Patent ID: 7731174

Claim:
A paper pickup device for an image forming apparatus, the paper pickup device comprising: a frame; a driving shaft being configured to connect with a driving unit of the image forming apparatus and rotatably installed on the frame for movement in a predetermined direction, the driving shaft having an end with a first combining portion; and a driven shaft having a pickup roller to feed paper being installed thereon, the driven shaft having an end with a second combining portion configured to connect with the first combining portion; wherein the first combining portion and the second combining portion have a complementary configuration so that any one combining portion is inserted and combined with the remaining combining portion; a protrusion is formed on an outer circumference of the inserted combining portion; a combining groove is formed in a lengthwise direction of the remaining combining portion into which the protrusion is inserted; and an opening that opens in the lengthwise direction of the remaining combining portion to face the combining groove is formed in the remaining combining portion, the opening comprising a tapered inclined surface formed opposite the combining groove, and the tapered inclined surface being inclined toward an end of the combining portion; wherein when the first combining portion and the second combining portion are connected with each other, to disconnect the driving shaft and the driven shaft, the second combining portion is first radially pivoted to the inclined surface to be substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the second combining portion, and then separated from the first combining portion.