JP4435205B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus that improves the shape of the apparatus main body to improve workability and the appearance image.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer has a combination of an image forming apparatus main body 1 with an ADF 2 serving as a paper feeding unit, a paper discharge device 3, and an operation display device 4. As shown in FIG. 2, there is a configuration in which a large amount of paper feeding unit 6, a paper discharging unit 7, a paper processing unit, or the like is combined around an image forming unit 5. There is also a large-sized image forming apparatus configured by combining a plurality of units. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, an image processing unit 9 and other units 10 are arranged beside the image forming unit 8, and the image processing unit is arranged. There is also an example in which a personal computer 11 is mounted on 9.

  In these known various image forming apparatuses, the inventors know that the front surface shape is flat, the planar shape of the entire apparatus is generally rectangular, the three-dimensional shape is close to a rectangular parallelepiped, and rounded at the four corners. It has become a thing.

  By the way, as a recent installation mode of the image forming apparatus, a so-called island placement method is increasingly used. In the island place, for example, in a copy shop or office, the device is not placed close to furniture such as walls, cabinets, desks, etc., but it is a form where the device is installed like a island in the space away from the wall or furniture. is there.

  When such an installation form is adopted, a user or a passerby passes around the image forming apparatus, and the user approaches the image forming apparatus from all directions. In such a case, in the image forming apparatus having a rectangular planar shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when a user or a passerby passes near the apparatus, the body easily hits the corner of the apparatus, or belongings There is a problem that a user or a passer becomes reluctant to pass by the device because it becomes easy to catch or feel like that. In addition, in the state of placing on the island, the user may go to the left and right sides or the back side of the device to work, but in this case as well, the user feels that the body is likely to hit or easily hit the corner of the device. This often causes the user to hesitate to move.

  Further, particularly in a large apparatus as shown in FIG. 3, the user often works by moving the front side of the apparatus linearly from side to side, but such a linear movement of the body is less preferable. Therefore, there is a problem that the user becomes troublesome to move his / her body and may hinder smooth work.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus having the shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when the island is placed, the sense of quality as a fixture for the surrounding environment of the installation place is low, and the quality feeling as one image forming apparatus. There is also a problem that is often felt low.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and makes smooth the passage around the device and approach to the device, and the body at the corner of the device during the passage and movement around the device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can give a user or a passer-by a feeling that it is difficult to hit or that the body is not likely to hit even if the user passes or moves.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus with an improved quality feeling by improving the external shape of the entire apparatus.

Pertaining to claim 1 of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus depth is formed by combining by adjacent two different units in the image forming apparatus main body unit has a substantially planar portion including a paper discharge portion to the top of the device, each of the unit adjacent to the image forming apparatus main body unit arranged in the center, the image forming depth of the adjacent side to the image forming apparatus main body unit The length is substantially the same as the apparatus main body unit, and the depth dimension on the side not adjacent to the image forming apparatus main body unit is made shorter than the depth dimension on the adjacent side so that both end portions of a plurality of units having different depths are connected. The leading edge and trailing edge of the image forming apparatus have substantially the same arcuate curved shape, and the curved shape is narrowed at both ends. Central portion is characterized by comprising a drum shape NakaFutoshi projecting from the end.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the image forming apparatus of the second aspect, the curved shape is made symmetrical .

Those according to the third aspect, in order to achieve the above object, characterized by comprising on the Symbol Bay song shape as a symmetrical shape.

As described above, the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus configured by combining two units having different depth dimensions. The image forming apparatus includes a planar shape of the apparatus main body and a paper discharge unit at the upper part of the apparatus. It is assumed that it has a substantially flat portion, and this curved shape has the shape of the end of the substantially flat portion, at least the front side has a curved shape, and the curved portion has both ends narrowed and the central portion is the end. Because it has a middle drum shape that protrudes more, the passage around the front side of the device and the approach to the device will be smooth and will not give resistance to users and passers-by, and the front of the device Not only does it make it difficult for the body to hit the corners of the device when passing or moving, it also makes it difficult to catch luggage, etc., and the user feels that the body and baggage will not be hit even when passing or moving. Naughty There is an effect that is as capable of providing to the person.

As described above, the image forming apparatus according to claim 2 has a symmetrical shape on the front side and the rear side of the image forming apparatus main unit , so that in addition to the above-mentioned common effects, an installation space for an office or the like. be adopted installation mode called every so-called island at the inner, though will give the viewer a feeling such as a table, quality feeling in the appearance of an image forming apparatus there is an effect that high or Ru.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view seen from the rear of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 schematically shows a shape seen from above. It is a top view. The image forming apparatus of the illustrated example is a copying machine, and in the figure, 20 is a copying machine main body unit, which is provided with a detachable paper feed tray 21... A paper unit 25 is a paper discharge unit.

  The copying machine main body unit 20 is provided with an ADF 22 at a substantially central position of a table-like upper surface portion 26, and a document discharge tray 23 is arranged on the right side thereof, and a portion other than the portion occupied by these forms a flat surface. I have to do it. In the figure, reference numeral 27 denotes a power switch arranged in a small recess formed in the upper surface portion 26. The ADF 22 also has a flat shape on the upper surface except for a portion that is open to feed a document. The ADF 22 is coupled with a flat surrounding space formed by the upper surface portion 26 so that the upper surface of the copying machine main body unit 20 has a flat surface. Considerable space is flat.

  The large-volume sheet feeding unit 24 includes a plurality of sheet feeding stages, but the upper surface portion 24a is also formed in a flat shape except for a notched portion for avoiding the document discharge tray 23 of the copier body unit 20. The paper discharge unit 25 is provided with a large quantity of paper discharge trays 28 on the left side so as to be movable up and down, and a paper discharge tray 29 is provided by cutting out the central portion on the left edge side of the upper surface portion 25a. Except for the provided part, it has a flat shape.

  Further, each unit 20, 24, 25 is configured such that the front surface shape is not substantially flat as shown in the figure, but also the height and depth dimensions are substantially the same. Specifically, as can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, only the ADF 22 and the document discharge tray 23 of the copying machine main unit 20 protrude upward, and the other parts have the same height. Yes. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the depth dimension of the copying machine main unit 20 has a rectangular planar shape, and the large-volume feeding unit 24 and the paper discharge unit 25 have a depth on the side adjacent to the copying machine main unit 20. The dimension is the same length as the copying machine main unit 20, the dimension not adjacent to the copying machine main unit 20 is shorter than the depth dimension of the copying machine main unit 20, and substantially the same arcuate curve is formed on both the front and rear edges. As a configuration to be presented, both end portions having different depths are connected to each other. Of course, the four corner portions, that is, the end portions of the upper edge portions 24a and 25a of the large-volume paper feeding unit 24 and the paper discharge unit 25 on the shorter depth side are rounded off.

  Therefore, when the units 20, 24, and 25 are connected to form a single image forming apparatus, when viewed from above, both ends are sunk as shown in FIG. 6, and the center protrudes from the end. It has a so-called middle drum shape. With such an appearance, even if users and passers-by pass through the surroundings and approach from various directions when adopting an installation form called island placement, it feels more gentle than a rectangular parallelepiped device In addition to being received, the size of the device appears to be small, so that not only is it difficult for the body to hit the corner of the device and hooking things, but also the perceptual resistance felt by passing by is reduced. Of course, the same is true when working around the left and right sides and the back side of the apparatus.

  Further, when the user moves the front side of the apparatus to the left or right, the movement line is substantially arc-shaped around the ADF 22 having a large amount of operation, as indicated by arrows A and B in FIG. become. Then, since the user feels easy to work, the smooth work can be performed.

  The upper surface 26 of the copying machine main unit 20 and the upper surface of the ADF 22, the upper surface 24 a of the mass feeding unit 24, and the upper surface 25 a of the paper discharge unit 25 are connected to form a very wide upper flat surface. Therefore, even if an image forming operation is performed in the absence of a work table or the like nearby, it is possible to place a document, an image-formed paper, a clip, a pen, or the like.

  Further, the apparatus according to the embodiment described above is a combination of a plurality of units, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus in the case of a single apparatus as shown in FIG. Of course, it is also applicable.

It is a perspective view which shows an example of the conventional image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of the conventional image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of the conventional image forming apparatus. 1 is a front perspective view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is the back side perspective view. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of the embodiment of FIGS.

Explanation of symbols

20: Copier body unit 21: Paper feed tray 22: ADF
23: Document discharge tray 24: Mass feed unit 25: Paper discharge unit 26: Upper surface portion of copier body unit 27: Power switch 28: Mass discharge tray 29: Paper discharge tray

Claims (2)

In the image forming apparatus configured by combining two units having different depth dimensions adjacent to the image forming apparatus main unit ,
The upper part of the apparatus has a substantially flat part including a paper discharge part,
Each of the unit adjacent to the image forming apparatus main body unit arranged in the center, long Satoshi, the image forming apparatus main body unit the depth of the side adjacent to the image forming apparatus main body unit substantially coincides with the image forming apparatus main body unit The depth dimension of the non-adjacent side is made shorter than the depth dimension of the adjacent side so that both end portions of a plurality of units having different depths are connected, and the front edge and rear edge of the image forming apparatus are substantially the same arc shape. Have a curved shape of
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curved shape is a thick drum shape with both ends narrowed and a central portion protruding from the end. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the curved shape is a symmetric shape.