JP5521894B2 - Exterior cover member and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an exterior cover member that is mounted on a paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus that is mounted with the exterior cover member.

Image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers are provided with an opening / closing member that can access a structure inside the apparatus main body and a drawing member that can be pulled out for replacement and maintenance of consumables. Among these, a sheet feeding tray is generally used as a drawing member.
The paper feed tray is a box-shaped drawing member having an open upper surface, and a sheet as a recording medium is placed therein and stored in a paper feed tray storage space of the image forming apparatus. For example, when it is necessary to replenish paper or a paper jam occurs in the apparatus, paper replenishment or jam processing can be executed by pulling out the paper feed tray from the image forming apparatus.

  The opening / closing member and the drawer member are provided with a lock mechanism for detecting the opening / closing of the member so that the operator (user) can easily perform the opening / closing operation and the drawing / storing operation, that is, for improving the operability. An auxiliary member such as a handle is attached to the surface. As a technique for improving the operability of the paper feed tray, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique that eliminates the uncomfortable feeling transmitted to the user's hand when the paper feed tray is pushed into the image forming apparatus main body. .

On the other hand, in the pulling-out operation of the paper feed tray, it is first necessary to put a hand on the handle member provided on the exterior surface. However, the handle member is often provided locally on a part of the exterior surface, and there are cases where the arrangement is not necessarily excellent in operability in relation to other members.
It is also important to design the handle member based on the concept of universal design so that as many people as possible can operate it easily. It is important that there is sufficient space around.

2. Description of the Related Art As a sheet feeding unit of an image forming apparatus, there is often a configuration including a sheet feeding tray having a space (sheet feeding tray storing unit) in which a plurality of sheet feeding trays can be stored and arranged in multiple upper and lower stages.
In recent years, in order to reduce the cost of parts and reduce the selling price, the number of paper feed trays stored in each paper feed tray storage unit can be reduced according to the user's request while keeping the whole paper feed tray storage space. May be reduced. In contrast to the reduced number of paper feed trays, the paper feed tray storage unit, which was originally the place where the paper feed trays were stored, is provided with an exterior cover member that covers the exterior surface as a blindfold of the space. In this way, cost reduction can be realized without significant design changes.

When an exterior cover member is mounted instead of the paper feed tray in the paper feed tray storage section, normally, the handle member or the like is not formed on the exterior cover member. The structure does not improve the operability of the member.
Therefore, when the user inserts his / her hand to grip the handle member, there is a problem that the exterior cover member provided in the lower part particularly disturbs the operation.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a operability of a grip member of an adjacent sheet feeding tray when the sheet feeding unit of an image forming apparatus capable of storing a plurality of sheet feeding trays is mounted on an exterior surface as an alternative to a sheet feeding tray. An object of the present invention is to provide an improved exterior cover member and an image forming apparatus including the exterior cover member.

The present invention provided to solve the above problems is as follows.
[1] In a sheet feeding unit of an image forming apparatus having a plurality of sheet feeding tray storage units capable of storing sheet feeding trays, at least the sheet feeding trays other than the uppermost stage among the sheet feeding tray storing units arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction. An exterior cover member attached to an exterior surface as an alternative to the paper feed tray in the paper tray storage unit,
The exterior cover member is characterized in that a recess shape is formed in the vicinity of the handle member so that the handle member of the paper feed tray protrudes in the pulling-out operation direction on the exterior surface.
[2] The exterior according to [1], wherein the concave shape has a width substantially the same as a length in a longitudinal direction of the handle member of the paper feed tray and is continuously formed in the vertical direction. It is a cover member.
[3] An image forming apparatus comprising the exterior cover member according to [1] or [2].

As an effect of the present invention, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the paper feed unit of the image forming apparatus having a plurality of paper feed tray storage units capable of storing paper feed trays, the paper feed trays arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction. An exterior cover member attached to an exterior surface as an alternative to the sheet feed tray in at least the sheet feed tray storage portion other than the uppermost stage, wherein the handle member of the sheet feed tray is provided on the exterior surface. Since it is an exterior cover member in which a concave shape is formed in the vicinity of the handle member so as to protrude in the pulling-out operation direction, for example, when the user places a hand on the handle member of the paper feed tray, the exterior cover member Since the space into which the hand can be inserted is widened due to the concave shape provided in the paper, the operability of the grip member of the adjacent paper feed tray when mounted on the exterior surface as an alternative to the paper feed tray It is possible to improve.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the exterior cover member according to the first aspect, the concave portion has a width substantially the same as a length in a longitudinal direction of the handle member of the paper feed tray, and is continuous in the vertical direction. Therefore, the position of the handle member is aligned with the position of the recessed portion, and a space for inserting a hand when a user puts a hand on the handle member of the paper feed tray becomes wider. The operability of the handle member of the paper tray can be further improved.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the image forming apparatus includes the exterior cover member according to the first or second aspect, the operability of the handle member of the paper feed tray is excellent.

It is an external view which shows an example of the conventional image forming apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional image forming apparatus. It is an external view which shows the other example of the conventional image forming apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus of the present invention, (A) is a front view, and (B) is a perspective view. It is an external view which shows the other embodiment of the image forming apparatus of this invention. It is a perspective view of the exterior cover member of the present invention. It is the schematic diagram which showed the example of the recessed part shape of the exterior cover member of this invention as A-A 'sectional drawing of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an exterior cover member according to the present invention and an image forming apparatus including the exterior cover member will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and other embodiments, additions, modifications, deletions, and the like can be changed within a range that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, and any aspect is possible. As long as the functions and effects of the present invention are exhibited, the scope of the present invention is included.

First, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a configuration of a tandem type color copying machine as an example of a general image forming apparatus. 1 is an external view, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view.
The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming unit 10A positioned at the center of the apparatus main body, a paper feeding unit 10B positioned below the image forming unit 10A, and an image reading unit positioned above the image forming unit 10A (FIG. 2). (Not shown).

  The image forming unit 10A is provided with a fixing belt 202 having a transfer surface extending in the horizontal direction, and a configuration for forming an image of a color complementary to the color separation color on the upper surface of the fixing belt 202. Is provided. That is, photoconductors 203Y, 203M, 203C, and 203K as image carriers that can carry images of toners of complementary colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are juxtaposed along the transfer surface of the fixing belt 202. ing.

  Each of the photoconductors 203Y, 203M, 203C, and 203K is configured by a drum that can rotate in the same direction (counterclockwise direction). Around the drum, a charging device that performs image formation processing in the rotation process, and optical writing An apparatus, a primary transfer device, a developing device, and a cleaning device are arranged. In addition, each color toner is accommodated in each developing device.

  The transfer belt 202 is configured to be able to move in the same direction at the position facing the photoconductors 203Y, 203M, 203C, and 203K by being wound around a driving roller and a driven roller. A transfer roller 211 is provided at a position facing a roller 210 that is one of the driven rollers. Further, the conveyance path of the sheet P from the transfer roller 211 to the transfer device 100 is a horizontal path.

  The paper feed unit 10B has a paper feed tray storage space, and stores a plurality of paper feed trays 11 (11A and 11B) on which sheets P as recording media are stacked and stored in the paper feed tray storage space. 11 has a transport mechanism that separates the sheets in the order from the top one and transports them to the position of the transfer roller 211.

  In forming an image in the image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention, the surface of the photoreceptor 203Y is uniformly charged by the charging device, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoreceptor 203Y based on image information from the image reading unit. The The electrostatic latent image is visualized as a toner image by a developing device containing yellow toner, and the toner image is primarily transferred onto the transfer belt 202 by a primary transfer device to which a predetermined bias is applied. . The other photoconductors 203M, 203C, and 203K also form similar images only with different toner colors, and the toner images of the respective colors are sequentially transferred and superimposed on the fixing belt 202 by electrostatic force.

  Next, the toner image primarily transferred from the photoconductors 203Y, 203M, 203C, and 203K onto the fixing belt 202 is transferred to the sheet conveyed by the roller 210 and the transfer roller 211. The sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred is further conveyed to the fixing device 100, where fixing is performed at the nip portion between the fixing belt and the pressure roller.

  Next, the sheet discharged from the nip portion is sent out along the discharge path. At this time, the sheet that has been wound around the fixing belt is separated from the fixing belt at the tip of the fixing separation claw and returned to the discharge path.

  FIG. 3 shows the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 with the paper feed tray storage space of the paper feed unit 10B as it is, and the lowermost feed among the paper feed trays 11 stored in each paper feed tray storage unit. A mode is shown in which the paper tray is reduced and a cover member 16 that covers the exterior surface is provided as a blindfold in the paper feed tray storage unit 13 where the paper feed tray 11 is originally stored.

  Since the exterior surface (front surface) of the cover member 16 in FIG. 3 is flat, there is not enough space when inserting the handle member 12 of the upper paper feed tray 11 into the handle member 12, so that the cover member surface has no surface. A hand may hit and satisfactory operability cannot be obtained.

  4 and 5 show an example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention provided with the exterior cover member of the present invention. The exterior cover member according to the present invention includes a plurality of paper feed tray storage units 13 that can store the paper feed trays 11 in the paper feed unit 10 </ b> A of the image forming apparatus 10. Of these, at least the paper feed tray storage unit other than the uppermost stage is mounted on the exterior surface as an alternative to the paper feed tray 11, and on the exterior surface, the handle member 12 of the paper feed tray 11 protrudes in the drawing operation direction indicated by arrow B. As shown, a recess 15 is formed in the vicinity of the handle member 12.

4A is a front view of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view.
As shown in FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the exterior cover member 14 of the present invention attached to the exterior surface of the lower sheet feed tray storage unit 13 is formed with a concave shape 15, so that FIG. Compared to the above, there is a sufficient space for inserting the handle member 12 of the upper paper feed tray 11 to put a hand, and the surface of the cover member is not touched, and satisfactory operability is achieved. can get.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4 (A), the concave shape 15 is formed continuously in the vertical direction with a width n substantially the same as the length m of the handle member 12 of the paper feed tray 11 in the longitudinal direction. Larger space is secured and operability is improved.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the exterior cover member 14 of the present invention is mounted on the exterior surface as an alternative to the sheet feed tray 11 in at least the sheet feed tray storage unit 13 other than the uppermost stage. .
For example, in the case of having the three-stage paper feed tray storage unit shown in FIG. 5, the paper feed tray 11 is arranged at the uppermost stage where the time (first printout time) from activation to the first image formation is shortened. Is done. In other middle stages and lowermost stages, a paper feed tray 11 or a paper feed tray storage space 13 in which no paper feed tray is provided is disposed as appropriate. Although not shown in the figure, similarly in the configuration of four or more stages, the uppermost stage is provided with the paper feed tray 11, and the following stages are appropriately provided with the paper feed tray 11 or the paper feed tray storage space 13 without the paper feed tray. Be placed.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the exterior cover member 14 of the present invention. The concave shape 15 is relatively concave so that the handle member 12 of the paper feed tray 11 protrudes in the pulling-out operation direction, and at least a space for inserting a hand when the user places a hand on the handle member 12 is provided. Any shape is possible as long as it increases.
As examples of the concave shape, cross-sectional views in the AA ′ direction of FIG. 6 are shown in FIGS.

  As described above, in the paper feed unit 10B of the image forming apparatus 10 having the paper feed tray storage unit 13 capable of storing a plurality of paper feed trays 11, at least the paper feed tray storage unit 13 other than the uppermost stage is provided with the paper feed tray 11. As an exterior cover member to be mounted on the exterior surface as an alternative to the above, an exterior cover in which a recess shape 15 is formed in the vicinity of the handle member 12 so that the handle member 12 of the paper feed tray 11 protrudes in the pull-out operation direction on the exterior surface. By mounting the member 14, the operability of the drawer / storage operation of the paper feed tray 11 is improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Paper feed tray 12 Handle member 13 Paper feed tray storage part 14 Exterior cover member 15 Recessed shape 16 Cover member

JP 2006-232494 A

Claims (3)

In a paper feed unit of an image forming apparatus having a plurality of paper feed tray storage units capable of storing paper feed trays, at least the paper feed trays other than the uppermost stage among the paper feed tray storage units arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction are stored. An exterior cover member mounted on an exterior surface as an alternative to the paper feed tray,
An exterior cover member, wherein a recess shape is formed in the vicinity of the handle member so that the handle member of the paper feed tray protrudes in the pulling-out operation direction on the exterior surface.   2. The exterior cover member according to claim 1, wherein the concave shape has a width that is substantially the same as a length in a longitudinal direction of the handle member of the paper feed tray and is continuously formed in the vertical direction.   An image forming apparatus comprising the exterior cover member according to claim 1.