US 12,110,203 B2
Sheet storage apparatus, image forming system including the sheet storage apparatus, and image forming apparatus
Satoshi Ando, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed by KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc., Osaka (JP)
Filed on Mar. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/187,766.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-049345 (JP), filed on Mar. 25, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0322509 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. B65H 3/48 (2006.01); B65H 1/18 (2006.01); B65H 3/06 (2006.01); B65H 3/54 (2006.01); B65H 3/66 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 3/48 (2013.01) [B65H 1/18 (2013.01); B65H 3/06 (2013.01); B65H 3/54 (2013.01); B65H 3/66 (2013.01); B65H 2402/45 (2013.01); B65H 2405/115 (2013.01); B65H 2405/15 (2013.01); B65H 2801/06 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sheet storage apparatus, comprising:
an apparatus body;
a sheet storage section including
a sheet supply port that is formed at a top of the apparatus body, and
a sheet stacking portion that is capable of stacking sheets,
the sheets being capable of being stacked onto the sheet stacking portion through the sheet supply port;
a top cover supported by the apparatus body so as to be pivotable between
an opening position at which the sheet supply port is opened and
a closing position at which the top cover closes the sheet supply port by turning at a predetermined angle from the opening position;
a sheet feeding section
that is provided above the sheet storage section, and
that is configured to feed, at a predetermined feeding position, the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion toward a downstream side in a sheet conveying direction by abutting against the sheets;
a restricting cursor
that is arranged, in the sheet storage section, at a predetermined position in a sheet width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction,
that has an abutment surface which abuts against side edges of the sheets, and
that is configured to restrict movements in the sheet width direction of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion;
a blowing device including
a fan
that is provided in the restricting cursor, and
that is configured to generate airflow, and
a vent
that is formed through the abutment surface, and
that is configured to exhaust the airflow, the blowing device being configured to blow the airflow to be exhausted through the vent to one of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking portion, the one of the sheets having come near the predetermined feeding position, to thereby float the one of the sheets;
a sheet holding-down member
that is supported to be pivotable by the restricting cursor, and
that includes a restricting piece which is configured to restrict a floating height of the one of the sheets by coming into contact with a top surface of the one of the sheets by protruding from the abutment surface of the restricting cursor to an inner side in the sheet width direction; and
a moving mechanism
that is coupled to the sheet holding-down member,
that is configured to move the sheet holding-down member to a restricting position by coming into contact with the top cover under a state in which the top cover in the closing position, the restricting position being a position of the sheet holding-down member that has protruded from the abutment surface, and
that is configured to move the sheet holding-down member from the abutment surface to a retracted position by separating from the top cover a state which the top cover is in the opening position, the retracted position being on an outer side in the sheet width direction and being a position of the sheet holding-down member that has retracted.