JP2002207332A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the visibility and the easy takeout of a sheet ejected in a body in an in-body ejection type image forming device. SOLUTION: This image forming device has a reader scanner part 3 equipped with an image reading means for reading the image of an original, image forming means 5 and 11 arranged below the scanner part 3 and forming the image on the sheet, and a housing part 20 in which the image forming means is housed and which supports the scanner part 3 through a space part, and is provided with a sheet ejection part 4 ejecting the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means to the space part surrounded by the scanner part 3 and the housing part 20. The scanner part 3 is connected to the housing part 20 so as to open/close, and the ejection part 4 is connected to the housing part 20 and equipped with sheet ejection trays 41, 42 and 43 moving up and down linked with the opening/closing operation of the scanner part 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction peripheral thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called wing type image forming apparatus configured to discharge a sheet onto a sheet discharge tray mounted on a side surface of the apparatus main body has been mainly used. On the other hand, in recent image forming apparatuses, a so-called wingless type in which the sheet discharge tray is not projected from the apparatus body has been proposed in order to reduce the installation space.

Referring to FIG. 7, an image forming apparatus having an in-body discharge type sheet discharge section for discharging a sheet into the body of the apparatus body will be described as a wingless type. As shown in FIG. 7, this conventional image forming apparatus includes:
Sheet feeding unit 1 for storing sheets and feeding them one by one sequentially
02, an image forming unit 101 for forming an image on the sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit 102, an in-body discharge type sheet discharging unit 104 for discharging the sheet formed by the image forming unit 101, and a document And a reader / scanner unit 103 for reading an image of the same are arranged in this order from the bottom of the apparatus.

In this image forming apparatus, a space surrounded by the apparatus main body 110 between the reader scanner unit 103 and the image forming unit 101 is a body space 110a for discharging a sheet. A sheet discharge tray 104a is disposed in the unit 110a, and a sheet discharge surface 10 forming a part of the apparatus main body 110 is provided below the sheet discharge tray 104a.
4b is provided. Then, the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 101 passes through the conveying roller 151,
With the flapper 152, the path is switched to one of the path connected to the transport roller 154 and the sheet discharge tray 104a or the path connected to the transport roller 155 and the sheet discharge surface 104b, and discharged into the in-body space 110a.

[0005]

However, in the case of the in-body discharge type sheet discharge method, since the sheet discharge section 104 is surrounded between the image forming section 101 and the reader / scanner section 103, the discharged sheet cannot be discharged. There is a problem in terms of visibility and ease of taking out the sheet when taking out the sheet.

In recent image forming apparatuses, copying,
A product has been proposed as a so-called multifunction device that can appropriately use various functions such as a printer, a facsimile transmission / reception, a scanner, and the like.
It is desired that a plurality of sheet discharge trays be provided in the printer so that sorting based on various jobs such as copying, printing, and fax reception can be performed.
Space is limited, so the inner space 110
If a plurality of sheet discharge trays are provided in the area a, it becomes a factor that hinders the visibility and ease of taking out the discharged sheet when the sheet is taken out.

In order to improve the visibility and ease of taking out the sheet, the inner space 1 of the sheet discharge section 104 is used.
Although it is conceivable to increase the width of 10a, the height of the operation input unit including the copy start key and the numeric keypad for facsimile transmission is considerably higher than 1 m, and the operability of the user on the operation input unit is increased. There was concern that it would be damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which the visibility and ease of taking out a sheet discharged inside the drum are improved.

[0009]

The main components of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention include a reader / scanner section provided with an image reading means for reading an image of a document, and an image formed on a sheet disposed below the reader / scanner section. An image forming unit that has an image forming unit and a housing unit that stores the image forming unit and supports the reader scanner unit with a space therebetween, wherein the space is surrounded by the reader scanner unit and the housing unit; In the image forming apparatus provided with a sheet discharge unit that discharges the sheet on which the image is formed, the reader scanner unit is connected to the housing unit so as to be openable and closable, the sheet discharge unit is connected to the housing unit, and A sheet discharge tray that moves up and down in conjunction with opening and closing operations of the reader scanner unit is provided.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each of the following embodiments,
An example in which the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus as a multifunction peripheral, which is a body sheet discharge type, and which can appropriately use various functions such as copy, printer, fax transmission / reception, and scanner, will be described.

(First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIGS. 1 to 3 are cross-sectional views schematically showing an inner-sheet-sheet-discharge-type image forming apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as an image forming apparatus) according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows a state where the reader / scanner unit 3 is opened, and FIG. 2 shows a state where the reader / scanner unit 3 is closed with respect to the apparatus main body 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment includes an image forming section 1 for forming an image on a sheet, and a sheet storing and feeding sheet to the image forming section 1 one by one. A sheet feeding unit 2, a reader / scanner unit 3 for reading an image of a document, a sheet discharging unit 4 for discharging a sheet formed by the image forming unit 1, and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the entire apparatus. I have.

In this embodiment, the respective components of the image forming section 1 and the sheet feeding section 2 are arranged in the apparatus main body 20 as a housing, and are surrounded by the reader / scanner section 3 and the apparatus main body 20. The sheet discharge unit 4 is disposed in the space defined.

The image forming section 1 includes a photosensitive drum 5 as an image carrier, a charging charger 6 for primary charging the photosensitive drum 5 around the photosensitive drum 5, and a laser beam on the photosensitive drum 5. An exposure device 7 for irradiation, a developing device 8, a transfer charging roller 9, a cleaning device 10, a static eliminator (not shown), and the like are arranged, and a fixing device 1 is provided downstream of the photosensitive drum 5.
1 is provided with an electrophotographic image forming unit in which the image forming unit 1 is disposed.

In the image forming section 1, a laser beam based on an image of a document read by a reader / scanner section 3, which will be described later, is emitted from an exposure device 7 onto a photosensitive drum 5 which is primarily charged by a charging charger 6. Then, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 5, and this electrostatic latent image is
Is visualized by being developed into a toner image. The toner image on the photosensitive drum 5 is transferred to the sheet feeding unit 2.
Is transferred by the transfer charging roller 9 to the sheet conveyed at the same timing by the pair of registration rollers 14. Subsequently, the residual toner on the photosensitive drum 5 is removed by the cleaning device 10, and the residual charge on the photosensitive drum 5 is eliminated by a static eliminator (not shown). Then, the sheet on which the transfer of the toner image has been completed is conveyed to a fixing unit 11 at the subsequent stage, and heat and pressure are applied by the fixing unit 11 to permanently fix the toner image on the sheet.

The image forming apparatus of the embodiment functions as a copier by irradiating the laser beam based on the image of the document read by the reader / scanner section 3 from the exposure device 7 as described above. Inputting image data or a print command from a computer or the like, and irradiating a laser beam based on the image data from the exposure device 7 to function as a printer, and another terminal (not shown) via a telephone line or the like By inputting the facsimile image data from and exposing a laser beam based on the image data from the exposure device 7, the device functions as a facsimile receiver.

The sheet feeding section 2 has two-stage feeding cassettes 21 and 21 for stacking and storing sheets. Above each of the feeding cassettes 21, the uppermost sheet in the feeding cassette 21 is provided. 1, a feed roller 24 for feeding the sheet fed by the feed roller 23 to a sheet conveying path connected to the image forming unit 1, and an image forming unit. 1 and a registration roller pair 14 that rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 5. Note that a lifter plate 22 that lifts the sheet to the position of the feed roller 23 is provided inside each feed cassette 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reader / scanner section 3 includes a platen glass 32 on which a document is placed, a platen plate 36 rotatably provided above the platen glass 32,
A first mirror table 31 having a light source for reading a document and a first mirror disposed in the apparatus main body 20 below the platen glass 32, and a first mirror having two optical path bending mirrors disposed at 90 degrees Mirror 33 that bends the light from the lens in substantially the opposite direction, a lens 34 that condenses the light from the second mirror 33, and a C that photoelectrically converts the light from the lens 34
It has a unit configuration including an image reading unit 35 provided with image reading means such as a CD. The reader scanner unit 3 is connected to the apparatus main body 20 so as to be openable and closable, and details thereof will be described later.

The sheet discharging section 4 is disposed above the image forming section 1 and transfers a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming section 1 to a wall surface of the apparatus body 20 between the reader scanner section 3 and the image forming section 1 above. Is discharged into a space (hereinafter referred to as an in-body space) formed by being surrounded by. Specifically, the sheet discharge unit 4 includes a plurality of (three in this embodiment) sheet discharge trays 4 provided in the body space.
1, 42, 43 and each sheet discharge tray 41, 42, 4
3, discharge rollers 54, 55, and 5 for discharging the sheet.
6, tray angle changing link members 44, 45 provided on one side surface (rear side in FIGS. 1 and 2) of each of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, 43, and the upper sheet discharge tray 43.
And a tray angle changing link member 46 for connecting the scanner scanner unit 3 and the scanner unit 3.

Each of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, 43
Each of the base ends 41a, 42a, 43a is
It is attached so as to be rotatable with respect to zero. The upper and lower sides of the tray angle changing link members 44 and 45 are rotatably attached to substantially the centers of the side surfaces of the sheet discharge trays 42 and 43, respectively.
1, 42 are slidably mounted on one side. Further, the tray angle changing link member 46 is
The lower end is rotatably mounted on one side of the uppermost sheet discharge tray 43, and the upper end is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the reader / scanner section 3. Accordingly, each of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 rotates in conjunction with each other, and also rotates in conjunction with the rotation operation of the reader / scanner unit 3 described later.

Further, in the embodiment, a tray angle changing link member 46 for connecting the reader scanner section 3 and the sheet discharge tray 43 and the respective sheet discharge trays 43, 42,.
Tray angle changing link members 44, 4 connecting between the first and second trays 41, 4
5 and 46 are attached to the back side of FIGS. 1 and 2, that is, the back side of the apparatus.
The sheets discharged onto 3, 42 and 41 can be taken out favorably.

One end of the tray angle changing link member 46 is pin-connected to a joint (not shown) having a spherical universal base provided on the lower surface of the reader / scanner section 3. The link member 46 for changing the tray angle has a hole (not shown) formed at the other end thereof, and this hole is rotatable with respect to a pin (not shown) provided on one side of the sheet discharge tray 43. Is fitted. Further, each of the tray angle changing link members 44 and 45 has a round hole (not shown) formed at one lower end and a long hole (not shown) formed at the other upper end. Output tray 4
By fitting to pins (not shown) provided on one side surface of the readers 1, 42, and 43, the reader scanner 3 is interlocked when the angle is changed.

A fixing unit 1 is provided downstream of the image forming unit 2.
A conveyance roller 51 that conveys the sheet that has passed through 1 and flappers 52 and 53 for switching the conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller 51 are arranged.

In this image forming apparatus, the sheet that has passed through the fixing device 11 of the image forming section 1 through the above-described image forming process passes through the conveying roller 51, and the flapper 52,
Depending on the switching position of 53, the sheet discharge trays 41, 4
2, 43. Here, which of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 the sheet is to be discharged from is determined in advance by, for example, setting and inputting using an operation input unit 70 described later. For example,
Print output when the printer function is used is discharged from the sheet discharge tray 41, facsimile reception is discharged from the sheet discharge tray 42, and copy is discharged from the sheet discharge tray 43.

In this embodiment, since there are a plurality of sheet discharge trays and a plurality of sheet discharge locations, for example, a print output, a facsimile reception output, and a copy output are provided at respective locations. The discharged sheets can be discharged, and the mixture of the discharged sheets can be prevented.

Next, a connection mechanism between the apparatus main body 20 and the reader / scanner section 3 will be described with reference to a schematic side view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment from the side (the right side in FIG. 1), and the left side in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, an operation input unit 70 for performing setting input regarding the operation of the apparatus is arranged on the front side of the apparatus, and the reader / scanner unit 3 is connected to the apparatus main body 20. It is configured so that it can be opened and closed.

The operation input unit 70 includes a monitor unit (not shown) for performing a touch panel type liquid crystal display, operation keys 71 including numeric keys, and a light emitting element 7 such as an LED that blinks at the end of a job.
2. A tilt-only switch 73 for setting the reader scanner unit 3 to an inclined state or a horizontal state is provided.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Is fixedly arranged on the apparatus main body 20 below the reader / scanner unit 3, so that the height position of the operation input unit 70 is kept low regardless of the state of the reader / scanner unit 3,
User operability is improved.

The reader / scanner section 3 is rotatably connected to the apparatus main body 20 by a hinge section 60 as a connecting means provided above the image forming section 1 and on the back side of the apparatus main body 20. Further, in this embodiment, a support plate 61 is attached to a lower portion of the reader / scanner unit 3, and a vertically movable link member 63 that moves up and down with respect to the apparatus main body 20 is attached to the support plate 61 and the vertically movable link member. The configuration is such that the distal end of the link 63 is connected with the link connecting portion 62.

Here, the vertically moving link member 63 has a thread groove 63a formed on its peripheral surface, and is rotatably supported by a bearing 66 provided on the apparatus main body 20,
Further, it is rotatable relative to the upper link connecting portion 62 side. And, the screw groove 63a is
By meshing with an output gear (helical gear) 65 of a motor 64 as a driving means disposed on the side of the motor 64.
Is moved up and down with respect to the apparatus main body 20 based on the rotation of.

Here, when the vertically moving link member 63 rises, the reader / scanner unit 3 connected via the support plate 61
At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the reader / scanner unit 3 is moved in the opening direction with respect to the apparatus main body 20 by the hinge unit 60, and the front side of the apparatus is opened to be inclined. . Along with this operation, the tray angle changing link member 46 connected to the bottom surface of the reader scanner unit 3
, The sheet discharge tray 43 pivots upward about the base end 43a, and the sheet discharge trays 42, 41 are connected to the base end 42a, via the tray angle changing link members 45, 44, respectively. Rotating upward around 41a,
When the reader scanner unit 3 is in the open state, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet discharge trays 43, 42, and 41 are in a state in which the interval between the leading ends is widened. In this state, FIG.
The space inside the trunk shown in the figure is opened toward the front of the device,
Since the intervals between the sheet discharge trays 43, 42, 41 are widened, the visibility and takeout of the sheets on the sheet discharge trays 43, 42, 41 are extremely improved.

In this embodiment, the initial state relating to the opening / closing of the reader / scanner unit 3 with respect to the apparatus main body 20 changes based on the operation mode of the apparatus. Specifically, in the case of the printer mode, which is an operation mode in which the image reading unit 3 does not perform image reading using the image forming unit 1, and the facsimile reception mode, FIG.
As shown in (1), the reader / scanner unit 3 is driven by the motor 64 so that the reader / scanner unit 3 is tilted open with respect to the apparatus main body 20. On the other hand, in the copy mode, the FAX transmission mode, and the scanner mode, which are operation modes in which the reader scanner 3 does not perform image reading, as shown in FIG. The motor 64
Thereby, the reader scanner unit 3 is driven. Hereinafter, this operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Step S101 is a mode selection step for selecting a function to be executed for the image forming apparatus. The mode is selected by using a touch panel of a liquid crystal display unit (not shown) of the operation input unit 70, such as a printer, a facsimile, a copy, a scanner, and the like. Is entered by the user. This input result is determined by the control unit in steps S102 to S105, and either step S106 or step S107 is performed based on the determination result.

More specifically, first, in step S102, it is determined whether or not the printer mode is set to use the image forming apparatus as a printer. If the printer mode is set, the process proceeds to step S106. It is determined whether the mode is the reception mode (step S103). If the mode is the facsimile reception mode, the process proceeds to step S106. If the mode is not the facsimile reception mode, the process proceeds to step S104. In step S106, assuming that the job uses the image forming unit 1 and does not use the reader scanner unit 3, the motor 64 is driven to rotate the reader scanner unit 3 upward to be inclined. If the scanner unit 3 is already in the inclined state, the state is maintained.

On the other hand, in step S104, it is determined whether or not the mode is the facsimile transmission mode. If the mode is the facsimile transmission mode, the process proceeds to step S107. It is determined that there is, and the process proceeds to step S107. Then, in step S107,
Assuming that the job uses the reader scanner unit 3, the motor 64 is not driven and the reader scanner unit 3 is maintained in a horizontal state. When the scanner unit 3 is in the inclined state, the motor 64 is driven to rotate the reader scanner unit 3 downward to be in the horizontal state.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, the opening / closing of the reader / scanner unit 3 with respect to the apparatus main body 20 is switched based on the operation mode set based on the input operation of the operation input unit 70. , Motor 64
Specifically, in the operation mode in which image reading is not performed, the reader / scanner unit 3 is opened so as to be in an open state (inclined state) with respect to the apparatus main body 20. Is driven, and in the operation mode for reading an image, the reader / scanner unit 3 is driven so as to be in a closed state (horizontal state) with respect to the apparatus main body 20. The position is set to a position suitable for actual use according to the presence / absence of sheet ejection, the use / non-use of the reader scanner unit 3, and the like.

When the printer function is executed or when a facsimile is received, the reader / scanner unit 3 automatically opens, and the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 also move upward in conjunction with each other. The space is opened, and the ease of taking out and the visibility of the image-formed sheet discharged onto the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, 43 is improved.

Further, in this image forming apparatus, in the case of a job in which the sheet is discharged by the sheet discharging unit 4, specifically, in the case of using as a printer, receiving a fax, and executing the copy function. At the end of the job, it is possible to set whether the reader scanner unit 3 is automatically inclined or the reader scanner unit 3 is manually inclined by a user.
Hereinafter, this operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 5, in step S201, when the user performs an input operation on a touch panel or the like of a liquid crystal display unit (not shown) of the operation input unit 70, the reader scanner unit 3 is automatically inclined when the reader scanner unit 3 is inclined. A selection is made as to whether to use the mode or the automatic mode in which the user tilts manually. When this selection input is made, in the next step S202, the control unit determines the selected mode. When it is determined that the mode is the manual mode, the use of the tilt-only switch 73 is permitted in step S203. Thereafter, when the tilt-only switch 73 is pressed, the motor 64 rotates and the reader / scanner unit 3 is turned on. The sheet discharge tray 41 is rotated to be in an open state inclined with respect to the apparatus main body 20, and each of the sheet discharge trays 41,
42 and 43 also move upward in conjunction with each other. By pressing the tilt-only switch 73 in this open state, the motor 6
4 rotates, the reader / scanner unit 3 rotates, the reader / scanner 3 is closed horizontally with respect to the apparatus main body 20, and the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 also move downward in conjunction with each other.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the mode is the automatic mode, a mode in which the reader / scanner unit 3 is automatically tilted after the end of the job is started in step S204, and the time for tilting the reader / scanner unit 3 in the next step S205. Is set by an input operation of the operation input unit 70 by the user. With this setting, when each of these jobs is completed at the time of printing out or receiving a fax in the printer mode or executing the copy function, the motor 64 is driven and the reader / scanner unit 3 is automatically rotated for a set time. After the set time elapses, the motor 64 is driven again, and the reader / scanner unit 3 automatically rotates to return to the closed state horizontal to the apparatus main body 20.

Accordingly, in this image forming apparatus, after the image forming job by the image forming section 1 is completed, the user presses the tilt-only switch 73 in the manual mode, while the image forming apparatus 1 in the automatic mode. Is completed, the reader / scanner unit 3 is rotated and opened automatically by the driving of the motor 64, and the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 also move upward in conjunction with each other.
The space inside the body is opened, and the sheet discharge trays 41, 42,
The ease with which the image-formed sheet discharged onto 43 is taken out and the visibility are improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the reader / scanner unit 3 is opened / closed by the driving force of the motor 64 even in the case of manual operation. And a motor 64 for manual operation.
May be configured to be able to open and close the reader / scanner unit 3 irrespective of the driving force.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the opening / closing direction of the reader / scanner unit 3 and the opening / closing direction of each of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 are the same. Specifically, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the hinge 60 connecting the apparatus main body 20 and the reader / scanner section 3 is arranged on the rear side of the apparatus main body 20. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the hinge unit 60 is disposed on the upper left side of the apparatus main body 20, and the support plate 61 below the reader / scanner unit 3 also has
The arrangement is different from that of the first embodiment by approximately 90 degrees.

With this configuration, when the reader / scanner unit 3 is rotated to open and close the apparatus main body 20, the reader / scanner unit 3 and the sheet discharge tray 43 are opened as in the first embodiment. The sheet discharge tray 43 pivots upward about the base end 43a via a tray angle changing link member 46 connected to one side of
Further, the sheet discharge trays 42, 41 are connected to the respective base ends 42a, 41 via the tray angle changing link members 45, 44.
When the reader scanner unit 3 is rotated upward about the center a and the reader scanner unit 3 is opened, the sheet discharge trays 43, 42, and 41 are in a state in which the interval between the respective leading ends is widened, as shown in FIG. . In this state, the internal space of the body is opened toward the right side of the apparatus (in the sheet discharging direction), and the interval between the sheet discharging trays 43, 42, 41 is increased. The visibility and takeout properties of the upper sheet become extremely good. In the second embodiment, since the opening / closing direction of the reader / scanner unit 3 and the opening / closing direction of each of the sheet discharge trays 41, 42, and 43 are the same direction, the reader scanner unit 3 and each of the sheet discharge trays 41 are different. , 42, 43 are also smoothly opened and closed.

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of each of the above-described embodiments, a plurality of sheet discharge trays are provided in a relatively small space, ie, a space inside the body, and sheet output such as printer, facsimile reception, and copy is performed. It is possible to discharge without mixing. In addition, the reader / scanner unit 3 at the time of initial operation is changed to an inclined or horizontal position in accordance with the operation mode or use state of the apparatus, and each sheet discharge tray is moved in conjunction with the reader / scanner unit 3. Thus, it is possible to improve the ease of taking out the discharged sheets and the visibility while configuring a plurality of discharge trays in a limited space.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which the visibility and ease of taking out the sheet discharged inside the barrel are improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and is a cross-sectional view of a main part illustrating a state where a reader scanner unit is opened with respect to an apparatus main body from a front side of the apparatus. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing a state where a reader scanner unit is closed with respect to the apparatus main body from the front side of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment, in which a reader scanner unit is opened with respect to the apparatus main body from a side of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a change in an initial state related to opening and closing of a reader / scanner unit with respect to the apparatus main body.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a mode selection for setting a state of a reader scanner unit after a sheet discharging job is completed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional in-body sheet discharge type image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 image forming section 20 apparatus main body (housing section) 2 sheet feeding section 3 reader scanner section 4 sheet discharging section 5 photosensitive drum (image forming means) 6 charging charger 7 exposing device 8 developing device 9 transfer charging roller 10 cleaning device 11 Fixing Unit (Image Forming Means) 14 Registration Roller Pair 21 Feeding Cassette 22 Lifter Plate 23 Feeding Roller 24 Sending Out Roller 31 First Mirror Board 32 Platen Glass 33 Second Mirror Board 34 Lens 35 Image Reading Unit (Image Reading Means) ) 36 Original pressure plate 41, 42, 43 Sheet discharge tray 44, 45, 46 Tray angle changing link member 51 Transport roller 52, 53 Flapper 54, 55, 56 Discharge roller 60 Hinge (connecting means) 61 Support plate 62 Link connection Part 63 Vertical link member 63a Screw groove part 64 Motor (drive means) 65 output gear 66 bearing unit 70 operation input unit 70 71 operation key 72 light emitting element 73 switch dedicated to tilt

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H027 ED30 EF11 EF12 GA08 2H071 AA13 DA02 DA24 3F054 AC02 AC03 AC05 BA01 BC13 BF07 BF22

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A reader / scanner section provided with an image reading section for reading an image of a document, an image forming section disposed below the reader / scanner section to form an image on a sheet, and storing the image forming section; A casing that supports the reader scanner unit with a space therebetween, and discharges a sheet formed with an image by the image forming unit into a space surrounded by the reader scanner unit and the casing. In the image forming apparatus provided with a sheet discharge unit, the reader / scanner unit is connected to the case unit so as to be openable and closable, and the sheet discharge unit is connected to the case unit and includes a reader / scanner unit. An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet discharge tray that moves up and down in conjunction with opening and closing operations. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the sheet discharge trays are arranged in the sheet discharge unit. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a link member for connecting the sheet discharge trays to each other, wherein the link member is attached to one side surface of each sheet discharge tray on the back side of the apparatus. Image forming device. 4. The sheet discharge tray according to claim 2, wherein when the reader scanner moves in the opening direction with respect to the housing, the sheet discharge tray moves so as to increase the interval between the sheet discharge trays. 3. The image forming apparatus according to 3. 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation input section for inputting settings for operation of the apparatus, wherein said operation input section is fixedly disposed on said housing section below said reader scanner section. An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. A drive unit for driving the reader scanner unit, wherein the drive unit opens or closes the reader scanner unit with respect to the housing unit based on an input operation of the operation input unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus is driven to be in one of the states. 7. The housing unit of the reader scanner unit based on an operation mode of the image reading unit and / or the image forming unit set based on an input operation of the operation input unit. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the reader / scanner unit is driven to switch between opening and closing. 8. When the operation mode is an operation mode in which the image reading unit is not used, the driving unit drives the reader / scanner unit so as to be opened with respect to the housing unit, and uses the image reading unit. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the operation mode is the operation mode, the reader scanner unit is driven so as to be closed with respect to the housing unit. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit drives the reader scanner unit in an opening direction in which the reader scanner unit is inclined after the image forming job is completed by the image forming unit or by inputting a predetermined switch of the operation input unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: 10. A connecting means for connecting the reader / scanner unit to the casing unit so as to be openable and closable, wherein the connecting means is configured to open the reader / scanner unit so that a front side of the apparatus is opened. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a body part and the reader scanner part are connected. 11. A connecting means for connecting the reader scanner unit to the housing unit so as to be openable and closable, the connecting means connecting the reader scanner unit to the sheet discharging tray in the sheet discharging tray in a moving direction of the sheet discharging tray. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the housing unit and the reader scanner unit are connected so as to open and close in substantially the same direction as that of the image forming apparatus.