In this embodiment, the operation panel 35 is a touch-operable screen, and information can be input or selected by touching the buttons displayed on the screen. The control unit 120 controls the image forming apparatus 100 based on the information input from the operation panel 35. For example, if the size and type of sheet are input, the control unit feeds the sheet from the corresponding cassette or manual feed tray.

[0026] [Feeding Cassette] The feeding cassette 200 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2A to 5B. The feeding cassette 200 contains sheets and, when mounted on the main body 101 of the image forming apparatus 100, the contained sheets are fed along a predetermined feeding direction (direction of arrow α in Figure 2B, hereinafter referred to as "feeding direction α"). The feeding cassette 200 can be inserted into and pulled out of the main body 101 of the image forming apparatus 100 along the width direction (direction of arrow β in Figure 2B, hereinafter referred to as "width direction β") which intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) the feeding direction α. ​​The width direction β is the front-to-back direction of the image forming apparatus 100, and the feeding cassette 200 can be pulled out to the front to allow for replenishment of sheets, and can be inserted to the rear to be mounted on the main body 101.

[0027] The front of the image forming apparatus 100 is the side where the operator operates the control panel 35, and the rear is the opposite side from the front. In the following description, "right side" and "left side" refer to the right and left sides when viewing the image forming apparatus 100 from the front. Therefore, the feeding direction α is the left-right direction.

[0028] The above-mentioned feeding cassette 200 includes a cassette body 201, a guide recess 202 as a guide section, a mounting plate 203 as a lifting member, a pair of side restricting plates 204 as a pair of side restricting members, and a rear end restricting plate 205 as an upstream end restricting member.

[0029] The cassette body 201 houses the sheets that are fed along the feeding direction α. ​​The cassette body 201 has a box shape with an open top and has a bottom plate 201a, side plates 201b and 201c located on both sides in the front-to-back direction, and side plates 201d and 201e located on both sides in the left-to-right direction. The sheets can be housed in the space enclosed by these bottom plate 201a and side plates 201b, 201c, 201d, and 201e. A cover 206 is provided on the front side plate 201b of the cassette body 201. When the feeding cassette 200 is mounted on the device body 101, the cover 206 closes the front opening of the space into which the feeding cassette 200 is inserted in the device body 101. The cover 206 is also provided with a hook recess 206a for hooking a hand or the like to pull the feeding cassette 200 out of the device body 101.

[0030] A guide recess 202 is formed in the bottom plate 201a along the feeding direction α. ​​The guide recess 202 is formed in the bottom plate 201a approximately in the center of the width direction β, extending from near the left side plate 201d to slightly downstream of the center in the feeding direction α. ​​Therefore, with respect to the feeding direction α, the upstream end of the guide recess 202 is located near the left side plate 201d, but the downstream end is located away from the right side plate 201e.

[0031] The mounting plate 203 is supported so as to be able to move up and down relative to the bottom plate 201a, and moves the sheet housed in the cassette body up and down. At least a portion of the mounting plate 203 is located further downstream than the downstream end of the guide recess 202 with respect to the feeding direction α. ​​That is, the mounting plate 203 has a main body portion 203a located approximately in the center of the width direction β, and upstream extensions 203b and downstream extensions 203c extending from the main body portion 203a on both sides in the width direction β. The upstream extensions 203b have a shape that extends from the upstream portion of the main body portion 203a in the feeding direction α to both sides in the width direction β. The downstream extensions 203c have a shape that extends from the downstream portion of the main body portion 203a in the feeding direction α to both sides in the width direction β. In addition, the main body portion 203a has a notch portion 203d that is cut out from the upstream end toward the downstream side with respect to the feeding direction α. The guide recess 202 is formed to penetrate the notch 203d, and the portion of the guide recess 202 that penetrates the notch 203d is exposed upward through the notch 203d.

[0032] Such a mounting plate 203 is supported, for example, at its upstream end in the feeding direction α by a pivot shaft (not shown) relative to both front-rear plates 201b and 201c. A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting plate 203 is provided between the mounting plate 203 and the bottom plate 201a, and by operating the lifting mechanism, the mounting plate 203 rotates around the pivot shaft. This causes the mounting plate 203 to tilt upward as it moves downstream in the feeding direction α, so that the downstream end of the sheet in the feeding cassette 200 in the feeding direction α can be brought close to or in contact with the feeding roller 33A or 33B, as shown in Figure 1. For example, when the feeding cassette 200 is mounted on the device body 101, the mounting plate 203 is raised to allow the sheet in the feeding cassette 200 to be fed by the feeding roller 33A or 33B. On the other hand, when the feed cassette 200 is pulled out from the main body 101 of the device, the mounting plate 203 is lowered before the feed cassette 200 is pulled out to prevent the stored sheet from interfering with the feed roller 33A or 33B when the feed cassette 200 is pulled out.

[0033] A pair of side regulating plates 204 are supported so as to be movable in the width direction β relative to the bottom plate 201a of the cassette body 201, and regulate the position of both ends of the sheet housed in the cassette body 201 in the width direction β. At least a portion of the pair of side regulating plates 204 is located further downstream than the downstream end of the guide recess 202 with respect to the feeding direction α. ​​In this embodiment, the pair of side regulating plates 204 are located between the upstream extension 203b and the downstream extension 203c of the mounting plate 203.

[0034] Each of the pair of side regulating plates 204 has a rack gear (not shown), and each rack gear meshes with a pinion gear supported by the bottom plate 201a. When one of the side regulating plates 204 is moved, the rack gear fixed to that side regulating plate 204 rotates the pinion gear. Then, due to the meshing of the rack gear and pinion gear fixed to the other side regulating plate 204, the other side regulating plate 204 also moves in the width direction β. As a result, the pair of side regulating plates 204 move synchronously in the width direction β. This makes it possible to move the position of the pair of side regulating plates 204 in the width direction β to a position corresponding to the size of the sheet housed in the cassette body 201.

[0035] [Rear End Restricting Plate] The rear end restricting plate 205 is supported so as to be movable along the guide recess 202 and contacts the upstream end (hereinafter also referred to as the "rear end") of the sheet housed in the cassette body 201 in the feeding direction α to restrict the position of the rear end of the sheet. The rear end restricting plate 205 will be described with reference to Figures 3A to 7B. The rear end restricting plate 205 has a base portion 2051, a first contact member 2052, and a second contact member 2053.

[0036] In this embodiment, the rear end regulating plate 205 has a first contact member 2052 and a second contact member 2053 that contact the rear end of the sheet housed in the cassette body 201 and function as a regulating member that regulates the position of the sheet in the feeding direction α. ​​The rear end regulating plate 205 can take on three states, as shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C. Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C are enlarged perspective views of the area around the rear end regulating plate 205 in each of the states. Figure 3A shows the first state in which the position of the rear end of the sheet is regulated by the first contact member 2052, and Figure 3C shows the second state in which the position of the rear end of the sheet is regulated by the second contact member 2053. Figure 3B shows the third state in which the first contact member 2052 and the second contact member 2053 are folded and collapsed into the guide recess 202 when transitioning from the first state to the second state.

[0037] The rear end regulating plate 205 can be positioned at a desired position in the feeding direction α by the engagement of racks formed on both sides in the width direction β of any of the base portion 2051, the first contact member 2052, and the second contact member 2053 with racks formed on both sides in the width direction β of the guide recess 202. When moving the rear end regulating plate 205 along the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, this is basically done in the first state shown in Figure 3A, but the rear end regulating plate 205 can also be moved along the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α in the third state shown in Figure 3B, or in the second state shown in Figure 3C.

[0038] Normally, the rear end restricting plate 205 is moved along the feeding direction α in the first state to position it according to the size of the sheet, thereby restricting the rear end position of the corresponding sheet. In this case, if the first size is defined as the sheet size for which the rear end position can be restricted when the rear end restricting plate 205 is positioned at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α in the first state, then in the first state, the rear end position of a second-size sheet, which is smaller than the first-size sheet, cannot be restricted. For example, if the first size is A5 size, then the rear end position of a second-size sheet, such as an envelope, which has a width in the feeding direction α smaller than the first size, cannot be restricted by the rear end restricting plate 205 in the first state.

[0039] As described above, further downstream from the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, there is a part of the mounting plate 203 and a part of the pair of side restricting plates 204. The mounting plate 203 is a mechanism that moves up and down by a lifting mechanism, and such a lifting mechanism is located further downstream from the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, between the mounting plate 203 and the bottom plate 201a. Also, since the pair of side restricting plates 204 are configured to move in conjunction, there is a mechanism that moves the side restricting plates 204, such as a pinion gear, between the pair of side restricting plates 204, further downstream from the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α. ​​Therefore, it is difficult to extend the guide recess 202 further downstream.

[0040] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear end regulating plate 205 is configured to have a first contact member 2052 and a second contact member 2053, and as shown in Figures 7A and 7B which will be described later, the rear end regulating plate 205 is in a second state, and the rear end position of the second size sheet described above can be regulated by the second contact member 2053. The configurations of the rear end regulating plate 205 will be described in detail below.

[0041] The base portion 2051 is movable along the guide recess 202. That is, the base portion 2051 is positioned within the guide recess 202, and the base portion 2051 is made movable along the guide recess 202 by engaging, for example, a projection that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the base portion 2051 with a guide hole (not shown) formed on the inside of the guide recess 202 along the feeding direction α.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3A, the first contact member 2052 is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the base portion 2051 around the first pivot axis 2052a. The first pivot axis 2052a is an axis arranged along the width direction β. The first pivot axis 2052a is located upstream of the center of the base portion 2051 with respect to the feeding direction α. ​​In this embodiment, the first pivot axis 2052a is located at or near the upstream end of the base portion 2051 with respect to the feeding direction α.

[0043] Further, the first contact member 2052 has a first contact surface 2052b that can contact the rear end of the sheet accommodated in the cassette body 201, and a first back surface 2052c (see FIG. 3C) that is the surface on the back side of the first contact surface 2052b. The first contact member 2052 can change its posture between a first posture (also referred to as a first upright posture) shown in FIG. 3A and a second posture (also referred to as a first tilted posture) shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C.

[0044] The first upright posture as the first posture is a posture in which the first contact surface 2052b faces downstream in the feeding direction α and the first contact surface 2052b stands upright in a direction intersecting (in this embodiment, perpendicular) to the bottom plate 201a. When the first contact member 2052 changes from the first tilted posture to the first upright posture, it rotates about the first rotation axis 2052a such that the tip end portion (the end portion opposite to the first rotation axis 2052a) 2052d moves upstream in the feeding direction α. Then, the lower end portion (the upstream end portion in the feeding direction α in the first tilted posture) 2052e (see FIG. 3B) of the first contact member 2052 abuts on the upper surface 2051a (see FIG. 3B) of a part of the base portion 2051 (for example, the upstream end portion in the feeding direction α), thereby restricting the rotation of the first contact member 2052. The first tilted posture as the second posture is a posture in which the first contact surface 2052b falls so as to overlap the bottom plate 201a by rotating about the first rotation axis 2052a from the first posture.

[0045] The second contact member 2053 is supported so as to be rotatable about a second rotation axis 2053a with respect to the first contact member 2052. The second rotation axis 2053a is an axis arranged parallel to the first rotation axis 2052a. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the second rotation axis 2053a is provided on the downstream side of the center of the first contact member 2052 in the state of the first tilted posture with respect to the feeding direction α. In this embodiment, the second rotation axis 2053a is provided at or near the downstream end portion of the first contact member 2052 in the state of the first tilted posture with respect to the feeding direction α.

[0046] Further, the second abutting member 2053 has a second abutting surface 2053b that can abut against the rear end of the sheet accommodated in the cassette body 201, and a second back surface 2053c (see FIG. 3C) that is the surface on the back side of the second abutting surface 2053b. And the second abutting member 2053 can change its posture between a third posture (also referred to as a second tilting posture) shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B and a fourth posture (also referred to as a second standing posture) shown in FIG. 3C.

[0047] The second tilting posture as the third posture is a posture in which the second back surface 2053c overlaps with the first back surface 2052c. The second standing posture as the fourth posture is a posture in which the second abutting surface 2053b stands up in a direction (in this embodiment, a perpendicular direction) intersecting the first abutting surface 2052b by rotating about the second rotation axis 2053a from the second tilting posture. When the second abutting member 2053 changes from the second tilting posture to the second standing posture, it rotates about the second rotation axis 2053a so that the tip portion (the end portion opposite to the second rotation axis 2053a) 2053d moves to the downstream side in the feeding direction α. Then, a part of the lower end portion (the downstream end portion in the feeding direction α in the second tilting posture) 2053e of the second abutting member 2053 engages with the upstream end surface 2052f in the feeding direction α of the first abutting member 2052 in the first tilting posture, thereby restricting the rotation of the second abutting member 2053 (see FIG. 4).

[0048] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear end regulating plate 205 has a spring 2054 as a biasing portion, a first hook 2055a as a first engaging portion, and a second hook 2055b as a second engaging portion. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the rear end regulating plate 205 in a state where the first abutting member 2052 is in the first tilting posture and the second abutting member 2053 is in the second standing posture, with the base portion 2051 omitted. The spring 2054 is provided between the first abutting member 2052 and the second abutting member 2053, and biases the second abutting member 2053 in the direction of rotating from the second tilting posture to the second standing posture, that is, in the direction of standing the second abutting member 2053 against the first abutting member 2052.

[0049] The first hook 2055a is provided on the first contact member 2052. The second hook 2055b is provided on the second contact member 2053 and is engageable with the first hook 2055a. That is, the second hook 2055b engages with the first hook 2055a so that the second contact member 2053 can maintain the third position against the biasing force of the spring 2054. Furthermore, the second hook 2055b can be disengaged from the first hook 2055a when the second contact member 2053 is rotated from the third position to the fourth position.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3A, in the first state, the rear end regulating plate 205 configured in this way has the first contact member 2052 in a first upright position and the second contact member 2053 in a second tilted position. As described above, the first contact member 2052 rotates around the first pivot axis 2052a relative to the base portion 2051 to assume the first upright position. The first contact surface 2052b faces the downstream side in the feeding direction α. ​​At this time, since the second contact member 2053 is in the second tilted position, the second contact surface 2053b of the second contact member 2053 faces the upstream side in the feeding direction α.

[0051] Since the first rotating shaft 2052a is provided at or near the upstream end of the base portion 2051 with respect to the feeding direction α, the first contact surface 2052b in the first state is located near the upstream end of the base portion 2051 in the feeding direction α. ​​Then, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, when the base portion 2051 of the rear end regulating plate 205 is positioned at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α in the first state, the position of the rear end of the first size sheet can be regulated by the first contact surface 2052b of the first contact member 2052.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3C, in the second state, the rear end regulating plate 205 has the first contact member 2052 in a first tilted position and the second contact member 2053 in a second upright position. As described above, the first contact member 2052 rotates around the first pivot axis 2052a relative to the base portion 2051 to assume the first tilted position. Then, with the first contact member 2052 in the first tilted position, the second contact member 2053 is rotated around the second pivot axis 2053a to assume the second upright position. As a result, the second contact surface 2053b of the second contact member 2053 faces downstream in the feeding direction α.

[0053] Since the second rotating shaft 2053a is provided at or near the downstream end of the first contact member 2052 in the first tilted position with respect to the feeding direction α, the second contact surface 2053b in the second state is located downstream of the first contact surface 2052b in the feeding direction α compared to the first contact surface 2052b in the first state. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, when the base portion 2051 is positioned at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α in the second state, the second contact surface 2053b of the second contact member 2053 can restrict the position of the rear end of a second-size sheet, which has a smaller width in the feeding direction α than the first size. In other words, when the base portion 2051 is positioned at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, the second contact surface 2053b in the second state is located further downstream in the feeding direction α than the first contact surface 2052b in the first state. Therefore, the position of the rear end of a second-size sheet, which is smaller than the first size, can be restricted by the second contact surface 2053b.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, when the base portion 2051 of the rear end restricting plate 205 is positioned at the upstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α in the first state, the first contact surface 2052b of the first contact member 2052 can restrict the position of the rear end of a third-size sheet whose width in the feeding direction α is larger than that of the first size.

[0055] Furthermore, by setting the rear end regulating plate 205 to the third state shown in Figures 3B, 6A, and 6B, the position of the rear end of a fourth-size sheet, which has a wider width in the feeding direction α than the third size, can be regulated by the side plate 201d on the left side of the cassette body 201 (i.e., the upstream side in the feeding direction α). That is, in the case of a fourth-size sheet, the base portion 2051 is located at the upstream end in the feeding direction α of the guide recess 202, and the position of the rear end of the sheet is located upstream in the feeding direction α from the position of the first contact surface 2052b of the rear end regulating plate 205 in the first state. For this reason, in this embodiment, in order to accommodate such a fourth-size sheet, the rear end regulating plate 205 is set to the third state so that the rear end regulating plate 205 is generally housed within the guide recess 202, and the rear end of the sheet is regulated by the side plate 201d instead of the rear end regulating plate 205.

[0056] Furthermore, the position of the rear end of the fourth-size sheet may be restricted by a wall portion protruding downstream from the side plate 201d in the feeding direction α. ​​In short, it is sufficient that the base portion 2051 is located at the upstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, and that the rear end of the sheet can be restricted upstream of the first contact surface 2052b of the rear end restricting plate 205 in the first state in the feeding direction α. ​​In addition, the position of the rear end restricting plate 205 in the feeding direction α in this case may be any position in the guide recess 202.

[0057] Examples of sheets of each size described above are as follows: The first size is, for example, A5 landscape when the feeding direction α is the short side of the sheet and it is housed in the cassette body 201. The second size is, for example, envelope size when the feeding direction α is the short side of the sheet and it is housed in the cassette body 201. The third size is, for example, A4 portrait when the feeding direction α is the long side of the sheet and it is housed in the cassette body 201. The fourth size is, for example, legal size when the feeding direction α is the long side of the sheet and it is housed in the cassette body 201.

[0058] Next, the operation of the rear end regulating plate 205 when changing its orientation from the first state shown in Figure 3A to the second state shown in Figure 3C will be described. First, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the rear end regulating plate 205 is moved to the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α while remaining in the first state. Next, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the first contact member 2052 is rotated from the first upright position to the first tilted position, and the rear end regulating plate 205 is placed in the third state. Then, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the second contact member 2053 is rotated from the second tilted position to the second upright position, and the rear end regulating plate 205 is placed in the second state. As a result, the second contact surface 2053b of the second contact member 2053 faces downstream in the feeding direction α, and the rear end position of the second size sheet can be regulated by the second contact surface 2053b. Furthermore, the change in the orientation of the rear end restricting plate 205 from the first state to the second state is not limited to the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, but can be performed at any position of the guide recess 202.

[0059] [Regarding the First and Second States] In the first state, when the rear end regulating plate 205 is moved along the guide recess 202 to regulate the position of the rear end of the sheet, a mark corresponding to the sheet size is usually placed adjacent to the guide recess 202. For example, adjacent to the guide recess 202 on the bottom plate 201a, along the feeding direction α, there are markings indicating the sheet size such as A5, B5, and A4, and the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 for that sheet size. Users and service personnel then use these markings as a guide when moving the rear end regulating plate 205 to the sheet size to be accommodated in the feeding cassette 200. Therefore, errors are less likely to occur when moving the rear end regulating plate 205 according to the sheet size.

[0060] On the other hand, in this embodiment, where the rear end restricting plate 205 can take on a first state and a second state as described above, it is difficult to understand which state corresponds to which seat. For this reason, inexperienced operators may have difficulty setting the rear end restricting plate 205 to the appropriate state for the seat, and may make mistakes.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above description, for the second size sheet, the rear end restricting plate 205 is positioned at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, and this position is considered the second state. However, the rear end restricting plate 205 can move along the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α while remaining in the second state. Therefore, in the above configuration, even when the rear end restricting plate 205 is in the second state, by positioning the rear end restricting plate 205 at a position different from the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, it becomes possible to restrict sheets of other sizes of the second size.

[0062] The second state is, as described above, a state in which the first contact member 2052 is tilted so as to overlap the bottom plate 201a of the cassette body 201, and the second contact member 2053 is raised. In the raised state, the second contact member 2053 maintains the second raised position by a part of the lower end of the second contact member 2053 engaging with the upstream end face of the first contact member 2052 in the feeding direction α in the first tilted position.

[0063] Here, the first state in which the first contact member 2052 is in the first upright position is a reference position that regulates the rear end position of many types of sheet sizes. For this reason, in the first state, even if the rear end of the sheet comes into contact with the rear end regulating plate 205 somewhat strongly, the rear end regulating plate 205 is less likely to fall over. In this embodiment, when the first contact member 2052 in the first upright position moves from the first tilted position to the first upright position, the tip portion 2052d moves upstream in the feeding direction α around the first pivot axis 2052a, and the rotation is restricted when the lower end portion 2052e of the first contact member 2052 comes into contact with the upper surface 2051a of a part of the base portion 2051.

[0064] Therefore, it is difficult to rotate the first contact member 2052 in a direction that moves its tip further upstream in the feeding direction α from the first upright position. Consequently, even if a sheet comes into contact with the first contact member 2052, the contact between the lower end of the first contact member 2052 and the upper surface of a part of the base portion 2051 makes it difficult for the first contact member 2052 to tilt upstream in the feeding direction α.

[0065] On the other hand, in the second state, when the second contact member 2053 is in the second upright position, it is in a position that restricts the rear end position of a sheet of a specific size, such as a second-size sheet. For this reason, the second state is not used as frequently as the first state. For this reason, it is desirable to make it easy to return the second contact member 2053 to the second tilted position after it has been in the second upright position. Consequently, in the second state, the sheet is more likely to tip over than in the first state when the rear end of the sheet comes into contact with the rear end restricting plate 205.

[0066] In this embodiment, when the second contact member 2053 in the second upright position is moved from the second tilted position to the first upright position, the tip portion 2053d rotates around the second pivot axis 2053a so that it moves downstream in the feeding direction α, and the rotation is restricted when a part of the lower end portion 2053e of the second contact member 2053 engages with the upstream end face 2052f of the first contact member 2052 in the feeding direction α in the first tilted position. Therefore, rotating the second contact member 2053 in a direction in which its tip portion moves upstream in the feeding direction α from the second upright position is the same as the operation of returning from the second upright position to the second tilted position.

[0067] Furthermore, the engagement between the second contact member 2053 and the first contact member 2052 in the second tilted position is functionally sufficient such that the biasing force of the spring 2054 prevents the second contact member 2053 from tilting further, and that it is easy to return the second contact member 2053 from the second upright position to the second tilted position. Therefore, it is relatively easy to tilt the second contact member 2053 upstream from the second upright position, and the second state is more prone to tilting than the first state when the rear end of the seat contacts the rear end regulating plate 205.

[0068] Therefore, if the operator mistakenly positions the rear end regulating plate 205 in the second state at a position other than the downstream end in the feeding direction α of the guide recess 202, and attempts to use the rear end regulating plate 205 in the second state to regulate the rear end of a sheet of a different size than the second size, the second contact member 2053 may tilt, making it impossible to regulate the rear end of the sheet.

[0069] [Display Unit] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3C, 7A, and 7B, the rear end regulating plate 205 has a display unit 210 located in a position visible in the second state, which indicates that the second state corresponds to a second-size sheet. In this embodiment, the display unit 210 is displayed on the first back surface 2052c of the first contact member 2052. That is, in the second state, the first contact member 2052 is in the first tilted position and the second contact member 2053 is in the second upright position, so the first back surface 2052c of the first contact member 2052 is exposed. On the other hand, in the first and third states shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the first back surface 2052c is covered by the second contact member 2053. In this embodiment, the display unit 210 is provided on the first back surface 2052c, which is not exposed in states other than the second state, but is exposed when the second state is reached, making it visible to the operator.

[0070] The display unit 210 may also be provided on the second back surface 2053c of the second contact member 2053. This is because the second back surface 2053c is not exposed except in the second state, and is exposed and visible to the operator when the second state is reached. However, in the second state, the second back surface 2053c faces upstream in the feeding direction α, making it difficult for the operator to see. On the other hand, the first back surface 2052c faces upward in the second state, making it easy for the operator to see. For this reason, the first back surface 2052c is preferred as the location for providing the display unit 210.

[0071] Furthermore, the display section 210 is a label attached to the first back surface 2052c that indicates that the sheet is in a state corresponding to the second size. However, the display section 210 may also be directly engraved on the first back surface 2052c. In this embodiment, since the second size sheet is an envelope, the display section 210 is marked with "Envelope" as shown in Figures 3C, 7A, and 7B. The markings can also be anything that indicates the second state corresponds to an envelope, such as "Envelope Only" or "Not for Use with Anything Other Than Envelopes". If the second size sheet is a sheet other than an envelope, the markings should be the name of that sheet.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state, the display unit 210 is displayed in a position visible to the operator. Therefore, when the operator sets it to the second state, they can intuitively understand that this state corresponds to a second-size sheet. This prevents the operator from mistakenly moving the rear end regulating plate 205 in the second state to a position that regulates the rear end of a sheet other than the second size. In other words, in this embodiment, the rear end regulating plate 205 has two contact members 2052 and 2053, and the state of the rear end regulating plate 205 is changed between a first state and a second state according to the size of the sheet, and operator error can be suppressed.

[0073] By suppressing erroneous operation of the rear end regulating plate 205 in this way, it is possible to prevent the rear end regulating of sheets other than the second size by the rear end regulating plate 205 in the second state. As a result, when other sheets are placed in the feeding cassette 200, it is possible to prevent situations such as the rear end regulating plate 205 falling over and being unable to regulate the rear end of the sheet, thereby improving usability.

[0074] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 15. In this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment described above, when a second-size sheet is selected as the sheet for image formation, the display screen of the operation panel 35 will display an explanation or diagram indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state. The other configurations and operations are the same as in the first embodiment described above, so the same reference numerals are used for similar configurations, and their explanations and illustrations will be omitted or simplified. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0075] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, there is an operation panel 35 as an operation unit and a control unit 120. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 120 has a CPU 121, ROM 122, and RAM 123. The functions of the CPU 121, ROM 122, and RAM 123 are as described in the first embodiment. The operation panel 35 has a display screen 35a capable of displaying information and an input unit 35b into which the operator can input the size of the sheet on which to form an image. In this embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, the operation panel 35 is a touch-operable screen, and information can be input or selected by touching the buttons displayed on the screen. That is, information can be input or selected by touching the buttons displayed on the display screen 35a. Some functions of the input unit 35b (for example, functions for inputting numbers such as a numeric keypad), or all functions, may be physical keys.

[0076] In this embodiment, when a second-size sheet (an envelope in this embodiment) is input from the input unit 35b as the size of the sheet for image formation, the control unit 120 displays an explanation or diagram on the display screen 35a indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 is set to the second state. The following explanation will be given using Figures 9 to 15, describing the case when the operator selects an envelope from the home screen of the operation panel 35. Figures 9 to 15 show the screens displayed on the operation panel 35, respectively.

[0077] [Display on the Control Panel] Figure 9 shows the home screen. When the operator touches the "System Menu" button 300 displayed on the display screen 35a, the display screen 35a switches to the "System Menu" screen shown in Figure 10. On this screen, when the operator touches the "Cassette / Manual Feed Tray Settings" button 301 displayed on the display screen 35a, the display screen 35a switches to the "Cassette / Manual Feed Tray Settings" screen shown in Figure 11. Here, it is assumed that the envelope is contained in the feed cassette 200 corresponding to "Cassette 1" (hereinafter simply referred to as "Cassette 1"). Therefore, the operator touches the "Next" button 302 for "Cassette 1" displayed on the display screen 35a.

[0078] The display screen 35a then switches to the "Cassette 1" settings screen shown in Figure 12. On this screen, the size of the sheets to be stored in Cassette 1 (in the illustrated example, "Paper Size") and the type of sheets (in the illustrated example, "Paper Type") can be set. The operator can change the paper size by touching the "Change" button 303 for "Paper Size" displayed on the display screen 35a. When the "Change" button 303 for "Paper Size" is touched, the display screen 35a switches to the "Paper Size" settings screen shown in Figure 13. On this screen, when the operator touches the "Other" button 304, buttons corresponding to multiple sizes included in "Other" are displayed on the paper size selection screen 305 on the same screen. Here, on the selection screen 305, the operator touches the "Envelope 1" button 306 and then touches the "OK" button 307. Then, the paper size of Cassette 1 is set to "Envelope 1".

[0079] In Figure 13, when the "OK" button 307 is touched, the screen shown in Figure 12 is displayed again on the display screen 35a. The operator can change the paper type by touching the "Change" button 308 for "Paper Type" displayed on the display screen 35a. When the "Change" button 308 for "Paper Type" is touched, the display screen 35a switches to the "Paper Type" setting screen shown in Figure 14. On this screen, the operator touches the "Envelope" button 309 and then touches the "OK" button 310. As a result, the paper type of cassette 1 is set to "Envelope". In other words, "Envelope" is entered as the sheet for cassette 1.

[0080] Once the size and type of sheet in cassette 1 have been selected, the display screen 35a will show that "Envelope1" has been selected as the paper size and "Envelope" as the paper type, as shown in Figure 15. Then, on this screen, an explanation or diagram indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state will be displayed. In this case, the display screen 35a shows screen 311 with the explanation "Open the paper length guide as shown in the diagram" and screen 312 with a diagram indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state. The "paper length guide" is the rear end regulating plate 205.

[0081] The screen 311 explaining that the rear end restrictor plate 205 is in the second state, and the screen 312 showing a diagram of the rear end restrictor plate 205 being in the second state, are displayed on the same screen. However, screens 311 and 312 may be displayed on separate screens. For example, screen 311 may be displayed on display screen 35a first, and after a predetermined time, display screen 35a may automatically switch to display screen 312. Alternatively, screens 311 and 312 may be displayed alternately at predetermined intervals, or a button such as "Next" may be displayed on screen 311, and touching this button may display screen 312.

[0082] In this embodiment, screen 312 is a diagram showing the rear end regulating plate 205 changing from the first state to the second state. In the illustrated example, the left diagram of screen 312 shows the first state, the center diagram shows the third state, and the right diagram shows the second state, with arrows between them to make it intuitively clear how the rear end regulating plate 205 changes its posture from the first state to the second state. The center third state may be omitted. These states may also be shown as animations. Alternatively, these states may be displayed on separate screens and automatically switched sequentially after a predetermined time, or they may be switched manually by touching a button.

[0083] In the above description, when an envelope is entered as a sheet, screens 311 and 312 are displayed, but it is also possible to display only one of the screens. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the display unit 210 is displayed in a position visible in the second state of the rear end regulating plate 205 (for example, the first back side surface 2052c), but the display unit 210 may be omitted. However, in order to further suppress erroneous operation, it is preferable to display the display unit 210 on the rear end regulating plate 205 as in this embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the operator selects a second-size sheet by operating the operation panel 35, an explanation or diagram indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state is displayed on the display screen 35a of the operation panel 35. This makes it possible for the operator to operate the rear end regulating plate 205 according to the instructions displayed on the screen, thereby further suppressing operator errors.

[0085] <Third Embodiment> The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 and 17. In the above-described embodiment, when a second-size sheet was input via the operation panel 35, an explanation or diagram indicating that the rear end regulating plate 205 was set to the second state was displayed on the display screen 35a of the operation panel 35. In this embodiment, in addition to this, the state of the rear end regulating plate 205 is detected, and if the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is incorrect despite a second-size sheet being input, this fact is displayed on the display screen 35a. The other configurations and operations are the same as in the second embodiment described above, so the same reference numerals are used for similar configurations, and their explanations and illustrations are omitted or simplified. The following description will focus on the differences from the second embodiment.

[0086] As shown in Figure 16, the image forming apparatus of this embodiment includes a rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 as a position detection unit and a rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 as a state detection unit. The rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 can detect when the rear end regulating plate 205 is located at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α. ​​In this embodiment, the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 is provided, for example, at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α. ​​Furthermore, the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 may include, for example, a flag provided at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α and a photointerrupter that detects the operation of the flag, and a configuration in which a signal output to the control unit 120 changes when the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 reaches the downstream end of the guide recess 202. However, the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 is not limited to this; any sensor capable of detecting that the rear end regulating plate 205 is located at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α is acceptable, such as a contact-type sensor like a piezoelectric element or another optical sensor.

[0087] The rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 can detect whether the rear end regulating plate 205 is in a first state or a second state. In this embodiment, the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 detects whether the second contact member 2053 is in a second upright position or a second tilted position. That is, when the second contact member 2053 is in the second upright position, it is open relative to the first contact member 2052, and when the second contact member 2053 is in the second tilted position, it is closed relative to the first contact member 2052. The rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 is capable of detecting either of these states.

[0088] The rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 is configured such that, for example, a projection is provided on either the first contact member 2052 or the second contact member 2053 that can move back and forth relative to the other member, and the position of this projection is detected by a contact-type sensor such as a piezoelectric element or a photointerrupter. When the second contact member 2053 is in the second tilted position, the projection contacts the other member of the first contact member 2052 and retracts into the other member, and when the second contact member 2053 is in the second upright position, the other member separates from the other member, causing the projection to protrude from the other member. The operation of this projection is detected by the sensor and output to the control unit 120. However, the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 is not limited to this configuration, and other configurations are also possible as long as it is possible to detect whether the rear end regulating plate 205 is in either the first state or the second state.

[0089] When a second-size sheet (an envelope in this embodiment) is input from the input unit 35b as the size of the sheet for image formation, the control unit 120, if the position of the rear end restrictor plate 205 is not at the downstream end of the feeding direction α of the guide recess 202 based on the detection result of the rear end restrictor plate position sensor 401, and the state of the rear end restrictor plate 205 is not the second state based on the detection result of the rear end restrictor plate opening / closing sensor 402, displays on the display screen 35a that the position of the rear end restrictor plate 205 is incorrect.

[0090] In other words, when the control unit 120 selects a second-size sheet by operating the operation panel 35, it first displays a screen as shown in Figure 15, similar to the second embodiment. Then, for example, when the start button 315 for starting image formation is touched, the control unit 120 determines, based on signals output from the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 and the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402, whether the rear end regulating plate 205 is located at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 in the feeding direction α, and whether the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the second state. This determination may be made after a certain period of time has elapsed since the display of the screen shown in Figure 15.

[0091] Then, if none of the above conditions are met, that is, if the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is not at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 and the rear end regulating plate 205 is not in the second state, the control unit 120 displays a screen as shown in Figure 17 on the display screen 35a. Specifically, the display screen 35a displays a screen 313 that explains that the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is incorrect, with the message "The paper length guide is not in the correct position." The same screen also displays a screen 314 that shows the case where the rear end regulating plate 205 is located at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 and is in the second state. In this embodiment, screen 314 is the same as screen 312 in Figure 15, but other figures may be used. For example, only the figure on the right side of screen 314 may be used.

[0092] In such cases, the control unit 120 prohibits the image formation operation, even if the start button 315 for initiating image formation is touched. For example, it prevents any response even if the start button 315 is touched. When the operator operates the rear end regulating plate 205, and the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 and the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 detect that the rear end regulating plate 205 is in the correct position and in the second state, the control unit 120 permits the start of the image formation operation. For example, it displays a message indicating that the start button 315 has been touched, or it automatically starts feeding the sheet and executes the image formation operation.

[0093] In the above explanation, even though the second seat is selected, if the position of the rear end restrictor plate 205 is not at the downstream end of the guide recess 202, and the rear end restrictor plate 205 is not in the second state, screens 313 and 314 are displayed on the same screen, but they may be displayed on separate screens. For example, screen 313 may be displayed on display screen 35a first, and after a predetermined time, display screen 35a may automatically switch to display screen 314. Alternatively, screens 313 and 314 may be displayed alternately at predetermined intervals, or a button such as "Next" may be displayed on screen 313, and screen 314 may be displayed when this button is touched.

[0094] Furthermore, screen 314 is the same as screen 312 shown in Figure 15. That is, it is a diagram that shows the rear end regulating plate 205 changing from the first state to the second state. In this case, as described in the second embodiment, it may be shown with an animation or by switching between each state. Also, even if the second sheet is selected, if the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is not at the downstream end of the guide recess 202 and the rear end regulating plate 205 is not in the second state, only one of screens 313 or 314 may be displayed.

[0095] In this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the display unit 210 is displayed on the rear end regulating plate 205 in a position visible in the second state (for example, the first rear side surface 2052c), but the display unit 210 may be omitted. However, it is preferable to display the display unit 210 on the rear end regulating plate 205 as in this embodiment, because it makes it easier for the operator to operate the rear end regulating plate 205 when viewing the screen in Figure 17.

[0096] In this embodiment, even if the operator selects a second-size sheet by operating the control panel 35, if the position or state of the rear end regulating plate 205 is incorrect, a message to that effect is displayed on the display screen 35a. This helps to further reduce operator error.

[0097] In the above explanation, the control unit 120 uses the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 and the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 to determine whether the position and state of the rear end regulating plate 205 are correct. However, either sensor may be omitted. For example, if the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 is omitted and only the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 is provided, the control unit 120 will display on the display screen 35a that the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is incorrect if the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is not the downstream end in the feeding direction α of the guide recess 202, based on the detection result of the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401. Also, if the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 is omitted and only the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402 is provided, the control unit 120 will display on the display screen 35a that the position of the rear end regulating plate 205 is incorrect if the state of the rear end regulating plate 205 is not the second state, based on the detection result of the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402.

[0098] Thus, if the position or state of the rear end regulating plate 205 can be determined by either the rear end regulating plate position sensor 401 or the rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor 402, the accuracy will be lower compared to when both sensors are provided, but it will reduce operator error compared to when neither sensor is provided.

[0099] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above. For example, the image forming apparatus 100 may be a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction device having multiple functions thereof.

[0100] The embodiments of this disclosure can also be realized by providing software (a computer program product including a computer program) that performs the functions of the embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and by having the computer or central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor unit (MPU) of that system or device read and execute the computer program.

[0101] The feeding cassette and image forming apparatus according to this disclosure are suitable for a feeding cassette that contains sheets fed along a predetermined feeding direction, and for an image forming apparatus equipped with a feeding cassette.

[0102] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the following claims are attached to make the scope of this disclosure public.

[0103] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-169975, filed on September 30, 2024, and all of its contents are incorporated herein by reference.

[0104] 35...Operation panel (operation unit) 35a...Display screen 35b...Input unit 100...Image forming apparatus 110...Image forming unit 120...Control unit 200...Feeding cassette 201...Cassette body 201a...Bottom plate 202...Guide recess (guide unit) 203...Mounting plate (lifting / lowering member) 204...Side regulating plate (side regulating member) 205...Rear end regulating plate (rear end regulating member) 210...Display unit 401...Rear end regulating plate position sensor (position detection unit) 402...Rear end regulating plate opening / closing sensor (state detection unit) 2051...Base unit 2051a...Top surface 2052...First contact member 2052a...First pivot axis 2052b...First contact surface 2052c...First back side surface 2052d...Front end 2052e...Lower end 2052f... Upstream end face 2053... Second contact member 2053a... Second pivot shaft 2053b... Second contact surface 2053c... Second back side surface 2053d... Tip 2053e... Lower end 2054... Spring (biasing part) 2055a... First hook (first engaging part) 2055b... Second hook (second engaging part)

Claims

1. A cassette body containing sheets to be fed in a predetermined feeding direction; a guide portion formed on the bottom plate of the cassette body along the feeding direction; and an upstream end restricting member supported to be movable along the guide portion and contacting the upstream end of the sheet contained in the cassette body in the feeding direction to restrict the position of the upstream end of the sheet in the feeding direction, wherein the upstream end restricting member has a base portion that engages with the guide portion and is movable along the guide portion, The first contact member has a first contact surface that can contact the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a first back surface which is the back surface of the first contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis with respect to the base portion, and is capable of changing its posture from a first posture in which the first contact surface faces downstream in the feeding direction and the first contact surface is upright in a direction intersecting the bottom plate, to a second posture in which the first contact surface is tilted over the bottom plate by rotating from the first posture about the first pivot axis, The first contact member has a second contact surface that can contact the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a second back surface which is the back surface of the second contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable about a second pivot axis with respect to the first contact member, and is capable of changing its orientation from a third orientation in which the second back surface overlaps with the first back surface, to a fourth orientation in which the second contact surface stands upright in a direction intersecting the first contact surface by rotating from the third orientation about the second pivot axis, and the first contact surface can regulate the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet of the first size when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end in the feeding direction of the guide portion in a first state in which the first contact member is in the first orientation and the second contact member is in the third orientation, In a second state in which the first contact member is in the second position and the second contact member is in the fourth position, the base portion is positioned at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction, and the second contact surface can restrict the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of a second-size sheet having a smaller width in the feeding direction than the first size, wherein the upstream end restricting member has a display portion in a position visible in the second state that indicates that the second state corresponds to a second-size sheet.

2. The feeding cassette according to claim 1, wherein when changing from the second position to the first position, the first contact member rotates around the first pivot axis such that the end opposite to the first pivot axis moves upstream in the feeding direction, and the rotation is restricted by the lower end of the first contact member contacting the upper surface of a part of the base portion.

3. The feeding cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when changing from the third position to the fourth position, the second contact member rotates around the second pivot axis such that the end opposite to the second pivot axis moves downstream in the feeding direction, and the rotation is restricted by a part of the lower end of the second contact member engaging with the upstream end face in the feeding direction of the first contact member in the second position.

4. The feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upstream end restricting member comprises: a biasing portion that biases the second contact member in a direction that rotates it from the third position to the fourth position; a first engaging portion provided on the first contact member; and a second engaging portion provided on the second contact member that engages with the first engaging portion so that the second contact member can maintain the third position against the biasing force of the biasing portion, and can release the engagement with the first engaging portion when the second contact member is rotated from the third position to the fourth position.

5. The feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first pivot shaft is provided upstream of the center of the base portion with respect to the feeding direction.

6. The feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second pivot axis is provided downstream of the center of the first contact member in the second posture state with respect to the feeding direction.

7. The display unit is a feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is displayed on the first rear side surface.

8. The feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display section is a label attached to the first back surface, indicating that it is in a state corresponding to the second size sheet.

9. The feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second size sheet is an envelope, and the display section is marked as an envelope.

10. A feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a lifting member that is supported so as to be able to move up and down with respect to the bottom plate of the cassette body and moves up and down a sheet housed inside the cassette body, wherein at least a part of the lifting member is located further downstream than the downstream end of the guide portion with respect to the feeding direction.

11. A feeding cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a pair of side restricting members that are supported so as to be movable in a width direction intersecting the feeding direction with respect to the bottom plate of the cassette body and that restrict the positions of both ends of the sheet housed in the cassette body in the width direction, wherein at least a portion of the pair of side restricting members is located further downstream than the downstream end of the guide portion with respect to the feeding direction.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising: a feeding cassette for containing sheets; an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet fed from the feeding cassette in a predetermined feeding direction; an operating unit having a display screen capable of displaying information and an input unit for the operator to input the size of the sheet on which to form an image; and a control unit, wherein the feeding cassette comprises: a cassette body for containing sheets fed along the predetermined feeding direction; a guide portion formed on the bottom plate of the cassette body along the feeding direction; and an upstream end restricting member supported so as to be movable along the guide portion and contacting the upstream end of the sheet contained in the cassette body in the feeding direction to restrict the position of the upstream end of the sheet in the feeding direction, wherein the upstream end restricting member comprises: a base portion that engages with the guide portion and is movable along the guide portion, The first contact member has a first contact surface that can contact the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a first back surface which is the back surface of the first contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable about a first pivot axis with respect to the base portion, and is capable of changing its posture from a first posture in which the first contact surface faces downstream in the feeding direction and the first contact surface is upright in a direction intersecting the bottom plate, to a second posture in which the first contact surface is tilted over the bottom plate by rotating from the first posture about the first pivot axis, The first contact member has a second contact surface that can contact the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet housed in the cassette body, and a second back surface which is the back surface of the second contact surface, and is supported so as to be rotatable about a second pivot axis with respect to the first contact member, and is capable of changing its orientation from a third orientation in which the second back surface overlaps with the first back surface, to a fourth orientation in which the second contact surface stands upright in a direction intersecting the first contact surface by rotating from the third orientation about the second pivot axis, and the first contact surface can regulate the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of the sheet of the first size when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end in the feeding direction of the guide portion in a first state in which the first contact member is in the first orientation and the second contact member is in the third orientation,Image forming apparatus in which, when the base portion is positioned at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction in a second state in which the first contact member is in the second position and the second contact member is in the fourth position, the position of the upstream end in the feeding direction of a second-size sheet having a smaller width in the feeding direction than the first size can be restricted by the second contact surface, and when the control unit receives input from the input unit for a second-size sheet to be image formed, it displays an explanation or diagram on the display screen indicating that the upstream end restricting member is in the second state.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the upstream end restricting member has a display section in a position visible in the second state that indicates that the second state corresponds to a sheet of the second size.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein when the control unit receives input from the input unit for a sheet of the second size to be used for image forming, the control unit causes the display screen to show a screen displaying an explanation indicating that the upstream end restricting member is in the second state, and a screen displaying a diagram indicating that the upstream end restricting member is in the second state.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the explanation of setting the upstream end restricting member to the second state and the diagram showing the upstream end restricting member to the second state are displayed on the same screen.

16. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein when the second size sheet is input from the input unit as the size of the sheet for image formation, the figure displayed on the display screen is a figure that includes the process of changing the upstream end restricting member from the first state to the second state.

17. An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising: a position detection unit capable of detecting that the upstream end restricting member is located at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction; and a state detection unit capable of detecting whether the upstream end restricting member is in either the first state or the second state, wherein when the control unit receives input from the input unit as a sheet of the second size for image forming, if the detection result of the position detection unit indicates that the position of the upstream end restricting member is not at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction, and the detection result of the state detection unit indicates that the state of the upstream end restricting member is not the second state, the control unit displays on the display screen that the position of the upstream end restricting member is incorrect.

18. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising a position detection unit capable of detecting that the upstream end restricting member is located at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction, wherein when the control unit receives input from the input unit as a sheet of the second size for image forming, if the position of the upstream end restricting member is not at the downstream end of the guide portion in the feeding direction based on the detection result of the position detection unit, the control unit displays on the display screen that the position of the upstream end restricting member is incorrect.

19. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising a state detection unit capable of detecting whether the upstream end restricting member is in either the first state or the second state, wherein when the control unit receives input from the input unit as a sheet of the second size for image forming, if the state of the upstream end restricting member is not in the second state based on the detection result of the state detection unit, the control unit displays on the display screen that the position of the upstream end restricting member is incorrect.

Images