JP2006044937A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent breakdown of a paper tray and a surface provided with the same due to collision of the paper tray with the surface provided with the same and fall of the paper tray or easy fall of paper from the paper tray when opening an opening/closing cover. <P>SOLUTION: The turning opening/closing cover 23 is provided to be opened/closed in relation to a device main body side wall by turning around a lower end side (the center 231 of rotation) thereof, and a discharge tray 21 is fitted to the outer surface(a front side surface) of the opening/closing cover 23 freely to turn around a base end side thereof. The discharge tray 21 has a first attitude to be loaded with the paper when the opening/closing cover 23 is closed, and has a second attitude to be turned for retreat in a direction in parallel with the opening/closing cover 23 when the opening/closing cover 23 is opened. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a function of discharging a sheet to a discharge tray protruding outside the main body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, generally, as a discharge destination of a printed sheet, for example, a sheet discharge unit in the upper part of the apparatus main body and a discharge tray in a side wall part of the apparatus main body are provided (for example, Patent Document 1). In particular, the discharge tray on the side surface portion is often provided as an option because it is in a state of protruding from the apparatus main body, and the discharge tray is simply inserted into (mounted on) the apparatus main body. A) or in a hooked state.
JP 2003-208044 A

  When the discharge tray attached in such a form is provided on the opening / closing cover (conveyance cover) on the side surface of the apparatus, for example, when opening the opening / closing cover to perform jam processing (trying to take out jammed paper) The tip of the discharge tray provided on the open / close cover collides with the installation surface of the device (for example, the floor surface or the desk surface), and the discharge tray is impacted, causing the discharge tray to fall off the device. Or the discharge tray and the installation surface may be damaged.

  Also, from the viewpoint of preventing the paper from curling (curling) during discharge, or in general, the discharge paper is strongly pushed out (kicked out); for example, a discharge roller having a protrusion that is hooked on the edge of the paper and pushed out with rotation Since the attachment angle of the discharge tray cannot be increased when the discharge tray is attached to the open / close cover due to the absence of a mechanism for performing the discharge by the For example, when paper is loaded on the discharge tray, even if you want to check the inside by opening the open / close cover slightly to check whether the paper is jammed due to the jam, etc. With the opening operation, the discharge tray immediately falls below the horizontal, and the paper easily falls from the discharge tray.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. When the opening / closing cover to which the paper tray such as the discharge tray is attached is opened, the paper tray collides with the apparatus installation surface or the like, and the paper tray or the installation surface is damaged. It is possible to prevent the paper tray from falling off and to prevent the paper from easily falling when opening the opening / closing cover, and to provide an image forming apparatus with improved durability and operability. Objective.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotary opening / closing cover configured to be openable / closable with respect to the side wall of the apparatus main body with a lower end side as a rotation center axis, and a base end with respect to an outer surface of the opening / closing cover. A paper tray that is rotatably mounted with the side as a rotation center axis. The paper tray has a first posture for placing paper when the open / close cover is closed, and the open / close cover is open. In this case, it is possible to take a second posture of rotating and retracting in a direction parallel to the opening / closing cover.

  According to the above configuration, the pivotable opening / closing cover is configured to be openable / closable with respect to the side wall of the apparatus main body with the lower end side as the rotation center axis, and the paper tray is disposed on the outer surface of the opening / closing cover (when the opening / closing cover is in the closed state). The side facing the apparatus main body is the inner surface, and the surface opposite to the inner surface is the outer surface). The paper tray is in a first posture for placing paper when the open / close cover is closed, and rotates in a direction parallel to the open / close cover when the open / close cover is open. It becomes the 2nd attitude | position which retracts.

  In this way, when the opening / closing cover is opened, the paper tray can be rotated and retracted in a direction parallel to the opening / closing cover, and the paper tray (front end) is brought to the installation surface as the opening / closing cover opens. As the paper tray can be opened to a certain position along the way, when the open / close cover to which the paper tray is attached is opened, the paper tray collides with the installation surface of the device (for example, the desk surface or the floor surface), etc. The installation surface can be prevented from being damaged or the paper tray can be removed, and the paper cover can be prevented from falling easily by opening the open / close cover while keeping the paper tray at an angle at which the paper does not fall. It is possible to improve durability (related to prevention of breakage of the paper tray, etc.) and operability (related to opening / closing operation of the open / close cover for preventing paper fall).

  An image forming apparatus according to a second aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the paper tray is attached to the open / close cover in an inclined state toward the upper end side of the open / close cover. According to this, since the paper tray is attached to the open / close cover in an inclined state toward the upper end side of the open / close cover, when the open / close cover is opened, the paper tray is suddenly against the installation surface of the apparatus. It is possible to prevent a collision at a contact angle (for example, an angle close to vertical), that is, the paper tray can come into contact with the installation surface at a gentle contact angle and smoothly shift from the first posture to the second posture. In addition to preventing damage to the paper tray and the installation surface, it is possible to further prevent paper from falling from the paper tray when, for example, opening the open / close cover to check for paper jams. .

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect is the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the paper tray includes a pivot shaft that protrudes from both left and right end portions on the base end side, and a lower surface portion on the base end side. Is formed so as to have a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the paper placement surface of the paper tray, and the opening / closing cover includes a shaft support portion that supports the rotating shaft and a lower surface portion on the base end side. And a support portion that supports the substrate in a substantially horizontal state. According to this, in the paper tray, the rotation shafts at the left and right end portions on the base end side are pivotally supported by the shaft support portion, and the bottom surface on the base end side that is formed to be inclined is substantially horizontal by the support portion. Supported by the state. Accordingly, the configuration in which the paper tray is attached to the opening / closing cover so as to be rotatable and can be rotated, and can take the first posture and the second posture is simpler as the rotation shaft, the shaft support portion, and the support portion. Can be realized.

  The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 is the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening / closing cover further includes a handle part for opening / closing the opening / closing cover, and the handle part is located below and near the paper tray. It is provided in. According to this, since the handle of the opening / closing cover is provided below and in the vicinity of the paper tray, for example, when the opening / closing cover is opened to check whether there is a paper jam, a hand is placed below the paper tray. The handle can be gripped and the opening / closing cover can be easily opened with the angle of the paper tray (the angle at which the paper does not fall) held while supporting the lower surface of the paper tray with the arm.

  An image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the paper tray is provided at a front end portion of the paper tray, and the front end portion of the paper tray is predetermined according to an opening / closing operation of the open / close cover. It further comprises a rotating body that contacts and rotates before contacting the planar portion. According to this, since the rotating body that rotates in contact with the planar portion is provided at the front end portion of the paper tray, when the opening / closing cover is opened, the paper tray comes into contact with the installation surface and the first posture is changed from the first posture. It becomes possible to shift more smoothly to the two postures, and it is possible to further prevent damage to the paper tray and the installation surface due to the collision of the front end of the paper tray with the installation surface.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the open / close cover is opened, the paper tray can be rotated and retracted in a direction parallel to the open / close cover. The leading edge of the paper tray can be opened to a certain position along the installation surface, so that the paper tray can be placed on the installation surface of the device (for example, the desk surface or floor surface) when the open / close cover to which the paper tray is attached is opened. Collision, damage to the paper tray or installation surface or drop of the paper tray, and prevention of easy paper fall by opening the open / close cover while keeping the paper tray at an angle where the paper does not fall As a result, the durability and operability of the apparatus can be improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the open / close cover is opened, the paper tray can be prevented from colliding with the installation surface of the apparatus at a steep grounding angle (for example, an angle close to vertical), that is, the paper tray. Makes a smooth contact from the first posture to the second posture by abutting with the installation surface at a gentle contact angle, and can further prevent the paper tray and the installation surface from being damaged. When the opening / closing cover is opened to check whether there is a jam, it is possible to further prevent the sheet from falling from the sheet tray.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the paper tray is supported by the bottom surface on the base end side that is pivotally supported by the shaft support portion at the both left and right end portions on the base end side and is inclined. The portion is supported in a substantially horizontal state. Accordingly, the configuration in which the paper tray is attached to the opening / closing cover so as to be rotatable and can be rotated, and can take the first posture and the second posture is simpler as the rotation shaft, the shaft support portion, and the support portion. Can be realized.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the handle of the opening / closing cover is provided below and in the vicinity of the sheet tray, for example, when the opening / closing cover is opened to check whether there is a paper jam, the sheet tray You can easily open the open / close cover while holding the angle of the paper tray (the angle at which the paper does not fall) while holding the handle under the arm by turning your hand to the lower side and supporting the lower surface of the paper tray with your arms. become.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the rotating body that rotates in contact with the planar portion is provided at the front end portion of the paper tray, the paper tray comes into contact with the installation surface when opening the opening / closing cover. It is possible to shift more smoothly from the first posture to the second posture, and it is possible to further prevent the paper tray and the installation surface from being damaged due to the collision of the front end of the paper tray with the installation surface.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a developing device 2 for each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) in the printer body. Each developing device 2 is provided with a photosensitive drum 3 made of a-Si (amorphous silicon) or the like, and rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The photosensitive drum 3 is uniformly charged by the charging unit 4, and LED light is exposed from the exposure unit 5 based on image data transmitted from an external device or the like connected to the printer 1 via a predetermined network. The surface of the body drum 3 is irradiated to form an electrostatic latent image. Then, toner adheres to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3. The toner is supplied from the toner supply containers 7C, 7M, 7Y and 7B, respectively. A photosensitive drum 3 is provided for each color, and a sheet conveying belt 8 is provided below the photosensitive drum 3. The sheet conveying belt 8 is pressed against each photosensitive drum 3 by the transfer roller 9 and is rotated according to a driving roller 10 that is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) and a sheet conveying belt 8 that is rotated endlessly by the driving roller 10. The driven roller 11 is rotated in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 3. Each photosensitive drum 3 is provided with a cleaning mechanism 6 for removing residual toner and the like on the photosensitive drum 3. An adsorption roller 12 for electrostatically adsorbing the sheet to the sheet conveying belt 8 is provided at a position facing the driven roller 11, for example, on the most upstream side of the sheet conveying belt 8.

  On the other hand, the sheet is conveyed from the sheet feeding mechanism 13 to the sheet conveying belt 8 via the sheet conveying path 14, and the sheet feeding operation for the image transfer operation by the photosensitive drums 3 and the transfer rollers 9 is performed by the registration rollers 15. Timing is adjusted. After this timing adjustment, the registration roller 15 is driven to rotate, and the sheet is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 3 and the sheet conveying belt 8. While the sheet is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 3 and the sheet conveying belt 8, the toner images of the respective colors on the surface of the photosensitive drums 3 are sequentially transferred onto the sheet. The paper on which the toner image has been transferred by all the photosensitive drums 3 is conveyed to the fixing roller pair 16 and the toner image is fixed to form a color image. The fixing roller pair 16 includes a heat roller 161 with a built-in heater, and a pressure roller 162 provided in pressure contact with the heat roller 161. By passing the paper between the rollers, the paper is passed. Is heated and pressed to fix the toner image on the paper.

  The sheet that has passed through the fixing roller pair 16 is sent to the sheet conveyance path 17 and discharged to the discharge tray 19 by the discharge roller pair 18 or discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the discharge roller pair 20. Switching of the discharge destination to the discharge tray 19 or the discharge tray 21 is performed by the branching claw 22. However, the switching of the discharge destination is performed according to an operation instruction from the operation unit (not shown) of the printer 1 or the external device. In the printer 1, when discharging the paper to the discharge tray 21, the print surface is discharged in a so-called face-up state where the print surface is face up, and when discharging to the discharge tray 19, the print surface is face down. It is discharged in a so-called face-down state. The discharge tray 21 is attached to a rotary opening / closing cover 23 (conveyance cover) provided on the side wall of the printer 1, and is configured to be rotatable according to the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 23. The detailed structure and operation of the discharge tray 21 and the opening / closing cover 23 will be described later.

  By the way, as a means for feeding paper toward the image forming unit, a manual paper feed mechanism capable of manually feeding paper may be provided. In this case, for example, a manual paper feed tray is provided on the side wall (manual paper feed side wall) opposite to the side where the discharge tray 21 of the printer 1 is provided, and the paper placed on the manual paper feed tray. May be taken in and conveyed toward the registration roller 14. In this case, an open / close cover similar to the open / close cover 23 may be provided on the side wall portion on the manual paper feed side, and a manual paper feed tray may be provided on the open / close cover.

  In addition to the various devices described above, the printer 1 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program (OS program) of the printer 1, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, and the control described above. A main control unit (see FIG. 1), which comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that reads and executes programs and the like from a ROM, and controls the entire apparatus upon receiving predetermined instruction information from an external device or the operation unit of the printer 1. (Omitted) etc. are built-in.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the printer 1, and particularly shows the detailed structure of the discharge tray 21 and the opening / closing cover 23. As shown in FIG. 2, when the direction indicated by the arrow A is the front of the printer 1, an open / close cover 23 is provided on the left side wall portion 100 of the printer 1. The opening / closing cover 23 is attached to the apparatus main body so as to be rotatable in a direction (vertical direction) indicated by an arrow B with a position indicated by a reference numeral 231 on the lower end side of the opening / closing cover 23 as a rotation center (rotation center 231). It has been. A pair of left and right tray support portions 24 (hinges) are fixed to the outer surface of the opening / closing cover 23. The discharge tray 21 is fixed to the tray support portion 24 with an arrow C with the base end side as the rotation center axis. It is attached in such a manner that it can rotate in the direction indicated by (up and down direction) and is inclined with respect to the opening / closing cover 23 (so that the bottom surface of the discharge tray 21 is supported in a substantially horizontal state). Yes. The paper conveyed after printing is discharged by the discharge roller pair 20 and stacked on the discharge tray 21.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view mainly showing the opening / closing cover 23 and the tray support 24. However, this figure shows a state in which the discharge tray 21 is removed. The tray support 24 is fixed to the open / close cover 23 so that the paper placement surface of the discharge tray 21 is positioned below the discharge roller pair 20 (paper discharge port 201) in a state where the discharge tray 21 is attached. This fixing is performed by, for example, screwing at a position indicated by reference numeral 241.

  Further, the tray support portion 24 includes a support surface portion 242 (contact surface) constituted by a substantially horizontal flat surface portion, and left and right 1 disposed inward in the horizontal direction and in the upper side surface portion of the support surface portion 242. A shaft support portion 243 composed of a pair of cylindrical holes is formed. In the discharge tray 21, a supported surface portion 214, which will be described later, of the discharge tray 21 abuts on the support surface portion 242 (a state where the supported surface portion 214 is simply placed on the support surface portion 242 without being joined to each other). And a rotation shaft 213 (to be described later) of the discharge tray 21 is attached so as to be rotatably fitted to the shaft support portion 243. As a result, the discharge tray 21 can be rotated upward from the position of the support surface portion 242 with the shaft support portion 243 as a rotation center, and the downward rotation from the position of the support surface portion 242 is restricted. It will be.

  By the way, the opening / closing cover 23 is provided with a handle portion 25 used in the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 23. The handle portion 25 is attached to a recessed portion 251 having a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front, which is formed on the opening / closing cover 23, and the hand is turned from the direction indicated by the arrow D (downward side) to the back side of the handle portion 25. Thus, the handle portion 25 can be gripped. In addition, the handle part 25 may be configured to be able to rotate somewhat toward the front side with the upper end side indicated by reference numeral 252 as the center of rotation. As a result, the handle portion 25 can be easily grasped and the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 23 can be facilitated. As will be described later, the opening / closing cover 23 is interlocked with an operation such as grasping the handle portion 25 and pulling it forward. It is possible to use it for a mechanism for releasing the closed lock state. As shown in FIG. 2, the opening / closing cover 23 is provided at a position below the discharge tray 21 and in the vicinity of the discharge tray 21. For example, the opening / closing cover 23 is opened to check whether there is a paper jam. When checking the inner side (paper transport path 17 or the like), the hand is placed under the discharge tray 21 to grip the handle portion 25, and the lower surface of the discharge tray 21 is supported by the gripped hand side arm. However, the opening / closing cover 23 can be easily opened in a state where the inclination angle of the discharge tray 21 is maintained at an angle at which the sheet does not fall. A paper pressing pin 202 protrudes above the discharge port 201 of the opening / closing cover 23, and the paper discharged from the discharge port 201 is suitably discharged onto the discharge tray 21 by the paper pressing pin 202. The configuration is such that

  FIG. 4 is a detailed view showing an example of the discharge tray 21. However, in the same figure, the top view 210, the side view 220, and the front view 230 of the discharge tray 21 are shown together. The discharge tray 21 is configured to have a substantially flat plate shape in outer appearance including a paper placement surface portion 211 on which paper is placed, a side plate portion 212, and the like, and a maximum size paper that can be printed (output) by the printer 1 is provided. , The size (area) that can be placed without sagging the tip, etc., the capacity that allows a predetermined number of sheets to be stacked, and the mounting angle at which a predetermined number of sheets can be stacked (inclination shown in FIGS. 1 and 5) Angle α; an angle that is inclined toward the upper end side of the open / close cover 23 that faces in the vertical direction in the closed state. A pair of rotating shafts 213 are provided on the side plate portions 212 on the left and right sides of the base end side so as to project outward in a columnar shape. Further, a supported surface portion 214 formed to have a predetermined inclination angle β with respect to the sheet placement surface portion 211 of the discharge tray 21 (or the lower surface portion of the discharge tray 21) is provided on the lower surface portion on the base end side. It has been. However, the mounting angle (inclination angle α) of the discharge tray 21 is obtained by the inclination angle β of the supported surface portion 214 and the inclination of the support surface portion 242 of the tray support portion 24. In the present embodiment, since the support surface portion 242 is formed as a horizontal plane (zero tilt), the relationship of the tilt angle α + the tilt angle β = 90 ° is satisfied.

  The side plate portion 212 of the discharge tray 21 has a predetermined side plate notch portion 215 (here, cut into a substantially rectangular shape) for easily picking out the paper placed on the paper placement surface portion 211 from both the left and right sides with a finger or the like. However, on the paper placement surface 211 of the discharge tray 21, the paper placed on the paper placement surface 211 is picked from the front end side with a finger or the like from substantially the center to the front end. A predetermined placement portion cutout 216 (here, cut out in a substantially isosceles triangle shape) is formed for easy removal.

  The discharge tray 21 has a plurality of ribs for reinforcing the discharge tray 21 and slidingly guiding the discharged paper so that the discharged paper is smoothly discharged in the discharge direction. 211 is formed integrally. Further, both end portions on the front end side of the discharge tray 21 are formed in a so-called inverted letter C shape that is bent obliquely upward, and the discharged paper easily falls outside both ends of the discharge tray 21. This prevents the sheet from being discharged (so that the sheet is discharged to the center of the discharge tray 21).

  Next, the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover 23 and the discharge tray 21 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of the opening / closing cover 23 and the discharge tray 21 as viewed from the side (viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2). FIG. 5 shows the discharge tray 21 on the installation surface of the printer 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the opening / closing cover 23 is opened to a position immediately before contact. FIG. 6 illustrates the opening / closing cover 23 to a position where the discharge tray 21 contacts the installation surface of the printer 1 and is opened along the placement surface. It is a figure which shows the state which opened. First, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening / closing cover 23 is rotated and opened in the direction indicated by the arrow B1. In this case, the discharge tray 21 is maintained at the inclination angle α without rotating with respect to the opening / closing cover 23 until the tip (near the tip) of the discharge tray 21 or the lower surface of the tip contacts the installation surface. It rotates together with the opening / closing cover 23 in the state. When the opening / closing cover 23 is further rotated and opened, and the tip of the discharge tray 21 contacts the installation surface, the discharge tray 21 rotates relative to the opening / closing cover 23 (in a direction parallel to the opening / closing cover 23). As shown in FIG. 6, the discharge tray 21 moves while sliding along the installation surface in the direction indicated by the arrow E as the opening / closing cover 23 rotates, and is substantially the same as the opening / closing cover 23 (installation surface). It rotates until it becomes parallel (here, the entire lower surface of the discharge tray 21 is in contact with the installation surface). As described above, the discharge tray 21 has the first posture in which the sheet is placed when the opening / closing cover 23 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed, and the opening / closing cover 23 as shown in FIG. In such a case, it is configured to be able to take a second posture that rotates and retracts in a direction parallel to the opening / closing cover 23.

  By the way, the opening angle γ when the opening / closing cover 23 is in the open state (when it is opened to the end) is at least about 90 ° (here, about 100 °) in order to facilitate jamming and the like. °) is set. The installation height of the opening / closing cover 23 (rotation center 231) from the bottom surface (setting surface) of the printer 1 is set so that the discharge tray 21 is substantially level with the installation surface when the opening / closing cover 23 is in the open state. It is set to be. However, the opening angle γ of the opening / closing cover 23 and the installation height from the bottom surface are not limited to this. In this case, the state when the opening / closing cover 23 is opened is not limited to that shown in FIG. For example, in the open state, the base end side of the discharge tray 21 may be in a state of being lifted from the installation surface (not in contact with the installation surface).

  Further, when the opening / closing cover 23 is returned from the open state shown in FIG. 6 to the original closed state, an operation reverse to the opening operation described above is performed. That is, the open / close cover 23 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow B2, and accordingly, the discharge tray 21 is slidably contacted (supported) with the installation surface in the direction opposite to the arrow E direction, while the base end side is moved. It is rotated with respect to the opening / closing cover 23 and lifted until the inclination angle α is reached. Thereafter, in a state in which the inclination angle α is maintained (a state in which the rotation of the discharge tray 21 is restricted), it is further rotated in the direction of the arrow B2 together with the discharge tray 21 to return to the original closed state.

  Note that a predetermined hooking portion 232 is provided on the side surface or the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 23, so that when the opening / closing cover 23 is closed, it is hooked on a predetermined hooking portion of the apparatus main body. It has become. However, when the opening / closing cover 23 is opened, for example, the latching state (locked state) of the latching portion 232 may be released in conjunction with an operation such as grasping the handle portion 25 and pulling it forward (handle). In addition to the portion 25, a mechanism for releasing the hooked state may be provided separately.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the rotary opening / closing cover 23 is configured to be openable / closable with respect to the side wall of the apparatus main body with the lower end side (rotation center 231) as the rotation center axis. The tray 21 is attached to the outer surface (front surface) of the opening / closing cover 23 so as to be rotatable about the base end side as a rotation center axis. The discharge tray 21 is in the first posture for placing paper when the open / close cover 23 is closed, and is parallel to the open / close cover 23 when the open / close cover 23 is open. It becomes the 2nd attitude | position which rotates and retracts.

  Thus, when the opening / closing cover 23 is opened, the discharge tray 21 can be rotated and retracted in a direction parallel to the opening / closing cover 23, and the leading end of the discharge tray 21 ( ) Can be opened to a predetermined position along the installation surface, so that when the opening / closing cover 23 to which the discharge tray 21 is attached is opened, the discharge tray 21 is installed on the device installation surface (for example, a desk surface or a floor surface). The discharge tray 21 itself and the installation surface are damaged (damaged), the discharge tray 21 is prevented from falling off, and the discharge tray 21 is kept at an angle (inclination angle α) at which the paper does not fall. By opening the opening / closing cover 23, it is possible to easily prevent the paper from falling. As a result, the durability of the apparatus (for preventing damage to the discharge tray 21 and the like) and the prevention of paper falling are achieved. It is possible to improve the opening and closing operations regarding) the operability of the cover 23.

  Further, since the discharge tray 21 is attached to the opening / closing cover 23 in an inclined state toward the upper end side of the opening / closing cover 23, the opening of the opening / closing cover 23 causes the discharge tray 21 to face the installation surface of the apparatus. It is possible to prevent a collision at an abrupt contact angle (for example, an angle close to vertical), that is, the discharge tray 21 is in contact with the installation surface at a gentle contact angle and smoothly transitions from the first posture to the second posture. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the discharge tray 21 and the installation surface, and from the discharge tray 21 when the opening / closing cover 23 is opened to check whether there is a paper jam at the time of jam processing or the like. The paper can be prevented from dropping more.

  Further, the discharge tray 21 has a base end side lower surface portion (supported surface portion 214) that is formed by tilting the pivot shaft 213 at the left and right end portions on the base end side with the shaft support portion 243. It is supported in a substantially horizontal state by the tray support portion 24. Therefore, the configuration in which the discharge tray 21 is attached to the opening / closing cover 23 so as to be tilted and rotatable, and can take the first posture and the second posture, the rotation shaft 213, the shaft support portion 243, and the tray support portion. This can be realized by a simpler configuration such as 24.

  Further, since the handle portion 25 of the opening / closing cover 23 is provided below and in the vicinity of the discharge tray 21, for example, when the opening / closing cover 23 is opened to check whether there is a paper jam at the time of jam processing, etc. The hand is turned to the lower side of the tray 21 to grasp the handle portion 25, and the opening / closing cover 23 is held in a state where the angle of the discharge tray 21 (the angle at which the sheet does not fall) is held while the lower surface of the discharge tray 21 is supported by an arm or the like. Opening and closing operations such as opening can be easily performed. In addition, this invention can take the following aspects.

  (A) Although the configuration of the present invention is not applied only to the opening / closing cover 23 and the discharge tray 21 in the side wall portion 100 as shown in the above-described embodiment, as long as the configuration includes the same opening / closing portion and tray. For example, the present invention may be applied to the above-described manual feed tray and an opening / closing unit to which the tray is attached.

  (B) As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the front end of the discharge tray 300 is placed on the front end of the discharge tray 300 in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. The structure may further include a rotating body 301 (and a shaft supporting body 302 that pivotally supports the rotating body 301) that contacts and rotates before contacting the rotating body 301. However, FIG. 7 shows a case where the front end of the discharge tray is formed horizontally, and the discharge tray 21 in which the front end portion is bent inward as shown in FIG. 4 of the above embodiment is used. In this case, the rotating body may be provided around the position indicated by reference numeral 250 (see FIG. 4), which is the position that first contacts the installation surface.

  The rotating body 301 may have any shape as long as it can be rotated in contact with the predetermined planar portion. For example, the rotating body 301 is not a cylindrical body shown in FIG. (True sphere, oval sphere) or a disk shape may be used. Further, the rotating body 301 does not have to be attached in a state of protruding over the upper surface and the lower surface as shown in FIG. 7B, for example, attached in a state of protruding only on the lower surface side of the tip portion. Also good.

  By providing the rotating body at the leading end of the paper tray in this way, when the opening / closing cover is opened, the paper tray (rotating body at the leading end) is brought into contact with the installation surface and is shifted from the first posture to the second posture. (The resistance when the front end of the paper tray travels on the installation surface can be reduced), and the paper tray and installation surface can be damaged by the collision of the front end of the paper tray with the installation surface. More prevention can be achieved.

  (C) The method of attaching the discharge tray 21 to the opening / closing cover 23 so as to be rotatable is not limited to the one shown in the above embodiment. For example, the rotation shaft 213 (projection body) of the discharge tray 21 may be provided on the tray support portion 24 side, the shaft support portion 243 (hole) of the tray support portion 24 may be provided on the discharge tray 21 side, and the tip portion is perforated. You may attach so that rotation is possible using the mechanism etc. which insert a predetermined shaft body in the said hole of the arm-shaped body made.

  (D) As a method of obtaining a predetermined inclination angle (attachment angle) with respect to the opening / closing cover 23 by restricting the rotation (downward) of the discharge tray 21 with respect to the opening / closing cover 23, as shown in the above embodiment. The support surface portion 214 (discharge tray 21) is not limited to be supported by the support surface portion 242. In this case, the support surface portion 242 may not be formed horizontally, and may be formed, for example, in a state inclined at a predetermined angle from the horizontal. Further, the support surface portion 242 and the supported surface portion 214 do not have to be formed in a planar shape, and for example, the two may be formed in a concavo-convex shape and fitted (supported).

  (E) The side wall portion of the device provided with the opening / closing cover does not necessarily have to face in the vertical direction (vertical). For example, the side wall portion is inclined by a predetermined angle or formed in a curved shape. It may be what was done.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the printer, and particularly shows a detailed structure of a paper tray and an opening / closing cover. It is an enlarged detail drawing which mainly shows an opening / closing cover and a tray support part. FIG. 5 is a detailed diagram illustrating an example of a paper tray. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the opening / closing cover is opened to a position immediately before the sheet tray comes into contact with the installation surface of the printer. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the opening / closing cover is opened to a position where the paper tray is in contact with the installation surface of the printer and is opened along the placement surface. It is a figure explaining the modification of this invention, (a) is a figure which shows that the rotary body is provided in the front-end | tip of a discharge tray, (b) is a side view of the front-end | tip vicinity.

Explanation of symbols

1 Printer (image forming device)
2 Developing device 16 Fixing roller pair 17 Paper transport path 20 Discharge roller pair 21 Discharge tray (paper tray)
23 Open / close cover 231 Center of rotation 24 Tray support (support)
242 Support surface portion 243 Shaft support portion 25 Handle portion 100 Side wall portion 201 Discharge port 211 Paper placement surface portion (paper placement surface)
212 Side plate portion 213 Rotating shaft 214 Supported surface portion (base end side lower surface portion according to claim 3)
215 Side plate notch 216 Placement notch 251 Recess

Claims (5)

A pivotable opening / closing cover configured to be openable / closable with respect to the side wall of the apparatus body with the lower end side as a rotation center axis;
A paper tray that is rotatably attached to the outer surface of the opening / closing cover with the base end side as a rotation center axis;
The paper tray rotates in a direction parallel to the first posture in which the paper is placed when the open / close cover is closed and parallel to the open / close cover when the open / close cover is open. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the second posture can be taken.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet tray is attached to the opening / closing cover in an inclined state toward the upper end side of the opening / closing cover. The paper tray includes a pivot shaft that protrudes at both left and right end portions on the base end side, and the lower surface portion on the base end side has a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the paper placement surface of the paper tray. It was formed as follows,
The said opening / closing cover is provided with the shaft support part which supports the said rotating shaft, and the support part which supports the lower surface part of the said base end side in a substantially horizontal state, The support part of Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus.   The opening / closing cover further includes a handle portion for opening / closing the opening / closing cover, and the handle portion is provided below and in the vicinity of the paper tray. Image forming apparatus.   The paper tray further includes a rotating body that is provided at a front end portion of the paper tray and rotates in contact with the front end portion of the paper tray before contacting a predetermined planar portion according to an opening / closing operation of the opening / closing cover. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

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