JP2003298792A - Composite image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove an image reading means cooling fan and to improve the document settability onto a document table in a composite image forming apparatus provided with an image recording means and the document table nearly above the image recording means. <P>SOLUTION: The composite image forming apparatus comprises the image recording means and the document table nearly above the image recording means. The composite image forming apparatus is characterized in that the angle between a document setting surface of the document table and an installation surface is an acute angle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a composite image forming apparatus equipped with image reading means and image recording means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a copying machine equipped with a conventional document table, an F
In the composite image forming apparatus such as the AX and the multifunction printer, the document setting surface of the document table is parallel to the apparatus installation surface.

[0003]

However, the inside of the document table in the above conventional example includes a light source for irradiating the document surface to obtain reflected light and a heating element such as a control board for controlling the light source. Therefore, the temperature of the atmosphere inside the platen rises during continuous use.

However, if the internal temperature exceeds a certain value, the reading sensor such as CCD may be adversely affected. Therefore, as a countermeasure against this, the internal atmosphere heated by the cooling fan is forced to escape to the outside of the device. As a result, the internal temperature was prevented from rising. Therefore, in the configuration of the conventional example, the cooling fan is indispensable, which has been a major obstacle to cost reduction.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the conventional example.

[0006]

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a composite image forming apparatus including an image recording unit and an image reading unit having a platen substantially above the image recording unit. By setting an acute angle between the document setting surface and the apparatus installation surface, the hot atmosphere in the image reading means can be released obliquely upward along the back surface of the document setting surface. Therefore, the cooling fan can be eliminated and the cost can be reduced.

According to a second invention of the present application, the recording paper discharge section on the upper surface of the image recording means has an image forming section such as a photoconductor.
Since it is included in the detachable mounting space of the unitized process cartridge and the image reading means is located outside the detachable mounting space of the process cartridge, the detachability of the process cartridge and the accessibility to the recording paper ejection section are completely sacrificed. In addition, since the document table is further inclined, it is easy to see from the front, and as a result, it is possible to improve the operability when setting the document on the document table. Further, since it is possible to reduce the protrusion of the device toward the rear, it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, since the scanning part light source of the image reading means is a high heat generating body such as a cold cathode tube or a xenon tube, the atmosphere in the image reading means is kept hot. It is possible to efficiently release it obliquely upward along the back surface of the set surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, since the scanning unit of the image reading means is composed of a contact image sensor (CIS), it is possible to provide a composite image forming apparatus which is compact and consumes less power. Become.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by providing a document abutting reference wall in the lower portion of the document table, the original document can be easily abutted against the reference wall without intentionally abutting the document against the reference wall. Since it is possible to abut against the original reference wall, it is possible to further improve operability.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the bottom surface of the image reading means forms an acute angle with the apparatus installation surface, and an opening is formed obliquely above the image reading means, so that the inside of the image reading means is kept warm. The exhausted atmosphere or the hot atmosphere around the recording paper discharge section can be exhausted more efficiently, and as a result, the temperature rise in the image reading means can be further prevented.

According to the seventh invention of the present application, the automatic document feeder can be mounted on the image reading hand throw, so that it is possible to provide the composite image forming apparatus with further excellent operability. Become.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the platen glass surface 106a is placed on the apparatus installation surface A, which is located behind the laser printer 20 and the laser printer 20 and directly above the sheet material discharging section 200a (details will be described later). On the other hand, the image scanner 10 is integrally formed with the laser printer 20 in a form inclined by α ° toward the front side of the apparatus.

The movement of the sheet material in the laser printer 20 will be described.

The sheet material (not shown) contained in the cassette 201 is fed to the front side of the apparatus by a sheet feeding roller (not shown).

Next, the sheet material is reversed backward to change its course, the image formed by the process cartridge 202 including the photosensitive drum 2021 is transferred to the sheet material, and the fixing device 204 just below the image scanner 10 is transferred. Is established by. After further reversing and changing the course to the front side of the apparatus, the sheet is discharged to the discharge section 200a on the upper surface of the laser printer 20.

The sheet material conveying path from the inside of the cassette 201 to the discharging portion 200a has a substantially S shape, and the sheet material is discharged and stacked in the discharging portion 200a with the printing surface facing down. When mounting or dismounting the process cartridge 202, the cover 203 having a surface that is continuous with the discharging portion 200a is opened rearward, and mounting / dismounting is performed from the front side of the apparatus in the direction perpendicular to the photosensitive drum axis. In order to facilitate understanding of the internal configuration of the image scanner 10, FIG. 2 is illustrated with the pressure plate 30 for pressing the document set on the document glass plate 106 detached from the image scanner unit 10 for the sake of convenience. .

Reference numeral 100 denotes an exterior / frame of the image scanner unit 10.

Reference numeral 101 denotes a scanning optical unit for scanning in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 103 while irradiating the surface of the document with a light source 1011 such as a xenon tube in order to read image information of the document set on the platen glass 106. Is.

The scanning optical unit 101, which is shown in detail in FIG. 3, has a light source 1011 for illuminating the original surface and a folding mirror 1 for returning a plurality of reflected lights from the original surface.
012, 1013, 1014 and CCD sensor 10
A lens 1015 for forming a reduced image on 16 is formed.

The shaft 103 and the guide plate 102 have an axis 1
03a and front surface 102a are platen glass surface 201a
Image scanner frame 1 so that it is parallel to
00, and serves as a guide member when the scanning optical unit 101 is scanned via a drive motor and a conveyor belt (not shown).

Reference numerals 104 and 105 denote projections 301a and hinges of a hinge 301 fixed to the pressure plate 300 in order to open and close the pressure plate 300 with respect to the image scanner unit 10 and to position the plate with respect to the image scanner unit 10. It is a fitting member for fitting with the protruding portion 302 a of 302.

The fitting members 104 and 105 form bag-shaped spaces 104a and 105a for fitting with the hinge protrusion 301a and the hinge protrusion 302a, and have air intake ports 104b and 105b at the bottom portion thereof on the pressure plate 300 side. Have openings 104c and 105c.

The hinge protrusions 301a and 302a are
U-shaped spaces 301b and 302b each having a U-shaped cross section when viewed from above are provided, and openings 301c and 302c connected to the U-shaped spaces 301b and 302b are provided on the rear side of the device. Since the outer frames of the hinges 301 and 302 are integrally molded, the protrusions 301a, 30
2a and U-shaped spaces 301b and 302b and opening 3
01c and 302c are also integrally molded.

Further, inside the hinges 301 and 302, gravity is applied by an urging member (not shown) corresponding to the weight of the pressure plate 30 so that it can be stopped (free stop) with respect to an arbitrary opening angle of the pressure plate 30. A moment is generated in the opposite direction to and is stopped. In the above-mentioned configuration, the original surface is set on the original platen glass 201 on the back side, and the pressure plate 30 is closed. Next, when the scanner mode is selected from the operation unit (not shown), the scanning optical unit 101 moves in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 103 while turning on the light source 1011 and sequentially reads the document surface information by the CCD 1016.

The read image signal is subjected to A / D conversion and image processing and then sent to a personal computer.

Here, when the above operation is complicatedly repeated or when the scanning time becomes long for high resolution reading,
Due to the heat generated by the light source 1011, the internal temperature of the image scanner 10 greatly rises.

However, the heated atmosphere inside tends to move upward, and since the image scanner 10 is inclined α ° toward the front side of the apparatus, the atmosphere is high along the back surface 106b of the platen glass. It naturally moves to the rear side of the device.

Next, it is taken in from the air intake ports 104b and 105c of the fitting members 104 and 105, is transmitted upward through the U-shaped spaces 301b and 302b, and the opening 3 is further formed.
01c, 302c to U-shaped spaces 301b, 30 outside the device
2b is transmitted upward, and is further discharged from the openings 301c and 302c to the outside of the apparatus.
It is possible to prevent the internal temperature from rising. Therefore, a cooling fan becomes unnecessary. It should be noted that, unlike the present embodiment, it is clear that even if a dedicated notch such as a louver (vent) is provided on the rear surface of the image scanner 10, the same effect can be obtained under the same operation. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is easy to see from the front because the original platen glass surface 106a is further inclined without sacrificing the detachability of the process cartridge 2021 and the accessibility to the recording paper discharge portion 200a. As a result, it becomes possible to improve the operability when setting the document on the document table.
Further, since it is possible to reduce the protrusion of the device toward the rear, it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the device.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The platen glass surface 106a has not only an inclination of α ° in the front-rear direction but also an inclination of β ° in the width direction with respect to the apparatus installation surface.

Further, the original reference wall 10 for abutting the end of the original on the left front corner of the original glass surface 106a.
8 is provided. The document reference wall 108 is composed of a wall 108a for abutting the front end of the document and a wall 108b which is orthogonal to and integrally formed with the wall 108a for abutting the left end of the document. For other configurations,
Since this is exactly the same as the first embodiment, the same numbers are given and explanations are omitted.

In the above structure, the platen glass surface 10
When a document is set on the sheet 6a, the front side and the left side of the platen glass surface 106a are inclined downward, and the platen glass surface 106a is slippery. Stops when it hits walls 108a and 108b. Therefore, even if the original document is not intentionally abutted against the reference wall, it is possible to easily abut against the original reference wall due to the weight of the original document itself, so that the operability can be further improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the louver (bend) 109 is provided on the right side surface 109 of the image scanner 10.
When a is provided, the hot atmosphere in the image scanner 10 can be naturally moved not only from the front to the rear but also from the left to the right as in the first embodiment. As a result, it is possible to efficiently exhaust air from the louver 109a. Therefore, it becomes possible to further prevent the internal temperature of the image scanner 10 from rising.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are given the same numbers and their explanations are omitted.

The bottom surface 110 of the image scanner 10 has an inclination of γ ° with respect to the apparatus installation surface. In the lower part of the bottom surface 110, an inlet 205a and an outlet 20 are provided to connect the space around the recording paper discharge unit 200a and the space on the back side of the apparatus.
An air flow path 205 having 5b is provided. Further air flow path 2
05 is directly above the fixing device 204,
A notch 205c is provided for guiding the heated air generated by the above to the air flow path 205.

In the above configuration, not only the image scanner 10 as in the copy mode but also the laser printer 2
When it is necessary to operate even 0, the image scanner 10 is affected by the heat from the fixing device 204 and the heat of the sheet material S discharged to the discharging unit 200 in a hot state after passing through the fixing device 204. The bottom surface 110 can be warmed.

However, since the heated air tends to move upward, both the fixing device 204 and the sheet material S move upward along the inclination of the bottom surface 110 of the apparatus rear surface side. Move to the exit 205
It is possible to exhaust efficiently from b.

Therefore, the influence of heat from the laser printer 20 on the image scanner 10 can be minimized, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the internal atmospheric temperature of the image scanner 10 from rising.

In each of the above embodiments,
Although the CCD is used as the scanning optical unit, it is clear that the same effect can be obtained with the same operation even if the CIS is used.

Further, in any of the embodiments, even if a known automatic document feeder is used instead of the pressure plate, it is obvious that the same effect can be obtained under the same action.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a composite image forming apparatus including image recording means and image reading means having a document table substantially above the image recording means with respect to claim 1, the angle formed between the document setting surface of the document table and the apparatus installation surface is defined. The acute angle allows the hot atmosphere in the image reading unit to escape obliquely upward along the back surface of the document setting surface. Therefore, the cooling fan can be eliminated and the cost can be reduced.

In contrast to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the recording sheet discharging section on the upper surface of the image recording means is included in the mounting / demounting space of the process cartridge in which the image forming section such as the photoconductor is unitized, and the image is formed. Since the reading means is located outside the space for attaching and detaching the process cartridge, the detachability of the process cartridge and the accessibility to the recording paper ejection portion are not sacrificed at all, and the document table is further inclined. This makes it easier to see from the front, and as a result, it becomes possible to improve the operability when setting a document on the document table. Further, since it is possible to reduce the protrusion of the device toward the rear, it is possible to reduce the area occupied by the device.

In contrast to claim 3, in claim 1 or claim 2, the scanning part light source of the image reading means is a high heat generating body such as a cold cathode tube or a xenon tube, so that the inside of the image reading means becomes even hotter. It is possible to efficiently release such an atmosphere to the diagonally upper side along the back surface of the original setting surface.

In contrast to Claim 4, in Claim 1 or Claim 2, the scanning unit of the image reading manual throw is constituted by a contact image sensor (CIS), thereby providing a compact and low power consumption composite image forming apparatus. It becomes possible to provide.

In contrast to claim 5, in claim 1 or claim 2, the document abutting reference wall is provided obliquely below the document table, so that the document itself does not have to intentionally abut against the reference wall. Since it is possible to easily abut against the original reference wall due to the weight of, the operability can be further improved.

In contrast to the sixth aspect, in the first or second aspect, the angle formed between the bottom surface of the image reading means and the apparatus installation surface is an acute angle, and an image is provided by forming an opening on the diagonally upper side. The hot atmosphere in the reading means or the hot atmosphere around the recording paper discharge portion can be exhausted more efficiently, and as a result, the temperature rise in the image reading means can be further prevented.

According to claim 7 or claim 2, it is possible to mount an automatic document feeder on the image reading means, thereby providing a composite image forming apparatus with further excellent operability. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed internal view of the image scanner according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of a scanning optical unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 image scanner 20 laser printer 30 pressure plate 104 Fitting member 104a bag-shaped space 104b air intake 104c opening 105 Fitting member 105a bag-shaped space 105b air intake 105c opening 106 Platen glass 106a Platen glass surface 108 manuscript reference wall 108a Wall against the front side of the document 108b Left side abutment wall 109a louver 110 bottom 200a Sheet material discharge section 202 process cartridge 204 fixer 205 air flow path 205a entrance 205b exit 205c cutout 301 hinge 301a protrusion 301b U-shaped space 301c opening 302 Hinge 302a protrusion 302b U-shaped space 302c opening

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 1/10 H04N 1/10 1/107 F term (reference) 2H012 CA30 CD07 2H108 AA02 CB01 DA06 JA04 2H171 FA21 FA28 GA03 GA04 GA23 JA23 KA18 NA05 QA02 QA08 RA01 RA05 WA01 WA02 WA04 WA16 WA21 WA27 5C062 AA05 AB17 AD06 BA01 5C072 AA01 BA12 CA03 CA04 DA02 DA04 EA05 LA02 LA07 XA01

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A composite image forming apparatus comprising an image recording means and an image reading means having a document table substantially above the image recording means, wherein an angle formed between a document setting surface for document replacement and a device installation surface is an acute angle. And a composite image forming apparatus. 2. A recording paper discharge section on the upper surface of the image recording means is included in a mounting / demounting space of a process cartridge in which an image forming section such as a photoconductor is unitized, and an image reading means is a mounting / demounting area of the process cartridge. The composite image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the composite image forming apparatus is located outside the space. 3. The composite image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source of the scanning unit of the image reading means is a high heat generating body such as a cold cathode tube or a xenon tube. 4. The composite image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning unit of the image reading means is composed of a contact image sensor (CIS). 5. The composite image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a document abutting reference wall is provided obliquely below the document table. 6. The composite image according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom surface of the image reading means forms an acute angle with the apparatus installation surface, and has an opening on the diagonally upper side. Forming equipment. 7. The composite image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an automatic document feeder can be attached to the image reading means.