JP2007290801A - Inkjet printer and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device of a printer capable of storing a paper delivery tray in a main body, etc. capable of stably loading recording paper without dropping the recording paper by preventing inclination and bending in the downward direction of the drawn out paper delivery tray due to rattling of a storing mechanism and a load of the recording paper applied on a delivered paper receiver surface. <P>SOLUTION: An inkjet printer 1 is furnished with drawer type paper delivery tray parts 30 in two stages, and a sliding rib 33 extending in the paper delivery direction is provided at a central part of an upper surface of a first tray 31. The sliding rib 33 is devised to make contact with a part of an inner surface upper part of a paper delivery tray storage part 11 and to slide in the paper delivery direction at a position to a terminal end from the neighborhood of the terminal end where the first tray 31 is drawn out from a main body of the inkjet printer 1. Consequently, it is possible to prevent falling of the recording paper by restraining inclination and bending of the paper delivery tray 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an ink jet printer having a discharge tray on which sheet materials such as printed recording paper are stacked.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine, a printed recording paper or a read original is discharged from the apparatus main body and placed on a predetermined discharge tray. When a plurality of sheets are continuously printed by the printer, the printed recording sheets are sequentially stacked on the discharge tray. Normally, these recording sheets are collectively taken out from the paper discharge tray after a series of printing is completed.

  In such a case, as the number of continuous prints increases, the amount of recording paper stacked on the paper discharge tray increases, and because of its weight, the paper discharge tray bends and drops the stacked recording paper. May end up. Also, in copiers with multiple paper feed trays to accommodate multiple recording paper sizes, recording may occur due to insufficient adjustment or forgetting adjustment of the required amount of paper output tray for each recording paper size. There is also the problem of paper falling and not being properly stacked.

  In response to these problems, many improvements have been made to properly stack the recording paper on the paper discharge tray without dropping it in response to changes in the size, number of sheets, weight, etc. The following are known.

For example, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-228561, the amount of paper drawn out of the paper discharge tray is adjusted in accordance with the change in the size of the sheet (recording paper) by interlocking the amount of paper drawn out with the inclination of the rib-like protrusion. By simply adjusting the angle, the amount of inclination of the rib-shaped protrusions becomes the amount of inclination suitable for a sheet of the same size, thereby preventing the sheet from dropping and stacking failure. Further, in Patent Document 2, protrusions are provided at the front end portion of the discharge receiving surface of the discharge tray near the both ends in the width direction of the discharged paper, and the discharged paper is curved by curving the discharged paper. The rigidity is increased so that sheets larger than the sheet receiving surface are stacked without dropping. In Patent Document 3, a part of the paper discharge tray is bent upward to prevent the paper from slipping even if the paper discharge tray is bent due to the weight of the discharged paper bundle.
JP 7-179259 A Utility Model Registration No. 3063976 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-157727

  By the way, in the case of a small printer such as an ink jet printer used at home, the installation floor area for installing the printer is often limited, and when the printer is not used, a bulky discharge tray is attached to the printer body. There is a demand for a space that can be effectively utilized by storing the sheet and pulling out the sheet discharge tray when used. In addition, the paper discharge tray has a size that allows the paper discharge receiving surface to cover the maximum recording paper size of the printer in order to load recording paper stably or to eliminate the trouble of adjustment during use. It is most desirable in terms of convenience.

  Therefore, in order to meet such a demand, a paper discharge tray mounted on such a printer has a paper receiving surface having the maximum recording paper size of the printer, and has a storage mechanism such as folding and drawer. Is preferred. However, the conventional paper discharge tray configured under such conditions has a backlash of a hinge part and a slide part, which is a storage mechanism of the paper discharge tray, a large paper discharge surface itself, and a recording paper applied to the paper discharge surface. Since the moment load increases, the front end portion of the paper discharge tray is bent downward, which may cause the recording paper to fall.

  Moreover, it was difficult to improve such a problem depending on the example shown in the patent document. In other words, the configuration as in Patent Document 2 makes the paper discharge tray small and simple, but there is a problem in that the recording paper itself is bent and stacked, so that the recording itself is bent and wrinkled. . Moreover, it can be said that the paper discharge tray having the rib-like protrusion tilting mechanism and the paper discharge tray having the folding structure as in Patent Documents 1 and 3 are disadvantageous for compact storage in the body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points. In an image forming apparatus such as a printer that can store a paper discharge tray in the main body, the drawn paper discharge tray has a sufficient discharge capacity for placing recording paper. While having a paper receiving surface, it is possible to prevent downward tilting and bending due to backlash of the storage mechanism, the weight of the paper receiving surface, and the load of the recording paper on the paper receiving surface. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having a main body-accommodating type paper discharge tray capable of stably loading recording paper without dropping the paper.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is equipped with a recording paper transport mechanism for transporting the recording paper in the sub-scanning direction, and a print head for forming an image on the recording paper by ejecting ink from nozzles. A carrier that is reciprocated in a main scanning direction; and a paper discharge tray portion on which the recording paper on which an image is formed is discharged from the main body and stacked, and the paper discharge tray portion is stored in a paper discharge tray of the main body. A first tray stored in the tray and a second tray stored in the tray 1, and the first tray can be pulled out in the sub-scanning direction from the discharge tray storage section. The second tray has substantially the same size in the sub-scanning direction as the first tray and is supported on both sides by the paper tray storage unit, and can be pulled out from the first tray in the sub-scanning direction. Both by one tray Inkjet printer in which the first tray and the second tray are each pulled out in the sub-scanning direction in which the recording paper is discharged, and the recording paper stacking unit is discharged from the main body. The first protrusion extending in the sub-scanning direction through the center in the main scanning direction, and crossing the first protrusion in a cross shape from both side surfaces of the first protrusion. A second protrusion having a lower height than the first protrusion extending in the main scanning direction is formed, and the first protrusion is located at a position from the vicinity of the end where the first tray is pulled out from the main body to the end. The upper part of the protrusion 1 is in pressure contact with a part of the upper part of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage part and slides in the sub-scanning direction, and the upper part of the protrusion 1 is the upper part of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage part The first tray is brought into pressure contact with a part of The rear end portion of the upper surface of the second tray is bent on both sides of the first tray in a state where the second projection is bent downward in the main scanning direction around the first protrusion and the second tray is pulled out from the first tray. And restrained at three points on the center of the lower surface to regulate the downward deflection of the first tray and the second tray due to the weight of the second tray and the weight of the recording paper placed thereon. .

  The invention of claim 2 is a sheet material transport mechanism for transporting a sheet material, an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet material, a paper discharge tray section on which the image formed sheet material is discharged and stacked, The discharge tray unit includes a first tray stored in a discharge tray storage unit of the apparatus main body, and a second tray stored in the first tray, and the first tray includes the discharge tray. The sheet discharge tray storage unit supports the sheet material in both sides so that the sheet material can be pulled out from the paper tray storage unit, and the second tray is pulled out from the first tray in the sheet discharge direction. In the image forming apparatus configured such that the first tray and the second tray are pulled out in a discharge direction and the sheet material stacking unit is discharged from the apparatus main body, the first tray is Of this first tray A protrusion extending in the sheet discharge direction through the vicinity of the center of the upper surface, and the protrusion is formed on the sheet discharge tray storage section when the first tray is pulled out and stored from the sheet discharge tray storage section. A part of the upper part of the inner surface is brought into contact with and slides in the paper discharge direction.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, the upper portion of the protrusion comes into contact with a part of the upper portion of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage portion, so that the first tray has the protrusion. When the second tray is pulled out from the first tray, the rear end of the second tray is constrained at three points near both ends of the first tray and the center of the lower surface. The lower deflection of the first tray and the second tray due to the weight of the second tray and the weight of the recording paper placed thereon is regulated.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the first tray of the paper discharge tray portion is pulled out to the drawer end portion, the first protrusion provided on the upper surface of the first tray is the upper portion of the inner surface of the paper discharge tray storage portion. It is in pressure contact with a part. As a result, the first tray is bent in an arcuate shape in the main scanning direction around the first protrusion, so that play between the first tray and the discharge tray storage unit is suppressed, and the first tray is discharged. While firmly held in the paper tray storage unit without play, the bending rigidity of the first tray is increased. Since the first tray is bent in an arcuate shape, the rear end portion of the upper surface of the second tray pulled out from the first tray is bent in an arcuate shape in the main scanning direction due to the restraint of the first tray. The backlash or the like between the tray and the first tray is suppressed, and the second tray is firmly held on the first tray without backlash, and the bending rigidity of the second tray is increased. Further, since the second tray has substantially the same width as the first tray, a wide stacking portion can be formed. Accordingly, the recording paper stacking unit constituted by the first tray and the second tray drawn out has a sufficient area for stacking the recording paper, while the backlash of the storage mechanism and the first and second trays are secured. The recording paper can be stably stacked without being tilted downward or bent due to the weight of the tray or the load of the recording paper and dropping the recording paper. In addition, since the first protrusion does not contact the upper part of the inner surface of the paper discharge tray storage unit except in the vicinity of the end of the drawer, no extra resistance is applied to the drawer operation during this period. Furthermore, since the first protrusion is provided on the first tray side, exposure of the sliding portion to the visible portion can be suppressed to a small extent, and the aesthetic appearance of the device is not impaired.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the first tray of the paper discharge tray section is pulled out, the protrusion provided on the upper surface of the first tray is brought into contact with a part of the upper part of the inner surface of the paper discharge tray storage section. The As a result, the backlash between the first tray and the discharge tray storage unit due to the gap provided in the drawer support portion so that the first tray slides smoothly, the gap caused by component tolerance, etc. is suppressed. The first tray is securely held in the paper discharge tray storage unit without play. For this reason, the first tray does not incline downward to cause the sheet material such as recording paper to fall due to backlash of the storage mechanism, the weight of the first and second trays, and the load of the recording paper.

  According to the invention of claim 3, in the state where the first tray and the second tray are pulled out, the first tray bends in an arcuate shape in the main scanning direction around the first protrusion by the action of the protrusion, and the second tray Since the upper end of the upper end of the tray is bent in an arcuate shape in the main inspection direction due to the bowing of the first tray, the backlash due to the storage function is suppressed in both the first tray and the second tray and the bending rigidity is increased. Therefore, the sheet material placement portion such as the recording paper constituted by the drawn first tray and the second tray is caused by the backlash of the storage mechanism, the own weight of the first and second trays, and the load by the recording paper. The recording paper is not dropped by being inclined downward or bent.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. First, a schematic configuration of the entire inkjet printer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the main part of an inkjet printer.

An ink jet printer 1 (image forming apparatus) reciprocates a carrier 2 on which an ink cartridge 3 having a print head 3a (image forming means) for ejecting ink is mounted in a main scanning direction (indicated by an arrow A in the figure). Thus, an image is formed on the recording paper P conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (indicated by an arrow B in the figure) orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The ink jet printer 1 is connected to, for example, an external personal computer (not shown) or the like, and forms an image on the recording paper P (sheet material) based on data and commands transmitted from the personal computer or the like.
The ink jet printer 1 has a paper feed tray 20 for holding the recording paper P to be printed on the upper rear side of the chassis 10, and discharges the printed recording paper P below the front surface of the chassis 10. A paper discharge tray section 30 is provided.

  Inside the chassis 10 of the ink jet printer 1, there are a carrier 2, an ink cartridge 3 mounted on the carrier 2, a shaft 4 arranged on the back side of the carrier 2 so that the main scanning direction is the longitudinal direction, and recording Used for detecting a position of the carrier 2 in the main scanning direction, a recording paper transport mechanism 5 (sheet material transport mechanism) for transporting the paper P, a drive mechanism 6 for applying a driving force to the carrier 2 to reciprocate. The chassis 10 is provided with an encoder scale 7 disposed along the main scanning direction, and a circuit board 8 on which control circuits for controlling various operations of the inkjet printer 1 are mounted.

  The carrier 2 supports the ink cartridge 3 so that it can be inserted and removed. In the present embodiment, two ink cartridges 3 are mounted on the carrier 2, one filled with black ink and one filled with color inks of, for example, three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow. That is, the ink jet printer 1 is configured to be able to form a color image on the recording paper P. The configuration of the ink cartridge 3 mounted on the carrier 2 is not limited to this. For example, the black ink and the color ink are combined into one, or the color ink is separately sealed for each color. It may be. In addition, the ink jet printer 1 may be one in which only the ink cartridge 3 in which black ink is sealed in the carrier 2 is mounted, and an image such as a gray scale is formed.

  The carrier 2 is slidably fitted to the shaft 4 and connected to a part of the belt 6a of the drive mechanism 6 as will be described later, and is arranged so as to be movable in the main scanning direction while sliding with the shaft 4. Yes. The carrier 2 is equipped with a photocoupler (not shown), and the photocoupler scans the encoder scale 7 having a predetermined resolution so that the position of the carrier 2 in the main scanning direction can be detected. It is configured.

  The drive mechanism 6 includes, for example, an annular belt 6a disposed along the main scanning direction on the chassis 10 of the inkjet printer 1, and a DC motor 6b for rotating the belt 6a. . A part of the belt 6 a is connected to the rear of the carrier 2. The driving mechanism 6 applies a driving force to the carrier 2 by rotating the belt 6a by the DC motor 6b to reciprocate in the main scanning direction. The drive mechanism 6 is not limited to this configuration.

  The circuit board 8 is held on the back side of the chassis 10. The control circuit mounted on the circuit board 8 is controlled by software such as a device driver that operates on an external personal computer, for example, and includes a recording paper transport mechanism 5, a drive mechanism 6, a print head 3a, and the like. To control. The control circuit is configured to operate a predetermined function in response to an operation button (not shown) or the like provided on the inkjet printer 1 that can be operated by the user, for example. It may be.

  Next, the configuration of the paper discharge tray unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A shows a state in which the paper discharge tray 30 is housed in the ink jet printer main body, FIG. 2B shows a state in which only the first tray is pulled out in the paper discharge direction, and FIG. A state in which the first and second trays are pulled out in the paper discharge direction is shown. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional portions of a plane perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction of the paper discharge tray portion 30. FIG. 3A is a state before pressing the sliding rib, and FIG. 3B is a state after discharging the sliding rib. 2 shows a configuration of a slide mechanism that is a storage mechanism of the paper tray unit 30. FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the paper discharge tray section 30. FIG. 5 shows a side cross-section when the first and second trays of the paper discharge tray section 30 are pulled out.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge tray unit 30 has a two-stage drawer-type storage mechanism. The paper discharge tray unit 30 is stored in a paper discharge tray storage unit 11 in the main body of the inkjet printer 1, and is slidable in a sub-scanning direction, which is a paper discharge direction of the recording paper P, and a first tray. The second tray 32 is housed and slidable in the sub-scanning direction.

  The discharge tray section 30 is sequentially drawn from the state where the first tray 31 is pulled out from the discharge tray storage section 11 (FIG. 2B) from the state stored in the inkjet printer 1 during printing (FIG. 2A). )), The second tray 32 further changes to a state where the second tray 32 is pulled out from the first tray 31 (FIG. 2C), and a discharge receiving surface 30a serving as a stacking unit for stacking the recording sheets P discharged from the main body is provided. Form. The paper discharge receiving surface 30a is configured to be equal to or larger than the maximum printable paper size of the inkjet printer 1 (for example, if the maximum printable paper size is A4 size, the paper discharge receiving surface 30a Is larger than A4 recording paper).

  The first tray 31 has a substantially rectangular disk-shaped outer shape, and, as shown in FIG. 3, the sub-scanning direction B is formed on each of the surfaces facing the side surface portions 11 a on both sides of the discharge tray storage portion 11. And a pair of first tray slide portions 31a configured by convex portions and groove portions extending in the direction. In addition, the side surface portion 11a of the paper discharge tray storage portion 11 is provided with a pair of first tray guide rail portions 11b configured by convex portions and groove portions extending in the sub-scanning direction B. The first tray guide rails The portion 11b and the first tray slide portion 31a are fitted so as to be slidable in the sub-scanning direction B.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in the vicinity of the rear end portion 31 b on the upper surface of the first tray 31 on the paper feed tray 20 side, a central point in the main scanning direction A on the upper surface of the first tray 31 passes. The sliding rib 33 (first protrusion, protrusion) extending in the sub-scanning direction B intersects the sliding rib 33 at a right angle and is equal to the main scanning direction A from both side surfaces of the sliding rib 33. The auxiliary ribs 34 (second protrusions) provided in length and a pair of stoppers 35 extending from the vicinity of both end portions of the auxiliary ribs 34 to the side ends of the upper surface of the first tray 31 are provided.

  The stopper 35 is for limiting the amount of the first tray 31 to be pulled out, and the stopper 35 hits a convex portion (not shown) provided at a predetermined position on the inner upper surface of the discharge tray storage portion 11 ( The first tray 31 can be pulled out to the drawer end portion.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the first tray 31 is pulled out from the discharge tray storage portion 11, the sliding rib 33 extends from a position slightly before the drawer end portion to the drawer end portion when the first tray 31 is pulled out. 11 is in pressure contact with a protruding portion 11c provided downward on the inner surface of the inner surface.

  The second tray 32 is accommodated inside the first tray 31. The width of the second tray 32 in the sub-scanning direction B is substantially the same width as that of the first tray 31, and in the state where the second tray 32 is pulled out from the first tray 31, it is substantially the same width as that of the first tray 31. A receiving surface 30a (see FIG. 2C) is formed. The front end portion 32a of the second tray 32 is inclined upward so that the discharged recording paper P does not slide down. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the side portions on both sides of the second tray 32 constitute a pair of second tray slide portions 32b. A pair of second tray guide rail portions 31e formed of convex portions and groove portions extending in the sub-scanning direction B are formed on the side surface portion 31d below the first tray 31 facing the side portions 32b on both sides of the second tray 32. The second tray guide rail portion 31e and the second tray slide portion 32b are fitted so as to be slidable in the sub-scanning direction B. Note that the amount of the second tray 32 pulled out is limited by a stopper (not shown) formed by protrusions provided on the first tray 31 and the second tray 32.

  In this way, by configuring the paper discharge tray section 30, the first tray 31 is pulled out from the paper discharge tray storage section 11 (FIG. 3 (a)) and the vicinity of the drawer end section. When approaching, the upper part of the sliding rib 33 is press-contacted with the protrusion part 11c.

  The height of the sliding rib 33 is set to be higher than the distance between the upper surface of the first tray 31 and the protruding portion 11 c, and the protruding portion 11 c provided in the chassis 10 is more rigid than the first tray 31. Since the height is higher, the first tray 31 is restrained by the first tray slide portions 31a at both ends by the discharge tray storage portion 11 when the sliding rib 33 is in pressure contact with the protruding portion 11c. The projecting portion 11c is bent downward in the main scanning direction A toward the center (bow deformation) (FIG. 3B).

  In addition, as the first tray 31 is deformed in an arcuate shape, the second tray 32 is pulled out from the first tray 31 and positioned at the terminal end of the second tray 32 by the first tray 31. Since the pressure is applied downward by the central portion of the lower surface of the first tray 31 which is restrained by the tray slide portion 32b and bent in an arcuate shape, it is bowed downward in the main scanning direction A similarly to the first tray 31. Will be bent.

  Accordingly, the first tray 31 and the discharge tray storage unit 11 and the second tray 32 and the first tray 31 are pressed against each other, and gaps and backlash between the first tray 31 and the backlash are suppressed. The second tray 32 is securely held in the discharge tray storage unit 11 with respect to the first tray 31 and is curved in an arcuate shape so that the first tray 31 and the second tray 32 can be discharged. The bending rigidity with respect to the downward direction of the paper receiving surface 30a increases.

  In this way, the paper discharge receiving surface 30a of the recording paper P constituted by the drawn first tray 31 and second tray 32 has a sufficient area to cover the size of the recording paper P, and the clearance of the storage mechanism. , Play, etc., the weight of the first tray 31 and the second tray 32, and the load caused by the loaded recording paper P. can do. Further, since the sliding rib 33 does not contact the protruding portion 11c except in the vicinity of the drawing end portion, the drawing / storing operation during this time does not apply extra resistance, so that the drawing and storing are easily performed. be able to. Furthermore, since the sliding rib 33 is provided on the rear end side of the first tray 31, exposure of the sliding portion to the visible portion can be suppressed to a small extent, and the aesthetic appearance of the device is not impaired.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of each of the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the discharge tray portion of the ink jet printer is illustrated, but the same effect can be obtained when used in other image forming apparatuses such as a dot impact method, a thermal transfer method, and a laser beam method. . In this embodiment, the sliding rib is provided on the upper surface of the first tray, but substantially the same effect can be obtained even if it is provided on the side of the discharge tray storage section.

The perspective view which shows the structure of the principal part of an inkjet printer. (A) is a perspective view showing a state in which the paper discharge tray is housed in the printer main body, (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the first tray is pulled out in the paper discharge direction, and (c) is The perspective view which shows the state by which the 1st, 2nd tray was pulled out in the paper discharge direction. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the slide mechanism of the paper discharge tray part before the press contact of a slide rib, (b) shows the state which the 1st tray after the press contact of the slide rib bent in the shape of a bow. Sectional drawing. The perspective view which shows the structure of a paper discharge tray part. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the arrangement of each tray when the paper discharge tray is pulled out.

Explanation of symbols

1 Inkjet printer (image forming device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Chassis 11 Paper discharge tray accommodating part 11b 1st tray guide rail part 11c Protrusion part 20 Paper feed tray 30 Paper discharge tray part 30a Paper discharge receiving surface (stacking part)
31 1st tray 31a 1st tray slide part 31e 2nd tray guide rail part 32 2nd tray 32b 2nd tray slide part 33 Sliding rib (1st projection part, projection part)
34 Auxiliary rib (second protrusion)
35 Stopper

Claims (3)

A recording paper transport mechanism for transporting the recording paper in the sub-scanning direction;
A print head that ejects ink from nozzles to form an image on the recording paper, and a carrier that reciprocates in the main scanning direction;
A paper discharge tray portion on which the recording paper on which an image is formed is discharged from the main body and stacked;
The paper discharge tray unit includes a first tray stored in a paper discharge tray storage unit of the main body and a second tray stored in the tray 1;
The first tray is supported on both sides by the discharge tray storage portion so that the first tray can be pulled out in the sub-scanning direction from the discharge tray storage portion.
The second tray has substantially the same size in the sub-scanning direction as the first tray, and is supported on both sides by the first tray so that it can be pulled out from the first tray in the sub-scanning direction.
In the ink jet printer in which each of the first tray and the second tray is pulled out in the sub-scanning direction in which the recording paper is discharged, and the recording paper is stacked from the main body.
On the upper surface of the first tray, a first protrusion that extends in the sub-scanning direction through the center of the main scanning direction, intersects the first protrusion in a cross shape, and performs main scanning from both side surfaces of the first protrusion. A second protrusion having a lower height than the first protrusion extending in the direction is formed;
In the first protrusion, the upper portion of the protrusion 1 is in pressure contact with a part of the upper surface of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage portion at a position from the vicinity of the end where the first tray is pulled out from the main body to the end. Thus, the first tray is mainly centered on the first protrusion by sliding in the sub-scanning direction and the upper portion of the protrusion 1 is in pressure contact with a part of the upper surface of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage portion. When the second tray is bent downward in the scanning direction and the second tray is pulled out from the first tray, the rear end of the upper surface of the second tray is constrained at three points on both sides of the first tray and the center of the lower surface. An ink jet printer, wherein the downward deflection of the first tray and the second tray due to the weight of the second tray and the weight of the recording paper placed thereon is regulated. A sheet material conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet material;
Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet material;
A sheet discharge tray on which the sheet material on which the image is formed is discharged and stacked, and
The paper discharge tray section includes a first tray stored in a paper discharge tray storage section of the apparatus main body, and a second tray stored in the first tray,
The first tray is supported on both sides by the discharge tray storage portion so that the first tray can be pulled out from the discharge tray storage portion in the sheet discharge direction.
The second tray is configured to be pulled out from the first tray in the paper discharge direction,
In the image forming apparatus in which the first tray and the second tray are pulled out in a discharge direction to constitute a stacking portion of the sheet material discharged from the apparatus main body.
The first tray includes a protrusion on the upper surface of the first tray that passes through the vicinity of the center of the upper surface and extends in the paper discharge direction.
The protruding portion is in contact with a part of the upper part of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage portion and slides in the discharge direction when the first tray is pulled out and stored from the discharge tray storage portion. Image forming apparatus.   The upper portion of the protrusion comes into contact with a part of the upper surface of the inner surface of the discharge tray storage portion, so that the first tray is bent downward about the protrusion, and the second tray is moved away from the first tray. In the pulled-out state, the rear end portion of the second tray is restrained at three points in the vicinity of both ends of the first tray and the central portion of the lower surface, and the weight of the second tray and the recording paper placed thereon. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein downward deflection of the first tray and the second tray due to the weight of the first tray is regulated.