Printing apparatus and storage cassette

Abstract

A printing apparatus including: a feed roller, disposed in a housing, that feeds a sheet; a cam that rotates in synchronization with the feed roller; a storage cassette capable of being attached to and removed from the housing, the storage cassette storing the sheet, wherein the storage cassette includes: a sheet separation unit capable of contacting the feed roller in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing; a follower driven by the cam when the cam rotates; and a switching mechanism configured to switch a position of the sheet separation unit between a contact position, in which the sheet separation unit is in contact with the feed roller, and a separated position, in which the sheet separation unit is separated from the feed roller, in conjunction with movement of the follower.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A printing apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   a feed roller, disposed in the housing, that feeds a sheet;   a cam that rotates in synchronization with the feed roller;   a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet fed by the feed roller;   a printing unit configured to print onto the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit; and   a storage cassette capable of being attached to and removed from the housing, the storage cassette storing the sheet,   wherein the storage cassette includes:
 a sheet separation unit capable of contacting the feed roller in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing; 
 a follower driven by the cam when the cam rotates; and 
 a switching mechanism configured to switch a position of the sheet separation unit between a contact position, in which the sheet separation unit is in contact with the feed roller, and a separated position, in which the sheet separation unit is separated from the feed roller, in conjunction with movement of the follower. 
   
     
     
         2 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a first spring configured to bias the sheet separation unit, and   in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing, the first spring biases the sheet separation unit in a direction that brings the sheet separation unit into contact with the feed roller.   
     
     
         3 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the follower includes a tip part capable of contacting the cam in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing,   a direction of removing the storage cassette from the housing is a first direction, and   the follower is driven by the cam when the cam rotates, and rotates to move the tip part downstream in the first direction.   
     
     
         4 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the feed roller feeds the sheet toward a front of the housing, and   the first direction is a direction facing the front of the housing.   
     
     
         5 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a second spring configured to bias the follower to move the tip part in a second direction opposite from the first direction.   
     
     
         6 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a rotating support member that is capable of rotating and that rotatably supports the follower,   the rotating support member includes a contact part capable of contacting the follower, and   the second spring biases the rotating support member to make the contact part contact the follower.   
     
     
         7 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a third spring configured to bias the follower to move the tip part in the first direction.   
     
     
         8 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a sheet return part configured to return the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette.   
     
     
         9 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the sheet return part is capable of switching between a projecting position, in which the sheet return part projects into a conveyance path of the sheet, and a retracted position, in which the sheet return part is retracted from the conveyance path, and returns the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette when the sheet return part is in the projecting position.   
     
     
         10 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the sheet return part is in the retracted position when the storage cassette is removed from the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The printing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a feed unit configured to feed the sheet to the conveyance unit, the feed unit being disposed further downstream than the feed roller in a feed direction of the sheet.   
     
     
         12 . A storage cassette capable of being attached to and removed from a housing of a printing apparatus, the storage cassette storing a sheet, the printing apparatus comprising:
 the housing;   a feed roller, disposed in the housing, that feeds a sheet;   a cam that rotates in synchronization with the feed roller;   a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet fed by the feed roller; and   a printing unit configured to print onto the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and   the storage cassette comprising:   a sheet separation unit capable of contacting the feed roller in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing;   a follower driven by the cam when the cam rotates; and   a switching mechanism configured to switch a position of the sheet separation unit between a contact position, in which the sheet separation unit is in contact with the feed roller, and a separated position, in which the sheet separation unit is separated from the feed roller, in conjunction with movement of the follower.   
     
     
         13 . The storage cassette according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a sheet return part configured to return the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette,   wherein the sheet return part is capable of switching between a projecting position, in which the sheet return part projects into a conveyance path of the sheet, and a retracted position, in which the sheet return part is retracted from the conveyance path, and returns the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette when the sheet return part is in the projecting position.   
     
     
         14 . The storage cassette according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the follower includes a tip part capable of contacting the cam in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing,   a direction of removing the storage cassette from the housing is a first direction, and   the storage cassette includes a second spring configured to bias the follower to move the tip part in a second direction opposite from the first direction.   
     
     
         15 . The storage cassette according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the storage cassette includes a rotating support member that is capable of rotating and that rotatably supports the follower,   the rotating support member includes a contact part capable of contacting the follower, and   the second spring biases the rotating support member to make the contact part contact the follower.