Patent Publication Number: US-6659451-B2

Title: Paper cassette for an image forming device

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from my application PAPER CASSETTE FOR IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Dec. 30, 2000 and there duly assigned Serial No. 87353/2000. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a paper cassette for an image forming device, such as a copying machine or printer, which is a computer peripheral device. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved paper cassette enabling easy reception of paper in the paper cassette. 
     2. Related Art 
     Printers are widely used in offices and homes as computer peripheral devices. A printer prints documents or image data developed by an application program of the computer. Copying machines are also widely used in offices to copy documents. An image forming device, such as a printer or copying machine, includes at least one paper cassette. Accordingly, the image forming device is constructed to receive and store a print medium, such as paper, in the paper cassette. 
     Furthermore, various types of paper are used in the image forming device according to the needs of users. Each type of paper is received in a paper cassette which is designed to receive that type of paper. 
     A conventional paper cassette has at least one guide lever for properly arranging the paper according to its size. The paper received in the paper cassette is arranged and stacked by a front wall and a guide lever of the paper cassette. When the paper cassette is installed in the printer, a sheet of paper on top of the paper stack is contacted by a feeding device, such as a roller. Accordingly, in a print process, the sheets of paper are drawn into the image forming device, one by one, as the feeding device rotates. 
     When the paper runs out during the print process, paper should be additionally supplied. In the conventional paper cassette, the paper cassette is taken out of the image forming device, and paper of a certain size is supplied to a receiving section of the print cassette. Then, the print cassette is reinstalled in the image forming device. 
     When the paper is received in the paper cassette, the size of the paper does not match a space between the front wall and the guide lever of the paper cassette. Accordingly, before storing the paper in the receiving section, a user has to move the guide lever backward in order to provide space for the paper, store the paper, and then arrange the paper by advancing the guide lever. This results in a complicated paper loading and reception process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been developed in order to solve the above-mentioned problem. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved paper cassette for an image forming device enabling easier receiving and arranging of paper in a cassette body. 
     To accomplish the above object, the paper cassette of the image forming device comprises a cassette body having a receiving section in which paper is received, and a guide lever disposed on a bottom of the cassette body for orienting a side of the received paper in a sloped manner by hinging in a certain direction. 
     The guide lever comprises a guiding portion moving between an arrange position for contacting and supporting a side of the paper received in the receiving section, and a release position separate from the arrange position. The guiding portion elastically returns from the release position to the arrange position. A base member is slidably disposed on the bottom of the receiving section for hingedly supporting the guiding portion, and a hinge shaft hingedly connects the guiding portion to the base member. 
     It is preferable that the base member have a stopping portion for restricting a hinging movement of the guiding portion. 
     It is also preferable that the guiding portion have a slope for slant orientation of the paper in a direction in which the paper is to be ejected. 
     Preferably, the guide lever further comprises an elastic member disposed between the base member and the guiding portion for elastically urging the guiding portion into the arrange position. 
     It is preferable that the elastic member be disposed around the hinge shaft. 
     It is also preferable that the elastic member be connected to the guiding portion, and to a wall extending from a base of the base member and at a right angle with respect to the bottom of the receiving section. 
     It is preferable that the receiving section have an inclined plane, and that the guide lever have a slope corresponding to that of the inclined plane for connecting and slant arranging the received paper in a direction in which the paper is to be ejected. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A more complete appreciation of the invention, and many of the attendant advantages, thereof, will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the same or similar components, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a paper cassette according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line I—I of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second guide lever of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a second guide lever according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described in more detail with respect to the various figures of the drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a paper cassette according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a paper cassette for an image forming device according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a cassette body  10  having a receiving section  10   a , a first guide lever  20 , and a second guide lever  30 . Paper is received and stacked in the receiving section  10   a . First and second guide rails  13  and  15 , respectively, are formed on the bottom of the cassette body  10 . Scale rulers  17   a  and  17   b  are formed near the first and second guide rails  13  and  15 , respectively, to indicate the size of the received paper. The scale rulers  17   a  and  17   b  have scales for distinguishing standard and non-standard paper. The cassette body  10  further includes an inclined plane  12  disposed in the receiving section  10   a  and having a predetermined slope. The inclined plane  12  faces the second guide lever  30  in order to support the paper received in the receiving section  10   a  by contacting sides of the paper. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line I—I of FIG. 1, while FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a second guide lever of FIG.  1 . As shown in FIG. 2, the inclined plane  12  forms an obtuse angle with respect to the bottom of the receiving section  10   a  to enable easy ejection of the paper P. 
     The first and second guide levers  20  and  30 , respectively, support and arrange the paper P in the receiving section  10   a  by contacting the paper P. The guide levers  20  and  30  slide along the guide rails  13  and  15 , respectively, in a crosswise direction with respect to each other. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the second guide lever  30  includes a base member  31 , a guiding portion  32 , a hinge shaft  33 , and an elastic member  35 . 
     The base member  31  has a protrusion  31   a  corresponding to the second guide rail  15 , and protruding from the lower surface of the base member  31 . The protrusion  31   a  guides the base member  31  while moving along the second guide rail  15 . It is preferable that the base member  31  be disposed on the same level as the receiving section  10   a.  A supporting part  31   b  is formed on a portion of the base member  31  which contacts the guiding portion  32  for hinging the hinge shaft  33 . Holes  31   c  are formed in the supporting part  31   b  so that the hinge shaft  33  can be passed therethrough. 
     The guiding portion  32  is disposed on the base member  31 , and hinges at a predetermined angle. The guiding portion  32  moves between an “arrange position” (shown by a solid line in FIG. 2) for contacting and supporting the sides of the paper P and a “release position” (shown by a broken line in FIG. 2) for departing from contact with the sides of the paper P. The guiding portion  32  includes a projection part  32   a , corresponding to a supporting part  31   b,  and the hinge shaft  33 . The supporting part  31   b  is disposed on the base member  31 . Holes  32   b  are formed in the projection part  32   a , so that the hinge shaft  33  is passed therethrough. When the hinge shaft  33  is passed through the holes  31   c  and  32   b , the guiding portion  32  is hingedly supported on the base member  31  at a predetermined angle. 
     It is preferable that a stopping portion  31   d  be formed in the base member  31  to prevent the guiding portion  32  from overly hinging toward the paper P in the arrange position. The stopping portion  31   d  is formed by stepping a portion proximate to the supporting part  31   b.    
     Also, the guiding portion  32  includes a slope  32   c  corresponding to the inclined plane  12  of the cassette body  10 . The slope  32   c  has a slope similar to that of the inclined plane  12 . Accordingly, the paper P between the slope  32   c  and the inclined plane  12  is slant arranged toward the inclined plane  12  (i.e., toward a paper ejecting direction). 
     It is preferable that the elastic member  35  be disposed on the hinge shaft  33 . It is also preferable that the elastic member  35  be a torsion spring positioned between the base member  31  and the guiding portion  32 . The elastic member  35  elastically presses the guiding portion  32  into the arrange position, i.e., in a direction in which the slope  32   c  contacts the paper P. 
     The operation of the paper cassette for the image forming device will be described below according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     First, when the paper cassette is empty, a user takes the cassette body  10  out of the image forming device. Then, the user takes paper P of a certain size with one hand, and hinges the guiding portion  32  with the other hand in a direction indicated by the broken line in FIG.  2 . The paper P is first received between the guiding portion  32  and the inclined plane  12 . Next, the user releases the guiding portion  32 , and the guiding portion  32  returns to an initial position by pressure of the elastic member  35 . When the guiding portion  32  returns to its initial position, the stopping portion  31   d  stops the guiding portion  32  by contacting the slope  32   c , thereby restricting further hinging movement. 
     Accordingly, the received paper P is arranged with a certain slope corresponding to the slope  32   c  of the guiding portion  32  which pushes the paper P. That is, the sides of the paper P are arranged by contacting the inclined plane  12  and the slope  32   c . Since the paper P is received in the receiving section  10   a  by a simple hinge action of the guiding portion  32 , the entire guide lever  30  does not need to be moved, and thus the user is enabled to easily store the paper P in the cassette body  10 . 
     After the paper P is stacked and arranged in the cassette body  10  as described above, the cassette body  10  is reinstalled in the image forming device. In this state, when a print command is inputted, a sheet of paper P 1  on top of the paper stack is picked up by a pick-up  12  device, including components such as a pick-up roller  40 . Then, the sheet of paper P 1  is ejected from the cassette body  10  along the inclined plane  12 . The ejected paper P 1  is moved to a developing section (not shown) via a general paper feeding route (also not shown). 
     In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the print cassette includes the inclined plane  12  formed in the receiving section  10   a  and the slope  32   c  formed on the guide lever  30 . However, the present invention can be applied to a print cassette without the inclined plane  12  or the slope  32   c.    
     FIG. 4 is a side view of a second guide lever according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     The guide lever  130  according to the second preferred embodiment includes a base member  131 , a guiding portion  132 , a hinge shaft  133 , and an elastic member  135  as in the first preferred embodiment. The base member  131  includes a base  131   b  having a protrusion  131   a  extending from the lower surface of the base  131   b , and a wall  131   c  extending vertically from the base  131   b.  A supporting part (not shown) is formed between the base  131   b  and the wall  131   c,  and has the same shape as the supporting part  31   b  shown in FIG.  3 . The hinge shaft  133  is hingedly connected to the supporting part (not shown). 
     The guiding portion  132  is hinged on the base member  131  at a predetermined angle. That is, the guiding portion  132  moves between an “arrange position” in which it contacts and arranges the sides of the paper P, and a “release position” in which it does not contact the sides of the paper P. 
     In addition, a stopping portion  131   d  is step-formed in the base member  131  to prevent the guiding portion  132  from overly hinging toward the paper P. 
     The guiding portion  132  has a slope portion  132   c  corresponding to the inclined plane  12  of the cassette body  10 . The slope portion  132   c  has a slope similar to that of the inclined plane  12  of the cassette body  10 . Accordingly, as in the first preferred embodiment, the paper P is slant arranged toward the inclined plane  12  of the cassette body  10 . 
     The guide portion  132  of the second preferred embodiment has a curved portion  132   d  which curves toward the wall  131   c  of the base member  131 . The guiding portion  132  makes complete contact with the wall  131   c  in the release position. 
     In contrast to the first preferred embodiment, the elastic member  135  is disposed between the guiding portion  132  and the wall  131   c . Accordingly, in the release position, the guiding portion  132  is pressed by the elastic member  135 . That is, the elastic member  135  elastically presses the guiding portion  132  into the arrange position (i.e., into a contact direction of the slope  132   c  and the paper P). Elastic member  35  of the first preferred embodiment can be used in place of the elastic member  135  of the second preferred embodiment. 
     In the first preferred embodiment of the paper cassette of the present invention, as described above, the guide lever  30  having the guiding portion  32  hingedly disposed in the paper cassette ensures sufficient space for the paper reception without moving the guide lever  30 . Accordingly, a user can easily store the paper P in the paper cassette. Also, since the paper P is arranged as the guiding portion  32  returns to its initial position, reception and arrangement of the paper P become easier. 
     In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in, and limited only by, the appended claims.