JPH02291352A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent sheet material from being jammed regardless of the state of a tray by providing a means for discharging the sheet material into respective discharge ports whether the tray be open or closed. CONSTITUTION:A transfer material 5 with its transferred image fixed by fixing rollers 3, 4 is uncurled while being discharged by paper discharging rollers 6, 7, 8, and discharged along guide plates 11, 12 onto a tray provided at the upper part of a main body 2 when a flapper 9 is rotated downward around a pin 18. When the flapper 9 is rotated upward, the transfer material 5 is conveyed along a guide plate 10 and discharged by discharge rollers 13, 14 onto a table provided at the main body from a slit 15.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] {A) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and more specifically, to an image forming apparatus such as an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of discharging transfer material regardless of whether a tray is opened or closed.

(b) Conventional technology Figure 6 (a). To explain a conventional laser beam printer with reference to (b), a transfer material 52 is fed from a cassette 51, an image is formed in an image forming section 53, and the image is fixed on the transfer material 52 in a fixing section 54. 6(a), in which the flapper 55 faces downward, the transfer material 52 is conveyed upward, and is ejected from the paper ejection port 56 onto the upper tray 57 with the printed surface facing downward. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the flapper 55 is closed. When the tray 58 is rotated upward, the tray 58 opens, and the transfer material 52 with the image fixed thereon is discharged onto the tray 58 with the printed surface facing upward.

As explained above, in the conventional printer, the transfer material 52 is disposed at the paper discharge port where the tray 58 that can be opened and closed is provided.
could be discharged only when the tray 58 was opened.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention However, when one printer is used by one user, is it sufficient to use a tray with a small number of sheets?
When used by a large number of users, a large-capacity stacker or sorter is required, so it is difficult to attach a large-capacity stacker or sorter to a tray that can be opened and closed.

In addition, when using one printer with many host computers, the printer is remotely controlled, so when changing the ejection port depending on the type of transfer material to be output or the type of printed matter, it is necessary to install a Is it necessary to open and close the tray automatically?

Also, if the tray is left open, it not only requires a large installation area, but also objects can get caught on it and easily break the tray, so it is best to keep the tray closed. If the flapper is made to be able to be operated independently of opening and closing the tray, if the flapper is operated by mistake to eject the transfer material onto this tray while the tray is closed, or if the flapper malfunctions, the transfer material The drawback is that it jams.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can discharge transfer material even when the tray is closed.

(2) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and for example, as shown with reference to FIGS. an outlet (15), and an openable/closable paper output tray (1) provided at at least one of the output ports (15).
6) and a conveyance path (10, 1) leading to the discharge port (15).
1.12) and a switching means (9) for the transport path (10, 11.12), the image forming apparatus (1) has a switching means (9) for each of the transport paths (10, 11.12), regardless of whether the tray (16) is opened or closed. The present invention is characterized in that a discharge means (15) is provided for discharging the sheet material (5) to an outlet (15).

Further, the present invention is characterized in that a paper discharge tray (22) according to the purpose is attached to the discharge port (15).

(f) Function Based on the above configuration, the transfer material on which the image is formed is transported through the transport path, and is discharged to the respective discharge ports by the switching means. At this time, a tray is provided at the discharge port, and even if the tray is in a closed state, the transfer material can be discharged by the discharge means.

Further, the transfer material can be discharged to a tray suitable for the transfer material.

Note that the symbols in the brackets above are for illustrative purposes only, and do not limit the structure in any way.

(F) Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention applied downstream from the fixing section of an image forming apparatus 1. In FIG. Reference numeral 2 denotes a main body of the image forming apparatus 1, and fixing rollers 3, 4 are provided at the lower left side of the main body 2, and paper ejection rollers 6, 7.8 for ejecting the fixed transfer material 5.
are provided following the fixing rollers 3 and 4. roller 6
, 7 act to uncurl the curled transfer material 5. A flapper 9 is provided in the paper ejection direction of the paper ejection rollers 6, 7.8. 7. A guide plate 10 facing diagonally downward from 8 and a guide plate 11 facing diagonally upward.
There are 12. Subsequently to the left end of the guide plate 10, paper ejection rollers 13 and 14 are provided on the downstream side. A paper discharge tray 16 is provided on the discharge section side of the paper discharge rollers 13 and 14, and this paper discharge tray 16 is pivotably supported by a pin 17 fixed to the main body 2.

Furthermore, a slit 15 is formed in this paper ejection tray 16, and in the closed state shown in FIG.
5 faces the discharge portion of the paper discharge rollers 13 and 14. Furthermore,
This tray 16 can be opened and closed manually or automatically using a plunger or the like. Further, the flapper 9 is pivotally supported by a pin 18 fixed to the main body 2. Each roller 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.8 rotates in the direction of the arrow. The flapper 9 is configured to automatically rotate between FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) using a solenoid and a spring (not shown) in response to a switching signal from a host computer.

Since this embodiment is configured as described above, the transfer material 5
The transferred image is fixed by fixing rollers 3 and 4,
While the paper is being discharged by the discharge rollers 6, 7.8 and the paper is decurled and the flapper 9 is rotating downward around the pin 18, it moves along the guide plate 11.12 in the eight directions of the arrows, that is, at the top of the main body 2. 1(a) on a tray (not shown).
It is discharged as shown in . Further, as shown in FIG. 1(b), when the flapper 9 is rotating upward, the flapper 9 is conveyed along the guide plate 10, and the main body is conveyed from the slit 15 in the direction of arrow B by the discharge ports 13 and 14. It is discharged onto a table (not shown) where No. 2 is installed. As shown in FIG. 2, the paper ejection tray 16 can be opened by rotating in the direction of arrow C around the pin 17, and if the paper is ejected directly onto the table, there is a risk of staining the transfer material. To prevent this, the paper discharge tray 16 may be opened and the transfer material 5 may be discharged onto this paper discharge tray 16.

As explained above, when the flapper 9 is rotating upward, the arrow B
Since the transfer material 5 is discharged in the direction, for example, the flapper 9
With this orientation, the transfer material 5 can be prevented from jamming even if the flapper 9 is malfunctioning or erroneously operated.

Further, the transfer material 5 having misprints or the like can be selectively discharged from the slit 15. That is, when printing is being performed at the tray and flapper 9 positions shown in FIG. 1(a), when a signal indicating the occurrence of a misprint is input, the flapper 9 is switched to the position shown in FIG. 1(b).

In addition, it is easily possible to automatically rotate and set only the flapper 9 in response to an external signal (to automatically operate the paper output tray 16, a stopper etc. must be attached and removed, and the tray 16 Automation is complicated, such as rotating the motor, and the drive source needs to be powerful). Next, a second embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

Hereinafter, members having the same configuration and function will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a paper discharge cover, which has the function of the cover of the main body 2 and the function of the paper discharge tray 16 of the above embodiment, has a gap 20 between it and the main body 2, and has a main body located at a different position from the pin 17. It is pivotally supported by a pin 21 fixed to 2. Therefore, since the gap 20 performs the function of the slit 15, the effect is the same as that of the embodiment described above. Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In contrast to the first embodiment, this embodiment has a large number of paper output trays 22.
It is attached.

In this embodiment, a large amount of paper can be discharged.

Additionally, if you attach a special tray for envelopes, you can eject and stack paper in an attractive manner. Further, even when a large number of paper discharge trays 22 are installed, paper can be discharged onto the paper discharge tray 16 by opening the paper discharge tray 16 provided in advance.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In this embodiment, a slit 2 is provided in the left side wall 23 of the main body 2.
A paper output tray 2 is provided below the slit 24.
It is supported by 5 or more.

The posture in which the paper discharge tray 25 hangs down as shown by a solid line is a closed state, and the posture in which it faces obliquely downward as shown by a dashed line is an open state. Furthermore, this tray 25 is equipped with, for example, a damper (not shown), which allows it to maintain this posture.

By doing this, when the paper ejection tray 25 is in a hanging position, the size of the paper ejection tray 25 can be selected regardless of the installation area of the main body 2 or the size of the main body 2, so that, for example, a long transfer material 5 Loading. It can be made into a tray that can be used.

As explained above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, if the switching means 9 is mistakenly switched so that the paper is ejected to the output port 15 provided with the tray 16 which can be opened and closed, or when the switching means 9 is Even if switching is not possible due to a failure or the like, the transfer material 5 can be ejected by the ejecting means 15, and jams can be prevented. Further, when the printed transfer material 5 causes a printing defect due to skew feeding, etc., this is detected by the skew detection means and the tray 1 remains closed.
Since the transfer material can be discharged by the discharge means 15 from the discharge port 15 provided with 6, it is possible to prevent the poorly printed transfer material from entering other discharge ports in use.

Also, since paper can be ejected even when the tray 16 is closed,
By attaching a paper discharge tray 22 suitable for the purpose to the discharge port 15, the discharged transfer materials 5 can be optimally stacked.

(G) Effects of the Invention Since the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the above-described structure, it is possible to prevent sheet material from jamming regardless of the state of the tray.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1(a) and (b) are cross-sectional side views showing the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing the tray in FIG. 1 in an open state, and FIG. 3(a), (b) is a cross-sectional side view showing the second embodiment, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view showing the third embodiment, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing the fourth embodiment, and FIG.
)． (b) is a cross-sectional side view of a conventional printer. 1... Image forming device 5... Sheet material (transfer material) 9... Switching means (flapper) 10, 11.12... Conveyance path (guide plate) 15...
Ejection port (slit) 15... Ejection means (slit) 16... Tray (paper output tray) 22... Paper output tray

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of discharge ports for discharging sheet materials, a paper discharge tray that can be opened and closed provided at least one of the discharge ports, a conveyance path leading to the discharge ports, and the conveyance path. An image forming apparatus comprising a switching means, further comprising a discharge means for discharging the sheet material to each of the discharge ports regardless of whether the tray is opened or closed. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a paper discharge tray according to a purpose is attached to the discharge port.