SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20100244365A1
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, MASATO, TOMURA, HISAYUKI, YOSHIMURA, SHOTARO, SAWANAKA, KEI, NEMOTO, AKIO, TAKAHASHI, ATSUYA, ITO, MITSUNARI, NISHIKATA, KAZUSHI
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/18
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6502 Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00729 of sheet amount in input tray

Abstract

Sheets fed out from a sheet feeding portion, which is brought into pressure contact with the sheets by the upward movement of a sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets, are separated and conveyed one by one while being upwardly curved. During the sheet feeding operation, the sheet stacking portion is sequentially moved up, and when the sheet feeding operation is completed, the sheet stacking portion is moved down. Further, a remaining amount indicating member moved with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to indicate the remaining amount of sheets is held at a position before the sheet stacking portion is moved down, by a holding mechanism, when the sheet feeding operation is completed and the sheet stacking portion is moved down.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a sheet containing portion having a sheet stacking portion movable up and down with sheets stacked thereon;

a sheet feeding portion brought into pressure contact with the stacked sheets by an upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets;

a lifting and lowering mechanism configured to lift and lower the sheet stacking portion;

a movable remaining amount indicating portion which indicates the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion, and the remaining amount indicating portion is moved according to the movement of the sheet stacking portion and has a pointer indicating the remaining amount of the sheets in the sheet containing portion to an outside of the sheet containing portion; and

a holding mechanism configured to hold the remaining amount indicating portion,

wherein during a lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, the holding mechanism enables the pointer to indicate the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism; and

during a lowering operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, following the lifting operation, the holding mechanism holds the remaining amount indicating portion so as to maintain the pointer at the position indicated from the lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion.

9. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with an urging member for limiting a movement of the remaining amount indicating portion by an urging force, and the urging force of the urging member is set to a magnitude at which the remaining amount indicating portion can be moved in association with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion when the sheet stacking portion is moved up.

10. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with a shaft for pivotally supporting the remaining amount indicating portion, and the stopper portion provided on the shaft, and can hold the remaining amount indicating portion by the urging member urging the remaining amount indicating portion against the stopper portion.

11. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein one end of the remaining amount indicating portion is engaged with the sheet stacking portion and the pointer is provided at the other end of the remaining amount indicating portion.

12. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the urging force of the urging member is applied to the remaining amount indicating portion in a state in which the sheet containing portion is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, and the sheet feeding apparatus comprises a releasing mechanism configured to release the urging force of the urging member when the sheet containing portion has been taken out of the apparatus main body.

13. A sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with a shaft for pivotally supporting the remaining amount indicating portion, and a stopper portion provided on the shaft, and can hold the remaining amount indicating portion by the urging member urging the remaining amount indicating portion against the stopper portion, and the releasing mechanism has a remaining amount indicating cam slidably disposed on the shaft, and slidingly moves the remaining amount indicating cam so as to release the urging force of the urging member according to an operation of pulling out the sheet containing portion from the apparatus main body.

14. An image forming apparatus provided with an image forming portion for forming an image on a sheet fed out from a sheet feeding apparatus, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a sheet containing portion having a sheet stacking portion movable up and down with sheets stacked thereon;

a sheet feeding portion brought into pressure contact with the stacked sheets by the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion to feed out the sheets;

a lifting and lowering mechanism configured to lift and lower the sheet stacking portion;

a movable remaining amount indicating portion which indicates the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion, and the remaining amount indicating portion is moved according to the movement of the sheet stacking portion and has a pointer indicating the remaining amount of the sheets in the sheet containing portion; and

a holding mechanism configured to hold the remaining amount indicating portion,

wherein during a lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, the holding mechanism enables the pointer to indicate the remaining amount of sheets according to a position of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting operation of the lifting and lowering mechanism; and

during a lowering operation of the sheet stacking portion by the lifting and lowering mechanism, following the lifting operation, the holding mechanism holds the remaining amount indicating portion so as to maintain the portion at the position indicated from the lifting operation of the sheet stacking portion.

15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with an urging member for limiting a movement of the remaining amount indicating portion by an urging force, and the urging force of the urging member is set to a magnitude at which the remaining amount indicating portion can be moved in association with the upward movement of the sheet stacking portion when the sheet stacking portion is moved up.

16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with a shaft for pivotally supporting the remaining amount indicating portion, and the stopper portion provided on the shaft, and can hold the remaining amount indicating portion by the urging member urging the remaining amount indicating portion against the stopper portion.

17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein one end of the remaining amount indicating portion is engaged with the sheet stacking portion and the pointer is provided at the other end of the remaining amount indicating portion.

18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the urging force of the urging member is applied to the remaining amount indicating portion in a state in which the sheet containing portion is mounted on the main body of the apparatus, and the sheet feeding apparatus comprises a releasing mechanism configured to release the urging force of the urging member when the sheet containing portion has been taken out of the apparatus main body.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the holding mechanism is provided with a shaft for pivotally supporting the remaining amount indicating portion, and a stopper portion provided on the shaft, and can hold the remaining amount indicating portion by the urging member urging the remaining amount indicating portion against the stopper portion, and the releasing mechanism has a remaining amount indicating cam slidably disposed on the shaft, and slidingly moves the remaining amount indicating cam so as to release the urging force of the urging member according to an operation of pulling out the sheet containing portion from the apparatus main body.