Patent ID: 8186665

Claim:
A paper feed tray locking device of an image forming apparatus, comprising: an engaging mechanism configured to switch between an interlocked state and a separated state, wherein the engaging mechanism is configured such that, when the engaging mechanism is in the interlocked state, a first paper feed tray and a second paper feed tray are coupled to each other so that when a drawing tray that is one of the first paper feed tray and the second paper feed tray is drawn out from a storage position, other paper feed tray of the first paper feed tray and the second paper feed tray is also drawn out along with the thawing tray as a drawn tray, when the engaging mechanism is in the separated state, the first paper feed tray and the second paper feed tray are separated from each other so that one of the first paper feed tray and the second paper feed tray is drawn out from the storage position independently of other of the first paper feed tray and the second paper feed tray, and when the engaging mechanism is in the interlocked state, and when the drawing tray is drawn out from the storage position, the drawn tray is drawn out after the drawing tray is drawn out a distance from the storage position.