Patent ID: 7543809

Claim:
A sheet tray device that is removably introduced into a main body of an image forming apparatus through an opening of the main body, so as to hold a media sheet that is to be supplied to an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus by which an image forming operation is performed on the media sheet, said sheet tray device comprising: (a) a first tray accommodating a first size sheet as the media sheet; and (b) a second tray disposed on an upper side of said first tray and accommodating a second size sheet as the media sheet, the second size sheet having a size smaller than a size of the first size sheet, wherein said second tray includes (b-1) a support member bridging between opposite side walls of said first tray, (b-2) a supported body pivotably supported by said support member, and (b-3) a hinge through which said supported body is pivotable relative to said support member so as to open and close an upper opening of said first tray, wherein said hinge includes (i) a shaft portion provided in one of said support member and said supported body, (ii) first and second bearing portions provided in the other of said support member and said supported body and cooperating with each other to support said shaft portion, and (iii) a removal preventer portion provided in each of at least one of said first and second bearing portions so as to prevent removal of said shaft portion from said first and second bearing portions, wherein said first and second bearing portions are offset from each other in an axial direction of said shaft portion, and are located on respective opposite sides of said shaft portion in a diametrical direction of said shaft portion, wherein said shaft portion includes a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion that has a diameter larger than a diameter of said small diameter portion, and wherein said first bearing portion and said second bearing portion are contactable at respective contactable portions thereof with said small diameter portion and said large diameter portion, respectively, such that a radial distance between the contactable portion of said first bearing portion and an axis of said large diameter portion is smaller than a radius of said large diameter portion, at least when said first bearing portion is in contact at said contactable portion thereof with said small diameter portion.