JP2021086032A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent, in an image forming apparatus comprising a stack lever, damage to the stack lever even when a user performs a wrong operation.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 comprises: an ejection tray 73 that supports sheets S ejected from an ejection roller pair 72; a stack lever 80 that has a rotation shaft part 81, a lever part 82, and an actuator part 83, and is rotated in a rotation direction B when the amount of sheets S loaded on the ejection tray 73 is increased; a contact part 24a that can be in contact with the actuator part 83 rotated in association with the rotation in the rotation direction B of the stack lever 80 and regulates the rotation in the rotation direction B of the actuator part 83; and a contact part 25a that can be in contact with the stack lever 80 further rotating in the rotation direction B from a state where the contact part 24a is in contact with the actuator part 83 and regulates the rotation in the rotation direction B of the stack lever 80.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for an image forming apparatus including a stack lever for detecting the load capacity of sheets discharged to a discharge tray.

Conventionally, as a member constituting a mechanism for detecting the load capacity of the sheet discharged to the discharge tray, the lever portion, which is a portion in contact with the sheet discharged to the discharge tray, and the lever portion are rotatably supported. An image forming apparatus equipped with a stack lever having a rotating shaft portion which is a portion and an actuator portion provided on the rotating shaft portion as a portion for detecting a full load of a sheet is known. As such an image forming apparatus, there is one shown in Patent Document 1.

The stack lever of Patent Document 1 is configured such that the lever portion is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the sheet discharged to the discharge tray, and the lever portion is lifted when the load capacity of the sheet on the discharge tray increases. .. The stack lever having such a configuration is configured so that the actuator portion rotates with the rotation of the rotation shaft when the lever portion is lifted. The image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 further includes a sensor, and is configured to detect the position of the actuator portion when the sheet on the discharge tray is full.

JP-A-2017-204228

In the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1, in order to stabilize the detection accuracy of the actuator portion by the sensor, a rotation stop which is a portion that comes into contact with the rotated actuator portion at the detection position for detecting the full load of the sheet is provided. It is conceivable to adopt it. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the actuator unit from being rotated beyond the detection position, and it is possible to stabilize the detection accuracy of the actuator unit by the sensor. However, when the above configuration is adopted, when the user lifts the lever portion further upward from the state where the rotation of the actuator portion is restricted by the rotation stopper, the rotation shaft portion is used as a fulcrum of the rotation stopper. A twisting load may be applied and the stack lever may be damaged.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and in an image forming apparatus provided with a stack lever, it is possible to prevent the stack lever from being damaged even when the user makes an erroneous operation. ..

The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and next, the means for solving this problem will be described.

That is, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a device main body, a discharge roller pair supported by the device main body, and a discharge tray provided on the device main body and supporting a sheet discharged by the discharge roller pair. A rotation shaft portion that is rotatably supported with respect to the apparatus main body and extends in a width direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet, and a sheet that is projected in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion and is provided on the discharge tray. It has a lever portion that abuts and an actuator portion that protrudes in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion outside the region where the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray in the width direction, and is on the discharge tray. A stack lever that is rotated around the rotation axis in a constant rotation direction when the load capacity of the sheet is increased, a sensor that detects the actuator portion, and rotation of the stack lever in the rotation direction. A first contact portion that can contact the actuator portion that rotates with movement and regulates the rotation of the actuator portion in the rotation direction, and the actuator portion and the first contact portion. A second contact portion that can further contact the stack lever that rotates in the rotation direction and regulates the rotation of the stack lever in the rotation direction from the state in which the stack lever is in contact. To prepare.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, after the actuator portion and the first contact portion are brought into contact with each other, the rotation of the stack lever that rotates in the rotation direction when the load capacity of the seat is further increased is the second. 2 It can be regulated by the contact portion, and it is possible to prevent the rotating shaft portion from being twisted by a certain amount or more after the contact between the actuator portion and the first contact portion. As a result, even if the user makes an erroneous operation, the stack lever can be prevented from being damaged.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the second contact portion abuts on the upper surface of the tip portion of the lever portion.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, when the user touches the lever portion by an erroneous operation, the stress acting on the lever portion can be directly received by the second contact portion, so that the stack lever is surely damaged. Can be suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the second contact portion abuts the actuator portion that abuts the first contact portion from the rotation shaft portion in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion. The lever portion abuts on the upper surface of the tip portion at a position farther from the rotation shaft portion than the distance to the position.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, the amount of twist generated in the rotating shaft portion can be suppressed by receiving the force on the tip side of the lever portion, so that the stack lever is more reliably damaged. Can be suppressed.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention further includes an upper surface cover that constitutes the upper surface of the apparatus main body and covers the stack lever from above.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, by hiding the stack lever, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the stack lever.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the upper surface cover is provided so as to be able to change the state between a covered state covering the upper part of the stack lever and an open state in which the upper part of the stack lever is opened. ..

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, the upper surface cover can be opened and the JAM processability can be improved.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the second contact portion is provided on the upper surface cover, and the stack lever is in a direction different from that of the lever portion in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion. The apparatus main body is further provided with an extension portion extending to, and the stack lever is further rotated from the state where the upper surface cover is in the open state and the actuator portion and the first contact portion are in contact with each other. It has a third contact portion that comes into contact with the lower surface of the extension portion when rotated in the direction.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, even if the upper surface cover is opened, the rotation direction when the load capacity of the sheet is further increased after the contact between the actuator portion and the first contact portion. The rotation of the stack lever that rotates to can be regulated by the third contact portion, and it is possible to prevent the rotation shaft portion from being twisted by a certain amount or more after the contact between the actuator portion and the first contact portion. As a result, damage to the stack lever can be suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the extending portion is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, the stress acting on the lever portion can be efficiently received at the third contact portion, so that the damage of the stack lever can be reliably suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the apparatus main body has an accommodating portion for accommodating the actuator portion of the stack lever, and a lever holder that rotatably supports the stack lever and the apparatus main body. An upper cover that constitutes an upper portion and at least covers the upper part of the accommodating portion of the lever holder is further provided, and the upper surface cover covers the lever holder and the upper cover in the coated state. The first contact portion is provided on the upper cover.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, even if the upper surface cover is opened, the actuator portion is not exposed and the stack lever is prevented from coming off.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the stack lever further includes an extending portion extending in a direction different from that of the lever portion in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion, and the second contact portion is The stack lever comes into contact with the lower surface of the extending portion when the actuator portion and the first contact portion are in contact with each other and the stack lever is further rotated in the rotation direction.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, after the actuator portion and the first contact portion are brought into contact with each other, the rotation of the stack lever that rotates in the rotation direction when the load capacity of the seat is further increased is the second. 2 It can be regulated by the contact portion, and it is possible to prevent the rotating shaft portion from being twisted by a certain amount or more after the contact between the actuator portion and the first contact portion. As a result, damage to the stack lever can be suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the extending portion is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, the stress acting on the lever portion can be efficiently received at the second contact portion, so that the damage of the stack lever can be reliably suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the rotation position of the stack lever at which the first contact portion and the actuator portion abut is the rotation position when the sheet is fully loaded in the discharge tray. There is.

According to the image forming apparatus having such a configuration, it is possible to accurately detect the full load state of the sheet.

According to the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, after the actuator portion and the first contact portion come into contact with each other, the rotation of the stack lever that rotates in the rotation direction when the load capacity of the seat further increases is the second rotation. It can be regulated at the contact portion, and it is possible to prevent the rotating shaft portion from being twisted by a certain amount or more after the actuator portion and the first contact portion are brought into contact with each other. As a result, even if the user makes an erroneous operation, the stack lever can be prevented from being damaged.

The cross-sectional schematic diagram which showed the whole structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which showed the whole structure of the image forming apparatus. The perspective view which showed the image forming apparatus with the top cover removed. A perspective assembly view showing a stack lever and a lever holder. Partial front view showing a paper ejection part. (A) sectional view taken along line I-I in FIG. 6, and (B) sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. The partial cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the operation of the actuator part. Schematic diagram of a partial cross section showing the operation of the lever portion.

[Overall configuration of image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and is an apparatus main body 2, a paper feeding unit 3, an image forming unit 5, a discharging unit 7, and a retransmitting unit 8. And a motor 9.

In the following description, the right side in FIG. 1 is defined as the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, the left side in FIG. 1 is defined as the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the front side of the paper surface in FIG. 1 is the left side of the image forming apparatus 1, in FIG. The back side of the paper surface is defined as the right side of the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the upper side and the lower side in FIG. 1 are defined as the upper side and the lower side of the image forming apparatus 1, respectively.

The apparatus main body 2 is a housing that houses a paper feeding unit 3, an image forming unit 5, a discharging unit 7, a retransmitting unit 8, a motor 9, and the like. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the apparatus main body 2 is composed of an opening / closing cover 20, a rear cover 21, a left side cover 22, a right side cover 23, an upper cover 24, and an upper surface cover 25.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening / closing cover 20 constituting the apparatus main body 2 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 2, and has a closed position for closing the opening 2a formed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 2. It is configured to be rotatable between the opening position and the opening position where the opening 2a is opened.

The paper feeding unit 3 is arranged at the lower part of the apparatus main body 2 and conveys the sheet S supported by the sheet cassette 30 to the image forming unit 5. The image forming unit 5 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction with respect to the paper feeding unit 3, and forms an image on the sheet S transported from the paper feeding unit 3. The discharge unit 7 is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet S in the transport direction with respect to the image forming unit 5, and discharges the sheet S on which the image is formed by the image forming unit 5 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1.

The discharge direction A of the sheet S in the image forming apparatus 1 is a direction from the back to the front of the image forming apparatus 1. That is, the downstream side surface of the device main body 2 in the discharge direction A is the front surface of the device main body 2.

The image forming apparatus 1 has a conveying path L1 of the sheet S from the paper feeding unit 3 to the discharging unit 7 via the image forming unit 5. The paper feed unit 3 includes a sheet cassette 30 that supports the sheet S, a paper feed mechanism 32, a transfer roller pair 33, and a pair of resist rollers pair 34 that transfer the sheet S in the transfer path L1.

The paper feed mechanism 32 includes a paper feed roller 32a and a separation roller 32b. The paper feed roller 32a is a roller for feeding the sheet S supported by the sheet cassette 30 toward the separation roller 32b. The separation roller 32b is arranged downstream of the paper feed roller 32a in the transport direction of the sheet S.

The sheets S sent out toward the separation roller 32b by the paper feed roller 32a are separated one by one between the separation roller 32b and the separation pad (not shown). The sheets S separated one by one are conveyed toward the transfer roller pair 33 along the transfer path L1.

The transport roller pair 33 is a roller that applies a transport force to the sheet S, and is arranged downstream of the paper feed mechanism 32 in the transport direction of the sheet S. The sheet S conveyed from the paper feeding mechanism 32 toward the transfer roller pair 33 is conveyed by the transfer roller pair 33 toward the resist roller pair 34 along the transfer path L1.

The resist roller pair 34 is arranged downstream of the transport roller pair 33 in the transport direction of the sheet S. The resist roller pair 34 corrects the posture of the sheet S by temporarily stopping the movement of the tip of the sheet S to be conveyed. After that, the resist roller pair 34 conveys the sheet S toward the transfer position of the image forming unit 5 at a predetermined timing.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes an MP tray 40 capable of supporting a plurality of sheets S, and a feeding mechanism 41 for feeding the sheets S supported by the MP tray 40. The feeding mechanism 41 is a mechanism that separates and takes out the sheets S supported by the MP tray 40 one by one and conveys them toward the resist rollers vs. 34, and separates them from the pickup roller 42 as an example of the feeding rollers. It is equipped with a roller 43 and the like.

The image forming unit 5 is arranged in the apparatus main body 2 and forms an image on the sheet S to be conveyed. The image forming unit 5 includes a process cartridge 50 that transfers an image to the surface of the sheet S conveyed from the paper feeding unit 3, an exposure unit 56 that exposes the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 in the process cartridge 50, and a process cartridge 50. It is provided with a fixing portion 60 for fixing the image transferred to the sheet S.

The process cartridge 50 is arranged above the paper feed unit 3 in the apparatus main body 2, and includes a developer accommodating chamber 51, a supply roller 52, a developing roller 53, a photoconductor drum 54, a transfer roller 55, and the like. And have.

The exposure unit 56 includes a laser diode, a polygon mirror, a lens, a reflector, and the like, and by irradiating the photoconductor drum 54 with a laser beam based on the image data input to the image forming apparatus 1, the exposure unit 56 is provided. The surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is exposed.

Toner serving as a developer is stored in the developer storage chamber 51. The toner stored in the developer storage chamber 51 is sent to the supply roller 52 while being stirred by a stirring member (not shown). The supply roller 52 further supplies the toner sent from the developer accommodating chamber 51 to the developing roller 53.

The developing roller 53 is arranged in close contact with the supply roller 52, and carries toner supplied from the supply roller 52 and charged by a sliding contact member (not shown). Further, a development bias is applied to the developing roller 53 by a bias applying means (not shown).

The photoconductor drum 54 is arranged adjacent to the developing roller 53. The surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is uniformly charged by a charger (not shown) and then exposed by the exposure unit 56. The exposed portion of the photoconductor drum 54 has a lower potential than the other parts, and an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed on the photoconductor drum 54. Then, the charged toner is supplied from the developing roller 53 to the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 on which the electrostatic latent image is formed, so that the electrostatic latent image is visualized and becomes a developer image.

The transfer roller 55 is arranged to face the photoconductor drum 54, and a negative transfer bias is applied by a bias applying means (not shown). By transporting the sheet S between the photoconductor drum 54 on which the developer image is formed and the transfer roller 55 (transfer position) while the transfer bias is applied to the surface of the transfer roller 55 without sandwiching the sheet S. The developer image formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 54 is transferred to the surface of the sheet S.

The fixing portion 60 includes a heating roller 61 and a pressure roller 62. The heating roller 61 is rotationally driven by a driving force from the motor 9, and is heated by electric power supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). The pressurizing roller 62 is arranged to face the heating roller 61, and is brought into close contact with the heating roller 61 to rotate in a driven manner. When the sheet S on which the developer image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing portion 60 along the transfer path L1, the sheet S is conveyed while being sandwiched between the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 62, and is transferred to the sheet S. Fix the developer image.

The first intermediate discharge roller pair 70 and the second intermediate discharge roller pair 71 are arranged in the apparatus main body 2 and are arranged on the downstream side in the sheet transport direction from the image forming unit 5. Each of the intermediate discharge roller pairs 70 and 71 further conveys the sheet S conveyed from the fixing portion 60 along the transfer path L1 toward the discharge roller pair 72.

The discharge unit 7 has a discharge roller pair 72 and a discharge tray 73. The discharge roller pair 72 is configured so that the sheet S conveyed by the intermediate discharge roller pairs 70 and 71 can be further conveyed and discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 2. The discharge tray 73 is formed on the upper surface of the upper cover 24 constituting the device main body 2, and the sheet S discharged to the outside of the device main body 2 by the discharge roller pair 72 is supported by the discharge tray 73. In the image forming apparatus 1, the maximum number Z of sheets S that can be loaded on the discharge tray 73 is set.

[Retransport route L2]
The image forming apparatus 1 has a retransport path L2 formed below the image forming portion 5. When double-sided printing is performed in the image forming apparatus 1, the sheet S is further conveyed toward the image forming unit 5 side along the retransmitting path L2. The re-conveyance path L2 is a path for transporting the sheet S whose image is formed on one surface by the image-forming unit 5 to the image-forming unit 5 again.

The re-transport path L2 branches from the transfer path L1 at the branch portion 10 between the first intermediate discharge roller pair 70 and the second intermediate discharge roller pair 71 in the transfer path L1, and is branched from the transfer path L1 with the transfer roller pair 33 in the transfer path L1. It merges with the transport path L1 at the confluence 11 between the resist rollers and 34.

The sheet S conveyed to the re-transport path L2 is further conveyed toward the image forming unit 5 side by the second re-transfer roller pair 36 and the first re-transfer roller pair 35 provided on the re-transfer path L2.

[Switchback path L3]
Further, the image forming apparatus 1 has a switchback path L3 formed behind the image forming portion 5. The switchback path L3 is a path provided for exchanging the front and back of the sheet S before sending the sheet S from the transport path L1 to the re-transport path L2. As shown in FIG. 1, the switchback path L3 extends toward the upper surface cover 25 constituting the apparatus main body 2.

The switchback path L3 is formed in a U-shape that is branched from the transport path L1 at the branch portion 10, extends upward on the opposite side of the transfer path L2, and then makes a U-turn toward the front side. It is located upstream of the retransport path L2 in the transport direction of the sheet S. The end of the switchback path L3 on the side opposite to the side connected to the retransport path L2 is an opening 13 opened on the front surface of the upper surface cover 25. The sheet S introduced into the switchback path L3 is configured such that a portion that does not fit in the switchback path L3 protrudes from the opening 13 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2.

The switchback path L3 is provided with a switchback roller pair 74. The switchback roller pair 74 is configured so that the rotation direction can be switched, and the rotation direction (forward rotation direction) when the seat S is introduced into the switchback path L3 and the retransport path for the seat S from the switchback path L3. It is configured to be driveable in the rotation direction (reverse direction) when feeding to L2.

The image forming apparatus 1 re-transfers the sheet S in which the image is formed on one surface by the image forming unit 5 arranged in the middle of the conveying path L1 by the re-transporting section 8 having the re-transporting path L2 and the switchback path L3. It is possible to transfer the image to the image forming unit 5 again through the conveying path L2 and the switchback path L3 to form an image on the other side of the sheet S, that is, double-sided printing.

[Switchback mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a flapper 12 at the branch portion 10. The flapper 12 is a member that switches the transport direction of the seat S at the branch portion 10 between the transport path L1, the re-transport path L2, and the switchback path L3, and is provided so as to be swingable with respect to the apparatus main body 2. The flapper 12 is arranged at the discharge position X that closes the opening 10a leading to the re-transport path L2 when guiding the sheet S transported from the fixing portion 60 to the discharge tray 73. Further, when the sheet S transported from the fixing portion 60 is guided to the re-transport path L2 and the switchback path L3, the flapper 12 swings forward from the discharge position X to become the re-conveyed position Y, and the opening It is configured to open 10a and close the transport path L1 leading to the discharge tray 73.

When the flapper 12 is located at the re-conveying position Y, the sheet S fed from the transport path L1 to the opening 10a is transported diagonally upward rearward and first introduced into the switchback path L3. The sheet S introduced in the switchback path L3 is inherited by the switchback roller pair 74 and is conveyed to the switchback path L3 side until the entire length of the sheet S along the conveying direction passes through the opening 10a. .. Then, after the entire length of the sheet S has passed through the opening 10a, the rotation direction of the switchback roller pair 74 is reversed, and the sheet S is conveyed from the switchback path L3 toward the re-conveyance path L2. At this time, the flapper 12 is swung so as to be located at the discharge position X, and the opening 10a is closed. Next, the sheet S is inherited from the switchback roller pair 74 to the second retransport roller pair 36 and the first retransport roller pair 35, is conveyed along the retransport path L2, and is conveyed from the confluence portion 11. It will be introduced again in L1.

[Stack lever]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a stack lever 80. The stack lever 80 is a member that constitutes a mechanism for detecting whether or not the sheet S discharged on the discharge tray 73 by the discharge roller pair 72 is in a fully loaded state.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stack lever 80 includes a rotation shaft portion 81, a lever portion 82, and an actuator portion 83. The stack lever 80 is made by integrally molding resin, and the lever portion 82 and the actuator portion 83 are integrally formed with respect to the rotating shaft portion 81, and protrude in the radial direction from the rotating shaft portion 81. There is. Since the stack lever 80 is integrally composed of the rotation shaft portion 81, the lever portion 82, and the actuator portion 83, when the stack lever 80 rotates around the axis of the rotation shaft portion 81, the amount of rotation thereof The lever portion 82 and the actuator portion 83 are rotationally displaced by the same amount of rotation. Although the integrally molded resin stack lever 80 is illustrated in the present embodiment, the material and production method of the stack lever constituting the image forming apparatus according to the present invention are not limited thereto. The stack lever 80 is rotatably supported by the lever holder 26.

[Extension part]
Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the stack lever 80 further includes an extending portion 84 extending in a direction different from that of the lever portion 82 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81. The extending portion 84 is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion 82 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81. In the present embodiment, the extension portion 84 is configured to extend in the direction opposite to the extension direction of the lever portion 82 with respect to the rotation shaft portion 81, but the extension direction of the extension portion 84 is this. The lever portion 82 may be configured to extend in a direction inclined with respect to the extending direction.

[Lever holder]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a lever holder 26 that forms a part of the apparatus main body 2. The lever holder 26 is a portion that constitutes a frame for rotatably supporting the stack lever 80, and is fixed to the upper cover 24.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lever holder includes a shaft support portion 27 for shaft-supporting the stack lever 80. The shaft support portion 27 is located at a groove-shaped recess 27a that serves as a space for accommodating the rotation shaft portion 81, a shaft hole portion 27b located at the left end portion of the recess 27a, and left and right halfways and right ends of the recess 27a. A plurality of bearing portions 27c and the like are provided. Further, the lever holder 26 is formed with three notches 28 on the front side of the shaft support portion 27 for securing a space for arranging the lever portion 82 in a displaceable manner. Further, in the lever holder 26, an accommodating portion 29 serving as a space for accommodating the actuator portion 83 is formed in front of the shaft hole portion 27b.

The stack lever 80 has a rotating shaft portion 81 arranged on the shaft support portion 27, and is rotatably supported by the shaft hole portion 27b and the bearing portion 27c. At this time, the lever portion 82 is arranged in the notch portion 28, protrudes forward from the shaft support portion 27, and can swing in the vertical direction outside the lever holder 26. At this time, the actuator portion 83 is arranged in the accommodating portion 29, protrudes forward from the shaft support portion 27, and can swing in the vertical direction in the accommodating portion 29.

[Top cover]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the upper surface cover 25 is arranged above the lever holder 26. The upper surface cover 25 extends to a position on the front side of the front end portion of the lever holder. With such a configuration, the lever portion 82 projecting forward from the notch portion 28 formed in the lever holder 26 is arranged below the upper surface cover 25 at a position recessed rearward from the front end portion of the upper surface cover 25. Will be done. In the image forming apparatus 1, the lever portion 82 is arranged at a position recessed rearward from the front end portion of the upper surface cover 25 to make the lever portion 82 difficult to see from the user, whereby the user can see the lever portion 82 on the lever portion 82. It's hard to touch.

That is, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an upper surface cover 25 that constitutes the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 and covers the stack lever 80 from above. In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, by hiding the stack lever 80, it is possible to prevent the user from touching the stack lever 80. The image forming apparatus 1 may be configured such that the lever portion 82 of the stack lever 80 is projected from the upper surface cover 25 and provided at a position easily visible to the user.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface cover 25 can change the state of the device main body 2 into a covering state covering the upper part of the stack lever 80 and an open state in which the upper part of the stack lever 80 is opened. It is provided in.

The upper surface cover 25 shown in the present embodiment is configured to be detachable from the device main body 2, but the upper surface cover 25 may be rotatably provided on the device main body 2 via a hinge or the like. Well, even in this case, the state of the top cover 25 can be changed between the covered state and the open state. Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the upper surface cover 25 may be fixed to the apparatus main body 2 so as not to be attached and detached.

[Top cover]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, an upper cover 24 is arranged above the accommodating portion 29 accommodating the actuator portion 83 in the lever holder.

[Operation of stack lever]
As shown in FIG. 1, the stack lever 80 is configured such that the lever portion 82 comes into contact with the seat S loaded on the discharge tray 73. The rotation position of the lever portion 82 of the stack lever 80 changes according to the load capacity of the seat S on the discharge tray 73. When the load capacity of the seat S on the discharge tray 73 increases, the lever portion 82 of the stack lever 80 is lifted upward and rotates in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the direction of the arrow B is referred to as a rotation direction B as a rotation method when the load capacity of the sheet S on the discharge tray 73 increases). Further, the stack lever 80 also plays a role of guiding the sheet S onto the discharge tray 73 by bringing the sheet S, which is discharged from the discharge roller pair 72 toward the discharge tray 73, into contact with the lever portion 82.

As the number of sheets S loaded on the discharge tray 73 increases, the lever portion 82 in contact with the uppermost sheet S is rotationally displaced upward. In the stack lever 80, the rotation shaft portion 81 is rotated in the rotation direction B as the lever portion 82 is rotationally displaced upward. Then, as the rotation shaft portion 81 is rotated in the rotation direction B of the stack lever 80, the actuator portion 83 is rotationally displaced upward.

[Abutment portion 24a]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6A, the contact portion 24a formed on the lower surface of the upper cover 24 is located above the upper surface 83a formed on the actuator portion 83. In each of FIGS. 5 to 8, the portion of the upper cover 24 other than the contact portion 24a is not shown.

As shown in FIG. 7, the contact portion 24a regulates the rotation position of the actuator portion 83 that is rotated in the rotation direction B as the sheet S on the discharge tray 73 increases.

That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, the apparatus main body 2 further includes a lever holder 26 covered with an upper cover 24 and an upper surface cover 25, and a contact portion 24a is provided on the upper cover 24.

In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, even if the upper surface cover 25 is opened, the actuator portion 83 is not exposed and the stack lever 80 does not come off. Further, by providing the contact portion 24a on the upper cover 24, the rotation position of the actuator portion 83 can be regulated even when the upper surface cover 25 is opened. In the image forming apparatus 1, the contact portion 24a is provided on the upper cover 24, but the contact portion for restricting the rotation of the actuator portion may be provided on the lever holder 26, for example.

[Abutment portion 25a]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, a contact portion 25a formed on the lower surface of the upper surface cover 25 is located above the upper surface 82a of the lever portion 82.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the contact portion 25a, after the stack lever 80 is rotated in the rotation direction B to a position where the actuator portion 83 abuts on the contact portion 24a, the rotation shaft portion 81 is further rotated. Restricts further rotational displacement of the lever portion 82 when the lever portion 82 is rotated in the rotation direction B. Therefore, in the contact portion 25a, for example, the user moves the lever portion 82 upward in a state where the rotation shaft portion 81 is rotated in the rotation direction B until the actuator portion 83 comes into contact with the contact portion 24a. When the lever portion 82 is rotationally displaced, it is possible to restrict the lever portion 82 from being further rotationally displaced in the rotational direction B.

By providing the contact portion 25a in the image forming apparatus 1, it is possible to prevent the rotating shaft portion 81 from being excessively twisted when the user lifts the lever portion 82, and the stack lever 80 is damaged. Can be suppressed.

[Relationship between lever and actuator contact positions]
As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, in the image forming apparatus 1, the distance C between the position P at which the upper surface 83a of the actuator portion 83 abuts with the abutting portion 24a and the axial center of the rotating shaft portion 81 is determined. It is smaller than the distance D between the position Q where the upper surface 82a of the lever portion 82 comes into contact with the contact portion 25a and the axis of the rotating shaft portion 81. The position P is the farthest position where the upper surface 83a comes into contact with the contact portion 24a, and the position Q is the farthest position where the upper surface 82a comes into contact with the contact portion 25a.

That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, the contact portion 25a is larger than the distance from the rotation shaft portion 81 to the contact position of the actuator portion 83 that abuts on the contact portion 24a in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion 81. It is configured to come into contact with the upper surface 82a at the tip of the lever portion 82 at a position far from the rotating shaft portion 81.

In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, the amount of twist generated in the rotating shaft portion 81 can be suppressed by receiving a force on the tip side of the lever portion 82, so that the stack lever 80 is damaged. Can be suppressed more reliably. In the image forming apparatus 1, in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81, the contact portion 25a is more than the distance from the rotating shaft portion 81 to the contact position of the actuator portion 83 that abuts on the contact portion 24a. It may be configured to abut on the upper surface 82a at the tip of the lever portion 82 at a position close to the rotation shaft portion 81.

[Abutment portion 26a]
As shown in FIGS. 6B and 8, the lever holder 26 includes an abutting portion 26a capable of contacting an extending portion 84 extending rearward from the lever portion 82.

In the image forming apparatus 1, the top cover 25 can be removed. The contact portion 26a can regulate the rotational displacement of the lever portion 82 in a state where the upper surface cover 25 is removed and the contact portion 25a is eliminated. The contact portion 26a regulates the rotational displacement of the lever portion 82 in the rotational direction B when, for example, the user lifts the lever portion 82 in a state where the upper surface cover 25 is removed.

[Detailed operation of stack lever]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the number of sheets S loaded on the discharge tray 73 is less than the maximum number Z, and the lever portion 82 is not yet in contact with the sheet S laminated on the uppermost portion. In (Phase 1), in the stack lever 80, the actuator portion 83 and the lever portion 82 are in the lowermost rotation positions.

Next, when the load capacity of the sheets S on the discharge tray 73 increases and the maximum number of sheets Z is reached (Phase 2), the stack lever 80 is rotated to a position where the actuator portion 83 abuts on the abutting portion 24a. Move. In other words, at this time, the actuator portion 83 is restricted from rotating in the rotation direction B by the contact portion 24a. At this time, the lever portion 82 is not yet in contact with the contact portion 25a.

Next, when the user lifts the lever portion 82 (Phase 3) while the maximum number of seats S loaded on the discharge tray 73 is the maximum number Z, the stack lever 80 exerts a force applied by the user. Is rotated in the rotation direction B. At this time, the actuator portion 83 is maintained in a state of being in contact with the contact portion 24a, and rotation in the rotation direction B is restricted. On the other hand, at this time, the lever portion 82 is rotated in the rotation direction B to a position where it abuts on the abutting portion 25a by the force applied by the user. In other words, at this time, the lever portion 82 is restricted from rotating in the rotation direction B at the rotation position where the lever portion 82 comes into contact with the abutting portion 25a by the abutting portion 25a.

Specifically, in (Phase 3), the contact portion 25a is in contact with the upper surface 82a at the tip of the lever portion 82. In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, when the user lifts the lever portion 82 by an erroneous operation, it is considered that the vicinity of the tip portion of the lever portion 82 is often lifted. Since the stress acting on the tip portion of the 82 can be directly received by the contact portion 25a that abuts on the upper surface 82a of the tip portion, damage to the stack lever 80 can be reliably suppressed.

In this embodiment, the rotation position of the rotation shaft portion 81 in which the actuator portion 83 abuts on the abutting portion 24a and the rotation position of the rotation shaft portion 81 in which the lever portion 82 abuts on the abutting portion 25a. Although the phase difference is provided, it is not necessary to provide the phase difference. When providing a phase difference, the relative positional relationship between the protruding positions of the actuator portion 83 and the lever portion 82 and the contact portions 24a and 25a is adjusted, and the actuator portion rotates due to the twist caused by the phase difference. The phase difference is set so that the shaft portion 81 is not damaged.

Next, when the user lifts the lever portion 82 with the top cover 25 removed (Phase 4), the actuator portion 83 of the stack lever 80 is rotated in the rotation direction B by the contact portion 24a. The movement is regulated. Further, the lever portion 82 is rotated in the rotation direction B to a position where the lower surface 84a of the extending portion 84 abuts on the abutting portion 26a. In other words, at this time, the lever portion 82 is restricted from rotating in the rotation direction B by the extending portion 84 and the contact portion 26a.

By providing the contact portion 26a in the image forming apparatus 1, when the user lifts the lever portion 82 while the upper surface cover 25 is removed, the rotating shaft portion 81 may be excessively twisted. This can be prevented and damage to the stack lever 80 can be suppressed.

That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, the stack lever 80 further rotates in the rotation direction B from the state where the top cover 25 is open and the actuator portion 83 and the abutting portion 24a are in contact with each other. When this is done, it has a contact portion 26a that comes into contact with the lower surface 84a of the extension portion 84.

With the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, the upper surface cover 25 can be opened and the JAM processability can be improved. Further, even if the upper surface cover 25 is opened, the stack lever 80 that rotates in the rotation direction B when the load capacity of the seat S further increases after the actuator portion 83 and the contact portion 24a come into contact with each other. The rotation can be regulated by the contact portion 26a, and it is possible to prevent the rotation shaft portion 81 from being twisted by a certain amount or more after the contact between the actuator portion 83 and the contact portion 24a. As a result, damage to the stack lever 80 can be suppressed.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the extending portion 84 is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion 82 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81.

If the image forming apparatus 1 has such a configuration, the stress acting on the lever portion 82 can be efficiently received by the contact portion 26a, so that the stack lever 80 can be reliably suppressed from being damaged. In the image forming apparatus 1, the extending portion 84 may be provided at a position that does not overlap with the forming region of the lever portion 82 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81. Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the width of the extending portion 84 is the same as the width of the lever portion 82, but the width of the extending portion 84 may be narrower than the width of the lever portion 82. It may be wide.

That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, the stack lever 80 includes an extending portion 84 extending in a direction different from that of the lever portion 82 in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion 81. Then, in the image forming apparatus 1, the contact portion 26a that can be substituted as the contact portion 25a is further rotated in the rotation direction B from the state in which the stack lever 80 is in contact with the actuator portion 83 and the contact portion 24a. When moved, it comes into contact with the lower surface 84a of the extension 84.

[Another Embodiment when there is no contact portion 25a]
The image forming apparatus 1 has a configuration in which the contact portion 25a is not provided on the upper surface cover 25 and the contact portion 26a is provided only on the lever holder 26. When the upper surface cover 25 is covered, the stack lever 80 rotates in the rotation direction. When it is rotated by B, the contact portion 26a may restrict the rotation of the lever portion 82 in the rotation direction B. That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, when there is no contact portion 25a, the contact portion 26a may be configured to perform the same function as the contact portion 25a. That is, in the image forming apparatus 1, one embodiment of the contact portion 25a includes a form such as the contact portion 26a.

Further, in the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, even when the upper surface cover 25 is removed, the rotation position of the lever portion 82 can be regulated by the contact portion 26a, and damage to the stack lever 80 is suppressed. it can.

[Another Embodiment in the case where both the contact portion 25a and the contact portion 26a are present]
In the image forming apparatus 1, when the upper surface cover 25 has the abutting portion 25a and the lever holder 26 has the abutting portion 26, the stack lever 80 and the lever portion 82 abut against each other with the upper surface cover 25 attached. When rotated in the rotation direction B to a position where it abuts on the portion 25a, the extending portion 84 may be configured to abut on the abutting portion 26a at the same time. With such a configuration, the rotation of the lever portion 82 in the rotation direction B can be more reliably regulated.

[How to detect full sheets on the output tray]
As shown in FIG. 6A, a sensor 90 for detecting the position of the front end portion 83b is arranged in the accommodating portion 29 at a position facing the front end portion 83b of the actuator portion 83. In the image forming apparatus 1, the load capacity of the sheets S that can be loaded on the discharge tray 73 is set in advance to the maximum number Z. The sensor 90 is configured to be able to detect the front end portion 83b when the load capacity of the sheets S on the discharge tray 73 reaches the maximum number Z.

Then, as shown in (Phase 2) of FIG. 7, in the image forming apparatus 1, the rotation position of the stack lever 80 in which the contact portion 24a and the actuator portion 83 abut is such that the sheet S is fully loaded in the discharge tray 73. It is the rotation position when it becomes.

In the image forming apparatus 1 having such a configuration, the actuator portion 83 is restricted from rotating by the contact portion 24a at the corresponding rotation position when the seat S is fully loaded, so that the fully loaded state of the seat S can be accurately checked. It can be detected well.

1 Image forming device 2 Device body 24 Top cover 24a Contact part 25 Top cover 25a Contact part 26 Lever holder 26a Contact part 72 Discharge roller pair 73 Discharge tray 80 Stack lever 81 Rotating shaft part 82 Lever part 82a Top surface 83 Actuator Part 84 Extension part 84a Lower surface S Seat B (when the load capacity of the seat increases) Rotation direction

Claims (11)

With the device body
A pair of discharge rollers supported by the device body and
A discharge tray provided on the main body of the device and supporting a sheet discharged by the discharge roller pair, and a discharge tray.
A rotation shaft portion that is rotatably supported with respect to the apparatus main body and extends in a width direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet, and a sheet that is projected in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion and is provided on the discharge tray. It has a lever portion that abuts and an actuator portion that protrudes in the radial direction of the rotation shaft portion outside the region where the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray in the width direction, and is on the discharge tray. A stack lever that is rotated around the rotation axis in a constant rotation direction when the load capacity of the sheet is increased.
A sensor that detects the actuator unit and
A first contact portion capable of contacting the actuator portion that rotates with the rotation of the stack lever in the rotation direction and restricting the rotation of the actuator portion in the rotation direction, and a first contact portion.
From the state in which the actuator portion and the first contact portion are in contact with each other, it is possible to contact the stack lever that further rotates in the rotation direction, and the stack lever can rotate in the rotation direction. The second contact part that regulates
An image forming apparatus comprising. The second contact portion is
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus abuts on the upper surface of the tip end portion of the lever portion. The second contact portion is
In the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion, at a position where the distance from the rotating shaft portion is farther than the distance from the rotating shaft portion to the contact position of the actuator portion that abuts on the first contact portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lever portion abuts on the upper surface of the tip portion. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an upper surface cover that constitutes the upper surface of the apparatus main body and covers the stack lever from above. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the upper surface cover is provided so as to be able to change the state between a covered state covering the upper part of the stack lever and an open state in which the upper part of the stack lever is opened. The second contact portion is provided on the upper surface cover, and is provided on the upper surface cover.
The stack lever
Further provided with an extending portion extending in a direction different from that of the lever portion in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion.
The apparatus main body is described when the stack lever is further rotated in the rotation direction from a state in which the actuator portion and the first contact portion are in contact with the top cover in the open state. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a third contact portion that contacts the lower surface of the extension portion. The extension part
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, which is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion. The device body
A lever holder that has an accommodating portion for accommodating the actuator portion of the stack lever and rotatably supports the stack lever.
An upper cover that constitutes the upper part of the apparatus main body and covers at least the upper part of the accommodating portion of the lever holder.
With more
The top cover covers the lever holder and the top cover in the covered state.
The first contact portion is
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, which is provided on the upper cover. The stack lever
Further provided with an extending portion extending in a direction different from that of the lever portion in the radial direction of the rotating shaft portion.
The second contact portion is
1. The stack lever comes into contact with the lower surface of the extending portion when the actuator portion and the first contact portion are in contact with each other and then rotated in the rotation direction. The image forming apparatus according to. The extension part
The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, which is provided at a position overlapping the forming region of the lever portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft portion. The rotation position of the stack lever at which the first contact portion and the actuator portion abut is determined.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which is a rotation position when the sheet is fully loaded in the discharge tray.

Images