JP7709673B2 - Additional trailing edge regulating member, feeding device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a trailing edge regulation additional member, a feeding device, and an image forming device.

Conventionally, a rear end regulating additional member is known that includes a main body having an attachment portion that is attached to a rear end regulating member of a feeding device that regulates the position of the rear end in the sheet transport direction of a sheet stack loaded on a sheet stacking portion that rises and falls, and a rear end regulating portion that regulates the position of the rear end in the sheet transport direction of the sheet stack, and that is longer in the sheet width direction than the rear end regulating member.

Patent document 1 describes a rear end regulation additional member that is rotatably attached to the main body. When a stack of tab sheets, each of which has a tab at the upstream end of the sheet at a different position in the sheet width direction, is loaded on the sheet stacking section, the rear end regulation additional member is attached to an end fence such as a rear end regulation member. This allows the rear end regulation portion of the rear end regulation additional member to abut against the tab of each tab sheet, and the rear end position of each tab sheet in the tab sheet stack can be regulated by the rear end regulation additional member.

However, there was a risk that the rear end of the sheet would not be regulated in accordance with the elevation of the sheet stacking section.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a rear end regulating additional member that is attached to a rear end regulating member of a feeding device which regulates the position of the rear end of the sheet bundle in the sheet transport direction when the sheet bundle loaded on a rising and lowering sheet stacking section is a tab paper bundle, and is longer in the sheet width direction than the rear end regulating member, the rear end regulating additional member comprising: a main body having an attachment portion attached to the rear end regulating member; and a rear end regulating portion that regulates the position of the tabs at the rear end of the tab paper bundle in the sheet transport direction, the rear end regulating portion being attached to the main body so as to be movable up and down via a flexible portion that elastically deforms in the vertical direction.

According to the present invention, the rear end of the sheet can be regulated in response to the elevation of the sheet stacking section.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of one storage tray of the sheet feeding device. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration in which the blower device has a suction fan. FIG. FIG. 1A is a diagram for explaining the regulation of tab paper whose tab is located in the center of the sheet width direction when the tab paper stack is set in a storage tray, and FIG. 1B is a diagram for explaining the regulation of tab paper whose tab is located at one end of the sheet width direction. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a tab end fence of a reference example is attached to an end fence. 13 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the attachment of a tab end fence to an end fence according to a reference example. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic front view illustrating a problem with the tab end fence of the reference example. 13 is a schematic front view illustrating a problem that occurs when the vertical length of the rear end regulating portion of the tab end fence in the reference example is set to be greater than or equal to the area that receives air above the tab paper stack. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a tab end fence according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating regulation of the rear end of a tab paper stack by a tab end fence according to the embodiment. 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating the elevation of each trailing end regulating portion. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the tab end fence. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating vertical movement of a rear end restriction portion of a tab end fence according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a sheet feeding device to which the present invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 including a sheet feeding device according to this embodiment.
1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming apparatus main body 100 as an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet, and a sheet feeding device 200 for feeding a sheet to the image forming apparatus main body 100. The sheet feeding device 200 is provided on a side surface of the image forming apparatus main body 100.

There are no particular limitations on the recording method of the image forming apparatus main body 100, and any method such as electrophotographic or inkjet can be used. A sheet feeder from the sheet feeding device 200 is provided on the right side of the image forming apparatus main body 100 in FIG. 1. This sheet feeder is provided with an opening for receiving a sheet and a conveying means for conveying the sheet.

FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the sheet feeding device 200 .
2, the sheet feeding device 200 includes upper and lower storage trays 10. Each storage tray 10 includes a sheet placement table 11 as a sheet placement section for placing a sheet stack P. Each storage tray 10 can store, for example, a maximum of about 2500 sheets.

Examples of sheets include paper, coated paper, label paper, overhead projector sheets, films, and prepregs. Prepregs are primarily used as materials for laminates and multilayer printed wiring boards. Prepregs are made by continuously impregnating a long substrate such as glass cloth, paper, nonwoven fabric, or aramid cloth with a resin varnish primarily made of thermosetting resins such as epoxy resin or polyimide resin, heating and drying the substrate, and then cutting it into sheet material.

Above each storage tray 10, a feeding unit 20 is disposed to separate and feed the sheets stacked on the storage tray 10. The feeding unit 20 is equipped with a suction belt 21 and a suction device 23, which are conveying means.

The sheets loaded on the lower storage tray 10 are transported through the lower transport path 82 by the exit roller pair 80 to the image forming device main body 100. The sheets loaded on the upper storage tray 10 are transported through the upper transport path 81 by the exit roller pair 80 to the image forming device main body 100.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of one storage tray 10 of the sheet feeding device 200. For ease of understanding, in Figure 3, the feeding unit 20 is shown shifted in the direction of arrow A from its original location. The suction belt 21 of the feeding unit 20, which serves as a feeding means, is stretched by two tension rollers 22a and 22b. The suction belt 21 has suction holes that penetrate from the front side to the back side over the entire circumferential area. A suction device 23 is provided inside the suction belt 21.

The suction device 23 is connected to a suction fan that sucks in air through an air duct, which is an air flow path, and generates negative pressure downward by the suction device 23, which acts to suck the sheet onto the underside of the suction belt 21. The air sucked into this suction device 23 is called suction air.

The storage tray 10 also includes an air blower 17, which is a blowing means for blowing air onto the upper sheets of the sheet stack P. The air blower 17 includes a front air blower 12 and a side air blower 14.

The front blower 12 blows air to the top end of the sheet stack P (the downstream end in the feeding direction). This front blower 12 is equipped with a floating nozzle that guides air in a direction to float the sheet stack P, a separation nozzle that guides air between the topmost floating sheet and the second floating sheet to separate them, and a floating blower 15 that sends air to the floating nozzle. This front blower 12 also has a separation blower 16 that sends air to the separation nozzle.

Of the nozzles, the air blown from the floating nozzle is called floating air, and the air blown from the separation nozzle is called separation air. The floating air is blown in the direction of arrow a1 in FIG. 4 from a location facing the top end of the sheet stack P (downstream end in the feed direction) and is blown onto the top end of the sheet stack P (downstream end in the feed direction). The separation air is blown in the direction of arrow a2 in FIG. 4 from a location facing the top end of the sheet stack P (downstream end in the feed direction) and is blown onto the gap between the top sheet adsorbed to the suction belt 21 and the second sheet that has floated up. By blowing separation air between the top sheet and the second sheet that has floated up, the separation air flows toward the upstream side in the sheet transport direction, separating the top sheet from the second sheet.

The side blower 14 is attached to a pair of side fences 13 that regulate the widthwise position of the sheet stack, and blows air in the direction indicated by the arrow b in the figure against the upper side of the sheet stack P. This side blower 14 is equipped with a side floating nozzle that guides air in the direction to separate and float the sheet stack P, and has a side blower 14a that sends air into this nozzle. The air blown from this side floating nozzle in the direction indicated by the arrow b in the figure is called side air.

The side air is discharged from the outlets 13a provided at the locations of each side fence 13 facing the upper part of the sheet stack P, and is blown onto the side of the upper part of the sheet stack P. The air blown from the front blower 12 and the outlets 13a of the pair of side fences 13 causes the upper sheets of the sheet stack to float.

In addition, each side fence 13 is provided with a sheet lift-up suppression member 13b. The sheet lift-up suppression member 13b is formed to extend a predetermined length from the top of the side fence 13 toward the center in the width direction. The sheet lift-up suppression member 13b prevents the lifted sheet from being blown away.

The storage tray 10 also includes an end fence 25 that aligns the rear end of the sheet stack P loaded on the sheet loading platform 11, which serves as the sheet loading section. The sheet loading platform 11 is configured to be movable up and down in the direction of the arrow B in the figure by a lifting device 19, which serves as the loading section moving means.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the receiving tray 10. As shown in FIG.
The leading edge of the sheet stack P is positioned by the leading edge regulating plate 41, and the trailing edge is positioned by the end fence 25. At this time, the floating air and the separation air from the front blower 12 are blown from the leading edge of the sheet stack P toward the trailing edge as shown by the arrows in the figure. Therefore, the floating sheets are subjected to a force in a direction to move backward. The end fence 25 that regulates the trailing edge of the sheet stack P prevents the floating sheets from moving backward. This is because, when the top sheet moves backward, the leading edge of the second floating sheet is located downstream of the leading edge of the top sheet in the sheet conveying direction, and the leading edge of the second floating sheet may be adsorbed to the suction belt 21 together with the top sheet. As a result, the top sheet and the second sheet are fed, and double feeding may occur.

In a configuration in which the side air blown from the side floating nozzle is blown toward the rear end of the sheet, there is a risk that the floating sheet will move backward due to this side air.

As shown in FIG. 5, the blower 17 may be provided with a suction fan 42 at a location facing the top of the sheet stack P at the upstream end of the storage tray 10 in the sheet conveying direction. By sucking in the air inside the storage tray 10 with the suction fan 42, the floating air and separation air blown from the front blower 12 can easily escape from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the sheet stack P. This allows the top sheet to be reliably separated from the second sheet. However, the configuration shown in FIG. 5 makes it easier for the floating sheets to move back.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a tabbed sheet stack Pt, which is a sheet stack having a plurality of sheets with different trailing end shapes set on the storage tray 10. As shown in FIG.
The conveyance direction trailing end of each tab sheet constituting the tab sheet bundle is provided with an index tab T. The tab sheet bundle Pt is made up of a plurality of tab sheets whose tabs T are positioned at different positions in the sheet width direction.

Figure 7(a) is a diagram explaining the regulation of tab paper in which the tab T is located in the center of the sheet width direction when a stack of tab papers is set in the storage tray 10, and (b) is a diagram explaining the regulation of tab paper in which the tab T is located at one end of the sheet width direction.
7A, in tab paper with a tab T in the widthwise center, the end fence 25 abuts against the tab T. Therefore, for tab paper with a tab T in the widthwise center, the position of the rear end is regulated by the end fence 25, and retreat when the tab paper floats is suppressed.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, in the case of tab paper having a tab T at one end in the width direction, the end fence 25 does not abut against the tab T. Therefore, for tab paper having a tab T at one end in the width direction, the position of the rear end is not regulated by the end fence 25, and when it floats up, it moves back, and there is a risk of double feeding.

As for the tab T provided at one end in the width direction, it is also possible to lengthen the end fence 25 in the width direction so that the end fence 25 abuts against the tab T. However, if the end fence 25 is lengthened in the width direction, when a sheet of the smallest size that can be transported by this image forming apparatus is set in the storage tray 10, it will interfere with the side fence 13, making it impossible to regulate the rear end of the smallest size sheet.

Therefore, when the tab paper stack Pt is set in the storage tray 10, a tab end fence is attached to the end fence 25 as an additional rear end regulation member, so that the rear end position of the tab paper can be regulated regardless of the tab position.

8A and 8B are schematic diagrams showing a state in which a tab end fence 210 of a reference example is attached to an end fence 25, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view.
8, the tab end fence 210 has an upper surface abutment portion 210a that abuts against the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt, a plate-shaped rear end regulating portion 210b that regulates the rear end of the tab paper stack Pt, and an attachment portion 210c that is attached to the end fence 25. The attachment portion 210c has a through hole 210d through which the end fence 25 passes.

The rear end regulating portion 210b extends vertically downward from the upstream end of the upper surface abutment portion 210a in the sheet transport direction, and is plate-shaped with a widthwise length that is equal to or greater than the widthwise length of the tab paper. Because the widthwise length of the rear end regulating portion 210b is equal to or greater than the widthwise length of the tab paper, the rear end position of the tab paper can be regulated at the top of the tab paper stack, regardless of the position of the tab T, as shown in FIG. 8(b).

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the attachment of the tab end fence 210 to the end fence 25.
When the storage tray 10 is pulled out from the device body and the tab paper stack Pt is set, the sheet placement table 11 is in the lowered position. After the user sets the tab paper stack Pt on the sheet placement table 11, the user attaches the tab end fence 210 to the end fence 25 as shown in Fig. 9A. Specifically, the user moves the tab end fence 210 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 9A so that the end fence 25 passes through the through hole 210d of the attachment portion 210c. This allows the tab end fence 210 to be attached to the end fence 25 so as to be movable in the up and down directions.

Then, the tab end fence 210 is slid downward relative to the end fence 25, so that the upper surface abutment portion 210a of the tab end fence 210 abuts against the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt, as shown in FIG. 9(b).

When the upper surface abutment portion 210a of the tab end fence 210 is abutted against the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt, the storage tray 10 is pushed into the device body, and the storage tray 10 is set in the device body, the sheet placement table 11 is raised by the lifting device 19 as shown in FIG. 9(c). Then, the tab end fence 210 also moves upward together with the sheet placement table 11, and when the topmost tab paper of the tab paper stack reaches the paper feed position, the sheet placement table 11 stops rising.

As described above, the tab end fence 210 has an upper surface abutment portion 210a, so it can move upward together with the sheet loading platform 11. In addition, by providing the upper surface abutment portion 210a and abutting against the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt, the rear end of the upper part of the tab paper stack can be reliably regulated by the rear end regulating portion 210b.

The tab end fence 210 is also configured to be movable up and down relative to the end fence 25, so that when the rear end of the tab paper is floated by the floating air or separation air, the tab end fence 210 moves upward together with the tab paper. This allows the rear end of the tab paper to be smoothly separated by the floating air or separation air without being impeded by the tab end fence 210.

In addition, by configuring the tab end fence 210 to be movable in the up and down direction relative to the end fence 25, the tab end fence 210 can be attached to the end fence 25 simply by passing the end fence 25 through the through hole 210d of the attachment portion 210c. Therefore, the tab end fence 210 can be attached to the end fence 25 more easily than when the tab end fence 210 is attached to the end fence 25 immovably by screws or the like.

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view illustrating a problem with the tab end fence 210 of the reference example.
When the last sheet placed on the sheet placement table 11 is fed, the sheet placement table 11 is located at the position of the dashed line α in the figure. In the tab end fence 210 of the reference example, the vertical length of the trailing end regulating portion 210b is set so that the sheet placement table 11 can rise to the position of the dashed line α in the figure. However, in the case of such a setting, when the number of tab sheets in the tab sheet stack Pt is large as shown in FIG. 10, the vertical length of the trailing end regulating portion 210b becomes shorter than the area β that receives air such as floating air at the top of the tab sheet stack Pt. As a result, among the tab sheets that have risen up due to air such as floating air, the lower tab sheets (tab sheets in the area γ in the figure) are not regulated by the trailing end regulating portion 210b and may move backward.

It is therefore conceivable to make the vertical length of the trailing end regulating portion 210b greater than the area β that receives air such as floating air above the tab paper stack Pt. However, when there are only a few tab papers remaining in the tab paper stack Pt, the sheet loading platform 11 hits the trailing end regulating portion 210b. If the sheet loading platform 11 rises from this state as the tab papers decrease, as shown in FIG. 11, the upper surface abutment portion 210a of the tab end fence 210 hits the sheet floating suppression member 13b.

When the upper surface abutment portion 210a of the tab end fence 210 hits the sheet lift suppression member 13b, the sheet loading table 11 cannot rise any further, and the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt loaded on the sheet loading table 11 cannot be positioned at the feeding position. As a result, the topmost tab paper of the tab paper stack Pt cannot be adsorbed to the suction belt 21 until the specified timing, and feeding may not be possible. In addition, deformation and damage may occur to components such as the tab end fence 210, the sheet lift suppression member 13b, and the sheet loading table 11.

In FIG. 11, an example is described in which the tab end fence 210 hits the sheet lift suppression member 13b. However, the member that the tab end fence 210 hits is not limited to the sheet lift suppression member 13b. Depending on the device configuration and the length of the tab paper in the feeding direction, the tab end fence 210 may hit a member arranged on the upper part of the storage tray 10, such as the suction belt 21.

In this embodiment, the trailing end regulating portion is configured to be movable up and down, and after the tab end fence abuts against the sheet lift suppression member 13b, only this trailing end regulating portion rises together with the sheet loading platform 11. The tab end fence of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

12A and 12B are schematic diagrams of a tab end fence 110 serving as an additional rear end regulating member according to this embodiment, in which FIG. 12A is a schematic perspective view and FIG. 12B is a schematic cross-sectional view.
The tab end fence 110 of this embodiment has a main body portion 111 having an upper surface abutment portion 111a and an attachment portion 111b, and a plurality of rear end regulating portions 112 configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the main body portion 111.

As in the reference example, the mounting portion 111b has a through hole 111c through which the end fence 25 passes, and the end fence 25 passes through the through hole 111c, so that the tab end fence 110 is attached to the end fence 25 so as to be movable up and down.

The mounting portion 111b is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 12, as long as the tab end fence 110 is attached to the end fence 25 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. For example, the mounting portion 111b may be arranged at an interval slightly longer than the widthwise length of the end fence 25 and have a pair of hook-shaped portions extending from the upstream end of the upper surface abutment portion 111a in the feeding direction. The tab end fence 110 is attached to the end fence 25 so as to be movable in the vertical direction by positioning the claw portions at the tips of the pair of hook-shaped portions upstream of the end fence 25 in the feeding direction and hooking them on the end fence 25. The tab end fence 110 is supported in such a way that the upper surface abutment portion 111a rests on the upper surface of the tab paper stack Pt placed on the sheet placement table 11. Therefore, the end fence 25 has a larger role of guiding the tab end fence 110 up and down than of supporting the tab end fence 110. Therefore, there is no functional problem with a configuration in which the attachment portion is a pair of hook-shaped portions and the tab end fence 110 is attached to the end fence 25 by hooking it onto the end fence 25.

The rear end regulating portion 112 is provided in a plurality in the width direction at a predetermined interval on the upstream side of the upper surface abutting portion 111a in the feeding direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12(b), a plurality of rectangular guide holes 111d are provided at a predetermined interval on the upstream side of the upper surface abutting portion 111a in the feeding direction. A fall prevention portion 112a that is longer than the inner diameter of the guide hole 111d in the feeding direction is provided at the top of each rear end regulating portion 112. The rear end regulating portion 112 is inserted into the guide hole 111d from above, and the fall prevention portion 112a hits the upper surface of the upper surface abutting portion 111a, thereby being held so as to be movable up and down relative to the main body portion 111.

The inner diameter of the guide hole 111d in the feeding direction is approximately the same as the thickness of the trailing end regulating portion 112, and the trailing end regulating portion 112 is held in the main body 111 without any wobbling in the feeding direction relative to the guide hole 111d. In this way, by holding the trailing end regulating portion 112 in the main body 111 without any wobbling in the feeding direction, it is possible to prevent the trailing end regulating portion 112 from tilting in the feeding direction, and the trailing end regulating portion 112 can properly regulate the trailing end of the tab paper to a specified position.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the regulation of the rear end of the tab paper bundle by the tab end fence 110 of this embodiment.
13A, when the sheet loading platform 11 is separated from the trailing end regulating portion 112, the trailing end regulating portion 112 extends downward from the upper surface abutment portion 111a beyond the area β that receives air such as floating air at the top of the tab paper stack Pt. As a result, the position of the trailing ends of all tab papers that have floated up due to air such as floating air can be regulated by the trailing end regulating portion 112, and the floated tab papers can be prevented from receding.

When the sheets placed on the sheet placement table 11 are fed and there are only a few tab sheets remaining in the tab paper stack Pt, the sheet placement table 11 hits the rear end restriction portion 112. When the sheet placement table 11 rises from that state, the tab end fence 110 rises together with the sheet placement table 11. Then, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the upper surface abutment portion 111a of the tab end fence 110 abuts against the sheet lift suppression member 13b.

In this embodiment, the force A required for the rear end regulating portion 112 to move upward relative to the main body portion 111 is configured to be weaker than the force B with which the sheet loading table 11 pushes up on the rear end regulating portion 112. Specifically, the force A is made weaker than the pushing up force B due to the gap between the guide hole 111d and the rear end regulating portion 112 and the coefficient of friction between the guide hole 111d and the rear end regulating portion 112, etc.

In this way, since the force A is weaker than the pushing force B (A<B), when the upper surface abutment portion 111a abuts against the sheet lift suppression member 13b, the trailing end regulating portion 112 rises together with the sheet loading platform 11 relative to the main body 111, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 13(b). This allows the last tab paper on the sheet loading platform to be positioned at the feeding position, and feeding can be performed smoothly up to the last sheet. In addition, by the trailing end regulating portion 112 rising together with the sheet loading platform 11 relative to the main body 111, it is possible to prevent stress from being applied to members such as the tab end fence 210, the sheet lift suppression member 13b, and the sheet loading platform 11. This makes it possible to prevent deformation and damage to members such as the tab end fence 210, the sheet lift suppression member 13b, and the sheet loading platform 11.

In addition, the trailing end regulating portion 112 is guided by the guide hole 111d and moves straight upward relative to the main body 111 together with the sheet loading platform 11. As a result, even after the trailing end regulating portion 112 rises relative to the main body 111 together with the sheet loading platform 11, the trailing end regulating portion 112 can regulate the trailing end of the tab paper at the same position as before it rose. As a result, even when there are only a few tab papers remaining on the sheet loading platform 11, the trailing end regulating portion 112 can prevent the floating tab paper from retracting. As a result, feeding problems such as double feeding can be suppressed right up to the last sheet.

The frictional force between the trailing end regulating portion 112 and the guide hole 111d may be made smaller than the weight of the main body 111. With this configuration, when the topmost tab sheet of the tab sheet stack Pt is fed while the sheet loading table 11 abuts against the trailing end regulating portion 112, the main body 111 descends relative to the trailing end regulating portion 112, and the top surface abutment portion 111a abuts against the topmost tab sheet of the tab sheet stack Pt. Then, the tab end fence 110 rises together with the sheet loading table 11, and the last tab sheet on the sheet loading table 11 can be positioned at the feeding position. With this configuration, the tab sheets can be fed smoothly down to the last sheet.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the lifting of each trailing end regulating portion 112. As shown in FIG.
As can be seen from FIG. 14, an opening 11 a is provided at the center in the width direction of the sheet placement table 11 so that the end fence 25 can move in the feeding direction without interfering with the sheet placement table 11 .

The sheet floats from the downstream side in the feeding direction due to air coming from the downstream side in the feeding direction. At that time, the center of the width of the sheet on the upstream side in the feeding direction may enter the opening 11a of the sheet loading table 11, and the rear end may be located below the loading surface of the sheet loading table 11.

In this embodiment, multiple trailing end regulating portions 112 are provided in the width direction, and each is configured to be able to move up and down independently. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, the trailing end regulating portion 112 facing the opening 11a of the sheet loading platform 11 in the width direction center is not lifted by the sheet loading platform 11. As a result, the lower end of the trailing end regulating portion 112 in the width direction center enters the opening 11a and is positioned below the loading surface of the sheet loading platform 11. As a result, even if the width direction center on the upstream side of the tab sheet in the feeding direction, whose downstream side in the feeding direction has been lifted by air, enters the opening 11a of the sheet loading platform 11, the width direction center of the trailing end can be regulated by the trailing end regulating portion 112.

In this embodiment, the rear end regulating portion 112 facing the opening 11a of the sheet loading platform 11 at the center in the width direction is also configured to be vertically movable, but the rear end regulating portion 112 facing the opening 11a of the sheet loading platform 11 at the center in the width direction may be configured not to be vertically movable.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the tab end fence.
As shown in FIG. 15, the modified tab end fence 110A has a plurality of elastically deformable members 113, each having an elastically deformable flexible portion 113a and a rear end regulating portion 113b, attached to a main body portion 111 at a predetermined interval in the width direction.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the vertical movement of the rear end regulating portion of a modified tab end fence 110A.
The flexible portion 113a of the elastic deformation member 113 is a plate extending in the feeding direction, and its downstream end in the feeding direction is fixed to the upper surface abutment portion 111a of the main body portion 111. The rear end regulating portion 113b extends straight downward from the upstream end in the feeding direction of the flexible portion 113a. The rear end regulating portion 113b also passes through a guide hole 111d provided on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the upper surface abutment portion 111a.

The buckling force of the flexible portion 113a, which is the force required to move the trailing end regulating portion 113b upward, is set to be smaller than the force with which the sheet loading platform 11 lifts the trailing end regulating portion 113b when the upper surface abutting portion 111a abuts against the sheet lift suppressing member 13b and its upward movement is restricted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16(b), when the sheet loading platform 11 pushes the trailing end regulating portion 113b upward, the upstream side of the flexible portion 113a in the feeding direction elastically deforms so as to move away from the upper surface abutting portion 111a. This elastic deformation of the flexible portion 113a causes the trailing end regulating portion 113b to rise together with the sheet loading platform 11, and even the last sheet of tab paper on the sheet loading platform 11 can be positioned in the feeding position.

In the above description, the tab end fence is attached to the end fence 25 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and rises and falls together with the sheet placement table 11. However, the tab end fence may be fixed to the top of the end fence 25 so as not to be movable in the vertical direction. Even with this configuration, the rear end of the raised tab paper can be regulated by the rear end regulating portion of the tab end fence, and the raised tab paper can be prevented from receding.

When the tab end fence is fixed to the top of the end fence 25, if there is an upper surface abutment portion 111a, this upper surface abutment portion 111a may prevent the rear end of the tab paper from floating up. Therefore, when the tab end fence is fixed to the top of the end fence 25, the upper surface abutment portion 111a does not have to be present.

The above description is merely an example, and each of the following aspects provides unique effects.
(Aspect 1)
The additional trailing end regulating member such as a tab end fence 110 is attached to a trailing end regulating member of the feeding device such as an end fence 25 that regulates the position of the trailing end in the sheet transport direction of a sheet stack loaded on a sheet stacking section such as a sheet loading section that rises and falls, and is longer in the sheet width direction than the trailing end regulating member, and comprises a main body such as a main body portion 111 having an attachment portion 111b that is attached to the trailing end regulating member, and a trailing end regulating portion 112 that regulates the position of the trailing end in the sheet transport direction of the sheet stack, and the trailing end regulating portion 112 is attached to the main body so as to be movable up and down.
In the trailing end regulating additional member described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when the sheet stacking section is raised while in contact with the trailing end regulating section, the trailing end regulating section rotates so that the lower end of the trailing end regulating section is located upstream of the upper end in the sheet conveying direction. However, when the trailing end regulating section rotates, the trailing end regulating section becomes inclined in the up-down direction. Therefore, if the feeding position at which the top sheet of the sheet stack stacked on the sheet stacking section is located during feeding is located above the lower end of the trailing end regulating section, when there are only a few sheets remaining on the sheet stacking section, the trailing end regulating section rotates, making it impossible to regulate the trailing ends of the sheets in accordance with the elevation of the sheet stacking section.
In contrast, in the first aspect, since the trailing edge regulating portion is attached to the main body so as to be vertically movable, when the sheet stacking portion rises while in contact with the trailing edge regulating portion, the trailing edge regulating portion moves straight upward without tilting. As a result, even if the feeding position is located above the lower end of the trailing edge regulating portion, the trailing edges of all sheets can be regulated to a specified position by the trailing edge regulating portion, and the trailing edges of all sheets can be regulated in accordance with the elevation of the sheet stacking portion.

(Aspect 2)
In the first aspect, the end fence 25 or other trailing edge regulating member is attached so as to be movable in the vertical direction.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, when the rear ends of the sheets are floated by air from a blower such as the blower device 17, the additional rear end regulating member such as the tab end fence 110 can be floated upward together with the sheets. This allows the rear ends of the sheets to be well separated by the air without being hindered from floating by the additional rear end regulating member.
Furthermore, compared to a case where the additional trailing end regulating member is attached to a trailing end regulating member such as the end fence 25 by screws or the like so as to be immovable in the vertical direction, the additional trailing end regulating member can be attached more easily to the trailing end regulating member.

(Aspect 3)
In aspect 2, if the force that moves the trailing end regulating portion 112 upward is A and the force that the trailing end regulating portion 112 receives due to the rise of a sheet stacking portion such as the sheet loading platform 11 when the upward movement of the trailing end regulating additional member such as the tab end fence 110 is restricted is B, then A<B holds.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, the rear end regulating portion 112 can be moved upward by raising the sheet stacking portion such as the sheet placement table 11 .

(Aspect 4)
In the second or third aspect, the sheet stacking unit 111 has an upper surface contact portion 111 a that contacts the upper surface of the sheet stack stacked on the sheet stacking unit such as the sheet stacking table 11 .
According to this, as described in the embodiment, it is possible to position the additional trailing end regulating member such as the tab end fence 110 in the vertical direction with respect to the sheet stack placed on the sheet placement table 11. This allows the trailing end regulating portion 112 to effectively regulate the trailing ends of the sheets in the area β that receives air above the sheet stack, and effectively prevents the floating sheets from receding. Also, with a simple configuration, it is possible to move the additional trailing end regulating member up and down in accordance with the elevation and lowering of the sheet stacking portion.

(Aspect 5)
In any one of Aspects 1 to 4, a plurality of trailing end regulating portions are provided in the sheet width direction.
14, the trailing end regulating portion facing the opening 11a of the sheet loading portion such as the sheet loading table 11 does not move upward as the sheet stacking portion rises, but enters the opening 11a. As a result, even if there are only a few sheets remaining on the sheet stacking portion and the trailing end of the last sheet floated by air from the blower device 17 or other blower enters the opening of the sheet stacking portion, the trailing end can be regulated by the trailing end regulating portion 112. As a result, the trailing end regulating portion 112 can effectively regulate the sheets so that they do not move backward, right down to the last sheet.

(Aspect 6)
In any one of aspects 1 to 5, the trailing end regulating portion is attached to a main body such as the main body portion 111 via the flexible portion 113a that is elastically deformable in the up-down direction.
According to this, as described using Figures 15 and 16, when the trailing end regulating portion 113b is pushed up by a sheet stacking portion such as the sheet loading table 11, the flexible portion 113a elastically deforms and the trailing end regulating portion 113b moves upward.

(Aspect 7)
In any of the aspects 1 to 6, the main body such as the main body portion 111 has a guide portion such as the guide hole 111d that guides the trailing end regulating portion 112 in the up and down direction.
This allows the trailing edge regulating portion 112 to move straight up and down.

(Aspect 8)
In a feeding device that is provided with a sheet stacking section such as a sheet mounting table 11 that is movable up and down and that stacks sheets, an air blowing means such as an air blower 17 that blows air onto the sheet stack stacked on the sheet stacking section, and a trailing end regulating section such as an end fence 25 that regulates the position of the trailing end of the sheet stack in the sheet transport direction, and in which a trailing end regulating additional member such as a tab end fence 110 can be attached to the trailing end regulating section, a trailing end regulating additional member of any of aspects 1 to 7 is used as the trailing end regulating additional member.
This makes it possible to regulate the rear end of the floated tab sheets right up to the last sheet, and effectively prevent the tab sheets from receding, thereby making it possible to feed the tab sheets well down to the last sheet.

(Aspect 9)
In the eighth aspect, the sheet placement table 11 includes a blower such as an air blower that blows air or the like onto the sheet stack stacked in the sheet stacking section, and the trailing end regulating section 112 regulates at least the trailing end of the sheet floated by the blower.
According to this, as described in the embodiment, the trailing end regulating portion 112 can prevent the sheets floated by air blown onto the sheet stack by the blower unit such as the blower device 17 from moving backward.

(Aspect 10)
In the ninth aspect, the blowing unit such as the blower 17 blows air from the downstream side to the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction.
According to this, the floating sheets can be effectively separated by air or the like.

(Aspect 11)
In the tenth aspect, the blowing unit includes a suction section such as a suction fan 42 that sucks air upstream of the sheet stack in the sheet conveying direction.
According to this, as described with reference to FIG. 5, air can be sucked by a suction unit such as the suction fan 42, so that air can flow from the downstream side to the upstream side in the sheet transport direction.

(Aspect 12)
In an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet fed by a feeding device, the feeding device according to any one of aspects 8 to 11 was used as the feeding device.
This allows the tab sheets to be fed properly right up to the last sheet.

10: Storage tray 11: Sheet placement base 11a: Opening 12: Front blower 13: Side fence 14: Side blower 14a: Side blower 15: Floating blower 16: Separation blower 17: Blower 19: Lifting device 25: End fence 41: Leading edge regulating plate 42: Suction fan 110: Tab end fence 110A: Tab end fence 111: Main body 111a: Upper surface abutment portion 111b: Mounting portion 111c: Through hole 111d: Guide hole 112: Trailing edge regulating portion 112a: Fall prevention portion 113: Elastic deformation member 113a: Flexible portion 113b: Trailing edge regulating portion 200: Sheet feeding device 210: Tab end fence 210a: Upper surface abutment portion 210b: Trailing edge regulating portion 210c : Attachment portion 210d : Through hole P : Sheet stack Pt : Tab sheet stack T : Tab α : Feeding position β : Area receiving air

JP 2010-111510 A

Claims (12)

a rear end regulating additional member that is attached to a rear end regulating member of a sheet feeding device for regulating a position of a rear end of the sheet bundle in a sheet conveying direction when the sheet bundle loaded on a sheet stacking section that is raised and lowered is a tab sheet bundle, and that is longer in a sheet width direction than the rear end regulating member,
a main body having an attachment portion that is attached to the trailing end regulating member;
a rear end regulating section that regulates the position of the tab at the rear end of the tab paper stack in the sheet transport direction,
The additional trailing end regulating member is characterized in that the trailing end regulating portion is attached to the main body via a flexible portion that is elastically deformable in the vertical direction so as to be movable up and down. 2. The additional rear end regulating member according to claim 1,
The main body has a guide portion that guides the trailing end regulating portion in the up-down direction. a rear end regulating additional member that is attached to a rear end regulating member of a sheet feeding device for regulating a position of a rear end of the sheet bundle in a sheet conveying direction when the sheet bundle loaded on a sheet stacking section that is raised and lowered is a tab sheet bundle, and that is longer in a sheet width direction than the rear end regulating member,
a main body having an attachment portion that is attached to the trailing end regulating member;
a rear end regulating section that regulates the position of the tab at the rear end of the tab paper stack in the sheet transport direction,
the main body has a guide portion that guides the trailing end regulating portion in a vertical direction,
The additional trailing edge regulating member is characterized in that the trailing edge regulating portion is attached to the main body so as to be movable up and down. The additional rear end regulating member according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A trailing end regulating additional member attached to the trailing end regulating member so as to be vertically movable. 5. The additional rear end regulating member according to claim 4,
A trailing end regulating additional member characterized in that, when the force required to move the trailing end regulating portion upward is A and the force received by the trailing end regulating portion due to the rise of the sheet stacking portion when the upward movement of the trailing end regulating additional member is restricted is B, A < B holds. 6. The additional rear end regulating member according to claim 4,
a rear end regulating member having an upper surface abutting portion that abuts against an upper surface of the tab paper stack stacked on the sheet stacking portion; The additional rear end regulating member according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A trailing end regulating additional member having a plurality of trailing end regulating portions in a sheet width direction. a sheet stacking section that is provided so as to be capable of lifting and lowering and that stacks sheets;
a trailing edge regulating member for regulating a position of a trailing edge of the sheet stack in a sheet conveying direction,
In a feeding device in which a trailing end regulating additional member can be attached to the trailing end regulating member ,
A feeding device, comprising the additional trailing end regulating member according to claim 1 . 9. The feeding device according to claim 8,
a blowing means for blowing air onto the sheet stack stacked on the sheet stacking section,
The sheet feeding device, wherein the trailing end regulating portion regulates at least the trailing end of the sheet floated by the air blowing means. 10. The feeding device according to claim 9,
The feeding device, wherein the air blowing means blows air from a downstream side to an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction. 11. The feeding device according to claim 10,
The sheet feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing means is provided with a suction section for sucking air upstream of the sheet stack in the sheet conveying direction. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet fed by a feeding device,
12. An image forming apparatus, comprising the feeding device according to claim 8 as the feeding device.