Patent ID: 7926805
Filing Date: 2011-04-19
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet feeding device to feed sheets in a sheet feeding path, comprising: a sheet cassette, in which a stack of sheets is stored; a body, in which the sheet cassette is removably installed; a feeder unit configured to forward the sheets in the stack to the sheet feeding path; at least one restrictive member, which is configured to be shifted between a releasing position and a restricting position and which restricts a height of the stack of sheets to be stored in the sheet cassette when in the restricting position; a shifting unit configured to shift the positions of the at least one restrictive member; and wherein the shifting unit shifts the at least one restrictive member to be in the restricting position when the sheet cassette is removed from the body and shifts the at least one restrictive member to be in the releasing position when the sheet cassette is installed in the body, wherein the shifting unit includes a first lever, a second lever and a lock mechanism, wherein the first lever rotates about a first axis and is coupled to the restrictive member at one end thereof such that when the first lever is rotated about the first axis, the restrictive member is shifted in the vertical direction, wherein the second lever is configured to overlap a portion of the first lever and rotates about a second axis to rotate the first lever about the first axis to shift the restrictive member in the vertical direction, wherein the at least one restrictive member has an L-shape and includes: wherein the first lever is coupled to the linker portion of the restrictive member at one end thereof, wherein the lock mechanism includes: wherein the engaging arm is configured to be shifted downwardly to press an upper surface of engageable portion, wherein once the engaging arm is shifted downwardly past the engageable portion, the engaging arm is held by a lower surface of the engageable portion and restricted from being shifted upwardly past the engageable portion.