Patent ID: 7510181
Filing Date: 2009-03-31
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet-supply cassette, comprising: a main member which is open upward and which is adapted to store a plurality of recording sheets that are stacked on each other; an auxiliary member which is open upward and which is adapted to support respective trailing end portions of the recording sheets as seen in a sheet-feed direction in which each of the recording sheets is fed, wherein the auxiliary member is attached to the main member such that the auxiliary member is movable relative to the main member, in each of opposite directions parallel to the sheet-feed direction, so that the auxiliary member is engaged with the main member at an arbitrary one of a plurality of engagement positions; a plurality of first engaging portions which are distant from each other in the sheet-feed direction; and an elastically deformable portion including, as an integral portion thereof, a second engaging portion, wherein elastic deformation of the elastically deformable portion causes the second engaging portion to engage an arbitrary one of the first engaging portions so as to define a corresponding one of the engagement positions, wherein the elastically deformable portion including the second engaging portion is integrally formed with one of the main member and the auxiliary member, and the first engaging portions are provided in an other of the main member and the auxiliary member, wherein the elastically deformable portion includes, as an integral portion thereof, an operable portion which is operable to elastically deform the elastically deformable portion and to engage the second engaging portion with the arbitrary one of the first engaging portions, and wherein the elastically deformable portion additionally includes a support portion supporting, as an integral portion thereof, the second engaging portion, and an elastically deformable base portion which is integral with the operable portion and the support portion, and wherein when an external force is applied to the operable portion, the elastically deformable base portion is elastically deformed so that the support portion is displaced relative to the first engaging portions and accordingly the second engaging portion is disengaged from one of the first engaging portions and, when the external force is released from the operable portion after the auxiliary member is moved relative to the main member, the elastically deformable base portion is elastically restored so that the second engaging portion is engaged with an other of the first engaging portions.