JP2011173731A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of realizing the excellent operability when taking out a discharged sheet compared with the operability when the present constitution is not provided. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming device includes an image forming means forming images on a sheet, a sheet conveying means provided inside the device body to convey the sheet, a sheet discharging means for discharging the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying means, a bulge part which is a sheet accommodating part for accommodating the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging means, formed to be bulged, and receives the discharged sheet, the sheet accommodating part having a recessed part formed in a recessed manner so as to allow a hand of a user to enter, and a covering part for covering an upper part of the sheet accommodating part. The bulge part is located at a center of the sheet to be accommodated in the sheet accommodating part in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction, and set to be narrower than the width of the sheet. The recessed part is located on the front side of the device body from the bulge part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers are provided with a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet that is an object of image formation. The sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus is finally discharged to the discharge tray by the discharge roll. Generally, the discharge tray is provided with an inclination from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction in order to align the positions of the sheets discharged thereto.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a plate-like support member is provided in a state of floating from the bottom of the discharge tray, and the sheet discharged by the discharge roll is received by the support member, and the sheet placed on the support member on the discharge tray There has been proposed a structure in which the support member is sequentially lowered in accordance with the weight of the lens.

JP-A-5-105305

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of improving the operability at the time of taking out a discharged sheet as compared with the case where the present configuration is not provided.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is provided inside an apparatus main body, and forms an image on a sheet; a sheet conveying means provided inside the apparatus main body for conveying the sheet; and the sheet conveying A sheet discharge means for discharging the sheet conveyed by the means, and a sheet storage portion for storing the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge means, and a bulge portion for receiving the discharged and formed sheet The sheet storage portion having a recess formed so that a user's hand can enter under the discharged sheet, and a cover that covers an upper portion of the sheet storage portion, and the bulge The portion is positioned at a central portion of the sheet stored in the sheet storage portion in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet, and both sides of the discharged sheet are The width of the sheet is set to be narrower than the width of the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet so as to protrude from the protruding portion, and the recessed portion is positioned on the front side of the apparatus main body with respect to the protruding portion. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the operability at the time of taking out the discharged sheet as compared with the case where this configuration is not provided.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the arrangement | positioning state of a discharge tray. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment state of an auxiliary tray. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment or detachment structure of an auxiliary tray. It is a figure explaining the structure of an auxiliary tray. It is a perspective view which shows the removal state of an auxiliary tray. It is a figure which shows the mounting state and non-mounting state of an auxiliary tray. It is a figure explaining the difference of the sheet landing state when not attaching with the case where an auxiliary tray is attached. It is a figure which shows the structure of a sheet | seat abutting guide. It is a figure explaining the storage structure of an auxiliary tray. It is a figure explaining the malfunction at the time of sheet discharge.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus main body 1 has three sheet storage trays 2, 3, 4 incorporated in a multistage structure of upper, middle, and lower. Each of the sheet storage trays 2, 3, 4 stores a predetermined number of sheets in a stacked state. Among these, the sheet storage tray 2 is disposed in the upper stage, the sheet storage tray 3 is disposed in the middle stage, and the sheet storage tray 4 is disposed in the lower stage.

  Further, in the vicinity of the sheet storage tray 2, a call roll 5 and a delivery roll 6 are disposed as sheet supply rolls. The calling roll 5 calls the sheets stored in the sheet storage tray 2 in order from the top. The delivery roll 6 feeds the sheets called by the call roll 5 to the sheet conveyance path while rolling the sheets one by one. Similarly, a calling roll 7 and a sending roll 8 are arranged in the vicinity of the sheet storage tray 3, and a calling roll 9 and a sending roll 10 are arranged in the vicinity of the sheet storage tray 4.

  Further, on a sheet conveyance path that is a destination of the sheets supplied from the respective sheet storage trays 2, 3, 4, a conveyance roll 11, a conveyance roll 12, a registration roll 13, a reverse roll 14, and a conveyance roll 15 are provided. And the conveyance roll 16 and the conveyance roll 17 are arrange | positioned. The transport roll 11 receives and transports the sheet sent out by the feed roll 10. The transport roll 12 receives and transports the sheet fed by the feed roll 8 and the sheet transported by the transport roll 11.

  The registration roll 13 feeds a sheet fed by the feed roll 6, a sheet conveyed by the conveyance roll 12 or the conveyance roll 17, and a sheet manually fed to the image transfer position at a predetermined timing. is there. The image transfer position is a position where the toner image is transferred to the sheet being conveyed. The feed roll 18 feeds the sheet supplied from the manual feed unit 19 toward the sheet conveyance path. The manual feed unit 19 is a unit for manually supplying sheets.

  On the sheet conveyance path from the registration roll 13 to the reversing roll 14, an image forming unit 20 and a fixing unit 21 are sequentially arranged. The image forming unit 20 is a part that transfers the toner image to the sheet fed by the resist roll 13. The image forming unit 20 is configured using a photosensitive drum 22 and a transfer roll 23. The photosensitive drum 22 and the transfer roll 23 are opposed to each other on the sheet conveyance path, and the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 22 to the sheet at the opposed portion. Therefore, the facing portion between the photosensitive drum 22 and the transfer roll 23 becomes the image transfer position. Around the photosensitive drum 22, in addition to the transfer roll 23, a charger (not shown), a laser exposure device for forming a latent image, a developing device, a cleaner, a static eliminator, and the like are arranged. The fixing unit 21 fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet by the image forming unit 20. The fixing unit 21 includes a heating roll 24 and a pressure roll 25.

  The reversing roll 14 conveys the sheet fed from the fixing unit 21 while niping it, and reverses the sheet by a switchback method as necessary. For this reason, the reversing roll 14 is provided so as to be rotatable in both directions. The transport rolls 15, 16, and 17 are provided in the reverse transport unit 26. The reverse conveyance unit 26 is a unit for conveying again the sheet reversed by the reverse roll 14 toward the image transfer position.

  Further, a switching gate 27 is provided between the fixing unit 21 and the reversing roll 14, and another switching gate 28 is provided on the opposite side (upper side) of the switching gate 27 across the reversing roll 14. The switching gate 27 switches the traveling direction of the sheet at a branch position of the sheet conveyance path provided between the fixing unit 21 and the reverse roll 14. The switching gate 28 switches the sheet traveling direction at the branch position of the sheet conveyance path provided on the downstream side (upper side) of the reversing roll 14.

  More specifically, the switching gate 27 switches the traveling direction of the sheet so that the sheet fed from the fixing unit 21 is guided to the reversing roll 14 or the discharging roll 29 or conveys the sheet reversed by the reversing roll 14. The traveling direction of the sheet is switched so as to be guided to the roll 15. The switching gate 28 switches the sheet traveling direction so that the sheet conveyed by the reversing roll 14 is guided to the discharge roll 30 or the discharge roll 31. The discharge roll 29 discharges a sheet to a discharge tray 32 provided corresponding to the discharge roll 29. Further, the discharge roll 30 discharges a sheet to a discharge tray 33 provided corresponding thereto, and the discharge roll 31 discharges the sheet to a discharge tray 34 provided corresponding thereto.

  When the image forming apparatus main body 1 is viewed from the front direction (the user's standing position), the discharge roll 29 discharges the sheet in the right direction by rotating the sheet fed by the switching gate 27 while nipping the sheet. is there. Further, the discharge roll 30 rotates while nipping the sheet fed by the switching gate 28 to discharge the sheet in the right direction, and the discharge roll 31 nips the sheet fed by the switching gate 28. By rotating, the sheet is discharged leftward. A discharge tray 32 is formed on the sheet discharge side by the discharge roll 29. A discharge tray 33 is formed on the sheet discharge side by the discharge roll 30, and a discharge tray 34 is formed on the sheet discharge side by the discharge roll 31.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an arrangement state of the discharge tray. The discharge tray 32 stores sheets discharged by the discharge roll 29 in a stacked state. The discharge tray 33 stores sheets discharged by the discharge roll 30 in a stacked state, and the discharge tray 34 stores sheets discharged by the discharge roll 31 in a stacked state. The discharge trays 32 and 33 are formed with an upward slope in order to align the positions of the sheets discharged to the right by the corresponding discharge rolls 29 and 30. On the other hand, the discharge tray 34 is formed with an upward slope to align the positions of the sheets discharged leftward by the discharge roll 31. Further, the discharge tray 32 and the discharge tray 33 are arranged in two upper and lower stages with the discharge tray 32 at the lower stage and the discharge tray 33 at the upper stage at the upper part of the image forming apparatus main body 1. It is provided in a state extending leftward from the top.

  Returning again to FIG. 1, four sheet detection sensors 35 to 38 and two sheet discharge sensors 39 and 40 are provided on the sheet conveyance path. Among these, the sheet detection sensor 35 is disposed in the vicinity (downstream side) of the transport roll 11, and the sheet detection sensor 36 is disposed in the vicinity (upstream side) of the transport roll 12. A sheet detection sensor (hereinafter referred to as “registration sensor”) 37 is disposed in the vicinity (upstream side) of the registration roll 13, and the sheet detection sensor 38 is disposed in the vicinity (downstream side) of the conveyance roll 15. On the other hand, the sheet discharge sensor 39 is disposed in the vicinity (downstream side) of the fixing unit 21 on the upstream side of the branch position of the sheet conveyance path in which the switching gate 27 is provided, and the sheet discharge sensor 40 is provided with the switching gate 28. It is disposed in the vicinity (upstream side) of the branch position of the sheet conveyance path.

  Each of the sensors 35 to 40 is configured by using, for example, a reflective photosensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and is turned on when a sheet exists at the sensor detection position, and the sheet is detected at the sensor detection position. Turns off when not present. Therefore, each of the sensors 35 to 40 switches from the off state to the on state when the leading edge of the sheet passes through its sensor detection position, and then turns on when the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the sensor detection position. Switch from state to off state. Therefore, it is possible to detect the passage of the sheet (passing through the leading edge and passing through the trailing edge) from the on / off state of each of the sensors 35 to 40.

  The discharge roll 30 has a bidirectional conveyance function for inverting the sheet in synchronization with the reversing roll 14 when the sheet is reversed by the reversing roll 14. The bidirectional transfer function of the discharge roll 30 is realized by providing the discharge roll 30 so as to be rotatable in both directions, similarly to the reverse roll 14. Moreover, the synchronous conveyance of the discharge roll 30 and the reverse roll 14 is realized by rotating each roll in the same direction at the same peripheral speed.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, of the three sheet storage trays 2, 3, 4, for example, when an image is formed on a sheet stored in the lower sheet storage tray 4, the sheet storage tray 4 is rotated by the rotation of the calling roll 9 and the delivery roll 10. Supply sheets. Next, the sheet is conveyed by the rotation of the conveying rolls 11 and 12. Next, after the rotation of the resist roll 13 is started at a predetermined timing after the leading edge of the sheet is abutted against the nip portion of the resist roll 13 whose rotation has been stopped, the sheet is fed into the image forming unit 20.

  Subsequently, the sheet is conveyed by the image forming unit 20 while being nipped between the photosensitive drum 22 and the transfer roll 23, whereby the toner image carried on the photosensitive drum 22 is transferred to the sheet. Next, the sheet is sent to the fixing unit 21 where the toner image is fixed on the sheet. As a result, an image is formed on one side of the sheet.

  When the image-formed sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 32, the sheet is guided to the discharge roll 29 by switching the traveling direction of the sheet sent from the fixing unit 21 with the switching gate 27. Then, the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 32 according to the rotation of the discharge roll 29. In this case, the sheet is discharged with the image forming surface facing downward. The image forming surface described here refers to the surface of the sheet on which an image is formed (transferred or fixed) immediately before the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray.

  Further, when the sheet on which the image is formed is discharged to the discharge tray 33, the sheet is sent to the reverse roll 14 by switching the traveling direction of the sheet sent from the fixing unit 21 by the switching gate 27. The sheet is guided to the discharge roll 30 by switching the traveling direction of the conveyed sheet by the switching gate 28. Then, the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 33 according to the rotation of the discharge roll 30. In this case, the sheet is discharged with the image forming surface facing downward.

  Further, when the sheet on which the image is formed is discharged to the discharge tray 34, the sheet is guided to the reversing roll 14 by switching the traveling direction of the sheet sent from the fixing unit 21 with the switching gate 27, and further with the reversing roll 14. The sheet is guided to the discharge roll 31 by switching the traveling direction of the conveyed sheet at the switching gate 28. Then, the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 34 according to the rotation of the discharge roll 31. In this case, the sheet is discharged with the image forming surface facing upward.

  On the other hand, when images are formed on both sides of a sheet, first, the sheet is fed to the reversing roll 14 by switching the traveling direction of the sheet sent from the fixing unit 21 by the switching gate 27 and further conveyed by the reversing roll 14. The sheet is guided to the discharge roll 30 by switching the advancing direction of the sheet with the switching gate 28. Next, when the trailing edge of the sheet passes the branch position of the sheet conveyance path by the switching gate 27, the rotation of the reverse roll 14 and the discharge roll 30 is stopped, and at the same time, the conveyance of the sheet is stopped.

  Next, the reverse roll 14 and the discharge roll 30 are reversely rotated, and the traveling direction of the sheet conveyed by the reverse rotation is switched by the switching gate 27, whereby the sheet is guided to the reverse conveyance unit 26. Subsequently, the sheet is conveyed by the conveyance rollers 15, 16, and 17 in the reverse conveyance unit 26, and the leading edge of the sheet is again abutted against the nip portion of the resist roll 13 whose rotation is stopped.

  Thereafter, the sheet is sent to the image forming unit 20 in the same procedure as described above, and after the toner image is transferred to the sheet, the sheet is sent to the fixing unit 21 to fix the toner image on the sheet. As a result, images are formed on both sides of the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is discharged to one of the discharge trays 32, 33, and 34 in the same procedure as described above.

  Here, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, the auxiliary tray 41 is provided on the discharge tray 32 arranged in the lower stage of the discharge tray 33 among the three discharge trays 32, 33, 34 described above. It has been. The auxiliary tray 41 is provided on the inclined tray portion 42 of the discharge tray 32 along the inclination of the inclined tray portion 42. Further, the auxiliary tray 41 is disposed in close contact with the inclined tray portion 42. The “close contact state” described here means that the auxiliary tray 41 does not have a gap on the main surface (slope) of the inclined tray portion 42 in the stacking direction of the sheets discharged to the discharge tray 32 or a slight gap. The state of being attached.

  The inclined tray portion 42 is disposed on the upstream side in the sheet discharge direction in the length direction of the discharge tray 32. In addition, the inclined tray portion 42 is formed in a state inclined to the right with respect to the horizontal plane (virtual plane), and the auxiliary tray 41 is also provided in a state inclined in the upward direction along this inclination. The sheet discharge direction refers to the moving direction of the sheet discharged by the discharge roll. On the discharge tray 32, since the sheet is discharged rightward by the discharge roll 29, the side closer to the discharge roll 29 in the sheet discharge direction is the upstream side, and the far side is the downstream side. Therefore, when the discharge tray 32 is divided into two in the sheet discharge direction, the left side (lower side) of the discharge tray 32 corresponds to the upstream side in the sheet discharge direction when the image forming apparatus main body 1 is viewed from the front direction. The right side (higher side) of 32 corresponds to the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction. Therefore, the inclined tray portion 42 is disposed on the left side of the discharge tray 32 corresponding to the upstream side in the sheet discharge direction, and the auxiliary tray 41 is provided there.

  In contrast, the leading edge of the sheet nipped by the discharge roll 29 is discharged to the discharge tray 32 toward the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction. For this reason, on the discharge tray 32, the leading edge of the sheet is arranged facing the downstream side in the sheet discharging direction, and the trailing edge of the sheet is arranged facing the upstream side in the sheet discharging direction. Therefore, by disposing the inclined tray portion 42 on the upstream side in the sheet discharging direction, the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 can be slid down along the inclined tray portion 42.

  Further, the discharge tray 32 has a sheet abutment guide 43 that rises from the base end portion (lowermost portion) of the inclined tray portion 42 toward the discharge roll 29. The sheet abutment guide 43 is formed integrally with the discharge tray 32 by, for example, resin molding. As described above, the trailing edge of the sheet that slides down along the inclined tray portion 42 on the discharge tray 32 abuts against the sheet abutting guide 43. Therefore, the rear ends of the sheets discharged to the discharge tray 32 are sequentially abutted against the sheet abutting guide 43, whereby the positions of the respective sheets can be aligned in the sheet ejection direction.

  On the other hand, the auxiliary tray 41 forms an inclined surface 44 different from the inclined tray portion 42 on the discharge tray 32 as shown in FIG. 3 shows a state in which the discharge tray 33 is removed from the image forming apparatus main body 1. The inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41 is formed so as to bulge out in an arc shape from the inclined tray portion 42 when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. For this reason, when the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41 is divided into an upstream side and a downstream side with the top of the arc as a boundary in the sheet discharging direction, the upstream side (lower side) of the inclined surface 44 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. 42, and the downstream side (higher side) of the inclined surface 44 is inclined at a smaller angle than the inclined tray portion 42 with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, on the downstream side of the inclined surface 44, the inclination of the discharge tray 32 is apparently gentle.

  The auxiliary tray 41 is disposed so as to be positioned at the center of the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. By arranging the auxiliary tray 41 in this way, a sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 by the discharge roll 29 (hereinafter also referred to as “discharge sheet”) can be reliably received by the auxiliary tray 41, and the auxiliary tray 41 can be received. It is possible to support the discharge sheet placed on the substrate in a well-balanced manner.

  Further, by setting the width of the auxiliary tray 41 narrower than the width of the discharged sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction, the following effects can be obtained. For example, when the width of the auxiliary tray 41 is set to be narrower than the maximum sheet width that can be accommodated in the discharge tray 32, when the sheet of the maximum sheet width is actually discharged to the discharge tray 32 and stacked on the auxiliary tray 41, Both sides of the sheet protrude from the auxiliary tray 41 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. Accordingly, when a plurality of sheets are stacked on the auxiliary tray 41, a downward force is exerted on both sides of the sheet by the weight of the sheet. For this reason, when both sides of the sheet are curled upward, the curl of both sides can be corrected by the weight of the sheets stacked on the auxiliary tray 41. Further, even when the rear end portion of the sheet (the sheet abutting guide 43 side) is curled upward, the curl of the rear end portion of the sheet can be corrected by the weight of the sheets stacked on the auxiliary tray 41.

  Such a curl correction effect can be obtained by setting the width of the auxiliary tray 41 to be narrower than the width of the discharged sheet in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction. For this reason, for example, when the width of the auxiliary tray 41 is set narrower than the sheet width of the A4 size, curling of the sheet can be corrected by stacking sheets wider than the A4 size on the auxiliary tray 41. it can. Further, when the width of the auxiliary tray 41 is set to be narrower than the B5 size sheet width, the curling of the sheet can be corrected by stacking sheets wider than the B5 size on the auxiliary tray 41.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2 above, since the upper portion of the discharge tray 32 is covered with the discharge tray 33, for example, when the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 is taken out from the upper side, the discharge tray 33 becomes an obstacle. Therefore, the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 is taken out from the front side of the image forming apparatus main body 1 (the user's standing position side). Specifically, the user inserts his / her hand into the space formed between the discharge tray 32 and the discharge tray 33 from the front side of the image forming apparatus body 1 to grasp the sheet, and the sheet is taken out as it is. Yes.

  Corresponding to such removal of the sheet, one side wall 45 of the auxiliary tray 41 is inclined obliquely. The side wall 45 of the auxiliary tray 41 is formed on the sheet take-out side (user standing position side) in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. Further, the side wall 45 is formed obliquely so as to gradually rise from the near side to the far side as viewed from the sheet take-out side. By tilting the side wall 45 of the auxiliary tray 41 in this manner, when the user takes out the sheets stacked on the auxiliary tray 41, the impact when the user's fingertip hits the side wall 45 can be reduced.

  Further, the inclined tray portion 42 is formed with a relief portion 46 in a state where the main surface of the inclined tray portion 42 is partially recessed. The escape portion 46 is formed at a position different from the auxiliary tray 41 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. Further, the escape portion 46 is formed so as to extend further to the sheet take-out side (the user's standing position side) than the auxiliary tray 41. By forming the escape portion 46 in the inclined tray portion 42 in this way, when taking out the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32, the user's hand can be received by the escape portion 46 and the sheet can be easily grasped.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary tray 41 is detachably provided on the inclined tray portion 42. FIG. 5A is a plan view of the auxiliary tray 41, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the auxiliary tray 41. A plurality of locking pieces 47 are formed in the auxiliary tray 41, and a plurality of engagement holes 48 are also formed in the inclined tray portion 42 correspondingly. Each locking piece 47 is locked in a state of being inserted into the corresponding engagement hole 48. A total of five locking pieces 47 are formed, one on each side of the auxiliary tray 41 and three on the downstream end of the auxiliary tray 41. Among these, the locking pieces 47 formed on both sides of the auxiliary tray 41 are elastically deformed (flexed deformation) inwardly (in a direction approaching each other) when inserted into the corresponding engagement holes 48, It is locked in the engagement hole 48 by a reaction force. Of the three locking pieces 47 formed at the downstream end of the auxiliary tray 41, a small protrusion is formed on the two outer locking pieces 47, and the small protrusions correspond to the corresponding locking holes. The position of the auxiliary tray 41 is determined by engaging with 48 without rattling.

  Accordingly, when the auxiliary tray 41 is attached to the inclined tray portion 42, the locking pieces 47 provided on the auxiliary tray 41 are aligned with the corresponding engagement holes 48, and the locking of the both sides is performed. By pressing the auxiliary tray 41 from above while elastically deforming the piece 47 inward, the corresponding locking piece 47 can be inserted into the engagement hole 48 and the auxiliary tray 41 can be attached to the inclined tray portion 42. . Further, when removing the auxiliary tray 41 from the inclined tray portion 42, the auxiliary tray 41 is lifted upward while the locking pieces 47 formed on both sides of the auxiliary tray 41 are deformed inward. It is possible to remove the auxiliary tray 41 from the inclined tray portion 42 by extracting the locking piece 47 from the engaging hole 48.

  Thus, when the auxiliary tray 41 is attached to the inclined tray portion 42, the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41 is in a state of bulging out from the main surface of the inclined tray portion 42 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 32 by the discharge roll 29 is stacked on the auxiliary tray 41. For this reason, the inclined posture of the discharge sheet is along the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41. In this case, since the auxiliary tray 41 is provided along the inclination of the inclined tray portion 32, the auxiliary tray 41 is loaded on the auxiliary tray 41 even if the upper space of the discharge tray 32 is covered with the discharge tray 33 as described above. The visibility of the sheet and the operability at the time of taking out do not deteriorate significantly. Therefore, the sheet can be easily taken out from the discharge tray 32 even when the auxiliary tray 41 is mounted.

  On the other hand, when the auxiliary tray 41 is removed from the inclined tray portion 42, the entire main surface of the inclined tray portion 42 is exposed as shown in FIG. The discharged sheets are directly stacked on the inclined tray portion 42. For this reason, the inclined posture of the discharge sheet is along the main surface of the inclined tray portion 42.

  Thus, by providing the auxiliary tray 41 so as to be detachable (detachable) from the inclined tray portion 42, the inclination angle of the tray can be changed on the upstream side of the discharge tray 32. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, in the state where the auxiliary tray 41 is mounted on the inclined tray portion 42, the inclination angle of the tray depends on the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41, and FIG. As shown, in a state where the auxiliary tray 41 is not attached to the inclined tray portion 42, the inclination angle of the tray depends on the main surface (inclination) of the inclined tray portion 42.

  For this reason, the above-mentioned tilt angle of the tray is assisted so as to conform to sheet discharge conditions such as sheet type (size, material, basis weight, thickness, etc.), sheet image density, moisture content, curl state, etc. The tray 41 can be used properly. For example, when handling sheets such as thin paper that is weak, use the image forming apparatus with the auxiliary tray 41 attached to the inclined tray portion 42 (attached state), and handle sheets such as plain paper that is relatively strong. In this case, the image forming apparatus can be used with the auxiliary tray 41 removed from the inclined tray portion 42 (non-attached state).

  Further, when discharging a low-waist sheet, the shape of the inclined surface 44 and the mounting position of the auxiliary tray 41 are adjusted in the sheet discharge direction so that the sheet landing point is just downstream (higher side) of the inclined surface 44. By appropriately setting, the inclination angle of the tray can be made gentle at the seating point. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the auxiliary tray 41 is not attached to the inclined tray portion 42, the sheet discharged from the discharge roll 29 lands on the slope of the inclined tray portion 42. However, when the auxiliary tray 41 is mounted on the inclined tray portion 42, the sheet discharged by the discharge roll 29 lands on the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41. The angle formed by the tray is θ2, which is smaller than the above θ1. For this reason, it becomes difficult for the sheet to be bent into a Z-shape on the discharge tray 32 and for the leading end side of the sheet to be rounded. Therefore, occurrence of sheet accommodation failure can be effectively prevented. Further, since the corrugation can be set weak, it is possible to reduce sheet damage and noise during ejection.

  Further, the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41 bulges out from the inclined tray portion 42 in an arc shape, so that the entire discharge tray 32 can be smoothly inclined and the sheet can be curled unnecessarily on the discharge tray 32. There is no. Further, since the slope is tighter than the sloped tray portion 42 on the upstream side of the sloped surface 44, the sheet received by the auxiliary tray 41 can be smoothly slid down along the sloped surface 44.

  On the other hand, when discharging a relatively stiff sheet, the sheet landing point moves to the downstream side, and the sheet can be pushed to the downstream side even if the tilt angle of the tray is tight. Even if the tray 41 is not provided, sheet storage failure does not occur. Further, since the bottom shape of the discharge tray 32 is deeper than when the auxiliary tray 41 is attached, more sheets can be stacked on the discharge tray 32.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of convex portions 50 are formed on the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43. Each convex portion 50 is formed at a predetermined interval in a direction (left-right direction in FIG. 9) orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction. Further, in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction, the inner two convex portions 50 are arranged at equal positions on the left and right sides from the center of the discharged sheet, and the outer two convex portions 50 are also arranged at equal positions on the left and right from the center of the discharged sheet. ing. The interval between the two inner convex portions 50 is set to be narrower by about 10 to 20 mm than the sheet width (182 mm) of the B5 size, for example, if the sheet having the minimum size among the sheets is the B5 size. Further, each convex portion 50 is formed in a longitudinal rib shape so as to be parallel to the stacking direction of the discharged sheets.

  Further, a buffer member 51 is attached between the two inner convex portions 50. The buffer member 51 has a two-layer structure of an impact absorbing layer 52 made of urethane foam or the like with high energy absorption and a cover layer 53 made of a sheet (or film) with high surface smoothness. Among these, the cover layer 53 is disposed facing the downstream side in the sheet discharge direction. Further, the buffer member 51 is disposed on the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43 so as to protrude from the convex portion 50 described above.

  For this reason, the rear end of the sheet that slides down along the inclination of the inclined tray portion 42 and the auxiliary tray 41 abuts against the buffer member 51 in contact with the cover layer 53. Further, when the posture of the sheet is tilted, the rear end of the sheet hits one of the two outer convex portions 50 together with the buffer member 51 on the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43. Accordingly, the rear end of the sheet is supported by the buffer member 51 or the convex portion 50 in a state of slightly floating from the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43 according to the projecting dimension of the convex portion 50 or the projecting dimension of the buffer member 51. The

  Thereby, when the sheet slides down along the inclination of the inclined tray portion 42 or the auxiliary tray 41, a gap is always formed between the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43 and the rear end of the sheet. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the rear end side of the sheet from sticking to the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting guide 43 due to the influence of static electricity or the like. In addition, since the rear end of the sheet sliding down the inclined tray portion 42 and the auxiliary tray 41 first strikes the buffer member 51 on the guide surface 49 of the sheet abutting member 43, the sheet abutting guide 43 aligns the position of the sheet. The collision noise can be reduced.

  Furthermore, by arranging the two inner convex portions 50 so as to sandwich the buffer member 51 from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction, both sides of the buffer member 51 can be held by the respective convex portions 50. For this reason, for example, when a sheet is taken out from the discharge tray 32, both sides of the buffer member 51 are held (protected) by the convex portions 50 even if the user's hand or fingertip is accidentally extended toward the buffer member 51. Further, the buffer member 51 can be prevented from peeling off.

  In the above embodiment, the auxiliary tray 41 is detachably provided on the inclined tray portion 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the auxiliary tray 41 is provided. It is also possible to provide 41 in the inclined tray part 42 so that storage is possible. Specifically, a concave space 54 that can accommodate the auxiliary tray 41 is formed in the inclined tray portion 42, and one end of the auxiliary tray 41 is rotatably supported by a pivot 55 provided in the inclined tray portion 42. The other end of the auxiliary member 41 is supported by the link arm 56.

  The posture of the link arm 56 can be changed between a first state in which the link arm 56 stands substantially vertically and a second state in which the link arm 56 falls substantially horizontally. Then, when the auxiliary tray 41 is used, the posture of the link arm 56 is set to the first state (vertical posture) in order to put the auxiliary tray 41 in the non-retracted state. Then, since the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41 bulges out from the inclined tray portion 42 in an arc shape, sheets can be stacked along the inclined surface 44 of the auxiliary tray 41. When the auxiliary tray 41 is not used, the posture of the link arm 56 is set to the second state (horizontal posture) in order to place the auxiliary tray 41 in the retracted state. Then, since the auxiliary tray 41 is stored in the recessed space 54, sheets can be stacked along the inclination of the inclined tray portion 32.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the auxiliary tray 41 is provided on the discharge tray 32 has been described. However, it is possible to provide auxiliary trays on the other discharge trays 33 and 34 in the same manner as described above. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various other configurations can be taken without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  29 ... discharge roll, 32 ... discharge tray, 41 ... auxiliary tray, 42 ... inclined tray section, 43 ... sheet abutment guide, 44 ... inclined surface

Claims (3)

An image forming means provided inside the apparatus body for forming an image on a sheet;
A sheet conveying means provided inside the apparatus main body for conveying the sheet;
Sheet discharging means for discharging the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying means;
A sheet storage unit configured to store the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge unit, wherein the sheet is formed to bulge and receive the discharged sheet; and a user's hand enters below the discharged sheet. The sheet containing portion having a recessed portion formed so as to be recessed,
A cover portion covering the upper portion of the sheet storage portion,
The bulging portion is located in a central portion of the sheet stored in the sheet storage portion in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet, and both sides of the discharged sheet protrude from the bulging portion. The width of the sheet is set to be narrower than the width of the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet so that the dent is located on the front side of the apparatus main body with respect to the bulge. Forming equipment.   The sheet storage portion includes a sheet abutting guide that rises from a base end portion of the sheet accommodating portion toward the sheet discharge unit, and supports a rear end of the sheet on a guide surface of the sheet abutting guide, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or more protrusions are arranged at a position narrower than the width of the sheet with the center of the sheet as a reference.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a buffer member is provided on a guide surface of the sheet abutting guide.

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