JP7669181B2 - Sheet feeding device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device that feeds sheets and an image forming device that forms images on sheets.

Some image forming devices such as printers, copiers, and multifunction devices are equipped with a manual tray type sheet feeding device (also called a multipurpose feeding device) that feeds sheets as recording materials from a loading tray provided on the side of the device body. This type of sheet feeding device uses a configuration in which a lifting member that supports a pickup roller is moved so that the pickup roller (feed roller) that feeds the sheets from the loading tray can be brought into contact with and separated from the sheets on the loading tray. The lifting member is biased downward in the movement direction by a spring member or the like to bring the pickup roller into contact with the sheets with a predetermined pressure force, and is controlled to move up and down by a cam mechanism or the like.

The loading tray of the manual feed tray system is provided in an opening/closing unit that can be opened and closed relative to the side of the device body, and when the loading tray is not in use, the opening/closing unit is closed to store it inside the device body. On the other hand, in order for the pickup roller to stably abut and separate from the sheet by the swinging of the lifting member, the lifting member needs to have a certain length. Therefore, in the manual feed tray system configuration, when the opening/closing unit is closed, the lifting member and pickup roller, which have such a certain length, are stored inside the device body.

Patent document 1 describes that when the tray is open, the lift plate and pickup roller are in a position that protrudes outward from the side of the device body, and that when the tray is closed, the lift plate and pickup roller are stored in the side of the device body. In this case, when the tray is closed, the tray comes into contact with and pushes up the pickup roller, moving the lift plate and pickup roller toward the device body.

JP 2016-222457 A

However, when the tray is closed in the configuration of the above document, the pickup roller is lifted against the force of the pressure spring that urges the lift plate downward, and the tray is pressed by the pickup roller due to the force of the pressure spring. The deformation of the pressure spring is at its maximum when the tray is closed, and therefore the force with which the pickup roller presses the tray is also at its maximum when the tray is closed. However, if the pressing force caused by the force of the pressure spring acts for a long period of time, for example, in a high-temperature environment, creep deformation of the tray may occur.

The present invention aims to provide a sheet feeding device and an image forming device that can suppress deformation of the opening and closing unit.

One aspect of the present invention is an apparatus including an opening/closing unit having a loading section on which sheets are loaded and capable of opening and closing between an open position and a stored position with respect to an apparatus main body, a feed roller for feeding the sheets, and a movable member for supporting the feed roller, the movable member being configured to be movable with respect to the loading section in a first direction in which the feed roller approaches the loading section and a second direction opposite to the first direction, a biasing section, and a transmission section configured to transmit a biasing force of the biasing section to the moving member, the transmission section being configured to bias the moving member in the first direction, and the opening/closing unit is configured to move the moving member in the second direction when moving from the open position to the stored position. and a biasing portion configured to bias the movable member toward the movable unit so that the movable member moves in the direction opposite to the movable member, the biasing portion biasing the movable member toward the movable unit when the opening/closing unit moves from the open position to the stored position, the biasing portion biasing the movable member toward the movable unit when the opening/closing unit is in the stored position, and the biasing portion biases the movable member toward the movable unit when the opening/closing unit is in the stored position, the biasing portion biasing ...

Another aspect of the present invention is a device including an opening/closing unit having a loading section on which sheets are loaded and capable of opening and closing between an open position and a storage position with respect to the device body, a feed roller for feeding the sheets, and a moving member supporting the feed roller, the moving member being configured to be movable relative to the loading section in a first direction in which the feed roller approaches the loading section and a second direction opposite to the first direction, a biasing section, a transmission section configured to transmit the biasing force of the biasing section to the moving member and configured to bias the moving member in the first direction, and a restricting position in which the transmission section comes into contact with the transmission section to restrict the transmission section, and a release position in which the transmission section is retracted from the restricting position. and a regulating member, the opening/closing unit is configured to push the moving unit so that the moving member moves in the second direction when moving from the open position to the storage position, the feeding roller is in a position away from the stacking unit when the opening/closing unit is in the open position and the transmission unit is in contact with the regulating member in the regulating position, the moving unit abuts against the opening/closing unit when the opening/closing unit is in a position between the open position and the storage position, the transmission unit urges the moving member in the first direction, and the transmission unit urges the moving member in the second direction when the opening/closing unit is in the storage position.

The present invention makes it possible to suppress deformation of the opening and closing unit.

1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a sheet feeding device according to the embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the swing arm according to the embodiment. 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the swing arm according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the door unit and the swing arm according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the door unit according to the embodiment is in an open position. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the door unit according to the embodiment is in the middle of moving from an open position to a stored position. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the door unit according to the embodiment is in a stored position. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the door unit according to the embodiment is in the middle of moving from the stored position to the open position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sheet feeding device according to a comparative example.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a laser beam printer, which is an image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment. The overall configuration and functions of this image forming apparatus 1 will be described below. Inside the main body 1A of the image forming apparatus 1 (within the main body), an image forming section 1B is mounted as an image forming means, in which the first to fourth process cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK are arranged in a substantially horizontal direction (in-line configuration, tandem type). Each process cartridge PY to PK has a different color of toner as the developer contained therein, but has a similar configuration to each other. Each process cartridge PY to PK of this embodiment is integrally assembled within the cartridge with a photosensitive drum 11 as an image carrier (electrophotographic photosensitive member) and a developing roller 12 as a process means acting on this photosensitive drum 11. Each process cartridge PY to PK is configured to be detachable from the main body 1A of the apparatus.

A laser scanner 2 is disposed above the process cartridges PY to PK. An intermediate transfer belt unit 20 is disposed below the process cartridges PY, PM, PC, and PK. The intermediate transfer belt unit 20 rotates in a clockwise direction in the figure, with an intermediate transfer belt 21 as an intermediate transfer body stretched between a drive roller 22, a driven roller 23, and a tension roller 24. The lower surface of the photosensitive drum 11 of each process cartridge PY to PK is in contact with the upper surface of the intermediate transfer belt 21. Four primary transfer rollers 25 are disposed inside the intermediate transfer belt 21, facing the photosensitive drum 11 of each process cartridge PY to PK. A secondary transfer roller 26 is abutted against the drive roller 22 via the intermediate transfer belt 21. A fixing device 30 and an ejection device 40 are disposed at the upper part of the device main body 1A. An ejection tray 43 is disposed on the upper surface of the device main body 1A. The fixing device 30 has a fixing film 31 with a heater substrate on the inside, and a pressure roller 32 that is in pressure contact with the heater substrate via the fixing film 31. The discharge device 40 has a discharge roller 41 and a discharge roller 42.

When the image forming device 1 performs an image forming operation, the photosensitive drum 11 rotates and the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged. The laser scanner 2 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 with laser light based on image information (print data) received from the outside, and scans and exposes the surface of the photosensitive drum 11 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11. This electrostatic latent image is visualized (developed) as a toner image by the developing roller 12.

The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 21 by the primary transfer roller 25. At this time, the toner images formed in each process cartridge PY to PK are multiple-transferred so that they overlap each other, forming a full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 21. This toner image is carried by the intermediate transfer belt 21 and transported to the secondary transfer section, which is the nip between the intermediate transfer belt 21 and the secondary transfer roller 26.

In parallel with the operation of the image forming unit 1B, a sheet S, which is a recording material, is fed from the sheet feeding devices 50 and 70 toward the image forming unit 1B. The image forming device 1 is equipped with a storage tray type sheet feeding device 50 and a manual feed tray type sheet feeding device 70. Note that a variety of sheets of different sizes and materials can be used as the sheet S, including paper such as plain paper and cardboard, sheet materials with surface treatments such as plastic film, cloth, and coated paper, and sheet materials with special shapes such as envelopes and index paper.

The storage tray type sheet feeding device 50 has sheets S stacked in a storage tray 51 that is attached to the device main body 1A so that it can be pulled out, and a feeding unit including a pickup roller 52, a feed roller 53, and a separation roller 54. The pickup roller 52 rotates in contact with the top sheet of the sheets S stacked on the storage tray 51 and sends it out to the left in the figure. The feed roller 53 further conveys the sheet S received from the pickup roller 52. The separation roller 54 abuts against the feed roller 53 to form a separation nip, and separates the sheet S conveyed by the feed roller 53 from the other sheets S by applying frictional force to the sheet passing through the separation nip. Next, the leading edge of the sheet S sent out from the feed roller 53 hits the nip between the conveying roller 61d and the conveying roller 62d of the conveying roller pair 60 (registration roller pair) that is in a stopped state, correcting the skew of the sheet S.

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

After the skew of the sheet S is corrected, the pair of transport rollers 60 starts transporting the sheet S in synchronization with the operation of the image forming unit 1B, and transports the sheet S to the secondary transfer unit. In the secondary transfer unit, the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 21 is secondarily transferred to the sheet S. The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is sent to the fixing device 30, where the toner image is fixed to the sheet S by heating and pressing it at the nip between the fixing film 31 and the pressure roller 32. The sheet S is then discharged outside the device main body 1A by the discharge rollers 41 and 42, and is stacked on the discharge tray 43.

The image forming unit 1B described above is an example of an image forming means, and a direct transfer type electrophotographic mechanism that transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier directly to a sheet may also be used. In addition, the image forming means is not limited to the electrophotographic type, and an inkjet type printing unit or an offset printing mechanism may also be used.

<Configuration and Operation of Manual Tray Type Sheet Feeding Device>
The configuration and feeding operation of the manual feed tray type sheet feeding device (sheet transport device) 70 in this embodiment will be described below. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the sheet feeding device 70. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sheet feeding device 70 has a stacking tray 81 supported by a door unit 80, and a feeding unit including a pickup roller 71, a feed roller 72, a separation roller 73, and a swinging arm (lifting arm, moving arm) 74. The door unit 80 is an opening/closing unit of this embodiment that can be opened and closed between an open position and a storage position (closed position) with respect to the device main body 1A, and the stacking tray 81 is a loading section of this embodiment. The pickup roller 71 is a feeding roller of this embodiment, and the swinging arm 74 is a swinging member (lifting member, moving member) of this embodiment. The device main body of the sheet feeding device refers to a housing that supports the opening/closing unit so that it can be opened and closed, and in this embodiment, the device main body 1A of the image forming device 1 is the device main body of the sheet feeding device 70. In other words, the sheet feeding device 70 may include the device main body 1A.

The pickup roller 71 rotates while contacting the top sheet S stacked on the stacking tray 81, and sends it out in the sheet feeding direction (leftward in FIG. 1). The feed roller 72 further transports the sheet S received from the pickup roller 71. The separation roller 73 contacts the feed roller 72 to form a separation nip, and applies friction to the sheet passing through the separation nip to separate the sheet S transported by the feed roller 72 from the other sheets S. The sheet S is then transported toward the transport roller pair 60 as described above, and supplied to the image forming unit 1B.

The separation roller 73 is, for example, a roller member connected via a torque limiter to a shaft fixed to the frame of the device main body 1A. Alternatively, a roller to which a driving force in a direction against the rotation of the feed roller 72 is input via a torque limiter can be used as the separation member. A pad-shaped friction member can also be used as the separation member.

As shown in FIG. 2, the feed roller shaft 72a supporting the feed roller 72 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion provided in the device main body 1A (FIG. 1). The roller shaft supporting the pickup roller 71 is rotatably supported by a swing arm 74. The swing arm 74 is provided so as to be swingable (movable, rotatable) around the feed roller shaft 72a, and raises and lowers the pickup roller 71 relative to the sheets S on the stacking tray 81. This allows the pickup roller 71 to move between a feeding position (lower position) in contact with the sheets S and a spaced position (upper position) spaced from the sheets S. That is, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 are movable relative to the device main body 1A and the stacking tray 81. Specifically, when the stacking tray 81 is stopped at a predetermined position relative to the device main body 1A, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 move relative to the stacking tray 81 and the device main body 1A. The portion having the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 is called a moving unit. In other words, the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 are part of the moving unit.

Below, the position of the swing arm 74 corresponding to the feeding position of the pickup roller 71 and the position of the swing arm 74 corresponding to the separated position of the pickup roller 71 will be described as the feeding position and the separated position of the swing arm 74, respectively. The lifting and lowering operation of the swing arm 74 is controlled by a lifting control mechanism, which will be described later.

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

When the toothless gear 91 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the input gear 72b via the idler gear 92, and the output gear 72c and the feed roller 72 rotate. Furthermore, the pickup gear 71a arranged at the end of the pickup roller 71 rotates via the idler gear 93 that is drivingly connected to the output gear 72c, and the pickup roller 71 also rotates. The toothless gear 91 is a gear unit in which two spur gears each having a toothless portion are overlapped, and is configured so that the rotation can be controlled by an electromagnetic solenoid (not shown). The toothless gear 91 is stopped by a regulating portion (not shown) that is moved by an electromagnetic solenoid, with the toothless portion facing a gear (not shown) that is rotated by a motor. One of the spur gears of the toothless gear 91 is biased toward the gear (not shown). Every time a trigger is input to the electromagnetic solenoid, the regulating portion moves, and the teeth of the biased spur gear mesh with the gear (not shown). When one spur gear rotates, the other spur gear rotates and the teeth of the other spur gear mesh with the gear (not shown). Then, the missing tooth gear 91 rotates once, and the feed roller 72 and the pickup roller 71 rotate due to the rotation of the missing tooth gear 91. The regulating unit again regulates the missing tooth gear 91 so that the missing tooth gear 91 stops after rotating once.

(Lifting control mechanism)
Next, the configuration of a lift control mechanism that lifts and lowers the pickup roller 71 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figures 3 and 4 are schematic diagrams of a part of the sheet feeding device 70 as viewed in the rotation axis direction X of the pickup roller 71 (nip width direction of the separation nip, sheet width direction; see Figure 2). Figure 3 shows a state in which the pickup roller 71 is in the separated position, and Figure 4 shows a state in which the pickup roller 71 is in the feeding position.

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

2 and 3, the pressure lever 75, which is the transmission part (transmission member) of this embodiment, is supported by the device main body 1A and can rotate around the shaft part 75a that is approximately parallel to the feed roller shaft 72a. In other words, the pressure lever 75 can rotate around an axis different from the axis A1 (the center of the feed roller shaft 72a) that is the swing axis of the swing arm 74 and an axis that is substantially parallel to the axis A1. The pressure lever 75 has a cam abutment part 75b that abuts against the cam surface (outer peripheral surface) of the cam 77 and an arm abutment part 75c that abuts against the protrusion part 74a that is the abutted part of the swing arm 74. The pressure lever 75 is configured to be swingable (movable) in the D1 direction and the D2 direction shown in FIG. 3. The cam 77 is configured to be movable between a restricting position where it abuts against the cam abutment portion 75b of the pressure lever 75 and restricts the position of the pressure lever 75 biased by the pressure spring 76, and a release position where it retreats from the restricting position. In this embodiment, when the cam 77 is in the release position, the cam 77 moves away from the cam abutment portion 75b of the pressure lever 75.

The arm contact portion 75c of the pressure lever 75 has a first surface C1 and a second surface C2 that can come into contact with the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 (see FIG. 6). The functions of the first surface C1 and the second surface C2 will be described later.

The pressure spring 76, which is the biasing portion (biasing member) of this embodiment, has the function of biasing the pressure lever 75 in a predetermined rotation direction, thereby biasing the swing arm 74 toward the feed position via the pressure lever 75. In this embodiment, a torsion coil spring attached around the shaft portion 75a of the pressure lever 75 is used as the pressure spring 76. One end 76a of this pressure spring 76 is attached to the spring hook portion 101, and the other end 76b is attached to the spring hook portion 75d of the pressure lever 75. The pressure spring 76 generates a force that tries to rotate the pressure lever 75 in the D1 direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3). The pressure spring 76 generates a force that tries to rotate the pressure lever 75 in a direction in which the cam abutment portion 75b of the pressure lever 75 approaches the cam 77.

Hereinafter, among the swing directions of the swing arm 74, the swing direction (first direction) when the pickup roller 71 is moved (lowered) from the separated position to the feeding position is referred to as the E1 direction. Also, the swing direction (second direction opposite to the first direction) when the pickup roller 71 is moved (raised) from the feeding position to the separated position is referred to as the E2 direction. In other words, the E1 direction is the direction in which the pickup roller 71 approaches the stacking tray 81. The E2 direction is the direction in which the pickup roller 71 moves away (away) from the stacking tray 81.

Before the start of the sheet feeding operation, the door unit 80 is in the open position, and the cam 77 is in the restricted position. As shown in FIG. 3, before the start of the sheet feeding operation, the pickup roller 71 is held in the separated position and separated upward from the stack tray 81 and the sheet S. In this state, the cam 77 and the pressure lever 75 abut at point P1, and the pressure lever 75 and the swing arm 74 abut at point P2, and the position of the swing arm 74 is maintained. That is, the cam 77 abuts against the cam abutment portion 75b of the pressure lever 75 at point P1, and the pressure lever 75, which is biased in the D1 direction by the pressure spring 76, is received and the pressure lever 75 is held. In addition, the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by a swing arm biasing spring (weight canceling spring) not shown. In this state, the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 abuts against the arm abutment 75c (first surface C1 in FIG. 6) of the pressure lever 75, positioning the swing arm 74 in the separated position.

The force of the swing arm biasing spring is set to a value slightly larger than the force that swing arm 74 tries to rotate in the E1 direction due to the weight of swing arm 74 itself and the weight of the member supported by swing arm 74. The moment of force in the E2 direction acting on swing arm 74 by swing arm biasing spring is sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the moment of force in the E1 direction that can act on swing arm 74 by pressure spring 76. Therefore, pressure lever 75 does not rotate in the D2 direction from the position in FIG. 3, but holds swing arm 74 in the position in FIG. 3 against the biasing force of swing arm biasing spring while abutting against cam 77 at point P1. In this way, pickup roller 71 is held in the separated position, so that the user can easily set sheets S on stacking tray 81.

When the sheet S is fed, the door unit 80 is in the open position, the cam 77 is in the release position, and the cam 77 is separated from the pressure lever 75. In this state, the pressure lever 75 biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. As shown in FIG. 4, when the sheet feeding operation is started, the pickup roller 71 moves from the separated position to the feeding position and abuts against the sheet S on the stacking tray 81. That is, when the sheet feeding operation starts, as described above, a trigger is input to the electromagnetic solenoid and the missing tooth gear 91 (FIG. 2) starts to rotate. Then, the cam 77 rotates clockwise together with the missing tooth gear 91 in the figure, and the cam surface of the cam 77 retreats from the cam abutment portion 75b of the pressure lever 75. Then, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 causes the pressure lever 75 to rotate in the D1 direction (counterclockwise in the figure). As the pressure lever 75 rotates in the D1 direction, the protrusion 74a of the swing arm 74 is pressed against the arm contact portion 75c (first surface C1 in FIG. 6), and the swing arm 74 swings in the E1 direction. When the pickup roller 71 comes into contact with the sheet S, the swing arm 74 stops swinging in the E1 direction. The cam surface of the cam 77 moves away from the pressure lever 75 as the swing arm 74 swings in the E1 direction.

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

In parallel with the movement of the pickup roller 71 to the feeding position, the pickup roller 71 and the feed roller 72 rotate due to the drive transmission via the gear train described above, and one sheet S is fed from the stacking tray 81. After that, the cam 77 contacts the pressure lever 75 again, causing the pressure lever 75 to rotate in the direction D2. The swing arm 74 swings in the direction E2 due to the swing arm biasing spring, and the pickup roller 71 returns from the feeding position to the separated position. Then, as the cam 77 completes its rotation, the sheet feeding device 70 returns to the state shown in FIG. 3.

<Door unit>
The opening and closing operation of the door unit 80 in this embodiment and the associated operation of the swing arm 74 will be described below with reference to Figures 5 to 9. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the door unit 80, the swing arm 74, and the vicinity thereof.

In this embodiment, the door unit 80 as an opening/closing unit includes a loading tray 81, a door member 82, a cover member 83, and a door link 84. The loading tray 81 is configured to move together with the door member 82, and the loading tray 81 moves relative to the device main body 1A in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the door member 82. In this embodiment, the loading tray 81 has a width regulating member 85 that regulates the position of the sheet S in the sheet width direction, and is supported by the door member 82. The door member 82 rotates around a fulcrum 82a supported by the device main body 1A (FIG. 1). The rotation axis of the door member 82 is substantially parallel to the swing axis of the swing arm 74. The movement direction of the width regulating member 85 is substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the door member 82. As will be described later, the loading tray 81 functions as a displacement member that moves the swing arm 74 of the moving unit in the E2 direction when the door unit 80 is closed (when the door member 82 is closed). The cover member 83 functions as a displacement member that moves the swing arm 74 of the moving unit in the E1 direction when the door unit 80 is opened (when the door member 82 is opened). When the door unit 80 is closed (when the door member 82 is closed), the loading tray 81 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71 in the movement direction of the door unit 80 (movement direction of the door member 82). In addition, in the E2 direction, the loading tray 81 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71. When the door unit 80 is opened (when the door member 82 is opened), the cover member 83 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71 in the movement direction of the door unit 80 (movement direction of the door member 82). In addition, in the E1 direction, the cover member 83 is located upstream of the pickup roller 71.

1, when the door unit 80 is opened to a predetermined open position, the stacking tray 81, the door member 82, and the cover member 83 protrude outward from the side surface 1S of the device body 1A. Furthermore, when the door unit 80 is opened to a predetermined open position, the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 protrude outward from the side surface 1S of the device body 1A. When the door unit 80 is in the open position, the stacking tray 81 is exposed, and sheets S are allowed to be loaded on the stacking tray 81. In this state, the sheet feeding device 70 can feed the sheets S from the stacking tray 81. On the other hand, when the door unit 80 is moved to the storage position, the stacking tray 81, the cover member 83, the pickup roller 71, etc. are stored inside the device body 1A (in the space formed between the door member 82 and the device body 1A). In other words, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the stacking tray 81 is stored between the door member 82 (part of the door unit 80) and the device body 1A. The storage position of the door unit 80 is a position where the door member 82 has rotated counterclockwise from the open position in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the outer surface of the door member 82 (the surface on the lower right side in FIG. 1) forms a side surface of the image forming apparatus 1 together with the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the outer surface of the door member 82 is parallel to the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. The position of the door member 82 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is called the closed position of the door member 82, and the position of the door member 82 when the door unit 80 is in the open position is called the open position of the door member 82. In this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position and the door member 82 is in the closed position, the outer surface of the door member 82 is located on the same plane as the side surface 1S of the apparatus main body 1A. As can be seen from FIG. 1, when the door unit 80 is in the open position, at least a portion of the cover member 83, at least a portion of the swing arm 74, and the pickup roller 71 are located outside the device body 1A relative to the closed position of the door member 82.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cover member 83 is arranged to cover at least a part (preferably the whole) of the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 when viewed from above in the direction of gravity. The cover member 83 rotates around a fulcrum 83a supported by the device main body 1A.

The door link 84 has a connecting shaft 84b and a guide groove 84c, and is connected to the door member 82 and the cover member 83. Specifically, the connecting shaft 84b engages with the guide groove 82b of the door member 82, and the guide groove 84c engages with the connecting shaft 83b of the cover member 83. The door link 84 rotates around a fulcrum 84a supported by the device main body 1A. When the door member 82 rotates, the connecting shaft 84b slides in the guide groove 82b, and the door link 84 rotates in conjunction with the door member 82. In addition, with the rotation of the door link 84, the connecting shaft 83b slides in the guide groove 82b, and the cover member 83 rotates in conjunction with the door link 84. In other words, the cover member 83 rotates in conjunction with the door member 82. In other words, the door link 84 functions as a link member that moves the cover member 83 in conjunction with the door member 82.

Although some parts are not shown in the perspective view of Figure 5, the door link 84 and fulcrums 82a, 83a, etc. are provided on both sides in the seat width direction. Also, in Figures 6 to 8 used in the following explanation, the width restriction member 85 is not shown.

<Door unit retracting operation>
The operation of storing the door unit 80 will be described below with reference to FIGS.
6 to 8 are side views of the sheet feeding device 70 as viewed in the sheet width direction (the direction of the rotation axis X of the pickup roller 71). Fig. 6 shows the state in which the door unit 80 is in the open position. As described above, when the sheet feeding operation is not being performed, the pickup roller 71 is in the separated position, and the urging force of the pressure spring 76 is received by the cam 77 at point P1. When the user grasps the door member 82 and pushes up the door unit 80, the door member 82 rotates upward about the fulcrum 82a, and the stacking tray 81 approaches the pickup roller 71.

When the door unit 80 moves from the open position to the storage position, it is configured to push the pickup roller 71 of the moving unit against the biasing force of the pressure lever 75 so that the swing arm 74 swings in the E2 direction. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the user further pushes up the door unit 80, causing the pickup roller 71 and the loading tray 81 to come into contact at point P3, and the swing arm 74 begins to swing upward from the separated position. In this state, the door unit 80 is in a position between the open position and the storage position, and the pickup roller 71 of the moving unit abuts against the door unit 80. The pressure lever 75 biases the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. When the pickup roller 71 is pushed by the door unit 80, the swing arm 74 rotates in the E2 direction. The swing arm 74 comes into contact with the first surface C1 of the arm abutment portion 75c of the pressure lever 75, causing the pressure lever 75 to rotate in the D2 direction. Then, the pressure lever 75 moves away from the cam 77, and the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 (see FIG. 6) that the cam 77 was receiving acts on the swing arm 74 through the first surface C1 as a force resisting the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction. In other words, the swing arm 74 receives the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 through the first surface C1 of the pressure lever 75 as a force resisting the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction (a force biasing the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction). The door unit 80 may be configured to push a component other than the pickup roller 71, for example, the swing arm 74.

The oscillating arm 74 is biased in the E1 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76, so that the pickup roller 71 supported by the oscillating arm 74 pushes back the loading tray 81 at point P3 in the direction opposite to the lifting direction of the door unit 80. In other words, during the process of storing the door unit 80, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 is applied to the door unit 80 via the pressure lever 75, the oscillating arm 74, and the pickup roller 71, as a force f that presses the door unit 80 in the opening direction.

Figure 8 shows the state in which the door unit 80 has moved to the storage position. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 of the moving unit are in a position separated from the door unit 80. From the state in Figure 7 until the door unit 80 reaches the storage position, the contact position of the pressure lever 75 with respect to the swing arm 74 changes from the first surface C1 to the second surface C2. This second surface C2 is formed so that the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 transmitted to the swing arm 74 via the second surface C2. When the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction, the swing arm 74 abuts against the cover member 83, and the door unit 80 is biased toward the storage position. The swing arm 74 biases the cover member 83 until the swing arm 74 abuts against the stopper 102 described later. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 receives the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 via the second surface C2 of the pressure lever 75 as a force that biases the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction.

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

In this way, the contact position between the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 changes in conjunction with the storage operation of the door unit 80, and the direction in which the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 acts on the swing axis of the swing arm 74 changes. As a result, during the storage operation of the door unit 80, the door unit 80 receives a force f (Figure 7) from the swing arm 74 via the pickup roller 71. In contrast, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position (Figure 8), the pickup roller 71 is separated from the door unit 80, and the door unit 80 does not receive a force in the opening direction from the swing arm 74. In other words, the force that the door unit 80 receives from the moving unit when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f that the door unit 80 receives from the moving unit during the storage operation of the door unit 80.

When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 is separated from the loading tray 81. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 are separated from the cover member 83. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the moving unit may be in contact with the cover member 83. The device main body 1A is provided with a stopper 102 that restricts the rotation of the swing arm 74 in the E2 direction. When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 is positioned with a gap G formed between the pickup roller 71 and the loading tray 81 by abutting the stopper 102 at point P4. In other words, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 is received by the stopper 102 provided on the device main body 1A. By receiving the swing arm 74 on the stopper 102, the biasing force of the swing arm 74 acts on the stopper 102 and does not act on the cover member 83.

<Door unit operation when opened>
The operation when the door unit 80 is opened will be described below. The process of the opening operation of the door unit 80 is shown in FIG. 9. When the user presses down the door unit 80 from the storage position shown in FIG. 8, the cover member 83 also rotates downward in conjunction with the door link 84. Then, the cover member 83 comes into contact with the swing arm 74 at point P5, so that the swing arm 74 rotates in the E1 direction around the axis A1. As described above, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 comes into contact with the second surface C2 of the pressure lever 75, so that the swing arm 74 is biased in the E2 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76. Therefore, the swing arm 74 starts to swing in the E1 direction against the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 in the E2 direction by being pressed by the cover member 83. In this way, the door link 84 and the cover member 83 function as an interlocking mechanism that swings the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction in conjunction with the opening operation of the door unit 80.

When the swing arm 74 swings to a certain extent, the contact position of the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 changes from the second surface C2 to the first surface C1 as shown in FIG. 9. When the swing arm 74 and the pressure lever 75 come into contact with each other on the first surface C1, the swing arm 74 rotates in the E1 direction and separates from the cover member 83, and the pressure lever 75 rotates in the D1 direction and contacts the cam 77. Then, the swing arm 74 moves to the separated position, and the sheet feeding device 70 returns to the state shown in FIG. 6. When the swing arm 74 is in contact with the first surface C1 of the pressure lever 75, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 acts as a force that rotates the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction. Therefore, by opening the door unit 80 to the open position, the sheet feeding device 70 is in a state in which the swing arm 74 can perform a sheet feeding operation in which the pickup roller 71 is raised and lowered in accordance with the rotation of the cam 77, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

The cover member 83 and the swing arm 74 are configured not to come into contact with each other when the door unit 80 is in the open position, even if the swing arm 74 moves up and down (see FIG. 6). Therefore, even if the swing arm 74 moves up and down during sheet feeding, no collision noise with the cover member 83 is generated. In addition, in the process of moving the door unit 80 from the open position to the stored position, the cover member 83 does not act on the swing arm 74.

Advantages of this embodiment
The advantages of this embodiment will be described in comparison with a comparative example shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(b). The comparative example differs from this embodiment in that the swing arm 174 is directly biased by the pressure spring 176. That is, as shown in Figure 10(a), the pressure spring 176 is directly connected to the swing arm 174 and applies a biasing force in the E1 direction around the axis A1 to the swing arm 174. When the door unit 180 is in the open position and is not performing a sheet feeding operation, the protrusion 174a of the swing arm 174 abuts against the cam 177, and the biasing force of the pressure spring 176 is received by the cam 177, so that the swing arm 174 is held in the separated position.

When the user lifts the door unit 180 from the open position towards the stored position, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the loading tray 181 of the door unit 180 comes into contact with the pickup roller 171, causing the swing arm 174 to swing in the E2 direction. At this time, as the swing arm 174 swings in the E2 direction, the deformation of the pressure spring 176 increases, and the contact pressure between the pickup roller 171 and the loading tray 181 increases. As a result, the force f' applied to the door unit 180 by the swing arm 174, which presses the door unit 180 in the opening direction, reaches a maximum value when the door unit 180 is in the stored position.

Such force f' can cause creep deformation in the components of the door unit 180 when the door unit 180 is stored in the storage position. In general, when the image forming device 1 is packed for transportation, the door unit 180 is placed in the storage position so that the external shape of the image forming device 1 is at its smallest, and so there is concern that creep deformation may occur in the packed state. In addition to the above force f', creep deformation is more likely to occur if the image forming device 1 is left in a packaged state in a high-temperature environment for a long period of time.

In general, opening and closing units such as door unit 180 often have lower rigidity than the device main body. This is because, whereas high-strength materials are often used for the frame of device main body 1A, door units, which have an openable and closable structure, often have restrictions on the materials and sizes of the materials used from the standpoint of compactness and weight reduction. For this reason, if an attempt were made to construct door unit 180 from high-strength materials so as to prevent deformation of door unit 180 in the above comparative example, this would result in increased costs and an increase in the size of the image forming device.

In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the contact position between the pressure lever 75 and the swing arm 74 changes as the door unit 80 moves from the open position to the stored position. The force that the door unit 80 receives from the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is in the stored position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f that the door unit 80 receives from the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80. This makes it possible to prevent deformation of the door unit 80, which is difficult to ensure as a high rigidity as the device main body 1A. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the door unit 80 from being opened by the force received from the moving unit.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 transmitted to the swing arm 74 via the pressure lever 75 is received by the stopper 102 (Figure 8) of the device main body 1A. By receiving the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 with a configuration on the device main body side that can easily ensure high rigidity in this way, creep deformation of the door unit 80 caused by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 in a packed state, etc., can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 moves from the storage position to the open position, the swing arm 74 moves to the separated position by the cover member 83 that links with the door unit 80. In many cases, manual tray type sheet feeding devices are arranged in a position exposed to the outside of the image forming apparatus body, unlike storage tray type sheet feeding devices. For this reason, the rising and lowering movement of the swing arm 74 during sheet feeding is easily visible to the user, and there is a possibility that the user may touch it inadvertently. The cover member 83 in this embodiment is arranged to cover the swing arm 74 and the pickup roller 71 from above, so in addition to the above-mentioned effect, it makes the rising and lowering movement of the swing arm 74 during sheet feeding less visible, reducing the risk of the user touching it inadvertently.

<Modification>
In this embodiment, when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the swing arm 74 is biased by the pressure spring 76 in the E2 direction, not the E1 direction, and the door unit 80 does not receive force from the swing arm 74 (the force received from the swing arm 74 is zero). However, other configurations may be adopted as long as the force received by the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position is smaller than the maximum value of the force f received by the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80. In other words, even if the door unit is in the storage position and the pickup roller 71 is in contact with the door unit 80, the biasing force of the pickup roller 71 may be sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the force f. For example, even if the pressure lever 75 is configured to bias the swing arm 74 in the E1 direction by the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the biasing force may be sufficiently smaller than the maximum value of the force f.

When the door unit 80 is in the storage position, the pickup roller 71 and the swing arm 74 may be brought into contact with the cover member 83, and the cover member 83 may be biased in the direction in which the door unit 80 is closed. In this case, it is preferable to configure the cover member 83 to be received by the device main body 1A by bringing a part of the device main body 1A into contact with the cover member 83. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the door unit 80 from being opened by the force received from the moving unit. In this case, it is preferable that the biasing force received by the cover member 83 is smaller than the maximum value of the force f received by the door unit 80 from the swing arm 74 during the storage operation of the door unit 80.

In addition to the torsion coil spring, the pressure spring 76 may be a tension spring, a compression spring, a leaf spring, or the like, which generates a force similar to that of the pressure spring 76. The pressure spring may also be formed integrally with the pressure lever 75. For example, a leaf spring formed integrally with the pressure lever 75 may be used as the pressure spring.

In addition, in this embodiment, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 is received by the stopper 102 (Figure 8) when the door unit 80 is in the storage position, but the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 may be received by the cam 77. That is, if the stopper 102 is omitted, the pressure lever 75 rotates slightly in the D1 direction from the position in Figure 8 and abuts against the cam 77. In this state, the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 that biases the pressure lever 75 in the D1 direction is received by the cam 77, so that the biasing force of the pressure spring 76 is not transmitted to the swing arm 74.

In addition, in this embodiment, the loading tray 81 is an integral structure with the door member 82, but the loading tray 81 may be configured to be movable relative to the frame of the opening/closing unit such as the door member 82.

In addition, the member that pushes up the swing arm 74 when the door unit 80 is moved from the open position to the storage position is not limited to the loading tray 81, but a part of the door unit 80 (e.g., the door member 82) may push up the swing arm 74. In addition, in this embodiment, a part of the door unit 80 abuts against the pickup roller 71 to push up the swing arm 74. However, without being limited to this, a part of the door unit 80 may abut against the swing arm 74 or a member that is integral with the swing arm 74 to push up the swing arm 74.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the door unit 80 moves from the stored position to the open position, the swing arm 74 is linked to the door unit 80 by a mechanism including the door link 84 and the cover member 83, but other linking configurations may be used. For example, the swing arm 74 may be connected to one end of a link member, and the other end of the link member may be connected to the door unit 80, so that the swing arm 74 is linked to the opening of the door unit 80.

1: Image forming device/1A: Device body/1B: Image forming section (image forming means)/70: Sheet feeding device/71: Feeding roller (pickup roller)/74: Lifting member (swinging arm)/75: Transmission section (pressure lever)/76: Pressurizing section (pressure spring)/77: Regulating member (cam)/80: Opening/closing unit (door unit)/81: Loading section (loading tray)/83, 84: Interlocking mechanism (door link, cover member)/102: Stopper/C1: First surface/C2: Second surface/E1: First direction/E2: Second direction

Claims (17)

an opening/closing unit having a loading section on which sheets are loaded and capable of being opened and closed between an open position and a stored position with respect to the device body;
a moving unit including a feed roller that feeds the sheet and a moving member that supports the feed roller, the moving member being configured to be movable with respect to the stacking section in a first direction in which the feed roller approaches the stacking section and in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
An energizing portion;
a transmission unit configured to transmit a biasing force of the biasing unit to the moving member, the transmission unit configured to bias the moving member in the first direction;
having
The opening/closing unit is configured to push the moving unit so that the moving member moves in the second direction when moving from the open position to the stored position,
When the opening/closing unit moves from the open position to the storage position, a direction in which the transmission unit urges the moving member changes from the first direction to the second direction, and when the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, the transmission unit urges the moving member in the second direction,
a magnitude of the force that the opening/closing unit receives from the moving unit when the opening/closing unit is in the storage position is smaller than a maximum value of the force that the opening/closing unit receives from the moving unit being biased in the first direction by the biasing portion during a process in which the opening/closing unit moves from the open position to the storage position;
A sheet feeding device comprising: When the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, the moving member and the feeding roller are spaced apart from the opening/closing unit.
2. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding apparatus comprises: a stopper provided on the device body, the stopper coming into contact with the moving member when the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, and receiving the moving member biased in the second direction;
3. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder . a restricting member configured to be movable between a restricting position where the transmitting portion is contacted to restrict the transmitting portion and a release position where the restricting member is retracted from the restricting position,
4. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet conveying device. When the opening/closing unit is in the open position and the restricting member is in the release position, the transmitting portion biases the moving member in the first direction.
5. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 4 , a restricting member configured to be movable between a restricting position where the restricting member contacts the transmission portion and restricts the transmission portion and a releasing position where the restricting member is separated from the transmission portion,
When the opening/closing unit is in the open position and the restricting member is in the release position, the transmitting portion biases the moving member in the first direction,
When the opening/closing unit is in the stored position, the transmission portion is received by the regulating member.
4. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet conveying device. an opening/closing unit having a loading section on which sheets are loaded and capable of being opened and closed between an open position and a stored position with respect to the device body;
a moving unit including a feed roller that feeds the sheet and a moving member that supports the feed roller, the moving member being configured to be movable with respect to the stacking section in a first direction in which the feed roller approaches the stacking section and in a second direction opposite to the first direction;
An energizing portion;
a transmission unit configured to transmit a biasing force of the biasing unit to the moving member, the transmission unit configured to bias the moving member in the first direction;
a restricting member configured to be movable between a restricting position where the transmitting portion is contacted and the restricting member is movable to a release position where the restricting member is retracted from the restricting position;
having
The opening/closing unit is configured to push the moving unit so that the moving member moves in the second direction when moving from the open position to the stored position,
the opening/closing unit is in the open position, and the transmission portion is in contact with the regulating member in the regulating position, the feeding roller is in a position separated from the stacking portion,
When the opening/closing unit is in a position between the open position and the stored position, the moving unit abuts against the opening/closing unit, and the transmission unit biases the moving member in the first direction,
When the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, the transmission unit biases the moving member in the second direction.
A sheet feeding device comprising: When the opening/closing unit is in the open position and the restricting member is in the release position, the transmitting portion biases the moving member in the first direction.
8. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , When the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, the moving member is received by the device body.
9. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. When the opening/closing unit is in the stored position, the transmission portion is received by the regulating member.
9. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. When the opening/closing unit is in the storage position, the moving unit is located at a position separated from the opening/closing unit.
11. The sheet feeding device according to claim 7 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. The transmission portion has a first surface that comes into contact with the moving member when the opening/closing unit is in the open position, and a second surface that comes into contact with the moving member when the opening/closing unit is in the stored position.
12. The sheet feeding device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. The moving member is configured to be swingable with respect to the loading section in the first direction and the second direction,
When viewed in the direction of the swing axis of the moving member, an angle of the first surface and an angle of the second surface are different.
13. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 12 . The moving member is configured to be swingable with respect to the loading section in the first direction and the second direction.
13. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. the moving member is moved in the second direction by the loading portion coming into contact with the feeding roller as the opening/closing unit moves from the open position to the stored position;
15. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding device is a sheet feeder. When the opening/closing unit is in the open position, the loading section is exposed, and when the opening/closing unit is in the stored position, the loading section is stored between a part of the opening/closing unit and the device main body.
16. The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1, A sheet feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 16 ,
an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding device;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images