JP6346794B2 - Ejected sheet stacking apparatus, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge sheet stacking apparatus that stacks sheets, an image reading apparatus including the discharge sheet stacking apparatus, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus in an apparatus main body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers that form an image on a sheet are provided with an image reading apparatus that automatically conveys and reads a document in the apparatus main body, and an image read by the image reading apparatus is copied onto a sheet. There are things that are supposed to do. However, since the sheet conveyance speed of recent image forming apparatuses has been increased, the image reading apparatus discharges the read original document to the discharge sheet stacking apparatus at a high speed.

  However, when a document that has been read is discharged at a high speed, the stacking state of the documents stacked on the discharge sheet stacking device is disturbed, and the user needs to realign the documents. In view of this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133867 discloses a discharge sheet stacking apparatus that eliminates the need to realign the originals by pressing the discharged originals with a pressing member.

JP 2011-20783 A

However, the pressing member of the conventional discharged sheet stacking apparatus is made of a material that can be easily deformed. When the user takes out the discharged sheet, the user's hand touches the pressing member, and the document pressing member is deformed. There was a fear. For this reason, the press and even members will not be able to be suppressed to ensure the document, the loading state of the sheet there is a problem that becomes worse.

An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge sheet stacking apparatus that prevents deformation of a pressing member that presses a sheet, an image reading apparatus including the discharge sheet stacking apparatus, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus in an apparatus main body. It is to provide.

Discharged sheet stacking apparatus of the present invention, an image reading apparatus and an image forming apparatus, a discharge means for discharging the sheet, and stacking means sheet wherein Ru is discharged by the discharge means are stacked, the sheet to said stacking means to be discharged A pressing part, a base part that allows the pressing part to rotate with respect to a sheet stacking direction in which sheets are stacked on the stacking means , and a base part disposed between the pressing part and the base part. A sheet presser having an elastically deformable connecting part that connects the presser part and the base part so that the presser part can swing in the sheet width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking means. e Bei means, the shape of the connecting portion, the sheet stacking direction is small dimensions of the seat width direction than the dimension, it is characterized in that.

The discharge sheet stacking apparatus, image reading apparatus, and image forming apparatus of the present invention can prevent the pressing member from being deformed .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention along the sheet conveying direction. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention along the document conveyance direction. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a document pressing member is provided in a pressing member holder on the lower side of a paper feed tray. It is an external perspective view of a document pressing member. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a document pressing member in which a weight reducing portion of the document pressing member in FIG. 4 is cut away. FIG. 4 is a view of the document pressing member of FIG. 3 as viewed from below. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the document discharge direction showing a state in which the document pressing member is attached to the pressing member holder. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a document pressing member pressing a highly rigid document. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a document with low rigidity is jammed by a document pressing member. FIG. 10 is a view in which a document having a low rigidity is pressed by a document pressing member obtained by excising a weight reducing portion from the document pressing member of FIG. 9.

  Hereinafter, a discharged document stacking apparatus as an embodiment of the present invention, an image reading apparatus including the discharged document stacking apparatus, and an image forming apparatus including the image reading apparatus in an apparatus main body will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Image forming apparatus 101)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention along the sheet conveyance direction.

  The image forming apparatus 101 is, for example, a copying machine, and includes an apparatus main body 101A and an image reading apparatus 104 provided on the upper part of the apparatus main body 101A. The image reading apparatus 104 includes an automatic document conveyance unit 103 and an image reading unit 102.

  The automatic document conveyance unit 103 is configured to automatically convey the document D as a sheet placed on the paper feed tray 1 by the user to the image reading unit 102. The image reading unit 102 receives reflected light of the light irradiated by the image reading scanning unit 5 on the conveyed document, optically reads the document, converts it into an electrical signal, and generates image data ( Image reading information).

  The apparatus main body 101A of the image forming apparatus 101 forms a copy image on a sheet based on image data. The apparatus main body 101 </ b> A operates the exposure unit 123 based on an electrical signal or image data of an image of a document to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 121. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner by the developing device 124 to become a toner image.

  On the other hand, sheet placement units 137a, 137b, 137c, and 137d loaded with sheets P of various sizes are disposed below the apparatus main body 101A. The sheets P of the sheet placement units 137a, 137b, 137c, and 137d are taken out one by one by the feeding rollers 138a, 138b, 138c, and 138d, and are transferred to the conveying roller 131. The sheet is also delivered from the manual feed tray 137e to the feeding roller 138e.

  Thereafter, the sheet P is supplied between the photosensitive drum 121 and the transfer charger 125 so that the skew is straightened by the registration roller pair 136 and is synchronized with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 121. The The toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the sheet P by the transfer charger 125 and separated from the photosensitive drum 121 by the separation charger 126. The cleaner 127 cleans the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 to which the toner image is transferred. The charger 122 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 121 in preparation for the next exposure.

  On the other hand, the sheet P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 129 by the conveying unit 128, and is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 129 to fix the toner image on the surface. Then, the sheet P on which the toner image is fixed is discharged to the discharge tray 130.

  The image forming apparatus 101 described above is controlled by a control unit 132 (FIG. 1) having a CPU. The photosensitive drum 121, the charger 122, the developing device 124, the fixing device 129, and the like are the image forming unit 133. The image forming unit 133 forms an image of a document read by the image reading device 104 on a sheet. It has become. The control unit 132 controls the entire image forming apparatus so that the operation of the entire image forming apparatus can be performed smoothly.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image reading apparatus 104 in the embodiment of the present invention along the document conveyance direction. The image reading device 104 is a device that reads a document. The image reading apparatus 104 includes an image reading unit 102 as an image reading unit that reads an image of a document, and an automatic document transport unit 103 as a document transport unit that transports and discharges the document.

The automatic document conveyance unit 103 mainly includes the following components. A paper feed tray 1 on which a document D is placed by a user. A paper feed roller 2 for supplying a document. A conveyance path 3 for guiding a document that is supplied and conveyed. A conveying roller pair 4 for conveying the supplied document . A discharged document stacking device 105 as a discharged sheet stacking device on which the document transported to the image reading unit 102 and discharged is stacked. The image reading unit 102 includes an image reading scanning unit 5 that reads an image of a supplied document.

  The discharged document stacking apparatus 105 mainly includes the following components. A discharge roller pair 7 as discharge means for discharging the conveyed document. A discharged document stacking tray 8 as a stacking unit on which the documents discharged by the discharge roller pair 7 are stacked. A document pressing member 10 as sheet pressing means for pressing the sheet discharged to the discharged document stacking tray 8 against the discharged document stacking tray 8. A pressing member holder 9 provided on the lower side of the sheet feeding tray 1 for supporting the document pressing member 10 above the discharged document stacking tray 8.

  The operation of the image reading device 104 will be described. The user places the document D on the paper feed tray 1. Then, the paper feed roller 2 pulls the originals D one by one into the apparatus main body 103 </ b> A of the automatic original transport unit 103. Thereafter, the transport roller pair 4 guides the transport path 3 to transport the document D onto the image reading scanning unit 5. The image reading scanning unit 5 reads an image of a document. Then, the discharge roller pair 7 discharges the document D onto the document stacking surface 8 a as the sheet stacking surface of the discharged document stacking tray 8. At this time, the document D is pushed away from the document pressing member 10 and discharged onto the discharged document stacking tray 8, and is pressed onto the discharged document stacking tray 8 by the document pressing member 10.

  The document pressing member 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the document pressing member 10 is provided in the pressing member holder 9 on the lower side of the paper feed tray 1. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the document pressing member 10. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the document pressing member 10 with the weight reducing portion 13 of the document pressing member 10 of FIG. 4 cut away. FIG. 6 is a view of the document pressing member 10 of FIG. 3 as viewed from below. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the document discharge direction, showing a state in which the document pressing member 10 is attached to the pressing member holder 9. FIG. 8 is a diagram in which the document pressing member 10 presses the document D1 having high rigidity. FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the document D2 having low rigidity is jammed by the document pressing member 10. FIG. 10 is a view in which the document D2 having a low rigidity is pressed by the document pressing member 10 in which the weight reducing portion 13 is removed from the document pressing member 10 of FIG.

In FIG. 7, the document pressing member 10 is formed so as to play a role of pressing the document discharged to the discharged document stacking tray 8 against the discharged document stacking tray 8 and suppressing variations in document stacking. The document pressing member 10 is placed on a pressing member holder 9 provided at the lower portion of the sheet feeding tray 1 with respect to the document discharge direction (sheet discharge direction) E by the discharge roller pair 7 and the document stacking surface 8 a of the discharged document stacking tray 8. And can be tilted in the intersecting direction J. The arrow J is the vertical direction in FIG. 3, 4, and 6, the document pressing member 10 includes a base portion 11, a node portion (connection portion) 17, and a pressing portion 18 that are sequentially connected from the upstream side to the downstream side in the document discharge direction E. doing.

  4 and 7, the rotating shaft portion 14 is formed on the base portion 11. The document pressing member 10 is tilted in the vertical direction J, with the rotating shaft portion 14 being rotatably supported by the sheet feeding tray 1 by the pressing member holder 9. The pressing member holder 9 is detachably provided on the lower side of the paper feed tray 1 (side facing the discharged document stacking tray 8). The pressing member holder 9 is mounted on the paper feed tray 1 in a state where the rotating shaft portion 14 is supported, and supports the document pressing member 10 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction J. Further, the document pressing member 10 is formed with an abutting piece 15. The abutting piece 15 is in contact with the lower side of the paper feed tray 1 and restricts the downward rotation of the document pressing member 10. In the document pressing member 10 that is restricted from rotating downward, the front end 12 b of the contact portion 12 is slightly separated from the discharged document stacking tray 8.

  The pressing portion 18 is formed by a frame-shaped contact portion 12 that comes into contact with the document and a self-weight reducing portion 13. The contact portion 12 is bent downward at the intermediate portion 12a and holds the document at the tip 12b. The own weight reducing unit 13 is provided to reduce the own weight of the pressing unit 18 and reduce the pressing force of the document. For this reason, the self-weight reducing part 13 is detachably connected to the contact part 12 by the detaching parts 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d. Further, the self-weight reducing portion 13 is formed so as not to protrude from the frame-shaped contact portion 12 to the document stacking surface 8 a side of the discharged document stacking tray 8. That is, the self-weight reducing unit 13 is separated from the contact unit 12 from the document stacking surface 8 a of the discharged document stacking tray 8. Since the self-weight reducing portion 13 does not protrude from the contact portion 12 toward the document stacking surface 8a, when the self-weight reducing portion 13 is cut off, part of the separating portions 16a to 16d may remain as burrs. However, it is possible to prevent the document from being caught by the burr. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, when the weight reducing portion 13 shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 is cut, the weight of the document pressing member 10 is reduced, and the document pressing force is changed from F1 to F2 (<F1). Can be reduced.

  By the way, the document pressing member 10 is provided on the lower side of the paper feeding tray 1 by a pressing member holder 9, and is arranged behind the paper feeding tray 1 at a position where it is difficult for the user to see. For this reason, when a user collects a document after image reading and inserts his / her hand between the paper feed tray 1 and the discharged document stacking tray 8 without noticing the document pressing member 10, the document pressing member 10 There is a risk of hitting your hand.

Therefore, the document pressing member 10 of the discharged document stacking apparatus 105 according to the present embodiment connects the base portion 11 and the pressing portion 18 with an elastically deformable node portion 17 and is connected to the pressing portion 18 at the distal end portion of the document pressing member 10. Even if the user's hand interferes, the pressing portion 18 is allowed to escape. In the joint portion 17, the dimension L1 in the tilting direction J (sheet stacking direction) of the base 11 is larger than the dimension L2 in the direction K (swinging direction) intersecting the tilting direction J of the base 11 (L1>). L2) is set. For this reason, in FIG. 3, the node portion 17 can be elastically deformed in the direction K along the document stacking surface 8 a of the discharged document stacking tray 8, and even if the user's hand interferes with the presser portion 18, the presser portion 18 to discharge, it is possible to prevent damage to the pressing member 10. Further, the document pressing member 10 is less likely to be elastically deformed in the direction J intersecting the document stacking surface 8a due to the relationship of L1> L2 in the document pressing member 10, and therefore, the document is discharged using its own weight effectively. It can be held by the document stacking tray 8.

  The material used for the document pressing member 10 is a polyester elastomer that has thermoplastic elastomer characteristics and has all of moldability, slidability of the paper contact surface and shaft portion, and optimum rigidity. In addition, it is not limited to a polyester elastomer, You may use the other material provided with the characteristic, moldability, slidability, etc. which are the same as a polyester elastomer.

  The document pressing member 10 described above can reduce variations in document stacking by pressing the document discharged to the discharged document stacking tray 8 against the discharged document stacking tray 8 by its own weight. Note that the document pressing member 10 is disposed at a position in contact with the document before the rear end of the document has passed through the discharge roller pair 7.

  By the way, depending on the manuscript, there is a size of rigidity (strength of strength). Therefore, when the discharged document is a document D1 (FIG. 8) having a certain rigidity (a certain stiffness), the document D1 is a document pressing member 10 at the front end (right end in FIG. 8). Is pushed up and conveyed downstream. In this case, the document pressing member 10 is pushed up and rotated about the rotation shaft portion 14 rotatably supported by the pressing member holder 9. However, when the original is thin paper D2 having a small rigidity (weak stiffness) (FIG. 9), it is difficult to push up the original pressing member 10 at the leading end (right end in FIG. 9), and the discharged original stacking tray 8 The document stacking surface 8a and the document pressing member 10 may be clogged.

As described above, when there is a document in which the document pressing member 10 cannot be pushed up, the document pressing force of the document pressing member 10 is changed from F1 by cutting the weight reducing portion (center portion) 13 of the document pressing member 10 (FIG. 10). It can be reduced to F2, and the document can be prevented from being jammed.

  The main parts of the above disclosed contents are as follows. The numbers in parentheses attached to each constituent element are symbols of the drawing for facilitating comparison between each constituent element and the drawing, and have no influence on each constituent element described in the claims. is not.

The discharge sheet stacking device (105)
Discharging means (7) for discharging the sheet;
A stacking means (8) on which sheets discharged by the discharging means are stacked;
A pressing portion (18) for pressing the sheet discharged to the stacking means to the stacking means, a base portion (11) disposed above the stacking means, and a node portion (17) provided between the pressing portion and the base portion And a sheet pressing means (10).

  The base portion (11) is disposed so that the pressing portion (18) can be rotated in the sheet stacking direction of the stacking means (8) (the direction of the arrow pointing downwards of the arrow J). It is characterized in that it can be swung in a direction crossing the rotation direction.

  In this configuration, the discharged document stacking apparatus 105 according to the present embodiment is configured so that when the user takes out the discharged document, even if the user's hand touches the document pressing member 10, the node portion 17 is elastically deformed and pressed. Since the part 18 escapes, the deformation of the pressing member 10 is prevented. Thus, the discharged document stacking device does not fail to hold the document with the document pressing member, prevents the document stacking from being disturbed, and eliminates the need for the user to align the documents again.

  In addition, the image reading apparatus 104 according to the present embodiment includes the discharged document stacking apparatus 105 that does not require rearrangement of documents, and thus can be easily handled.

  Furthermore, since the image forming apparatus 101 of the present embodiment includes the image reading apparatus 104 including the discharged document stacking apparatus 105 that does not require rearrangement of sheets, the image forming apparatus 101 is easy to handle.

7: discharge roller pair (discharge unit), 8: discharged document stacking tray (stacking unit), 8a: document stacking surface (sheet stacking surface), 10: document pressing member (sheet pressing unit), 11: base, 13: own weight Reduction part (center part) 17: Node part (connection part) 18: Pressing part 101: Image forming apparatus 101A: Image forming apparatus main body 102: Image reading unit (image reading part) 103: Automatic Document transport unit (document transport unit), 104: image reading device, 105: discharged document stacking device (discharged sheet stacking device), 133: image forming unit, D: document, D1: highly rigid document (strongly rigid document) D2: original with low rigidity (original with weak stiffness), P: sheet, E: original discharge direction (sheet discharge direction), J: tilting direction of the original pressing member, and K: inclination direction of the pressing portion.

Claims (8)

Discharging means for discharging the sheet;
And stacking means sheet that will be discharged are stacked by said discharge means,
A pressing portion that presses the discharged sheets to the stacking unit, a base that allows the pressing unit to rotate with respect to a sheet stacking direction in which the sheets are stacked on the stacking unit, and the pressing unit and the base is disposed between, said pressing portion relative to the base, said swingable sheet width direction of the sheets loaded on the loading means and said pressing portion elastically deformable for connecting the base to Bei example a sheet pressing means has a Do connecting portion, and the,
The shape of the connecting portion is smaller in the sheet width direction than in the sheet stacking direction.
A discharge sheet stacking apparatus characterized by that. The pressing part is separable at the center part,
The discharged sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1. The pressing portion reduces the pressing force for pressing the sheet by separating the central portion .
The discharged sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein: The central portion is provided at a position that does not contact the sheet discharged from the discharge means.
The discharged sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein It said sheet pressing means is formed of a material which have a thermoplastic elastomeric properties,
The discharged sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharged sheet stacking apparatus is provided. An image reading unit for reading an image of a document;
A document conveying unit that conveys the document to the image reading unit,
6. The discharge sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document transport unit includes a document that is transported and discharged to the image reading unit.
An image reading apparatus. An image reading apparatus according to claim 6;
An image forming unit that forms an image read by the image reading device on a sheet,
An image forming apparatus. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
Equipped with a discharged sheet stacking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for discharging the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means,
An image forming apparatus.

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