JP3448525B2 - Image forming apparatus and mounting unit - 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 such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, etc., which forms an image by an electrophotographic method, and a mounting unit mounted on the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus for forming an image by an electrophotographic system is widely used. In such an image forming apparatus, a toner image is formed on a photoconductor and the formed toner image is transferred onto a sheet. The toner image on the paper is thermally fixed by the fixing device and discharged. In the image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6, the optical unit 11 is placed on the image forming apparatus main body 12, and an image is formed between the optical unit 11 and the image forming apparatus main body 12. There is known an image forming apparatus having a sheet receiving tray 14 on which stacked sheets are stacked.

In the image forming apparatus having such a structure, the image forming apparatus main body 12 holds the optical unit 11 in a few positions.
Book support 16 is installed. Then, each unit such as a conveyance unit that conveys the sheet on which the image is formed, a fixing unit that fixes the sheet conveyed from the conveyance unit, and a discharge unit that discharges the sheet conveyed from the fixing unit The forming apparatus main body 12 is arranged and built in order from the bottom.

[0004]

When the image forming apparatus having the above-described structure is assembled in a factory or the like, it is necessary to correctly fix the optical unit. Conventionally, however, the optical unit has been mounted on the pillar of the main body of the image forming apparatus with a screw or the like. Since it was fixed to the unit, it took time to position the units. Also, when adding an optional unit later, remove the fixed optical unit,
It had to be re-fixed with the optional unit, which was laborious and time consuming due to the difficulty of positioning in this additional work.

Further, the space between the paper receiving tray and the optical unit is limited and cannot be expanded or contracted.
The number of additional optional units (for example, a job separator) to be additionally mounted was limited to one. Also, by installing the optional unit, the space to take out the paper on the paper receiving tray discharged from the discharge unit becomes narrower,
It becomes difficult to take out. On the other hand, if the space between the paper receiving tray and the optical unit is designed to be wide from the beginning, the height of the image forming apparatus becomes high, which makes it difficult to use as a desktop.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of easily mounting an optical unit and adding a mounting unit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mounting unit that can be easily added and can easily take out discharged sheets after addition.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention
In the described image forming apparatus, the optical unit and the main body of the image forming apparatus are separable from each other, and a plurality of mounting units can be mounted between the optical unit and the main body of the image forming apparatus. Positioning members for determining the horizontal mounting positions of the mounting unit and the image forming apparatus main body are provided in the optical unit and the image forming apparatus main body, respectively.

The mounting unit according to claim 2 is an optical unit.
Paper on which an image is formed between the printer and the main body of the image forming apparatus.
With a single paper tray for loading
There are, double between the optical unit, the image forming apparatus main body
The mounting unit is provided with a positioning member that determines the horizontal mounting positions of the optical unit, the mounting unit, and the image forming apparatus main body so that they can be mounted in several stages . With these configurations,
When assembling the optical unit and instrumentation Chakuyu knit, using a positioning member, it can be determined optical unit, the position of the instrumentation Chakuyu knit and the image forming apparatus main body accurately. Therefore, the work of fixing each unit is simplified.

When the mounting unit is additionally mounted, the optical unit and the main body of the image forming apparatus are temporarily separated,
By mounting the mounting unit and mounting the optical unit in the meantime, it is possible to add any number of mounting units. In this case, by using the positioning member, an optical unit, instrumentation Chakuyu knit, since the position of the image forming apparatus main body can be determined accurately, fixing operation of each unit becomes easy, difficult of additional work mounting unit It is possible to reduce the sex.

Further, since the mounting units are stacked on top of each other, the space between the image forming apparatus main body and the mounting units and the space between the mounting units are not narrowed.
Therefore, it is not difficult to take out the discharged sheet. If you do not install additional mounting units,
It can be used as a proper height image forming apparatus for a desktop.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, taking a copying machine as an example of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the copying machine 1. The copying machine 1 includes a main body housing 10 having an image forming unit, a paper tray, and the like, and a main body housing 1
It is divided into an optical unit 11 supported by 0 columns 16.

The optical unit 11 has a built-in reading mechanism for reading a document, and an operation panel (not shown) is provided on the upper surface thereof. The main body housing 10 includes an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 1.
3 and 3. Various paper trays are built in the lower housing 13, and a transport path for taking out and transporting paper from the paper tray is built in.

In the upper housing 12, an image forming section for forming a toner image, a transfer section for transferring the formed toner image, a fixing section for fixing the transferred sheet, and a sheet after fixing is discharged. It has a built-in discharge unit, a transport path for transporting paper, and the like. A paper receiving tray 14 for receiving and stacking the paper discharged from the discharge portion is provided in the middle of the upper housing 12 in the vertical direction.

A feature of the copying machine 1 according to the present embodiment is that the upper housing 12 and the optical unit 11 can be separated from each other, and "a unit to be mounted" between the optical unit 11 and the upper housing 12. The job separator can be installed. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, pins 15 which are positioning members for determining the horizontal mounting position are provided on the upper surfaces of the columns 16 provided on three sides of the upper housing 12. Furthermore, although not shown,
An insertion hole into which the pin 15 is inserted is provided on the lower surface of the optical unit 11 at a position facing the pin 15.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the job separator 17 to be mounted as seen from above, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view as seen from below.
Shown in. The job separator 17 has a sheet size,
It is a discharge unit that sorts and stacks the copied sheets according to the type of copying and the affiliation of the operator who operates the copying machine. It has a paper receiving tray 19.

On the upper surface of the job separator 17, there is provided a pin 15 which is a positioning member for determining the horizontal mounting position (see FIG. 2), and on the lower surface of the job separator 17,
Insertion hole 1 which is a positioning member that determines the horizontal mounting position
8 are provided (see FIG. 3). FIG. 4A is a front view of the copying machine 1 showing a state where the optical unit 11 is directly mounted on the upper housing 12 without mounting the job separator 17. In this state, the pin 15 provided in the upper housing 12 is directly fitted into the insertion hole provided in the optical unit 11.

In the copying machine 1 having this structure, when the optical unit 11 is assembled, the pins 15 are used to mount the optical unit 11 on the upper housing 12, and the optical unit 11 and the upper housing 12 are mounted. The horizontal position can be accurately determined. Therefore, the work of fixing the optical unit 11 becomes easy. FIG. 4B is a front view showing a state where the job separator 17 is attached. In this state, the pin 15 provided on the upper housing 12
Is the insertion hole 1 provided on the lower surface of the job separator 17.
8 and the job separators are stacked in one or more stages, and the pin 15 provided on the upper surface of the uppermost job separator 17 is fitted in the insertion hole provided in the optical unit 11. 17a is a spacer.

The optical unit 11, the job separator 17 to be mounted, and the pin 15 and the insertion hole 18, which are positioning members for determining the horizontal mounting positions of the upper housing 12, are provided on the upper surface of the upper housing 12, the optical unit 11.
Since the optical unit 11 and the upper housing 12 are once separated and the job separator 17 is inserted and mounted, the optical unit 11, the job separator 17, and the job separator 17,
The horizontal position of the upper housing 12 can be accurately determined. Therefore, the work of fixing the optical unit 11 and the job separator 17 becomes easy.

FIG. 5 is a front view for explaining the operation of the copying machine 1 to which the job separator 17 is attached. Job separator 17 loaded in the upper housing 12
The transport path is connected to a transport path that extends upward from the branch portion 20 provided in the upper housing 12. Then, the sheet is discharged from the branch portion 22 provided in the middle of the conveying path of the job separator 17 via the discharge roller 23. Job separator 17
The job separator 17 further stacked on the above has the same structure.

The sheet branched and sent from the branching section 20 of the upper housing 12 enters the conveyance path of the job separator 17 mounted thereon, and is sorted by the branching section 22 there, and is discharged by the discharge roller 23. It is ejected through and is stacked on the paper receiving tray 19. In this case, the upper space of the paper receiving tray 14 of the upper housing 12 does not become narrow even if the job separator 17 is mounted. Another job separator 1 on the job separator 17
Even if you wear 7. The space above the paper receiving tray 19 of the job separator 17 does not become narrow. Therefore, it is not difficult to take out the paper.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, although the pin and the insertion hole are illustrated as the positioning members that determine the horizontal mounting positions of the optical unit, the unit to be mounted, and the image forming apparatus main body, the present invention is not limited to this combination, and engagement of any unevenness is provided. Therefore, any device that can be positioned can be used.

Further, although the job separator is illustrated as the unit to be mounted, other than the job separator, the same can be applied to a finisher for punching a sheet on which an image is fixed or closing with a staple. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a copying machine 1.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mounted job separator 17 seen from above.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mounted job separator 17 as viewed from below.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the copying machine 1, where (a) shows a state where the optical unit 11 is directly mounted on the upper housing 12 without mounting the job separator 17, and (b) shows the job separator 17; It is a front view which shows the state which mounted | worn.

FIG. 5 is a front view for explaining the operation of the copying machine 1 in which the job separator 17 is attached.

FIG. 6 shows an optical unit 11 on the main body 12 of the image forming apparatus.
1 is a front view showing an image forming apparatus having a sheet receiving tray 14 on which an image is formed and which is placed between an optical unit 11 and an image forming apparatus main body 12.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Copier 10 Main body housing 11 Optical unit 12 Upper housing 13 Lower housing 14 Paper tray 15 pin 16 props 17 job separator 18 insertion holes 19 Paper tray 20,22 Branch 21,23 discharge roller

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having a structure in which an optical unit is mounted on a main body of the image forming apparatus, and a sheet on which an image is formed is stacked between the optical unit and the main body of the image forming apparatus. comprising a unit, an image forming apparatus main body can be separated, an optical unit, between the image forming apparatus main body, the sheet having the image formed a discharge portion for mounting the product of a single sheet receiving tray Things (hereinafter referred to as "equipment units")
Optical unit, so that multiple stages can be mounted.
An image forming apparatus, wherein a positioning member that determines a horizontal mounting position of the mounting unit and the image forming apparatus main body is provided in the optical unit and the image forming apparatus main body, respectively. 2. An image in which an optical unit is mounted on a main body
Attached to the forming device, the optical unit and the image forming device main body
A single sheet for stacking image-formed paper between
A mounting unit including a paper receiving tray, in which the optical unit, the mounting unit, and the image forming apparatus main body are horizontally mounted so that a plurality of stages can be mounted between the optical unit and the image forming apparatus main body. A mounting unit comprising a positioning member for determining a position.