Copying machine using sheet cassette

Claim 2

A copying machine comprising a body having a first opening at a first face thereof to permit ingress and egress of a sheet cassette therethrough into and out of said body in a first predetermined direction, and a second opening at a second face to permit ingress and egress of the sheet cassette therethrough in a second predetermined direction which is perpendicular to said first predetermined direction; means for supporting and locating the sheet cassette in a predetermined sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings; and means for feeding sheets one by one from the sheet cassette in the first predetermined direction when the sheet cassette loaded with a sheet stack is located in the predetermined sheet feed position, said sheet feed means being positioned above the supporting and locating means inside the body.

Claim 3

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, in which said predetermined sheet feed position is within an area inside the body where imaginary extensions of the first and second openings overlap each other.

Claim 4

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the sheet feeding means comprises a plurality of rollers arranged on a common shaft and rotatable to advance sheets in the first predetermined direction from the sheet cassette held in the sheet feed position.

Claim 5

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the supporting and locating means comprises two vertical walls interconnected perpendicular to each other and one horizontal wall connected with said vertical walls.

Claim 6

A copying machine as claimed in claim 4, further comprising locking means for retaining the sheet cassette in the sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings.

Claim 7

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sensor means for sensing locations of the sheet cassette in the sheet feed position inside the body.

Claim 8

A copying machine as claimed in claim 6, in which the sensor means comprises a photoelectric sensor consisting of a light emitting element and a photodetector element mounted to the body to have a cooperative relation with a reflector means carried on the sheet cassette when the sheet cassette is in the sheet feed position.

Claim 9

A copying machine as claimed in claim 7, in which the reflector means on the sheet cassette comprises a piece having a white pattern thereon.

Claim 10

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, in which parts of the second face of the body defining upper and lower edges of the second opening are shaped to make the second opening tapered inward in the second predetermined direction.

Claim 11

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a door hinged to the body to cover the second opening when the second opening is out of use.

Claim 12

A copying machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the first face of the body is a flank or side face and the second face is a front face which an operator of the machine will stand adjacent to for operating the machine.

Claim 13

A copying machine comprising a body having a first opening at a first face thereof to permit ingress and egress of a sheet cassette therethrough into and out of said body in a first predetermined direction, and a second opening at a second face to permit ingress and egress of the sheet cassette therethrough in a second predetermined direction which is perpendicular to said first predetermined direction; means for supporting and locating the sheet cassette in a predetermined sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings; the supporting and locating means comprising two vertical walls interconnected perpendicular to each other and one horizontal wall connected with said vertical walls; and locking means for retaining the sheet cassette in the sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings; the locking means comprising an elongate channel extending perpendicular to the first predetermined direction and parallel to the second predetermined direction on the horizontal wall of the body, a member swingable about a stud rigid on the horizontal wall and having a stop portion at one end thereof, biasing means yieldably urging said swingable member in predetermined one direction about the stud to made the stop portion protrude into the channel on the horizontal wall through a slot formed in a wall of the channel, and means for limiting the movement of the swingable member in said one direction, whereby when the sheet cassette is inserted in the first predetermined direction through the first opening, a lug on the underside of the sheet cassette is caused to drop into the channel and retained by the biased stop portion while, when the sheet cassette is inserted in the second predetermined direction through the second opening, the lug is caused to move in and along the channel to be retained by the biased stop portion.

Claim 14

A copying machine comprising a body having a first opening at a first face thereof to permit ingress and egress of a sheet cassette therethrough into and out of said body in a first predetermined direction, and a second opening at a second face to permit ingress and egress of the sheet cassette therethrough in a second predetermined direction which is perpendicular to said first predetermined direction; means for supporting and locating the sheet cassette in a predetermined sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings; the supporting and locating means comprising two vertical walls interconnected perpendicular to each other and one horizontal wall connected with said vertical walls; and locking means for retaining the sheet cassette in the sheet feed position when the sheet cassette is introduced into the body through one of the first and second openings; the locking means comprising an elongate channel extending perpendicular to the first predetermined direction and parallel to the second predetermined direction on the horizontal wall of the body, a member swingable about a stud rigid on the horizontal wall and having a stop portion at one end thereof, biasing means yieldably urging said swingable member in predetermined one direction about the stud to made the stop portion protrude into the channel on the horizontal wall through a slot formed in a wall of the channel, and means for limiting the movement of the swingable member in said one direction, whereby when the sheet cassette is inserted in the first predetermined direction through the first opening, a lug on the underside of the sheet cassette is caused to drop into the channel and retained by the biased stop portion while, when the sheet cassette is inserted in the second predetermined direction through the second opening, the lug is caused to move in and along the channel to be retained by the biased stop portion.

Claim 15

A copying machine as claimed in claim 12, in which the swingable member comprises an angled lever attached to the stud at an intermediate portion thereof and having the stop portion at the free end of its two arms, the biasing means comprising a tension spring anchored at one end to the free end of the other arm of the lever and biasing the lever about the stud in the predetermined one direction.

Claim 16

A copying machine as claimed in claim 12, in which the limiting means comprises a projection on the swingable member and a part of the wall of the channel abutted against by the projection.

Claim 17

A copying machine as claimed in claim 12, in which the channel terminates at a guide portion which diverges toward the second opening to pilot the lug on the sheet cassette into the channel when the sheet cassette is inserted into the body through the second opening.