Sheet stacking apparatus, sheet storage apparatus and image forming apparatus equipped with the same

Abstract

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit having a stacking member, a contact member, a moving unit, and a regulating member. The contact member contacts an end portion of a sheet stacked on the stacking member. The moving unit moves the contact member from a standby position to a movement position to move the stacked sheet. The regulating member regulates, at a regulation position, a position of the stacked sheet from above, and moves from the regulation position by being pushed by the conveyed sheet. In a sheet width direction orthogonal to a direction in which the sheet is conveyed, the contact member and the regulating member are arranged at different positions, and in a thickness direction of the stacked sheet, an upper surface of the contact member located at the standby position is located above a lower surface of the regulating member located at the regulation position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
 a sheet stacking unit having:   a stacking member on which a sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit is stacked,   a contact member configured to contact an end portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking member,   a moving unit configured to move the contact member from a standby position to a movement position in order to move the sheet stacked on the stacking member, and   a regulating member configured to regulate, at a regulation position, a position of the sheet stacked on the stacking member from above, and to move from the regulation position by being pushed by the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit,   wherein, in a sheet width direction orthogonal to a direction in which the conveyance unit conveys the sheet, the contact member and the regulating member are arranged at different positions, and in a thickness direction of the sheet stacked on the stacking member, an upper surface of the contact member located at the standby position is located above a lower surface of the regulating member located at the regulation position.   
     
     
         2 . A sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
 a sheet stacking unit having:   a stacking member on which a sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit is stacked,   a contact member configured to contact an end portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking member,   a moving unit configured to move the contact member from a standby position to a movement position in order to move the sheet stacked on the stacking member, and   a regulating member configured to regulate, at a regulation position, a position of the sheet stacked on the stacking member from above, and to move from the regulation position by being pushed by the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit,   wherein, in a sheet width direction orthogonal to a direction in which the conveyance unit conveys the sheet, the contact member and the regulating member are arranged at different positions, and within a range in which the contact member contacts the sheet stacked on the stacking member when the contact member moves from the standby position to the movement position, an upper surface of the contact member is located above a lower surface of the regulating member located at the regulation position.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, the regulating member rotates around a rotation fulcrum on an upstream side of the conveyance unit in the direction in which the conveyance unit conveys the sheet. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet guide member on a downstream of the regulating member in a direction in which the contact member moves. 
     
     
         5 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the regulating member is bent at a bending point. 
     
     
         6 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the bending point is on an upstream side of the standby position of the contact member in a direction in which the contact member moves. 
     
     
         7 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the regulating member has a regulating surface substantially parallel to the stacking member. 
     
     
         8 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the conveyance unit includes a roller pair. 
     
     
         9 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the moving unit includes a drive source configured to generate drive force, a pinion configured to rotate by the drive force, and a rack provided on one side of the stacking member in the sheet width direction and configured to engage with the pinion. 
     
     
         10 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an end portion regulating member fixed below the conveyance unit and configured to regulate a position of the end portion of the sheet. 
     
     
         11 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of sheet stacking units are stacked one upon another in the thickness direction of the sheet. 
     
     
         12 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 an image forming unit configured form an image on a sheet; and   a sheet stacking unit configured to stack the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit, the sheet stacking unit comprising:   a stacking member on which a sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit is stacked,   a contact member configured to contact an end portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking member,   a moving unit configured to move the contact member from a standby position to a movement position in order to move the sheet stacked on the stacking member, and   a regulating member configured to regulate, at a regulation position, a position of the sheet stacked on the stacking member from above, and to move from the regulation position by being pushed by the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit,   wherein, in a sheet width direction orthogonal to a direction in which the conveyance unit conveys the sheet, the contact member and the regulating member are arranged at different positions, and in a thickness direction of the sheet stacked on the stacking member, an upper surface of the contact member located at the standby position is located above a lower surface of the regulating member located at the regulation position.