Image forming apparatus having automatic paper feeding cassette installing device

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including a main part having an inputting part, an image forming part to form an image on a printing paper, and a pickup roller to supply the printing paper to the image forming part, the image forming apparatus further including a paper feeding cassette to move inside and outside of the main body and to load the paper to the pickup roller, a paper feeding cassette installing unit to move the paper feeding cassette inside and outside the main body, and a controlling part to control the paper feeding cassette installing unit according to an electrical signal applied through the inputting part to load the paper to the pickup roller.

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a main body comprising: an inputting part, an image forming part to form an image on a printing paper, and a pickup roller to supply the printing paper to the image forming part;    a paper feeding cassette to move inside and outside of the main body and to load the paper to the pickup roller;    a paper feeding cassette installing unit to move the paper feeding cassette inside and outside of the main body; and    a controlling part to control the paper feeding cassette installing unit according to an electrical signal applied through the inputting part to load the paper to the pickup roller.    
   
   
       2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the paper feeding cassette installing unit comprises: 
 a driving part located at a side of the main body;    a driven part located at the paper feeding cassette to correspond to the driving part and to move the paper feeding cassette inside and outside of the main body; and    a power supplying part controlled by the controlling part to supply electric power to the driving part.    
   
   
       3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the driving part comprises a gear; and    the driven part comprises a rack.    
   
   
       4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the driving part comprises a belt and a pulley; and    the driven part comprises a rack.    
   
   
       5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the paper feeding cassette installing unit further comprises a paper sensing part to detect the printing paper loaded in the paper feeding cassette and to apply a sensing signal to the controlling part, and    the controlling part controls the power supplying part to supply the electric power to the driving part according to the sensing signal.    
   
   
       6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the paper feeding cassette further comprises an elastic member to elastically press the printing paper against the pickup roller according to an amount of the printing paper loaded on the paper feeding cassette to load the printing paper to the pickup roller.  
   
   
       7 . A feeding cassette useable with an image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 at least one adjustable size guide to accommodate a plurality of sizes of printing media;    a detecting unit to detect the presence or absence of the printing media in the feeding cassette; and    a guide unit to guide the feeding cassette into the image forming apparatus.    
   
   
       8 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a frame;    a feeding cassette automatically-moveable into and out of the frame, the feeding cassette including at least one adjustable size guide to accommodate a plurality of sizes of printing media; and    a controller to control a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame.    
   
   
       9 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the frame includes a first guide unit to receive the feeding cassette; and    the feeding cassette includes a second guide unit to engage with the first guide unit.    
   
   
       10 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 an input unit to receive an input command from a user to control a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame and to transmit the input command to the controller,    wherein the controller controls a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame based on the input command.    
   
   
       11 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 a detecting unit to detect the presence or absence of the printing media in the feeding cassette and to transmit a command to the controller based on the detection result,    wherein the controller controls a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame based on the command.    
   
   
       12 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the detecting unit comprises a contact switch to detect the presence or absence of the printing media in the feeding cassette and to transmit a command to the controller based on the detection result, 
 wherein the controller controls a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame based on the command.    
   
   
       13 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the detecting unit comprises a pressure sensor to detect an amount of the printing media in the feeding cassette and to transmit a command to the controller based on the detection result, 
 wherein the controller controls a movement of the feeding cassette into and out of the frame based on the command.    
   
   
       14 . The image forming apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising at least one retaining unit to prevent the feeding cassette from being entirely removed from the frame.  
   
   
       15 . A method of automatically moving a feeding cassette into and/or out of an image forming apparatus, the method comprising: 
 determining whether a printing medium is present in the feeding cassette using the detecting unit when the feeding cassette is in the image forming apparatus;    sending an out command signal from the detecting unit to the controller to move the feeding cassette out of the image forming apparatus when the printing medium is not present in the feeding cassette; and    moving the feeding cassette out of the image forming apparatus using the controller based on the out command signal.