SHEET STORAGE APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20190332049A1
• Filed: 04/22/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Tatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 11,072,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 1/266 Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer B65H1/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/60 Coupling, adapter or locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/1142 Projections or the like in surface contact with handled material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/10 Size; Dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6511 Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets

Abstract

A sheet storage apparatus includes a storage unit having bottom and side surface portions and a width regulation unit that regulates a sheet edge position and includes first and second regulation members movable in a direction opposite to a movement of a moving first regulation member. The bottom surface portion is provided with first and second positioning holes to position the first regulation member, provided with first and second fixing holes. When a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion is defined as a first direction and a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion is defined as a second direction, the first direction and the second direction are other than parallel.

Claims

1. A sheet storage apparatus to store a sheet to be fed by a feeding member, the sheet storage apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a sheet and includes a bottom surface portion forming a bottom surface and a side surface portion forming a side surface; and

a width regulation unit configured to regulate a position of an edge of a sheet in a width direction intersecting with a feeding direction of the feeding member, wherein the width regulation unit includes a first regulation member configured to be movable in the width direction with respect to the bottom surface portion, and a second regulation member configured to be movable with respect to the bottom surface portion, and also be movable in a direction opposite to a movement direction of the first regulation member in conjunction with a movement of the first regulation member,

wherein the bottom surface portion is provided with a first positioning hole for positioning the first regulation member, and the side surface portion is provided with a second positioning hole for positioning the first regulation member,

wherein the first regulation member is provided with a first fixing hole for fixing the first regulation member to the bottom surface portion by a fixing member, and a second fixing hole for fixing the first regulation member to the side surface portion by the fixing member, and

wherein, in a case where a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole is defined as a first direction and a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole is defined as a second direction, the first direction and the second direction are other than parallel.

2. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a position of the first regulation member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole is a position corresponding to an edge of a maximum standard-size sheet as one of sheets that can be stored in the sheet storage apparatus.

3. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a position of the first regulation member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole is a position corresponding to an edge of a second largest standard-size sheet next to the maximum standard-size sheet as one of the sheets that can be stored in the sheet storage apparatus.

4. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a screw.

5. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the screw is inserted into the second fixing hole in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole.

6. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the screw is inserted into the first fixing hole in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole.

7. The sheet storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation gear in contact with each of the first regulation member and the second regulation member,

wherein the second regulation member is movable in conjunction with a movement of the first regulation member by the rotation gear.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form a toner image on a sheet;

a feeding member configured to feed a sheet to the image forming unit; and

a sheet storage apparatus to store a sheet to be fed by a feeding member,

wherein the sheet storage apparatus includes;

a storage unit configured to store a sheet and includes a bottom surface portion forming a bottom surface and a side surface portion forming a side surface, and

a width regulation unit configured to regulate a position of an edge of a sheet in a width direction intersecting with a feeding direction of the feeding member, wherein the width regulation unit includes a first regulation member configured to be movable in the width direction with respect to the bottom surface portion, and a second regulation member configured to be movable with respect to the bottom surface portion, and also be movable in a direction opposite to a movement direction of the first regulation member in conjunction with a movement of the first regulation member,

wherein the bottom surface portion is provided with a first positioning hole for positioning the first regulation member, and the side surface portion is provided with a second positioning hole for positioning the first regulation member,

wherein the first regulation member is provided with a first fixing hole for fixing the first regulation member to the bottom surface portion by a fixing member, and a second fixing hole for fixing the first regulation member to the side surface portion by the fixing member, and

wherein, in a case where a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole is defined as a first direction and a direction of the fixing member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole is defined as a second direction, the first direction and the second direction are other than parallel.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a position of the first regulation member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole is a position corresponding to an edge of a maximum standard-size sheet as one of sheets that can be stored in the sheet storage apparatus.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a position of the first regulation member in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole is a position corresponding to an edge of a second largest standard-size sheet next to the maximum standard-size sheet as one of the sheets that can be stored in the sheet storage apparatus.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fixing member is a screw.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the screw is inserted into the second fixing hole in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the side surface portion through the second positioning hole.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the screw is inserted into the first fixing hole in a state where the first regulation member is fixed to the bottom surface portion through the first positioning hole.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a rotation gear in contact with each of the first regulation member and the second regulation member,

wherein the second regulation member is movable in conjunction with a movement of the first regulation member by the rotation gear.