JP7312083B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in a copier, printer, facsimile machine, or multifunction machine thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine thereof is provided with a recording medium stacking device for stacking recording media for forming an image.

Conventionally, such a recording medium stacking device is provided with a regulating member for regulating the stacking position of the recording media stacked on the device.

For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-254074), a paper feed tray 102 shown in FIG. The paper feed tray 102 has a paper stacking plate 103 , a first auxiliary tray 104 and a second auxiliary tray 105 . The first auxiliary tray 104 is provided so as to be retractable in the direction of arrow L1 with respect to the sheet stacking plate 103, and the second auxiliary tray 105 is provided so as to be retractable in the direction of arrow L2. The paper stacking plate 103 has side guide members 106 on both sides thereof to position the recording media stacked on the paper stacking plate 103 in the width direction.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-100001, only the paper stacking plate 103 closest to the image forming apparatus 101 is provided with a side guide member 106 that regulates the position of the recording medium in the width direction. In such a configuration, the paper stacking plate 103 is arranged across the first auxiliary tray 104 and the second auxiliary tray 105 from the operator's position, the paper stacking plate 103 is far from the operator, and the side guides Manipulation of member 106 may be difficult.

In particular, in a configuration in which the image forming apparatus 101 main body and the like are provided above the paper feed tray 102, the side guide member 106 may be hidden by the image forming apparatus 101 main body, making it difficult to operate the side guide member 106. be.

In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having a recording medium stacking device that facilitates the operation of a regulating member and facilitates the positioning of stacked recording media.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a paper stacking tray that is capable of opening and closing with respect to an image forming apparatus main body by rotating around an axis in a direction that intersects the conveying direction of paper while stacking paper thereon; On the main body side of the image forming apparatus, another paper stacking tray on which paper is stacked together with the paper stacking tray, and provided in the other paper stacking tray to regulate the side edges of the paper in the width direction and to the respective side edges of the paper. A pair of first regulating members having a variable distance between the facing surfaces, and a pair of first regulating members provided on the paper stacking tray to regulate the side edges of the paper in the width direction and between the facing surfaces facing the side edges of the paper. a pair of second regulating members whose distance is variable , one end of which is slidably provided with respect to one of the first regulating member and the second regulating member, and the other end of which is provided to the A member that is rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of the paper relative to the other of the first regulating member and the second regulating member is provided on one side of the pair of first regulating members in the width direction of the paper. and the other end side, and one of the pair of first regulating members provided on one end side in the width direction of the sheet is inserted. The other first guide portion provided on the other end side in the width direction of the paper and into which the other first regulating member is inserted means that the one first guide portion is positioned in the other first guide portion in the paper transport direction. one of the pair of second regulating members provided on one end side in the width direction of the sheet is inserted into one of the second regulating members located downstream of the first guide section; The other second guide portion provided on the other end portion side in the width direction and into which the other second restricting member is inserted means that the one second guide portion is positioned in the sheet conveying direction by the other second guide portion. One of the pair of second regulating members, which is downstream of the section and provided on one end side in the width direction of the sheet, moves toward the other end side of the sheet. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the other second restricting member provided on the other end side in the width direction of the image forming apparatus moves to the one end side.

According to the present invention, the operation can be easily performed, and the positioning of the recording medium to be loaded can be facilitated.

1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus with a manual feed tray opened; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the image forming apparatus with the manual feed tray opened; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus when the additional hopper is taken out; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the interior of the image forming apparatus when the additional hopper is taken out; 4 is a side view of the manual feed tray in the loading posture; FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the manual feed tray in the stored posture; 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a holding portion that holds a second tray; 3 is a perspective view of a manual feed tray; FIG. 4 is a side view of the manual feed tray; FIG. It is a sectional view showing an attachment part of a side fence. It is the schematic which shows the connection structure by a wire. It is a perspective view of a first cover and a second cover. It is a top view which shows the structure of a rack and a pinion. It is sectional drawing which shows operation of a side fence. It is a perspective view of an interlocking mechanism of an embodiment. It is a top view which shows the contact surface of a side fence. It is a perspective view which shows the positioning mechanism of a side fence. It is a perspective view which shows the positioning mechanism of a side fence. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a positioning mechanism for side fences; It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. It is a side view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. It is a side view which shows the modification of the connection member of the side fence of embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the holding portion that holds the second tray of the embodiment; It is the schematic which shows the modification of the wire of embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the side fence of embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a modification of a side fence of an embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a modification of a side fence of an embodiment. It is a top view which shows the modification of the contact surface of the side fence of embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the modification of the contact surface of the side fence of embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional image forming apparatus; FIG.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each drawing for explaining the present invention, constituent elements such as members and constituent parts having the same function or shape are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and once explained, the explanation thereof will be omitted. omitted.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a monochrome laser printer, which is an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printer.
First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. The present invention is applicable not only to monochrome laser printers, but also to other printers such as color laser printers, copiers, facsimiles, or multifunction machines that combine at least two of these.

As shown in FIG. 2, a process unit 1 as an image forming unit is attached to an apparatus main body (image forming apparatus main body) 100 of the image forming apparatus. The process unit 1 includes a photoreceptor 2 as an image carrier that carries an image on its surface, a charging roller 3 as a charging means for charging the surface of the photoreceptor 2, and a latent image on the photoreceptor 2 to form a visible image. It is provided with a developing device 4 as developing means and a toner containing portion 7 containing toner as a developer used for image formation.

In FIG. 1, the surface facing the front A of the device main body 100 is the front side 100a, the surface facing the rear B is the rear side 100b, the surface facing the left side C is the left side 100c, and the surface facing the right side D is the right side 100d. Then, the front side surface 100a of the front side A has a protruding portion E that protrudes in the direction of the front side A (broken line portion in FIG. 2). A manual feed tray 30 as a recording medium stacking device is provided on the front surface of the projecting portion E so as to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus 100, and a front cover 29 is provided above it. An upper cover 32 is provided above the projecting portion E so as to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus 100 . Inside the image forming apparatus 100 , an addition hopper 31 mainly serving as a developer container is arranged at the portion of the projecting portion E. As shown in FIG.

The image forming apparatus 100 also includes a laser light emitting unit 6 as exposure means for exposing the surface of the photoreceptor 2, a transfer device 10 for transferring an image onto a recording medium, a recording medium supply device 11 for supplying the recording medium, A fixing device 12 for fixing an image transferred to a recording medium and a recording medium ejection device 13 for ejecting the recording medium to the outside of the apparatus are provided.

The transfer device 10 includes a transfer roller 14 as transfer means. The transfer roller 14 is arranged so as to come into contact with the photoreceptor 2 when the process unit 1 is attached to the apparatus main body 100 . Further, the transfer roller 14 is connected to a power supply, and is applied with a predetermined direct current (DC) and/or alternating current (AC) voltage.

The recording medium supply device 11 is arranged in the lower part of the apparatus main body 100, and has a paper feed cassette (recording medium storage unit) 15 that stores paper P as a recording medium, and feeds the paper stored in the paper feed cassette 15. and a feeding roller 23 and a timing roller 17 arranged on the downstream side of the feeding roller 16 in the feeding direction. Paper includes not only plain paper but also thick paper, postcards, envelopes, plain paper, thin paper, coated paper (coated paper, art paper, etc.), tracing paper, and the like. Moreover, it is also possible to use an OHP sheet, an OHP film, or the like as a recording medium other than paper.

The fixing device 12 includes a fixing roller 18 as a fixing member heated by a heat source such as a heater, and a pressure roller 19 as a pressure member contacting the fixing roller 18 with a predetermined pressure to form a fixing nip. and

The recording medium ejection device 13 is arranged in the upper part of the apparatus main body 100, and includes a paper ejection roller 20 for ejecting the paper out of the apparatus, and an ejection unit as a recording medium stacking section on which the paper ejected by the paper ejection roller 20 is placed. A paper tray 21 is provided.

Next, the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
When the image forming operation is started, the photosensitive member 2 is driven to rotate, and the charging roller 3 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive member 2 to a predetermined polarity. Then, the laser emitting unit 6 exposes the charged surface of the photoreceptor 2 based on the image information from the reading device, computer, or the like. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor 2 . Toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 2 by the developing device 4, and the electrostatic latent image is developed (visualized) as a toner image.

Further, when the image forming operation is started, the paper feed roller 16 starts rotating, and the paper P is sent out from the paper feed cassette 15 . The sent paper P is transported by the transport rollers 23 and temporarily stopped by the timing rollers 17 . After that, the timing roller 17 is started to rotate at a predetermined timing, and the paper P is fed to the transfer nip at the timing when the toner image on the photosensitive member 2 reaches the contact position (transfer nip) with the transfer roller 14 . be done.

At the transfer nip, a transfer electric field is formed by applying a predetermined voltage to the transfer roller 14 . When the paper P is fed to the transfer nip, the toner image on the photosensitive member 2 is transferred to the paper P by the transfer electric field.

The paper P onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 12, where it is heated and pressed by the fixing roller 18 and the pressure roller 19, and the toner image on the paper P is fixed. Then, the paper P is discharged outside the apparatus by the paper discharge rollers 20 and placed on the paper discharge tray 21 .

3 and 4 show the image forming apparatus 100 in which the paper P can be stacked on the manual feed tray 30. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, when paper P is stacked on manual feed tray 30, manual feed tray 30 is opened from image forming apparatus 100, and paper P can be placed thereon.

The sheets P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 are fed one by one into the image forming apparatus 100 in the direction of the arrow F<b>1 by the manual feed roller 22 .

5 and 6 show a state in which the manual feed tray 30, the front cover 29, and the upper cover 32 are opened. As shown in FIG. 6, when opening the front cover 29, the front cover 29 is integrated with the manual feed tray 30 and opened in the forward direction A. As shown in FIG. By opening the upper cover 32 in addition to the manual feed tray 30 and the front cover 29, the additional hopper 31 can be taken out and replaced.

By providing the additional hopper 31 , toner can be supplied from the additional hopper 31 to the developing device 4 . As a result, the amount of toner stored inside the image forming apparatus 100 can be increased. Further, by replacing the addition hopper 31, the toner can be replenished in the apparatus, and the number of replacement times of the process unit 1 can be reduced. When replacing the process unit 1, the process unit 1 can be taken out by taking out the addition hopper 31 from the state shown in FIGS.

As the member to be arranged in the protruding portion E, a waste toner storage container for storing waste toner after image formation can be arranged in addition to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, by changing the layout of the image forming apparatus 100, the process unit 1, the fixing device 12, and the like can be provided on the projecting portion E. FIG.

Next, the configuration of the manual feed tray 30 according to the embodiment of the invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, the manual feed tray 30 has a first tray 33 as a first stacking member and a second tray 34 as a second stacking member. The two trays 34 are joined and interconnected by a joint 35 . The side on which the first tray 33 is provided is the side of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 . A first cover 60 and a second cover 61 are provided on the back sides of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second tray 34 is provided to be rotatable in the direction of arrow F2 with respect to the first tray 33 with the joint portion 35 as the center. When stacking sheets P, as shown in FIG. 7, the second tray 34 is held in a straight posture with respect to the first tray 33 (hereinafter referred to as the stacking posture of the manual feed tray 30). The paper stacking surfaces of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are on the same plane, and the paper P can be stacked thereupon. When the second tray 34 is in the loading posture, the contact surface 33b of the first tray 33 and the contact surface 34b of the second tray 34 are in contact with each other, and the manual feed tray 30 is held in the loading posture. Although the paper stacking surfaces of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 are assumed to be on the same plane in the stacked state, it is sufficient that the paper P can be stacked on the upper surface, and some misalignment is of course allowed. (However, in order to stack the sheets P without distortion, it is preferable that the stacking surfaces are on the same plane).

When the manual feed tray 30 is stored in the image forming apparatus 100, the second tray 34 is folded upward with respect to the first tray 33 as shown in FIG. to). By setting the manual feed tray 30 in the retracted posture, the manual feed tray 30 can be stored in the protrusion E and stored in the image forming apparatus 100 as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the first cover 60 and the second cover 61 of the manual feed tray 30 form part of the front side surface 100a and are flush with adjacent surfaces of the front side surface 100a. If the manual feed tray 30 in the unused state maintains the stacking posture and protrudes from the image forming apparatus 100, the manual feed tray 30 may be damaged due to contact with the manual feed tray 30 or the like. By constructing the manual feed tray 30 so that it can be stored in the image forming apparatus 100, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned damage.

The manual feed tray 30 has a handle portion 30 a for opening the manual feed tray 30 . The handle portion 30a is provided above the front side surface 100a and at the central portion in the width direction.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the second tray 34 has a first fitting protrusion 34c as a held portion. The second tray 34 is held by the front cover 29 by engaging the first fitting projection 34 c with the fitting recess 29 a as the holding portion of the front cover 29 , and the manual feed tray 30 is positioned against the image forming apparatus 100 . to keep it stowed.

A pressing member 36 is provided below the first fitting protrusion 34c. The pressing member 36 is urged upward in the figure by a first urging spring 37 from below to press the first fitting protrusion 34c upward. The first fitting protrusion 34c is pressed upward to maintain the fitted state with the fitting recess 29a. This prevents the manual feed tray 30 from being unintentionally opened due to its own weight or the like.

When the manual feed tray 30 is to be opened, the handle 30a is grasped and pushed down in the direction of the arrow F3, so that the first fitting protrusion 34c moves in the direction of the arrow F3 against the pressing force of the pressing member 36. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the engagement between the first fitting protrusion 34c and the fitting recess 29a is released. The manual feed tray 30 can be opened by pulling the manual feed tray 30 outward while holding the handle portion 30a.

When the process unit 1 or the additional hopper 31 shown in FIG. 4 is attached to or detached from the apparatus main body 100, the front cover 29 can be removed without releasing the engagement between the first fitting convex portion 34c and the fitting concave portion 29a. and the manual feed tray 30 are opened together.

Next, the configuration of the side fences provided on the manual feed tray 30 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), the first tray 33 has a first regulating member for regulating the position of the side edge of the paper P stacked on the first tray 33 and positioning in the direction of the arrow F19. It has a pair of first side fences 38 (or as regulating members). Further, on the second tray 34, a pair of second side trays (or operating members) serving as second regulating members (or as operating members), which are operation portions of the first side fences 38 and also function to regulate the side edge position of the paper P, are provided. It has a fence 39 . The paper P is transported on the manual feed tray 30 in the direction of the arrow F1.

The first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 are configured to be movable along the first guide rail 40 and the second guide rail 41 in the direction of an arrow F19 perpendicular to the conveying direction of the paper P. Depending on the width of the paper P stacked above the tray 30, the arrangement can be changed as shown in FIG. 11(b). A first guide rail 40 and a second guide rail 41 are provided on the first tray 33 and the second tray 34, respectively.

FIG. 12 is a G1-G1 cross-sectional view of FIG. 11(a). As shown in FIG. 12 , the first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 have a second fitting protrusion 42 that fits into the first guide rail 40 or the second guide rail 41 .

The second tray 34 has an inclined portion 45 at the end on the first tray 33 side. The inclined portion 45 allows the paper stacking surfaces of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 to be continuous, thereby eliminating a step when the paper P is stacked.

The second fitting protrusions 42 of the first side fences 38 and the second side fences 39 have the same configuration, and the first guide rails 40 and the second guide rails to which the second fitting protrusions 42 are fitted. Since the configuration around 41 is the same, only the first side fence 38 will be described below.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of the tip portion of the second fitting convex portion 42. As shown in FIG. The second fitting protrusion 42 passes through the first guide rail 40 and fits into the second fitting recess 43 of the first cover 60 provided below. The first guide rail 40 and the second fitting recess 43 are provided over the front-to-back direction of the paper surface. By inserting the second fitting protrusions 42 into the first guide rails 40 and the second fitting recesses 43, the first side fences 38 move toward the first tray 33 in the front-rear direction of the paper surface (see FIG. 11). It is provided on the first tray 33 so that it can move in the direction of arrow F19) and cannot move in other directions.

The second fitting convex portion 42 has a three-stage structure in which the width gradually decreases toward the tip portion, and the upper portion 42a having the largest width, the intermediate portion 42b, and the tip portion having the smallest width. 42c. Further, the second fitting recess 43 has a two-step structure with different widths, and has a wide upper portion 43a and a tip portion 43b.

The upper portion 42 a of the second fitting protrusion 42 is fitted into the upper portion 43 a of the second fitting recess 43 , and the tip portion 42 c of the second fitting protrusion 42 fits into the tip portion of the second fitting recess 43 . 43b. A wire 44 as a linear member, which will be described later, is provided in the relay portion 42b. Since the width H1 of the relay portion 42b is larger than the width H2 of the tip portion 43b of the second fitting recess 43, the wire 44 provided in the relay portion 42b can be prevented from slipping out of the second fitting protrusion 42.

With the above configuration, the first side fence 38 is provided so as to be movable only in the width direction of the paper P with respect to the first tray 33 .

Next, the wire 44, which is an interlocking mechanism for each side fence, will be described.

14(a) and 14(b) are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the wire 44 provided in the manual feed tray 30. FIG. As shown in FIG. 14A, the manual feed tray 30 is provided with two wires 44a and 44b.

Here, assuming that the pair of first side fence 38 and second side fence 39 are the first side fences 38a and 38b and the second side fences 39a and 39b, respectively, the two wires 44a and 44b connect the diagonal side fences. Fences are connected to each other. That is, the wire 44a connects the first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39a, and the wire 44b connects the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39b. Each wire 44 is wound inside the manual feed tray 30, and the wire 44a is wound inside the wire 44b.

Each wire 44 is connected to the joint of the side fence. That is, the wire 44a is connected to the connecting portion 38d of the first side fence 38b and the connecting portion 39c of the second side fence 39a. Also, the wire 44b is connected to the connecting portion 38c of the first side fence 38a and the connecting portion 39d of the second side fence 39b.

As shown in FIG. 14(b), when the second side fence 39a is moved in the direction of arrow F4, the wire 44a is pulled in the direction of arrow F5, and the first side fence 38b connected to the wire 44a is pulled in the direction of arrow F6. move in the direction of Similarly, when the first side fence 38b is moved in the direction of arrow F6, the second side fence 39a moves in the direction of arrow F4. When the second side fence 39b is moved in the direction of arrow F7, the wire 44b is pulled in the direction of arrow F8, and the first side fence 38a moves in the direction of arrow F9.

As described above, by connecting the side fences with the wire 44, if one side fence is moved, the diagonally positioned side fences are moved in conjunction therewith. The wire 44 may be made of any linear member that has a certain rigidity and can transmit force to the side fences, and is not limited to a wire.

Also, it is desirable that the connecting portion where each wire 44 is connected is the center of gravity including the center of gravity of the side fence. As a result, the force for moving any side fence is efficiently transmitted to the wire 44, and the force transmitted to the wire 44 is efficiently transmitted to the side fences provided at diagonal positions. Therefore, the operability of the side fence is improved.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of the first cover 60 and the second cover 61 viewed from the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 side. The first cover 60 and the second cover 61 are provided with the aforementioned second fitting recesses 43 for arranging the wires 44a and 44b. The second fitting recess 43 is provided over the first cover 60 and the second cover 61, and has two circumferential recesses so that the wires 44a and 44b can be arranged. Since the wires 44a and 44b are provided in a circumferential shape, the wires 44a and 44b do not interfere with each other in their intermediate paths. Moreover, since the wires 44a and 44b are provided in a circumferential shape and embedded in the second fitting recess 43, they do not interfere with other members.

Next, the configuration of the rack and pinion, which is another side fence interlocking mechanism of the embodiment, will be described.

A rack 46 and a pinion 47 are provided on the first tray 33 and the second tray 34, respectively. Since the racks 46 and pinions 47 of the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 have the same configuration, only the second tray 34 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 16(a), two racks 46a and 46b are provided on the second tray 34 in parallel with each other in the direction of arrow F19, which is the moving direction of the side fence, with a pinion 47 interposed therebetween. It is Each rack 46a, 46b extends to a different side end and is connected at each end to a second side fence 39a, 39b, respectively. The rack 46 is provided with a plurality of teeth 46c on its surface, and the pinion 47 and the teeth 46c of each rack 46 are meshed with each other. The pinion 47 is rotatable, and changes the position of the meshing tooth portion 46c by rotation.

When the side fence 39a is moved in the direction of the arrow F10, the rack 46a connected thereto receives a force to move in the direction of the arrow F10. Then, the rack 46a applies force in the direction of the arrow F10 to the pinion 47, causing the pinion 47 to rotate. Due to the rotation of the pinion 47, the other rack 46b receives force in the direction of arrow F11, which is opposite to the direction of arrow F10, via the toothed portion 46c. As a result, as shown in FIG. 16(b), the second side fence 39b connected to the rack 46b moves in the direction of arrow F11.

As described above, by moving the second side fence 39a, the second side fence 39b moves in the opposite direction. Further, by moving the first side fence 38a, the first side fence 38b moves in the opposite direction.

Due to the configuration of the rack 46 and the pinion 47, the paired first side fences 38a, 38b or the second side fences 39a, 39b are interlocked to move in opposite directions.

Also, as shown in FIG. 18, each rack 46 is connected to the connecting portion of each side fence similarly to the wire 44 (in the figure, the wire 44a is connected to the connecting portion 38d, and the wire 44b is connected to the connecting portion 39d). concatenated).

It is desirable that each connecting portion is a center of gravity including the center of gravity of the side fence. As a result, by moving one of the side fences, the force applied by the movement is efficiently transmitted to the paired side fences via the rack 46 and the pinion 47, and the paired side fences move smoothly. done. Therefore, the operability of the side fence is improved.

As described above, with the wire 44, the rack 46, and the pinion 47, which are the interlocking mechanism of the embodiment, when one of the side fences is moved, the other three side fences are interlocked with it. The direction of movement is that the paired first side fences 38a and 38b, or the second side fences 39a and 39b move in opposite , the first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39a also move in opposite directions. That is, when one side fence is moved in the direction in which the width of the paper P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 widens, the other three side fences also move in the widening direction. Movement in the narrowing direction is also performed in the same manner.

Since the other side fences are moved to predetermined positions only by operating one side fence, the operation is facilitated. In the embodiment, since the first side fence 38 can be operated by operating the second side fence 39 as an operation member arranged at a position close to the operator, it is easy to adjust the position of the side fence. . In particular, in the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the first side fence 38 provided on the far side is close to the front cover 29 and the inclined surface J, making it difficult to operate. The configuration facilitates the position adjustment of the first side fence 38 and exerts its effect.

On the other hand, if the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39a (or the first side fence 38b and the second side fence 39b) are configured as one continuous member, like the configuration of the embodiment, , the side of the first side fence 38 can be moved only by the operation from the side of the second side fence 39 without using a configuration for interlocking the side fences. However, for example, when the first side fence 38a and the second side fence 39a are configured as one continuous member, the side fences interfere and the second tray 34 is moved to the first tray 33 as shown in FIG. It becomes difficult to bend it. Therefore, the manual feed tray 30 cannot be accommodated in an apparatus having a shape having the protrusion E like the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment.

By using the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention and configuring the side fences to interlock with each other, the operability of the side fences is facilitated, and the manual feed tray 30 can be used in the image forming apparatus 100 having the configuration of the embodiment. On the other hand, it is possible to combine two effects, such as making it possible to store it.

As an interlocking mechanism of the embodiment, a configuration of a wire 44, a rack 46, and a pinion 47 is used. However, if at least the wire 44 is provided as an interlocking mechanism to interlock the side fences at the diagonal positions, the first side fence 38 moves in conjunction with the operation of the second side fence 39, or vice versa. , the second side fence 39 can be moved in conjunction with the operation of the first side fence 38 .

How the first side fence 38 and the second side fence 39 position the paper P in the width direction will be described.

As shown in FIG. 19, the first side fences 38 each have a first contact surface 38e as a contact surface that contacts the side edges of the paper P. As shown in FIG. In addition, the second side fences 39 each have a second contact surface 39e as a contact surface that contacts the side edges of the paper P on each of the pair of side fences. The first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e come into contact with the paper P and regulate its position in the width direction.

In the configuration of the first embodiment, the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e are provided on the same plane in the width direction of the paper P. As shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus 100 of the first embodiment has the projection E above the manual feed tray 30, and it is difficult to see the second contact surface 39e provided on the projection E side. However, by providing the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e on the same plane, if the second side fence 39 is aligned with the side edge of the sheet P by the easily visible second contact surface 39e, the Alignment of one contact surface 38e is also performed at the same time. Therefore, since the alignment can be performed even from a position where the first side fence 38 cannot be visually observed, the work of aligning the side fences is easy.

Next, a positioning mechanism for positioning the first side fence 38 at a predetermined position will be described.

As shown in FIG. 20, the first tray 33 is provided with a first positioning recess 48 and a second positioning recess 49 as positioning means on a surface recessed one step downward from the surface thereof. The first positioning recess 48 and the second positioning recess 49 position the first side fence 38 moving in the direction of arrow F19.

A concave portion 48 a for positioning the first side fence 38 is provided at a predetermined position in the first positioning concave portion 48 . A recess 49 a for positioning the first side fence 38 is continuously provided in the second positioning recess 49 .

The first positioning recesses 48a are arranged in accordance with the size of the standard size paper P, and are used for positioning the first side fences 38 when the standard size paper P is printed. Further, in the case of printing on irregular size paper P, the second positioning concave portion 49 in which concave portions 49a are continuously provided is used.

FIG. 21 is a view of the first side fence 38 as seen from the direction of arrow K1 in FIG.

The first side fence 38 has a first positioning projection 50 and a second positioning projection 51 as positioned portions positioned in the first positioning recess 48 and the second positioning recess 49, respectively. The first positioning protrusion 50 and the second positioning protrusion 51 are provided on the first side fence 38 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in the drawing. The first positioning protrusion 50 is biased in the direction of arrow F12 by a second biasing spring 52 as biasing means, and the second positioning protrusion 51 is biased in the direction of arrow F12 by a third biasing spring 53 as biasing means. It is

As shown in FIG. 22, the first positioning protrusion 50 is biased in the direction of arrow F12 to fit into the recess 48a.

When the force that moves the first side fence 38 in the direction of arrow F15 acts, the force in the direction of arrow F13 acts on the first positioning projection 50 perpendicular to the slope of the recess 48a. The force in the direction of arrow F13 has a force component in the direction of arrow F14, which is the vertically upward direction. Due to this force component, the first positioning protrusion 50 moves upward against the biasing force of the second biasing spring 52, and the fitting with the recess 48a is released. Then, the first side fence 38 is positioned at a new position by fitting the first positioning protrusion 50 again into one of the recesses 48a. Since the fitting of the second positioning convex portion 51 and the concave portion 49a has the same configuration, description thereof is omitted.

As described above, the first side fence 38 is configured to be positioned at a predetermined position. As a result, the position of the first side fence 38 does not shift even when the paper P stacked on the manual feed tray 30 is carried by the manual paper feed roller 22 . Therefore, distortion does not occur even when the paper P is conveyed.

These positioning mechanisms may be provided on only one side of the pair of first side fences 38, or may be provided on both sides. Also, the second side fence 39 can be provided with a similar configuration.

The image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Below, the modification of 1st embodiment about each part is demonstrated.

A modification of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 23 has a connecting member 54 in addition to the joint 35 connecting the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 . The connecting member 54 is provided at both ends of the manual feed tray 30, and as shown in FIG.

The one end 54c is provided in the guide groove 38e of the first side fence 38 so as to be movable inside the guide groove 38e. As the one end 54c moves left and right inside the guide groove 38e, the second tray 34 moves in the direction of the arrow F2 with respect to the first tray 33, and the manual feed tray 30 is in the retracted posture shown in FIG. Take a loading position. By connecting the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 by the connecting member 54, the first tray 33 and the second tray 34 can be connected more reliably, and more sheets P can be stacked on the manual feed tray 30. Even when it is loaded, the manual feed tray 30 can support its weight and maintain its loading posture.

FIG. 26 is a modification of the holding mechanism for holding the second tray 34 shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B on the front cover 29 or the image forming apparatus 100. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 26, the front cover 29 has a magnet 55a as a holding portion, and the second tray 34 has a magnet 55b as a held portion. When the manual feed tray 30 is in the retracted posture, the magnets 55a and 55b are brought into contact with each other, and the second tray 34 is held by the front cover 29 by their magnetic force (the manual feed tray 30 is held by the image forming apparatus 100). The tray 30 maintains the storage attitude.

When the manual feed tray 30 is placed in the loading posture, the operator can open the manual feed tray 30 against the magnetic force of the magnets 55a and 55b to separate the two and put the manual feed tray 30 in the loading posture.

As described above, the second tray 34 is moved forward by using the magnets 55a and 55b shown in FIG. The mechanism for holding the cover 29 can be simplified, and abrasion of the member due to the fitting of the first fitting projection 34c and the fitting recess 29a can be prevented. One of the magnets 55a and 55b may be a magnet and the other may be a magnetic body that can be attracted to this magnet.

10 or the magnet 55a shown in FIG. However, the holding portion may be provided on the exterior portion of the additional hopper 31 as a detachable member that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus 100, and the second tray 34 may be in contact with this portion. As a result, even the image forming apparatus 100 without the front cover 29 can hold the manual feed tray 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention by providing the additional hopper 31 with a holding portion for the manual feed tray 30 .

The modification shown in FIG. 27 is a modification of the wire 44 shown in FIG. 14(a). The wires 44a and 44b shown in FIG. 26 are provided with the same length. As shown in FIG. 14(a), in the configuration in which the wire 44a is arranged inside the wire 44b, the two wires do not cross each other. On the other hand, in the configuration of FIG. 27, the wire 44a and the wire 44b can be configured with a common part instead of the wire 44a and the wire 44b having an intersection part, and the cost can be reduced.

In the modification shown in FIG. 28, the first side fence 38 has a movable portion 56. As shown in FIG. The movable portion 56 is provided movably in the width direction of the paper P, and as shown in FIG. It is As shown in FIG. 30, when the paper P is stacked, the biasing force of the fourth biasing spring 57 presses the movable portion 56 against the side edge of the paper P, thereby ensuring the positioning of the paper P in the width direction. can do A similar configuration may be provided for the second side fence 39, or a configuration in which the regulating member biasing means directly biases the entire side fence may be employed.

FIG. 31 is a modification of the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e that contact the side edges of the paper P shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 31, the second contact surface 39e of the modified example is provided outside the first contact surface 38e of the manual feed tray 30 in the width direction of the paper P, and the first contact surface 38e and the second contact surface 39e are not provided on the same plane.

The second side fence 39 is provided with a contact surface inclined portion 39f continuing to the second contact surface 39e, and a third contact surface 39g as a contact surface continuing to the contact surface inclined portion 39f. Further, the first side fence 38 is provided with a first contact surface 38e that is continuous with the contact surface inclined portion 38f.

When the paper P is stacked on the manual feed tray 30, the paper P enters in the direction of the arrow F17 from the second tray 34 side. At this time, as shown in FIG. 32(a), the side edge of the sheet P first contacts the second contact surface 39e. Then, the paper P moves in the direction of arrow F17 while being guided in the direction of arrow F16 by the inclined contact surface portion 39f (FIG. 32b). Then, the widthwise position of the paper P is positioned on the third contact surface 39g, and the leading end of the paper P enters the first tray 33 (FIG. 32c). After the paper P advances on the first tray 33 for a while, the paper P is guided by the inclined contact surface 38f and moved in the direction of the arrow F17 while being guided again in the direction of the arrow F16 (FIG. 32d). Finally, the paper P abuts against the first contact surface 38e and is positioned in the width direction (Fig. 32e). Although only one side is shown, both sides have the same structure.

As described above, on the left and right sides of the manual feed tray 30, the third contact surface 39g is provided closer to the inside of the manual feed tray 30 than the second contact surface 39e, and the first contact surface 38e is provided closer to the inside of the manual feed tray 30 than the third contact surface 39g. As a result, the paper P loses freedom in the width direction as it enters in the direction of the arrow F17, and is positioned. Therefore, when the operator stacks the paper P on the manual feed tray 30, the paper P can be inserted from the side of the second tray 34 (the side having the second contact surface 39e), which has a margin in the width direction. , which makes the task easier. Further, when the paper P is stacked on the manual feed tray 30 and the front end of the paper P has entered the first tray 33, the paper P can be reliably positioned at a predetermined position by the first contact surface 38e.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the configuration of the embodiment, the operation member that operates the first side fence 38 is the second side fence 39 that also functions to regulate the side edges of the paper P. As shown in FIG. However, the operating member may be a member that simply operates the first side fence 38 . Further, it may be provided on the operator side (the side farther from the image forming apparatus 100 ) than the first side fence 38 , and does not necessarily need to be provided on the second tray 34 .

Although the manual feed tray 30 of the embodiment is configured to be stored in the image forming apparatus 100 by folding the second tray 34 , the present invention is not limited to this. It is good also as a structure which accommodates. In this case, the manual feed tray 30 can be configured such that the first tray 33 has a portion to be held, and the portion to be held is held by the holding portion of the image forming apparatus 100 .

The configuration, action and effect of the embodiment of the present invention described above are summarized as follows.

(Configuration 1)
Configuration 1 is an image forming apparatus 100 including a recording medium stacking device 30 having a first stacking member 33 and a second stacking member 34, which are stacking units for recording media, wherein the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 are stacked. The two stacking members 34 are connected to each other, and the recording medium stacking device 30 has a storage posture in which the image forming apparatus 100 is stored, and a stacking posture in which the recording medium P can be stacked thereon. In the image forming apparatus 100 that can take two postures, in the loading posture, the first stacking member 33 is provided closer to the image forming device 100 than the second stacking member 34, and the recording medium stacking device 30 is , and has a held portion held by the image forming apparatus 100, and the held portion is held by the image forming apparatus 100, so that the recording medium stacking device 30 assumes a storage posture and the first stacking device 30 The member 33 has a pair of regulating members 38 for regulating the positions of the side edges of the recording medium P to be stacked, and the recording medium stacking device 30 is provided separately from the pair of regulating members 38, An operation member 39 is provided on the side farther from the image forming apparatus 100 than the pair of regulation members 38, and the pair of regulation members 38 are interlocked by operating the operation member 39. is the image forming apparatus 100.

According to Configuration 1, by operating the operation member 39 provided farther than the pair of restricting members 38, the pair of restricting members 38 are interlocked with this, and the arrangement of the pair of restricting members 38 can be adjusted. can. Therefore, even if it is difficult to directly operate the pair of regulating members 38, the positions of the regulating members 38 can be easily changed, and the operability is improved.

(Configuration 2)
In configuration 2, in configuration 1, the operating member 39 is a pair of members provided on the second loading member 34, and by operating one of the operating members 39, the other operating member 39 and the pair of The regulating member 38 is interlocked, the pair of operating members 39 regulates the position of the side edge of the recording medium P loaded on the second stacking member 34, and the pair of regulating members 38 is the first regulating member. The image forming apparatus 100 also functions as a second regulating member when used as a member. According to the configuration 2, the operating member 39 is an operating portion of the first restricting member 38 and also functions as the second restricting member 39 that restricts the side edges of the recording media P stacked on the second stacking member 34. can do things

(Composition 3)
Configuration 3 is the image forming apparatus 100 in Configuration 2 above, which includes an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the four regulating members, and the interlocking mechanism is a linear member 44 that connects the plurality of regulating members. According to Configuration 3, the linear member 44 interlocks the respective restricting members.

(Composition 4)
Configuration 4 is the image forming apparatus 100 in configuration 3, wherein the linear member 44 is connected to a center of gravity including the center of gravity of the regulating member. According to the configuration 4, the respective restricting members are easily interlocked, and the operability of the restricting members is improved.

(Composition 5)
Configuration 5 is any one of configurations 2 to 4 above, and has an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the four regulating members. , each of the racks 46 is the image forming apparatus 100 that meshes with the pinion 47 and is connected to one of the regulating members. According to configuration 5, movement of one of the regulating members coupled to the rack 46 causes the other regulating member to move in conjunction therewith.

(Composition 6)
Configuration 6 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to any one of configurations 2 to 5 above, which has a connecting member 54 that connects the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 . According to configuration 6, the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 can be connected more reliably.

(Composition 7)
Configuration 7 is any one of configurations 2 to 6 above, in which the first regulating member 38 or the second regulating member 39 or both are urged toward the recording medium P loaded on the recording medium stacking device 30. 1 is an image forming apparatus 100 having a regulating member biasing means. According to the configuration 7, the first regulating member 38 or the second regulating member 39 is urged toward the recording medium P side, and the side edge of the recording medium P can be reliably positioned.

(Composition 8)
Configuration 8 is any one of Configurations 2 to 7 above, wherein the first regulating member 38 is arranged with respect to the first stacking member 33 in the width direction of the recording media P stacked on the first stacking member 33 . The first stacking member 33 is an image forming apparatus 100 having positioning means for positioning the first restricting member 38 by the positioned portion. According to the configuration 8, the first regulating member 38 can be positioned at a predetermined position, and the positional deviation of the recording medium P does not occur even when the recording medium P stacked on the first stacking member 33 is conveyed. , the distortion of the recording medium P can be prevented.

(Composition 9)
Configuration 9 is the image forming apparatus 100 in configuration 8, wherein the first regulating member 38 has biasing means for biasing the positioned portion. According to Configuration 9, the portion to be positioned is positioned by the urging means, and the first regulating member 38 can be positioned with respect to the first loading member 33 .

(Configuration 10)
Configuration 10 is the image forming apparatus 100 in which, in Configurations 2 to 9, the first regulating member 38 and the second regulating member 39 have contact surfaces that contact side edges of the recording medium P. FIG. According to the configuration 10, the positioning of the recording medium P in the width direction can be achieved by bringing the respective regulating members into contact with the side edges of the recording medium P at their contact surfaces.

(Composition 11)
Configuration 11 is the configuration 10, wherein in the width direction of the recording medium P, the contact surface of the first regulating member 38 is closer to the recording medium stacking device 30 than the contact surface of the second regulating member 39 is. 1 is an image forming apparatus 100 provided inside. According to configuration 11, on the side of the second restricting member 39 into which the operator inserts the recording medium P, the width of the second restricting member 39 that restricts the width direction of the recording medium P has a margin, so that the inserting operation can be performed. become easier. Further, since the width of the first regulating member 38 on the image forming apparatus 100 side is narrowed, it is possible to reliably position the recording medium P in the width direction.

(Composition 12)
Configuration 12 is the image forming apparatus 100 according to any one of configurations 2 to 11 above, in which the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 are flush with each other in the stacking posture of the recording medium stacking device 30 . According to configuration 12, recording media P can be stacked on the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 .

(Composition 13)
Configuration 13 is an image in any one of configurations 2 to 12 above, in which each of the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 has a contact surface that contacts the other in the stacking posture of the recording medium stacking device 30. It is a forming apparatus 100 . According to configuration 13, the contact surfaces of the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 contact each other, so that the recording medium stacking device 30 can maintain the stacking posture.

(Composition 14)
Configuration 14 is the image forming apparatus 100 in Configurations 2 to 13 above, wherein the second stacking member 34 is connected to the first stacking member 33 so as to be rotatable with respect to the first stacking member 33 . . According to configuration 14, the recording medium stacking device 30 can be accommodated with respect to the image forming apparatus 100 by rotating the second stacking member 34 and moving it toward the image forming apparatus 100 .

(Composition 15)
Configuration 15 is any one of Configurations 2 to 14 above, wherein the one side surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 has a projecting portion E that projects more than the other portion of the one side surface, and the projecting portion E A recording medium stacking device 30 is provided below

(Composition 16)
Configuration 16 is any one of Configurations 2 to 15 above, wherein one side surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 has a projecting portion E that projects more than the other portion of the one side surface, and the projecting portion E , the image forming apparatus 100 covering the developer container 31 .

(Composition 17)
Configuration 17 is any one of Configurations 2 to 16 above, wherein one side surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 has a projecting portion E that projects more than the other portion of the one side surface, and the projecting portion E The image forming apparatus 100 includes a detachable member 31 detachable from the image forming apparatus 100, and the detachable member 31 is provided with a holding portion for holding the held portion. According to the configuration 17, by assembling the removable member 31 having the holding portion to the image forming apparatus 100, the recording medium stacking device 30 can be stored even in the image forming apparatus 100 having a structure in which the recording medium stacking device 30 cannot be stored. It is possible.

(Composition 18)
Configuration 18 is a recording medium stacking device 30 having a first stacking member 33 and a second stacking member 34 which are stacking portions for recording media P, and the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 are mutually , and the recording medium stacking device 30 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100, and in the state of the stacking posture, the recording medium stacking device 30 is mounted on the image forming apparatus 100, and the recording medium P can be stacked thereon. The first stacking member 33 is provided closer to the image forming apparatus 100 than the second stacking member 34. The first stacking member 33 is a pair of regulating members that regulate the positions of the side edges of the recording media P to be stacked. and an operating member 39 provided separately from the pair of regulating members 38 and provided farther from the image forming apparatus 100 than the pair of regulating members 38 , and the operating member 39 The recording medium stacking device 30 is characterized in that the pair of regulating members 38 are interlocked by operating .

According to the configuration 18, by operating the operation member 39 provided farther than the pair of restricting members 38, the pair of restricting members 38 are interlocked with this, and the arrangement of the pair of restricting members 38 can be adjusted. can. Therefore, even if it is difficult to directly operate the pair of regulating members 38, the positions of the regulating members 38 can be easily changed, and the operability is improved.

(Composition 19)
Configuration 19 is configuration 18, wherein the operating member 39 is a pair of members provided on the second loading member 34, and by operating one of the operating members 39, the other operating member 39 and the pair of The regulating member 38 is interlocked, the pair of operating members 39 regulates the position of the side edge of the recording medium P loaded on the second stacking member 34, and the pair of regulating members 38 is the first regulating member. The recording medium stacking device 30 also functions as a second regulating member when used as a member. According to configuration 19, the operating member 39 is the operating portion of the first restricting member 38 and also functions as the second restricting member 39 that restricts the side edges of the recording media P stacked on the second stacking member 34. can do things

(Configuration 20)
Configuration 20 is a recording medium stacking device 30 in configuration 19, which has an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the four regulating members, and the interlocking mechanism is a linear member 44 that connects a plurality of the regulating members. According to the configuration 20, each restricting member is interlocked by the linear member 44. FIG.

(Composition 21)
Configuration 21 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in configuration 20, wherein the linear member 44 is connected to a center of gravity including the center of gravity of the regulating member. According to the configuration 21, the respective restricting members are easily interlocked, and the operability of the restricting members is improved.

(Composition 22)
Configuration 22 is any one of configurations 19 to 21 above, and has an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the four regulating members. , each of the racks 46 is a recording medium stacking device 30 that meshes with the pinion 47 and is connected to one of the regulating members. According to the configuration 22, movement of one of the restricting members coupled to the rack 46 causes the other restricting member to move accordingly.

(Composition 23)
Configuration 23 is the recording medium stacking device 30 having a connecting member 54 that connects the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 in any one of the configurations 19 to 22 above. According to the configuration 23, the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 can be connected more reliably.

(Composition 24)
Configuration 24 is any one of configurations 19 to 23 above, further comprising restricting member biasing means for biasing the first restricting member 38 or the second restricting member 39 or both toward the stacked recording media P. 3 is a recording medium stacking device 30 having According to the configuration 24, the first regulating member 38 or the second regulating member 39 is urged toward the recording medium P side, and the side end of the recording medium P can be reliably positioned.

(Composition 25)
In configuration 25, in any one of configurations 19 to 24, the first regulating member 38 is arranged with respect to the first stacking member 33 in the width direction of the recording media P stacked on the first stacking member 33. The first stacking member 33 is a recording medium stacking device 30 having positioning means for positioning the first restricting member 38 by the positioned portion. According to the configuration 25, the first regulating member 38 can be positioned at a predetermined position, and the positional deviation of the recording medium P does not occur even when the recording medium P stacked on the first stacking member 33 is conveyed. , the distortion of the recording medium P can be prevented.

(Composition 26)
Configuration 26 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in configuration 25, wherein the first regulating member 38 has biasing means for biasing the positioned portion. According to the configuration 26, the portion to be positioned is positioned by the urging means, and the first regulating member 38 can be positioned with respect to the first loading member 33 .

(Composition 27)
Configuration 27 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in configurations 19 to 26 above, wherein the first regulating member 38 and the second regulating member 39 have contact surfaces that contact side edges of the recording medium P. FIG. According to the configuration 27, the positioning of the recording medium P in the width direction can be achieved by bringing the respective regulating members into contact with the side edges of the recording medium P at their contact surfaces.

(Composition 28)
Configuration 28 is configuration 27, wherein the contact surface of the first regulating member 38 is provided inside the device relative to the contact surface of the second regulating member 39 in the width direction of the recording medium P. This is the recording medium stacking device 30 . According to the configuration 28, on the side of the second regulating member 39 where the operator inserts the recording medium P, the width of the second regulating member 39 that regulates the width direction of the recording medium P has a margin, and the work of inserting the recording medium P is reduced. become easier. Further, since the width of the first regulating member 38 on the side of the recording medium stacking device 30 is narrowed, it is possible to reliably position the recording medium P in the width direction.

(Composition 29)
Configuration 29 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in any one of configurations 19 to 28 above, in which the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 are flush with each other in the stacking posture. According to configuration 29, recording media P can be stacked on the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 .

(Configuration 30)
Configuration 30 is any one of configurations 19 to 29 above, and in the loading posture, each of the first loading member 33 and the second loading member 34 is positioned with respect to the other. A recording medium stacking device 30 having an abutting surface. According to the configuration 30, the contact surfaces of the first stacking member 33 and the second stacking member 34 contact each other, so that the recording medium stacking device 30 can maintain the stacking posture.

(Composition 31)
Configuration 31 is the recording medium stacking device 30 in which the second stacking member 34 is connected to the first stacking member 33 so as to be rotatable relative to the first stacking member 33 in the configurations 19 to 30 above. be. According to the configuration 31, the recording medium stacking device 30 can be accommodated with respect to the image forming apparatus 100 by rotating the second stacking member 34 and moving it toward the image forming apparatus 100 side.

(Composition 32)
Structure 32 is any one of Structures 19 to 31 above, further comprising a held portion held by the image forming apparatus 100, and the recording medium is formed by holding the held portion by the image forming apparatus 100. The stacking device 30 is a recording medium stacking device 30 that takes an accommodation posture. According to configuration 32, the recording medium stacking device 30 can be held by the main body of the image forming apparatus 100, and the recording medium stacking device 30 can be prevented from being unintentionally opened.

29 Front cover 29a Fitting concave portion (holding portion)
30 Manual feed tray (recording medium stacking device)
31 additional hopper (developer container or detachable member)
33 first tray (first stacking member)
34 second tray (second loading member)
34c first fitting protrusion (held portion)
38 first side fence (first restricting member or restricting member)
38e first contact surface (contact surface)
38g third contact surface (contact surface)
39 Second side fence (second restricting member or operating member)
39e second contact surface (contact surface)
44 wire (linear member)
46 rack 47 pinion 48 first positioning recess (positioning means)
49 second positioning recess (positioning means)
50 first positioning convex portion (positioned portion)
51 Second positioning convex portion (positioned portion)
52 second biasing spring (biasing means)
53 third biasing spring (biasing means)
54 connecting member 55a magnet (holding part)
55b magnet (held portion)
57 Fourth biasing spring (limiting member biasing means)
100 image forming apparatus 38c, 38d, 39c, 39d connecting portion E projecting portion

JP 2007-254074 A

Claims (17)

a paper stacking tray on which paper is stacked and which can be opened and closed with respect to the main body of the image forming apparatus by rotating around an axis in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the paper;
another paper stacking tray for stacking paper together with the paper stacking tray on the image forming apparatus main body side;
a pair of first regulating members provided in the other paper stacking tray, regulating side edges of the paper in the width direction, and having a variable distance between opposing surfaces facing the side edges of the paper;
a pair of second regulating members provided on the paper stacking tray for regulating side edges of the paper in the width direction and having a variable distance between opposing surfaces facing the side edges of the paper;
One end is slidably provided with respect to one of the first regulation member and the second regulation member, and the other end is provided with respect to the other of the first regulation member and the second regulation member. A member rotatable about an axis parallel to the width direction of the paper is provided on each of the pair of first regulating members on one end side and the other end side in the width direction of the paper ,
One of the pair of first regulating members provided at one end in the width direction of the paper is inserted into a first guide portion, and the guide portion is provided at the other end in the width direction of the paper. The other first guide portion into which the other first regulating member is inserted means that the one first guide portion is located downstream of the other first guide portion in the paper transport direction,
One of the pair of second regulating members provided at one end in the width direction of the paper is inserted into a second guide portion, and the guide portion is provided at the other end in the width direction of the paper. The other second guide portion into which the other second regulating member is inserted means that the one second guide portion is downstream of the other second guide portion in the paper transport direction,
The other end portion of the sheet in the width direction is interlocked with the movement of the one of the pair of second regulating members provided at the one end portion side in the width direction of the sheet toward the other end portion side. wherein the other second regulating member provided on the side of the image forming apparatus moves to the one end side. The pinion meshes with the teeth of the one second regulating member, and the pinion meshes with the teeth of the other second regulating member. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein 2 regulating members move. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the facing surface of the first regulating member is a contact surface that contacts a side edge of the sheet. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first regulating member further has a surface farther from the sheet side edge than the contact surface. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the contact surface of the first regulating member is located downstream of the far surface in the sheet conveying direction. 6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the facing surface of the first regulating member presses a side edge of the sheet. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the side edge of the sheet is pressed by an elastic member. A hole is formed in one of the first regulating member and the second regulating member,
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one end of said member is inserted into said hole and is slidable inside said hole. 9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said one end of said member has a curved surface. 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the curved surface slides inside the hole. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said one end of said member slides in a direction along a sheet stacking surface on said sheet stacking tray or said another sheet stacking tray. 12. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the member is positioned outside the facing surface of the first restricting member and the facing surface of the second restricting member in the width direction. Device. 13. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the member is provided so as to straddle a rotating shaft of the sheet stacking tray in the sheet conveying direction. 14. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the sheet stacking tray is a manual feed tray. 15. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the movement of the second restricting member causes the first restricting member and the second restricting member to interlock. 16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper stacking tray has a slanted portion on the paper stacking surface at the end on the side of the other paper stacking tray. a paper feed roller for feeding the paper stacked on the paper stacking tray and the other paper stacking tray;
17. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16 , further comprising an image forming section that forms an image on the paper fed by the paper feeding roller.