JP3272052B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a scanner printer,
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image forming apparatus has an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus main body integrally mounted in a single housing, and a document table is provided on an upper surface of the housing. A pressing plate for pressing a document is provided on the upper surface, and a device for placing a document and taking out a discharged recording sheet from a limited direction is used.

[0003]

The above-described image forming apparatus can only place a document and take out a discharged recording sheet from a limited direction. There is a problem that there is no space to place an article held or a document to be copied next.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to place a document and to take out a discharged recording sheet from any direction, and to hold an article held during copying or a document to be copied next. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with good operability in which the image forming apparatus can be placed.

[0005]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a portion for setting a document to be read and a portion for placing a document not to be read. An image reading apparatus having an image reading device having an original reading plate, and a pressing plate for pressing an original to be read, housed under the housing, and provided with image reading means for reading an image of the original, and an image read by the image reading means. An image forming device for storing an image forming means for forming an image on a recording sheet with a signal, and an image forming apparatus main body having a paper discharge section on the upper surface side, and an image reading device supported by a support on the upper portion of the image forming apparatus main body. In the configured image forming apparatus, an original plate made of a single transparent member is provided on the upper surface of the image reading device, and the area of the original plate is set vertically below the area of the upper surface of the image reading device and the image forming device main body. Cross section parallel to the platen In which being larger than a large area of. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a step is provided so that the portion on which the original to be read on the original platen is set can be positioned. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the pressing plate is mounted on the image reading device via a damper member such that the pressing plate can move up and down. The invention of claim 4 is claim 1
In the invention, the lock lever and the lock release lever are provided on the pressing plate, the lock pin is provided on the image reading device, and the pressing plate is urged to be pushed upward by the damper member. When the document is held down, the platen and the pressing plate are locked in contact with each other, and when the lock is released by operating the lock release lever, the lock lever and the lock pin are engaged so that the platen and the pressing plate are separated. It was made. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, an operation section having a display section of the image reading means is arranged below the document table and provided in the image reading apparatus. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of paper discharge is provided on a paper discharge tray provided on an upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body, and an illuminating means is provided on a lower surface of the image reading device. ,
There is provided means for controlling the illuminating means by the output of the detecting means. The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claim 1,
The housing of the image reading apparatus is composed of a lid and a base, and the lid is rotatably mounted on the base. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the document table is rotatably mounted on a housing of the image reading apparatus.

[0006]

According to the present invention as described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a document table made of a transparent material is provided on an upper surface of the image reading apparatus, and a document is placed from any direction of the image forming apparatus. By operating the key of the operation unit while seeing through the operation unit from above, taking out the copied and discharged recording paper from all directions, furthermore, the area of the document table is determined by the area of the upper surface of the image reading apparatus and the original of the image forming apparatus main body. The document is larger than the maximum area of the cross section parallel to the table, and a copy operation is performed with a document or article placed there. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the original is positioned by placing the original in contact with an original positioning step provided on the original table. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the pressing plate is held by a damper member, and the pressing plate is moved upward to separate from the platen, and moved downward to contact the platen. . If a document is placed, press it against the platen. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a lock lever and an unlock lever are provided on the pressing plate, a lock pin is provided on the image reading device 2, and the pressing plate is mounted so as to be pushed upward by a damper member. When the pressing plate is pressed down on the platen, the lock lever and the lock pin engage with each other in a state where the platen and the pressing plate are in contact with each other to lock both, and the lock is released by operating the lock release lever. When released, the engagement between the lock lever and the lock pin is released, and the platen and the pressing plate are separated. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the operation unit having the display unit of the image reading unit is provided in the image reading device so as to be disposed below the platen. A key operation of the operation unit is performed through the display unit to make a copy. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the detecting means detects the presence or absence of the recording sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus main body, and the control means to which the output is inputted controls the lighting means to illuminate. Is switched to notify that the recording paper has been discharged. According to a seventh or eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the document table rotates with respect to the image forming apparatus main body.

[0007]

1 to 20 show an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1
Since the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 16 and other embodiments are common in many parts, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used for such parts, and description thereof will be omitted. The different parts will be mainly described.

In FIG. 1 showing a first embodiment of the present invention, a paper discharge port 25 and a paper discharge tray 26 which are disposed on the upper surface side of the image forming apparatus main body 3 and discharge the recording paper 7 on which an image is recorded are provided. Is provided. At four corners of the main body 3 of the image forming apparatus, columns 15 are provided, and the image reading apparatus 2 having a document table 4 on which the document 30 is placed and a pressing plate 6 for pressing the document 30 on the top thereof is supported and fixed. The support 15 forms a space between the image forming apparatus main body 3 and the image reading apparatus 2.
The column 15 is a hollow body, and a signal line (not shown) for inputting an image output signal read by the document reading unit to the image forming unit is inserted through the hollow body. An operation unit 5 having a display unit is provided in the image reading device 2 below the document table 4. The main operation keys of the operation unit 5 can be externally attached as a remote control unit 55, and the remote control unit 55 can be placed on the document table 4. On the upper surface of the image reading device 2, there is provided a document table 4 using a transparent member such as glass or synthetic resin and forming it in a circular shape. The area of the platen 4 is the image reading device 2
Larger than the area of the upper surface.

The image forming apparatus main body 3 of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
4 and the thermal printer system shown in FIG.
02 to the platen drum 103 and the recording paper 7
Is wound around the platen drum 103. Ink sheet 1
04 is configured to be wound from a supply roll 106 to a take-up roll 107 through a space between the thermal head 108 and the platen drum 103. When recording, use the thermal head 108
Is pressed against the platen drum 103 with the ink sheet 104 and the recording paper 7 interposed therebetween, and the ink on the ink sheet 104 is recorded by the heat of the thermal head 108 while the ink sheet 104 is being wound and the platen drum 103 is rotating. The image is transferred to the paper 7 to form an image. When the recording is completed, the recording paper 7 is sent to the paper discharge roller 109 and discharged from the paper discharge port 25. In the electrophotographic type shown in FIG. 4, the photoconductor 100 is charged by a charging charger 117, and the photoconductor 100 is exposed based on an image signal by an optical writing head 112 such as an LED or a laser to form an electrostatic latent image. To form
Next, the latent image is developed into a visible image by the developing unit 113. Then, the recording paper 7 is fed from the cassette 101, and the timing with the leading end of the image on the photoconductor 100 is controlled by the registration roller 114, the recording paper 7 is brought into contact with the photoconductor 100, and the toner is recorded by the transfer charger 115. The recording paper 7 is transferred to the paper 7, further separated from the photoreceptor 100 by the separation charger 116, and discharged from the paper discharge port 25 by the conveyance guide and the conveyance roller 118.

In such a case, when copying the original 30, the original 30 is set on the original table 4. This setting can be performed from all directions of the document table 4. Then, the original 30 is pressed with the pressing plate 6, and the original is
The image forming apparatus 30 reads the image 30 and sends the read image signal to the image forming apparatus main body 3 through a signal line. The image is formed on the recording paper 7 by the image forming apparatus main body 3 based on the signal, and the image is discharged from the paper discharge port 25 to the paper discharge tray. The paper is to be discharged to 26. Further, since the image reading device 2 is supported by the image forming apparatus main body 3 with the support 15, the image reading device 2 is open except for the support 15, and the recording paper 7 discharged from all directions can be taken out.

As shown in FIG. 5, the original platen 4 is formed with a stepped portion 8 having a depth of about 2 mm at a portion where the original 30 is placed so that the original 30 can be easily positioned. The original 30 against the corner
It is designed to position 30. The step 8 is not limited to the depression, and may be a convex positioning scale 80 as shown in FIG.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a state in which the pressing plate 6 is raised right above and is separated from the document table 4. The pressing plate 6 and the image reading device 2 are connected via a gas damper used as a damper member 9. When the original 30 is set, the pressing plate 6 is pushed upward by the extension force of the damper member 9.

A plurality of hook levers 10 are supported at both end portions of the pressing plate 6 by support pins 40 and are rotatably provided with the pins 40 as pivots. The hook lever 10 is interconnected by a link lever 18 inserted into the pressing plate 6 so that the hook lever 10 is interlocked. This connecting portion is configured to rotate around the link pin 17 provided on the upper portion of the support pin 40,
The hook lever 10 is constantly urged in the direction of the lock pin 12 provided on the housing 69 of the image reading apparatus 2 via the link lever 18 by a spring 19 provided between one end of the link lever 18 and the pressing plate 6. Have been. The other end of the hook lever 10 is provided with a hook 11, and when the pressing plate 6 is crimped, the lock pin 12 and the hook 11 are engaged and the pressing plate 6 is locked in a crimped state. A cushion member 13 is provided on the lower surface of the pressing plate 6, and the cushion member 13 presses the original 30 to the original table 4.

A plurality of release levers 14 for releasing engagement between the hook lever 10 and the lock pin 12 are provided on the upper surface of the pressing plate 6.
Is provided. The release lever 14 has an operation button portion having an upper end protruding from the pressing plate 6 and a lower end having a hook lever 10.
And a pin portion that turns while pressing the sideways. The damper member 9 for pushing up the pressing plate 6 is a body 21.
And the shaft 20, and the body 20 is the image reading device 2
, And the shaft 20 is fixed to the pressing plate 6. At a position where the shaft 20 extends from the body 21, the pressing plate 6 is separated from the document table 4 and is maintained above. The arrangement of the body 21 and the shaft 20 of the damper member 9 may be reversed. When the release lever 14 is operated and the hook lever 10 comes to the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG.
The engagement between the lock pin 12 and the lock pin 12 is released, and the pressing plate 6 is pushed upward by the extension force of the damper member 9. Then, the shaft 20 is kept at the fully extended position.
After the engagement between the lock pin 12 and the hook lever 10 is released, the release lever 14 and the hook lever 10 are returned to their original positions by the spring 19.

When the pressing plate 6 is changed from the separated state to the pressing state, the pressing plate 6 is manually pressed from above and pressed toward the document table 4, and the shaft 20 of the damper member 9 enters the body 21 and the damper member 9 is turned on. The hook lever 10 and the lock pin 12 are engaged and locked as shown in FIG.

In the other hook lever 10 shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of hook portions 11 are provided on the hook lever 10, and the position of the hook portion 11 locked by the lock pin 12 changes according to the thickness of the document 30. In this state, the original 30 is pressed against the original platen 4. If the interval (a) between the hooks made of a plurality is made smaller than the thickness (b) of the cushion member 13, the gap between the hook portions 11 is increased by the thickness of the cushion member 13 regardless of the thickness of the document 30. It can be absorbed by the cushion member 13.

The display of the operation unit 5 is controlled by the control unit to control the LC.
The color of the D backlight is switched to three colors (red, green, and yellow) so that the state of the apparatus such as copying available, warming up, or a failure warning can be visually determined.

As shown in FIG. 11, an illuminating device 27 having at least two light sources having different colors is provided below the image reading device 2, and a paper discharge tray 26 detects the presence or absence of the recording paper 7. A piezoelectric element sensor, which is a member 28, is provided. When the recording paper 7 is discharged there, it is detected, and the detected output is input to a control device (not shown). The color is turned on, and when the color is off, the recording paper 7 is illuminated by controlling to emit another color, and the user is notified of the discharge of the recording paper 7 by the difference in color. In this on / off control, a program preset in accordance with the flow of FIG. 12 is input to the control device. Further, the paper ejection detection member 28 is not limited to the piezoelectric element sensor. This change in color development illuminates the recording paper 7 to make it easier to take out, and is also effective from the aesthetic point of view of the apparatus.

A light source as shown in FIG.
The light 52 is provided so that the emitted light passes through the document table 4 while being reflected, and is radiated outward from the end to clearly show the outer peripheral end surface of the document table 4.

The lower end of the image forming apparatus main body 3 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 7, there is provided a lighting device 50 in which a cover 56 is formed of a step-like inverted pyramid-shaped light-transmitting member. As shown in FIG. 16, the lighting fixture 50 is provided with a light source 53 on the back side plate, provided with mirrors on the upper surface, and on the vertical inner surface between the back surface and each step, and as shown in FIG. 55 is provided with a light-shielding seal so that light is emitted downward from the lower surface of the stair portion to decoratively illuminate the feet and the image forming apparatus 1.

A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
17, the lid 60 and the base 61 of the housing 69 of the image reading device 2 are formed in a cylindrical shape, and the lid side plate and the base side plate are rotatably fitted as shown in FIG. Base 61 is pillar 15
Fixed to. A chassis 62 containing the image reading means is attached to the lid 60, and the rotation center of the bottom plate of the chassis 62 and the base 61 are moved relative to the base 61 by a support shaft 64 provided at the center of the base 61. The lid part 60 is rotatably supported. A plurality of rollers 63 are provided on the lower outer surface of the bottom plate of the chassis 62 so as to run on the lower inner surface of the base 61. Therefore, the document table 4 provided on the lid 60 can be rotated together with the lid 60. In addition, in order to transmit an output signal of the image reading unit to the image forming unit, a portion fixed to the image forming apparatus main body 3 and a rotating portion are electrically connected via a sliding contact (not shown). There is no difference from the first embodiment.

19 and 20, which show a third embodiment of the present invention, a housing 69 of an image reading apparatus 2 is fixed to a support post 15, and a groove in which a roller 66 fits near the outer periphery on the lower surface of the document table 4. The roller 66 is supported by a support member 68 on the upper surface of the lid 60 of the housing 69 of the image reading device 2, and the roller 65 is supported by the document table 4 on the upper surface of the lid 60. The first embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the document table 4 is mounted on the rollers 65 and the rollers 66 and the grooves 67 are fitted so that the document table 4 does not come off even when the document table 4 rotates. There is no difference.

[0023]

The present invention is as described above. According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a platen having a portion for setting a document to be read and a portion for placing a document not to be read; An image reading device having an image reading means for reading an image of a document, which is housed in a housing below the pressing plate, and forming an image on a recording sheet by an image signal read by the image reading means An image forming apparatus that houses an image forming unit to perform image forming, and that has an image forming apparatus main body provided with a paper discharge unit on the upper surface side, and that has an image reading device supported by a support on the upper part of the image forming apparatus main body. A document table made of a single transparent member is provided on the upper surface of the reading device, and the area of the document table has an area of the upper surface of the image reading device disposed vertically below the document table and a cross section parallel to the document table of the image forming apparatus main body. Larger than the largest area of , Perspective the operation unit from above the document table and be the operation, also the original can be placed from all directions, also can be taken out recording paper is discharged from all directions,
Further, there is an effect that the next document or article can be placed on the document table and used as a table. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a step is provided so that the original can be positioned at a portion where the original to be read on the original platen is set, so that the positioning of the original can be easily and accurately performed. This has the effect. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the pressing plate is mounted on the image reading device via a damper member so as to be vertically movable, so that the pressing plate can be easily moved up and down easily. Thus, the original can be inserted from any direction. The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claim 1,
When a lock lever and an unlock lever are provided on the pressing plate, a lock pin is provided on the image reading device, and the pressing plate is urged upward by a damper member, and when the pressing plate is pressed onto the platen, When the lock is released by the operation of the lock release lever, the lock lever and the lock pin are engaged so that the platen and the pressing plate are separated from each other. There is an effect that the operation of pushing up the pressing plate is easy, and the pressure can be securely pressed in accordance with the thickness of the document. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the operation unit having the display unit of the image reading unit is disposed below the document table and provided in the image reading apparatus. There is an effect that the operation of the unit can be performed. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of paper discharge is provided on a paper discharge tray provided on an upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body, and an illuminating means is provided on a lower surface of the image reading device. Since the means for controlling the illumination means based on the output of the detection means is provided, it is possible to easily determine that the recording paper has been discharged. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the housing of the image reading apparatus includes a lid and a base, and the lid is rotatably mounted on the base. There is an effect that the manuscript or article that is being used can be easily drawn to the user's hand. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the original plate is rotatably mounted on the housing of the image reading apparatus, so that the original or the article placed on the original plate can be easily drawn. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing a state where a front door of an image forming apparatus main body using the thermal head of the first embodiment is opened.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state where a front door of an image forming apparatus main body using the electrophotographic process of the first embodiment is opened.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the upper surface of the document table of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic top perspective view of another document table of the first embodiment of the above.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the pressing plate of the first embodiment is moved upward.

FIG. 8 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the lock lever of the pressing plate of the first embodiment is released and the pressing plate moves upward.

FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the lock lever and the lock pin of the first embodiment are engaged with each other, and the pressing plate is pressed against the document table.

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing a state in which a plurality of lock portions of the lock lever of the pressing plate according to the first embodiment are provided, the lock lever and the lock pin are engaged, and the pressing plate presses the document on the platen; FIG.

FIG. 11 is a partial view showing a lighting device provided on the lower surface of the image reading apparatus of the first embodiment and a discharge detection member provided on a discharge tray.

FIG. 12 is a system flow chart of the operation of the illumination device controlled by the output of the paper ejection detection member of the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the document table and illumination light according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a lighting device at a lower portion of the image forming apparatus main body of the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective sectional view of a lighting device at a lower portion of the image forming apparatus main body of the first embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a schematic front sectional view showing a mirror of a light source unit of the illumination device below the image forming apparatus main body of the first embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a rotation mechanism of the image reading apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a schematic top view of the document table of the third embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a rotation mechanism of the document table and the image reading device, cut along AA in FIG. 19 of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image reading apparatus 3 Image forming apparatus main body 4 Document table 5 Operation part 6 Press plate 7 Recording paper 8 Step 9 Damper member 10 Hook lever 11 Hook part 12 Lock pin 13 Cushion member 14 Lock release lever 15 Column 25 Discharge Paper exit 26 Output tray 27 Lighting device 28 Output detection member 30 Original 60 Lid 61 Base 69

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-105458 (JP, A) JP-A-62-1201469 (JP, A) JP-A-61-23135 (JP, A) JP-A 63-2014 172172 (JP, A) Fully open 1988-60145 (JP, U) Fully open 1987, 164341 (JP, U) Fully open 1988, 178841 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 15/00 550 G03G 15/00 530 G03G 15/04 G03G 21/16-21/18 G03B 27/62 H04N 1/00

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] An image forming apparatus includes: a portion for setting a document to be read;
A platen having a portion for placing a document is not performed, the reading
An image reading device having an image reading means for reading an image of the document, the image signal being read by the image reading means. in the recording sheet accommodating the image forming unit for forming an image, the upper surface
An image forming apparatus main body provided with a paper discharge unit, and an image reading apparatus supported by a support on an upper part of the image forming apparatus main body .
A platen made of a transparent member is provided, and the area of the platen is
Area and image area of the upper surface of the image reading device
The maximum area of the cross section parallel to the platen of the image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image forming apparatus has a large size . 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a step is provided at a portion of the document table on which the document to be read is set so that the document can be positioned. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing plate is mounted on the image reading device via a damper member such that the pressing plate can move up and down. 4. A pressing plate is provided with a lock lever and an unlock lever, an image reading device is provided with a lock pin, and the pressing plate is urged to be pushed upward by a damper member. When the lock is released, the platen and the pressing plate are locked in contact with each other, and when the lock is released by operating the lock release lever, the lock lever and the lock pin are engaged so that the platen and the pressing plate are separated. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is combined. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation unit having a display unit of the image reading unit is disposed below the document table and provided in the image reading device. 6. A discharge means provided on a discharge tray provided on an upper surface of an image forming apparatus main body, a detecting means for detecting presence / absence of paper discharge, an illuminating means provided on a lower surface of the image reading apparatus, and the illuminating means is output by the detecting means. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the image reading device is constituted by a lid and a base, and the lid is rotatably mounted on the base. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document table is rotatably mounted on a housing of the image reading apparatus.