JP7171279B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been proposed a printer that forms an image on a sheet and discharges the sheet with the image formed thereon to a paper discharge tray by means of a paper discharge roller (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-100000). This printer is provided with a cover above the discharge tray, and since the upper surface of the cover is formed in a flat shape, various devices can be placed thereon.

JP-A-2000-280570

In general, it is known to provide an openable/closable cover on the top of the printer main body in order to replace the process cartridge or toner cartridge inside the printer. When the cover described in Patent Document 1 is placed above the opening/closing cover, the cover may drop when the opening/closing cover is opened while the cover is placed on the opening/closing cover. If the cover falls from the opening/closing cover, the cover may be damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that solves the above-described problems by reducing the possibility of the cover member falling and being damaged.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, and a stacking surface on which the image is formed by the image forming unit and the sheet is discharged to the outside of the apparatus. and a cover member supported by the apparatus main body and arranged above the loading surface, wherein the apparatus main body includes the loading surface, and the inside of the apparatus main body is exposed by being in an open state. and a handle for opening the upper cover, wherein the cover member covers the handle so as to restrict the opening operation of the upper cover by the handle. It is characterized by having a part.

According to the present invention, when the cover member is supported by the device main body, the handle portion is covered by the cover portion, so that the user can be urged to remove the cover member from the device main body and then open the top cover. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the cover member will fall and be damaged.

1 is an overall perspective view showing a printer according to this embodiment; FIG. Sectional drawing which shows a printer. (a) is a side view showing the printer, (b) is a view in the direction of arrows 3B-3B of (a), and (c) is an enlarged view showing the broken line portion of (b). FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the printer; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer as viewed from the side; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer as seen from the side and above; 2 is a plan view showing the printer; FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the printer; FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the printer; (a) is a side view showing a state in which the cover member is removed from the apparatus main body, and (b) is a side view showing a state in which the cover member is attached to the apparatus main body. The bottom perspective view which shows a cover member. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the flow of water vapor.

〔overall structure〕
A printer 100 as an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is an electrophotographic laser beam printer that forms a monochrome toner image. The printer 100 has, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an apparatus main body 1, a cover member 50, and a display device 70 for displaying various information of the printer 100. FIG. The cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus body 1 and arranged above the loading surface 90 of the apparatus body 1 so as to form a space SP with the loading surface 90 of the apparatus body 1 . The apparatus main body 1 has a sheet feeding device 10 that feeds sheets, an image forming section 20 that forms an image on the fed sheets, and a discharge roller pair 40 that can discharge the sheets onto a stacking surface 90 . is doing.

When an image forming command is output to the printer 100 , the image forming process by the image forming section 20 is started based on image information input from an external computer or the like connected to the printer 100 . The image forming section 20 has a process cartridge 21 , a laser scanner 22 , a transfer roller 24 and a fixing section 30 . The process cartridge 21 has a rotatable photosensitive drum 23 and a charging roller, a developing roller and a cleaning blade (not shown) arranged along the photosensitive drum 23 . The transfer roller 24 forms a transfer nip T1 as a transfer portion together with the photosensitive drum 23 . The process cartridge 21 is detachable from the apparatus main body 1 of the printer 100 . Although the printer 100 is a monochrome laser beam printer in this embodiment, it is not limited to this. For example, printer 100 may be a full color laser beam printer.

The laser scanner 22 irradiates the photosensitive drum 23 with laser light based on the input image information. At this time, the photosensitive drum 23 is charged in advance by the charging roller, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 23 by being irradiated with laser light. After that, the electrostatic latent image is developed by a developing roller to form a monochrome toner image on the photosensitive drum 23 .

Sheets are fed from the sheet feeding device 10 in parallel with the image forming process described above. The sheet feeding device 10 has a first tray 11 supported by the device body 1 so as to be openable and closable about a shaft 11a. The first tray 11 constitutes a part of the front exterior of the apparatus main body 1 in the closed state, and when it is in the open state, the user can access the sheet storage space 17 inside the apparatus main body 1. .

The first tray 11 has a placement surface 11b on which sheets can be placed. When setting sheets in the sheet storage space 17, the user opens the first tray 11 and places the sheets on the placement surface 11b. The first tray 11 is provided with a knob 11c for the user to open the first tray 11 so that the first tray 11 can be easily opened.

Further, the sheet feeding device 10 includes a middle plate 16 that supports the upstream side of the sheet placed on the placement surface 11b of the first tray 11 in the sheet feeding direction, a pickup roller 13, a separation pad 14, have. In response to an image formation command, the intermediate plate 16 rises, and the sheet supported by the intermediate plate 16 comes into contact with the pickup roller 13 . By rotating the pickup roller 13 in this state, the sheets are fed and separated one by one by the separation pad 14 .

The sheets separated one by one by the separation pad 14 are conveyed to the registration roller pair 15 , and the skew feeding is corrected by the registration roller pair 15 . The toner image on the photosensitive drum 23 is transferred at the transfer nip T1 to the sheet conveyed by the registration roller pair 15 at a predetermined conveying timing due to the electrostatic load bias applied to the transfer roller 24 . Residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 23 is collected by a cleaning blade.

A heating roller 31 and a pressure roller 32 of the fixing unit 30 apply predetermined heat and pressure to the sheet to which the toner image has been transferred, thereby melting and fixing (fixing) the toner. The sheet that has passed through the fixing section 30 is discharged onto the stacking surface 90 by the discharge roller pair 40 . The discharge roller pair 40 is arranged above the fixing section 30 .

[Device body]
Next, the device body 1 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 1 is provided with an abutting surface 46 arranged upstream of the stacking surface 90 in the sheet discharging direction and extending in the vertical direction. Since the stacking surface 90 is inclined downward toward the abutting surface 46, the sheets discharged to the stacking surface 90 slide toward the abutting surface 46, and the trailing ends abut the abutting surface 46 to be aligned. . The abutment surface 46 is formed with a discharge port 48 through which the sheet discharged by the discharge roller pair 40 passes.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3B, 3C and 4, a guide member 47 is rotatably supported downstream of the discharge port 48 in the sheet discharge direction. The lower surface 47 c of the guide member 47 contacts the upper surface of the sheet passing through the discharge port 48 and guides the sheet toward the stacking surface 90 . The lower surface 47c has a curved surface that is convex upward, and has a function of correcting the curl of the sheet by passing the sheet along this curved surface. Further, the guide member 47 has a plurality of holes 47b aligned in the width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction, and these plurality of holes 47b penetrate the guide member 47 in the vertical direction.

In the following description, top, bottom, left, right, and front and rear directions are defined with reference to a state in which the display device 70 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 4, the device main body 1 has a frame 1A that constitutes an exterior of the device main body 1 other than the upper part thereof, and a top cover 45 supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the frame 1A. . The frame 1A has a front panel 1F, a left side panel 1L, a right side panel 1R, and a rear panel 1B. A display device 70 is attached to the left side, which is one side in the width direction of the front panel 1F. The display device 70 is provided with a liquid crystal panel and a plurality of buttons, and can display various information and input an image forming job. A handle portion 2L into which a user can put his/her finger or the like is formed at a corner sandwiched between the upper surface cover 45 of the left side panel 1L and the front panel 1F. A handle portion 2L as a first handle portion has a recessed shape that is recessed toward the inside of the device main body 1 from the other surface of the left side panel 1L.

Since the handle portion 2L is formed to open upward, the user can easily open the top cover 45 positioned above the handle portion 2L by holding the upper surface cover 45 positioned above the handle portion 2L by pointing a finger into the handle portion 2L. It's becoming Moreover, since one end edge of the handle portion 2L is formed along the boundary portion FL between the front panel 1F and the left side panel 1L, the design is high. The right side panel 1R also has a handle portion 2R as a second handle portion having the same shape as the handle portion 2L (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIG. 4, the top cover 45 is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the frame 1A about a shaft 45a (see FIG. 2) extending in the width direction. make up the exterior. When the upper cover 45 is opened, the inside of the apparatus main body 1 is exposed, and the process cartridge 21 arranged inside the apparatus main body 1 can be replaced or a jammed sheet can be removed. It has become. The upper surface cover 45 has an upper surface 45c that slopes downward toward the front, and the discharge tray 41 that slopes downward toward the abutment surface 46 in the rearward direction.

An extension tray 42 is rotatably supported on the discharge tray 41 about a rotation shaft 42a (see FIG. 2). movably supported. By opening the extension tray 42 and the spare tray 43, as shown in FIG. 12, even if the sheet discharged outside the machine by the discharge roller pair 40 is long in the sheet discharging direction, the sheet is received and stacked. be able to. The discharge tray 41 is formed with a recess 41a provided adjacent to the extension tray 42, and the user can easily open the extension tray 42 by inserting a finger into the recess 41a. .

The stacking surface 90 is an area where the sheet discharged to the outside of the machine by the discharge roller pair 40 (see FIG. 2) can be supported and stacked, and is indicated by broken lines in FIG. That is, the stacking surface 90 is composed of the discharge tray 41, the upper surface of the extension tray 42, and part of the upper surface 45c. Note that when the extension tray 42 and the spare tray 43 are opened, the upper surfaces of the extension tray 42 and the spare tray 43 in the opened state also constitute part of the stacking surface 90 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper surface 45c of the upper surface cover 45 is disposed above the fixing section 30 and directs water vapor generated by heating the sheet passing through the fixing section 30 to the space SP. A steam port 45b is formed to direct and escape. The steam port 45b is a hole vertically penetrating the top cover 45, and has a width that is substantially the same as the roller width of the hole 47b of the guide member 47 and the heat roller 31 and the pressure roller 32 of the fixing section 30. It is formed long in the direction Thus, the water vapor generated in the fixing section 30 is mainly discharged from the steam port 45b and the discharge port 48 into the space SP. A part of the water vapor discharged from the discharge port 48 passes through the hole 47b of the guide member 47 and rises. can.

[Cover member]
Next, the cover member 50 will be described in more detail. The cover member 50 has a front surface 50F, a left side surface 50L, a right side surface 50R, a rear surface 50B, and a top surface 51, as shown in FIGS. The top surface 51 is a flat surface extending in the horizontal direction, and is configured so that a user can place a sheet or the like thereon. The left side surface 50L and the right side surface 50R are provided at both ends of the cover member 50 in the width direction. The front surface 50F is provided downstream of the cover member 50 in the sheet ejection direction. The back surface 50B is provided on the upstream side of the cover member 50 in the sheet ejection direction.

On the left side surface 50L, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 10B, a top cover 45, which is the top surface of the apparatus main body 1 when the apparatus main body 1 is viewed from the outside in the width direction (horizontal direction), is provided. A notch portion 52L is formed above the upper surface 45c of the. That is, the cutout portion 52L is positioned above the stacking surface 90 . The notch portion 52L as the communication portion and the first communication portion forms a communication space 52LS with the upper surface 45c of the upper surface cover 45, and the apparatus main body 1 and the cover member 50 are connected by the communication space 52LS. The space SP between them and the outside of the cover member 50 communicate with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the notch portion 52L has a length L1 that is one-third or more of the entire length L2 of the cover member 50 in the front-rear direction. It goes without saying that the length L1 of the notch 52L in the front-rear direction is equal to or less than the length L2 of the cover member 50. As shown in FIG. A notch 52R having the same shape as the notch 52L of the left side 50L is also formed on the right side 50R. A communication space 52RS is formed with the upper surface 45c (see FIG. 10(b)).

As shown in FIG. 7, on the front side of the cover member 50, in a plan view from above the cover member 50, at least a portion of the stacking surface 90 is exposed while the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1. A notch 53 is formed. The notch 53 is formed across a portion of the top surface 51 from the lower end 50Fa (see FIG. 4) of the front surface 50F, and is upstream in the sheet ejection direction from the downstream edge 51a of the top surface 51 in the sheet ejection direction. notched on the side. The notch 53 forms a communication space 53S with the stacking surface 90, and the communication space 53S allows communication between the space SP between the apparatus main body 1 and the cover member 50 and the outside of the cover member 50. do. The notch 53 is formed longer than the stacking surface 90 in the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, a notch portion 54 is formed in the rear surface 50B of the cover member 50 so as to be higher than the upper surface 45c of the upper surface cover 45, which is the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1. As shown in FIG. The notch portion 54 as the second communication portion forms a communication space 54S with the upper surface 45c of the upper surface cover 45, and the communication space 54S creates a space between the apparatus body 1 and the cover member 50. The SP communicates with the outside of the cover member 50 .

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, a cover portion 62L extends downward from a left side surface 50L, which is one side surface of the cover member 50. As shown in FIGS. A cover portion 62L as a first cover portion is formed in a substantially rectangular shape along the shape of the handle portion 2L and is slightly larger than the handle portion 2L. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the cover portion 62L is formed so as to cover the handle portion 2L while the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1. As shown in FIGS. A right side surface 50R, which is the other side surface of the cover member 50, is also formed with a cover portion 62R (see FIG. 8) as a second cover portion so as to cover the handle portion 2R. Accordingly, when the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1, the user cannot access the handle portions 2L and 2R through the cover portions 62L and 62R, and the opening operation of the top cover 45 can be restricted. . Further, the cover portions 62L and 62R are formed continuously with the notch portions 52L and 52R, respectively, and the unevenness of the cover member 50 is reduced to improve the design and workability.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the cover member 50 has a first positioning portion 61L, a second positioning portion 61R and a third positioning portion 63R for positioning the cover member 50 with respect to the apparatus main body 1. FIG. The first positioning portion 61L and the second positioning portion 61R are formed to extend downward from the rear surface 50B of the cover member 50. As shown in FIG. The first positioning portion 61L is arranged upstream of the apparatus main body 1 in the sheet discharging direction and on one side of the apparatus main body 1 in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part thereof overlaps the apparatus main body 1 in the vertical direction. . The second positioning portion 61R is arranged upstream of the apparatus main body 1 in the sheet discharge direction and on the other side of the apparatus main body 1 in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part thereof overlaps the apparatus main body 1 in the vertical direction. .

The third positioning portion 63R is formed to extend downward from the front surface 50F of the cover member 50 and is formed integrally with the cover portion 62R. That is, the cover portion 62R and the third positioning portion 63R are smoothly curved and integrally formed so as to cover the right front corner portion of the device main body 1 . Thereby, the manufacturing cost of the cover member 50 can be reduced, and the design can be improved. The third positioning portion 63R is arranged downstream of the apparatus main body 1 in the sheet discharge direction and on the other side of the apparatus main body 1 in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part thereof overlaps the apparatus main body 1 in the vertical direction. . Since the display device 70 is provided at a symmetrical position of the third positioning portion 63R with respect to the center of the cover member 50 in the width direction, the positioning portion is not provided on the cover portion 62L side.

As shown in FIG. 11, contact surfaces 71L, 71R, 72L, and 72R are formed at positions corresponding to the four corners of the cover member 50. As shown in FIG. The contact surfaces 71L, 71R, 72L, and 72R contact the upper surface 45c of the upper cover 45 of the apparatus main body 1, so that the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1. FIG. Also, the first positioning portion 61L, the second positioning portion 61R and the cover portion 62L are arranged outside the apparatus main body 1 relative to the contact surfaces 71L, 71R and 72L, respectively. Therefore, the first positioning portion 61L, the second positioning portion 61R, the cover portion 62L, and the contact surfaces 71L, 71R, 72L form a stepped shape.

Further, the cover portion 62R and the third positioning portion 63R are arranged outside the apparatus main body 1 with respect to the contact surface 72R. Therefore, the cover portion 62R, the third positioning portion 63R, and the contact surface 72R form a stepped shape. The cover member 50 is stably supported by the apparatus main body 1 due to the stepped shape provided at the four corners of the cover member 50 .

As shown in FIG. 11, reinforcing ribs 65L, 65R, 66L, 66R, 69L, and 69R are formed on the lower surface 51b side of the cover member 50. As shown in FIG. The reinforcing ribs 65L and 66L are arranged so as to sandwich the notch portion 52L in the front-rear direction, and the reinforcing ribs 65R and 66R are arranged so as to sandwich the notch portion 52R in the front-rear direction. Further, the reinforcing ribs 69L and 69R are arranged so as to sandwich the notch 52L in the left-right direction. These reinforcing ribs 65L, 65R, 66L, 66R, 69L, 69R improve the strength of the cover member 50, particularly the strength against the load from the top surface 51 of the cover member 50.

Furthermore, a plurality of guide ribs 68 extending in the sheet discharge direction are formed on the lower surface 51b of the cover member 50. As shown in FIG. The guide rib 68 reduces the contact area between the sheet discharged by the discharge roller pair 40 (see FIG. 2) and the cover member 50, thereby reducing the conveying resistance acting on the sheet. As a result, folding and curling of the sheet can be reduced.

Further, the cover member 50 is formed with a wall portion 67 extending downward from the lower surface 51b. The wall portion 67 is formed integrally with the reinforcing rib 69L and extends downstream in the sheet discharging direction from the reinforcing rib 69L. and a second rib 67b extending therefrom. Further, the wall portion 67 has a third rib 67c extending in the width direction (horizontal direction) and connecting the first rib 67a and the second rib 67b. The wall portion 67 is formed in a substantially U shape by the first rib 67a, the second rib 67b and the third rib 67c, and is arranged so as to surround the steam port 45b formed in the top cover 45. As shown in FIG. The steam port 45b and the discharge port 48 are arranged at different positions in the sheet discharge direction, and the third rib 67c is arranged between the steam port 45b and the discharge port 48 in the sheet discharge direction. .

As described above, in the present embodiment, the left side 50L, the right side 50R, the top surface 51 and the back surface 50B of the cover member 50 are formed with the cutouts 52L, 52R, 53 and 54, respectively. As a result, the water vapor generated in the fixing section 30 and discharged into the space SP through the steam port 45b or the discharge port 48 passes through the communication spaces 52LS, 52RS, 53S, and 54S formed by the notches 52L, 52R, 53, and 54. , to the outside of the cover member 50 . As a result, the amount of water vapor in the space SP is reduced, and the adhesion of water vapor to the lower surface 51b of the cover member 50 as water droplets can be reduced. Therefore, the discharged sheet is less likely to absorb the water droplets, and the quality of the sheet can be improved.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, a wall portion 67 is formed on the lower surface side of the cover member 50 . The wall portion 67 divides the space SP into a first space A located above the steam port 45b and a second space B located above the discharge port 48, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the water vapor that rises through the steam port 45b is discharged to the first space A, but is restricted from moving from the first space A to the second space B by the wall portion 67. As shown in FIG. In this way, the water vapor discharged from the steam port 45b is guided to the outside of the cover member 50 through the notch 54 without moving to the second space B, and the water vapor in the second space B is guided to the outside of the cover member 50. decrease in volume. As a result, the generation of water droplets in the second space B is suppressed.

Since the third rib 67c of the wall portion 67 is arranged upstream of the discharge port 48 in the sheet discharge direction, the sheet discharged from the discharge port 48 is positioned upstream of the third rib 67c in the sheet discharge direction. There is no contact with the lower surface 51b of the cover member 50. - 特許庁That is, since the sheet passes through the second space B side where the generation of water droplets is suppressed, the sheet is less likely to absorb water droplets, and the quality of the sheet can be improved. Note that the water vapor discharged from the discharge port 48 is discharged to the second space B, and passes through the communication spaces 52LS, 52RS, 53S formed by the notches 52L, 52R, 53 to the outside of the cover member 50. released to

The cutouts 52L, 52R, 53, 54 are formed relatively wide, and reinforcing ribs 65L, 65R, 66L, 66R, 69L are formed to sandwich the cutouts 52L, 52R, 53, 54. , 69R are provided respectively. As a result, sufficient strength of the cover member 50 can be ensured, and water vapor can easily escape to the outside of the cover member 50 by forming the cutouts 52L, 52R, 53, and 54 with a wide width.

A top surface 51 of the cover member 50 is formed of a flat surface extending in the horizontal direction, and is configured so that a user can place a sheet or the like thereon. Further, the top surface 51 of the cover member 50 reduces the adhesion of dust to the sheets stacked on the stacking surface 90, and covers the printed sheet images from the viewpoint of security, making it difficult for other users to see. It has the function of As described above, in the present embodiment, the notches 52L, 52R, 53, and 54 are provided in the cover member 50 while effectively utilizing the space above the apparatus main body 1, thereby making it difficult for water vapor to stay in the space SP. This prevents the quality of the sheet from deteriorating due to the adhesion of water droplets.

The notch portion 53 is formed so as to expose at least a portion of the stacking surface 90 in a plan view from above the cover member 50, so that the visibility of the sheets stacked on the stacking surface 90 is improved. , it is possible to improve the operability in, for example, taking out the sheet. In particular, since the cutout portion 53 is formed longer than the stacking surface 90 in the width direction, the visibility and operability of the sheets can be further improved. Accordingly, the user can easily determine whether or not sheets are stacked on the stacking surface 90 and what kind of sheets are stacked on the stacking surface 90 . Note that the shape and length of the cutouts 52L, 52R, 53, and 54 are not limited to those of the present embodiment, but are determined in consideration of the strength and design of the cover member 50, ease of placing a sheet on the top surface 51, and the like. can be set as appropriate.

By the way, when replacing the process cartridge 21, for example, after removing the cover member 50 from the apparatus main body 1, the user opens the top cover 45 by pointing fingers into the grip portions 2L and 2R. However, some users may try to open the top cover 45 while the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1 . Then, when the upper cover 45 is opened to a predetermined angle, the cover member 50 may drop off from the upper cover 45 and be damaged. In this embodiment, the handles 2L and 2R for opening the top cover 45 are covered by the covers 62L and 62R, and the user cannot access the handles 2L and 2R. The opening operation of 45 can be regulated. As a result, the user is urged to open the top cover 45 after removing the cover member 50, and damage to the cover member 50 can be prevented.

Further, the cover member 50 is provided with a first positioning portion 61L, a second positioning portion 61R, and a third positioning portion 63R. Since the first positioning portion 61L, the second positioning portion 61R, and the third positioning portion 63R are caught on the top cover 45, even if the top cover 45 is opened while the cover member 50 is supported by the apparatus main body 1, , the cover member 50 does not fall off immediately. Therefore, damage to the cover member 50 can be reduced even if the user opens the top cover 45 in an erroneous operation procedure.

In the present embodiment, the notch portions 52L and 52R are formed on the left side surface 50L and the right side surface 50R of the cover member 50, respectively. may be formed. Further, only one of the handle portions 2L, 2R and the cover portions 62L, 62R may be provided and the other may be omitted.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the notch portion 54 is formed in the back surface 50B of the cover member 50, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the notch 54 may be replaced with a through hole, or the notch 54 may be omitted. Also, in any of the above-described embodiments, the wall portion 67 is provided on the lower surface 51b of the cover member, but the wall portion 67 may not be provided. Also, the steam port 45b may be omitted.

Further, although the present embodiment has been described using the electrophotographic printer 100, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet by ejecting ink liquid from nozzles.

1: Apparatus Main Body/2L: Handle, First Handle/2R: Second Handle (Handle)/20: Image Forming Section/30: Fixing Section/45: Top Cover/45a: Shaft/50: Cover member/50L: One side (left side)/50R: Other side (right side)/51: Top surface/61L: First positioning part/61R: Second positioning part/62L: Cover part, first cover part /62R: second cover portion/63R: third positioning portion/70: display device/90: stacking surface/100: image forming apparatus (printer)

Claims (7)

an apparatus main body having an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, and a stacking surface on which sheets having an image formed by the image forming unit and discharged to the outside of the apparatus are stacked;
a cover member supported by the device main body and arranged above the loading surface;
The apparatus main body includes the loading surface, and has an upper cover that exposes the inside of the apparatus main body when the apparatus main body is opened, and a handle for opening the upper cover,
The cover member has a cover portion that covers the handle portion so as to restrict the opening operation of the top cover by the handle portion.
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The grip portion is a first grip portion provided on one side of the apparatus main body in a width direction perpendicular to the sheet ejection direction,
the cover portion is a first cover portion provided on the one side of the device main body in the width direction;
the apparatus main body has a second handle provided on the other side of the apparatus main body in the width direction and used to open the upper cover;
The cover member has a second cover portion that covers the second handle portion so as to restrict the opening operation of the top cover by the second handle portion.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: a display device arranged on the one side of the apparatus main body in the width direction and displaying various information about the image forming apparatus;
The top cover is openable and closable about the axis extending in the width direction,
the cover member has a first positioning portion, a second positioning portion, and a third positioning portion for positioning the cover member with respect to the device main body;
The first positioning portion is arranged upstream of the apparatus main body in the sheet discharge direction and on the one side of the apparatus main body in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part of the apparatus main body overlaps the apparatus main body in the vertical direction,
the second positioning portion is arranged upstream of the device main body in the sheet discharge direction and on the other side of the device main body in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part of the device main body overlaps the device main body in the vertical direction;
The third positioning part is arranged downstream of the device main body in the sheet discharging direction and on the other side of the device main body in the width direction, and is provided so that at least a part of the device main body overlaps the device main body in the vertical direction.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The second handle portion is formed integrally with the third positioning portion,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The first cover portion extends downward from one side surface of the cover member in the width direction,
The second cover portion extends downward from the other side surface of the cover member in the width direction,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The first handle and the second handle have a concave shape with an open top,
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The top surface of the cover member is a flat surface extending in the horizontal direction,
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

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