JP2009157256A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device of paper delivery-in-barrel type enabling a user to access to a required section more easily and simply. <P>SOLUTION: A copying machine 1 includes a device body 10, an image reading part 20 arranged in an upper part of the device body 10, and a paper delivery part 30 arranged between them. A front cover part 100 of the device including a decorative face 11A of an opening and closing cover 11 and decorative covers 12A, 13A of a first paper supply cassette 12 and a second paper supply cassette 13 is positioned on a front face of the device body 10. Stripe machined parts 11S, 12S, 13S reflecting light irregularly, flat machined parts 11F, 12F, 13F reflecting light regularly and being visually conspicuous sections, and a first inclined face 111 and a second inclined face 112 are formed in the front cover part 100 of the device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine having these functions.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a so-called in-cylinder discharge in which an image reading unit is arranged via a paper discharge unit on an apparatus main body in which an image forming unit and a paper supply unit are provided. 2. Description of the Related Art A paper-type image forming apparatus having a front cover portion on the front surface thereof is known. In such an apparatus, a sheet on which an image forming operation has been performed in the apparatus main body is discharged onto a sheet discharge tray of a sheet discharge section sandwiched between the image reading section and the apparatus main body.

In general, the front cover portion of the apparatus is generally composed of an opening / closing cover that covers the image forming portion and a decorative cover of a sheet feeding cassette that is arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. Usually, the paper feed cassette is a drawer-type box that is pulled forward, and is slid in the front-rear direction when paper is replenished. In order to facilitate such a moving operation, each paper feed cassette is provided with a handle portion that can be gripped by the user on the front side of the apparatus main body.
JP 2006-58689 A JP 2004-355019 A

  However, in the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus, it is structurally difficult for the user to know the discharge destination of the paper after the image formation, compared to the type in which the user discharges the paper to the upper surface or side surface of the apparatus. . For this reason, there is a problem that the accessibility to the paper after the image formation is poor. Further, the device front cover portion covering the front surface of the device main body is a substantially flat surface. For this reason, when the user faces the front surface of the image forming apparatus, the entire front surface of the apparatus body tends to be recognized as a simple plane, and the handle portion is visually buried in the plane, and the handle portion is immediately The position of may not be visible.

  Therefore, it cannot be said that the accessibility to the paper discharge unit and the paper cassette is good, and it is problematic in recent image forming apparatuses that require more user-friendly operability for a wide range of users including low vision users. Has been.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with good user accessibility to a required portion in an in-body discharge type image forming apparatus. And

  An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a box-shaped apparatus main body in which an image forming unit and a paper feeding unit are provided, an image reading unit disposed on the upper part of the apparatus main body, and the apparatus main body. A paper discharge tray that is provided between the image reading unit and discharges paper after image formation is disposed at the front of the apparatus main body, and a paper discharge unit that is at least forwardly opened for taking out the paper. An apparatus front cover portion including a unit cover member that can be opened forward, and a handle portion that is provided in a part or all of the unit cover member and is used for opening the unit cover member. The portion includes a stripe processing portion having a groove or protrusion formed on the surface thereof, and a flat processing portion having a flat surface, and the flat processing portion is at least a portion adjacent to the paper discharge tray. And the back part of the handle part Characterized in that provided in (Claim 1).

  According to this configuration, natural light or illumination light is diffusely reflected at the stripe processed portion, while regular reflection is performed at the flat processed portion. For this reason, the said flat process part can be recognized by a user as a site | part which is visually conspicuous with respect to the said stripe process part. By providing such a flat processing portion at a portion adjacent to the paper discharge tray and a back surface portion of the handle portion, the position of the paper discharge portion and the position of the handle portion can be easily determined by the user. It is possible to identify them.

  In the above configuration, an opening / closing cover that is disposed below the paper discharge unit and covers the image forming unit and can be opened and closed forward, and is disposed below the opening and closing cover and is mounted on the apparatus main body so as to be able to be drawn forward. A sheet feeding cassette, and includes the opening / closing cover and a decorative cover on the front surface of the paper feeding cassette as a unit cover member of the apparatus front cover portion, and the handle portion is attached to the decorative cover. Preferably, the flattened portion is provided at a portion of the opening / closing cover adjacent to the paper discharge tray and a back surface of the decorative cover to which the handle portion is attached (Claim 2). .

  According to this configuration, in the image forming apparatus provided with the opening / closing cover and the paper feed cassette on the front surface of the apparatus, the user can easily identify the position of the paper discharge unit and the position of the handle part of the paper feed cassette. It becomes possible.

  In this case, it is preferable that the opening / closing cover further includes a flat processing portion indicating an access direction to the paper discharge portion. According to this configuration, not only the portion adjacent to the paper discharge tray but also the flat processing portion indicating the access direction is further provided, so that the user can more easily recognize the position of the paper discharge portion. it can.

  In the above-described configuration, it is desirable that the color of the flat processing portion indicating the access direction to the handle portion and the paper discharge portion is a light color, and the color of other portions of the device front cover portion is a dark color ( Claim 4). According to this configuration, the recognizability of the handle portion and the paper discharge portion can be further enhanced based on the color contrast.

  In the above-described configuration, a flat processing portion indicating an access direction to the paper discharge portion and a flat processing portion on the back surface of the handle portion may be connected to face the paper discharge portion. ). According to this configuration, the recognizability of the paper discharge unit can be further enhanced based on the shape characteristics of the flat processing unit.

  In the above-described configuration, it is desirable that an operation unit is attached in front of the image reading unit, and a light color portion is provided on the front surface of the operation unit. Preferably, the image reading unit is provided with an automatic document feeder that can be opened and closed upward, and a light-colored portion is provided on an opening / closing handle of the automatic document feeder. . According to these configurations, the recognition of the operation unit and the automatic document feeder can be improved.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the user can easily identify the position of the paper discharge unit and the position of the handle unit. For this reason, when taking out paper after image formation, etc., the in-cylinder paper discharge type paper discharge unit provided between the apparatus main body and the image reading unit is improved, and the discharge tray is accessed. The property can be improved. Moreover, the accessibility to the handle part of the unit cover member can be improved, and the operability can be improved.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a copying machine 1 as an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 and other drawings, the XX direction is the left-right direction, the Y-Y direction is the front-rear direction, the ZZ direction is the up-down direction, and in particular, the + X direction is rightward, the -X direction is leftward, The + Y direction is referred to as the front, the -Y direction as the rear, the + Z direction as the upper side, and the -Z direction as the lower side.

  The copying machine 1 is a so-called in-body discharge type copying machine, and includes a box-shaped apparatus main body 10 in which an image forming unit and a paper feeding unit are provided, and an image reading unit disposed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 10. And a paper discharge unit 30 that is provided between the apparatus main body 10 and the image reading unit 20 and that discharges paper after image formation and opens forward for taking out the paper.

  The front surface of the apparatus main body 10 is provided with an apparatus front cover portion 100 in which a plurality of unit cover members that can be opened forward are arranged in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the unit cover member of the apparatus front cover unit 100 has the decorative surface 11A of the opening / closing cover 11 disposed at the uppermost position, and the first and second layers stacked below in the vertical direction. The example which consists of the decorative covers 12A and 13A of the paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 and the belt-like portion 15 extending in the vertical direction on the left side is shown.

  The opening / closing cover 11 has a grip 113 on the right end surface thereof, and can be opened / closed toward the front left direction with the left end side as a rotation axis. On the other hand, the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 are attached to the apparatus main body 10 so as to be able to be drawn forward. Each of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 is provided with handle portions 121 and 131 used for the drawer and storage operations.

  The image reading unit 20 is disposed on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 10 through a space for the paper discharge unit 30. The image reading unit 20 is supported by a support column 40 disposed on the left side of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 10 and a side wall disposed on the rear side of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 10. The image reading unit 20 includes an automatic document feeding unit 21 that feeds a document to be copied to a document reading position and then discharges the document, and a scanner unit 22 having an optical system that reads the document image. In the present embodiment, the automatic document feeder unit 21 includes a document tray 211 on which a scanned document is placed, a document discharge tray 212 on which a scanned document is discharged, and a document on which duplex scanning is performed temporarily. In the example shown in FIG.

  The paper discharge unit 30 is a part where the paper on which the image is formed by the apparatus main body 10 is discharged based on the original image read by the image reading unit 20, and includes a paper discharge tray 31 and a paper discharge port 32. Contains. The paper discharge port 32 is an opening that is provided on the right side surface (the surface that faces the paper discharge unit 30) of the support column 40 and discharges the paper after image formation from the apparatus main body 10. The paper discharge tray 31 is a paper receiving surface for receiving paper discharged from the paper discharge port 32. The discharge tray 31 has an inclined surface that is gently inclined downward from the right to the left as viewed from the front, and the portion adjacent to the discharge port 32 is the lowest. Due to the presence of such an inclination, the paper discharged from the paper discharge port 32 toward the paper discharge tray 31 is aligned on the rear end side in the paper conveyance direction in the vicinity of the paper discharge port 32.

  The support column 40 located on the left side of the paper discharge unit 30 is a part that supports the image reading unit 20 and covers the paper conveyance path (third paper conveyance path 613) near the paper discharge port 32. The front surface of the column 40 is covered with a column cover 41. The column cover 41 is continuous with the belt-like portion 15 of the apparatus main body 10 in the vertical direction.

  An operation panel 50 is attached to the front surface of the image reading unit 20. The operation panel 50 is arranged so as to occupy a part of the space located on the front side of the image reading unit 20 and above the paper discharge tray 31. A gap G is provided between the operation panel 50 and the support column 40. Thereby, the user can visually recognize a part of the in-body discharge type discharge tray 31 through the gap G in a top view. In particular, the gap G is almost directly above the paper discharge port 32 and corresponds to the lowest position of the paper discharge tray 31 where the rear end side of the discharged paper in the transport direction is aligned. Whether or not paper is present in the paper discharge tray 31 or the situation in which the paper is being discharged can be reliably observed.

  The operation panel 50 is for receiving various operation instructions and setting instructions from the user. Here, operation guide information and the like for inputting various copying operation settings and the like are displayed, and an operation display unit 51 including a liquid crystal display (LCD) on which various operation buttons and the like are displayed, and a user prints. An example is shown in which an operation button 52 including a start key for inputting an execution instruction and a numeric keypad for receiving an input such as the number of copies is provided.

  Next, the internal configuration of the copying machine 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal configuration of the copying machine 1. As described above, the copying machine 1 includes the apparatus main body 10 having the support unit 40 on the upper surface, the image reading unit 20, the paper discharge unit 30, and the operation panel 50. In the apparatus main body 10, a paper feeding unit 60, an image forming unit 70, and a fixing unit 80 are provided.

  The image reading unit 20 includes a scanner unit 22 and an automatic document feeder unit 21 disposed thereon. The scanner unit 22 includes a moving frame 223 having an exposure lamp for irradiating light on a document. In addition, although not shown, the scanner unit 22 is provided with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor that photoelectrically converts reflected light from the document to generate image data, and the reflected light is guided to the CCD sensor. The optical system for this is built in. Further, a first platen glass 221 for reading a placed document and a second platen glass 222 for reading an automatically fed document are provided on the upper surface of the scanner unit 22.

  The automatic document feeding unit 21 feeds the document placed on the document tray 211 to the document reading position of the second platen glass 23 by the operation of the document transport mechanism provided therein, and also after reading. The document is discharged to the document discharge tray 212.

  The paper feed unit 60 of the apparatus main body 10 feeds paper (recording paper) to the image forming unit 70. The paper feed unit 60 corresponds to the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 described above, and includes first and second paper feed storage units 120 and 130 in which sheets of various sizes are stored. A manual paper feed unit 140 including a manual feed tray 14 that is openably and closably attached to the right side portion. Although not shown in the drawings, the first and second paper feed storage units 120 and 130 include a cursor for positioning the paper bundle and a pickup roller 621 and 622, which will be described later, by resiliently lifting the paper bundle. A lifter for contacting the upper sheet is provided.

  A paper transport path for transporting paper is provided in the path from the paper feed section 60 to the paper discharge port 32 through the image forming section 70 and the fixing section 80. Such a sheet conveyance path includes a first sheet conveyance path 611 from the first and second sheet feed storage sections 120 and 130 to the image forming section 70, and a second sheet conveyance path 612 from the manual sheet feed section 140 to the image forming section 70. , And a third paper transport path 613 from the image forming unit 70 to the paper discharge port 32.

  Pickup rollers 621 and 622 for taking out the stored paper one by one, and downstream thereof, are arranged on the upper side of the paper take-out side (left side) of the first and second paper feed storage units 120 and 130. A pair of paper feed rollers 631 and 632 are provided. The pair of paper feed rollers 631 and 632 are for feeding the extracted paper into the first paper transport path 611.

  The first paper transport path 611 is provided with transport roller pairs 641 and 642 that transport the paper toward the image forming unit 70. The second paper transport path 612 is provided with a paper feed roller 635 that takes in the manually fed paper and a transport roller pair 645 that transports the manual paper toward the image forming unit 70. Further, a registration roller pair 65 is provided at the end position of the first paper transport path 611 for waiting the paper in front of the image forming unit 70. A discharge roller pair 66 that conveys (discharges) the sheet toward the sheet discharge unit 30 is disposed at the terminal position of the third sheet conveyance path 613. A discharge port 32 is provided along the discharge roller pair 66.

  The image forming unit 70 performs a process of transferring the toner image onto the paper conveyed from the paper feeding unit 60 based on the image data of the original obtained by the image reading unit 20. The image forming unit 70 includes a photosensitive drum 71 rotatably provided around an axis, a charger 72 arranged along the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71, an exposure device 73, a developing device 74, and a transfer roller. 75 and a cleaning device 76.

  The photosensitive drum 71 is for forming an electrostatic latent image and a toner image along the electrostatic latent image on the peripheral surface thereof. As the photosensitive drum 71, an amorphous silicon photosensitive drum in which an amorphous silicon layer is laminated on the peripheral surface is suitable.

  The charger 72 forms a uniform charge on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 rotating in the clockwise direction around the drum core. As the charger 72, a charger that applies a charge to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 by corona discharge can be used. In addition, a charging roller that applies a charge to the photosensitive drum 71 while the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 rotates while being in contact with the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 may be employed.

  The exposure device 73 irradiates the peripheral surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 71 with laser light to which intensity is applied based on the image data. The portion of the photosensitive drum 71 that has been irradiated with the laser light has its charge erased, whereby an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the laser light irradiation pattern is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71.

  The developing device 74 supplies toner to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 via a built-in developing roller. When toner is supplied to the photosensitive drum 71, the toner adheres to the portion where the electrostatic latent image is formed, whereby a toner image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71. A toner container (not shown) is detachably attached to the developing device 74, and when the toner in the developing device 74 is consumed, the toner is supplied from the toner container.

  The transfer roller 75 forms a nip portion with the photosensitive drum 71, and transfers a toner image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 to the sheet fed into the nip portion. The toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 71 is positively charged. On the other hand, the transfer roller 75 applies a negative charge having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image to the sheet. The toner image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 71 that is positively charged is peeled off toward the surface of the negatively charged paper and transferred to the paper.

  The cleaning device 76 removes and cleans the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 after the transfer process. The peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 71 cleaned by the cleaning device 76 goes to the charger 72 again for the next image forming process.

  The fixing unit 80 performs a fixing process by heating the paper on which the toner image transfer process has been performed by the image forming unit 70. The fixing unit 80 includes a heat roller 81 in which an energization heating element is mounted, and a pressure roller 82 having a circumferential surface facing the heat roller 81. The paper after the transfer process is fixed by obtaining heat from the heat roller 81 by passing through the nip portion between the driven and rotated 81 and the pressure roller 82 driven and rotated in the opposite direction to the heat roller 81. Processing is performed. The paper subjected to the fixing process is discharged to the paper discharge unit 30 through the third paper conveyance path 613 and the discharge roller pair 66.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the apparatus front cover unit 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 is a front view of the copying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a left side view of the copying machine 1. As shown in FIG. As described above, the apparatus front cover unit 100 includes the decorative surface 11 </ b> A of the opening / closing cover 11, the decorative covers 12 </ b> A and 13 </ b> A of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13, and the belt-shaped portion 15.

  The decorative surface 11A of the opening / closing cover 11 includes a stripe processed portion 11S in which a plurality of small ridges (may be concave stripes) aligned in the vertical direction are formed on the surface, and a flat processed portion 11F whose surface is a flat surface. Including. The shape of the flat processed portion 11F is a vertically long rectangular shape that is sandwiched on both sides by the stripe processed portion 11S at the central portion in the left-right direction of the decorative surface 11A and extends over substantially the entire vertical length of the stripe processed portion 11S. For example, a trademark, a product logo, or a manufacturer emblem is displayed on the flat processing portion 11F.

  For example, the stripe processed portion 11S can have a triangular (V-shaped), U-shaped, or rectangular uneven shape in cross-sectional view. The stripe pitch is preferably selected from a range of approximately 1 mm to 15 mm, and the depth of the unevenness is approximately 1 mm to 10 mm. Note that a heat dissipation slit hole may be provided in the recess of the stripe to dissipate the heat in the machine.

  11 A of decorative surfaces are further provided with the 1st inclined surface 111 and the 2nd inclined surface 112 in the upper part. The first inclined surface 111 and the second inclined surface 112 are also flat processed portions whose surfaces are flat. The first inclined surface 111 has a lateral width substantially equal to the left and right widths of the stripe processed portion 11S and the flat processed portion 11F, and is an inclined surface connected to these upper edge portions. The second inclined surface 112 is an inclined surface that connects the upper edge portion of the first inclined surface 111 and the front edge portion of the paper discharge tray 31. The inclination angle of the second inclined surface 112 is set to be slightly larger than that of the first inclined surface 111.

  The decorative cover 12A of the first paper feed cassette 12 includes a stripe processing portion 12S formed with ridges (concave lines) similar to the stripe processing portion 11S, and a flat processing portion 12F having a flat surface. . Similarly, the decorative cover 13A of the second paper feed cassette 13 is composed of a stripe processing portion 13S formed with ridges (concave ridges) and a flat processing portion 13F having a flat surface. The flat processed portions 12F and 13F are horizontally long rectangular shapes that extend over substantially the entire vertical length of the decorative covers 12A and 13A at the center in the left-right direction of the decorative covers 12A and 13A. The flat processed portions 12F and 13F are located on the back surface to which the handle portions 121 and 131 of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 are attached.

  According to the apparatus front cover unit 100 configured in this way, the stripe processed parts 11S, 12S, and 13S have irregularities with a small pitch, and thus diffuse the natural light or illumination light, while the flat processed parts 11F, 12F, Natural light or illumination light is regularly reflected by 13F and the first and second inclined surfaces 111 and 112, which are also flat processed portions. Therefore, the flat processed portions 11F, 12F, 13F and the first and second inclined surfaces 111, 112 can be recognized by the user as visually conspicuous portions with respect to the stripe processed portions 11S, 12S, 13S. In particular, since the first and second inclined surfaces 111 and 112 are inclined surfaces that are inclined forward and backward from the rear, the first and second eyes of the user standing in front of the copying machine 1 under the ceiling illumination are provided. It is easy for regular reflection light from the inclined surfaces 111 and 112 to reach.

  Since the first and second inclined surfaces 111 and 112 are provided in a portion adjacent to the paper discharge tray 31, the contrast with the stripe processing portions 11 </ b> S, 12 </ b> S, and 13 </ b> S is generated. This makes it possible for the user to easily identify the position. Further, since the flat processing portions 12F and 13F are provided, the positions of the handle portions 121 and 131 of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13 can be easily identified by the user.

  That is, a design sharpness is imparted so that parts that need to be accessed during the operation are visually conspicuous while stripes are applied to other parts so that they are not conspicuous. For this reason, at the time of taking out the paper after image formation, etc., it is possible to improve the discriminability of the in-body discharge type paper discharge unit 30 and to improve the accessibility to the paper discharge tray 31. In addition, the accessibility to the handle parts 121 and 131 can be improved, and the operability at the time of paper replenishment can be improved.

  Furthermore, as a result of the flat processing portion 11F of the opening / closing cover 11 having the shape as described above, the flat processing portion 11F is connected to the flat processing portions 12F and 13F of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12 and 13, and the flat processing portion 11F is the paper discharge portion 30. It is directed to the (discharge tray 31), and can be a mark that suggests the user with the access direction to the discharge section 30. When the user takes out the paper from the paper discharge unit 30, the upper end of the flat processing unit 11F can be used as a guide for inserting a hand.

  Next, the color of the copying machine 1 will be described. The overall color of the copying machine 1 is a dark color such as black. In the copying machine 1 based on a black background, silver coating (light color) is applied to the flat processing portion 11F of the apparatus front cover portion 100 and the front surfaces 121A and 131A of the handle portions 121 and 131. With such a color configuration, the recognizability of the handle parts 121 and 131 and the paper discharge unit 30 can be further enhanced based on the difference in color contrast. In addition, it is possible to create a high-class feeling with the color of silver on a black background.

  The image reading unit 20 and the operation panel 50 also have a black background. Among them, the opening / closing handle 20A of the automatic document feeding unit 21 of the image reading unit 20 is painted with silver. The automatic document feeder unit 21 can be opened upward with the rear end side of the scanner unit 22 as a rotation fulcrum, but the opening / closing handle 20A is gripped at the time of opening. The front side peripheral edge 50A of the operation panel 50 is also covered with silver trim. By setting it as such a color structure, the part which a user mainly operates can be made conspicuous in color, and the user's recognizability of these parts can be improved.

  Next, the side view shape of the copying machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The column cover 41 of the column unit 40 and the belt-shaped unit 15 of the apparatus main body 10 are formed in a continuous shape that has a convex arcuate shape in the front. The decorative surface 11A of the opening / closing cover 11 protrudes one step from the support cover 41 and the decorative covers 12A, 13A of the first and second paper feed cassettes 12, 13. This is also due to the fact that the opening / closing cover 11 covers the image forming unit 70 including various apparatus components. Furthermore, the decorative surface 11 </ b> A of the opening / closing cover 11 protrudes from the front surfaces 121 </ b> A and 131 </ b> A of the handle portions 121 and 131.

  In the decorative surface 11A of such an opening / closing cover 11, the flat processed portion 11F is a protruding flat portion protruding further forward. That is, the flat processed portion 11 </ b> F is a portion that protrudes most forward on the front side of the apparatus main body 10.

  When the copying machine 1 is installed or moved, the decorative surface 11A that protrudes forward easily collides with a wall surface or other articles when the copying machine 1 is moved. However, since the decorative surface 11A is provided with the flat processed portion 11F, damage to the stripe processed portion 11S can be suppressed even if a collision occurs. Further, since the flat processed portion 11F protrudes most forward on the front surface side of the apparatus main body 10, the front surfaces 121A and 131A of the handle portions 121 and 131 and the column cover 41 can be prevented from being a contact surface with respect to the wall surface or the like. These parts can be guarded. In addition, it is desirable that the flat processed portion 11F protrudes forward from the front peripheral edge portion 50A of the operation panel 50.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the following modified embodiment can be taken.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the unit cover member of the front cover of the apparatus is constituted by the decorative surface 11A of the opening / closing cover 11 and the decorative covers 12A, 13A of the two-stage paper feed cassettes 12, 13 disposed below the decorative surface 11A. An example that has been shown. The paper feed cassette may be a single stage or a multistage of three or more stages.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the example in which the flat processing portion 11F of the decorative surface 11A indicating the access direction to the paper discharge portion 30 is a vertically long rectangular shape has been described. Instead of this, the flat processed portion 11F may have a tapered triangle shape or a trapezoidal shape upward. Moreover, although the example which provides one flat process part 11F in the left-right direction center part of 11 A of decorative surfaces was shown, you may provide in positions other than a center part, or may provide two or more.

  (3) In the said embodiment, black was illustrated as an example of a dark color, and silver was illustrated as an example of a light color. These are only examples, and other color combinations may be used. The difference in lightness between the dark color and the light color is preferably 3 or more as the lightness difference in the Munsell chart (JIS) Munsell value.

1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a copying machine that is an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal configuration of a copying machine. 1 is a front view of a copying machine. 1 is a left side view of a copying machine.

Explanation of symbols

1 Copying machine (image forming device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Apparatus main body 100 Apparatus front cover part 11 Opening / closing cover (unit cover member)
12, 13 First and second paper feed cassettes (unit cover members)
121, 131 Handle portion 11S, 12S, 13S Stripe processing portion 11F, 12F, 13F Flat processing portion 111, 112 First and second inclined surfaces (flat processing portion)
20 Image reading unit 20A Open / close handle (light colored part)
21 Automatic document feeder (automatic document feeder)
22 Scanner Unit 30 Paper Ejecting Section 31 Paper Ejecting Tray 40 Strut 50 Operation Panel (Operating Section)
50A Front side peripheral edge (light colored part)

Claims (7)

A box-shaped apparatus main body provided with an image forming unit and a paper feeding unit;
An image reading unit disposed in an upper part of the apparatus main body;
A paper discharge unit provided between the apparatus main body and the image reading unit and including a paper discharge tray for discharging paper after image formation; and a paper discharge unit opened at least forward for taking out the paper;
An apparatus front cover portion including a unit cover member which is disposed on the front surface of the apparatus main body and can be opened forward;
A handle portion provided on a part or all of the unit cover member and used for an opening operation of the unit cover member,
The apparatus front cover portion includes a stripe processing portion in which concave or convex stripes are formed on a surface thereof, and a flat processing portion in which the surface is a flat surface,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the flat processing portion is provided at least in a portion adjacent to the paper discharge tray and a back portion of the handle portion. An open / close cover that is disposed below the paper discharge unit and covers the image forming unit and can be opened and closed forward.
A sheet feeding cassette that is disposed below the opening and closing cover and is mounted on the apparatus main body so as to be able to be drawn forward.
As the unit cover member of the apparatus front cover portion, including the opening and closing cover and a decorative cover on the front surface of the paper feed cassette, the handle portion is attached to the decorative cover,
The said flat processing part is provided in the part adjacent to the said paper discharge tray of the said opening / closing cover, and the back surface to which the said handle part of the said decorative cover is attached, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening / closing cover further includes a flat processing portion that indicates an access direction to the paper discharge portion.   4. The color of the flat processing portion indicating the access direction to the handle portion and the paper discharge portion is a light color, and the color of other portions of the apparatus front cover portion is a dark color. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a flat processing unit indicating an access direction to the paper discharge unit and a flat processing unit on a rear surface of the handle unit are continuous and directed to the paper discharge unit. .   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an operation unit is attached in front of the image reading unit, and a light color portion is provided on a front surface of the operation unit.   5. The image reading unit includes an automatic document feeder that can be opened and closed upward, and a light color portion is provided on an opening / closing handle of the automatic document feeder. Image forming apparatus.

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