JPH05105247A - Paper feeding device of image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a paper sheet feeder of an image forming apparatus which can avoid 'misregistration of image' in the direction intersecting perpendicularly to the paper sheet feeding direction without attaching and detaching a paper sheet feed tray by simple external operation. CONSTITUTION:In order to eliminate 'misregistration of image' in the direction intersecting perpendicularly to the paper sheet feeding direction of a paper sheet from a paper sheet feed tray 2, a positioning adjust member which enables the paper sheet feed tray 2 to move in the orthogonal direction can be operated to turn from the outside by means of a positioning adjust knob 6b.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device in which a sheet feeding tray is attachable to and detachable from an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, the position of an image on a transfer paper after image formation is relative to the image position of the original even though the original is placed at a regular position on a contact glass. It may be out of alignment. This shift direction is a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction of the transfer paper. The cause of this "deviation" is that the dimensional accuracy of parts such as the exposure optical system, the photoconductor, and the paper feeding system varies. And those resulting from the accumulation of mutual assembly errors and the like.

Further, when the paper feed tray is of a multi-stage type, the "image position shift" as described above is caused by variations in dimensional accuracy of these parts and accumulation of these assembling errors. Is likely to occur.

In this type of paper feed tray, a side fence for regulating the side surface of the sheet bundle is usually provided. Such a side fence is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction. There has been proposed a sheet feeding device that solves the above-mentioned problems by making the movement adjustment possible and adjusting the position of the sheet bundle. However, with this,
In order to adjust the movement, the paper feed tray has to be temporarily taken out of the image forming apparatus, which makes this kind of work extremely troublesome.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate "image misregistration" in the direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction by a simple external operation without attaching or detaching the paper feed tray. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeding device of an image forming apparatus capable of performing

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a paper feed tray for accommodating papers fed one by one, and the paper feed tray is detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus. In the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus, the operator of the image forming apparatus attaches and detaches the same to and from the front side of the image forming apparatus. A positioning member having an engaging portion for positioning the paper feeding tray in a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction in the engaged state, and a position of the positioning member operable from outside the image forming apparatus. The present invention proposes a sheet feeding device for an image forming apparatus, which is provided with a positioning adjustment member for changing the above in the orthogonal direction.

It is effective to arrange the positioning adjustment member so that the operation by the adjustment member can be performed on the front side of the image forming apparatus.

Further, the positioning adjusting member is not provided with a positioning adjusting knob which is rotated from the outside of the image forming apparatus, and the adjusting knob is used as an index, and the sheet feeding tray is moved to the front of the image forming apparatus. It is effective to provide an adjustment display unit for grasping the direction and the movement amount thereof.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a main body of an image forming apparatus, and a paper feeding device 1 is provided in the lower portion of the main body 10. The sheet feeding device 1 has a sheet feeding tray 2, and a bundle of sheets (not shown) such as transfer sheets is stored in the sheet feeding tray 2, from which a sheet is fed by a sheet feeding roller 3.
The sheets are fed one by one toward the drum-shaped photoconductor 4.

The paper feed tray 2 is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus main body 10 in a direction orthogonal to the paper feed direction of the paper from the paper feed tray. This type of image forming apparatus is provided with an operation panel section (not shown) for designating specifications for various image forming operations. The opposite side is assumed to be the “front side” of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a view of the lower side of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from the direction of arrow a, and the term "front side" means
This is the portion indicated by A in this figure. The attachment / detachment of the paper feed tray 2 is performed on the front surface A side.

In FIG. 2, a paper feed tray front cover portion 2a
A concave portion 2b is provided at the bottom of the sheet feeding tray 2 having the above. Below the paper feed tray 2, a protruding portion 5a is formed on the lower side.
The positioning member 5 that extends is provided, and a convex portion 5b having a predetermined depth is provided at the upper end portion thereof, and the convex portion 5b is engaged with the concave portion 2b.

In order to take out the paper feed tray 2 from the main body of the image forming apparatus, first, the paper feed tray 2 is slightly lifted and the concave portion 2b is removed from the convex portion 5b.
Is guided in the guide rail and pulled out in the direction of arrow b.

As described above, the convex portion 5b is freely engageable with and disengageable from the concave portion 2b, and in the engaged state, the paper feed tray 2 is positioned in the direction (arrow b direction) orthogonal to the paper feed direction. To do. More specifically, the convex portion 5b is the concave portion 2b.
By engaging with, the paper feed tray 2 is positioned so that it comes to the regular paper feed position with respect to the image forming apparatus main body side. The convex portion 5b constitutes one configuration example of the engaging portion that achieves such a function.

The male screw portion 6a of the positioning adjusting member 6 is screwed into the female screw portion provided on the projecting portion 5a. The positioning adjustment member 6 is a base member 7 on the image forming apparatus main body side.
Is rotatably supported by two E-rings 8, 8
Therefore, it is stopped so as not to come off from the base member 7.

The positioning adjustment member 6 is provided with a positioning adjustment knob 6b, which can be picked up from outside the image forming apparatus. When the adjustment knob 6b is gripped and rotated, the position of the positioning member 5 screwed into the screw portion 6a is changed in the direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. That is, the positioning adjustment member 6 is rotated so that the above-mentioned “image position shift” is eliminated, and the paper feed tray 2 is positioned by the positioning member 5. Such position adjustment may be referred to as “lateral registration adjustment”.

According to such a sheet feeding device, it is possible to eliminate the above-mentioned "image position shift" with a simple operation without removing the sheet feeding tray 2. In this example, since the positioning adjustment member 6 can be operated on the front side of the image forming apparatus, it is not necessary to perform such an operation on the rear side or the side of the machine. Such operations are extremely easy to perform.

The positioning adjustment knob 6b, as described above, but it is becoming a part to be externally operated, reference numeral 6b ₁
If the part indicated by is a convex part, by pinching this convex part,
The positioning adjustment member 6 can be easily rotated.
On the other hand, such a portion may be a recess.

[0019] as well as the site 6b ₁ forming such protrusions and recesses as an index, in front of the image forming apparatus (the sheet feeding tray front cover portion 2a in this example), as shown at D in FIG. 3 Adjustment When the display unit is provided, the paper feed tray 2
It is possible to clearly grasp the moving direction and the moving amount thereof and accurately adjust the positional deviation of the image.

For example, when the knob 6b is turned in the + (plus) direction, the paper feed tray 2 moves to the front side in the drawing, and when turned in the- (minus) direction, it moves to the back side. If the amount of rotation is increased, the amount of movement is also increased.

[0021]

According to the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the sheet feeding device can be simply operated from the outside of the image forming device without removing the sheet feeding tray. It is possible to eliminate the "image position shift" in the direction orthogonal to the paper direction.

According to the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, the operation of the positioning adjusting member can be performed extremely easily not on the back side or the side side of the machine but on the front side.

According to the sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus of the third aspect, it is possible to clearly understand the moving direction of the sheet feeding tray, the moving amount thereof and the like, and to adjust the "image positional deviation". Can be done accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus including a sheet feeding device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a component of a paper feed tray movement adjustment unit of the paper feed device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a portion of a positioning adjustment knob of a paper feed tray movement adjustment unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Paper feed tray 5 Positioning member 5b Convex portion as engaging portion 6 Positioning adjustment member 6b Positioning adjustment knob 10 Image forming apparatus main unit D Adjustment display section

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sheet feeding tray for storing sheets to be fed one by one, the sheet feeding tray being detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus. In the paper feeding device of the image forming apparatus, which is arranged to be carried out on the front side of the image forming apparatus facing each other, the paper feeding tray is detachable from the paper feeding tray and is in a state orthogonal to the paper feeding direction of the paper in the engaged state. A positioning member having an engaging portion for positioning the paper feed tray, and a positioning adjustment member operable from outside the image forming apparatus to change the position of the positioning member in the orthogonal direction. A sheet feeding device of an image forming apparatus characterized by the above. 2. The sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning adjusting member is arranged so that an operation by the adjusting member can be performed on a front surface side of the image forming apparatus. 3. The positioning adjusting member is provided with a positioning adjusting knob which is rotated from outside the image forming apparatus, and the adjusting knob is used as an index, and the paper feed tray is moved to the front of the image forming apparatus. The sheet feeding device of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment display unit for grasping a direction and a movement amount thereof.