Patent ID: 6330423
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:a manual paper feed tray,wherein a supporting point position and angle of said manual paper feed tray change in accordance with an external input,wherein said manual paper feed tray comprises:a tray for stacking paper sheets;a pair of supporting point members formed at two ends of a leading end portion in a conveyance direction of said tray, gears respectively being formed in at least a partial circumferential region centering around a first rotation supporting point;a support shaft formed along the first rotation supporting point and having a pair of projections protruding from said supporting point members toward two ends;a pair of rack guides fixed to a main body and having racks which mesh with the gears of said supporting point members and long holes elongated in one direction into which said projections are inserted;a pair of lever gears which rotate around a second rotation supporting point while engaging, with play, with said projections inserted into said long holes and protruding toward two ends; anda driving source for rotating said lever gears, andwhen the external input is given, said driving source rotates said lever gears around the second rotation supporting point, said lever gears drive the projections engaged around the second rotation supporting point, the projections slidably move along the long holes in said rack guides fixed to the main body, and the position of the first rotation supporting point moves while said supporting point members rotate around the first rotation supporting point, thereby changing the supporting point position and angle of said manual paper feed tray.