JP2008285264A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of improving workability, simple in structure and capable of being made compact. <P>SOLUTION: A paper feeding cassette 11 is installed in an installing space from a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction free to connect to and disconnect from it from an installing opening part 31 provided on a device main body 101. Consequently, it is possible to store a lengthy sheet in the paper feeding cassette 11 regardless of existence of a partition part 33 between the installing opening part 31 and a side surface opening part 32 by storing the sheet in the paper feeding cassette 11 installed in the installing space from the side surface opening part 32 partitioned from the installing opening part 31 and provided on a side surface on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the device main body 101 in storing the lengthy sheet length in the sheet feeding direction of which is longer than the device main body 101 in the paper feeding cassette 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a configuration for downsizing an image forming apparatus main body.

  Conventional image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles include an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, and a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stored in a paper feed cassette to the image forming unit. ing. Further, in such an image forming apparatus, there is an image forming unit in which an image forming unit and a paper feed cassette constituting an image forming unit are detachably mounted.

  Here, in a conventional image forming apparatus in which such a paper feed cassette is detachably mounted, there are two forms for attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette. One form thereof is a form in which the paper feed cassette 201 is attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus main body 200 in a direction parallel to the sheet feeding direction of the image forming apparatus main body 200 as shown in FIG. . Hereinafter, this form is referred to as type A.

  In another form, as shown in FIG. 21B, the paper feed cassette 201 is attached and detached in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction in the image forming apparatus main body 200. Hereinafter, this form is referred to as type B.

  Further, in a conventional image forming apparatus in which the image forming unit is detachably attached, there are two forms for attaching and detaching the image forming unit. One form thereof is a form in which the image forming unit 202 is attached and detached in a direction parallel to the sheet feeding direction in the image forming apparatus main body 200, as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, this form is referred to as type C.

  In the other form, as shown in FIG. 22B, the image forming unit 202 is attached and detached in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction in the image forming apparatus main body 200. Hereinafter, this form is referred to as type D.

  By the way, in recent image forming apparatuses, the attachment / detachment direction of the paper feed cassette and the image forming unit can be performed from the front (user operation side) of the image forming apparatus from the viewpoint of easy handling of the image forming apparatus. There are many things.

  In recent years, the size of image forming apparatuses has been reduced. However, the size in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction of the image forming apparatus is limited by the length in the width direction of the sheet to be used. There is. For this reason, there is an increasing tendency to further reduce the size of the image forming apparatus in the sheet feeding direction.

  Next, recent image forming apparatuses having such a tendency will be described separately for an image forming apparatus that forms a monochrome image and an image forming apparatus that forms a color image.

  In the case of a black-and-white image forming apparatus, since there is one image forming unit (one black color), it is relatively easy to reduce the size. Therefore, the size of the image forming apparatus main body in the sheet feeding direction is fed. It can be made smaller than the dimension of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction. In this case, the size of the paper feed cassette is larger than the size of the image forming apparatus main body in the sheet feeding direction.

  Further, in the case of an image forming apparatus that forms a black and white image (hereinafter referred to as a black and white image forming apparatus), since there is only one image forming unit, the attachment and detachment direction of the image forming unit is also flexible. Even if C is selected, there is no disadvantage from the viewpoint of user operation.

  For these reasons, in many monochrome image forming apparatuses in recent years, the attachment / detachment form of the paper feed cassette 201 is type A, and the attachment / detachment form of the image forming unit 202 is type C. In the case of Type A, when the size of the paper feed cassette 201 is larger than the size of the image forming apparatus main body 200, the paper feed cassette 201 is protruded toward the front or back of the image forming apparatus main body 200. I am trying to put it on.

  In the case of an image forming apparatus that forms a color image (hereinafter referred to as a color image forming apparatus), since a plurality of image forming units 202 (generally four colors) are used, the ease of user operation is considered. In this case, it is better to set the attachment / detachment mode of the image forming unit 202 to the type D. Further, since there are a plurality of image forming units 202, the volume occupied by them increases, so that the size of the image forming apparatus main body 200 does not become smaller than the size of the paper feed cassette 201.

  For these reasons, in the color image forming apparatus, the paper cassette 201 is attached and detached in type B, and the image forming unit is attached and detached in type D.

  However, miniaturization is also required in color image forming apparatuses. For this reason, for example, with regard to the paper feed cassette, the following two measures have been taken in addition to the conventional type B for attaching and detaching the paper cassette and type D for the image forming unit detachable form.

Case 1:
Type A is selected as the attachment / detachment configuration of the paper feed cassette, and Type C is selected as the attachment / detachment configuration of the image forming unit. In this case, since the size of the sheet is not limited, the image forming apparatus can be downsized.

Case 2:
A configuration is adopted in which the paper feed cassette is rotationally moved and detached (see Patent Document 1). In this case, the sheet feeding cassette can be operated from the front of the image forming apparatus main body and the operation of the image forming unit can also be performed from the front of the image forming apparatus main body.

JP-A-4-246030

  Here, in the conventional color image forming apparatus in which the paper feed cassette is attached and detached in such a form, for example, when the paper cassette is attached and detached in the conventional manner as type B, the front surface of the image forming apparatus main body. The paper cassette can be attached and detached from the front and is easy to operate. However, for example, when the size of the image forming apparatus is reduced, and the size of the apparatus main body in the sheet feeding direction is set to a size in which a sheet feeding cassette corresponding to an A4 size sheet is mounted, a sheet having a size larger than the A4 size is stored. The paper feed cassette cannot be stored in the image forming apparatus main body.

  That is, when the image forming apparatus is downsized, the sheet size that can be loaded into the image forming apparatus main body is limited. Therefore, when a sheet having a size larger than the A4 size is used, a method of feeding the sheet by other sheet feeding means, for example, a tray sheet feeding or an optional sheet feeding device has to be taken.

  In the case 1, the image forming apparatus can be downsized because the sheet size is not limited. However, from the viewpoint of the operation of the image forming unit, for example, when the image forming unit 202 is attached and detached as shown in FIG. 202a is difficult to access and operability is poor. In addition, a large-scale door structure or a clamshell structure is required, which complicates the structure of the image forming apparatus.

  Further, in the case of the case 2, there is no structure to be a pillar that supports the weight of the apparatus at one of the four corners of the image forming apparatus. As a result, the main body of the image forming apparatus is likely to be distorted and twisted, and accordingly there is a high risk of sheet skew, image distortion, or misalignment in the printing position of each color, leading to so-called color misregistration. .

  In order to prevent this, it is necessary to make the structure of the main body of the image forming apparatus very rigid so that the structure is formed even at three points. Becomes complicated.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus that can improve operability, has a simple structure, and can be downsized. To do.

  The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stored in a paper feeding cassette to the image forming unit. A mounting space in which the paper feeding cassette is detachably mounted; and a mounting space provided in the apparatus main body for mounting the paper feeding cassette in the mounting space from a direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction by the sheet feeding unit. And an end of a long sheet that is provided in a side surface of the apparatus main body and is stored in the sheet feeding cassette mounted in the mounting space and whose length in the sheet feeding direction is longer than a predetermined length. And a side opening for projecting the part outward from the apparatus main body.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stored in a sheet feeding cassette to the image forming unit. A mounting space in which the sheet feeding cassette is detachably mounted; and a mounting space provided in the apparatus main body and mounted in the mounting space from a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction by the sheet feeding unit. A long opening sheet whose length in the sheet feeding direction is longer than a predetermined length is stored in the sheet feeding cassette that is provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body and mounted in the mounting space. And a side opening for the purpose.

  In the first invention, a long sheet longer than a predetermined length can be accommodated in the paper feed cassette by projecting the end from the side opening of the apparatus main body, so that the structure is simple and the size can be reduced. It becomes.

  In the second invention, by enabling a long sheet longer than a predetermined length to be stored from the side opening of the apparatus main body, the operability can be improved and the structure can be simplified and the size can be reduced. It becomes.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a color laser printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a color laser printer, and 101 denotes a color laser printer main body (hereinafter referred to as a printer main body). An image forming unit 102 for forming an image, a sheet feeding unit 103, a fixing unit 14 and the like are provided inside the printer main body 101 which is the apparatus main body.

  Here, the image forming unit 102 is connected to the printer main body 101 which is four image forming units arranged in parallel for four colors of magenta (M), yellow (Y), cyan (C), and black (Bk). A detachable process cartridge 7 (7a to 7d) is provided. Also, the scanner unit 3 disposed above the process cartridge 7, the intermediate transfer belt unit 12 including the intermediate transfer belt 12e, which is disposed below the process cartridge 7, and is an endless intermediate transfer member that runs in the direction of the arrow, and the like. It has.

  Each process cartridge 7 includes a photosensitive drum 1 (1a to 1d), a charging roller 2 (2a to 2d), a drum cleaning blade 8 (8a to 8d), and a developing unit 4 (4a to 4d). It has. The developing unit 4 includes a developing roller 24 (24a to 24d), a developer application roller 25 (25a to 25d), and a toner container 5 (5a to 5d).

  Here, the photosensitive drum 1 as an image carrier is rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing in accordance with an image forming operation by a drive motor (not shown), and is electrostatically applied to the surface by exposure by the scanner unit 3. A latent image is formed.

  On the other hand, the intermediate transfer belt 12e is in contact with the photosensitive drums 1 of the process cartridges 7 arranged in series above, and is driven by a drive roller 12f, a tension roller 12h that applies tension in the direction of arrow E, and a secondary transfer counter roller 12g. It is stretched by. When a color image is formed, the color toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is transferred by rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow F as the drive roller 12f rotates counterclockwise.

  Further, a primary transfer roller 12 (12a to 12d) is disposed inside the intermediate transfer belt 12e so as to face the photosensitive drum 1. At the time of image formation, each color toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1 is sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12e by applying a transfer bias by a bias applying means (not shown) through the primary transfer roller 12. It has come to be. Further, each color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12e is transferred to the sheet S when the sheet S is nipped and conveyed by the secondary transfer unit 15 constituted by the secondary opposing transfer roller 12g and the secondary transfer roller 16. The

  The fixing unit 14 fixes the toner image transferred by the transfer unit 15 onto the sheet S. The fixing roller 14a that heats the sheet S and the pressure roller 14b that presses the sheet S against the fixing roller 14a. And. The sheet S holding the transferred toner image is conveyed by the fixing roller 14a and the pressure roller 14b, and the toner image is fixed on the surface by applying heat and pressure when passing through the fixing unit 14. The

  In addition, the sheet feeding unit 103 is in pressure contact with the sheet feeding cassette 11 for storing the sheet S, the sheet feeding roller 9 for feeding the sheet S stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11, and the sheet feeding roller 9. Is provided with a separation pad 23 for separating the sheet S sent out by.

  Here, in the color laser printer 100 configured as described above, when a color image is formed on the sheet S, the photosensitive drum 1 is first charged to a predetermined negative potential by the charging roller 2. After that, the photosensitive drum 1 is exposed by the scanner unit 3 based on the image signal of each color component transmitted from a controller (not shown), and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum.

  Next, the electrostatic latent image is developed with magenta, yellow, cyan, and black toners by the developing unit 4 to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum. Thereafter, when the toner image arrives at a transfer portion where the photosensitive drum 1 and the intermediate transfer belt 12e come into contact with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 1, a primary transfer bias having a positive polarity is applied by the primary transfer roller 12. .

  As a result, the toner image on the photosensitive drum is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 12e rotating in the counterclockwise direction. The toner image on the photosensitive drum is sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12e in the order of magenta, yellow, cyan, and black with the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 12e, whereby a color visible image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 12e. Is formed.

  Further, in accordance with such a color visible image forming operation, the sheet S is sent out from the sheet cassette 11 by the sheet feeding roller 9, and after the sheet S is separated into one sheet by the separation pad 23, skew correction (not shown) is performed. It is conveyed to the registration roller 17 while being skew-corrected by the shutter.

  After that, after the sheet S is conveyed by a predetermined distance, the registration roller 17 temporarily stops and starts rotating in accordance with the color image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 12e. As a result, the temporarily stopped sheet S reaches the secondary transfer portion 15, and the color visible image is secondarily transferred by the positive transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 16.

  After the color visible image is secondarily transferred as described above, the sheet S is conveyed from the secondary transfer portion 15 to the fixing portion 14 and heated and pressed by the fixing portion 14 to fix the color visible image. Is done. Further, the sheet S on which the toner image is fixed is thereafter discharged onto a discharge tray 21 by a discharge roller 20.

  Note that the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum after the toner image transfer is removed by the drum cleaning blade 8. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 12e after the secondary transfer to the sheet S is removed by the transfer belt cleaning device 22, and the removed toner passes through a waste toner conveyance path (not shown) and is not shown. It is collected in a waste toner collecting container.

  In the color laser printer 100, the front side orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction in FIG. 1 is set as the front side, and the paper feed cassette 11 is mounted on the lower portion of the printer main body 101 from the front side. Removably attached to the. Further, the dimension of the printer main body 101 in the sheet feeding direction (hereinafter referred to as the lateral dimension) is determined according to the lateral dimension of the intermediate transfer belt unit 12. Here, the lateral dimension of the intermediate transfer belt unit 12 is substantially equal to the A4 size.

  For this reason, the paper feed cassette 11 is sized to accommodate sheets S of A4 size or smaller, and is formed so as to fit within the printer main body without protruding from the printer main body 101. Since the color laser printer 100 does not have a structure that restricts the length of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction, the sheet is larger than a predetermined length of A4 size, for example, a long sheet such as a legal size. Also, an image can be formed. When such a long sheet is used, the long sheet protrudes laterally from the printer main body 101 as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the long sheet having a predetermined length or longer that cannot be completely inserted into the sheet storage portion of the paper feed cassette 11 mounted on the printer main body 101 protrudes from the printer main body 101 so that the end portion projects from the paper feed cassette 11. It is stored in.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the printer main body 101 has a front opening 31 that is a mounting opening for mounting the paper feeding cassette 11 in the mounting space 104 from a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. is doing. The paper feed cassette 11 is mounted by pushing the paper feed cassette 11 through the front opening 31 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction.

  In addition, a side opening 32 that is partitioned from the front opening 31 is provided at a lower portion of the side 101a upstream of the sheet feeding direction of the printer main body 101, and a side tray 57 is provided in the side opening 32. It can be opened and closed freely.

  Here, the side opening 32 is for storing a long sheet in the sheet feeding cassette 11 from the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the printer main body 101, and the sheet width of the sheet S stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11. It is wider and has a height that is higher than the maximum loading height.

  A structure 33 that is a partitioning part of the printer main body 101 is disposed between the front opening 31 and the side opening 32 so as to partition them. Here, the printer main body 101 has a frame configuration as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 34 denotes a bottom plate. On the bottom plate 34, a front plate 35 and a rear plate 36 constituting the front and rear surfaces of the printer main body are arranged, and a left stay 37 is bridged to the front plate 35 and the rear plate 36. The upper stay 38 and the middle stay 39 are arranged.

  Here, the upper stay 38 is disposed so as to partition the scanner unit 3 and the process cartridge 7, and the middle stay 39 is disposed between the intermediate transfer belt unit 12 and the paper feed cassette 11. A mounting space 104 is formed by the middle stay 39 and the bottom plate 34.

  Since the right side of the printer main body requires user access during jam processing, a structure such as a stay is not arranged. The frame components such as the front side plate 35 are fastened with screws (not shown) at their joint surfaces, and the entire frame is formed by forming a box shape with the three stays 37 to 39 and the front and rear side plates 35 and 36. Increases rigidity.

  By the way, the front side plate 35 is largely cut away so as to form a front opening 31 for mounting the paper feed cassette 11 in the mounting space 104 and an opening 40 for attaching / detaching the process cartridge 7 is formed. Yes. Further, the lower portion of the left stay 37 constituting the side surface of the printer main body 101 on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction is notched to form a side opening 32.

  The front side plate 35, the left stay 37, and the bottom plate 34 positioned between the front opening 31 and the side opening 32 are fastened with a plurality of screws to form a structure 33 that supports the weight of the main body.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the state in which the paper feed cassette 11 is mounted in the mounting space 104 of the printer main body 101 as viewed from above. Here, two guide shafts 42 and 43 are projected on the upper surface of the bottom plate 34 of the printer main body 101 at a predetermined interval in the paper feed cassette mounting direction. A groove for guiding and positioning the paper feed cassette 11 on the bottom surface of the paper feed cassette 11 so that the paper feed cassette 11 can be smoothly mounted on the printer main body 101 along the guide shafts 42 and 43. A shape 41 is provided in the paper feed cassette mounting direction.

  When the paper cassette 11 is mounted in the mounting space 104, the paper cassette 11 is smoothly pushed by pushing the paper cassette 11 while engaging the groove shape 41 and the guide shafts 42 and 43 of the printer main body 101. It is attached to. Thereafter, the paper feed cassette 11 is positioned in the mounting direction by the guide shaft 42 coming into contact with the end face 44 of the groove shape 41, so that the paper feed cassette 11 is brought into the sheet feedable position of the printer main body 101. Set accurately.

  5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the paper feed cassette 11. FIG. 5A is a view of the paper feed cassette 11 as viewed from above, and FIG. 5B is a view of A of FIG. FIG.

  The paper feed cassette 11 includes a cassette base 45, an intermediate plate 46, width regulation plates 47 and 48 for accurately setting sheets in the paper feed cassette 11, and a rear end regulation plate 49. The cassette base 45, the middle plate 46, the width regulating plates 47 and 48, and the rear end regulating plate 49 constitute a sheet storage portion 11A of the sheet feeding cassette 11.

  The intermediate plate 46 is used to press the uppermost sheet in the sheet feeding cassette 11 against the sheet feeding roller 9 and is supported on the cassette base 45 so as to be swingable with the swinging shaft portion 50 as a fulcrum. A compression spring 51 for pressing the intermediate plate 46 upward is disposed on the lower surface of the intermediate plate 46, and a sheet is fed to the paper feed roller 9 by the compression spring 51 via the intermediate plate 46. It comes to come in pressure contact with pressure.

  The width regulating plates 47 and 48 are respectively disposed at both ends of the cassette base 45 in the width direction, and are attached to the cassette base 45 so as to be slidable in the width direction.

  The rear end regulating plate 49 constitutes a rear end portion that is an upstream end in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet storage portion 11A, and along the slide groove 45a provided in the cassette base 45, according to the sheet size. The slide is moved to a position where the rear end of the sheet is regulated.

  The horizontal dimension of the cassette base 45 is set so as to be within the printer body. Here, in the present embodiment, the lateral dimension of the cassette base 45 is set to a size that can accommodate an A4 size sheet. As a result, when sheets up to A4 size are stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11, the trailing edge regulating plate 49 is moved to a position for regulating the trailing edge of the sheet according to the sheet size.

  Further, the rear end regulating plate 49 elastically engages the claw portions 52 and 53 having flexibility with the two locking holes 54 and 55 provided in the cassette base 45, whereby the cassette base 45 Removably attached to.

  By configuring in this way, the claw portions 52, 53 can be pressed from below the engagement holes 54, 55 and bent to release the rear end regulating plate 49 from being locked with the cassette base 45. The rear end regulating plate 49 can be easily removed. When using a longer sheet of A4 size, for example, a legal size sheet, the paper feed cassette 11 is stored in the printer main body 101 with the rear end regulating plate 49 removed as described above. ing. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the paper feed cassette 11 is stored in the printer main body 101 with the rear end regulating plate 49 removed as described above.

  The side tray 57 shown in FIG. 2 is opened when a long sheet is used. As shown in FIG. 6, the side tray 57 is vertically attached to the printer main body 101 around the rotation shafts 57c and 57d and the lower end as a fulcrum. It is attached so that it can be opened and closed in the direction.

  The side tray 57 serving as the opening / closing member is normally closed as shown in FIG. 6 so as to cover the side opening 32 and minimize the width size of the printer main body 101. By covering the side opening 32 with the side tray 57 in this way, the operating sound inside the printer main body is prevented from leaking to the outside, and dust and dust from entering the printer main body from the outside are blocked. be able to.

  On the other hand, when using a long sheet, the user first pulls the handle portion 57f shown in FIG. 6 to rotate the side tray 57 downward about the rotation shaft portions 57c and 57d, as shown in FIG. The side opening 32 is opened.

  By opening the side opening 32 in this manner, a long sheet can be stored from the side opening 32 toward the sheet feeding cassette 11 with the trailing edge regulating plate 49 removed. Here, when the long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 in this way, the upstream side portion of the long sheet in the sheet feeding direction protrudes outward from the printer main body 101.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the left stay 37 holds the rotation shaft portion 57 c (57 d) of the side tray 57 in a rotatable manner and slides it in the sheet feeding direction. A guide groove 37a is formed. Thus, after the side tray 57 is rotated downward, the side tray 57 can be moved inward of the side opening, that is, toward the paper feed cassette.

  Then, by moving the side tray 57 inward of the side opening in this way, when the long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11, the upstream side portion of the long sheet protruding from the printer body 101 is the sheet feeding direction upstream portion. Then, it is supported by the back surface of the side tray 57.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, width regulating plates 57a, which are side edge regulating members that regulate the side edge position of the long sheet in the width direction, are provided at both ends in the width direction of the back surface of the side tray 57 serving as a sheet stacking surface. 57b is provided to be movable in the width direction.

  Further, the abutting surface provided on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the cassette base 45 shown in FIG. 5B when the side tray 57 moves to the end of the side tray 57 at the side of the sheet feeding cassette. Positioning projections 57e that abut against 61, 62 are formed.

  As shown in FIG. 9 to be described later, the side surface opening 32 that appears on the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet feeding cassette 11 when the rear end regulating plate 49 is removed by the positioning projection 57e serving as the positioning portion. The engagement of the side tray 57 is guided. Further, when the side tray 57 is engaged with the sheet feeding cassette 11, the positioning projection 57e positions the side tray 57 with respect to the sheet feeding cassette 11.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a state when the side tray 57 is positioned on the paper feed cassette 11. FIG. 9A shows a state when the side tray 57 is positioned on the paper feed cassette 11. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, when the side tray 57 is pushed into the sheet feeding cassette, the vertical position of the side tray 57 is the abutting surface on which the positioning projection 57e is provided on the cassette base 45. It is determined by entering below 61. The position in the width direction is such that both end faces 57g and 57h (see FIG. 8) of the positioning projection 57e are fitted and engaged between the positioning projections 63 and 64 provided on the cassette base 45. It is determined.

  Further, the position of the side tray 57 in the sheet feeding direction is determined by the front end surface 57i (see FIG. 8) of the positioning projection 57e abutting against the abutting surface 62 provided on the cassette base 45.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the front end of the positioning projection 57e and the positioning projections 63 and 64 of the paper feed cassette 11 have a sloped shape. It is possible to perform the match smoothly. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the sheet insertion opening 65 of the sheet feeding cassette 11 has a slope shape, so that sheets can be stored smoothly.

  By the way, in a state where the side tray 57 is positioned on the paper feed cassette 11, the positioning projection 57 e is engaged with the positioning projections 63 and 64 of the paper feed cassette 11. Cannot be pulled out of.

  With this configuration, when the long sheet is set in the side tray 57 and the paper feed cassette 11, the paper feed cassette 11 is not accidentally pulled out. As a result, the long sheet is pulled out by mistake, and the long sheet can be prevented from being damaged by the structure 33 of the printer main body 101, the width regulating plates 57a and 57b of the side tray 57, and the like.

  Next, a sheet supply method in the color laser printer 100 including the side tray 57 having such a configuration will be described.

  Since the sheet feeding cassette 11 has a horizontal dimension that can store sheets of A4 size or smaller as described above, the front surface of the printer main body 101 is not interfered with the structure 33 of the printer main body 101. The paper feed cassette 11 can be pulled out from.

  For this reason, when a sheet of A4 size or smaller is replenished, the paper feed cassette 11 is first pulled out to the front side of the main body. Then, after replenishing sheets to the sheet feeding cassette 11, the sheet feeding cassette 11 is inserted into the mounting space 104 of the printer main body 101 from the front opening 31 to complete the replenishment of sheets of A4 size or smaller.

  For replenishment of long sheets, the rear end regulating plate 49 is first removed from the paper feed cassette 11, and then the paper feed cassette 11 is removed from the front opening 31 as shown in FIG. Insert into the mounting space.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10B, after pulling the handle portion 57f to rotate the side tray 57 downward, the side tray 57 is inserted into the side opening 32, and the paper cassette 11 is inserted into the paper feed cassette 11 by the positioning configuration described above. Position it with respect to it. Thereafter, the long sheet is stored and replenished from the side tray 57 and the side opening 32 toward the paper feed cassette 11 set in the printer main body 101.

  The long sheet replenished at this time is positioned in the width direction by the width regulating plates 57a and 57b of the side tray 57. Further, when the long sheet is inserted into the sheet feeding cassette 11 from the side tray 57 as described above, the sheet insertion port 65 has a slope shape as described above, and thus the leading edge of the sheet is not caught. , Usability will not deteriorate.

  The long sheet set in the sheet feeding cassette 11 in this way is regulated in the width direction by the width regulating plates 57 a and 57 b of the side tray 57. Here, the regulation of the width position of the long sheet is performed by the width regulation plates 57a and 57b provided in the side tray 57 near the replenishment position, that is, near the user, so that usability is improved.

  Note that the leading end portion of the long sheet stored in the middle plate 46 is pressed against the sheet feeding roller 9 by the middle plate 46 as in the case of A4 size and smaller sheets. As a result, the paper feed conditions can be set similarly regardless of the sheet length and the paper replenishing method, and the paper feed performance can be stabilized.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when a long sheet is used, the structure 33 is stored by storing the sheet from the side opening 32 in the sheet feeding cassette 11 mounted in the mounting space 104. A long sheet can be stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 regardless of the presence of the sheet. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the printer main body 101 with a configuration that prioritizes operability such as attachment and detachment of the paper feed cassette 11 and the process cartridge 7.

  In addition, when using A4 size or smaller size sheets that are frequently used, the paper cassette 11 can be attached and detached from the front of the printer body, so that the paper cassette 11 can be attached and detached without impairing usability. can do.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, when a long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11, the long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 mounted in the mounting space 104 from the side opening 32. Therefore, operability can be improved. In addition, the structure of the printer main body 101 can be simplified and the size can be reduced.

  By the way, when the side tray 57 is provided in the side opening 32 so as to store the long sheet in the sheet feeding cassette 11, the case where the sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 after the side tray 57 is opened will be described. did.

  However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the side tray 57 is provided separately and a long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11, the side tray storing the long sheet is attached to the side opening 32. Accordingly, the long sheet may be stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11. Further, the upstream side portion of the long sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 protruding outward from the printer main body 101 may be supported by the side tray.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a side tray that is attached to a side opening of a color laser printer that is an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the side tray 57 is integrally formed of a resin and has a box shape having a sheet storage portion 57A inside. The sheet storage portion 57A has a length of a legal sheet or the like. A part of the length sheet is stored.

  Here, the sheet storage portion 57A of the side tray 57 is about 1 mm wider than the width of the sheet, so that when the long sheet S is set in the side tray 57 as shown in FIG. S has some play in the width direction. As a result, when the side tray 57 is attached to the side opening 32, the leading end of the long sheet S can be moved in the direction positioned by the width regulating members 47 and 48 in the sheet feeding cassette 11.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11, both side wall surfaces of the insertion port 60 for storing the sheet in the sheet storage portion 57A have a slope shape so that the sheet can be stored (inserted) smoothly. Further, when the side tray 57 is moved to the end of the side tray 57 on the side of the sheet feeding cassette, the cassette base 45 shown in FIG. Positioning projections 57e that abut against the contact surfaces 61 and 62 are formed.

  Further, on both side surfaces of the side tray 57, the side tray 57 is guided so as to be engaged with the paper feed cassette 11 when mounted on the side opening 32, and used for positioning with respect to the paper feed cassette 11. The character-shaped ribs 58 and 59 are integrally formed.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state when the side tray 57 as a support member is positioned in the paper feed cassette 11. 13A is a view of the state when the side tray 57 is positioned in the sheet feeding cassette 11 as viewed from above, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 13A. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the side tray 57 is attached to the side opening 32, L-shaped ribs 58 and 59 that are positioning portions are supported from below by positioning ribs 161 and 162 provided on the side wall surface of the cassette base 45. Is done. Accordingly, the position of the side tray 57 in the vertical direction with respect to the paper feed cassette 11 is determined.

  The position of the side tray 57 in the insertion direction with respect to the paper feed cassette 11 is determined by the L-shaped ribs 58 and 59 coming into contact with the end surface 63 of the cassette base 45. Further, the position in the width direction with respect to the sheet feeding cassette 11 is determined by fitting the positioning protrusion 57e between the convex portions 64 and 65 (see FIG. 9) integrally provided on the cassette base 45. The

  Here, when the side tray 57 is set as shown in FIG. 13B by making the side tray 57 into a box shape as in the present embodiment, the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the long sheet is set. The side portion is covered with the side tray 57 so as not to be exposed to the outside. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dust and dust from adhering to the protruding portion of the long sheet from the printer main body 101, and it is possible to prevent image defects due to dust.

  Next, a method for supplying a long sheet in the color laser printer 100 provided with the side tray 57 having such a configuration will be described.

  In this case, the rear end regulating plate 49 is first removed from the paper feed cassette 11, and then the paper feed cassette 11 is inserted into the mounting space of the printer main body 101 from the front opening 31 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the side tray 57 storing the long sheet is mounted from the side opening 32 toward the paper feed cassette 11. Thereby, the long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette 11 in a state where the upstream side portion of the long sheet in the sheet feeding direction is supported by the side tray 57. The side tray 57 is positioned with respect to the paper feed cassette 11 by the positioning configuration described above, and the long sheet is positioned by the width regulating plates 47 and 48 in the paper feed cassette 11.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by attaching the side tray 57 supporting the sheet to the side opening 32, the sheet cassette 11 mounted in the mounting space 104 can be mounted regardless of the presence of the structure 33. Long sheets can be stored. Thereby, the operability can be improved, the structure of the printer main body 101 can be simplified, and the size can be reduced.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a configuration of a paper feed cassette that is detachably attached to a color laser printer that is an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 15, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 described above indicate the same or corresponding parts.

  In FIG. 15, reference numeral 71 denotes a paper feed cassette, and 72 denotes a slide cassette that is slidably provided on the cassette body 71 </ b> A of the paper feed cassette 71 in order to expand and contract the paper feed cassette 71. Here, a rear end regulating portion 72 a for regulating the rear end of the sheet stored in the sheet feeding cassette 71 is provided at the upstream end of the slide cassette 72 in the sheet feeding direction.

  Then, when the slide cassette 72 is slid in accordance with the sheet size, the trailing edge of the sheet can be regulated by the trailing edge regulating portion 72a. FIG. 15 shows a state in which the slide cassette 72 is pulled out to a position corresponding to the legal size sheet in order to store the legal size sheet in the sheet feeding cassette 71.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the lateral dimension of the sheet feeding cassette 71 when the slide cassette 72 is not pulled out is set to a size that can accommodate A4 size sheets. As a result, when the slide cassette 72 is pulled out to store a long sheet in the paper feed cassette 71, the paper feed cassette 71 cannot be inserted from the front opening 31 due to the structure 33.

  Therefore, the rear portion between the cassette base 73 constituting the bottom surface of the cassette body 71A of the paper feed cassette 71 and the front cover 71B of the paper feed cassette 71 so that the paper feed cassette 71 can be inserted even if the structure 33 is present. A notch 74 is provided in the end regulating portion side portion. By providing the notch 74 at such a location, the paper feed cassette 71 can be rotated with the structure 33 as a fulcrum, as will be described later. 101 can be attached.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the sheet feeding cassette 71 as viewed from below. Four cylindrical convex shapes 75 to 78 are formed on the bottom surface of the cassette base 73 at predetermined intervals in the sheet feeding cassette mounting direction. And projecting.

  On the other hand, on the downstream side in the sheet feeding direction of the bottom plate 34 of the printer main body 101, a groove shape 81 is formed of resin as shown in FIG. 17 and into which the convex shapes 75 and 76 enter when the paper feeding cassette 71 is mounted. It is provided in the paper feed cassette mounting direction. In the present embodiment, the groove shape 81 and the convex shapes 75 and 76 guide the mounting of the paper feeding cassette 71 in the mounting space 104 after the paper feeding cassette 71 is rotated as will be described later. A guide is configured.

  In addition, the both side wall surfaces of the entrance portion 82 of the groove shape 81 are inclined surfaces so that the convex shapes 75 and 76 can be fitted without being caught.

  When the paper feed cassette 71 is mounted, the paper feed cassette 71 is smoothly mounted by pushing the paper feed cassette 71 while engaging the groove shape 81 with the convex shapes 75 and 76. After that, the sheet feeding cassette 71 is positioned in the mounting direction by the convex shape 75 coming into contact with the end face 83 of the groove shape 81, and the sheet feeding cassette 71 is positioned at the sheet feedable position of the printer main body 101. Set accurately.

  In FIG. 16, 79 is provided on the front surface 73 a of the cassette base 73, and a first handle portion that is accessed by the user when the paper feeding cassette is attached / detached, and 80 is a first handle portion provided on the downstream end of the cassette base 73 in the sheet feeding direction. 2 handle part.

  Next, a sheet replenishing method in the color laser printer 100 including the sheet feeding cassette 71 having such a configuration will be described.

  When replenishing sheets of A4 size or smaller, the paper feed cassette 71 is first pulled out to the front side of the printer body. Here, as described above, the sheet feeding cassette 71 has a horizontal dimension capable of storing A4 size sheets when the slide cassette 72 is not pulled out. For this reason, the paper feed cassette 71 can be pulled out from the front of the printer main body 101 without interfering with the structure 33 of the printer main body 101.

  Next, after the paper feeding cassette 71 is pulled out in this way, sheets are supplied to the paper feeding cassette 71, and then the paper feeding cassette 71 is inserted into the mounting space 104 of the printer main body 101 from the front opening 31. Replenishment of sheets of A4 size or smaller is completed.

  For replenishment of long sheets, first, as shown in FIG. 18A, the paper feed cassette 71 is pulled out in the direction of the arrow. At this time, since the slide cassette 72 is pulled out, when the sheet feeding cassette 71 is pulled out as it is, the structure 33 and the slide cassette 72 interfere with each other as shown in FIG.

  Here, the convex shape 76 is set to deviate from the groove shape 81 when the paper feeding cassette 71 is pulled out to the position where the structure 33 and the slide cassette 72 interfere with each other. Therefore, when the sheet feeding cassette 71 is further pulled out from this state, the engaging portion formed in the sheet feeding cassette 71 in a state where the convex shape 75 is regulated by the groove shape 81 as shown in FIG. The notch 74 which is is engaged with the structure 33.

  If the paper feeding cassette 71 is further pulled out in this state, the paper feeding cassette 71 rotates with the structure 33 as a substantially rotating fulcrum and moves the convex shape 75 along the groove shape 81. It will be pulled out. The groove shape 81 has a shape that allows the paper feed cassette 71 to rotate while moving the convex shape 75.

  Thus, by rotating the paper feed cassette 71 with the structure 33 as a fulcrum, the paper feed cassette 71 can be removed without interfering with the structure 33. When the paper feed cassette 71 is pulled out in this way, as shown in FIG. 19B, the convex shape 75 is completely separated from the groove shape 81, and the paper feed cassette 71 is free from the printer main body 101. It becomes a state.

  Further, in the state shown in FIG. 19B, the second handle 80 is exposed. Thereafter, both the first handle 79 and the second handle 80 are held, and the sheet is fed in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The cassette 71 is pulled out. Thereby, the paper feed cassette 71 can be easily detached from the printer main body 101 as shown in FIG.

  Then, after removing the paper feed cassette 71 in this way, a long sheet is set in the paper feed cassette 71, and the paper feed cassette 71 is mounted on the printer main body 101 again. At this time, first, the paper feed cassette 71 is moved to the structure side, and the notch 74 of the paper feed cassette 71 is engaged with the structure 33. Thereafter, the paper feed cassette 71 can be mounted on the printer main body 101 regardless of the presence of the structure 33 by rotating the paper feed cassette 71 with the structure 33 as a fulcrum.

  When the sheet feeding cassette 71 is rotated in this way, the convex shapes 75 and 76 provided on the back surface of the sheet feeding cassette 71 are sequentially fitted into the groove shape 81. As a result, the paper feed cassette 71 is smoothly mounted.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the long sheet is stored, the sheet feeding cassette 71 is rotated about the structure 33 as a fulcrum, so that the printer can be used regardless of the presence of the structure 33. The paper feed cassette 11 can be attached and detached from the front surface of the main body. As a result, even when the width of the printer main body 101 is minimized, the printer main body 101 can be downsized with a configuration that prioritizes operability such as attachment / detachment of the paper feed cassette 11 and the process cartridge 7.

  In the first to third embodiments so far, the color laser printer has been described as an example of the image forming apparatus. However, if a cut sheet is used, other electrophotographic methods, thermal transfer methods, and ink jet methods are used. It is also applicable to the image forming apparatus.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a color laser printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a paper feed cassette is attached to the color laser printer. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a frame configuration of a printer main body of the color laser printer. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a paper feed cassette is mounted on the printer main body as viewed from above. (A) is the figure which looked at the paper feed cassette from the upper part for demonstrating the structure of the said paper feed cassette, (b) is the sectional view on the AA line of (a). FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a paper feeding cassette with a rear end regulating plate removed is stored in the printer main body. The perspective view which shows the state which rotated the side tray provided in the said printer main body downward, and opened the side surface opening part. The perspective view which shows the structure of the said side tray. The state when the side tray is positioned in the paper feed cassette, (a) is a view seen from below, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of (a). The figure explaining the operation | movement which replenishes a long sheet | seat to the said printer main body. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a side tray that is attached to a side opening of a color laser printer that is an example of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view which shows the state which set the elongate sheet | seat in the sheet | seat storage part of the said side tray. The state when the side tray is positioned in the paper feed cassette is shown in (a) as viewed from above, and (b) is a sectional view taken along the line CC in (a). The perspective view which shows a mode that the said paper cassette and the side tray are mounted | worn with a printer main body. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a paper feed cassette that is mounted on a color laser printer that is an example of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view which looked at the paper feed cassette from the lower part. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a bottom plate of a printer main body of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a first diagram illustrating an operation of pulling out the paper feed cassette. FIG. 10 is a second diagram illustrating an operation of pulling out the paper feed cassette. The perspective view which shows a state when the said paper feeding cassette is pulled out. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing two forms of attaching and detaching a paper feed cassette in a conventional image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing two forms of attaching and detaching an image forming unit in a conventional image forming apparatus. The side view which shows the form which attaches and detaches the image forming unit of the conventional image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

7 Process cartridge 11 Paper feed cassette 31 Front opening 32 Side opening 33 Structure 37a Guide groove 49 Rear end regulating plate 57 Side tray 57a, 57b Width regulating plate 58, 59 L-shaped rib 71 Paper feeding cassette 71A Cassette body 72 Slide cassette 74 Notch 75, 76 Convex shape 81 Groove shape 100 Color laser printer 101 Color laser printer main body 101a Side surface 102 Image forming unit 103 Sheet feeding unit 104 Mounting space S Sheet

Claims (11)

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stored in a paper feeding cassette to the image forming unit.
A mounting space provided in the apparatus main body, in which the paper feed cassette is detachably mounted;
A mounting opening provided in the apparatus main body, for mounting the paper feeding cassette in the mounting space from a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction by the sheet feeding unit;
An end of a long sheet, which is provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body and is stored in the sheet feeding cassette mounted in the mounting space, is longer than a predetermined length in a sheet feeding direction from the apparatus main body. A side opening for projecting outward,
An image forming apparatus comprising: An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet stored in a paper feeding cassette to the image forming unit.
A mounting space provided in the apparatus main body, in which the paper feed cassette is detachably mounted;
A mounting opening provided in the apparatus main body, for mounting the paper feeding cassette in the mounting space from a direction orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction by the sheet feeding unit;
A side opening for storing a long sheet having a length in a sheet feeding direction longer than a predetermined length in the sheet feeding cassette mounted on the side surface of the apparatus main body and mounted in the mounting space;
An image forming apparatus comprising: An opening / closing member provided on the side opening so as to be pivotable in a vertical direction with a lower end as a fulcrum;
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the opening / closing member is in a position to open the side opening, the opening / closing member supports a protruding portion of the long sheet.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the opening / closing member includes a side end regulating member that regulates a side end position orthogonal to a sheet feeding direction of a sheet stored from the side opening. . A holding unit that holds the opening / closing member in a rotatable manner and moves to a position to open the side opening, and then holds the opening / closing member so as to be movable in a direction to engage with the sheet feeding cassette mounted in the mounting space; ,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a positioning portion that positions the opening / closing member with respect to the sheet feeding cassette when the opening / closing member is engaged with the sheet feeding cassette.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support member that is detachably attached to the side opening and that supports a protruding portion of the long sheet when attached to the side opening. 4. apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the support member is configured to cover a protruding portion of the long sheet when attached to the side opening.   The upstream end of the sheet cassette in the sheet feeding direction regulates the position of the upstream end of the sheet stored in the sheet cassette in the sheet feeding direction, and is detachably attached to the sheet cassette. 2. When the long sheet is stored in the sheet feeding cassette, the regulating member is removed so as to open an upstream end in the sheet feeding direction of the sheet feeding cassette. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 1 to 7. When the paper cassette is attached to or detached from the paper cassette, the paper cassette is engaged with a partition that partitions the mounting opening and the side opening and rotates the paper cassette with the partition as a fulcrum. With an engaging part,
When mounting the sheet cassette containing long sheets in the mounting space, after moving the sheet cassette in a direction in which the engaging portion engages with the partition portion, the partition portion is supported as a fulcrum. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upstream portion of the long sheet in the sheet feeding direction is rotated so as to project outward from the side surface opening of the apparatus main body.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a guide unit that guides mounting of the paper feeding cassette in the mounting space after the paper feeding cassette is rotated.   11. The slide cassette according to claim 9, further comprising a slide cassette that is slidably provided on the cassette body for extending and contracting the paper feed cassette and that is pulled out when a long sheet is stored in the paper feed cassette. Image forming apparatus.

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