JP5776965B2 - Device opening / closing structure, image forming apparatus, and peripheral device thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an opening / closing structure of an apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine having a front door that can be opened / closed, a printer, a facsimile machine, a composite machine thereof, and a paper discharge apparatus used in combination with such an image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a structure for opening and closing a peripheral device such as the above, and more particularly, to a structure in which an upper surface portion of a device body is improved in shape and structure.

  In many cases, a sheet or the like is placed on the top surface of the image forming apparatus or peripheral device. For example, as in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 7 (corresponding to the image forming apparatus (copying machine) shown in FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1), the copying machine main unit 20, paper feed trays 21 to 23, ADF 24, document Like the paper discharge tray 25, the large volume paper supply unit 26, and the paper discharge unit 27, the front face shape is almost flat and has no unevenness, and the height and depth dimensions are the same. The unit 20 is provided with an ADF 24 at a substantially central position of the table-like upper surface portion 28, and a document discharge tray 25 is arranged on the right side thereof, so that a portion other than the portion occupied by these forms a flat surface. It is.

  The large-volume paper feeding unit 26 includes a plurality of paper feeding stages 30 to 32. However, the upper surface portion 33 is also flattened except for a portion notched to avoid the document discharge tray 25 of the copying machine main unit 20. is there. Since the portion cut out for the document discharge tray 25 on the upper surface portion 33 is small as shown in the figure, the entire surface is flattened.

  The paper discharge unit 27 is provided with a large amount of paper discharge tray 34 on the left side so that it can move up and down, and a paper discharge tray 36 is provided by cutting out the central portion on the left edge side of the upper surface 35. Except for the portion where the tray 36 is provided, the shape is flat.

  Further, the upper surface portions 28, 33, and 35 of the units 20, 26, and 27 such as the copying machine main unit 20 are larger than the side surfaces of the units 20, 26, and 27 so as to protrude outward and form eaves. It is formed. Specifically, the upper surface portion 28 of the copying machine main body unit 20 protrudes to the front side and the rear side, and the upper surface portion 33 of the mass feeding unit 26 protrudes to the right side surface in addition to the front side and the rear surface side. In addition to the front side and the back side, the upper surface part 35 of 27 protrudes on the left side. For this reason, as an overall shape of the illustrated apparatus, the eaves portion X protrudes substantially evenly over the entire circumference as shown in FIG.

  For this reason, when each unit 20, 26, 27 is used alone or connected, the upper surface 28 of the copying machine main unit 20, the upper surface of the ADF 24, the upper surface 33 of the large-volume feeding unit 26, and the paper discharge unit. 27 is connected to form a very wide upper flat surface, and even if an image forming operation is performed without a work table or the like nearby, an original, image-formed paper, a clip, a pen, etc. There is no problem with the location.

  Moreover, since the eaves portion X protrudes over the entire circumference of the apparatus, the user's body contacts the outer peripheral surface of the eaves portion X when performing the image forming operation, but below the upper surface portions 28, 33, and 35. This makes it difficult to contact the outer peripheral surface of the device, which hinders work and prevents clothes from being caught.

  However, in recent years, in order to reduce the ground contact area (specifically, the projected ground contact area), it is not the type in which the eaves are provided to widen the ground contact area as described above, and all components are contained within the outer peripheral surface of the device as much as possible. The types that are being used are becoming mainstream.

  On the other hand, in the production printing market using the above-described image forming apparatus, system, or larger system, the paper used in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus and various apparatuses includes important sheets such as purchase orders. Therefore, the situation has not changed with respect to the fact that it is desired that there is a space for placing paper or the like on the upper surface of the apparatus, and various proposals have been made.

  Also, if the paper has entered the lower part of the device, the device is physically fixed so that it cannot be moved easily from the installation position, or it has a weight that cannot be moved manually, Since the fixing jig is often used so that it cannot be moved easily, it is often difficult to remove the paper that has entered the gap with the ground plane at the bottom of the apparatus. For this reason, it is desired to prevent the sheet placed on the upper surface of the apparatus from falling.

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention draws in paper or the like placed on the upper surface of the device when the door is opened, or moves it to the outer peripheral side of the device and drops it from the upper surface of the device when the door is opened. It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for opening and closing an apparatus having a structure capable of preventing the occurrence of such a problem, an image forming apparatus, and a peripheral device therefor.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the upper edge of the opening / closing portion provided on the outer periphery of the apparatus main body reaches the upper surface of the apparatus main body, constitutes a part of the upper surface, or is connected to the upper surface. in opening and closing structure of the device it is, on the upper surface and a possible place the the paper with a portion of the apparatus main body, the front Symbol site is provided to protrude upward from the upper surface, part of the overhang of the closing part provided at a position adjacent to the upper end, and with opening and closing structure of the device surface of the opening and closing side portions of the protruding characterized that you have continuous to the surface that faces the opening portion of the apparatus main body is there.

Those according to the second aspect, wherein the opening and closing structure of the device of claim 1, wherein the portion that protrudes, the upper surface of the apparatus at a side edge of the closing part side the paper in can be placed sites of the body It is provided along the whole .

Which according to the claim 3, wherein the opening and closing structure of the device of claim 1, wherein the portion that protrudes, the upper surface of the apparatus at a side edge of the closing part side the paper in can be placed sites of the body It is characterized by being provided continuously along the whole .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the opening / closing structure of the device according to any one of the first to third aspects, the projecting portion includes a surface on the device main body side and a slope surface on the device main body side. Features.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the device opening / closing structure according to any one of the first to third aspects, a surface of the protruding portion on the device main body side is an upright surface.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the device opening / closing structure of the fourth aspect, the device main body side edge opposite to the side where the projecting portion is provided is provided on the device main body side. A second projecting portion having a main body side surface as an upright surface is provided.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising the opening / closing structure for the apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a peripheral device for an image forming apparatus, wherein the peripheral device includes the opening / closing structure for the apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the peripheral device according to the eighth aspect, a discharge tray is provided on an upper surface of the apparatus main body on an edge side intersecting with an edge side on which the opening / closing portion is provided. In the upper surface area of the apparatus main body between the part on which the paper can be placed, a convex part is provided upward with respect to the part on which the paper can be placed, and the paper in the convex part is provided. The part-side surface on which the paper can be placed is formed with an inclined surface that becomes lower toward the part-side surface on which the paper can be placed, and the projecting part is the part on which the paper can be placed, the convex And a side portion of the upper surface of the apparatus main body over the upper surface area of the apparatus main body on which the sheet-shaped portion and the paper discharge tray are formed.

  The present invention can provide a structure that can prevent the paper from dropping from the upper surface of the apparatus when the door is opened, and prevents the paper from being dropped from the upper surface of the apparatus while preventing the paper from falling. , May allow easy removal.

The perspective view (A) and side fragmentary view (B) which show one Example of this invention Plan views (A) and (B) and side views (C) and (D) of comparative examples for explaining the present invention Side view of Embodiment 1 of the present invention FIG. 3 is a side view of a sheet removal operation state according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The side view of the paper removal operation | movement state of Example 2 of this invention Side view of Embodiment 3 of the present invention The perspective view which shows the example of the system which combined the peripheral machine with the image forming apparatus

  When opening the opening / closing part of the device, for example, the front door, it prevents the paper that protrudes from the device body and is placed at the upper end of the door from being pulled into the door opening operation and pulled out from the device body to be dropped. For this reason, a fence function is provided that is provided adjacent to the upper edge of the door and protrudes upward from the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and prevents paper or the like riding on the upper surface of the apparatus main body from being drawn into the door opening operation when the door is opened. By achieving the above, the above-mentioned object is achieved.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, an example in which the present invention is implemented in a paper discharge device that is a peripheral device of the image forming apparatus will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied not only to the image forming apparatus itself but also to various apparatuses. It is.

<Example 1>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view (A) and a partial side view (B) showing an embodiment of the present invention. The paper discharge unit 1 shown in FIG. 7 includes a large-volume paper discharge tray 2 that can be moved up and down on the left side surface of the paper discharge unit main body 1a, as in the paper discharge device 27 shown in FIG. A paper discharge tray 3 is provided by cutting out a central portion on the left edge side, and a flat surface portion 5 is formed between the cut-out portion and the copying machine main unit 4 for providing the paper discharge tray 3. A front door 6 is provided that can be opened and closed for processing such as jamming in the paper discharge unit main body 1a and other operations.

  The front door 6 has an upper edge portion 6 a formed of a curved surface and is connected to a side edge of the entire upper surface portion of the paper discharge unit 1 including the flat surface portion 5. That is, when the front door 6 is opened (as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1A, the left edge side of the paper discharge unit 1 is a pivot point), the paper discharge unit 1 is viewed in plan. As a result, the side edge portion of the upper surface portion of the paper discharge unit 1 is partially removed.

  Further, a protrusion 7 is formed along the side edge of the entire upper surface portion including the flat surface portion 5 of the paper discharge unit main body 1a and close to the edge of the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6.

  Here, for comparison, the side edge portion of the upper surface portion of the paper discharge unit 1 has a flat shape without the protrusions 7 and is flush with or substantially flush with the upper surface of the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6. The case will be described with reference to FIG. 2A and 2B are plan views, and FIGS. 2C and 2D are side views as seen from the copier body unit 4 side in FIG.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (D), it is assumed that the user is placing the paper P or the like from the flat surface portion 5 to the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6. Since the upper surface of the upper edge portion 6a forms a curved surface as described above, the end portion of the sheet P may hang downward from the flat surface portion 5 as shown in FIG. Many. When the front door 6 is opened from this state, the size of the paper P riding on the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6 and the friction acting between the paper P and the flat surface portion 5 or the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6 Although depending on the force, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the paper P tends to move in the direction of exiting the flat surface portion 5 by being dragged to the front door 6 by the opening operation. It is. This does not occur when the opening angle of the front door 6 is small or the frictional force acting on the paper P is large and does not move so much. However, the opening angle of the front door 6 is large or the frictional force is small and the paper P slips. In an easy state, the paper P moves to the front door 6 side as the front door 6 opens, and the paper between the front door 6 and the paper discharge unit main body 1a is weak when paper or sheet material is weak. The middle part of the paper P bends and hangs down on the X, and it may fall as it is and fall between the front door 6 and the paper discharge unit main body 1a.

  Further, if the front door 6 is closed as it is even if it does not fall and the front door 6 is closed as it is, the paper P may be folded between the front door 6 and the paper discharge unit main body 1a. Furthermore, paper and sheet materials that are not weak are not in the form of dropping as described above. However, if the front door 6 is opened at a large angle, the rear end side moves away from the flat surface portion 5 as it moves, and again It may fall between the door 6 and the paper discharge unit main body 1a.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the case of the present embodiment in which the protrusions 7 are formed will be described. In this case, even if the user places the paper P or the like from the flat surface portion 5 to the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6, the upper edge portion 6a side of the paper P is raised by the ridges 7 as shown in the figure. The upper surface of the upper edge portion 6a of the front door 6 is not touched or even when touched, the edge portion of the paper P is touched. When the front door 6 is opened from this state, the protrusion 7 becomes an obstacle to the movement of the paper P, and the paper P is hardly affected by the opening operation of the front door 6 and remains on the flat surface portion 5, and the above-described dropping is not caused. It becomes difficult to occur. Of course, depending on the opening angle of the front door 6, the edge of the paper P on the front door 6 side hangs down between the front door 6 and the paper discharge unit main body 1a, and the front door 6 is closed and the paper P is sandwiched. However, since it is not the middle part of the paper P but only the edge portion, the possibility of bending the paper P is small.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which the paper P is picked up from the flat surface portion 5 over the ridge 7. As shown in the figure, the flat surface portion 5 side of the ridge 7 has a low slope surface 7 s on the flat surface portion 5 side. Therefore, when the sheet P is to be taken, it can be slid along the slope surface 7 s and flat. Removal from the surface portion 5 is also easy. In addition, although the inventors of the present application have confirmed that the height of the protrusion 7 is about 4 mm, for example, it is convenient for both the movement of the paper P and the work for removal, the present invention It is not limited to this dimension. Further, the position where the protrusion 7 is provided is not limited to the position of the illustrated example, and may be closer to the inside of the flat surface portion 5.

<Example 2>
FIG. 5 is a side view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The protrusion 7a of the present embodiment has a rectangular cross section. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment. In the case of this embodiment, the rising surface on the flat surface portion 5 side of the ridge 7a becomes a wall with respect to the paper P on the flat surface portion 5, so that the function of preventing the movement of the paper P is higher than the previous embodiment. . However, when removing the paper P from the flat surface portion 5, it does not work as in the previous embodiment using the slope surface 7s of the ridge 7, and the paper removal operation is somewhat troublesome.

<Example 3>
FIG. 6 is a side view corresponding to FIGS. 4 and 5 showing Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, protrusions 7 and 7a are provided on both sides of the flat surface portion 5 (on the left and right sides in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in the drawing, which is the paper traveling direction during image formation). The protrusion 7 on the front door 6 side has the same shape as that of the first embodiment, and the reverse protrusion 7a has the same shape as that of the second embodiment. Therefore, on the ridge 7a side, the vertical surface serves as a stopper against the movement of the paper P or the like placed on the flat surface portion 5, and on the ridge 7 side, the same action as in the first embodiment is achieved. In the case of this example, it is possible to remove the paper P in the same way as in the first embodiment, and of course, the paper P is pushed toward the ridge 7a and pressed against the vertical surface of the ridge 7a, and the paper P is bent slightly. It is convenient because you can easily remove it later.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the protrusions are continuously provided at or near the edge of the flat surface portion 5, but may be provided intermittently with appropriate dimensions. This is because a finger can be easily placed under the paper P or the like from between adjacent ridges, and the operation can be further facilitated.

1: Paper discharge unit 1a: Paper discharge unit main body 2: Mass paper discharge tray 3: Paper discharge tray 4: Copier main body unit 5: Flat surface portion 6: Front door 6a: Upper edge portion 7 of front door 7: Projection 7a: Ridge 7s: ridge slope surface P paper

JP 2007-188106 A Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 62-042809 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 06-064825

Claims (9)

In the structure for opening and closing the device, the upper edge of the opening and closing part provided on the outer periphery of the device main body reaches the upper surface of the device main body, constitutes a part of the upper surface, or is configured to be continuous with the upper surface.
The apparatus is capable of mounting sites the paper on the upper surface of the main body, a portion protruding is provided from the previous SL top upwardly,
The portion which projects is provided at a position adjacent to the upper end of the opening portion, and Rukoto surface of the opening and closing side portions of the projecting is not continuous to the surface that faces the opening portion of the apparatus main body A device opening and closing structure characterized by the above. In the structure for opening and closing the apparatus of claim 1,
Opening and closing structure of the device, wherein a portion of the projecting, formed by providing the device along the entire side edge of the upper surface at a said opening and closing portion of the paper in can be placed site side of the body. In the structure for opening and closing the apparatus of claim 1,
Opening and closing structure of the apparatus, characterized in that said portion projecting, formed by providing continuously along the entire side edge of the closing part side the paper in can be placed site a top surface of the device body . In the structure for opening and closing of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The structure for opening and closing a device, wherein the projecting portion includes a surface on the device main body side and a slope surface on the device main body side. In the structure for opening and closing of the apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A structure for opening and closing a device, wherein a surface of the protruding portion on the device main body side is an upright surface. In the structure for opening and closing the apparatus of claim 4,
A second projecting portion whose surface on the device main body side is an upright surface is provided on an edge of the device main body side opposite to the side where the opening / closing portion provided with the projecting portion is located. A structure for opening and closing a characteristic device.   An image forming apparatus comprising the opening / closing structure of the apparatus according to claim 1.   A peripheral apparatus for an image forming apparatus, comprising the opening / closing structure for the apparatus according to claim 1. On the upper surface of the apparatus main body, a paper discharge tray is provided on an edge side intersecting with an edge side on which the opening / closing portion is provided,
The upper surface region of the apparatus main body between the paper discharge tray and the part where the paper can be placed is provided with a convex part upward with respect to the part where the paper can be placed,
The surface on the part side where the paper can be placed in the convex part is formed with an inclined surface which becomes lower toward the part side surface where the paper can be placed,
The projecting part extends along the side edge of the upper surface of the apparatus main body over the upper surface area of the apparatus main body on which the sheet can be placed, the convex part, and the paper discharge tray. The peripheral device according to claim 8, wherein the peripheral device is formed.