JP3350090B2 - Sheet loading device of 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 a sheet stacking apparatus for a miniaturized image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, etc., which stacks sheets to be inserted into an apparatus body for image formation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a remarkable reduction in the size of an image forming apparatus, and a reduction in the size of a sheet stacking table, which is a constituent member thereof, has been required.

Hereinafter, a sheet stacking device of a conventional image forming apparatus will be described. 4 and 5, reference numeral 33 denotes a frame of the image forming apparatus, and 3 denotes a sheet 2 before an image is formed.
Are mounted on the base, 31 and 32 are regulating plates for aligning the width direction of the sheet 2, 14 and 15 are racks supported by the regulating plates 31 and 32, 16 is a pinion, and 18 and 19 are frames on the loading table 34. A hinge rotatably fixed to the body 33,
Reference numeral 20 denotes a paper feed hole into which the sheet 2 is inserted.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a pair of paper feed rollers for feeding the sheet 2 on the loading table 34 in the direction shown by the arrow C, and reference numeral 24 denotes a transport for transporting the sheet 2 fed by the pair of paper feed rollers 23. A pair of rollers, 25 is a printing unit for forming an image on the sheet 2, 26 is a fixing unit for fixing the image formed on the sheet 2, and 27 is a unit for discharging the sheet 2 on which the image is formed. A pair of discharge rollers 28 is a sheet on which an image is formed and discharged, 29 is a discharge tray on which the sheets 28 are stacked, and 30 is a hinge which rotatably fixes the discharge tray 29 to the frame 1.

The relationship and operation of each component of the sheet stacking device of the image forming apparatus including the above components will be described.

When the loading table 34 is used, when the sheet 2 is placed on the base 3, the regulating plates 31 and 3 are adjusted to the width of the sheet 2.
2 is slid in the direction indicated by arrows A and B. The regulating plates 31 and 32 are connected by racks 14 and 15 and a pinion 16, respectively, and their operations are linked.

In use, the sheet 2 fed to the image forming apparatus is received by the loading table 34 and the discharged sheet 28 is received by the discharge tray 29. When not in use, the loading table 34 and the paper discharge tray 29 rotate around the hinges 18 and 19 and the hinge 30 in the directions indicated by arrows C and D and move to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line, and the image is more than in use. The area occupied by the forming apparatus can be reduced.

[0008]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the height of the regulating plates 31 and 32 must be equal to or greater than the height of the number of sheets 2 that can be stacked. There has been a problem that the size of the frame body 33 of the image forming apparatus in the width direction is increased by an amount necessary for the heights of the image forming apparatuses 31 and 32, and the size cannot be reduced.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and can reduce the width of a frame of an image forming apparatus in the width direction.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet stacking device of a miniaturized image forming apparatus.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, in a sheet stacking apparatus of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a regulating plate for aligning the width direction of a sheet is rotatably supported by a stacking table on which the sheet is stacked. And, when the loading table is stored in the apparatus main body, the regulating plate rotates while contacting a part of the apparatus main body.
Doing, as a surface for restricting the outer edges of the sheet regulating plate abuts against the sheet stacking surface of the front Symbol stacking table, so as to return to a position for restricting the sheet when there is no contact with a portion of the apparatus main body This is a configuration in which:

[0011]

In this configuration, when the loading table is not used, the regulating plate closes to the loading table, and the height occupied by the regulating plate is reduced.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 showing an embodiment of the present invention, the same parts as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the feature of the present embodiment is that the regulating plates 4 and 5 for aligning the width direction of the sheet 2 are rotated by the binges 8 and 9 on the fixing plates 6 and 7. It is freely held. 10 and 11 are screw recoil springs for urging the control plates 4 and 5 and the fixing plates 6 and 7 to open.
Reference numerals 2 and 13 denote handles which the user touches when operating the regulating plates 4 and 5 with a part of the fixing plates 6 and 7. Reference numeral 17 denotes a loading table. Reference numerals 21 and 22 denote projections formed by a part of the frame 1. It is. The racks 14 and 15 are supported by fixed plates 6 and 7.

The operation of the sheet stacking device of the image forming apparatus configured as described above will be described below. The description of the same operation as that described in the conventional example is omitted.

When the seat 2 is placed on the base 3, the user operates the handles 12, 13 to adjust the width of the seat 2 so that the regulating plates 4 and 5 are slid in the directions indicated by arrows A and B. You. The fixed plates 6 and 7 are connected by racks 14 and 15 and a pinion 16, respectively, and the operation is linked.

When the loading table 17 is to be stored in the frame 1 when not in use, the loading table 17 is moved in the direction indicated by the outline arrow H shown in FIG. ,
Closing is performed in the directions indicated by arrows F and G around the rotation center 9.
In use, the loading table 17 moves in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the outline arrow H and the contact between the regulating plates 4 and 5 and the projections 21 and 22 disappears. 2 can be placed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sheet 2
The restricting plates 4 and 5 for aligning the width direction of the image forming apparatus are rotatably supported and closed when the stacking table 17 is stored. It can be reduced by the height of the regulating plate, and when the loading table 17 is stored, the regulating plates 4 and 5 and the projection 2
The restriction plates 4 and 5 are closed by the contact of the control plates 1 and 22, and the restriction plates 4 and 5 are opened by the screw recoil springs 10 and 11 during use, so that the user does not need to open and close the restriction plates 4 and 5.

[0019]

As is clear from the above description of the embodiment, according to the present invention, the regulating plate for aligning the width direction of the sheet is rotatably supported by the loading table on which the sheet is loaded, and the loading table is connected to the apparatus main body. When the loading table is stored in the apparatus main body, the pair of regulating plates are configured such that the surface of the restriction plate that regulates the outer edge of the sheet comes into contact with the sheet loading surface of the loading table. Since the surface of the regulating plate that regulates the outer edge of the sheet comes into contact with the sheet loading surface of the loading table, the width of the frame of the image forming apparatus can be reduced in size by the height of the regulating plate, thereby reducing the size. An excellent sheet stacking device for the image forming apparatus can be realized , and the position of the regulating plate for regulating the sheet can be reduced.
The return can be performed automatically .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of a sheet stacking apparatus of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, with a part of the sheet stacking apparatus being omitted.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a concept when the sheet stacking device of the image forming apparatus is not used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the concept of using the sheet stacking device of the image forming apparatus in a cross section of the inside of a frame.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the inside of a sheet stacking apparatus of a conventional image forming apparatus with a part of the sheet stacking apparatus removed;

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the concept of using the sheet stacking device of the image forming apparatus in a cross section of the inside of a frame.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4,5 regulating plate 10,11 screw recoil spring 17 loading table 21,22 protrusion

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A 3-1138 (JP, U) JP-A 48-19050 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sheet stacking apparatus having a stacking table rotatably held by an apparatus main body and stacking sheets, and a pair of regulating plates for regulating an outer edge of the sheets parallel to a traveling direction of feeding the sheets. Wherein the restricting plates are each rotatably supported by the loading table, and when the loading table is stored in the apparatus main body, the restricting plate is part of the apparatus main body.
By rotating contact with the surface to regulate the perimeter of said sheet of said regulating plate so as to abut against the sheet stacking surface of the front Symbol stacking table, a sheet when the contact is eliminated with a portion of the device body A sheet stacking device of an image forming apparatus which is configured to return to a regulating position.