Paper feeding cassette

Abstract

A paper feeding cassette includes a cassette body detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus, and an alignment unit disposed on an inner surface of the cassette body to pressurize a plurality of stacked sheets of recording medium from one side thereof when the cassette body is mounted in the image forming apparatus. Accordingly, the sheets of recording medium can be more accurately picked up and a stable image quality can be obtained.

1 . A paper feeding cassette, comprising: 
 a cassette body detachably mounted to an image forming apparatus; and    an alignment unit disposed on an inner surface of the cassette body to pressurize a plurality of sheets of recording medium from one side thereof when the cassette body is mounted in the image forming apparatus.    
   
   
       2 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the alignment unit comprises at least one biasing member to be biased toward an inner space of the cassette body as the cassette body is mounted in the image forming apparatus.  
   
   
       3 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the alignment unit comprises a guide member to guide the biasing of the biasing member, and the guide member and the biasing member are aligned to be movable relative to each other.  
   
   
       4 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the biasing member is formed at an inner surface of the cassette body to form a guide recess between the inner surface of the cassette body and the biasing member to receive the guide member therein.  
   
   
       5 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the biasing member is formed of an elastic body having a first end fixed on the inner surface of the cassette body and a second end which is elastically biased toward the inner space of the cassette body, and the guide recess to receive the guide member is formed between the first and second ends of the biasing member.  
   
   
       6 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 a cover slidingly disposed at a top portion of the cassette body.    
   
   
       7 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the guide member is fixedly connected to the cover.  
   
   
       8 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the cover and the cassette body comprise a guide protrusion and a guide groove at a contacting portion therebetween.  
   
   
       9 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the cover further comprises an elastic rib to elastically pressurize a top side of the sheets of the recording medium stacked in the cassette body.  
   
   
       10 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the cassette body further comprises a protrusion portion at a top portion thereof to incline the cover at a slight angle when the cassette body is mounted in the image forming apparatus.  
   
   
       11 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cassette body has a reference surface at a first inner surface and the alignment unit at a second inner surface opposite to the reference surface.  
   
   
       12 . The paper feeding cassette as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the reference surface has a plurality of contacting surfaces protruding into an inner space of the cassette body by same lengths.  
   
   
       13 . A paper feeding cassette usable in an image forming apparatus, the cassette comprising: 
 a cassette body to accommodate recording media and being mountable in a mounting part of the image forming apparatus; and    an alignment unit disposed on a side of the cassette body to push the recording media against a reference surface in the cassette body as the cassette body is being mounted in the mounting part.    
   
   
       14 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the alignment unit is disposed on a first inner side of the cassette body and the reference surface is disposed at a second inner side opposite to the first inner side.  
   
   
       15 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a cover slidably engaged with the cassette body to cover a top surface of the cassette body.    
   
   
       16 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the alignment unit comprises: 
 a biasing member extending from the side of the cassette body; and    a guide member extending from the cover to engage the biasing member as the cover slides over the top surface of the cassette body.    
   
   
       17 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the guide member pushes the biasing member to extend further from the side into an inner space of the cassette body such that the biasing member contacts a side edge of the recording media.  
   
   
       18 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the cover is disposed at a first end of the cassette body and slides over the top surface of the cassette body toward a second end thereof as the cassette body is mounted in the mounting part.  
   
   
       19 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the cover is coupled to outer sides of the cassette body, and as the cassette body is being mounted in the mounting part, an outer portion of the cover engages an inner portion of the mounting part such that the cover is prevented from moving further therein, while the cassette body is moved further into the mounting part.  
   
   
       20 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the cassette body comprises at least one protrusion portion extending upward from at least one side wall on the top surface thereof to engage the cover as the cover slides over the top surface such that the cover is maintained at a predetermined non-horizontal angle when the cassette body is mounted in the image forming apparatus.  
   
   
       21 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the cover comprises: 
 a parallel portion arranged to be parallel to the top surface of the cassette body and being slidable with respect thereto; and    a pivotable portion coupled to the parallel portion and pivotable about an axis with respect thereto.    
   
   
       22 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the alignment unit comprises: 
 a biasing member extending from the side of the cassette body; and    a guide member extending from the cover to engage the biasing member as the cover and the cassette body are moved relative to one another.    
   
   
       23 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the cover comprises an elastic rib extending from a bottom side thereof to apply a downward force on an uppermost sheet of recording media disposed in the cassette body.  
   
   
       24 . A paper feeding cassette usable in an image forming apparatus, the cassette comprising: 
 a body having top and bottom portions slideably coupled to one another to accommodate sheets of recording media therebetween; and    an alignment unit having complementary projecting parts disposed on the top and bottom portions of the body such that the complementary projecting parts engage each other as the top and bottom portions are moved with respect to each other into a mounting position such that the engagement of the complementary projecting parts pushes the recording media into an aligned position.    
   
   
       25 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the complementary projecting parts comprise: 
 an elastic biasing member extending along an inner surface of the bottom portion of the body and forming a guide recess with the inner surface of the body; and    a guide member extending along an inner surface of the top portion of the body to be received in the guide recess to push the elastic biasing member inward in the body.    
   
   
       26 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the top portion comprises a rib extending from a bottom surface thereof to apply a force to an uppermost sheet of the recording media.  
   
   
       27 . A paper feed cassette, comprising: 
 a tray part to accommodate sheets of printing media and having a biasing member extending along an inner sidewall thereof; and    a cover part coupled to the tray part and having a guide member extending from a side bottom portion thereof such that the biasing member engages the guide member when the cover part is moved with respect to the tray part into a mounting position.    
   
   
       28 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the biasing member and guide member push the sheets of printing media against a reference surface in the tray part as the biasing and guide members engage each other.  
   
   
       29 . A paper cassette mountable in an image forming apparatus, the cassette comprising: 
 a bottom part to accommodate printing media; and    a top part movably coupled to the bottom part between a first position with respect to the bottom part when the cassette is dismounted from the image forming apparatus, and a second position with respect to the bottom part when the cassette is mounted in the image forming apparatus.    
   
   
       30 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the top part engages the image forming apparatus when the cassette is mounted such that the top part is moved from the first position to the second position as the cassette is mounted in the image forming apparatus.  
   
   
       31 . The cassette as claimed in  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 an alignment unit disposed between the top and bottom parts operable by relative movement between the top and bottom parts to push the printing media into an aligned position as the top part is moved to the second position.    
   
   
       32 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a paper feeding cassette including 
 a body having top and bottom portions slideably coupled to one another to accommodate sheets of recording media therebetween, and  
 an alignment unit having complementary projecting parts disposed on the top and bottom portions of the body such that the complementary projecting parts engage each other as the top and bottom portions are moved with respect to each other into a mounting position such that the engagement of the complementary projecting parts pushes the recording media into an aligned position; and  
   a mounting part having a receiving space to receive the paper feeding cassette into the mounting position.    
   
   
       33 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 a pick up unit installed adjacent to the receiving space to pick up the recording media from the body sheet by sheet.    
   
   
       34 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein the mounting part comprises a receiving recess to stop the top portion of the body from moving as the body is slidably inserted into the receiving space while the bottom portion continues to slide toward a rear side of the receiving space.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the top and bottom portions slide with respect to each other as the body is slidably inserted in the receiving space such that the complementary projecting parts engage each other as the body is moved into the receiving space.  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein: 
 an inner portion of the mounting part includes one or more hook parts, and a leading end of the bottom portion includes one or more protrusions extending laterally therefrom to engage the one or more hook parts to be stably mounted in the receiving space.    
   
   
       37 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein as a leading end of the cassette is inserted into the receiving space the top portion is slid with respect to the bottom portion away from the leading end toward a trailing end of the cassette.  
   
   
       38 . An image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a mounting part; and    a paper cassette mountable in the mounting part, the cassette including 
 a body to accommodate recording media therein, and  
 a cover slidably coupled to the body to cover the recording media and to slide from a first end of the body to a second end of the body as the cassette is inserted in the mounting part.