Patent ID: 7547014
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
1. A recording material guiding device comprising: a feed tray in which a recording material is stacked; a first side end guiding member and a second side end guide member for restricting the movement of the recoding material in a main scanning direction; and a hopper having the first side end guiding member and the second side end guide member and capable of causing the stacked recording material to be brought into contact with and move away from a feed roller so as to transport the stacked recording material to the feed roller, wherein the hopper has frictional contact preventing means for preventing frictional contact at least between one side end of the recording material and one of the first side end guiding member and the second side end guide member, wherein the frictional contact preventing means includes: a first guide member which has the first side end guiding member and whose sliding movement in the main scanning direction is restricted; and a second guide member which has the second side end guide member, and is slidable in the main scanning direction with respect to the first guide member up to a first position and a second position, wherein the first position is a position where the second side end guide member and the one side end of the recording material abut, and the second position is a position for forming a gap between the second side end guide member and the one side end of the recording material, and the frictional contact preventing means has a moving direction converting mechanism for converting a force for causing the hopper to be brought into contact with and move away from the feed roller into a force for causing the second guide member to slide in the main scanning direction; the moving direction converting mechanism has a guide projection provided on the second guide member and a guide groove provided in the feed tray and adapted to engage the guide projection; and the guide groove includes: a rectilinear portion provided on a side of the feed roller and extending in the same direction as a direction in which the hopper is brought into contact with and moves away from the feed roller; and an inclined portion provided on a side away from the feed roller and inclined with respect to the rectilinear portion.