JPH02146560A - Discharge tray device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To turn over a discharge transfer sheet by utilizing its falling operation by weight thereof by fitting a discharge tray below a discharge opening at a distance. CONSTITUTION:The paper discharge tray 29 consists of two members, i.e. a main tray 30 and a subtray 31 which is slidable in the main tray 30, and made freely expansible by the sliding. The main tray 30 and subtray 31 have round fulcra 32 and 33 at their end parts respectively and the fulcra 32 and 33 are pressed in fulcrum receiving parts 34 and 35 provided to a device main body. When the paper discharge tray 29 is used, the paper discharge tray 29 is drawn out and the subtray 31 is slid according to the size of transfer paper P to be discharged. Consequently, the transfer paper P which is discharged from the discharge opening 28 is turned over with its image-transferred surface up and stacked on a face-up basis.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, that is, a copying machine, a printer,
This invention relates to an ejection tray for vlaing a transfer sheet (transfer paper) ejected by a facsimile machine or the like.

(Prior Art) A transfer sheet (usually a transfer paper) on which characters or drawings are copied or printed (in this specification, the above-mentioned copying and printing are collectively referred to as transfer) by a conventional image forming device, that is, a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine. (Although not only paper but also sheet material having flexibility similar to transfer paper is included) is discharged from the discharge port. There are two types of discharge: a face-up type in which the paper is loaded onto the discharge tray with the side on which the image (including characters and drawings) has been transferred facing up, and a face-down type in which the paper is loaded with the side facing down. The face-up format provides good visibility for checking transferred images each time, and is often used in copying machines and the like.

FaceTown is also widely used in printers because it is easy to align the paper pages. In recent years, an increasing number of image forming apparatuses are equipped with both face-up and face-down formats, and the reason for this is that both formats are difficult to discard.

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a paper discharge section of a copying machine, which is a conventional image forming apparatus having both of these types.

A transfer sheet, which is a transfer sheet on which an image has been transferred from a photoreceptor drum (not shown) and fixed between a heating roller 1 and a pressure roller 2 of a fixing device, is separated from the heating roller 1 by the action of a separation member 3. Further, the paper is conveyed by a paper discharge roller 4 and a paper discharge roller 5 that rotates while being pressed against the paper discharge roller 4. A rotating switching means 6 determines the subsequent transport path of the transferred transfer paper. When this switching means 6 is in position A in the figure, the transfer paper is conveyed upward in the figure.
The paper is reversed along the reversal guide 7.8, and the paper ejection roller 9,
Then, the sheets are discharged from the discharge port 11 by the sheet discharge roller 10 which rotates while being pressed against the sheet discharge roller 9, and are stacked face down on the sheet discharge tray 12 which is a sheet discharge tray. Further, when the switching means 6 is in the position B in the figure, the transfer paper is discharged from another discharge port 13 without being reversed, and is discharged face-up onto another paper discharge tray 14.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned prior art, two pairs of paper ejection rollers 4 and 9 and two pairs of paper ejection rollers 5 and 10 are required for each of the face-up type and face-down type. Also, two paper discharge trays 12 and 14 are required. Further, although not shown, the transfer sheet often gets jammed (hereinafter referred to as jam) at the positions of the paper ejection rollers 4 and 9, and two jam detection means are required, making the control of jam detection complicated.

Furthermore, a pair of large reversing guides 7.8 are required, which increases the overall size of the image forming apparatus.

This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an ejection tray device that requires only one pair of paper ejection roller and paper ejection roller, and one paper ejection tray and one jam detection means, and does not require a large reversing guide. The purpose is to obtain.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a discharge tray characterized in that a discharge tray that can move in the direction of gravity corresponding to at least the length of the transfer sheet in the discharge direction is provided at the discharge port of the transfer sheet. It is a device.

(Function) By moving the discharge tray downward in the direction of gravity with respect to the discharge port and attaching it, the discharged transfer sheet can be reversed using the falling action due to gravity.

(Embodiment) The first embodiment of the discharge tray device of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.
This will be explained based on the diagram. Note that the same parts as in FIG. 6 showing the conventional example are given the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the main parts of a laser beam printer, which is an image forming apparatus equipped with the ejection tray device of this embodiment. Transfer paper P, which is a transfer sheet stored in a stack, is conveyed toward a conveyance path 22 by a paper feed roller 21, and is conveyed toward a photoreceptor drum 25 while being timed by a pair of registration rollers 23 and 24. transported.

An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 25 by scanning with a laser beam using an electrophotographic copying method. This electrostatic latent image is coated with toner by a developing device to become a visible image, and the visible image is transferred onto transfer paper P by a transfer roller 26. The transferred transfer paper P is conveyed to a fixing device through a conveyance guide 27, and passes between a heating roller 1 and a pressure roller 2 that rotates while pressing against the heating roller 1, where the visible image is fixed. Thereafter, the paper ejection roller 4 is separated by the separation member 3, and the paper ejection roller 5 rotates by pressing against the paper ejection roller 4.
The paper is ejected from the ejection port 28 to the outside of the main body case of the apparatus.

Now, a paper discharge tray 29, which is a discharge tray, is attached to the discharge port 28 so as to be movable in the direction of gravity. That is, the paper discharge tray 29 is composed of two members: a main tray 30 and a sub-tray 31 that is slidable inside the main tray 30. This slide allows the paper discharge tray 29 to be freely extended and contracted. The main tray 30 and the sub-tray 31 each have round fulcrums 32.33 at their ends, and each fulcrum 32.33 is connected to a fulcrum receiving portion 3 provided on the main body of the apparatus.
4.35 is press-fitted. This press-fitting is performed lightly, and the user can detach the fulcrum 32.33 from the fulcrum receiving portion 34.35 by holding and pulling the paper discharge tray 29.

FIG. 2 shows the state of the paper ejection tray 29 when the transfer paper is ejected face-up. That is, the press-fitting of the fulcrum 33 on the side of the sub-tray 31 is released, and the fulcrum 33 is pushed out from the fulcrum receiving part 35. Then, it is lifted around the upper fulcrum 32, that is, the fulcrum 32 of the main tray 30, and the angle shown in FIG. 2 is maintained fixed by a latch means (not shown). Then, the sub tray 31 is slid according to the size of the transfer paper P to be discharged. The transfer paper P discharged from the discharge port 28 in this state is stacked with the side on which the image has been transferred facing upward, that is, in a face-up format.

FIG. 3 shows the paper output tray 29 that discharges transfer paper in a face-down format. Contrary to the case shown in FIG. The press-fitting of the fulcrum 32 is released and it is separated from the fulcrum receiving part 34. In this state, it rotates around the lower fulcrum 33, that is, the fulcrum 33 on the sub tray 31 side, and the angle shown in the figure is maintained fixed by a latch means (not shown). At this time, the distance between the discharge port 28 and the base of the paper discharge tray 29, that is, the distance near the fulcrum receiving portion 35, corresponds to the length of the transfer paper to be discharged in the discharge direction. That is, the distance is approximately the same as the length of the transfer paper in the discharge direction. As a result, the transfer paper P discharged from the discharge port 28 falls due to its own weight, and during the falling operation, it is reversed as shown in FIG. 3 and is stacked face down on the paper discharge tray 29.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Although the paper discharge tray 29 is moved, the paper discharge tray 29 may be configured to be slidable up and down in the direction of gravity as in the second embodiment, using a slide guide 41.
By sliding upward along the line, paper can be ejected face-up, and by sliding it downward, paper can be ejected face-down.

Furthermore, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. The paper discharge tray 29 may be moved by making it detachable by inserting the engaging portion 53 of the section. When inserted into the upper insertion port 51, paper can be ejected in a face-up format, and when inserted into the lower insertion port 52, paper can be ejected in a face-down format. Incidentally, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the same parts as the 11th ffl are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the paper output tray 29 appears as a flat thing in the drawings, but in reality, guides are provided on both sides of the paper output tray 29 to effectively catch the falling transfer paper. It is also possible to do so. This guide makes it possible to organize the order of the transfer paper, which tends to be disturbed when it falls.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the angle of the paper ejection tray with respect to the main body of the apparatus does not change much between the face-up type and the face-down type, but in other embodiments, the angle of the paper ejection tray 29 in the face-down type is made steeper. The fallen transfer paper P is placed in the paper output tray 29.
It is also a good idea to slide on the top of the paper output tray 29 so that it aligns well with the base of the paper output tray 29.

In the above embodiments, only transfer paper was explained as the transfer sheet, but in other embodiments, a transfer sheet having flexibility equivalent to that of transfer paper may be used. If it is installed on the lower side in the direction of gravity, it does not matter as long as it can fall from the outlet and be turned over.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the paper discharge tray device of the present invention,
With only one ejection port, one set of paper ejection rollers and paper ejection rollers, and one paper ejection tray, two types of ejection, a face-up type and a face-down type, are possible. Furthermore, there is no need for a large reversing guide as in the prior art, making it possible to downsize the device.

In addition, only one pair of paper ejection roller and paper ejection roller is required, and only one jam detection means is required, making the control of jam detection simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a paper discharge section of a laser beam printer to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the paper discharge tray of FIG. 1 in a face-up state; FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the paper discharge tray of FIG. 1 in a face-down format, FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention. A longitudinal section showing an example,
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a conventional example. Explanation of symbols 1... Heating roller 2... Pressure roller 4...
- Paper ejection roller 5... Paper ejection roller 6... Switching means 7.8... Reversing guide 9... Paper ejection roller 10... Paper ejection roller 12... Paper ejection tray
P... Transfer paper 21... Paper feed roller 22.
...Conveyance path 23,24...Register roller pair 25...Photosensitive drum 26...Transfer roller 27
...Conveyance guide 28...Discharge port 29...t
[) Ray 30... Main tray 31... Sub-tray 32.33... Fulcrum 34.35... Fulcrum receiving part 51.52... Insertion port 53... Holding part Patent applicant

Claims (1)

[Claims] A discharge tray device characterized in that a discharge tray for discharging a transfer sheet is provided with a discharge tray that can move in the direction of gravity corresponding to at least the length of the transfer sheet in the discharge direction.