JP3706802B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a sheet discharge unit space is provided in an apparatus housing between an image reading unit and an image forming unit.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit that reads an image of a document and an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, such as a copying machine or a facsimile, the image reading unit is disposed at an upper position of the device. There are many things. In particular, most of the models that perform image formation by an electrophotographic method widely used in offices use this format.
[0003]
In recent years, so-called multi-function machines that have both printer and copier functions and facsimile functions have been increasing for the purpose of cost reduction and apparatus installation space reduction. In this multifunction device, the image reading unit and the image forming unit are arranged separately, and a sheet discharge unit space is formed between the two, thereby preventing the discharge tray from protruding to the side of the apparatus and reducing the occupied area. A discharged image forming apparatus in the apparatus casing is generally used.
[0004]
In such copiers, facsimiles, multi-function machines, and the like, a sheet processing device such as a sorter or finisher that performs processing such as sheet sorting and staple binding is detachably arranged. For the purpose of reducing the apparatus installation space, an image forming apparatus in which the sheet processing apparatus is detachably disposed in the sheet discharge unit space in the apparatus housing has been proposed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the configuration of the conventional example, for example, the sheet processing apparatus is mounted in the sheet discharge unit space of the image forming apparatus, and an image reading unit that forms the space is disposed immediately above the sheet processing unit. Therefore, there is a problem that a space for stacking the image-formed sheets on the stacking tray of the sheet processing apparatus is narrow and the number of sheets stacked is limited.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to increase the number of sheets stacked in an apparatus for discharging and stacking sheets in a space formed in the apparatus housing.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A typical configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is that an image reading unit that reads an image of a document is arranged in the upper part of the apparatus, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet is disposed below the image reading unit. In the image forming apparatus in which the sheet discharge unit is provided in a space in the apparatus housing formed between the image reading unit and the image forming unit, the sheet discharge unit is located upstream in the sheet discharge direction. has a sheet stacking surface inclined to be opposite to the inclined sheet stacking surface, the bottom surface edge of the image reading unit that forms the device housing space, the same as the inclination of the sheet stacking surface of the sheet discharge unit A taper having an inclination in the direction is formed .
[0009]
Further, the taper provided at the bottom edge of the image reading unit forms an inclined surface having an angle of about 20 ° to 30 ° with respect to the apparatus installation surface.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described in the following embodiments should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied and various conditions. As long as there is no specific description, it is not the meaning which limits the scope of the present invention only to them.
[0011]
[First Embodiment]
An image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a sheet discharge type image forming apparatus in an apparatus casing according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the sheet discharge type image forming apparatus in the apparatus casing before the finisher is mounted, and FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus.
[0012]
First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus before the finisher is mounted as an optional sheet processing apparatus will be described. An image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a main body 101, a paper feed table 103 that is optionally mounted on the lower portion of the main body 101, and an automatic document feeder that is optionally mounted on the upper surface of the main body 101. (Hereinafter referred to as ADF) 102. The image forming apparatus 100 is a so-called digital multi-function peripheral that has both a copying machine function and a facsimile function, and converts image information (optical signal) of a read document into an electrical signal to form an image.
[0013]
The main body 101 has an image forming unit 1 as an image forming unit disposed substantially at the center thereof, and a paper feeding unit 2 disposed below the image forming unit 1. A scanner unit 3 serving as an image reading unit is disposed on the top of the main body 101. Further, a space is provided between the scanner unit 3 and the image forming unit 1, and a paper discharge unit 4 as a sheet discharge unit is formed in this space. The main body 101 according to the present embodiment conventionally utilizes the characteristics of the digital machine to separate the image forming unit 1 and the scanner unit 3 with a space therebetween, and a space formed between the two is used as a paper discharge space. There is no need to provide a paper discharge tray that is arranged so as to protrude from the side of the apparatus, and a space-saving image forming apparatus that does not protrude from the side of the apparatus is realized.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 3, in the main body 101, the image forming unit 1 is configured as a conventionally known electrophotographic print engine, and although not shown in detail, a laser writing device, a photosensitive drum, and development acting on the drum. It incorporates an electrophotographic process means 150 comprising a process means such as a means, a fixing device 151 and the like. The paper feeding unit 2 has a two-stage paper feeding cassette 21 and supplies recording sheets as sheets to the image forming unit 1. Each cassette 21 is a front loading type that pulls out toward the front side of the apparatus and replenishes paper. A drawer handle is provided at the center of the front of the cassette. The scanner unit 3 is provided with a contact glass (not shown) on its upper surface and a scanner unit (not shown) below it. The paper discharge unit 4 has two side surfaces except the front, that is, the left side and the back side of the apparatus in FIG. 2 surrounded by wall surfaces, and further surrounded by the scanner unit 3 (bottom surface) and the image forming unit 1 (top surface). Yes. A paper discharge tray 41 provided at the lowermost portion of the paper discharge unit 4 is formed on the upper surface of the image forming unit 1. In FIG. 2, a paper conveyance path is provided in the paper discharge unit side wall 45 on the left side of the apparatus, and the paper that has been recorded by the image forming unit 1 is discharged from a position below the side wall 45 in the height direction. 41 is discharged.
[0015]
The ADF 102 is mounted on the upper portion of the main body 101 so as to be openable and closable by a hinge (not shown) provided on the back side of the apparatus, and is installed so as to cover the contact glass on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3 so as to be openable and closable. Yes. Since the configuration and operation of the ADF 102 are the same as those conventionally known, detailed description thereof is omitted here. Documents (document bundles) set on the document table 71 of the ADF 102 are conveyed one by one from the lowest document on the contact glass, and after scanning by the scanner unit 3 is completed, To be discharged. The ADF 102 can be used as a pressure plate when reading a document that is not automatically fed or when reading a document such as a book or a notebook. When the optional ADF 102 is not mounted, a pressure plate for pressing the document on the contact glass is mounted on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3.
[0016]
On the bottom surface of the scanner unit 3, a taper 110 is provided at a right corner (edge) that is downstream in the paper discharge direction. The taper 110 is provided at a position facing the sheet stacking surface of the paper discharge tray 41 at the bottom edge of the scanner unit 3. Further, the taper 110 provided at the bottom edge of the scanner unit 3 forms an inclined surface having an angle of about 20 ° to 30 ° with respect to the apparatus installation surface.
[0017]
The paper feed table 103 has a two-stage paper feed cassette, similar to the paper feed unit 2 of the main body 101. Accordingly, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the paper feeding unit is configured by a total of four stages of paper feeding cassettes. The upper cassette of the main body feeding unit 2 can be changed to an automatic duplex unit (double-sided tray) to enable duplex copying.
[0018]
Next, the configuration after the optional finisher 200 is mounted will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a finisher 200 as a sheet processing apparatus is detachably attached to the paper discharge unit 4 (the space between the scanner unit 3 and the image forming unit 1). An optional paper discharge unit 160 (see FIG. 3) for sending paper from the main body 101 to the finisher 200 is disposed in the space inside the paper discharge unit side wall 45. The configuration of the finisher 200 is the same as that conventionally known, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here.
[0019]
Here, the copying operation in the apparatus housing discharge type image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be briefly described with reference to an example in which the ADF 102 is used as a pressure plate. The document is placed on the contact glass on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3. After the ADF 102 is closed, the number of copies is specified by an operation unit (not shown) and the start button is pressed. Then, reading of the original by the scanner unit is started, and image information of the read original is digitized by photoelectric conversion and image processing is performed. Based on the processed signal, the laser writing device of the image forming unit 1 is driven to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum. The latent image is visualized as a toner image by the developing means, and transferred to the paper fed from the main body paper feed unit 2 or the paper feed cassette 21 of the paper feed table 103. The toner image transferred onto the paper is fixed by the fixing device 151 and sent to the optional paper discharge unit 160. Thereafter, the sheet is sent to the processing tray 170, and after performing operations such as alignment and stapling, the sheet is discharged onto the stack tray 202.
[0020]
The sheets stacked on the stack tray 202 are stacked one after another. Then, the stack tray 202 is lowered by a detection signal of a paper surface detection sensor (not shown) to keep the stacking space constant. As the operation is repeated, the stack tray 202 moves to the lowermost position, and the sheets are only stacked on the stack tray 202 thereafter. The number of sheets that can be stacked on the stack tray 202 is restricted by the bottom corner 111 of the scanner unit 3 as shown in FIG.
[0021]
However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, since the taper 110 is provided at the bottom edge of the scanner unit 3, the corners are scraped off as compared with the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. The number of stacked sheets can be increased by the formed taper 110 (thickness T). Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of sheets that can be stacked on the stack tray 202 (or the paper discharge tray 41 when the finisher 200 is not mounted).
[0022]
[Other Embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the sheet processing apparatus that can be detachably attached to the image forming apparatus has one stacking tray is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration having a plurality of stacking trays may be employed. In this case, a taper provided at the bottom edge of the image reading unit is positioned above the uppermost stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays. By providing in this way, the same effect as described above can be obtained.
[0023]
In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus has been exemplified by a multi-function machine having a copier function and a facsimile function. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each copier has a single function. The image forming apparatus may be another image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, and the same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to the image forming apparatus.
[0024]
In the above-described embodiment, the electrophotographic method is exemplified as the recording method. However, the recording method is not limited to this, and other recording methods such as an ink jet method may be used.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in the apparatus for discharging and stacking sheets in the space formed in the apparatus casing, the image reading unit at a position facing the sheet stacking surface inclined upward on the downstream side in the sheet discharging direction. Since a taper having an inclination in the same direction as the inclination of the sheet stacking surface is formed at the bottom edge of the sheet, for example, the number of sheets that can be stacked on the stacking tray in the space can be increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a sheet discharge type image forming apparatus in an apparatus casing according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming apparatus before the finisher is mounted. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a sheet stacking state of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a sheet stacking state of a conventional image forming apparatus. Enlarged view of the image forming apparatus [Description of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming part 2 ... Paper feed part 3 ... Scanner part 4 ... Paper discharge part 21 ... Paper feed cassette 41 ... Paper discharge tray 45 ... Side wall 71 ... Document stand 72 ... Document discharge stand 100 ... Image forming apparatus 101 ... Main body 102 ... ADF
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 103 ... Paper feed table 110 ... Taper 111 ... Corner | angular part 150 ... Electrophotographic process means 151 ... Fixing device 160 ... Optional paper discharge unit 170 ... Processing tray 200 ... Finisher 202 ... Stack tray

Claims (4)

An image reading unit that reads an image of a document is disposed at the top of the apparatus, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet is disposed below the image reading unit with a space therebetween, and the image reading unit and the image forming unit In the image forming apparatus provided with a sheet discharge unit in the space in the apparatus housing formed between
The sheet discharge unit has a sheet stacking surface that is inclined upward on the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction, and is opposed to the inclined sheet stacking surface, on the bottom edge of the image reading unit that forms a space in the apparatus housing , an image forming apparatus characterized by forming a taper with a gradient in the same direction as the inclination of the sheet stacking surface of the sheet discharge unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the taper formed at the bottom edge of the image reading unit forms an inclined surface having an angle of about 20 ° to 30 ° with respect to the apparatus installation surface. .   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sheet processing apparatus that performs processing such as sorting, alignment, and binding of the formed sheets is disposed in the space provided with the sheet discharge unit. The sheet processing apparatus has at least one stacking tray that is inclined in the same direction as the sheet stacking surface of the sheet discharge unit, and a taper formed at a bottom edge of the image reading unit is formed on the sheet processing unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is located above the stacking tray.

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