BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a sheet conveying device and an image forming system incorporating
the sheet conveying device.
Discussion of the Background Art
[0002] In recent years, digitalization of information is encouraged by preparing or converting
information into electronic form, and image forming systems used for outputting digitalized
information have been indispensable. Such image forming systems function as a copier
to form an image on a sheet supplied from a sheet tray.
[0003] In addition, an image forming system employing technology for feeding a single sheet
from the sheet tray includes a sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit. The sheet
attraction and conveyance belt unit is disposed on the sheet tray to suck air to attract
an uppermost sheet to an attraction conveyance belt, so as to convey the uppermost
sheet to be ejected to the outside of the sheet tray (for example,
JP 2009-107849-A).
[0004] In the technique disclosed in
JP 2009-107849-A, the attraction conveyance belt and a member that separates a plurality of sheets
to a single sheet are separately disposed to be attached to and detached from the
sheet tray. (Hereinafter, the member is referred to as a sheet separation member.)
That is, the positional relationship between the attraction conveyance belt and the
sheet separation member varies each time the attraction conveyance belt and the separation
member are detached or attached, and the accumulated tolerance of clearance increases
between the attraction conveyance belt and the sheet separation member. Due to such
an increase in the accumulated tolerance of clearance, the plurality of sheets attracted
to the attraction and conveyance belt by air are conveyed altogether without being
separated into each single sheet. Therefore, a paper jam occurs. In other words, the
known technique such as
JP 2009-107849-A cannot stabilize the separation performance of an uppermost sheet.
SUMMARY
[0005] In view of the above-described disadvantages, an object of this disclosure is to
provide a sheet conveying device configured to reduce variation of the clearance between
an attraction conveyance belt and a sheet separation member, and therefore separate
the sheets to a single sheet stably.
[0006] At least one aspect of this disclosure provides a sheet conveying device of this
disclosure includes a housing, a tray configured to load a sheet bundle having at
least a sheet and to be inserted into and pulled out from the housing, a conveyance
belt configured to attract and convey a sheet from the sheet bundle loaded on the
tray, and a separation member configured to separate the sheet attracted by the conveyance
belt, from a subsequent sheet of the sheet bundle loaded on the tray. The separation
member and the conveyance belt are attachable and detachable together relative to
the housing.
[0007] Further, at least one aspect of this disclosure provides an image forming system
including the above-described sheet conveying device and an image forming device.
The sheet conveying device is configured to convey a sheet. The image forming device
is configured to form an image on the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying device.
[0008] According to this disclosure, a sheet conveying device can reduce variation of the
clearance between the attraction conveyance belt and the sheet separation member,
and therefore separate the sheets to a single sheet stably.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The aforementioned and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure
would be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when
considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming system
according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating of an internal structure of a loading and
feeding device according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an inner structure of a sheet tray according
to an embodiment of this disclosure;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a sheet separation and conveyance mechanism
according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a configuration in which the sheet separation and
conveyance mechanism is integrally provided together with the sheet tray; and
FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views illustrating the sheet tray, explaining retreat of
an end fence according to an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0010] The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present disclosure
and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings
are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] It will be understood that if an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "against,"
"connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, then it can be directly on,
against, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements
or layers may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being "directly
on," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, then
there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers referred to like
elements throughout. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations
of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0012] Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper" and
the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It
will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different
orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted
in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements
describes as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented
"above" the other elements or features. Thus, term such as "below" can encompass both
an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90
degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors herein interpreted
accordingly.
[0013] Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements,
components, regions, layers, and/or sections, it should be understood that these elements,
components, regions, layers, and/or sections should not be limited by these terms.
These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section
from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer
or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer
or section without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.
[0014] The terminology used herein is for describing particular embodiments and examples
and is not intended to be limiting of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. As
used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural
forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further
understood that the terms "includes" and/or "including," when used in this specification,
specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or
components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,
integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0015] Descriptions are given, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of examples,
exemplary embodiments, modification of exemplary embodiments, etc., of a sheet conveying
device and an image forming apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.
Elements having the same functions and shapes are denoted by the same reference numerals
throughout the specification and redundant descriptions are omitted. Elements that
do not demand descriptions may be omitted from the drawings as a matter of convenience.
Reference numerals of elements extracted from the patent publications are in parentheses
so as to be distinguished from those of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.
[0016] This disclosure is applicable to any sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus
and is implemented in the most effective manner in an electrophotographic image forming
apparatus.
[0017] In describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology
is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this disclosure is
not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be
understood that each specific element includes any and all technical equivalents that
have the same function, operate in a similar manner, and achieve a similar result.
[0018] Referring now to the drawings, a sheet conveying device and an image forming system
according to embodiments of this disclosure are described below. In the drawings for
explaining the following embodiments, the same reference codes are allocated to elements
(members or components) having the same function or shape and redundant descriptions
thereof are omitted below.
[0019] A description is given of a sheet conveying device according to an embodiment of
this disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming system
1 according to an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0021] The image forming system 1 may include an image forming device that is a copier,
a facsimile machine, a printer, a multifunction peripheral or a multifunction printer
(MFP) having at least one of copying, printing, scanning, facsimile, and plotter functions,
or the like. According to the present example, the image forming device of the image
forming system 1 is an electrophotographic copier that forms toner images on recording
media by supplying toner to the recording media.
[0022] It is to be noted in the following examples that: the term "image forming system"
indicates a system in which an image is formed on a recording medium such as paper,
OHP (overhead projector) transparencies, OHP film sheet, thread, fiber, fabric, leather,
metal, plastic, glass, wood, and/or ceramic by attracting developer or ink thereto;
the term "image formation" indicates an action for providing (i.e., printing) not
only an image having meanings such as texts and figures on a recording medium but
also an image having no meaning such as patterns on a recording medium.
[0023] It is to be noted that, in the present embodiment, the term "sheet" or "recording
medium (media)" is not limited to indicate a paper material but also includes the
above-described plastic material (e.g., an OHP sheet), a resin material, a fabric
sheet and so forth, and is used to which the developer or ink is attracted. In addition,
the "sheet" is not limited to a flexible sheet but is applicable to a rigid plate-shaped
sheet and a relatively thick sheet.
[0024] Further, size (dimension), material, shape, and relative positions used to describe
each of the components and units are examples, and the scope of this disclosure is
not limited thereto unless otherwise specified.
[0025] Further, it is to be noted in the following examples that: the term "sheet conveyance
direction" indicates a direction in which a recording medium travels from an upstream
side of a sheet conveying path to a downstream side thereof; the term "width direction"
indicates a direction basically perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.
[0026] It is to be noted that reference sign "x" indicates is a direction from the front
side to the rear side of the image forming system 1, reference sign "y" indicates
is a direction from the left side to the right side of the image forming system 1,
and reference sign "z" indicates is a direction perpendicular to the direction x and
the direction y.
[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 includes a loading and feeding
device 10, a printing device 20, a drying device 30, and an ejection device 40. The
image forming system 1 feeds a sheet P from the loading and feeding device 10, prints
an image on the sheet P by applying liquid to the sheet P in the printing device 20,
dries the liquid adhered on the sheet P in the drying device 30, and ejects the sheet
P to the ejection device 40.
[0028] The loading and feeding device 10 functions as a sheet conveying device that conveys
the sheet P to the printing device 20. The loading and feeding device 10 includes
multiple sheet trays 11, multiple pairs of registration rollers 13, and a sheet feeding
unit 12. Each of the multiple sheet trays 11 loads a sheet bundle of sheets P. Each
of the multiple pairs of registration rollers 13 convey the sheet P to the printing
device 20. The sheet feeding unit 12 separates the sheets P one by one from the sheet
bundle loaded on a selected one of the multiple sheet trays 11 and conveys each sheet
P to the sheet feeding unit 12.
[0029] The sheet feeding unit 12 sucks air to attract the sheet P to an attraction conveyance
belt and further conveys the sheet P. Detailed operations of the sheet feeding unit
12 are described below. The sheet feeding unit 12 is not limited to the above-described
configuration employing the attraction conveyance. For example, the sheet feeding
unit 12 may employ a roller or rollers to convey the sheet P. After the sheet P is
fed from a selected one of the sheet trays 11 by the sheet feeding unit 12, the leading
end of the sheet P reaches a corresponding one of the multiple pairs of registration
rollers 13. Then, as the corresponding one of the multiple pairs of registration rollers
13 is driven at a given timing, the sheet P is conveyed to the printing device 20.
[0030] The printing device 20 functions as an image forming apparatus. The printing device
20 includes a drum 51 and an air suction unit 52. The drum 51 conveys the sheet P.
The drum 51 is a rotary body that carries the sheet P on the circumferential surface
and rotates the sheet P. The air suction unit 52 is an air drawer that generates suction
force on the circumferential surface of the drum 51. The printing device 20 further
includes a liquid discharging device 22 that discharges liquid toward the sheet P
carried on the drum 51.
[0031] The printing device 20 further includes a transfer cylinder 24 and a transfer cylinder
25. The transfer cylinder 24 receives the sheet P from the loading and feeding device
10 and transfers the sheet P to the drum 51. The transfer cylinder 25 receives the
sheet P that is conveyed by the drum 51 and transfers the sheet P to the drying device
30.
[0032] After the sheet P has been conveyed from the loading and feeding device 10 to the
printing device 20, the leading end of the sheet P is gripped by one or more sheet
grippers. The one or more sheet grippers function as sheet gripping members and are
provided on the surface of the transfer cylinder 24. The sheet P is conveyed along
with rotation of the transfer cylinder 24. The sheet P conveyed by the transfer cylinder
24 is delivered to the drum 51 at a position where the transfer cylinder 24 faces
the drum 51.
[0033] The drum 51 also has one or more sheet grippers that function as sheet gripping members
on the surface of the drum 51. With this configuration, the leading end of the sheet
P is gripped by the one or more sheet grippers on the surface of the drum 51. Multiple
suction holes are dispersedly formed in the surface of the drum 51. The air suction
unit 52 generates suction airflow, via a given number of suction ports of the drum
51, toward an inside the drum 51.
[0034] After the sheet P has been transferred from the transfer cylinder 24 to the drum
51, the leading end of the sheet P is gripped by the one or more sheet grippers. At
the same time, the sheet P is attracted to and carried on the drum 51 due to suction
airflow generated by the air suction unit 52. Accordingly, the sheet P is conveyed
along with rotation of the drum 21.
[0035] The liquid discharging device 22 includes a liquid discharging unit 23 (to be more
specific, liquid discharging units 23A through 23F). For example, the liquid discharging
unit 23A discharges liquid of cyan (C), the liquid discharging unit 23B discharges
liquid of magenta (M), the liquid discharging unit 23C discharges liquid of yellow
(Y), and the liquid discharging unit 23D discharges liquid of black (K), respectively.
Further, the liquid discharging units 23E and 23F are used to discharge any one of
yellow, magenta, cyan, and black or special liquid such as white and gold (or silver).
Further, the liquid discharging device 22 may further include a liquid discharging
unit to discharge processing liquid such as surface coating liquid.
[0036] Respective discharging operations of the liquid discharging units 23A through 23F
of the liquid discharging device 22 are individually controlled by respective drive
signals according to print information. When the sheet P carried on the surface of
the drum 51 passes through a region facing the liquid discharging device 22, liquid
of each color is discharged from the respective liquid discharging units 23A through
23F, and an image corresponding to the printing information is printed on the sheet
P.
[0037] The drying device 30 includes a drying mechanism 31 and a suction and conveyance
mechanism 32. The drying mechanism 31 dries the liquid on the sheet P adhered to the
sheet P in the printing device 20. The suction and conveyance mechanism 32 conveys
the sheet P while attracting the sheet P that is conveyed from the printing device
20.
[0038] After being conveyed from the printing device 20, the sheet P is received by the
suction and conveyance mechanism 32. Then, the sheet P is conveyed to pass through
the drying mechanism 31 and is delivered to the ejection device 40.
[0039] When the sheet P passes through the drying mechanism 31, the liquid on the sheet
P is subjected to a drying process. According to the drying process performed by the
drying mechanism 31, moisture such as water in the liquid on the sheet P evaporates.
Consequently, the colorant contained in the liquid on the sheet P is fixed to the
sheet P, and therefore the sheet P is restrained from being curled.
[0040] The ejection device 40 includes a sheet ejection tray 41 to stack a plurality of
sheets P. The plurality of sheets P conveyed from the drying device 30 is sequentially
stacked and held on the sheet ejection tray 41.
[0041] It is to be noted that the image forming system 1 may include, for example, a pre-processing
device, a post-processing device, or both. The pre-processing device may be disposed
upstream from the printing device 20 in the sheet conveyance direction to perform
pre-processing to the sheet P. The post-processing device may be disposed between
the drying device 30 and the ejection device 40 to perform post-processing to the
sheet P to which liquid is attached.
[0042] For example, the pre-processing device may perform a pre-application process that
applies a treatment liquid on the sheet P before the image formation. The treatment
liquid reacts with liquid to be attached to the sheet P so as to reduce bleeding of
the liquid on the sheet P. However, the content of the pre-processing is not particularly
limited to the process as described above. Further, the post-processing device may
perform a sheet reversing process and a binding process, for example. The sheet reversing
process reverses the sheet P, on which image is printed by the printing device 20,
and conveys the reversed sheet P again to the printing device 20 to print images on
both sides of the sheet P. The binding process binds a plurality of sheets P.
[0043] Further, the present embodiment provides the printing device that includes a liquid
discharging device, as an example of a printing device. However, a printing device
to be applied to this disclosure is not limited to the above-described printing device
but any device or unit other than the liquid discharging device may be used for printing.
[0044] Next, a detailed description is given of the loading and feeding device 10 according
to the present embodiment of this disclosure.
[0045] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating of an inner structure of the loading and
feeding device 10 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective
view illustrating an inner structure of any one of the sheet trays 11 according to
an embodiment of this disclosure. The sheet trays 11 basically have respective configurations
identical to each other, and therefore are hereinafter referred to occasionally in
a singular form, that is, the sheet tray 11. The sheet tray 11 is detachably attached
to the loading and feeding device 10.
[0046] The loading and feeding device 10 stores one or more sheet trays 11. A user pulls
out the sheet tray 11 when loading a sheet bundle onto the sheet tray 11. With this
pull-out operation of the sheet tray 11, the sheet tray 11 is drawn out from the loading
and feeding device 10 following guidance of guide rails 15. Contact target portions
16 that contact the corresponding guide rails 15 are disposed on a bottom face of
the sheet tray 11. As the contact target portions 16 slide on the respective guide
rails 15, the sheet tray 11 is pulled out from a housing 10a of the loading and feeding
device 10, in a drawing direction that is a direction indicated by arrow in FIG. 2.
Then, after loading the sheet bundle onto the sheet tray 11, the user pushes the sheet
tray 11 to store the sheet tray 11 to the loading and feeding device 10.
[0047] The sheet feeding unit 12 according to the present embodiment is different from a
comparative sheet feeding unit. Specifically, the sheet feeding unit 12 according
to the present embodiment is an integral part of the sheet tray 11, as illustrated
in FIGS. 2 and 3. According to this configuration, as a user pulls out the sheet tray
11, the sheet feeding unit 12 is pulled out together with the sheet tray 11.
[0048] The sheet feeding unit 12 is disposed above a sheet ejection port 301 of the sheet
tray 11, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The sheet feeding unit 12 includes a sheet separation
and conveyance mechanism 300 disposed upstream from the sheet ejection port 301 in
the sheet conveyance direction (that is, in an area indicated by the circle of a broken
line in FIG. 3). The sheet separation and conveyance mechanism 300 separates the sheet
P from the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet tray 11 and further conveys the sheet
P. The sheet separation and conveyance mechanism 300 separates, for example, an uppermost
sheet P that is placed on top of the sheet bundle including the plurality of sheets
P.
[0049] FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating details of the sheet separation and conveyance
mechanism 300.
[0050] The sheet separation and conveyance mechanism 300 includes a sheet attraction and
conveyance belt unit 400, a sheet separation member 430, and a pair of sheet rollers
440. The sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 includes two rollers 410. The
two rollers 410 stretch an attraction conveyance belt 401 that is an endless belt.
In other words, the attraction conveyance belt 401 that functions as an endless belt
is stretched by the two rollers 410. The sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit
400 further includes an air suction unit 420 disposed on a back side (inside the loop)
of the attraction conveyance belt 401, in other words, between the two rollers 410.
[0051] FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating the attraction conveyance belt 401 having a plurality
of ventilation holes 402 that functions as a plurality of openings. As illustrated
in 4B, the plurality of ventilation holes 402 are dispersedly formed over an entire
region of a belt surface of the attraction conveyance belt 401.
[0052] The air suction unit 420 drives an inner fan to cause air to pass through the attraction
conveyance belt 401 via the plurality of ventilation holes 402 formed over the entire
region of the belt surface (sheet conveyance face) of the attraction conveyance belt
401, in an air suction direction that is a direction indicated by arrows in FIG. 4A.
[0053] As the air suction unit 420 sucks air via the plurality of ventilation holes 402,
one or more sheets are attracted to a sheet conveyance face of the attraction conveyance
belt 401 in a sheet attraction direction that corresponds to the air suction direction.
Then, the one or more sheets P attracted to the attraction conveyance belt 401 are
conveyed to the position where the sheet separation member 430 is located, along with
rotation of the two rollers 410 in a direction indicated by arrow in FIG. 4A.
[0054] When a plurality of sheets P are conveyed, the sheet separation member 430 separates
the plurality of sheets P one by one to convey a single sheet, for example. It is
to be noted that the sheet separation member 430 of the present embodiment has a claw-shaped
separation portion to separate a single sheet P from the other sheets of a sheet bundle.
However, the shape of the separation portion of the sheet separation member 430 is
not limited to the above-described shape. For example, any separation portion of the
sheet separation member 430 may be applied to this disclosure as long as the shape
of the separation portion has a projection or a convex portion at the tip of the sheet
separation member 430. After being separated from the other sheets of the plurality
of sheets P by the sheet separation member 430, the single sheet P is conveyed to
the outside of the housing 10a of the loading and feeding device 10 via the pair of
sheet rollers 440.
[0055] The dimension of the clearance L between the attraction conveyance belt 401 and the
sheet separation member 430 illustrated in FIG. 4A affects the separation performance
of a sheet. Specifically, if the clearance L is large, multiple feeding failure occurs.
On the other hand, if the clearance L is small, no sheet is conveyed, resulting in
a paper jam. It is to be noted that "multiple feeding failure" is a failure in which
a plurality of sheets is conveyed at one time without being separated.
[0056] A comparative sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit, for example, is fixed to
the frame of a loading and feeding device and a comparative sheet separation member
is an integral part of a sheet tray. Due to this configuration, when the sheet tray
is pulled out, the comparative sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit is separated
from the comparative sheet separation member. Therefore, when the sheet tray is pulled
out and inserted to the loading and feeding device repeatedly, the dimension of the
clearance L varies, and therefore the specified size is not met between the comparative
sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit and the comparative sheet separation member.
In order to avoid this inconvenience, there may be a case in which a jig is used to
adjust the height of attachment of a conveyance belt, which results in an increase
in costs.
[0057] In the present embodiment, each of the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit
400 and the sheet separation member 430 is an integral part of the sheet tray 11.
With this configuration, when the sheet tray 11 is pulled out, the sheet attraction
and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet separation member 430 are drawn together
with the sheet tray 11. To be more specific, the sheet attraction and conveyance belt
unit 400 and the sheet separation member 430 are included in the sheet tray 11 and
are configured to be pulled out from the housing 10a of the loading and feeding device
10 together with the sheet tray 11 as an integral part when the sheet tray 11 is drawn
from the housing 10a of the loading and feeding device 10. As described above, in
the present embodiment, the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 and the
sheet separation member 430 are assembled in the sheet tray 11. Therefore, the accumulated
tolerance value is relatively small, the precision of the clearance L is maintained,
and therefore the frequency of adjusting the height of attachment of the sheet attraction
and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet separation member 430 is reduced. Further,
when compared with a case in which the configuration to pull out the sheet tray 11
and the configuration to pull out the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400
and the sheet separation member 430 are provided separately, the loading and feeding
device 10 according to the present embodiment has a smaller and simpler configuration.
[0058] FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a part of the sheet tray 11 for explaining the
configuration in which the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet
separation member 430 are provided to the sheet tray 11 as an integral part of the
sheet tray 11.
[0059] A tray face plate 510 and a side frame 501 are mounted on the upper face of a base
frame 520 of the sheet tray 11. The tray face plate 510 aligns a sheet bundle loaded
on the tray face plate 510, at the leading end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance
direction. The side frame 501 functions as a frame side face of the sheet tray 11.
The sheet separation member 430 is mounted on the upper end of the tray face plate
510. The sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 is fixed to the side frame
501, at a position indicated by a broken line in FIG. 5. As described above, the sheet
separation member 430 and the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 are integrally
provided to the sheet tray 11, via the tray face plate 510, the base frame 520, and
the side frame 501.
[0060] When the sheet tray 11 is pulled out from the housing 10a of the loading and feeding
device 10, the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet separation
member 430 are drawn together with the sheet tray 11 as an integral part. According
to this configuration, the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 is exposed
to the outside from the loading and feeding device 10, which makes it easier for a
person such as a service representative or a maintenance person to access the parts
and components in the loading and feeding device 10 for maintenance. In other words,
a maintenance person can easily perform maintenance work, for example, replacement
of the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 to a new unit, replacement of
parts such as the attraction conveyance belt 401 and the two rollers 410 provided
in the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400, and cleaning of these parts.
Further, according to the present embodiment, maintenance of the sheet attraction
and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet separation member 430 and supply of the
sheets P to the sheet tray 11 are performed in one operation.
[0061] FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views illustrating the sheet tray 11, explaining retreat
of an end fence 610 according to an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0062] In the present embodiment, the sheet feeding unit 12 is located on the upper part
of the sheet tray 11 and is pulled out together with the sheet tray 11. For this reason,
as illustrated in FIG. 6A, when the sheet bundle is loaded onto the sheet tray 11,
a width L1 of a sheet loading port of the sheet tray 11 is too narrow for the sheets
to be inserted from the sheet loading port. Therefore, the sheets of the sheet bundle
are divided into small groups appropriately to be inserted into the sheet tray 11.
[0063] In order to address the above-described inconvenience, as illustrated in FIG. 6B,
the end fence 610 that aligns the trailing end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance
direction is retreated, so that the sheet bundle is easily loaded onto the sheet tray
11 in a sheet loading direction. The end fence 610 is retreated by removing or rotating
the end fence 610.
[0064] In the present embodiment, the loading and feeding device 10 has a configuration
in which the sheet tray 11 includes the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit
400 and the sheet separation member 430 as an integral part of the sheet tray 11.
However, the configuration of the sheet tray 11 is not limited to the above-described
configuration. For example, the loading and feeding device 10 may have a configuration
in which the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit 400 and the sheet separation
member 430 are an integral part and detachably attachable with respect to the loading
and feeding device 10.
[0065] As described above, the configuration of the present embodiment includes a sheet
separation member and a sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit that are an integral
part to be detachably attached to a housing of a loading and feeding device together.
Accordingly, even when the sheet separation member and the sheet attraction and conveyance
belt unit are detached from the loading and feeding device for maintenance work, the
configuration of the present embodiment maintains the positional relation between
the sheet separation member and the sheet attraction and conveyance belt unit, restrains
multiple feeding failure of sheets, and prevents a paper jam.
[0066] The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention.
Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the
above teachings. For example, elements and/or features of different illustrative embodiments
may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within the scope
of this disclosure.
[0067] Any one of the above-described operations may be performed in various other ways,
for example, in an order different from the one described above.