Sheet holding device, image forming apparatus, and image reading device

Abstract

A sheet holding device includes a sheet placement surface and a sheet regulating member. A sheet is to be placed on the sheet placement surface. The sheet regulating member is movable in a contacting direction to contact and a separating direction to separate from an edge of the sheet placed on the sheet placement surface. The sheet regulating member includes a grip portion and a non-grip portion. The grip portion is configured to be gripped by a user to move the sheet regulating member. The non-grip portion is lower in height from the sheet placement surface than the grip portion. The non-grip portion has, on at least one end face in the contacting direction, a slope whose height from the sheet placement surface increases toward a center of the non-grip portion in the contacting direction or the separating direction.

1 . A sheet holding device comprising:
 a sheet placement surface on which a sheet is to be placed; and   a sheet regulating member movable in a contacting direction to contact and a separating direction to separate from an edge of the sheet placed on the sheet placement surface,   the sheet regulating member including:
 a grip portion configured to be gripped by a user to move the sheet regulating member; and 
 a non-grip portion lower in height from the sheet placement surface than the grip portion, 
 the non-grip portion having, on at least one end face in the contacting direction, a slope whose height from the sheet placement surface increases toward a center of the non-grip portion in the contacting direction or the separating direction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a whole of the at least one end face of the non-grip portion is the slope.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the slope is a curved surface whose angle between the sheet placement surface and a tangent line to the slope decreases toward the center of the non-grip portion in the contacting direction or the separating direction.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the non-grip portion has slopes on both end faces in the contacting direction.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the contacting direction and the separating direction of the sheet regulating member are orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed from the sheet placement surface,   wherein the sheet regulating member includes at least two of non-grip portions, including the non-grip portion, across the grip portion in the sheet conveyance direction, and   wherein a non-grip portion of the at least two non-grip portions upstream of the grip portion in the sheet conveyance direction has the slopes on both end faces in the contacting direction.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the non-grip portion has a sheet regulating surface extending in a normal direction of the sheet placement surface on an end face on a side to contact the edge of the sheet.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the contacting direction and the separating direction of the sheet regulating member are orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed from the sheet placement surface,   wherein the sheet regulating member includes at least two non-grip portions, including the non-grip portion, across the grip portion in the sheet conveyance direction, and   wherein a non-grip portion of the at least two non-grip portions downstream of the grip portion in the sheet conveyance direction has the sheet regulating surface.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a single guide member extending in the contacting direction and configured to guide and move the sheet regulating member, and
 wherein the grip portion is disposed at a position overlapping with the single guide member.   
     
     
         9 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 , further comprising: two sheet regulating members, including the sheet regulating member, configured to regulate both edges of the sheet placed on the sheet placement surface; and
 a moving mechanism configured to move, in conjunction with movement of one of the two sheet regulating members, another one of the sheet regulating members.   
     
     
         10 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one end face of the grip portion in the contacting direction has a recessed shape as viewed in a normal direction of the sheet placement surface.   
     
     
         11 . The sheet holding device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet holding device is a sheet feeding tray.   
     
     
         12 . An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet holding device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . An image reading device comprising the sheet holding device according to  claim 1 .