SHEET FEEDER AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

A holding member of a sheet feeder includes a locking member engageable with a part of a pinion gear and holds the pinion gear and a sensor member. The holding member is detachably attachable to the sheet storage portion. The pinion gear and a pair of rack members are meshed with the holding member attached to a sheet storage portion. The holding member holds the pinion gear movably in an axial direction of the rotary shaft so that the pinion gear is displaceable between a first position where the rotation of the pinion gear is regulated and a second position where the pinion gear is rotatable. The pinion gear is located at the first position with the holding member detached from the sheet storage portion and located at the second position with the holding member attached to the sheet storage portion.

主权项

1. A sheet feeder, comprising:
a sheet storage portion configured to store a sheet to be fed; a pair of side guides provided in the sheet storage portion, slidable in directions perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction and configured to guide a pair of lateral sides of the sheet extending along the sheet feeding direction; a pair of rack members integrally mounted on the respective side guides; a pinion gear including a rotary shaft and configured to rotate about an axis of the rotary shaft in a state meshed with the pair of rack members; a sensor member including a rotating portion coupled to the rotary shaft and having an electrical characteristic changing according to a degree of rotation of the rotating portion rotating in conjunction with the rotary shaft; and a holding member including a locking member engageable with a part of the pinion gear and configured to hold the pinion gear and the sensor member; wherein: the holding member is detachably attachable to the sheet storage portion and configured such that the pinion gear and the rack members are meshed with the holding member attached to the sheet storage portion; the holding member holds the pinion gear movably in an axial direction of the rotary shaft so that the pinion gear is displaceable between a first position where a part of the pinion gear is engaged with the locking member to regulate the rotation of the pinion gear and a second position where the engagement is released to make the pinion gear rotatable; and the pinion gear is located at the first position with the holding member detached from the sheet storage portion and located at the second position with the holding member attached to the sheet storage portion.