JP2984408B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of mounting a paper feeder as an option for supplying a sheet material to an image forming apparatus main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a device for performing image processing on a sheet material such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer, the size and type of the sheet material used vary depending on the user. To respond to the demands such as the number and type of storage units and the number of types of storage units, for example, LBP (laser beam printer) with one 200-sheet cassette, LBP with two 200-sheet cassettes, or only 50 multi-bypass trays L
An optional paper feeder having a 250-sheet cassette (hereinafter referred to as an optional feeder) can be attached to the BP at the request of the user.

It has been considered that a foot serving as an expansion means is attached to a mounting portion of a 250-sheet cassette so that a 400 to 500-sheet cassette can be mounted.

[0004]

However, conventionally, if the storage portion of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus can be expanded, it is not possible to provide a further storage portion with an optional feeder, or to use an optional feeder. In the case of multi-stage configuration, each stage was configured so that the storage section could not be expanded, so it could not respond to various demands of users, and it was difficult to use There were drawbacks such as the need for expense.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus main body having a main body storing portion for storing a sheet material, a main body feeding means for feeding a sheet from the main body storing portion at a lower portion, and a housing for storing the sheet material. An image forming apparatus having an option feeder having an optional storage portion for performing the operation and an optional feeding means for feeding a sheet material from the optional storage portion, wherein the optional feeder is detachably provided below the apparatus main body. In the apparatus main body and the option feeder, the lower side is open, and the apparatus main body and the option are stored so that a large-capacity storage unit having a larger amount of sheet material than the main body storage unit and the option storage unit can be stored. An expansion means for expanding the space below the feeder is configured to be attachable to both the apparatus main body and the optional feeder. The features.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the same expansion means can be detachably attached to both the apparatus main body and the option feeder, so that it is possible to more precisely cope with various users.

[0007]

FIG. 1 shows an apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and is a single-stage 250-sheet cassette which is a main body storing section for storing cut sheets (hereinafter, referred to as sheet materials) P. 1 and a multi-bypass unit 2 are provided as standard. The sheet material P in the cassette 1 is fed by rotation of a paper feed roller 3 serving as a main body feeding means provided in the main body of the apparatus, and is separated one by one by a separation claw 4 in the cassette 1 so as to be fed one by one. The sensor 5 is turned on. This sensor O
By stopping the rotation of the paper feed roller 3 after a certain time from N, the leading end of the sheet material P is brought into contact with the register roller 6 whose rotation has been stopped, and a standby state is established in a state where a loop is reliably formed.

A laser image is formed on a photosensitive drum 8 by laser scanning of a laser scanner unit 7 in accordance with an image signal, developed 9, and a register roller 6 is started in accordance with the image signal. The toner on the drum 8 is transferred onto the sheet material P by the transfer roller 10 to which the bias has been applied, and is fixed and discharged by passing between the high temperature (about 200 ° C.) rollers of the fixing unit 11. The paper is discharged out of the machine by the paper roller 12.

A paper feed roller 3 comes into contact with the uppermost sheet of the sheet material stored in the cassette 1, and the pressure is applied from below the sheet material P by the force of a spring 13. This cassette 1
Are configured so as to hang on the foot portions 101 and 101 'on both sides of the apparatus main body by catching portions on both side surfaces of the cassette 1, so that the apparatus main body has a member on the bottom side of the cassette 1 as shown in FIG. There is no open.

[0010] Then, as shown in FIG.
By using the cassette extender 102 which is an expanding means for raising the height of 01 ', it is possible to expand the space on the opposite side of the sheet feeding roller 3 with respect to the sheet material stored in the cassette 1. Therefore, the 500-sheet cassette (large-capacity storage unit) 103 capable of stacking 500 sheets described in the related art can be mounted thereon. The bottom surface of the cassette extender 102 is connected as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the feet of the apparatus main body are raised, the rigidity can be maintained without the feet being distorted, crushed, or inclined as shown in FIGS.

The cassette extender 102 is shown in FIG.
As described above, the positioning pin 105 is used to position the apparatus main body or an optional feeder, which will be described later, and fix it so as not to shift. Further, a portion 1 which covers a clue portion when the apparatus main body and the optional feeder are lifted.
Since the main body 02a is formed, there is an effect of preventing the cassette extender 102 from being dropped without being lifted when the apparatus main body is lifted.

Further, the rubber feet 104 attached to the apparatus main body and the optional feeder are connected to the cassette extender 102.
Has escaped, and the positioning has a structure that does not collapse.

An optional feeder PF can be mounted on the main body of the one-stage 250-sheet cassette. As shown in FIG. 7, a cassette 1a as an optional storage section and a feeder as an optional feeding means are provided. Paper roller 3
a and an intermediate transport roller 14, and the paper feed roller 3a and the intermediate transport roller 14
The rotation is controlled by a motor and a clutch (not shown) in the main body. The apparatus body of the image forming apparatus includes a cable 15
Signals are exchanged at. The sheet material fed by the paper feed roller 3a and the intermediate transport roller 14 of the optional feeder PF passes through the passage in the upper cassette 1 and reaches the register roller 6 in the same manner as described above, where an image is formed.

The lower portion of the optional feeder PF is also opened, and the same cassette extender 102 can be installed as in the case of the apparatus main body. The capacity of the cassette 103 can be increased. FIG. 9 is a model diagram showing these extensibility. As described above, a user who uses only the same sheet material even with the same capacity of 500 sheets can increase the capacity only with the relatively low-cost cassette extender 102 without purchasing the optional feeder PF. In addition, the number of sheets can be freely selected from 250 sheets of the standard model to a maximum of 750 sheets, which is three times as large as that of the standard model.

[0015] Further, as in this embodiment, the downward expansion within the installation area does not increase the installation area, and the height of the installed pedestal is low. This is effective because the height of the upper surface can be kept unchanged.

(Other Embodiment) As another embodiment, FIG. 10 shows a cassette extender 1.
No. 02 is provided with a tray section for storing a cassette below No. 02. No. 1 from the standard model with a 250-sheet cassette No. 2 or 500 sheets cassette type 3 to No. In the case of No. 4, similarly, the 250-sheet cassette can be stored in the tray of the extender 102 without occupying the space, and the space can be effectively used without taking up a space. In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, the cassette extender 102 has a two-stage integrated structure, or as shown in FIG.
It is also effective that the cassette storage tray can be configured by configuring the configuration such that 2 can be stacked in two stages.

[0017]

As described above, since the same expansion means for expanding the cut sheet storage portion can be attached to both the apparatus main body and the optional feeder, the user can make many choices, and the cost and the method of use can be increased. Therefore, there is an effect that a more optimal device can be obtained according to.

The storage capacity of the cut sheet can be increased without changing the installation area.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from a paper feeding direction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram in which a cassette extender is attached to the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a case where a cassette extender is defective.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a case where a cassette extender is defective.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state where a cassette extender is mounted on the apparatus main body.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an option feeder.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an option feeder.

FIG. 9 is a model diagram of each type.

FIG. 10 is a model diagram of each type.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the cassette extender.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state where a single-stage cassette extender is overlaid;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cassette (body storing part) 1a Cassette (optional storing part) 3 Paper feed roller (main body feeding means) 3a Paper feeding roller (optional feeding means) 101 Foot 102 Cassette extender (expansion means) 103 500 sheet cassette (large) Capacity storage section) PF Optional feeder

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An apparatus main body having a main body storage section for storing a sheet material, a main body feeding means for feeding a sheet from the main body storage section at a lower portion, an optional storage section for storing a sheet material, and the option An image forming apparatus comprising: an optional feeder having an optional feeding unit configured to feed a sheet material from a storage unit; wherein the optional feeder is detachably provided below the apparatus main body; The lower side of the feeder is open, and the lower space of the apparatus main body and the optional feeder is expanded so that a large-capacity storing section having a larger sheet material storage capacity than the main body storing section and the optional storing section can be stored. An image forming apparatus, wherein the expansion means for mounting the image forming apparatus can be mounted on both the apparatus main body and the optional feeder. Place. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a tray portion for storing the storage portion is provided below the expansion unit.