JP2020011849A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image formation device with a recording medium loading device that can easily perform positioning of a recording medium to be loaded.SOLUTION: A first loading member 33 is provided closer to the side of an image formation device 100 than a second loading member 34. A recording medium loading device 30 has a retained part that is retained by the image formation device 100, and by the retained part being retained by the image formation device 100, the recording medium loading device 30 takes a storing position. The first loading member 33 includes a pair of controlling members 38 that control the position of the side ends of the loaded recording medium P. The recording medium loading device 30 is provided separately from the pair of the controlling members 38 and has an operating member 39 that is provided on a farther side from the image formation device 100 than the pair of the controlling members 38. By operating the operating member 39, the pair of the controlling members 38 moves in linkage in the image formation device 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium loading device and an image forming apparatus in a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine including the recording medium loading device.

  2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus in a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction peripheral thereof, a recording medium loading device for loading a recording medium for forming an image is provided.

  Conventionally, such a recording medium loading device includes a device provided with a regulating member for regulating a loading position of a recording medium loaded on the device.

  For example, in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-254074), a paper feed tray 102 shown in FIG. The paper feed tray 102 has a paper loading plate 103, a first auxiliary tray 104, and a second auxiliary tray 105. The first auxiliary tray 104 is provided so as to be able to be stored in the direction of arrow L1 with respect to the sheet mounting plate 103, and the second auxiliary tray 105 is provided so as to be able to be stored in the direction of arrow L2. The sheet placing plate 103 has side guide members 106 on both sides thereof, and positions the recording medium loaded on the sheet placing plate 103 in the width direction.

  In Patent Literature 1, a side guide member 106 that regulates a position in a width direction of a recording medium is provided only on a sheet mounting plate 103 closest to an image forming apparatus 101. In such a configuration, the sheet placing plate 103 is disposed from the position of the operator with the first auxiliary tray 104 and the second auxiliary tray 105 interposed therebetween. The operation of the member 106 may be difficult.

  In particular, in the case of a configuration in which the image forming apparatus 101 main body or the like is provided above the paper feed tray 102, the side guide member 106 may be hidden by the image forming apparatus 101 main body, and the operation of the side guide member 106 may be difficult. is there.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus having a recording medium loading device capable of easily operating a regulating member and easily positioning a recording medium to be loaded.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention is an image forming apparatus including a recording medium loading device having a first loading member and a second loading member that are a loading portion of a recording medium, wherein the first loading member is provided. And the second stacking member are connected to each other, and the recording medium stacking device has a storage position that is a position stored with respect to the image forming apparatus, and a stacking position that is a position in which a recording medium can be stacked thereon. In the image forming apparatus, the first stacking member is provided closer to the image forming apparatus than the second stacking member in the stacking posture, and the recording medium stacking apparatus is provided in the image forming apparatus. The recording medium stacking device takes a storage posture by having a held portion to be held, and the held portion is held by the image forming apparatus, and the first stacking member is the recording medium to be stacked. Side edge position of An operating member having a pair of regulating members for regulating, the recording medium loading device being provided separately from the pair of regulating members, and being provided on a side farther from the image forming apparatus than the pair of regulating members. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the pair of regulating members are interlocked by operating the operation member.

  According to the present invention, by operating the operating member provided on the side farther from the image forming apparatus main body than the pair of regulating members, the pair of regulating members can interlock with this to adjust the position of the pair of regulating members. . For this reason, even when the pair of regulating members are far from the operator and direct operation is difficult, it is possible to easily change the positions of the regulating members.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the inside of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus in a state where a manual feed tray is opened. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of the image forming apparatus in a state where a manual feed tray is opened. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when taking out an additional hopper. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the inside of the image forming apparatus when an additional hopper is taken out. FIG. 5 is a side view of the manual feed tray in a loading posture. It is a side view of the manual feed tray in a storage attitude. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view showing a holding part which holds the second tray. It is a perspective view of a manual feed tray. It is a side view of a manual feed tray. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment part of a side fence. It is the schematic which shows the connection structure by a wire. It is a perspective view of a 1st cover and a 2nd cover. It is a top view showing composition of a rack and a pinion. It is sectional drawing which shows operation of a side fence. It is a perspective view of the interlocking mechanism of an embodiment. It is a top view which shows the contact surface of a side fence. It is a perspective view which shows the positioning mechanism of a side fence. It is a perspective view which shows the positioning mechanism of a side fence. It is sectional drawing which shows the positioning mechanism of a side fence. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. It is a side view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. It is a side view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the holding part which holds the 2nd tray of embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the wire of embodiment. It is a perspective view showing a modification of a side fence of an embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the side fence of embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the side fence of embodiment. It is a top view which shows the modification of the contact surface of the side fence of embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the contact surface of the side fence of embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional image forming apparatus.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings for describing the present invention, components such as members and components having the same function or shape are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and once described, the description is omitted. Omitted.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a monochrome laser printer which is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer.
First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the present invention is not limited to a monochrome laser printer, but can be applied to other printers such as a color laser printer, a copier, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine combining at least two or more of these.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a process unit 1 as an image forming unit is mounted on an apparatus main body (image forming apparatus main body) 100 of the image forming apparatus. The process unit 1 includes a photoconductor 2 as an image carrier that carries an image on the surface, a charging roller 3 as a charging unit that charges the surface of the photoconductor 2, and a visible image of the latent image on the photoconductor 2. The image forming apparatus includes a developing device 4 as a developing unit and a toner container 7 that stores toner as a developer used for image formation.

  In FIG. 1, a surface facing the front A of the apparatus body 100 is a front surface 100a, a surface facing the rear B is a rear surface 100b, a surface facing the left side C is a left surface 100c, and a surface facing the right D is a right surface 100d. Then, the front side surface 100a of the front A has a protruding portion E protruding in the front A direction in a part thereof (a broken line portion in FIG. 2). A manual tray 30 as a recording medium stacking device is provided on the front surface of the protruding portion E so as to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus 100, and a front cover 29 is provided above the manual tray 30. An upper cover 32 is provided above the protruding portion E so as to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus 100. An additional hopper 31 mainly serving as a developer container is disposed at the protruding portion E inside the image forming apparatus 100.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a laser light emitting unit 6 as an exposure unit that exposes the surface of the photoconductor 2, a transfer device 10 that transfers an image to a recording medium, a recording medium supply device 11 that supplies a recording medium, The image forming apparatus includes a fixing device 12 for fixing an image transferred to a recording medium, a recording medium discharging device 13 for discharging the recording medium out of the apparatus, and the like.

  The transfer device 10 includes a transfer roller 14 as a transfer unit. The transfer roller 14 is arranged so as to come into contact with the photoconductor 2 in a state where the process unit 1 is mounted on the apparatus main body 100. Further, the transfer roller 14 is connected to a power supply, and is configured to apply a predetermined DC voltage (DC) and / or an AC voltage (AC).

  The recording medium supply device 11 is disposed at a lower portion of the apparatus main body 100 and feeds a sheet cassette (recording medium storage unit) 15 that stores sheets P as a recording medium, and feeds the sheets stored in the sheet cassette 15. And a timing roller 17 disposed downstream of the paper feed roller 16 in the paper feed direction. The paper includes, in addition to plain paper, cardboard, postcards, envelopes, plain paper, thin paper, coated paper (such as coated paper and art paper), and tracing paper. In addition to the paper, an OHP sheet, an OHP film, or the like can be used as a recording medium.

  The fixing device 12 includes a fixing roller 18 as a fixing member heated by a heating source such as a heater, and a pressing roller 19 as a pressing member that contacts the fixing roller 18 with a predetermined pressure to form a fixing nip. And

  The recording medium discharge device 13 is disposed at an upper portion of the apparatus main body 100, and has a discharge roller 20 that discharges a sheet to the outside of the apparatus, and a discharge medium serving as a recording medium mounting portion that mounts the sheet discharged by the discharge roller 20. And a paper tray 21.

Subsequently, an image forming operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When the image forming operation is started, the photoconductor 2 is driven to rotate, and the surface of the photoconductor 2 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity by the charging roller 3. Then, the laser light emitting unit 6 exposes the charged surface of the photoconductor 2 based on image information from a reading device or a computer. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 2. Toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 2 by the developing device 4, and the electrostatic latent image is developed (visualized) as a toner image.

  When the image forming operation is started, the paper feed roller 16 starts rotating and the paper P is sent out from the paper feed cassette 15. The fed sheet P is conveyed by the conveying rollers 23, and is temporarily stopped by the timing rollers 17. Thereafter, the rotation of the timing roller 17 is started at a predetermined timing, and the paper P is fed to the transfer nip at the timing when the toner image on the photoconductor 2 reaches the contact position (transfer nip) with the transfer roller 14. Is done.

  In the transfer nip, a transfer electric field is formed by applying a predetermined voltage to the transfer roller 14. When the sheet P is fed to the transfer nip, the toner image on the photoconductor 2 is transferred to the sheet P by the transfer electric field.

  The sheet P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 12 and heated and pressed by the fixing roller 18 and the pressing roller 19, so that the toner image on the sheet P is fixed. Then, the paper P is discharged out of the apparatus by the paper discharge rollers 20 and placed on the paper discharge tray 21.

  3 and 4 show the image forming apparatus 100 in a state where sheets P can be stacked on the manual feed tray 30. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when sheets P are stacked on the manual feed tray 30, the manual tray 30 is opened from the image forming apparatus 100, and a state in which the sheets P can be placed above the manual tray 30.

  The sheets P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 are sent out one by one into the image forming apparatus 100 from the direction of arrow F1 by the manual feed roller 22.

  5 and 6 show a state where the manual feed tray 30, the front cover 29, and the upper cover 32 are opened. As shown in FIG. 6, when opening the front cover 29, the front cover 29 is integrated with the manual feed tray 30 and opened in the front A direction. By opening the upper cover 32 in addition to the manual feed tray 30 and the front cover 29, the additional hopper 31 can be taken out and can be replaced.

  By providing the additional hopper 31, toner can be supplied from the additional hopper 31 to the developing device 4. As a result, the amount of toner stored inside image forming apparatus 100 can be increased. Further, by replacing the additional hopper 31, toner can be supplied into the apparatus, and the number of replacements of the process unit 1 can be reduced. When the process unit 1 is replaced, the process unit 1 can be taken out by taking out the additional hopper 31 from the state shown in FIGS.

  As the member disposed on the protruding portion E, a waste toner storage container that stores waste toner after image formation can be disposed in addition to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, by changing the layout of the image forming apparatus 100, the process unit 1, the fixing device 12, and the like can be provided in the protruding portion E.

  Next, the configuration of the manual feed tray 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  As illustrated in FIG. 7, the manual feed tray 30 includes a first tray 33 as a first stacking member and a second tray 34 as a second stacking member, which are stacking portions of the paper P. The two trays 34 are joined by a joining portion 35 and connected to each other. The side on which the first tray 33 is provided is the side of the image forming apparatus 100 main body. A first cover 60 and a second cover 61 are provided on the back side of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second tray 34 is provided so as to be rotatable about the joint 35 in the direction of arrow F2 with respect to the first tray 33. When the sheets P are stacked, as shown in FIG. 7, the second tray 34 is held in a posture in which the second tray 34 is linear with respect to the first tray 33 (hereinafter, referred to as a stacking posture of the manual feed tray 30). The sheet stacking surfaces of the one tray 33 and the second tray 34 are on the same plane, and the sheet P can be stacked above. When the second tray 34 is in the loading posture, the contact surface 33b of the first tray 33 and the contact surface 34b of the second tray 34 are in contact with each other, and the manual feed tray 30 is held in the loading posture. In the loading state, the paper loading surfaces of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are assumed to be on the same plane. However, it is only necessary that the paper P can be loaded on the upper surface, and some deviation is naturally allowed. (However, in order to stack the papers P without distortion, it is preferable that the mounting surfaces be on the same plane.)

  When the manual tray 30 is stored in the image forming apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 8, the second tray 34 is bent upward with respect to the first tray 33 (hereinafter, the storage posture of the manual tray 30 and Do). By setting the manual feed tray 30 in the storage posture, the manual feed tray 30 can be stored in the protrusion E and stored in the image forming apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the first cover 60 and the second cover 61 of the manual feed tray 30 form a part of the front side surface 100a, and are flush with the adjacent surface of the front side surface 100a. If the manual feed tray 30 that is not in use is maintained in the stacking position and protrudes from the image forming apparatus 100, the manual feed tray 30 may be damaged by contacting the manual feed tray 30. By configuring the manual feed tray 30 so that it can be stored in the image forming apparatus 100, the above-described cause of the damage is prevented.

  The manual feed tray 30 has a handle 30a for opening the manual feed tray 30. The handle portion 30a is provided at a central portion in the width direction above the front side surface 100a.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the second tray 34 has a first fitting protrusion 34c as a held portion. The second tray 34 is held by the front cover 29 by engaging the first fitting convex portion 34c with the fitting concave portion 29a as a holding portion of the front cover 29, and the manual tray 30 is moved with respect to the image forming apparatus 100. And keep it stored.

  A pressing member 36 is provided below the first fitting protrusion 34c. The pressing member 36 is urged upward from the lower side by a first urging spring 37 to press the first fitting projection 34c upward. Then, the first fitting projection 34c is kept pressed into the fitting recess 29a by being pressed upward. This prevents the manual feed tray 30 from being opened unintentionally due to its own weight or the like.

  When the manual feed tray 30 is opened, the first fitting protrusion 34c is moved in the direction of arrow F3 against the pressing force of the pressing member 36 by grasping the handle portion 30a and pressing down in the direction of arrow F3. Then, as shown in FIG. 10B, the fitting between the first fitting projection 34c and the fitting recess 29a is released. The manual tray 30 can be opened by pulling the manual tray 30 outward while holding the handle 30a.

  When the process unit 1 or the additional hopper 31 shown in FIG. 4 is to be attached to or detached from the apparatus main body 100, the front cover 29 is not disengaged from the first fitting projection 34c and the fitting recess 29a. And the manual feed tray 30 is opened together.

  Next, the configuration of the side fence provided on the manual feed tray 30 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the first tray 33 serves as a first regulating member that regulates the position of the side edge of the paper P stacked on the first tray 33 and positions the sheet P in the direction of arrow F19. It has a pair of first side fences 38 (or as regulating members). In the second tray 34, a pair of second side members (or operation members) serving as a second regulating member which is an operation portion of the first side fence 38 and also has a function of regulating the side end position of the paper P. It has a fence 39. The paper P is transported on the manual feed tray 30 in the direction of arrow F1.

  The first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 are configured to be movable along the first guide rail 40 and the second guide rail 41 in a direction of an arrow F19 orthogonal to the transport direction of the paper P, and As shown in FIG. 11B, the arrangement can be changed according to the width of the sheets P stacked above the tray 30. The first guide rail 40 is provided on the first tray 33, and the second guide rail 41 is provided on the second tray 34.

  FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line G1-G1 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 12, the first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 have a second fitting protrusion 42 fitted to the first guide rail 40 or the second guide rail 41.

  The second tray 34 has an inclined portion 45 at an end on the first tray 33 side. By the inclined portion 45, the sheet stacking surfaces of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are continuous, and a step when stacking the sheets P can be eliminated.

  The second fitting protrusions 42 of the first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 have the same configuration, and the first guide rail 40 and the second guide rail to which the second fitting protrusion 42 fits. Since the configuration around 41 is the same, only the first side fence 38 will be described below.

  FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a distal end portion of the second fitting convex portion 42. The second fitting projection 42 penetrates through the first guide rail 40 and is fitted into the second fitting recess 43 of the first cover 60 provided thereunder. The first guide rail 40 and the second fitting concave portion 43 are provided in the front and rear direction in the drawing. When the second fitting projection 42 is inserted into the first guide rail 40 and the second fitting recess 43, the first side fence 38 is positioned in front of the first tray 33 in the front and rear direction of the drawing (see FIG. 11). It is provided on the first tray 33 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow F19) and not in any other direction.

  The second fitting convex portion 42 has a three-stage configuration in which the width gradually decreases toward the distal end portion. The upper portion 42a having the largest width, the relay portion 42b, and the distal end portion having the smallest width. 42c. Further, the second fitting recess 43 has a two-stage configuration having different widths, and has an upper portion 43a having a large width and a tip portion 43b.

  The upper part 42a of the second fitting convex part 42 is fitted to the upper part 43a of the second fitting concave part 43, and the tip part 42c of the second fitting convex part 42 is the tip part of the second fitting concave part 43. 43b. The relay portion 42b is provided with a wire 44 as a linear member described later. Since the width H1 of the relay portion 42b is larger than the width H2 of the distal end portion 43b of the second fitting concave portion 43, it is possible to prevent the wire 44 provided on the relay portion 42b from falling off from the second fitting convex portion 42.

  With the above configuration, the first side fence 38 is provided so as to be movable only in the width direction of the sheet P with respect to the first tray 33.

  Next, the wire 44 which is an interlocking mechanism of each side fence will be described.

  FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic diagrams illustrating a configuration of the wire 44 provided on the manual feed tray 30. As shown in FIG. 14A, the manual feed tray 30 is provided with two wires 44a and 44b.

  Here, assuming that the pair of first side fences 38 and second side fences 39 are first side fences 38a, 38b and second side fences 39a, 39b, respectively, two wires 44a, 44b are used to form a pair of diagonally opposite side fences. Each fence is connected. That is, the first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39a are connected by the wire 44a, and the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39b are connected by the wire 44b. Each wire 44 circulates inside the manual feed tray 30, and the wire 44a circulates inside the wire 44b.

  Each wire 44 is connected to a joint of the side fence. That is, the wire 44a is connected to the connecting portion 38d of the first side fence 38b and the connecting portion 39c of the second side fence 39a. The wire 44b is connected to the connecting portion 38c of the first side fence 38a and the connecting portion 39d of the second side fence 39b.

  As shown in FIG. 14B, when the second side fence 39a is moved in the direction of arrow F4, the wire 44a is pulled in the direction of arrow F5, and the first side fence 38b connected to the wire 44a is moved in the direction of arrow F6. Move in the direction of. Similarly, when the first side fence 38b is moved in the direction of arrow F6, the second side fence 39a moves in the direction of arrow F4. When the second side fence 39b is moved in the direction of arrow F7, the wire 44b is pulled in the direction of arrow F8, and the first side fence 38a moves in the direction of arrow F9.

  As described above, if one side fence is moved by connecting the side fences by the wire 44, the side fence at the diagonal position moves in conjunction with the movement. The wire 44 is not limited to the wire, and may be any material as long as it is a linear member having a certain rigidity and capable of transmitting a force to the side fence.

  In addition, it is desirable that the connecting portion to which each wire 44 is connected is a center of gravity including the position of the center of gravity of the side fence. Thus, the force for moving any of the side fences is efficiently transmitted to the wire 44, and the force transmitted to the wire 44 is efficiently transmitted to the side fence provided at the diagonal position. Therefore, the operability of the side fence is improved.

  FIG. 15 is a view of the first cover 60 and the second cover 61 as viewed from the first tray 33 and the second tray 34. The first cover 60 and the second cover 61 are provided with the above-described second fitting recess 43 for disposing the wires 44a and 44b. The second fitting recess 43 is provided over the first cover 60 and the second cover 61, and two circumferential recesses are provided so that the wires 44a and 44b can be arranged. Since the respective wires 44a and 44b are provided in a circumferential shape, the wires 44a and 44b do not interfere with each other on a route in the middle. In addition, since the wires 44a and 44b are provided in a circumferential shape and provided so as to be embedded in the second fitting recess 43, they do not interfere with other members.

  Next, a configuration of a rack and a pinion, which is another interlocking mechanism of the side fence of the embodiment, will be described.

  The first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are provided with a rack 46 and a pinion 47, respectively. Since the configurations of the rack 46 and the pinion 47 of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are the same, only the second tray 34 will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, two racks 46a and 46b are provided on the second tray 34 in parallel with each other across the pinion 47 in the direction of arrow F19, which is the direction of movement of the side fence. Have been. Each rack 46a, 46b extends toward an end on a different side, and the second side fence 39a, 39b is connected at each end. The rack 46 is provided with a plurality of teeth 46c on its surface, and the pinion 47 meshes with the teeth 46c of each rack 46. The pinion 47 is configured to be rotatable, and changes the position of the meshing tooth portion 46c by rotation.

  When the side fence 39a is moved in the direction of the arrow F10, the rack 46a connected to the side fence 39a receives a force that moves in the direction of the arrow F10. Then, the rack 46a applies a force in the direction of arrow F10 to the pinion 47, and the pinion 47 rotates. Due to the rotation of the pinion 47, the other rack 46b receives a force in the direction of the arrow F11 opposite to the direction of the arrow F10 via the tooth portion 46c. Thus, as shown in FIG. 16B, the second side fence 39b connected to the rack 46b moves in the direction of the arrow F11.

  As described above, by moving the second side fence 39a, the second side fence 39b moves in the opposite direction. In addition, by moving the first side fence 38a, the first side fence 38b moves in the opposite direction.

  Due to the configuration of the rack 46 and the pinion 47, the paired first side fences 38a and 38b or the second side fences 39a and 39b move in opposite directions in conjunction with each other.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 18, similarly to the wire 44, each rack 46 is connected to the connecting portion of each side fence (in the figure, the wire 44a is connected to the connecting portion 38d, and the wire 44b is connected to the connecting portion 39d. Linked).

  It is desirable that each joint is a center of gravity including the center of gravity of the side fence. Accordingly, by moving one side fence, the force applied by the movement is efficiently transmitted to the paired side fences via the rack 46 and the pinion 47, and the movement of the paired side fences is smoothly performed. Done. Therefore, the operability of the side fence is improved.

  As described above, when one of the side fences is moved by the structure of the wire 44, the rack 46, and the pinion 47, which are the interlocking mechanisms of the embodiment, the other three side fences are moved in conjunction therewith. The movement direction is such that the first side fences 38a and 38b or the second side fences 39a and 39b move in opposite directions, and the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39b at diagonal positions, or The first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39a also move in opposite directions. That is, if one side fence is moved in the direction in which the sheet width of the sheets P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 is increased, the other three side fences are also moved in the direction in which the sheet P is expanded. The movement in the narrowing direction is performed in the same manner.

  By operating only one side fence, the other side fence moves to a predetermined position, which facilitates the operation. In the embodiment, since the first side fence 38 can be operated by operating the second side fence 39 as an operation member arranged near the worker, the position of the side fence can be easily adjusted. . In particular, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the first side fence 38 provided on the back side is close to the front cover 29 and the inclined surface J and the operation thereof is difficult, so With the configuration, the position adjustment of the first side fence 38 is facilitated, and the effect is exhibited.

  On the other hand, if the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39a (or the first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39b) are configured as one continuous member, as in the configuration of the embodiment, The first side fence 38 can be moved only by the operation from the second side fence 39 without using a configuration in which the respective side fences are linked. However, for example, when the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39a are configured as one continuous member, the side fence interferes, and the second tray 34 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, it becomes difficult to bend. For this reason, it becomes impossible to store the manual feed tray 30 in an apparatus having a shape having the protrusion E, such as the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment.

  By using the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention and making the respective side fences interlock, the operability of the side fence is facilitated, and the manual feed tray 30 is connected to the image forming apparatus 100 like the configuration of the embodiment. On the other hand, two effects can be achieved at the same time, such as being storable.

  The structure of the wire 44, the rack 46, and the pinion 47 was used as the interlocking mechanism of the embodiment. However, if at least the wire 44 is provided as an interlocking mechanism and the side fences at the diagonal positions are interlocked, the first side fence 38 moves in conjunction with the operation of the second side fence 39, or conversely. The second side fence 39 can be moved in conjunction with the operation of the first side fence 38.

  The manner in which the first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 position the sheet P in the width direction will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 19, the first side fence 38 has a first contact surface 38e as a contact surface that contacts the side edge of the sheet P on each of the pair of side fences. The second side fence 39 has a second contact surface 39e as a contact surface that contacts the side edge of the sheet P on each of the pair of side fences. The first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e abut on the sheet P and regulate the position in the width direction.

  In the configuration of the first embodiment, the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e are provided on the same plane in the width direction of the paper P. The image forming apparatus 100 of the first embodiment has the protrusion E above the manual feed tray 30, and it is difficult to visually check the second contact surface 39e provided on the side of the protrusion E. However, by providing the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e on the same plane, if the second side fence 39 is aligned with the side end of the sheet P by the easily visible second contact surface 39e, The alignment of the one contact surface 38e is also performed at the same time. Therefore, the position of the first side fence 38 can be adjusted even from a position where the first side fence 38 cannot be seen, so that the operation of aligning the side fences is easy.

  Next, a positioning mechanism for positioning the first side fence 38 at a predetermined position will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the first tray 33 is provided with a first positioning concave portion 48 and a second positioning concave portion 49 as positioning means on a surface depressed one step below the surface thereof. The first positioning concave portion 48 and the second positioning concave portion 49 position the first side fence 38 that moves in the direction of arrow F19.

  In the first positioning recess 48, a recess 48a for positioning the first side fence 38 is provided at a predetermined position. In the second positioning recess 49, a recess 49a for positioning the first side fence 38 is continuously provided.

  The first positioning concave portion 48 is provided with a concave portion 48a corresponding to the size of the standard size paper P, and is used for positioning the first side fence 38 when printing the standard size paper P. In the case where the irregular size paper P is printed, the second positioning concave portion 49 provided with the concave portions 49a continuously is used.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram of the first side fence 38 viewed from the direction of the arrow K1 in FIG. 20, and is a diagram illustrating positioning protrusions positioned in the first positioning recess 48 and the second positioning recess 49.

  The first side fence 38 has a first positioning convex portion 50 and a second positioning convex portion 51 as positioning portions, which are positioned in the first positioning concave portion 48 and the second positioning concave portion 49, respectively. The first positioning projection 50 and the second positioning projection 51 are respectively provided on the first side fence 38 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the figure. The first positioning projection 50 is biased in the direction of arrow F12 by a second biasing spring 52 as biasing means, and the second positioning projection 51 is biased in the direction of arrow F12 by a third biasing spring 53 as biasing means. Have been.

  As shown in FIG. 22, the first positioning projection 50 is urged in the direction of arrow F12 to fit into the recess 48a.

  When the force for moving the first side fence 38 in the direction of arrow F15 works, the force in the direction of arrow F13 acts on the first positioning projection 50 orthogonal to the slope of the concave portion 48a. The force in the direction of arrow F13 has a component force in the direction of arrow F14, which is a vertically upward direction. Due to this component force, the first positioning projection 50 moves upward against the urging force of the second urging spring 52, and the engagement with the concave portion 48a is released. Then, the first side fence 38 is positioned at a new position by fitting the first positioning projection 50 to any of the recesses 48a again. Note that the fitting between the second positioning projection 51 and the recess 49a has the same configuration, and therefore the description is omitted.

  As described above, the first side fence 38 is configured to be positioned at a predetermined position. Accordingly, even when the paper P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 is conveyed by the manual paper feed roller 22, the first side fence 38 does not shift. Therefore, no distortion occurs even when the paper P is transported.

  These positioning mechanisms may be provided on only one of the pair of first side fences 38 or may be provided on both sides. Further, a similar configuration can be provided in the second side fence 39.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described. Hereinafter, a modification of the first embodiment for each part will be described.

  In a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 23, a connecting member 54 is provided in addition to the joint 35 that connects the first tray 33 and the second tray 34. The connecting members 54 are provided at both ends of the manual feed tray 30, respectively, and one end 54c is held by the first side fence 38 and the other end 54d is fixed to the second side fence 39 as shown in FIG.

  The one end 54c is provided in the guide groove 38e of the first side fence 38 so as to be movable inside the guide groove 38e. As the one end 54c moves left and right inside the guide groove 38e, the second tray 34 moves in the direction of the arrow F2 with respect to the first tray 33, and the manual feed tray 30 moves in the storage posture of FIG. Take the loading position. Since the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are connected by the connecting member 54, the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 can be connected more reliably, and more sheets P are stacked on the manual feed tray 30. In this case, the manual feed tray 30 can support the weight and maintain the loading posture.

  FIG. 26 is a modification of the holding mechanism for holding the second tray 34 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B on the front cover 29 or the image forming apparatus 100.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the front cover 29 has a magnet 55a as a holding portion, and the second tray 34 has a magnet 55b as a held portion. When the manual tray 30 is in the storage position, the magnets 55a and 55b are in contact with each other, and the magnetic force of both magnets causes the second tray 34 to be held by the front cover 29 (by hand, the manual tray 30 is held by the image forming apparatus 100). The tray 30 maintains the storage posture.

  When the manual feed tray 30 is placed in the loading position, the operator can open the manual feeding tray 30 against the magnetic force of the magnets 55a and 55b to separate them from each other and place the manual feed tray 30 in the loading position.

  As described above, instead of the configuration in which the first fitting protrusion 34c and the fitting recess 29a shown in FIG. 10 are fitted, the configuration using the magnets 55a and 55b in FIG. The mechanism held by the cover 29 can be simplified, and wear of the member due to the fitting of the first fitting projection 34c and the fitting recess 29a can be prevented. One of the magnets 55a and 55b may be a magnet, and the other may be a magnetic material that can be attracted to the magnet.

  The front cover 29 is provided with the fitting recess 29a shown in FIG. 10 or the magnet 55a shown in FIG. However, the holding unit may be provided on an exterior portion of the additional hopper 31 as a detachable member that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100, and the second tray 34 may be in contact with this portion. Thus, even if the image forming apparatus 100 does not have the front cover 29, the manual feed tray 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be held by providing the holding portion for the manual feed tray 30 in the additional hopper 31.

  The modification shown in FIG. 27 is a modification of the wire 44 shown in FIG. The wires 44a and 44b shown in FIG. 26 are provided with the same length. As shown in FIG. 14A, in a configuration in which the wire 44a is disposed inside the wire 44b, the two wires do not intersect. On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 27, the wires 44a and the wires 44b can be formed of common parts instead of the intersections between the wires 44a and the wires 44b, and the cost can be reduced.

  In the modification shown in FIG. 28, the first side fence 38 has the movable portion 56. The movable portion 56 is provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the sheet P, and is urged in a direction of an arrow F18 on the side of the sheet P by a fourth urging spring 57 as a regulating member urging means as shown in FIG. Have been. As shown in FIG. 30, in a state where the paper P is stacked, the movable portion 56 is pressed against the side end of the paper P by the urging force of the fourth urging spring 57, and the positioning of the paper P in the width direction is securely performed. Can do it. Note that the second side fence 39 may be provided with a similar configuration, or the regulating member biasing unit may directly bias the entire side fence.

  FIG. 31 is a modified example of the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e that contact the side edge of the sheet P shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 31, the second contact surface 39e of the modification is provided outside the manual feed tray 30 beyond the first contact surface 38e in the width direction of the paper P, and the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e are not provided on the same plane.

  The second side fence 39 has a contact surface inclined portion 39f continuous with the second contact surface 39e, and a third contact surface 39g as a contact surface continuous with the contact surface inclined portion 39f. Further, the first side fence 38 is provided with a first contact surface 38e continuous with the contact surface inclined portion 38f.

  When the sheets P are stacked on the manual feed tray 30, the sheets P enter the direction of the arrow F17 from the second tray 34 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 32A, the side end of the sheet P first contacts the second contact surface 39e. Then, the sheet P moves in the direction of the arrow F17 while being guided by the contact surface inclined portion 39f in the direction of the arrow F16 (FIG. 32B). Then, the position of the sheet P in the width direction is positioned on the third contact surface 39g, and the leading end of the sheet P enters the first tray 33 (FIG. 32C). Then, when the sheet P advances in the first tray 33 for a while, the sheet P moves in the direction of the arrow F17 while being guided by the contact surface inclination 38f and again in the direction of the arrow F16 (FIG. 32D). Finally, the sheet P comes into contact with the first contact surface 38e and is positioned in the width direction (FIG. 32E). Although only one of the left and right directions is shown, both sides have the same configuration.

  As described above, on each of the left and right sides of the manual feed tray 30, the third contact surface 39g is provided on the inner side of the manual feed tray 30 than the second contact surface 39e, and the first contact surface 38e is provided on the inner side of the manual feed tray 30. As a result, as the sheet P enters in the direction of arrow F17, there is no freedom in the width direction, and the sheet P is positioned. For this reason, when stacking the paper P on the manual feed tray 30, the operator can insert the paper P from the side of the second tray 34 (the side having the second contact surface 39e) having a margin in the width direction. , Which makes the work easier. In a state where the paper P is stacked on the manual feed tray 30 and the leading end of the paper P has entered the first tray 33, the paper P can be reliably positioned at a predetermined position by the first contact surface 38e.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  In the configuration of the embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the operation member that operates the first side fence 38 is the second side fence 39 that also has a function of regulating the side edge of the paper P. However, the operation member may be a member that merely operates the first side fence 38. In addition, the second side tray 34 may be provided on the worker side (farther side than the image forming apparatus 100) than the first side fence 38 and is not necessarily provided on the second tray 34.

  The manual tray 30 according to the embodiment has a configuration in which the second tray 34 can be housed in the image forming apparatus 100 by folding the second tray 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be configured to be stored. In this case, the manual tray 30 may have a configuration in which the first tray 33 has a held portion and the held portion is held by the holding portion of the image forming apparatus 100.

  The configuration, operation, and effect of the embodiment of the present invention described above are summarized as follows.

(Configuration 1)
Configuration 1 is an image forming apparatus 100 including a recording medium loading device 30 having a first loading member 33 and a second loading member 34 that are loading portions of a recording medium, wherein the first loading member 33 and the second The two stacking members 34 are connected to each other, and the recording medium stacking device 30 has a storage position in which the recording medium is stored with respect to the image forming apparatus 100 and a storage position in which the recording medium P can be stacked thereon. In the image forming apparatus 100 that can take a posture, in the loading posture, the first loading member 33 is provided closer to the image forming device 100 than the second loading member 34, and the recording medium loading device 30 The recording medium stacking device 30 has a holding position, which has a held portion held by the image forming apparatus 100, and the held portion is held by the image forming device 100. The first loading member 33 has a pair of regulating members 38 for regulating the position of the side end of the recording medium P to be loaded, and the recording medium loading device 30 is provided separately from the pair of regulating members 38. An operating member 39 provided on the side farther from the image forming apparatus 100 than the pair of regulating members 38, and by operating the operating member 39, the pair of regulating members 38 are interlocked. An image forming apparatus 100 is characterized in that:

  According to the first configuration, by operating the operation member 39 provided on the side farther than the pair of regulating members 38, the pair of regulating members 38 is interlocked with this, and the arrangement of the pair of regulating members 38 can be adjusted. it can. Therefore, even when it is difficult to directly operate the pair of regulating members 38, the position of the regulating members 38 can be easily changed, and the operability is improved.

(Configuration 2)
Configuration 2 is the configuration 1 described above, wherein the operation member 39 is a pair of members provided on the second stacking member 34, and by operating one of the operation members 39, the other operation member 39 and the pair of The regulating members 38 work together, and the pair of operating members 39 regulates the position of the side end of the recording medium P loaded on the second loading member 34, and the pair of regulating members 38 are first regulated. The image forming apparatus 100 also functions as a second restricting member when formed as a member. According to the configuration 2, the operating member 39 is an operating portion of the first regulating member 38 and also has a function of the second regulating member 39 that regulates a side end of the recording medium P loaded on the second loading member 34. Can do things.

(Configuration 3)
Configuration 3 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to Configuration 2, which has an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the four regulating members, and the interlocking mechanism is a linear member 44 that connects a plurality of the regulating members. According to the configuration 3, the respective regulating members are linked by the linear members 44.

(Configuration 4)
Configuration 4 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to Configuration 3, in which the linear member 44 is connected to the center of gravity including the position of the center of gravity of the regulating member. According to Configuration 4, the respective regulating members are easily interlocked, and the operability of the regulating members is improved.

(Configuration 5)
The structure 5 has an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the four regulating members in any one of the above-described configurations 2 to 4, and the interlocking mechanism includes two racks 46 provided in parallel with each other with a pinion 47 interposed therebetween. Each of the racks 46 is the image forming apparatus 100 that meshes with the pinion 47 and is connected to one of the restriction members. According to Configuration 5, the movement of one of the restriction members connected to the rack 46 causes the other of the restriction members to move in conjunction therewith.

(Configuration 6)
Configuration 6 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to any one of Configurations 2 to 5, including a connecting member 54 that connects the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34. According to Configuration 6, the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 can be more reliably connected.

(Configuration 7)
In the configuration 7, in any of the configurations 2 to 6, the first regulating member 38 and / or the second regulating member 39 are biased toward the recording medium P loaded on the recording medium loading device 30. An image forming apparatus 100 having a regulating member urging means. According to the configuration 7, the first regulating member 38 or the second regulating member 39 is urged toward the recording medium P, and the side end of the recording medium P can be reliably positioned.

(Configuration 8)
Configuration 8 is the configuration according to any one of Configurations 2 to 7 described above, wherein the first regulating member 38 is disposed on the first loading member 33 in the width direction of the recording medium P loaded on the first loading member 33. The first stacking member 33 is an image forming apparatus 100 having positioning means for positioning the first regulating member 38 by the positioned portion. According to the configuration 8, the first regulating member 38 can be positioned at a predetermined position, and the position of the recording medium P does not shift even when the recording medium P loaded on the first loading member 33 is conveyed. In addition, distortion of the recording medium P can be prevented.

(Configuration 9)
A ninth aspect is the image forming apparatus 100 according to the eighth aspect, wherein the first regulating member 38 has an urging unit for urging the portion to be positioned. According to the ninth aspect, the positioning portion is positioned by the urging means, and the first regulating member 38 can be positioned with respect to the first stacking member 33.

(Configuration 10)
Configuration 10 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to Configurations 2 to 9, wherein the first regulating member 38 and the second regulating member 39 have a contact surface that contacts a side edge of the recording medium P. According to the configuration 10, the positioning of the recording medium P in the width direction can be performed by the respective regulating members coming into contact with the side edges of the recording medium P on the contact surfaces.

(Configuration 11)
In the configuration 11, in the configuration 10, the contact surface of the first regulating member 38 is greater than the contact surface of the second regulating member 39 in the width direction of the recording medium P. Is an image forming apparatus 100 provided inside the image forming apparatus. According to the configuration 11, on the side of the second regulating member 39 into which the worker inserts the recording medium P, there is a margin in the width of the second regulating member 39 that regulates the width direction of the recording medium P. It will be easier. Further, the first regulating member 38 on the image forming apparatus 100 side can reliably position the recording medium P in the width direction by reducing its width.

(Configuration 12)
Configuration 12 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to any one of Configurations 2 to 11, wherein the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 have the same plane in the loading posture of the recording medium loading device 30. According to the configuration 12, the recording medium P can be loaded on the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34.

(Configuration 13)
Configuration 13 is the image according to any one of Configurations 2 to 12, wherein each of the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 has a contact surface that contacts the other in the loading posture of the recording medium loading device 30. It is a forming apparatus 100. According to the configuration 13, the contact surfaces of the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member abut against each other, so that the recording medium stacking device 30 can maintain the stacking posture.

(Configuration 14)
Configuration 14 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to Configurations 2 to 13, wherein the second loading member 34 is connected to the first loading member 33 so as to be rotatable with respect to the first loading member 33. . According to the configuration 14, by rotating the second stacking member 34 and moving it to the image forming apparatus 100 side, the recording medium stacking apparatus 30 can be stored in the image forming apparatus 100.

(Configuration 15)
In the configuration 15, in one of the configurations 2 to 14, one side surface of the image forming apparatus 100 main body has a protruding portion E protruding as compared with the other portion of the one side surface. A recording medium loading device 30 is provided below.

(Configuration 16)
In the configuration 16, in any one of the above configurations 2 to 15, one side surface of the image forming apparatus 100 main body has a protruding portion E protruding as compared with the other portion of the one side surface, and the protruding portion E is And an image forming apparatus 100 that covers the developer container 31.

(Configuration 17)
In the configuration 17, in one of the above configurations 2 to 16, one side surface of the image forming apparatus 100 main body has a protruding portion E that protrudes as compared with the other portion of the one side surface, and the protruding portion E is The image forming apparatus 100 includes a detachable member 31 that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100, and the detachable member 31 is provided with a holding unit that holds the held portion. According to the configuration 17, by attaching the detachable member 31 having the holding portion to the image forming apparatus 100, the storage of the recording medium loading apparatus 30 can be performed even in the image forming apparatus 100 having a structure in which the recording medium loading apparatus 30 cannot be stored. It is possible.

(Configuration 18)
Configuration 18 is a recording medium loading device 30 having a first loading member 33 and a second loading member 34 that are loading portions of the recording medium P, wherein the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 The recording medium loading device 30 is connected to the image forming apparatus 100 and can take a loading position in which the recording medium P can be loaded thereon. The one stacking member 33 is provided closer to the image forming apparatus 100 than the second stacking member 34, and the first stacking member 33 is a pair of regulating members that regulate the position of the side end of the recording medium P to be stacked. And an operating member 39 provided separately from the pair of regulating members 38 and provided on a side farther to the image forming apparatus 100 than the pair of regulating members 38. Operate By a recording medium loading device 30, characterized in that said pair of regulating members 38 are interlocked.

  According to the configuration 18, by operating the operating member 39 provided on a side farther than the pair of regulating members 38, the pair of regulating members 38 can be interlocked with this to adjust the arrangement of the pair of regulating members 38. it can. Therefore, even when it is difficult to directly operate the pair of regulating members 38, the position of the regulating members 38 can be easily changed, and the operability is improved.

(Configuration 19)
In the configuration 19, in the configuration 18, the operation member 39 is a pair of members provided on the second stacking member 34. By operating one of the operation members 39, the other operation member 39 and the pair of the The regulating members 38 work together, and the pair of operating members 39 regulates the position of the side end of the recording medium P loaded on the second loading member 34, and the pair of regulating members 38 are first regulated. This is a recording medium loading device 30 which also functions as a second regulating member when formed as a member. According to the configuration 19, the operation member 39 is an operation portion of the first restriction member 38 and also has a function of the second restriction member 39 for restricting the side end of the recording medium P loaded on the second loading member 34. Can do things.

(Configuration 20)
Configuration 20 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in which the interlocking mechanism for interlocking the four regulating members in the above configuration 19 is a linear member 44 that connects a plurality of the regulating members. According to the configuration 20, the respective regulating members are linked by the linear members 44.

(Configuration 21)
Configuration 21 is the recording medium loading device 30 in which the linear member 44 is connected to the center of gravity including the position of the center of gravity of the regulating member in the above configuration 20. According to the configuration 21, the respective regulating members are easily linked, and the operability of the regulating members is improved.

(Configuration 22)
The structure 22 according to any one of the above structures 19 to 21, has an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the four regulating members, and the interlocking mechanism includes two racks 46 provided in parallel with each other with a pinion 47 interposed therebetween. Each of the racks 46 is the recording medium loading device 30 that meshes with the pinion 47 and is connected to one of the restriction members. According to the configuration 22, the movement of the one regulating member connected to the rack 46 causes the other regulating member to move in conjunction therewith.

(Configuration 23)
The configuration 23 is the recording medium loading device 30 according to any one of the configurations 19 to 22, including a connecting member 54 that connects the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34. According to the configuration 23, the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 can be more reliably connected.

(Configuration 24)
The structure 24 is the same as any one of the structures 19 to 23, except that the regulating member urging means for urging the first regulating member 38 and / or the second regulating member 39 toward the recording medium P to be stacked is provided. A recording medium loading device 30 having the same. According to the configuration 24, the first regulating member 38 or the second regulating member 39 is urged toward the recording medium P, and the side end of the recording medium P can be reliably positioned.

(Configuration 25)
Configuration 25 is the device according to any one of Configurations 19 to 24, wherein the first regulating member 38 is disposed on the first loading member 33 in the width direction of the recording medium P loaded on the first loading member 33. The first stacking member 33 is a recording medium stacking device 30 having positioning means for positioning the first regulating member 38 by the positioned portion. According to the configuration 25, the first regulating member 38 can be positioned at a predetermined position, and the position of the recording medium P does not shift even when the recording medium P loaded on the first loading member 33 is transported. In addition, distortion of the recording medium P can be prevented.

(Configuration 26)
Configuration 26 is the recording medium stacking device 30 according to Configuration 25 described above, wherein the first regulating member 38 has an urging unit for urging the portion to be positioned. According to the configuration 26, the positioning portion is positioned by the biasing means, and the positioning of the first regulating member 38 with respect to the first stacking member 33 can be performed.

(Configuration 27)
Configuration 27 is the recording medium loading device 30 according to any one of Configurations 19 to 26, wherein the first regulating member 38 and the second regulating member 39 have a contact surface that comes into contact with a side end of the recording medium P. According to the configuration 27, the positioning of the recording medium P in the width direction can be performed by the respective regulating members coming into contact with the side edges of the recording medium P on the contact surfaces.

(Configuration 28)
In the structure 28, in the structure 27, the contact surface of the first regulating member 38 is provided on the inner side of the apparatus with respect to the contact surface of the second regulating member 39 in the width direction of the recording medium P. It is a recording medium loading device 30. According to the configuration 28, on the side of the second regulating member 39 into which the worker inserts the recording medium P, there is a margin in the width of the second regulating member 39 that regulates the width direction of the recording medium P. It will be easier. In the first regulating member 38 on the recording medium loading device 30 side, the width of the recording medium P can be reliably determined by reducing the width thereof.

(Configuration 29)
The configuration 29 is the recording medium loading device 30 according to any of the configurations 19 to 28, wherein the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 have the same plane in the loading posture. According to the configuration 29, the recording medium P can be loaded on the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34.

(Configuration 30)
Configuration 30 is the configuration according to any one of Configurations 19 to 29, wherein in the loading posture, each of the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 is connected to the other of the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34. This is a recording medium loading device 30 having a contact surface that contacts. According to the configuration 30, the contact surfaces of the first loading member 33 and the second loading member abut against each other, so that the recording medium loading device 30 can maintain the loading posture.

(Configuration 31)
Configuration 31 is the recording medium loading device 30 connected to the first loading member 33 such that the second loading member 34 is rotatable with respect to the first loading member 33 in the above configurations 19 to 30. is there. According to the configuration 31, the recording medium loading device 30 can be stored in the image forming device 100 by rotating the second loading member 34 and moving it to the image forming device 100 side.

(Configuration 32)
Configuration 32 is the recording medium according to any one of Configurations 19 to 31, further including a held portion held by the image forming apparatus 100, wherein the held portion is held by the image forming device 100. The loading device 30 is a recording medium loading device 30 that takes a storage posture. According to the configuration 32, the recording medium loading device 30 can be held by the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, and it is possible to prevent the recording medium loading device 30 from being opened unintentionally.

29 Front cover 29a Fitting recess (holding part)
30 Bypass tray (recording medium loading device)
31 Additional hopper (developer container or detachable member)
33 First tray (first loading member)
34 second tray (second loading member)
34c First fitting projection (held part)
38 First side fence (first regulating member or regulating member)
38e First contact surface (contact surface)
38g Third contact surface (contact surface)
39 Second side fence (second regulating member or operating member)
39e Second contact surface (contact surface)
44 wire (linear member)
46 rack 47 pinion 48 first positioning recess (positioning means)
49 Second positioning recess (positioning means)
50 First positioning convex part (position to be positioned)
51 Second positioning convex part (position to be positioned)
52 Second urging spring (urging means)
53 third urging spring (urging means)
54 Connecting member 55a Magnet (holding part)
55b magnet (held part)
57 Fourth urging spring (regulating member urging means)
100 Image Forming Apparatus 38c, 38d, 39c, 39d Joint E Projection

JP 2007-254074 A

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction peripheral thereof.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a sheet stacking tray provided with a stack of sheets, which can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming apparatus main body by rotation about an axis in a direction intersecting a sheet conveying direction, On the image forming apparatus main body side, another sheet stacking tray for stacking sheets together with the sheet stacking tray, and the other sheet stacking tray are provided on the other sheet stacking tray. A pair of first regulating members having a variable distance between opposed facing surfaces, and a pair of first regulating members provided on the paper stacking tray for regulating side edges in the width direction of the paper and facing the respective paper side edges. A pair of second regulating members having a variable distance, and one end provided to be slidable with respect to one of the first regulating member and the second regulating member, and the other end provided with the first regulating member. When A member provided rotatably about an axis parallel to the width direction of the sheet with respect to the other of the second regulating members, and one end of the pair of first regulating members in the width direction of the sheet. One first guide portion into which one first regulating member provided on the sheet side is inserted, and the other first guide into which the other first regulating member provided on the other end portion side in the width direction of the sheet is inserted. The one of the first guide portions is located downstream of the other first guide portion in the sheet transport direction, and one end portion of the pair of second regulating members in the sheet width direction. And one second guide member into which the other second regulating member provided on the other end of the sheet in the width direction is inserted. The one second guide section is arranged so that the other second guide section is in the sheet conveyance direction. Ri is characterized in an image forming apparatus located downstream.

According to the present invention, the operation can be easily performed, and the positioning of the loaded recording medium can be easily performed.

Claims (10)

An image forming apparatus including a recording medium loading device having a first loading member and a second loading member that are loading portions of a recording medium,
The first loading member and the second loading member are interconnected,
In the image forming apparatus, the recording medium loading device may have a storage position that is a position stored with respect to the image forming device, and a loading position that is a position in which a recording medium can be loaded thereon.
In the loading position, the first loading member is provided closer to the image forming apparatus than the second loading member,
The recording medium loading device has a held portion held by the image forming device, and the held portion is held by the image forming device, so that the recording medium loading device takes a storage posture, The first loading member has a pair of regulating members that regulate the position of the side end of the recording medium to be loaded,
The recording medium loading device has an operation member provided separately from the pair of restriction members, and is provided on a side farther from the image forming apparatus than the pair of restriction members, and operates the operation member. Thus, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the pair of regulating members interlock. The operating member is a pair of members provided on the second loading member, by operating one of the operating members, the other operating member and the pair of regulating members interlock,
The pair of operating members regulate a position of a side end of the recording medium loaded on the second loading member, and serve as a second regulating member when the pair of regulating members is a first regulating member. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, which also has a function.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the four restricting members, wherein the interlocking mechanism is a linear member that connects a plurality of the restricting members.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the linear member is connected to a center of gravity including a center of gravity of the regulating member.   5. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a regulating member biasing unit configured to bias the first regulating member and / or the second regulating member toward the recording medium loaded on the recording medium loading device. 6. Image forming apparatus.   One side surface of the image forming apparatus main body has a protruding portion that is protruded compared to other portions of the one side surface, and the protruding portion has a detachable member that is detachable from the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a holding unit that holds the held unit is provided on the detachable member. A recording medium loading device having a first loading member and a second loading member that are loading portions of a recording medium,
The first loading member and the second loading member are interconnected,
In a recording medium loading device that can take a loading posture in which a recording medium can be loaded thereon,
Attached to the image forming apparatus, and in the loading posture, the first loading member is provided closer to the image forming apparatus than the second loading member,
The first loading member has a pair of regulating members that regulate the position of the side end of the recording medium to be loaded,
An operating member is provided separately from the pair of regulating members, and is provided on a side farther from the image forming apparatus than the pair of regulating members. By operating the operating members, the pair of regulating members A recording medium loading device, wherein a regulating member is interlocked. The operating member is a pair of members provided on the second loading member, by operating one of the operating members, the other operating member and the pair of regulating members interlock,
The pair of operating members regulate a position of a side end of the recording medium loaded on the second loading member, and serve as a second regulating member when the pair of regulating members is a first regulating member. The recording medium loading device according to claim 7, which also has a function.   9. The recording medium loading device according to claim 8, further comprising an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the four restricting members, wherein the interlocking mechanism is a linear member connecting the plurality of restricting members.   10. The recording medium loading device according to claim 9, wherein the linear member is connected to a center of gravity including a position of the center of gravity of the regulating member.