JP2000302297A - Hand insertion tray for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase a capacity of mountable recording sheets at use time and improve space efficiency at non-use time, by providing a height variable in a recording sheet thickness direction of a guide member. SOLUTION: Any of guide members is formed with a height variable in a thickness direction of its recording sheet, here H can take mutually different two values HS, HT (HS<HT). Accordingly, the height H of a hand insertion tray, when it is not in use, is taken as HS to enhance space efficiency of the hand insertion tray, also the height of the hand insertion tray, when it is used, is taken as HT to make a large amount of the recording sheets mountable. In addition, by sliding a slider, the recording sheet in various sizes can be mounted in an upper part of a tray main body with no position deviation.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a manual feed tray applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction peripheral thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus for forming an image such as a character, a figure, and a photograph on a recording sheet such as paper or an OHP sheet has been widely known. Also, an image forming apparatus in which an openable and closable manual feed tray is provided on a side surface or the like of the image forming apparatus has been widely known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-133444). FIG. 16 illustrates an example of such a manual tray of the conventional image forming apparatus.
FIG. 16A shows a state where the manual feed tray is not used, and FIG. 16B shows a state where the manual feed tray is used.

The image forming apparatus has an image forming section for forming an image on a recording sheet, and recording sheet trays ac for supplying the recording sheet to the image forming section. Then, the recording sheet is sequentially conveyed along a sheet conveyance path indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 16, conveyed from the recording sheet tray to the image forming unit,
The sheet is discharged out of the image forming apparatus with an image formed on the surface.

Here, the manual feed tray is accommodated in the image forming apparatus when not in use (FIG. 16A), but is pulled out of the image forming apparatus when in use, and a recording sheet is placed on the upper part thereof. The placed recording sheet is supplied to a sheet conveyance path of the image forming apparatus (FIG. 16B). Such a manual tray allows various sizes and types of recording sheets to be used as necessary, and can be accommodated in the image forming apparatus when not in use, so that it is not obstructive. Widely used. In addition, a guide member is generally provided on the manual feed tray in order to regulate the displacement of the recording sheet to be placed.

[0005]

However, the guide member provided on the conventional manual feed tray has the following problems because the height _Hf is fixed.

[0006] That is, when the guide member height H _f is set low, the capacity of the recording sheets that can be placed on the manual feed tray is reduced at the time of use, frequent replenishment of the recording sheet becomes necessary. On the other hand, if set high height H _f of the guide member, the space manual feed tray occupies is increased at the time of non-use, for example it is disadvantageous in terms of downsizing of the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, while there are users who regularly use the manual feed tray, since the present user is not used at all, it is difficult to set the height H _f of the preferred guide member for all users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which has a large capacity of a recording sheet that can be placed when used and has excellent space efficiency when not in use. To provide a manual feed tray.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a tray body on which a recording sheet is placed and which supplies the recording sheet to a paper feed port of an image forming apparatus, and a recording sheet provided on the upper surface of the tray body. A guide member for regulating the positional deviation of the image forming apparatus, and a height of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet in the manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus configured to be openable and closable with the image forming apparatus when used and not used. Is made variable.

The variable height H of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet means that H takes at least two different values H _S and H _T (H _S <H _T ).
Further, the height H of one guide member can be made variable, and a plurality of guide members having different heights H can be selectively used. According to this structure the manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus, when using the manual feed tray by the height H of the guide member and H _T, it is possible to place a large number of recording sheets. On the other hand, when not in use of the manual tray by the height H of the guide member and the H _S, with less space manual feed tray occupies,
Space efficiency can be increased.

FIGS. 1 and 2 explain the concept of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which space efficiency is emphasized, and FIG. 2 shows a configuration in which importance is placed on the amount of recording sheets placed. Is shown. That is, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the height H of the guide member in the recording sheet thickness direction is H _S ( _S
0), H _T (= L). On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the height H of the guide member in the recording sheet thickness direction is H _S
(= L) and H _T (L + α). Of course, a configuration in which these are combined, that is, a configuration in which the height H of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet takes H _S (≒ 0) and H _T (= L + α). Further, the value that the height H of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet can take may be three or more steps or stepless.

Here, the value of H _S can be determined based on a balance between requirements for space efficiency, ease of use of the manual feed tray, ease of manufacture, and the like. That is, H _S is desirably 0 in order to reduce the space occupied by the manual feed tray.
It is preferable to set the value close to On the other hand, when H _S = 0, since it does not function as a guide member as it is,
It is necessary to change the height to H _T before use. The value of H _T can be determined from the balance between production easiness of置量manual feed tray mounting of the recording sheet. That is, it is desirable that the amount of recording sheets placed on the manual feed tray be large (up to a certain limit).
_T is desirably higher, and is preferably, for example, 15 mm or more in consideration of manufacturability and the like.

The height H of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet.
More specifically, for example, the guide member is formed of a plate-like member housed in the tray body, and one end of the guide member is rotatably supported by the tray body, and is fixed to the tray body. In contrast, it can be configured to be able to be inverted (claim 2). Also, the guide member is
It is composed of an L-shaped section member having a long side and a short side, and a bent portion of the guide member is rotatably supported by the tray main body, and the long side or the short side can be configured to be able to be inverted with respect to the tray main body. (Claim 3). Further, the guide member includes a first guide member and a second guide member,
The second guide member may be movable in the recording sheet thickness direction with respect to the first guide member.

Further, operation ease point of view, when pulling out the manual feed tray from the image forming apparatus at the time of use, the guide member the recording sheet thickness direction of the height H automatically becomes H _T of,
When pulling back the manual feed tray from the image forming apparatus when not in use, it is preferable that the recording sheet thickness direction of the height H of the guide member is automatically H _S. As a configuration for realizing such a function, for example, on the premise of the manual feed tray according to claim 2, an elastic member that biases the guide member so as to be inverted with respect to the tray body can be provided ( Claim 3). Further, on the premise of the manual feed tray described in claim 5, the second guide member may have an elastic member that urges the first guide member in the recording sheet thickness direction (claim). 6).

Note that the fact that the manual feed tray can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus means that it can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus itself, as well as with respect to an optional apparatus of the image forming apparatus, for example, a duplex reversing apparatus. It includes that it can be opened and closed.

[0015]

Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples. Embodiment 1 FIG. 3 shows an entire image forming apparatus (printer) to which the manual feed tray according to the present embodiment is applied. FIG.
3A illustrates the image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray is not used, and FIG. 3B illustrates the image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray is used.

This image forming apparatus is roughly divided into an image forming section 100 for forming an image with toner on a recording sheet.
And a recording sheet tray unit 2 for storing different types of recording sheets and supplying the recording sheets to the image forming unit 100.
00. The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment has a four-stage tray as the recording sheet tray unit 200, and stores recording sheets of different sizes and materials. Here, for example, when using sheets of a size, type, and conveyance direction that are not stored in these four trays, pull out the manual feed tray 1 provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus main body (see FIG. b)),
A desired recording sheet is placed thereon to form an image. Conversely, when using sheets of the size, type, and conveyance direction stored in these four trays,
The manual feed tray 1 provided on the side of the image forming apparatus main body can be closed (FIG. 3A). In this embodiment, the manual feed tray 1 is configured to be able to be accommodated in the side surface of the image forming apparatus main body (FIG. 3A).

FIG. 4 shows a manual feed tray 1 according to this embodiment.
Are explained in more detail, and the arrow V in FIG.
1 shows the configuration of a manual feed tray 1 as viewed from above. The manual feed tray 1 has a tray body 2 on which a recording sheet is placed on its upper surface 2 (U) and supplies the recording sheet to a paper feed port 101 of the image forming apparatus, and an upper surface 2 of the tray body 2.
(U) are provided with guide members 3a and 3b for regulating the displacement of the recording sheet, and are configured to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus in use and non-use. The manual tray can be opened and closed by appropriately selecting a known technique. Further, the placed recording sheets are urged by the pinch rolls 102 and are conveyed one by one to the paper feed port 101.

The manual feed tray 1 includes guide members 3a,
The height H of the recording sheet b in the thickness direction of the recording sheet can be varied. In this case, H can take two different values H _S and H _T (H _S <H _T ). Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the two guide members 3a and 3b will be described in order.

The guide member 3a is formed of a substantially rectangular plate-like member accommodated in the first thin portion 24 of the tray body 2, and one end of the guide member 3a is provided at one outer end thereof.
The tray body 2 is rotatably supported so that the tray body 2 can be turned upside down. FIG. 5A is a diagram corresponding to FIG.
(B) shows the AA ′ cross section of FIG. 4 (b), respectively. Thus, the guide member 3a can be turned upside down with respect to the tray main body 2 by rotating the guide member 3a by 90 degrees about the shaft 51. When the guide member 3a is standing (FIG. 5 (b)), the tip of the obliquely formed guide member 3a and the tray body 2 (first thin portion 2)
4) is configured such that the guide member 3a does not fall down naturally due to the pressure contact with.

As another configuration for preventing the guide member 3a from naturally falling down, as shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the guide member 3a and the tray body 2 (the first thin portion 2)
4) may form a latch at the pressure contact portion. In this embodiment, the outer end of the guide member 3a is pivotally supported on the tray main body 2 so that the guide member 3a does not protrude from the tray main body 2 in a state where the guide member 3a is tilted. That is, it is configured to open and close on the side where the recording sheet is placed.

Here, the first thin portion 24 formed on the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2 is formed in substantially the same shape as the guide member 3a, and when the guide member 3a is folded down (see FIG. 4 (a)), the step between the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2 and the guide member 3a is substantially 0, and the height H (H _S ) ≒ 0 of the guide member 3a in the recording sheet thickness direction in this state. Becomes On the other hand, when the user stands the guide member 3a using the cutout portion 25 of the tray body 2, the height H of the guide member 3a in the recording sheet thickness direction becomes H _T shown in FIG. 4B.

On the other hand, the guide member 3b is formed of a plate-like member accommodated in the second thin portion 21 of the tray main body 2, and one outer end of the guide member 3b is connected to the slider 22 forming a part of the tray main body 2. The tray is rotatably supported, and is configured to be able to be inverted with respect to the tray main body 2. And
The slide groove 2 is provided in the second thin portion 21 of the tray body 2.
3 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the recording sheet conveyance direction in the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2, and its slide groove 23 is formed.
The slider 22 on which the guide member 3b is pivotally supported is configured to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the recording sheet conveyance direction.

FIG. 7 shows a section taken along the line BB 'of FIG. As described above, since the guide member 3 b is attached to the slider 22 so as to be rotatable about the axis 52 by 90 degrees, the guide member 3 b can be inverted with respect to the tray main body 2. Although not shown, similarly to the guide member 3a, in a state where the guide member 3b is standing,
The tip of the guide member 3b formed diagonally and the slider 2
The guide member 3b is configured not to fall down naturally due to the pressure contact between the guide member 3b and the guide member 3b.

As another structure for preventing the guide member 3b from falling down naturally, a latch is provided at a pressure contact portion between a part of the guide member 3b and the slider 22, similarly to the guide member 3a shown in FIG. May be formed. In the present embodiment, the guide member 3b is in a state where the guide member 3b is tilted.
Guide member 3b so that the
Is supported on the tray main body 2, and the guide member 3b is configured to be opened and closed inside, that is, on the side on which the recording sheet is placed.

Here, the second thin portion 21 formed on the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2 is formed over the entire area in which the slider 22 (and the guide member 3 b supported by the slider 22) can slide. The thickness of the guide member 3b is substantially the same as the thickness of the slider 22 and the guide member 3b in the collapsed state.
(A)), upper surface 2 (U) of tray body 2 and guide member 3
b is substantially zero, and the guide member 3b in this state
H (H _S ) ≒ 0 in the thickness direction of the recording sheet. On the other hand, when the user stands the guide member 3b, the height H of the guide member 3b in the recording sheet thickness direction becomes
H _T shown in FIG.

As described above, the guide members 3a, 3b
Can change the height H in the thickness direction of the recording sheet. Here, H can take two different values H _S and H _T (H _S <H _T ). Therefore, along with the time of non-use of the manual feed tray 1 enhances the space efficiency of the manual feed tray 1 the height H as H _S, when using the manual feed tray 1 can be mass-mounted recording sheets that height as H _T it can. By sliding the slider 22, recording sheets of various sizes can be placed on the upper portion 2 (U) of the tray body 2 without displacement.

Modification 1 In the manual tray 1 according to the first embodiment, the user changes the height H of the guide members 3a and 3b. This modification relates to an improvement of the manual feed tray 1 according to the first embodiment. When the manual feed tray 1 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus during use, the height H of the guide member 3a in the recording sheet thickness direction is automatically adjusted. the H _T changed from H _S, when pulled back manual feed tray from the non-used image forming apparatus at the time, the height H of the recording sheet thickness direction of the guide member is automatically H from H _{T S}
It is what becomes. Hereinafter, a description will be given focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

In the manual feed tray 1 according to this modification,
In addition to the configuration of the manual feed tray 1 according to the first embodiment, the manual feed tray 1 further includes a helical spring (elastic member) 4 that urges the guide member 3a so as to be inverted with respect to the tray main body 2. FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration around the guide member 3a and an operation thereof according to the present modification. FIG. 8A shows a state where the manual feed tray 1 is stored in the image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray 1 is not used. here,
One end of the helical spring 4 is fixed to the tray body 2 and the other end is fixed to the shaft 53 of the guide member 3a. The guide member 3a is formed by the elastic force of the helical spring 4.
Are urged to be inverted, that is, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Therefore, when the manual feed tray 1 is pulled out from the image forming apparatus during use, the guide member 3 a rotates about the shaft 53 and stands up with respect to the tray main body 2 due to its elastic force. In addition, since the front-end | tip part of the guide member 3a and the 1st thin part 24 of the tray main body 2 contact | abut, the guide member 3a maintains the inverted state.

Modification 2 The manual feed tray 1 according to the first embodiment is configured to be housed in the side surface of the image forming apparatus main body (see FIG. 3A), which is shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus may be configured to be accommodated along the side surface of the image forming apparatus main body. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 10 shows an entire image forming apparatus (printer) to which the manual feed tray 1 according to the present embodiment is applied. FIG.
0 (a) shows the image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray 1 is not used, and FIG. 10 (b) shows the image forming apparatus when the manual feed tray 1 is used. Example 1
The same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

This image forming apparatus is roughly divided into an image forming section 100 for forming an image with toner on a recording sheet.
And a recording sheet tray unit 2 for storing different types of recording sheets and supplying the recording sheets to the image forming unit 100.
00, a two-sided reversing device 300 for reversing the recording sheet
And consists of The two-sided reversing device 300 discharges a storage sheet on which an image has been formed from a four-stage sheet tray or a manual feed tray 1 from the second discharge port 301 or reverses the image on both sides to reverse the image on both sides. This is for discharging the paper after the formation. In this embodiment, the manual feed tray 1 is configured to be able to be accommodated along the side surface of the double-sided reversing device 300 (FIG. 10A).

FIG. 11 explains the manual feed tray 1 according to the present embodiment in more detail, and shows the configuration of the manual feed tray 1 as viewed from the arrow V in FIG. 10B. The manual feed tray 1 has a recording sheet placed on its upper surface 2 (U), and the recording sheet is fed to a paper feed port 101 of the image forming apparatus.
Main body 2 to be supplied to the upper surface 2 of the tray main body 2
(U) is provided with guide members 3a, b, 3a ', b' for regulating the displacement of the recording sheet, and is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus in use and non-use. . The manual tray 1 can be opened and closed by appropriately selecting a known technique. Further, the placed recording sheets are urged by the pinch rolls 102 and are conveyed one by one to the paper feed port 101.

The manual feed tray 1 includes guide members 3a,
b, 3a ', b' recording sheet thickness direction of the variable height H of, where H is different from two values H _S, H _T (H _S <H
_T ) can be taken. Hereinafter, these two guide members 3
The configuration and operation of a, b, 3a ', and b' will be described in order.

The guide member 3a is a substantially rectangular plate-like member accommodated in the first thin portion 24 of the tray main body 2.
The tray body 2 is rotatably supported so that the tray body 2 can be turned upside down. Then, the guide member 3a of the first embodiment
Similarly to the above, the guide member 3a can be turned upside down with respect to the tray main body 2 by rotating the guide member 3a about its axis by 90 degrees. Here, the first thin portion 24 formed on the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2 is configured to have substantially the same shape as the guide member 3a, and when the guide member 3a is folded down (see FIG. )), The step between the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2 and the guide member 3a is substantially zero.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show the guide member 3a '.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2 is provided at the end of the tray body 2 with a predetermined step H _S.

The guide member 3b is composed of an L-shaped member having a long side and a short side, and a bent portion of the guide member 3b is rotatably supported by a slider 22 which is a part of the tray body 2, and is supported by the tray body. 2, the long side 3Lb or the short side 3Sb can be inverted. A slide groove 23 is formed in the second thin portion 21 of the tray body 2 in a direction perpendicular to the recording sheet conveying direction in the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2, and extends along the slide groove 23. The slider 22 on which the guide member 3b is pivotally supported is configured to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the recording sheet conveyance direction.

FIG. 12A is a diagram corresponding to FIG.
(B) shows the BB 'section of FIG. 11 (b), respectively. As described above, since the guide member 3b is attached to the slider 22 so as to be rotatable about the axis 52 by 90 degrees, the long side 3Lb or the short side 3
Sb can be selectively inverted.

Here, the second thin portion 21 formed on the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2 is formed over the entire area in which the slider 22 (and the guide member 3 b supported by the slider 22) can slide. The slider 22 and the guide member 3b in the collapsed state (the long side 3Lb and the short side 3S
It is configured to have substantially the same thickness as b).

Therefore, the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b
11A, the step between the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2 and the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b is substantially 0, and the recording sheet thickness of the guide member 3b in this state is almost zero. The height H in the direction is H _S obtained by subtracting the thickness of the second thin portion 21 from the height of the short side 3Sb (see FIG. 12A). On the other hand, when the user stands the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b (FIG. 11B), the step between the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray main body 2 and the short side 3Sb of the guide member 3b is substantially zero.
In this state, the height H of the guide member 3b in the recording sheet thickness direction is H _T obtained by subtracting the thickness of the second thin portion 21 from the height of the long side 3Lb (FIG. 12B). reference).

The guide member 3b 'is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 2 (U) of the tray body 2 is provided at the end of the tray body 2 with a predetermined step H _S.

As described above, in the manual feed tray 1 according to the present embodiment, one end in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording sheet to be placed has the height H when the guide member 3a is tilted.
The position shift is regulated by the _S guide member 3a ',
Its position displacement by the guide members 3a 'in the state in which stand the guide member 3a of the height H _T guide member 3a and a height H _S is regulated. The other end in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording sheet to be placed is connected to the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b.
Guide members 3b in the height H _S is in a state of tilting the (short side of 3
The displacement is restricted only by Sb) or the height H
_S guide member 3b (short side 3Sb) and guide member 3
The position shift is regulated by b ′, and when the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b stands, the guide member 3 having the height H _T is set.
b the positional deviation by only (the long side 3Lb of) is restricted, or the height H _T guide member 3b (long side 3Lb) and the guide member 3b 'of the height H _S that the positional displacement is regulated become.

As described above, the manual tray 1
Then, when the bypass tray 1 is not used, the height H is set to H _S
As a result, the space efficiency of the manual feed tray 1 can be improved. Further, even when the manual feed tray 1 is used, if the amount of recording sheets to be placed is small,
When the recording sheet is used in the state shown in FIG. 11A and the amount of the recording sheets to be placed is large, the guide member 3a and the long side 3Lb of the guide member 3b are set up, and the sheet is used in the state shown in FIG. Can be. By sliding the slider 22, recording sheets of various sizes can be placed on the upper portion 2 (U) of the tray body 2 without displacement.

Modification 1 In the second embodiment, the long sides 3Lb of the guide members 3a and 3b are set up to increase the amount of recording sheets that can be placed on the tray body 2. In this modification, the height of the long side 3Lb of the guide members 3a and 3b in the upright state is further increased to further increase the amount of print sheets that can be placed.

FIG. 13 illustrates the manual feed tray 1 according to this embodiment in detail. Each of the guide member a and the guide member b (the long side 3Lb) is composed of a first guide member and a second guide member, and the second guide member has a recording sheet thickness relative to the first guide member. It can move in any direction. When the second guide member is in contact with the first guide member, as shown in FIG. 13A, the heights of the guide members a and b (long sides 3Lb) are H _S '. This H _S ′ corresponds to H _T in the second embodiment. On the other hand, in a state where the second guide member is moved with respect to the first guide member, FIG.
As shown in (b), the height of the guide member a and the guide member b (the long side 3Lb) is H _T '. This H _T '
Is higher than H _T in Example 2.

FIG. 14 illustrates the structure of the guide member 3a in more detail. The guide member 3a includes a first guide member 31a and a second guide member 32a. The first guide member 31a has a rectangular plate shape, and the second guide member 32a is configured to surround three sides of the first guide member 31a. Also, convex portions 32 are provided on both side surfaces of the second guide member 32a.
1, 322 are formed, and the convex portions 321, 32
2 are in contact with the first guide member 31 to which the projections 321 and 3 are attached.
Slide grooves 311 and 312 are formed to be engaged with 22.

The projections 321 and 322 of the second guide member 32a are fitted into the slide grooves 311 and 312 of the first guide member 31a, and are slid. The guide member 32a is configured to be able to contact and separate therefrom. In order to keep the state where the second guide member 32a has moved with respect to the first guide member 31a, for example, a configuration in which the interval between the biconvex portions 321 and 322 is further expanded downward, or the two slide grooves 311 and 31
It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the two intervals are narrowed upward.

In this modification, an elastic member such as a coil spring for urging the second guide member 32a against the first guide member 31a in the recording sheet thickness direction may be further provided. That is, one end of the coil spring may be fixed to the first guide member 31a, and the other end of the coil spring may be fixed to the second guide member 32a, so that they repel each other.

Modification 2 The manual feed tray 1 according to the second embodiment is configured to be accommodated along the side of the double-sided reversing device 300 of the image forming apparatus (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus may be configured to be housed in the side surface of the double-sided reversing device 300. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0049]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a manual feed tray of an image forming apparatus which has a large capacity of a recording sheet that can be placed when used and has excellent space efficiency when not in use. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 illustrates one basic embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates another basic aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manual tray according to the first embodiment and an entire image forming apparatus to which the manual tray is applied;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the manual feed tray according to the first embodiment in more detail;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining in detail a pivot portion of one guide member.

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining in detail another mode of the pivot portion of one guide member.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a bearing portion of another guide member in detail.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining in detail a pivot portion of one guide member of the manual feed tray according to the first modification of the first embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manual tray according to a second modification of the first embodiment and an entire image forming apparatus to which the manual tray is applied;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manual tray according to a second embodiment and an entire image forming apparatus to which the manual tray is applied;

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the manual feed tray according to the second embodiment in more detail;

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining in detail a pivot support portion of another guide member of the manual feed tray according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a manual feed tray according to a first modification of the second embodiment in detail;

FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a guide member of a manual feed tray according to a first modification of the second embodiment in more detail;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manual tray according to a second modification of the second embodiment and an entire image forming apparatus to which the manual tray is applied;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the entirety of a conventional manual feed tray and an image forming apparatus to which the manual feed tray is applied;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Manual tray, 2 ... Tray body, 3a, b, 3
a ', b' guide member, 4 helical spring, 21 first thin portion, 22 slider, 23 slide groove, 2
4 second thin portion, 25 notch portion, 31a first guide member, 32a second guide member, 51, 5
2, 53: axis, 100: image forming unit, 101: paper feed port,
200: recording sheet tray section, 300: double-sided reversing device

Claims (6)

[Claims] A tray body on which a recording sheet is placed and which supplies the recording sheet to a paper feed port of an image forming apparatus; and a guide member provided on the upper surface of the tray body for regulating a displacement of the recording sheet. The manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus configured to be openable and closable with the image forming apparatus when in use and when not in use, wherein the height of the guide member in the thickness direction of the recording sheet is variable. Tray for the image forming apparatus. 2. The guide member comprises a plate-like member accommodated in the tray body, and one end of the guide member is rotatably supported by the tray body and is configured to be able to stand upside down with respect to the tray body. A manual feed tray for the image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The manual feed tray according to claim 2, further comprising an elastic member for urging the guide member to invert the guide member with respect to the tray body. 4. The guide member comprises an L-shaped section having a long side and a short side, and a bent portion of the guide member is rotatably supported by the tray body, and has a long side or a short side with respect to the tray body. The manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side is configured to be inverted. 5. The guide member according to claim 1, wherein the guide member comprises a first guide member and a second guide member, and the second guide member is movable with respect to the first guide member in a recording sheet thickness direction. 4. The manual tray of the image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The manual feed tray according to claim 5, further comprising an elastic member for urging the second guide member against the first guide member in a thickness direction of the recording sheet.