JP2000016677A - Sheet storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store sheets in their aligned states in a storage vessel by providing the storage vessel with an edge support part for supporting the edge of a sheet to be stored, and by forming the edge support part into such a shape as brought in contact with the center part in the edge of the sheet to be stored but in no contact with the corner part of the sheet. SOLUTION: Recesses 15, 15 recessed in the sheet carrier direction are formed in the both ends in the sheet width direction of a standing wall 12. The recesses 15, 15 are provided in positions opposite to the both corner parts on the rear end side of a large-size sheet The sheet S discharged by a discharge roller pair 11 falls into a storage vessel 1 by the dead weight. Then, the sheet S is regulated by rib pairs 14A, 14B, 14C and the sheet S fallen into the sheet face support part 13 is deviated in the direction of the standing wall 12 along the inclination of the sheet face support part 13 by the dead weight of the sheet S fallen into the sheet face support part 13 and stopped by brought in contact with the rib pairs 14A, 14B, 14C. If the corner part of the large-size sheet S is curled by the recess 15, the corner part is prevented from being caught by the standing wall 12 on the way to falling.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a sheet storage device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sheet storage device that stores a sheet discharged from a sheet processing apparatus, such as an image-formed sheet discharged from a copying machine or a printer or a document discharged from a document conveying device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a sheet accommodating apparatus for accommodating sheets ejected from a sheet processing apparatus, a sheet ejected by an ejection means such as a roller pair is accommodated in an accommodating container by freely falling. Is configured. Such a container generally includes a discharge tray section for holding a sheet surface of a sheet and an edge such as a side regulating plate or a rear end regulating plate for supporting an edge of the sheet so that the sheet does not spill from the discharge tray. And a support portion.

[0003]

However, in the conventional sheet storage device, when the discharged sheet falls freely onto the discharge tray portion, if the sheet is curled,
The corners of the sheet were sometimes caught on the edge support. Originally, sheets should be stored in a state aligned with the paper output tray, but if the sheet is caught by the edge support portion, it will not be along the paper output tray, and the sheet will not be aligned on the paper output tray. I will. In particular, in the case of an offset tray that accommodates sheets in a state where the sheets are offset from each other on the sheet discharge tray, if the sheets are not aligned on the sheet discharge tray, the sheets will not be offset as intended.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet storage apparatus in which sheets stored in a storage container are stored in the storage container in a state where sheets are aligned without being caught by an edge supporting portion.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a discharging means for discharging a sheet, and a container for storing the sheet discharged by the discharging means. The container has an edge support portion for supporting an edge of a sheet to be accommodated, and the edge support portion abuts a center portion of an edge of the sheet accommodated in the container, but has a corner of the sheet. It is characterized in that it is formed in a shape that does not abut the part.

In the above arrangement, the edge support portion of the sheet is formed so as not to abut on the corner portion of the sheet. Part does not catch on the edge support. Therefore, the sheets are accommodated in the container in an aligned state. As a shape that does not come into contact with the corner of the sheet of this edge support portion,
A depression or notch is sufficient.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet accommodating apparatus.
2. The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein the edge support portion protrudes in a sheet direction from a reference surface of the edge support portion at a position facing a center portion of an edge of the sheet stored in the container. 3. And a portion facing the corner of the sheet is recessed from the reference surface in a direction away from the sheet.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sheet abuts on the rib but does not abut on the reference surface itself of the edge supporting portion. The sheet receives less resistance when it comes into contact with the edge support portion, and the sheet falls smoothly.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet accommodating apparatus.
3. The sheet storage device according to claim 2, wherein a height of an end of the rib on a side of the discharge unit is formed to coincide with the reference plane. 4.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the height of the end of the rib coincides with the reference plane of the edge supporting portion, the sheet near the edge of the rib is not supported by the edge supporting portion. Although approaching the reference surface, the edge support portion is recessed from the reference surface in a direction away from the sheet at the portion facing the corner of the sheet, so the corner of the sheet does not catch on the edge support portion .

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows a laser beam printer embodying the sheet storage device of the present invention. In this laser beam printer, the upper surface of the device functions as a container 1 that stores a sheet on which an image has been formed.

A sheet picked up from a paper feed tray 3 by a paper feed roller 4 is subjected to image formation in an image forming section 2, and then discharged to a container 1 by a discharge roller pair 11.
Discharged face down. That is, the discharge roller pair 11 functions as a discharge unit. The image forming unit 2 is based on a well-known electrophotographic method, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the container 1 and the discharge roller pair 11 and their peripheral structures, and shows a sheet storing apparatus of the present invention. Similarly, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the container 1 and the discharge roller pair 11 and the peripheral configuration thereof. The container 1 generally includes a standing wall 12 extending from directly below the discharge roller pair 11 to a lower side, and a sheet surface supporting portion 13 extending from a lower end of the standing wall 12 in a sheet discharging direction. The sheet surface support portion 13 is inclined upward toward the downstream in the sheet conveying direction.

The standing wall 12 has a rib pair 14A, a rib pair 14
B, a rib pair 14C is provided upright. The innermost rib pair 14A is provided at a position corresponding to the widthwise end of the small-size sheet discharged from the discharge roller pair 11, and the outermost rib pair 14B corresponds to the end of the medium-size sheet. The outermost rib pair 14C is provided at a position corresponding to the end of the large-size sheet. Here, the large size, medium size, and small size are, for example, large size is A3 length and A4 width, medium size is A4 length, and small size is B size.
5 vertical. Each of the rib pairs 14A, 14B, and 14C has a triangular shape in which one side coincides with the standing wall 12 and another side coincides with the sheet surface support portion 13, and the other side defines the trailing end of the falling sheet. To guide. The height of the upper end of each rib increases in order from the rib near the center of the sheet. That is, the upper end of the innermost rib pair 14A is the lowest, and the upper end of the outermost rib pair 14C is the highest.

Further, at both ends of the standing wall 12 in the sheet width direction, recesses 15, 15 recessed in the upstream direction in the sheet conveying direction are provided.
Are formed. The recesses 15 are provided at positions facing both corners on the rear end side of the large size sheet.

Next, the operation of the ribs 14A, 14B, 14C and the depression 15 will be described. The sheet S discharged by the discharge roller pair 11 and jumped out of the laser beam printer main body falls into the container 1 by its own weight. At this time, in the case of a small-sized sheet, the rear end abuts on the innermost pair of ribs 14A during dropping. This rib pair 14
A restricts the movement of the sheet in the width direction.
Fall in the width direction without much blurring. Therefore, the sheets are accommodated in an aligned state. Similarly, a medium-sized sheet is formed by the rib pair 14B, and a large-sized sheet is formed by the rib pair 14B.
Since the blur in the width direction is regulated by the 4C, respectively, they are accommodated in a uniform state. Further, since the upper end of the small-size rib 14A is lower than the middle-size rib 14B, the small-size sheet rib 14A is restricted when the medium-size sheet is restricted by the medium-size sheet rib 14B.
There is no catch on A. Similarly, since the large-size rib 14C has a higher upper end position than the small-size rib 14A and the medium-size rib 14B, when the large-size sheet is restricted by the large-size sheet rib 14C, Rib 14A for small size sheet and rib 1 for medium size sheet
There is no catch on 4B. Also, the seat surface support portion 1
The sheet S that has dropped onto the sheet surface support portion 1 by its own weight
The sheet S is displaced in the direction of the wall 12 along the inclination of 3, and abuts against the ribs 14A, 14B, 14C corresponding to the size of the sheet S and stops. The sheet S has a rib 14 at the rear end in the discharge direction.
It is housed in a state where it is aligned at the positions of A, 14B and 14C.

Further, since the recessed portion 15 is formed in the standing wall 12 at a position facing the corner of the large-size sheet S, even if the corner of the large-size sheet S is curled, The corners do not stand and fall on the wall 12 during the fall of the sheet.

In the above description, the ribs 14A, 14B, 1
The embodiment in which the 4C and the recess 15 are provided on the rear wall of the container 1 on the rear end side in the sheet conveying direction has been described. In the above embodiment, the ribs 14A, 14B, 14C and the recess 15 are provided on the rear end side standing wall 12 because the sheet accommodating device is configured to accommodate ejected sheets with their rear ends aligned. It is. Conversely, in the case of a sheet storage device in which the leading ends of discharged sheets are aligned and stored, it is preferable to form ribs or depressions on the distal end side of the container.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a laser beam printer embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the laser beam printer of FIG. 1 relating to a sheet storage device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of the laser beam printer of FIG. 1 relating to the sheet storage device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 11 Discharge roller pair (discharge means) 12 Standing wall (edge support part) 14A, 14B, 14C Rib 15 Depressed part S sheet

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A discharge device that discharges a sheet, and a container that stores the sheet discharged by the discharge device, wherein the container has an edge support portion that supports an edge of the sheet to be stored. The sheet is characterized in that the edge support portion is formed in such a shape that it comes into contact with the center of the edge of the sheet accommodated in the container, but does not come into contact with the corner of the sheet. Housing equipment. 2. The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein the edge support portion is located at a position facing a center of an edge of a sheet stored in the storage device. A sheet accommodating device, wherein a rib protruding in the direction of a sheet from the sheet is provided upright, and a portion facing a corner of the sheet is recessed from the reference surface in a direction away from the sheet. 3. The sheet storage device according to claim 2, wherein a height of an end of the rib on the discharge unit side is formed to coincide with the reference plane. apparatus.