IP Library › Granted Patent US 12698169
Granted Patent B2
US 12698169 · App. 19/041,270 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Sheet feeding apparatus and image forming apparatus

Inventor: Takafumi Monte (Toride, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B65H1/266B65H1/04B65H2402/60B65H2405/121B65H2405/332G03G2215/00713
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698169
App. No.
19/041,270
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sheet feeding apparatus includes a casing configured to be connected under an upper casing to which an upper storage portion is drawably attached, a storage portion drawably attached to the casing, and a lock mechanism configured to switch between a locked state, in which the lock mechanism locks the casing and the upper casing to prevent the casing and the upper casing from being separated from each other, and an unlocked state. In in a case where the lock mechanism is in the locked state, a whole of the lock mechanism is positioned outside a movement trajectory of the upper storage portion. In a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, at least a portion of the lock mechanism is positioned inside the movement trajectory of the upper storage portion.

Claims (69)

1 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a casing configured to be connected under an upper casing to which an upper storage portion is drawably attached;

a storage portion configured to store a sheet and drawably attached to the casing; and

a lock mechanism configured to switch between a locked state, in which the lock mechanism locks the casing and the upper casing to prevent the casing and the upper casing from being separated from each other, and an unlocked state, in which the lock mechanism allows the casing and the upper casing to be separated from each other,

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the locked state, a whole of the lock mechanism is positioned outside a movement trajectory of the upper storage portion in which the upper storage portion is attached to and drawn from the upper casing, and

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, at least a portion of the lock mechanism is positioned inside the movement trajectory of the upper storage portion.

2 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock member including an engaging portion configured to engage with an engaged portion provided in the upper casing, the lock member being configured to move such that the engaging portion approaches and moves away from the engaged portion, and

wherein in a case where the engaging portion is separated from the engaged portion, at least a portion of the lock member is always positioned inside the movement trajectory of the upper storage portion.

3 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, the lock member is positioned to be brought into contact with the upper storage portion to prevent the upper storage portion from being drawn from and attached to the upper casing.

4 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the lock member is configured to pivot around a pivot shaft and includes a contacted portion configured to be brought into contact with the upper storage portion in a case where the upper storage portion is moved in a state where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, and

wherein the contacted portion is disposed closer to the pivot shaft than the engaging portion is.

5 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the upper storage portion includes:

a first contacting portion configured to contact a portion of the lock mechanism when an attempt is made to move the upper storage portion drawn out from the upper casing in an attachment direction; and

a second contacting portion disposed downstream of the first contacting portion in a drawing direction of the upper storage portion and configured to contact a portion of the lock mechanism when an attempt is made to move the upper storage portion attached to the upper casing in the drawing direction.

6 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an upper unit including the upper casing and the upper storage portion,

wherein the upper unit is another sheet feeding apparatus that is connected to an image forming apparatus body configured to form an image on a sheet and that is configured to feed a sheet toward the image forming apparatus body.

7 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

the sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

an image forming apparatus body including the upper casing, the upper storage portion, and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the storage portion or the upper storage portion.

8 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a casing configured to be connected under an upper casing to which an upper storage portion is drawably attached;

a storage portion configured to store a sheet and drawably attached to the casing; and

a lock mechanism configured to switch between a locked state, in which the lock mechanism locks the casing and the upper casing to prevent the casing and the upper casing from being separated from each other, and an unlocked state, in which the lock mechanism allows the casing and the upper casing to be separated from each other,

wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock member including an engaging portion configured to engage with an engaged portion provided in the upper casing, the lock member being configured to move such that the engaging portion approaches and moves away from the engaged portion, and

wherein the lock member includes a contacted portion configured to be brought into contact with the upper storage portion in a case where the upper storage portion is moved in a state where the lock member is located at a position at which the engaging portion is separated from the engaged portion to a maximum extent.

9 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, the lock member is positioned to be brought into contact with the upper storage portion to prevent the upper storage portion from being drawn from and attached to the upper casing.

10 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the lock member is configured to pivot around a pivot shaft, and

wherein the contacted portion is disposed closer to the pivot shaft than the engaging portion is.

11 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 ,

wherein the upper storage portion includes:

a first contacting portion configured to contact a portion of the lock member when an attempt is made to move the upper storage portion drawn out from the upper casing in an attachment direction; and

a second contacting portion disposed downstream of the first contacting portion in a drawing direction of the upper storage portion and configured to contact the lock member when an attempt is made to move the upper storage portion attached to the upper casing in the drawing direction.

12 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:

an upper unit including the upper casing and the upper storage portion,

wherein the upper unit is another sheet feeding apparatus that is connected to an image forming apparatus body configured to form an image on a sheet and that is configured to feed a sheet toward the image forming apparatus body.

13 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

the sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 8 ; and

an image forming apparatus body including the upper casing, the upper storage portion, and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the storage portion or the upper storage portion.

14 . A sheet feeding apparatus comprising:

a casing configured to be connected under an upper casing to which an upper storage portion is drawably attached;

a storage portion configured to store a sheet and drawably attached to the casing; and

a lock mechanism configured to switch between a locked state, in which the lock mechanism locks the casing and the upper casing to prevent the casing and the upper casing from being separated from each other, and an unlocked state, in which the lock mechanism allows the casing and the upper casing to be separated from each other,

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the locked state, a whole of the lock mechanism is positioned outside a movement trajectory of the storage portion in which the storage portion is attached to and drawn from the casing, and

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, at least a portion of the lock mechanism is positioned inside the movement trajectory of the storage portion.

15 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the lock mechanism includes a lock member including an engaging portion configured to engage with an engaged portion provided in the upper casing, the lock member being configured to move such that the engaging portion approaches and moves away from the engaged portion, and

wherein in a case where the engaging portion is separated from the engaged portion, at least a portion of the lock member is always positioned inside the movement trajectory of the storage portion.

16 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein in a case where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, the lock member is positioned to be brought into contact with the storage portion to prevent the storage portion from being drawn from and attached to the casing.

17 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 15 ,

wherein the lock member is configured to pivot around a pivot shaft and includes a contacted portion configured to be brought into contact with the storage portion in a case where the storage portion is moved in a state where the lock mechanism is in the unlocked state, and

wherein the contacted portion is disposed closer to the pivot shaft than the engaging portion is.

18 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the storage portion includes:

a first contacting portion configured to contact a portion of the lock mechanism an attempt is made to move the storage portion drawn out from the casing in an attachment direction; and

a second contacting portion disposed downstream of the first contacting portion in a drawing direction of the storage portion and configured to contact a portion of the lock mechanism when an attempt is made to move the storage portion attached to the casing in the drawing direction.

19 . The sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising:

an upper unit including the upper casing and the upper storage portion,

wherein the upper unit is another sheet feeding apparatus that is connected to an image forming apparatus body configured to form an image on a sheet and that is configured to feed a sheet toward the image forming apparatus body.

20 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

the sheet feeding apparatus according to claim 14 ; and

an image forming apparatus body including the upper casing, the upper storage portion, and an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the storage portion or the upper storage portion.