JP4804298B2 - Paper discharge tray and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and more particularly to an improvement in stockability of a paper discharge tray that holds discharged paper.

  FIG. 13 shows an external configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus 100 is a so-called in-cylinder discharge type digital copying machine, and mainly includes a main body housing 20 and an upper housing 21 disposed on an upper portion thereof. The upper housing 21 is provided with various mechanisms, which will be described later, for reading an image of an original as an electric signal. On the other hand, the main body housing 20 is used to transfer an image onto a sheet based on the electric signal of the read original image. Various mechanisms described later are provided.

  In FIG. 13, the main body housing 20 is composed of a lower housing 20a and a connecting housing 20b that is positioned along the left side and is connected to the upper housing 21, and the lower housing 20a is fed with paper. Sections, an image forming section for forming a toner image on the paper, a fixing section for fixing the toner image on the paper, and the like. On the other hand, the fixed housing is transported and discharged to the connection housing 20b. A paper discharge unit is provided.

  Further, a cylinder discharge space 22 that is largely open toward the right side and the front surface is formed on the right side of the connecting housing 20b immediately below the upper housing 21, and the cylinder discharge space 22 includes A paper discharge tray 23 is provided for receiving and stacking paper discharged horizontally from the right side surface of the connecting housing 20b. The paper discharge tray 23 includes a first tray surface 23a that is inclined upward in the discharge direction for receiving a substantially rear portion of the paper, and a substantially horizontal second tray surface 23b that receives a substantially front portion of the paper. The sheet discharged onto 23 slides down by the first tray surface 23a and is aligned at the rear end by the rear wall surface (the right side surface of the connecting housing 20b).

  On the upper surface of the upper housing 21, a document placing table (not shown) made of a transparent glass plate and an operation panel 26 exposed on the front side are arranged. Further, above the upper housing 21, a document presser 28 equipped with a document transport device 27 for transporting a document to the image reading position of the document mounting table is supported by a hinge portion on the back surface of the upper housing 21 so as to be freely opened and closed. ing.

  The document transport device 27 is roughly provided with a document feed tray 29 provided with a document guide 29a for aligning and stacking supplied documents, and a document feed tray 29 located above the image reading position. A document cover 30 and a document discharge tray 31 formed directly on a part of the upper surface of the document holder 28 on the side of the document cover 30 and discharged from the document feed tray 29 through the document cover 30. A document conveyance path (not shown) reaching the tray 31 is formed.

  In such an image forming apparatus, in order to secure a stack amount of discharged sheets and a good stacking property, the sheet discharge tray 23 is formed on the first tray surface 23a in accordance with a certain sheet size, sheet discharge speed, and the like. The length and gradient are set to predetermined dimensions and predetermined angles. Therefore, for example, when the paper discharge tray 23 is designed in accordance with the large-size paper and the stopper 38 for aligning the front end of the paper is provided at the end of the second tray surface 23b in the paper discharge direction, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the leading edge of the large-sized sheet P is aligned by the stopper 38, so that the stacking property is generally good.

  However, when a small-sized sheet P ′ is discharged as shown in FIG. 14B, the leading end of the sheet P ′ protrudes beyond the first tray surface 23a toward the second tray surface 23b depending on the discharge speed of the sheet. . Therefore, particularly when small-sized sheets P ′ are continuously discharged, the sheets P ′ do not slide down to the rear wall along the gradient due to friction between stacked sheets, and the stacked state is disturbed. This phenomenon becomes more prominent as the number of discharged sheets increases. On the other hand, when the first tray surface 23a is lengthened in order to improve the stackability of the small size sheet P ′, the leading edge of the paper hits the first tray surface 23a when the large size sheet P is discharged, and the paper is greatly bent. There is a risk of reverse. These stack defects are the same for the paper discharge trays provided on the upper surface and side surfaces of the image forming apparatus.

  Further, in the case of the in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having the in-cylinder discharge space 22 between the lower housing 20a and the upper housing 21 as shown in FIG. 13, the height of the apparatus is suppressed as much as possible. Therefore, the in-cylinder discharge space 22 is also designed to have a minimum size. Therefore, if the first tray surface 23a is lengthened, the top surface (upper housing) of the in-cylinder discharge space 22 is discharged when a large amount of sheets are discharged. The bottom surface of 21 is touched and cannot be stacked.

  As a method for improving the stackability of the paper discharged onto the paper discharge tray, for example, Patent Document 1 provides a means for detecting the paper thickness of the paper, and changes the inclination of the discharge tray according to the paper thickness. Thus, a sheet receiving mechanism that eliminates curling and folding at the trailing edge of the paper is disclosed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 includes a first inclined panel that supports the leading edge of the sheet and a second inclined panel that supports the trailing edge of the sheet. Disclosed is a paper discharge stacker in which the entire tray is lowered due to an increase in the height or the slope of the first inclined panel is changed so that the falling point of the leading edge of the sheet on the first inclined panel can be made substantially constant. Has been.

However, the method of Patent Document 1 is to improve the stackability for sheets of various paper thicknesses, and the method of Patent Document 2 is to secure the stackability according to the change in the amount of discharged paper. No consideration was given to improving the stackability for a plurality of paper sizes. The sheet receiving mechanism and the paper discharge stacker disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 both receive paper discharged from the side surface of the apparatus, and are applied as they are to the paper discharge tray fixed in the in-body discharge space. Was difficult.
JP-A-7-137915 JP 2004-175480 A

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a paper discharge tray capable of correctly stacking discharged paper at an appropriate position regardless of the paper size, and an image forming apparatus including the same.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a first tray surface that is inclined upward in the paper discharge direction, and a substantially horizontal second tray surface that is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction. Are provided with a slope extending member that extends the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction so as to be accommodated in the first tray surface or the second tray surface.

  According to the present invention, in the paper discharge tray configured as described above, a stopper for aligning the leading end of the discharged paper is provided at the end of the second tray surface in the paper discharge direction.

  According to the present invention, in the paper discharge tray configured as described above, the slope extending member includes a slope forming portion that is rotatably supported in the vicinity of a boundary between the first tray surface and the second tray surface, and one end thereof The slope forming portion is pivotally connected to the pivot side end of the slope forming portion, and is provided with a support portion provided with the stopper at the other end. The slope forming portion and the support portion extend horizontally and the second The slope forming portion and the support portion are formed in a mountain shape by engaging the first position stored in the storage portion recessed in the tray surface and the support portion at a predetermined position on the second tray surface. It is characterized by being selectively disposed at a second position that bends and extends the first tray surface.

  According to the present invention, in the paper discharge tray having the above-described configuration, the inclination of the extended surface formed by the slope extending member can be adjusted in a plurality of stages.

  The present invention is also an image forming apparatus on which the paper discharge tray having the above-described configuration is mounted.

  According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus configured as described above, the sheet discharge tray includes an image forming unit disposed above the sheet feeding device, and an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit and reading a document image. It is characterized by being disposed in the in-body paper discharge space formed between the two.

  According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus configured as described above, an angle adjusting unit is provided that changes the inclination of the extended surface formed by the slope extending member in a plurality of stages.

  According to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, the angle adjusting unit includes an angle adjusting member that is fixed to an outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the slope extending member and has a plurality of engagement holes, and the angle adjusting member. An operation of switching between a restricting member that selectively engages with one of the engagement holes of the member and restricts the rotation of the rotating shaft, and an engaging hole that engages the restricting member by rotating the rotating shaft. It is characterized by comprising a member.

  Further, according to the present invention, in the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, a control unit that controls driving of the angle adjusting unit is provided, and the control unit controls the inclination of the extension surface according to the size of the discharged paper. It is characterized by automatic adjustment.

  According to the first configuration of the present invention, since the first tray surface can be extended using the slope extending member, the paper to be discharged is discharged when discharging both the large size paper and the small size paper. It becomes possible to correctly stack the paper at a proper position on the paper discharge tray. Further, when the extension is unnecessary, the slope extending member can be stored on the first tray surface or the second tray surface, so that there is no need to carry or lose each time.

  According to the second configuration of the present invention, in the paper discharge tray of the first configuration, the stopper is provided at the end of the second tray surface in the paper discharge direction so that the paper is discharged when discharging the large size paper. The leading ends of the paper are aligned and stacked, and the paper is prevented from protruding or dropping from the second tray surface.

  According to the third configuration of the present invention, in the paper discharge tray of the second configuration, the slope extending member is rotatably supported in the vicinity of the boundary between the first tray surface and the second tray surface. Regardless of the size of the paper, it is possible to discharge the paper regardless of the size of the paper by configuring it with a slope forming part and a support part with one end pivotably connected to the rotation side end of the slope forming part and the other end provided with a stopper. It is possible to realize a paper discharge tray capable of correctly stacking the paper to be loaded at an appropriate position with a simple configuration. Further, since the slope forming portion is supported by the support portion, durability of the slope forming portion with respect to the load of the paper is also improved.

  Further, according to the fourth configuration of the present invention, in the paper discharge tray having any one of the first to third configurations, the inclination of the extended surface formed by the slope extending member can be adjusted in a plurality of stages. Thus, the shape of the paper discharge tray can be adjusted to an optimum shape according to three or more types of paper sizes.

  Further, according to the fifth configuration of the present invention, by mounting the paper discharge tray having any one of the first to fourth configurations, the discharged paper can be placed on the paper discharge tray regardless of the paper size. It is an easy-to-use image forming apparatus that can be correctly stacked at an appropriate position.

  According to the sixth configuration of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus having the fifth configuration, the sheet discharge tray is arranged in the in-body discharge space formed between the image forming unit and the image reading unit. As a result, the stacking property of a plurality of sizes of sheets can be improved, and the in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus can secure a stack amount of sheets without expanding the in-cylinder discharge space.

  According to the seventh configuration of the invention, in the image forming apparatus having the fifth or sixth configuration, the extension surface is discharged by providing the angle adjusting means for changing the inclination of the extension surface in a plurality of stages. It is possible to adjust the tilt to the optimum paper size.

  According to the eighth configuration of the invention, in the image forming apparatus having the seventh configuration, the angle adjusting member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft of the slope extending member, and the engagement hole of the angle adjusting member By configuring the angle adjusting means with a restricting member that selectively engages with and an operation member that switches the engaging hole that engages with the restricting member by rotating the rotation shaft, the configuration is simple and the slope is extended. The angle adjustment means can easily and reliably adjust the angle of the member.

  According to the ninth configuration of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus having the seventh configuration, when the sheet size is changed by providing the control unit for controlling the angle adjusting unit and automatically adjusting the inclination of the extended surface. Forgetting to adjust the inclination of the extended surface and adjusting errors can be solved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus on which a paper discharge tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. Portions common to FIGS. 13 and 14 of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention has a sheet-through method in which a document is automatically conveyed and read by a document conveying device 27 with the document retainer 28 closed, and the document retainer 28 is opened and closed each time a document is read. Two types of reading methods are possible: a document fixing method that replaces one document at a time. In the former sheet-through method, the optical system provided in the upper housing 21 is scanned at a predetermined position without being scanned and moved. On the other hand, in the latter document fixing method, A reading operation is performed while the optical system scans and moves.

  Next, the configuration of the document conveying device 27 will be described. In the document cover 30, document conveyance means including a pickup roller 32, a conveyance roller pair 33, a registration roller pair 34, and a discharge roller pair 35 is provided in order from the upstream side along the document conveyance path d. Among these, the conveyance roller pair 33 is composed of a drive roller 33a and a separation roller 33b. The separation roller 33b rotates in the opposite direction to the drive roller 33a only when the rotational load is lower than a predetermined torque, and the rotational load is reduced. When the torque exceeds a predetermined torque, the drive roller 33a is driven to rotate.

  Between the registration roller pair 34 and the discharge roller pair 35, a white reference plate 36 for shading correction, which is exposed to face the image reading position R on the document placing table 25, and a white reference plate 36 behind the white reference plate 36 is white. A document pressing portion 36a for pressing the reference plate 36 toward the image reading position R is provided. The document conveyance path d is curved so as to be reversed between the conveyance roller pair 33 and the image reading position R.

  The document transport path d is provided with a plurality of sensors for detecting whether or not a document exists. For example, a document detection sensor S 1 is provided at the center of the document feed tray 29, a paper feed sensor S 2 is provided downstream of the transport roller pair 33, and a discharge sensor S 3 is provided downstream of the discharge roller pair 35. ing.

  Next, the document conveying operation by the sheet-through type document conveying unit 27 will be described with reference to FIG. In the sheet-through type document conveying operation, first, a plurality of documents set with the image surface facing upward on the document feeding tray 29 are set by a set document pressing member 37 biased upward by a spring member 37a. Is pressed against the pickup roller 32 by the pressure of. Here, when the copy start button on the operation panel 26 is turned on, the pickup roller 32 and the conveyance roller pair 33 are rotationally driven by a primary paper feed driving means (not shown).

  The document set on the document feed tray 29 is normally fed by the pickup roller 32 to the upper pair of transport rollers 33. The plurality of originals sent to the conveyance roller pair 33 are separated by the separation roller 33b and are conveyed toward the registration roller pair 34 after being separated by the separation roller 33b. At that time, after the leading edge of the document is detected by the sheet feeding sensor S2, the document is conveyed by a predetermined distance, and then the driving roller 33a and the pickup roller of the conveying roller pair 33 are stopped by the operation of the primary sheet feeding driving means. The rotational drive of 32 is stopped and the primary paper feeding ends. The primary fed document is stopped in a state where the leading edge is pressed against the nip portion of the registration roller pair 34 and the leading edge is bent.

  Secondary feeding is started after a lapse of a predetermined time from completion of primary feeding. That is, the registration roller pair 34 is rotationally driven by the operation of the secondary paper feed driving means (not shown). The document is conveyed by the registration roller pair 34 to the discharge roller pair 35 through the image reading position R, and finally discharged onto the document discharge tray 31 by the discharge roller pair 35. At this time, the completion of image reading of one original is detected by detecting the passage of the rear end of the original by the discharge sensor S3.

  Here, the discharge sensor S3 has a counting function that counts the number of documents every time the document feed and conveyance is completed. If the document detection sensor S1 detects a subsequent document, the second and subsequent document conveyance is performed. Will continue as above. When the document passes through the image reading position R, the document is conveyed while being lightly pressed toward the document placing table 25 by the white reference plate 36 and the document pressing portion 36a, and the image of the document is read through the image reading position R. It is supposed to be.

  Next, the configuration of an image reading unit provided in the upper housing 21 for reading an image of a document as an electric signal will be described below with reference to FIG. In the upper housing 21, a lamp 1 that is a light source that irradiates light toward the image surface of the document, a reflector 2 that efficiently applies light from the lamp 1 to the image surface of the document, and document reflected light The first mirror 3 that directly receives and reflects the light, the second mirror 4 that receives and reflects the reflected light from the first mirror 3, and the third mirror that receives and reflects the reflected light from the second mirror 4 5 and a lens barrel 6 that holds a lens group (not shown) that introduces and collects reflected light from the third mirror 5, and receives document reflected light collected by the lens group of the lens barrel 6. A photoelectric conversion module (for example, a line-type CCD) 7 for converting to an electrical signal is disposed on the base plate 10. The optical path of the original reflected light is indicated by a one-dot chain line.

  Here, the lamp 1, the reflector 2 and the first mirror 3 are integrally fixed on the first carriage 8, and the second mirror 4 and the third mirror 5 are integrally fixed on the second carriage 9. The first carriage 8 and the second carriage 9 are independent of each other, but can reciprocate in cooperation. That is, when the document image reading operation is performed by the sheet through method, the first carriage 8 is moved and held immediately below the image reading position R, and the second carriage 9 is held at a predetermined position. On the other hand, in the original fixing method, the first carriage 8 and the second carriage 9 reciprocate (scan) while maintaining the optical path length of the original reflected light constant.

  Under such a configuration, the document reflected light irradiated from the lamp 1 and reflected by the image surface of the document is reflected by the first mirror 3 to the third mirror 5 and introduced into the lens group in the lens barrel 6. The light is condensed by the lens group and imaged on the photoelectric conversion element 7 a of the photoelectric conversion module 7. The photoelectric conversion module 7 performs photoelectric conversion processing, and the document image is read as an electric signal.

  Next, the configuration of various mechanisms provided in the main body housing 20 for transferring the image to the sheet based on the electric signal of the read document image will be described below with reference to FIG. First, the sheet feeding unit will be described. Under the lower housing 20a, various sizes of sheets (paper, OHP sheets, etc.) are stored, and a paper feed cassette 40 that can be taken in and out from the front is disposed. The size sheets P are fed out one by one by the feeding roller 40a. Further, an openable / closable manual feed tray 41 that is pulled down as necessary is provided on the left side surface of the lower portion of the lower housing 20a, and a small-sized sheet P ′ set in the manual feed tray 41 is fed out. It is sent out one by one by the roller 41a.

  Next, an image forming unit for forming a toner image on a sheet and a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the sheet will be described. Above the paper feed cassette 40 in the lower housing 20a, a photosensitive drum 42 constituting a main image forming unit, a charging device 43, a laser exposure unit 44, a developing device 45, A transfer roller 46 and a cleaning device 47 are provided. Further, a fixing device (fixing unit) 48 is disposed above the transfer roller 46 in the lower housing 20a and directly below the connecting housing 20b.

  The photosensitive drum 42 is made of, for example, positively charged amorphous silicon, and rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 at a predetermined peripheral speed when driven. The surface of the photosensitive drum 42 is uniformly charged by corona discharge generated from the charging device 43 to which a high voltage is applied, and then the laser exposure unit 44 based on the electrical signal of the original image from the photoelectric conversion module 7 described above. The electrostatic latent image composed of a predetermined light potential and dark potential portion is formed by the irradiation of the light beam from.

  Further, the electrostatic latent image rotates to the developing position by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 42. The developing roller 45a, which is a constituent element of the developing device 45, is made of stainless steel and has a fixed magnet inside. The developing roller 45a is rotatably supported with a predetermined gap from the photosensitive drum 42, and in the same direction as the photosensitive drum 42 when driven. At a predetermined peripheral speed. The developing device 45 is filled with a positively charged magnetic toner having a volume average particle diameter of 9 μm (median diameter measured by a Coulter counter), and a toner thin layer is formed on the surface of the developing roller 45a by a magnetic blade (not shown). Is formed. A predetermined developing bias voltage is applied to the developing roller 45a. The toner that has reached the developing region flies from the surface of the developing roller 45a by the developing bias voltage, and is attracted to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 42, whereby a toner image is formed (developed).

  Here, the sheet P (or P ′) that is fed one by one from the paper feed cassette 40 (or the manual feed tray 41) and reaches the registration roller pair 49 has a toner image on the photosensitive drum 42 approaching the transfer roller 46. In synchronization with this, the registration roller pair 49 feeds the sheet upward while adjusting the conveyance timing, and is conveyed between the photosensitive drum 42 and the transfer roller 46 through the conveyance path T1. Then, most of the toner in the toner image is transferred onto the sheet P when the leading edge of the sheet P and the leading edge of the toner image pass through the transfer roller 46.

  The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 42 without being transferred onto the sheet P is removed from the photosensitive drum 42 by the cleaning device 47. On the other hand, the sheet P on which the toner image is transferred is sent to the fixing device 48. The fixing device 48 includes a fixing roller pair including a heat roller 48a and a pressure roller 48b. The toner image on the sheet P passing through the nip portion of the fixing roller pair is heated and pressed to be fixed. As a result, a fixed transfer image is formed on the sheet P.

  The sheet P that has passed through the fixing device 48 is conveyed into the connecting housing 20b along the vertical conveyance path T2 that is directed vertically upward. In the connection housing 20b, a conveyance roller pair 50 connected to the vertical conveyance path T2 and a discharge roller pair 51 for discharging the sheet P to the paper discharge tray 23 are disposed. The sheet P sent out from the conveyance roller pair 50 reaches the discharge roller pair 51 through the conveyance path T3, and is discharged from the discharge roller pair 51 to the paper discharge tray 23 constituted by the first tray surface 23a and the second tray surface 23b. Is done.

  The present invention is characterized in that a slope extending member 60 is provided on the second tray surface 23b of the paper discharge tray 23 to extend the first tray surface 23a in the paper discharge direction (right direction in FIG. 1). The slope extending member 60 includes a slope forming part 60a and a support part 60b, and can be stored in a storage part 61 that is recessed on the second tray surface 23b. A stopper 38 is provided at the end of the support 60b in the paper discharge direction.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the paper discharge tray and the slope forming member of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the slope extending member 60 is formed in a substantially T shape in plan view by a rectangular slope forming part 60 a and a support part 60 b. A pair of protrusions 63 are provided at one end of the opposing short sides of the slope forming part 60a, and a notch 65 is provided at the center of the long side far from the protrusion 63. A pair of engagement holes 66 are formed on the inner surface of the notch 65.

  A pair of protrusions 64 and engagement protrusions 67 are provided at both ends of the opposing long sides of the support part 60b, and a stopper 38 is provided on the upper surface on the engagement protrusion 67 side. The protrusions 64 engage with the engagement holes 66 of the slope forming part 60a, so that the support part 60b is rotatably connected to the slope forming part 60a.

  Further, a substantially T-shaped storage portion 61 in which the slope extending member 60 is stored is recessed in the second tray surface 23b. An engaging portion 61a with which the protruding portion 63 is rotatably engaged is formed at a portion (the rear end side in the discharge direction) of the storage portion 61 where the inclined surface forming portion 60a is stored. With the part 63 as a fulcrum, it is rotatably supported by the boundary part of the 1st tray surface 23a and the 2nd tray surface 23b. In addition, a first engagement groove 61b and a second engagement groove 61c are provided in a portion where the support portion 60b is accommodated (the leading end side in the discharge direction).

  Next, the operation of the slope extending member in the paper discharge tray of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a side sectional view showing the arrangement of the slope extending member 60 (hereinafter referred to as the first position) when the large-sized sheet P is discharged (FIG. 3A). ) Is a cross-sectional view seen from the direction of arrow A). As shown in FIG. 3, at the first position, the slope forming portion 60a and the support portion 60b are horizontally extended and stored in the storage portion 61 so as to be flush with the second tray surface 23b.

  Further, the engagement protrusion 67 is engaged with the first engagement groove 61b, and the stopper 38 is a second tray capable of preventing the sheet P from protruding and dropping from the second tray surface 23b and aligning the leading end. It is located at the end in the discharge direction of the surface 23b. As a result, the large-sized sheet P discharged from the discharge roller pair 51 through the transport path T3 is aligned at the leading edge without protruding or dropping from the paper discharge tray 23 by the stopper 38, and the first tray surface 23a and the first tray The two tray surfaces 23b are sequentially stacked.

  4A and 4B are a perspective view and a side cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the slope extending member 60 (hereinafter referred to as the second position) when the small-size sheet P ′ is discharged (FIG. 4 ( It is sectional drawing seen from the arrow A direction of a). In the second position shown in FIG. 4, by moving the engagement protrusion 67 of the support portion 60b from the first engagement groove 61b to the second engagement groove 61c, the inclined surface forming portion 60a and the support portion 60b are respectively the protrusion portions. It turns around 63 and 64 as a fulcrum and bends in a mountain shape. As a result, the inclined surface forming portion 60a forms an extended surface having a gradient substantially equal to that of the first tray surface 23a.

  The small-sized sheet P ′ discharged from the discharge roller pair 51 smoothly slides down to the rear wall portion along the inclined surface composed of the first tray surface 23a and the inclined surface forming portion 60a (extension surface), so that the rear end is aligned. Are sequentially stacked. Accordingly, by selectively arranging the slope extending members at the first position and the second position according to the size of the paper size, the discharged paper can be correctly stacked at an appropriate position regardless of the paper size. .

  Further, since the inclined surface extending member 60 is selectively arranged at the first position and the second position only by switching the engaging grooves 61b and 61c, the user can easily change the paper discharge tray 23 according to the paper size to be used. The shape can be adjusted. Further, when discharging the large-sized sheet P, the slope extending member 60 is stored in the storage portion 61, so that it is not necessary to carry the slope extending member 60 each time, and there is no possibility of losing the slope extending member 60. Furthermore, since the slope forming portion 60a is supported by the support portion 60b, durability against the load of the sheet when a large number of sheets are stacked on the slope forming portion 60a can be improved.

  Here, the engagement protrusion 67 is moved between the first engagement groove 61b and the second engagement groove 61c in accordance with the size of the paper size. However, the engagement grooves are provided at three or more locations. If the slope of the slope forming portion 60a when it is arranged at the second position is changed stepwise, the slope formed by the first tray surface and the slope forming portion 60a can have three or more types of paper sizes. It is possible to make the slope optimal for loading. Further, regarding the size of the slope forming portion 60a and the support portion 60b and the angle of the slope forming portion 60a when placed at the second position, the paper size to be discharged, the gradient of the first tray surface 23a, the in-body discharge The height of the space 22 (see FIG. 1) and the like are appropriately set according to the specifications of the image forming apparatus 100.

  FIG. 5 is a front sectional view of a paper discharge tray according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Portions common to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the slope extending member 60 is composed only of the slope forming part 60a, and the insertion groove into which the slope forming part 60a is obliquely inserted into the rear end side (left side in FIG. 5) of the storage part 61 in the discharging direction. 62 is formed. The stopper 38 is fixed to the front end (the right end in FIG. 5) of the second tray surface 23b in the discharge direction.

  When discharging a large-sized sheet P, as shown in FIG. 5A, the inclined surface forming portion 60a is arranged at the first position stored in the storage portion 61 so as to be flush with the second tray surface 23b. When discharging the small-sized sheet P ′, as shown in FIG. 5B, the inclined surface forming portion 60a is inserted into the insertion groove 62 and is disposed at the second position extending the first tray surface 23a. As in the first embodiment, both large and small sheets can be appropriately and stably stacked.

  Also in the present embodiment, a plurality of insertion grooves 62 in which the inclination with respect to the second tray surface 23b is changed in stages are provided, and the slope of the slope forming part 60a when it is arranged at the second position is stepped. If the configuration is changed, the inclined surface formed by the first tray surface 23a and the inclined surface forming portion 60a can be formed into an optimum shape for stacking three or more types of paper sizes.

  FIG. 6 is a front sectional view of a paper discharge tray according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Portions common to FIGS. 3 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the slope extending member 60 is configured only by the slope forming portion 60a, and the stopper 38 is fixed to the front end (the right end in FIG. 6) of the second tray surface 23b in the discharge direction. ing. The inclined surface forming portion 60a is rotatably supported at the rear end in the discharge direction of the storage portion 61, that is, the boundary portion between the first tray surface 23a and the second tray surface 23b, with the protruding portion 63 as a fulcrum.

  Further, an eccentric cam 68 is disposed below the slope forming portion 60a, and is in contact with the back surface of the slope forming portion 60a through an opening provided on the bottom surface of the storage portion 61. A drive transmission gear 69 for inputting a driving force from the motor 70 is connected to the rotating shaft of the eccentric cam 68. A control unit 71 is connected to the motor 70, and a detection sensor 72 that detects the paper size to be discharged is connected to the control unit 71. The control unit 71 controls the rotation of the motor 70 based on the detection result transmitted from the detection sensor 72.

  When the discharge of the large size sheet P is detected by the detection sensor 72, as shown in FIG. 6A, the small diameter portion of the eccentric cam 68 is brought into contact with the inclined surface forming portion 60a so that the inclined surface forming portion 60a is moved to the first position. When the discharge of the small size sheet P ′ is detected, the large diameter portion of the eccentric cam 68 is brought into contact with the inclined surface forming portion 60a as shown in FIG. Place at the position. That is, since the slope forming part 60a automatically rotates by a predetermined angle corresponding to the discharged paper size, the paper discharge tray 23 can be formed in an optimum shape for stacking a plurality of paper sizes, and the paper size. Forgetting to operate the slope forming unit 60 by the user can be resolved.

  Here, the inclined surface forming portion 60a is rotated using the eccentric cam 68. However, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, the drive input gear 73 is attached to the protrusion 63 (rotating fulcrum) of the inclined surface forming portion 60a. The rotational force from the drive transmission gear 69 may be directly transmitted to the slope forming part 60a. Further, without providing the detection sensor 72, the control unit 71 may control the rotation of the motor 70 based on the paper size input from the operation panel 26 (see FIG. 13).

  FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus including a paper discharge tray according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Portions common to the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, the sheet discharge tray 23 is disposed on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus, and the inclined surface extending member 60 is configured by only the inclined surface forming portion 60a as in the second and third embodiments. The inclined surface forming portion 60a is rotatably supported at a boundary portion between the first tray surface 23a and the second tray surface 23b, and can be stored in a storage portion 61 that is recessed on the second tray surface 23b. .

  FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an angle adjustment mechanism (angle adjustment means) used in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the inclined surface forming portion 60a is rotatable in the direction of the arrow about a rotation shaft 80 obtained by extending one protrusion 63 (see FIG. 6). Reference numeral 81 denotes a disk-shaped angle adjusting member in which a plurality of engaging holes 82 are formed in a revolver shape, and is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 80 by a screw 83. An angle adjustment handle 84 is fixed to the tip of the rotation shaft 80, and a part of the angle adjustment handle 84 is exposed to the outside from the upper surface cover 90 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the angle adjustment operation of the slope formation part 60a by the user is possible from the outside of the apparatus. Reference numeral 85 denotes a restricting member that restricts the rotation of the rotation shaft 80, and the boss 86 is fixed to a position where the boss 86 can be engaged with the engagement hole 82 of the angle adjustment member 81 inside the upper surface cover 90.

  FIG. 10 shows an engagement state between the angle adjusting member 81 and the regulating member 85. The regulating member 85 includes a main body 85a, a boss 86 supported so as to be slidable in the arrow BB ′ direction with respect to the main body 85a, and a compression spring 87 that urges the boss 86 in the arrow B direction. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the tip of the boss 86 is engaged with the engagement hole 82. In this state, the rotation shaft 80 (see FIG. 9) does not rotate easily, and is fixed to the rotation shaft 80. The inclined surface forming portion 60a (see FIG. 9) is also held at a predetermined angle.

  When force is applied in the direction in which the angle adjustment handle 84 (see FIG. 9) is rotated from the state of FIG. 10, the boss 86 is interfered with by the interference between the tip edge portion 86a of the curved boss 86 and the edge of the engagement hole 82. 86 slides in the direction of the arrow B ′ against the urging force of the compression spring 87, and the boss 86 rides on the angle adjusting member 81 from the tip edge portion 86 a. As a result, the engagement between the engagement hole 82 and the boss 86 is released, and the angle adjusting member 81 also rotates in the arrow C direction. When the angle adjusting member 81 rotates by a predetermined amount, the boss 86 is engaged with the next engagement hole 82 by the urging force of the compression spring 87, and the angle of the inclined surface forming portion 60a is switched.

  With this configuration, the user can easily and surely adjust the inclined surface forming portion 60a to a predetermined angle without touching the paper on the tray, even by operating the angle adjustment handle 84, even while the paper is being discharged. In addition, the reference angle (initial angle) of the slope forming part 60a may be set to an angle suitable for a sheet frequently used by the user. The reference angle can be changed by adjusting the fixed angle of the angle adjusting member 81 with respect to the rotation shaft 80 or the fixed position of the restricting member 85.

  The shape of the angle adjusting member 81 is not limited to the disk shape shown in FIG. 9, and for example, as shown in FIG. 11, a cylindrical angle adjusting member 81 having a plurality of engagement holes 82 formed on the surface may be used. it can. In this case, the fixing direction of the regulating member 85 may be changed so that the boss 86 faces the engagement hole 82.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. For example, the slope forming member 60 used in the first embodiment may be automatically driven according to the paper size as in the third embodiment. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the engagement protrusion 67 of the support portion 60b is rotatably connected to a rack 74 that slides in the paper discharge direction (arrow BB ′ direction) along the second tray surface 23b. The drive transmission gear 69 is arranged so as to mesh with the rack teeth of the rack 74, and the drive transmission gear 69 is rotated in a predetermined direction by a predetermined amount by the motor 70 and the control unit 71 (see FIG. 6). .

  In each of the above embodiments, the slope forming member 60 can be stored in the second tray surface 23b. However, for example, the slope forming member 60 is located at the boundary between the first tray surface 23a and the second tray surface 23b. In the configurations of the third and fourth embodiments that are rotatably supported, the storage portion 61 may be provided in the first tray surface 23a. In the first to third embodiments, the paper discharge tray used in the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus is described. In the fourth embodiment, the paper discharge tray mounted on the upper surface of the apparatus is described. Can be applied to the upper and side surfaces of the image forming apparatus, and the sheet discharge tray provided in the in-body discharge space.

  The present invention provides a paper discharge tray comprising a first tray surface that is inclined upward in the paper discharge direction and a substantially horizontal second tray surface that is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction. , A slope extending member that extends the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction is provided so as to be housed in the first tray surface or the second tray surface.

  As a result, a paper discharge tray capable of correctly stacking discharged papers at appropriate positions on the tray can be provided easily and at low cost when discharging both large and small size sheets. Further, when the extension is not necessary, the slope extending member can be stored on the first tray surface or the second tray surface, so that it is not necessary to carry or lose the slope extending member each time.

  In addition, since a stopper is provided at the end of the second tray surface in the paper discharge direction, when discharging large-size paper, the leading edge of the paper is aligned and stacked, and the paper does not protrude or fall off from the second tray surface. The paper discharge tray can be prevented.

  In addition, since the slope extending member is configured by the slope forming part and the support part having one end rotatably connected to the rotation side end of the slope forming part and the stopper provided at the other end, the user uses it. The shape of the paper discharge tray can be easily adjusted according to the paper size, and even when a large number of papers are stacked when the slope extending member is in the second position, the paper is highly durable against the paper load. It becomes a discharge tray.

  In addition, if the inclination of the extended surface formed by the slope extending member can be adjusted in multiple stages, the shape of the paper discharge tray can be adjusted to an optimum shape according to three or more types of paper sizes, and paper discharge The stackability of the tray is further improved.

  Further, by mounting the paper discharge tray of the present invention, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use image forming apparatus capable of correctly stacking discharged paper at an appropriate position on the paper discharge tray regardless of the paper size. Further, when mounted on the in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus, the stackability of a plurality of sizes of sheets can be improved, and the stack amount of sheets can be secured without expanding the in-cylinder discharge space.

  In addition, since the angle adjusting means for adjusting the inclination of the extended surface according to the size of the discharged paper is provided, the gradient of the extended surface can be adjusted to the optimum gradient for the discharged paper size. Further, when the control means for controlling the drive of the angle adjusting means is provided, the gradient of the extended surface is automatically adjusted, so that the image forming apparatus can solve the adjustment forgetting or the adjustment mistake by the user.

These are front sectional views showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus on which the paper discharge tray according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a sheet discharge tray and a slope forming member according to the first embodiment. These are the perspective view (FIG. 3 (a)) and front sectional drawing (FIG. 3 (b)) which show arrangement | positioning of the slope extension member at the time of discharging large sized paper using the paper discharge tray of 1st Embodiment. is there. These are the perspective view (FIG. 4 (a)) and front sectional drawing (FIG. 4 (b)) which show arrangement | positioning of the slope extension member at the time of discharging small size paper using the paper discharge tray of 1st Embodiment. is there. These are front sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of discharge | emission of the large size paper and small size paper of the paper discharge tray which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. These are front sectional drawing which shows the state at the time of discharge | emission of the large size and small size paper of the paper discharge tray which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. These are front sectional drawings which illustrated other examples of composition of a 3rd embodiment. These are the external appearance perspective views of the image forming apparatus in which the paper discharge tray based on 4th Embodiment of this invention is mounted. These are the perspective views of the angle adjustment mechanism of the slope formation part used for the paper discharge tray of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an engaged state between the angle adjusting member and the regulating member. These are perspective views which show the other example of the angle adjustment mechanism used for the paper discharge tray of 4th Embodiment. These are the elements on larger scale which show the structural example in the case of making the slope extending member of 1st Embodiment drive automatically according to paper size. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a stacking state of large-size and small-size sheets in a conventional image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

20 Main body housing 20a Lower housing (image forming part)
20b Connecting housing 21 Upper housing (image reading unit)
22 In-body discharge space 23 Paper discharge tray 23a First tray surface 23b Second tray surface 38 Stopper 40 Paper feed cassette 60 Slope extension member 60a Slope formation portion 60b Support portion 61 Storage portion 61a Engagement portion 61b First engagement groove 61c 2nd engagement groove 62 Insertion groove 63, 64 Protrusion part 67 Engagement protrusion 68 Eccentric cam (angle adjustment means)
69 Drive transmission gear (angle adjustment means)
70 motor (angle adjustment means)
71 Control unit (control means)
72 Detection sensor 73 Drive input gear (angle adjustment means)
74 racks (angle adjustment means)
80 Rotating shaft 81 Angle adjustment member 82 Engagement hole 84 Angle adjustment handle (operation member)
85 Restriction member 100 Image forming apparatus P (large size) sheet P ′ (small size) sheet

Claims (8)

In a paper discharge tray comprising a first tray surface that is inclined upward in the paper discharge direction, and a substantially horizontal second tray surface that is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction.
A slope forming portion that is rotatably supported in the vicinity of a boundary between the first tray surface and the second tray surface, and a support portion having one end pivotally connected to a rotation side end portion of the slope forming portion. A first position in which the inclined surface forming portion and the support portion extend horizontally and are stored in a storage portion recessed in the second tray surface; and the support portion is connected to the second tray surface. the beveled portions and the second slope extending member that will be selected positioned on the position to extend said support portion is bent in a mountain-type first tray surface in the sheet discharging direction by engaging a predetermined position of the upper paper discharge tray, characterized in that the digits set. The paper discharge tray according to claim 1, wherein a stopper for aligning the leading end of the discharged paper is provided at an end of the support portion in the paper discharge direction. The sheet discharge tray according to claim 1, wherein an inclination of an extended surface formed by the inclined surface extending member can be adjusted in a plurality of stages . An image forming apparatus on which the paper discharge tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is mounted. The paper discharge tray is disposed in an in-cylinder discharge space formed between an image forming unit disposed above the sheet feeding device and an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit and reading a document image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an angle adjusting unit configured to change an inclination of an extended surface formed by the slope extending member in a plurality of stages . The angle adjusting means is selectively engaged with either the angle adjusting member fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft of the inclined surface extending member and having a plurality of engaging holes, and the engaging hole of the angle adjusting member. And a control member that restricts the rotation of the rotation shaft and an operation member that rotates the rotation shaft and switches an engagement hole that engages with the control member. 6. The image forming apparatus according to 6 . The angle adjustment control means is provided for controlling the drive means, the control means, according to claim 6, characterized in that the automatically adjusting the inclination of the extension surface in accordance with the size of paper to be discharged Image forming apparatus.

Images