JP5487081B2 - Recording medium discharge tray and image forming apparatus including the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording medium discharge tray mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer and holding a discharged recording medium, and an image forming apparatus including the recording medium discharge tray. Regarding improvement.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer, processed paper on which a desired image is formed by an electrophotographic process, or a document transport device is transported to a document reading unit and a document image is read. A paper discharge tray is provided for discharging subsequent documents. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a conventional paper discharge tray used as a discharge destination of processed paper on which an image is formed. In FIG. 10, the discharge roller pair 61 is rotated in the direction of arrow A by a motor (not shown), and discharges the sheet P conveyed from the sheet conveyance path T <b> 3 in the direction of arrow B from the sheet discharge port 51.

  The discharged paper P is sequentially stacked on the paper discharge tray 60. The paper discharge tray 60 aligns the first tray surface 60a that receives the substantially front portion of the discharged paper, the second tray surface 60b that receives the substantially rear portion of the discharged paper, and the rear end of the paper. The rear wall portion 60c includes a front wall portion 60d that locks the front end of the paper and prevents the paper from being removed from the paper discharge tray 60. The sheet discharge tray 60 is provided with a step h from the sheet discharge port 51 to the lowermost part of the second tray surface 60b in order to ensure a constant sheet stacking amount.

  Further, the sheet discharge tray 60 is arranged so as to rise upward in the normal sheet discharge direction (the direction of arrow B in the figure) so that the sheet P discharged from the sheet discharge port 51 does not fall off. Here, the second tray surface 60b is arranged so as to be steeper than the first tray surface 60a, and the paper discharge tray 60 is formed in a substantially square-shaped bent shape. Absorbs the curl (upper curl) of the paper to be used. Further, the substantially square-shaped bent shape suppresses the bulkiness of the paper discharge tray 60 and contributes to space saving when mounted on the image forming apparatus.

  In such a paper discharge tray 60, the level difference h for securing the paper stacking amount and the gradients of the first tray surface 60a and the second tray surface 60b have a predetermined size and a predetermined size according to a certain paper size and paper thickness. It is set to an angle.

  However, for example, when the paper P is a thick paper that easily curls and the leading end is greatly curled downward, the leading end Pa of the paper P discharged from the paper discharge port 51 is greatly bent as shown in FIG. Thus, the front end Pa comes into contact with the second tray surface 60b in a substantially vertical state or in a state wound around the rear wall 60c. If the paper P is further discharged to the rear end portion in this state, the paper P may be inverted as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when the level difference h is reduced, there is a problem in that a sufficient sheet loading amount cannot be secured.

  Although the paper discharge tray used as the paper discharge destination after image formation has been described here, the situation is the same for the paper discharge tray used as the discharge destination of the document automatically conveyed by the document conveying device.

  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.

  Further, Patent Document 3 includes a first tray surface that is inclined upward in the paper discharge direction, and a second tray surface adjacent to the downstream side of the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction, and the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction. There is disclosed a paper discharge tray in which an extended slope extending member is provided so as to be accommodated in a first tray surface or a second tray surface.

JP-A-7-137915 JP 2004-175480 A JP 2007-246281 A

  However, the sheet receiving mechanism and the paper discharge stacker disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are both complicated in configuration and require a mechanism for changing the inclination of the paper discharge tray, leading to an increase in the cost of the apparatus. there were.

  In addition, the paper discharge tray of Patent Document 3 is intended to improve the stackability of small-size paper by extending the first tray surface in the paper discharge direction by a slope extending member. It did not improve the loadability.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a recording medium discharge tray capable of correctly stacking a discharged recording medium at an appropriate position regardless of the degree of curling of the recording medium, and an image forming apparatus including the same. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a first tray surface that receives a substantially front portion of a recording medium to be discharged, and an outline of the recording medium that is extended upstream of the first tray surface in the discharging direction and discharged. A second tray surface that is inclined upward in the discharge direction for receiving the rear portion, and a recording medium stacking surface, and a rear wall portion that abuts and aligns the rear end of the recording medium discharged to the recording medium stacking surface. In the recording medium discharge tray, the first position is rotatably supported in the vicinity of the boundary between the first tray surface and the second tray surface, and is stored in the storage portion recessed in the recording medium stacking surface. And a stack position changing member that is selectively disposed at a second position protruding from the second tray surface to the upstream side in the recording medium discharge direction.

  According to the present invention, in the recording medium discharge tray configured as described above, the stack position changing member is rotatably supported with the upstream side in the discharge direction of the recording medium as a fulcrum, and the end of the storage portion on the upstream side in the discharge direction A holding portion for holding the stacking position changing member at the second position is formed in the portion.

  According to the present invention, in the recording medium discharge tray configured as described above, when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position, a gap is formed between a front end portion of the stacking position changing member and the rear wall portion. It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, in the recording medium discharge tray configured as described above, when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position, the recording medium passing surface of the stacking position changing member has a downward slope in the discharging direction of the recording medium. It is characterized by becoming.

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

  According to the first configuration of the present invention, since the stacking position changing member is arranged at the second position, the recording medium is brought into contact with the stacking position changing member before the leading end of the curled recording medium is largely bent. Are sequentially stacked at appropriate positions without being reversed. Further, when it is not necessary to change the loading position, the loading position changing member can be stored in the storage portion recessed in the recording medium loading surface by disposing the loading position changing member at the first position. There is no need and there is no possibility of losing the loading position changing member. Further, when the stacking position changing member is arranged at the second position, the recording medium can be easily put in a space formed between the recording medium stacked on the stacking position changing member and the recording medium stacking surface. It can be taken out.

  Further, according to the second configuration of the present invention, in the recording medium discharge tray of the first configuration, the upstream of the stacking position changing member in the discharge direction is supported rotatably, and the discharge direction of the storage unit By forming a holding portion for holding the stacking position changing member at the second position at the upstream end, a complicated mechanism for supporting the stacking position changing member is not required, and the stacking position can be changed with a simple configuration. The member can be securely held in the second position.

  According to the third configuration of the present invention, in the recording medium discharge tray having the first or second configuration, when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position, the leading end of the stacking position changing member is By forming a gap between the recording medium and the rear wall, the rear end of the recording medium loaded on the stacking position changing member hangs down toward the rear wall through the gap. The recording medium loaded earlier is pushed by the recording medium to be ejected next and is difficult to move in the ejection direction, so that the recording medium can be stably stacked.

  According to the fourth configuration of the present invention, when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position in the recording medium discharge tray having any one of the first to third configurations, the stacking position changing member When the recording medium passage surface is inclined downward in the recording medium discharge direction, the angle at which the leading end of the recording medium discharged from the paper discharge port contacts the stacking position changing member is reduced, and the recording with the leading end largely curled is performed. Even a medium can be stably stacked along the recording medium passage surface of the stack position changing member.

  Further, according to the fifth configuration of the present invention, by mounting the recording medium discharge tray having any one of the first to fourth configurations, the recording medium is discharged regardless of the degree of curl at the tip of the recording medium. It becomes an easy-to-use image forming apparatus capable of correctly stacking the recording medium at an appropriate position on the recording medium discharge tray.

1 is a cross-sectional front view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper discharge tray according to the present invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a paper discharge tray according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the paper discharge tray according to the first embodiment when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. The partial perspective view which looked at the stack position changing member periphery of the paper discharge tray of 1st Embodiment from the discharge direction downstream side (right direction of FIG. 3). The perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the stacking position change member in the 2nd position in the paper discharge tray of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the paper discharge tray of the first embodiment when viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. The partial perspective view which looked at the state which has arrange | positioned the stacking position change member of the paper discharge tray of 1st Embodiment in the 2nd position from the discharge direction downstream (right direction of FIG. 6). Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the stacking position change member in the 1st position in the paper discharge tray which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Side surface sectional drawing which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the stacking position change member in the 2nd position in the paper discharge tray of 2nd Embodiment. Side view showing how curled paper is discharged using a conventional paper discharge tray FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state where the paper is discharged from the state shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper discharge device of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention is a so-called in-cylinder discharge type digital copying machine, and mainly includes an apparatus main body 20 and an image reading unit 21 disposed on the apparatus main body 20. The image reading unit 21 is provided with various mechanisms, which will be described later, for reading an image of a document as an electrical signal. On the other hand, the apparatus body 20 transfers an image to a sheet based on the read electrical signal of the document image. Various mechanisms to be described later are provided.

  In FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 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 image reading unit 21, and the lower housing 20a includes a recording medium. As an example, a paper feeding unit for feeding paper, an image forming unit for forming a toner image on the paper, a fixing unit for fixing a toner image on the paper, and the like are provided. A paper discharge unit for conveying and discharging the fixed paper is provided.

  A cylinder discharge space 22 that is open to the right side and the front is formed on the right side of the connecting housing 20b directly below the image reading unit 21. A paper discharge tray 60 is provided for receiving and stacking paper discharged in the horizontal direction from the right side surface of the connecting housing 20b. The paper discharged onto the paper discharge tray 60 slides down along the tray surface, and the rear end is aligned by the rear wall portion (the right side surface of the connecting housing 20b).

  On the upper surface of the image reading unit 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 image reading unit 21, a document press 28 equipped with a document transport device 27 for transporting a document to the image reading position of the document placing table can be opened and closed by a hinge part on the back of the image reading unit 21. It is supported.

  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 includes a drive roller 33a and a separation roller 33b, and the separation roller 33b is driven to rotate with the drive roller 33a only when the rotational load exceeds a predetermined torque.

  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 in a U shape 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.

  The image reading unit 21 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 by one. In the former sheet-through method, a document reading operation is performed while the optical system provided in the image reading unit 21 is held at a predetermined position without scanning and moving. On the other hand, in the latter document fixing method, A reading operation is performed while the optical system scans and moves.

  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 is completed. The document that has been primarily fed is stopped with its leading end pressed against the nip portion of the registration roller pair 34 and with its leading end being 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 in the image reading unit 21 will be described below with reference to FIG. In the image reading unit 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 reflection A first mirror 3 that receives and reflects light directly, a second mirror 4 that receives and reflects light reflected from the first mirror 3, and a third mirror that receives and reflects light reflected from the second mirror 4. A mirror 5, a lens barrel 6 that holds a lens group (not shown) that introduces and collects reflected light from the third mirror 5, and original reflected light collected by the lens group of the lens barrel 6 A photoelectric conversion module (for example, a line type CCD) 7 that receives and converts it into 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 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 apparatus main body 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 paper P is fed out one by one by the feeding roller 40a. The left side surface of the lower portion of the lower housing 20a is provided with an openable / closable manual feed tray 41 that can be pulled down as necessary. The small-size paper 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, for example, 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 film is formed on the surface of the developing roller 45a by a magnetic blade (not shown). A layer 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 toner image on the photosensitive drum 42 approaches the transfer roller 46 on the sheet P (or P ′) that is fed one by one from the sheet feeding cassette 40 (or the manual feed tray 41) and reaches the registration roller pair 49. 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 paper P when the leading edge of the paper 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 paper P is removed from the photosensitive drum 42 by the cleaning device 47. On the other hand, the paper 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 paper P passing through the nip portion of the fixing roller pair is heated and pressed to fix the toner image. As a result, the transferred image is fixed on the paper P to form a permanent image.

  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 61 for discharging the paper P to the paper discharge tray 60 are disposed. The paper P sent out from the transport roller pair 50 reaches the discharge roller pair 61 through the transport path T3, and is discharged from the discharge roller pair 61 to the paper discharge tray 60 through the paper discharge port 51.

  2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the paper discharge tray according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the paper discharge tray of the first embodiment as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of the stacking position changing member of the paper discharge tray as viewed from the downstream side in the discharge direction (the right direction in FIG. 3). For convenience of explanation, the image reading unit 21 is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge tray 60 includes a first tray surface 60a that receives a substantially front portion of the discharged paper, a second tray surface 60b that receives a substantially rear portion of the discharged paper, and a rear end of the paper. And a front wall portion 60d that locks the front end of the paper and prevents it from falling off the paper discharge tray 60. The first tray surface 60a and the second tray surface 60b constitute a sheet stacking surface (recording medium stacking surface) of the sheet discharge tray 60.

  Near the boundary between the first tray surface 60a and the second tray surface 60b, a stacking position changing member 63 for changing the stacking position of the sheets discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 60 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the stacking position changing member 63 is rotatably supported by the paper discharge tray 60 with a rotation shaft 65 as a fulcrum. Further, a rectangular storage portion 67 for storing the stacking position changing member 63 is recessed from the first tray surface 60a to the second tray surface 60b, and the upstream end of the storage portion 67 in the paper discharge direction is provided. A holding part 70 is formed in the part.

  Next, the operation and function of the stacking position changing member in the paper discharge tray of this embodiment will be described. 2 to 4 show the arrangement (hereinafter referred to as a first position) of the stacking position changing member 63 when plain paper is discharged. In the first position, the stacking position changing member 63 is the first. It is stored in the storage portion 67 so as to be flush with the tray surface 60a and the second tray surface 60b.

  By arranging the stacking position changing member 63 at the first position, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet (plain paper) P discharged from the sheet discharge port 51 through the transport path T3 is transferred to the first tray surface 60a. And the second tray surface 60b are sequentially stacked, and the rear end is aligned by the rear wall 60c. Further, since plain paper has a smaller degree of curling than thick paper, even if the step h1 from the paper discharge port 51 to the lowermost part of the second tray surface 60b is large, the paper P is sequentially stacked at an appropriate position without being reversed. Is done.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the paper discharge tray showing the arrangement (hereinafter referred to as the second position) of the stacking position changing member 63 when the thick paper is discharged. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper discharge tray in the direction of arrow A in FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the vicinity of the stacking position changing member of the paper discharge tray as viewed from the downstream side in the discharge direction (right direction in FIG. 6). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the stacking position changing member 63 rotates from the first position shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 to the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction around the rotation shaft 65, and the holding unit 70. It is contact | abutted to the inclined surface of this and is supported by the 2nd position. As a result, the stacking position changing member 63 protrudes from the second tray surface 60b to the upstream side in the paper discharge direction.

  By disposing the stacking position changing member 63 at the second position, as shown in FIG. 6, the step h2 from the sheet discharge port 51 to the stacking position changing member 63 is increased from the sheet discharge port 51 to the second tray surface 60b. It becomes smaller than the level | step difference h1 to the lower part. Therefore, the paper (thick paper) P discharged from the paper discharge port 51 through the transport path T3 has its leading end abutted on the stacking position changing member 63 and is directly along the back surface (sheet passing surface) of the stacking position changing member 63. It is discharged onto the first tray surface 60a. Therefore, even for thick paper having a larger degree of curling than plain paper, the curled paper P comes into contact with the stacking position changing member 63 before the leading end of the curled paper P is greatly bent. Sequentially loaded in position.

  Further, since a gap S is formed between the stacking position changing member 63 disposed at the second position and the rear wall portion 60c, the rear end portion of the sheet P passes through the gap S and the rear wall portion 60c. Hanging in the direction. Accordingly, the position of the center of gravity of the loaded paper P is closer to the rear end, and the paper loaded first is pushed by the next paper to be ejected and is difficult to move in the ejection direction, so that the paper can be stably loaded. Can do.

  As described above, in the paper discharge tray 60 according to the present embodiment, the stacking position changing member 63 is selectively arranged at the first position and the second position according to the type of paper, so that the degree of curling of the paper. Regardless of this, the discharged paper can be correctly stacked at an appropriate position.

  Further, since the stacking position changing member 63 is selectively arranged at the first position and the second position by simply rotating the stacking position changing member 63, the user can easily perform the sheet discharge tray 60 according to the sheet to be used. Can be adjusted.

  Further, when the stacking position changing member 63 is arranged at the second position, a space is formed between the sheets P stacked on the sheet discharge tray 60 and the second tray surface 60b as shown in FIG. . Thereby, since the paper P is stacked without being in close contact with the second tray surface 60b, the user can easily take out the paper P by inserting his / her hand into the space.

  Further, when the stacking position changing member 63 is arranged at the second position, if the back surface (sheet passing surface) of the stacking position changing member 63 is inclined upward in the sheet discharge direction, the leading end of the stacking position changing member 63 is rearward. Since it goes down toward the wall portion 60c, the step h2 from the paper discharge port 51 to the stacking position changing member 63 becomes large. For this reason, the angle at which the leading end of the paper (thick paper) P discharged from the paper discharge port 51 and the stacking position changing member 63 come into contact with each other increases, and the effect of stably stacking thick paper whose tip is easily curled also decreases. End up. Therefore, when the stacking position changing member 63 is arranged at the second position as in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the back surface (sheet passing surface) of the stacking position changing member 63 has a downward slope in the sheet discharge direction.

  Note that the size of the stacking position changing member 63 and the protruding position of the stacking position changing member 63 when the stacking position changing member 63 is disposed at the second position are the gradient of the second tray surface 60a and the second tray surface 60b from the sheet discharge port 51. The level difference h1 to the lowest part, the distance from the base end part (rotating shaft 65) of the stacking position changing member 63 to the rear wall part 60c, and the like are appropriately set according to the specifications of the paper discharge tray 60.

  8 and 9 are side cross-sectional views showing a state in which the stacking position changing member 63 of the paper discharge tray according to the second embodiment of the present invention is disposed at the first position and the second position, respectively. Portions common to FIGS. 3 and 6 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, a rotation shaft 65 is provided on the downstream side of the stacking position changing member 63 in the sheet discharging direction, and the stacking position changing member 63 is disposed at the rotating end of the stacking position changing member 63 on the upstream side in the sheet discharging direction. A support member 71 is rotatably connected to the second position.

  When discharging plain paper, as shown in FIG. 8, the stacking position changing member 63 is disposed at the first position stored in the storage portion 67 so as to be flush with the second tray surface 60b, and the thick paper is In the case of discharging, as shown in FIG. 9, the curling of the sheet is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment by lifting the rotating end of the stacking position changing member 63 and placing it at the second position where the supporting member 71 is raised. Regardless of the degree, the discharged paper can be properly and stably stacked.

  In the present embodiment, the support member 71 for holding the stacking position changing member 63 in the second position is required, and the configuration is slightly more complicated than that in the first embodiment. Further, in order to prevent the support member 71 from being deformed or damaged when a large amount of sheets are stacked on the stacking position changing member 63, the support member 71 is required to have enough strength to withstand the weight of the sheet. Therefore, the structure of 1st Embodiment which provides the rotating shaft 65 in the discharge direction upstream of the loading position change member 63 is preferable.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in each of the above-described embodiments, the paper discharge tray used in the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is a paper discharge tray provided on the upper surface or side surface of the image forming apparatus, or a document conveying apparatus. Thus, the present invention can be applied to a document discharge tray for discharging a document that has been conveyed to the document reading unit and has been scanned for a document image.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a recording medium discharge tray that is mounted on an image forming apparatus and holds a discharged recording medium. The first tray surface that receives a substantially front portion of the recording medium and a discharge that receives a substantially rear portion of the recording medium. A first position in which a stack position changing member that is rotatably supported in the vicinity of the boundary with the second tray surface that is upwardly inclined in the direction is stored in a storage section that is recessed in the recording medium stack surface; This is selectively arranged at the second position protruding from the tray surface to the upstream side in the recording medium discharge direction.

  As a result, when a recording medium with a large degree of curl at the tip is discharged, the recording medium to be discharged can be correctly stacked at an appropriate position on the tray by arranging the stacking position changing member at the second position. A recording medium discharge tray can be provided simply and at low cost. In addition, when the stacking position changing member is unnecessary, the stacking position changing member can be stored on the first tray surface or the second tray surface by arranging the stacking position changing member at the first position. In addition, there is no risk of losing the loading position changing member.

20 apparatus main body 20a lower housing (image forming section)
20b Connecting housing 21 Image reading unit 22 In-body discharge space 60 Paper discharge tray 60a First tray surface (recording medium stacking surface)
60b Second tray surface (recording medium stacking surface)
60c Rear wall portion 60d Front wall portion 63 Stacking position changing member 65 Rotating shaft 67 Storage portion 70 Holding portion 71 Support member 100 Image forming apparatus P Paper (recording medium)

Claims (5)

A first tray surface that receives a substantially front portion of the recording medium to be discharged and a second tray that extends upstream in the discharge direction of the first tray surface and has an upward slope in a discharge direction that receives a substantially rear portion of the discharged recording medium. A tray surface, and a recording medium stacking surface,
A rear wall portion that abuts and aligns the rear end of the discharged recording medium on the recording medium loading surface;
In the recording medium discharge tray with
Loading position changing member having a base end portion Ru is rotatably supported in the vicinity of the boundary between the first tray surface and the second tray surface is provided,
The stacking position changing member includes a first position where a rotation end is located downstream of the base end portion in the discharge direction, and is stored in a storage portion recessed in the recording medium stacking surface, and a rotation end There positioned in the exhaust upstream side of the proximal portion, the recording medium discharge, wherein said second selected arranged from the tray surface and a second position projecting into the discharge direction upstream side of the recording medium Turkey tray.   The stacking position changing member is rotatably supported with the upstream side in the discharge direction of the recording medium as a fulcrum, and the stacking position changing member is placed at the second position on the upstream side in the discharge direction of the storage unit. The recording medium discharge tray according to claim 1, wherein a holding portion for holding the recording medium is formed.   3. A gap is formed between the front end portion of the stacking position changing member and the rear wall portion when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position. 2. A recording medium discharge tray according to 1.   4. The recording medium passing surface of the stacking position changing member has a downward slope in the recording medium discharge direction when the stacking position changing member is disposed at the second position. The recording medium discharge tray according to any one of the above.   An image forming apparatus on which the recording medium discharge tray according to claim 1 is mounted.

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