JPH0416429A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce an operation space and an installation space by providing a cassette housing means with which paper feeding cassettes in different sizes can be loaded and removed on a front face of a main body and providing a means for taking out paper sheets in the cassette housed in the housing means and a paper feeding means on the main body side in a front loading type electronic photographing device or the like. CONSTITUTION:A housing part 21 for housing large and small paper feeding cassettes 22b, 22a is formed on a side of a front of a main body 11, while its housing port 21a is provided with a cover 34 which covers a part which remains when the small cassette 22a is loaded and this is to be rotated inward when the large cassette 22b is loaded. A sheet P1 in the cassette loaded in the housing 21 is taken out by a pickup roller 23 which synchronizes with a light sensitive body drum 23 and fed by a turn guide 24, a U-turn roller 25, a pair of manual feed rollers 28 and a pair of resist rollers 30. Thus a space can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Purpose of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention is an electrophotographic apparatus, etc., in which a paper feed cassette device for storing sheet paper is attached/detached at the front side of the main body, and The present invention relates to a so-called front loading type image forming apparatus that is housed.

(Prior Art) In an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic apparatus, a sheet of paper onto which a toner image formed on a photoconductor is transferred is normally supplied to a transfer device using a paper feeder that stores the sheet of paper. The cassette device is attached to the main body, and the ejecting means takes out sheets of paper one by one from inside the paper feeding cassette device, and then transports and supplies the ejected sheets of paper in synchronization with the toner image formed on the photoreceptor. are doing.

Conventionally, the paper feed cassette device for storing sheet paper can be attached to and removed from the main body from the side of the main body through a storage opening provided on the side of the main body.

However, in such a device, in the width direction,
In addition to the installation space for the main unit, space is also required for installing and removing the paper feed cassette device, and even if the main unit itself is made smaller, it still takes up space for operation, and the installation position is restricted. However, it had the disadvantage that it could not be used in narrow spaces.

For this reason, in recent years, so-called front-loading devices have been developed in which the paper feed cassette device is installed and removed from the front side of the main body.

However, in such devices, conventionally, the size of the paper feed cassette device that can be attached to and detached from the main body is specified, and a partition plate is installed inside the large-sized housing that can accommodate the maximum size sheet paper. It is designed to store sheets of paper of various sizes. For this reason, even when using small-sized sheet paper, it is necessary to use a paper feed cassette device consisting of an unnecessarily large and heavy housing, which makes it difficult to attach and detach, and its operability is reduced. However, there is also a drawback that it takes up a lot of space to store the paper feed cassette device that is taken out of the main body.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Conventionally, the paper feed cassette device was attached and detached from the side of the main body, which required additional width for attachment and detachment operations, making it difficult to operate despite the miniaturization of the main body. There was a problem in that the space used could not be efficiently reduced, the installation location etc. was limited, and it could not be used in narrow spaces.

In addition, for devices in which the paper feed cassette device can be attached and detached on the front side of the main unit to reduce the space for attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette device, the size of the two paper feed cassettes is constant regardless of the size of the sheet paper. Therefore, even for small-sized sheet paper, it is necessary to use a paper feed cassette device that is larger than necessary, which significantly reduces the operability when installing and removing the paper, and when storing paper, the paper feed cassette device is larger than necessary. There was a problem that it took up storage space.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems by attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette device from the front side of the main body instead of from the side, thereby saving the space required during use, including the operation space, and making it possible to install it in a narrower space. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that enables the following.

Furthermore, the paper feed cassette device, which can be attached and removed on the front side of the main unit, is sized according to the size of the sheet paper rather than a specific large size, making the paper feed cassette device smaller and lighter, and improving operability. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that reduces storage space.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a main body having an image forming means, a storage opening provided in the main body on the front side of the main body, and a size small. A cassette storage means for storing a plurality of different paper feed cassette means in an exchangeable manner through an opening, and a cassette that covers a part of the storage opening and engages in the storage operation of the large size paper feed cassette means into the cassette storage means. a covering means provided near the storage opening so as to rotate inward of the storage means;
A sheet paper take-out means is provided near the paper feed cassette means stored in the cassette storage means and takes out the sheet paper in the paper feed cassette device toward the image forming means, and the sheet paper taken out by the sheet paper take-out means is transferred to the image forming means. A paper feeding means is provided for supplying paper to the paper.

In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a main body having an image forming means, a main body provided in the main body having a storage opening on the front side, and a plurality of paper feeding cassette means of different sizes from the storage opening. A cassette storage means for storing replaceable cassettes, a plurality of paper feed cassette means, a common guide through which rail means provided on the plurality of paper feed cassettes can be inserted and fixed within the cassette storage means, and a paper feed cassette stored in the cassette storage means. a sheet paper take-out means provided near the means for taking out the sheet paper in the paper feed cassette device toward the image forming means;
A paper feeding means is provided for supplying the sheet paper taken out by the sheet paper taking out means to the image forming means.

(Function) The present invention allows the paper feed cassette means to be attached and detached from the main body by the above means on the front side of the main body. The width space that was previously used has been reduced,
The image forming apparatus can be installed even in a narrow space.

Moreover, by using a paper feed cassette means whose size corresponds to the size of the sheet paper, the paper feed cassette means can be made smaller and lighter, and the operability when attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette means is improved, and furthermore, during storage. The storage space can be reduced.

(Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus 10, in which a photoreceptor drum 12 is located approximately at the center of the main body 11.
Also, the charging device 13 provided around the photosensitive drum 12, the exposure position t14a by the optical device 14, and the developing device 1
6, transfer peeling charger 17, cleaning device 18,
Image forming means 9 consisting of a static elimination lamp 19 is provided.

Further, the cassette storage section 21, which is a cassette storage means below the photoreceptor drum 12 of the main body 11, is a paper feeding cassette means for storing sheet paper PL of size [A, 4], for example.
A small paper feed cassette device 22m or a large paper feed cassette device 22b which is a paper feed cassette means for storing AJF size sheet paper P2 can be stored.

Inside the main body 11, there is a pickup roller 23 which is a take-out means for taking out the sheet paper PL, P2 from the small or large paper feeding cassette device 22a122b, and the sheet paper P taken out by the pick-up roller 23.
A turn guide 24 is a paper feeding means that changes the direction of the sheet paper so as to supply L and P2 to the photosensitive drum 12 side.
, a knee turn roller 25, and a sheet paper P.
A paper transport path 27 is formed that guides the photoreceptor drum 12 to the paper discharge tray 26 on the left side of the main body. On the upstream side of the paper conveyance path 27 from the photosensitive drum 12,
Manual feed roller pair 28, registration roller pair 3
0, and a conveyor belt 31, a pair of fixing rollers 32, and a pair of discharge rollers 33 are provided on the downstream side.

Next, the cassette storage section 21 will be explained in detail.

This cassette storage section 21 is located at the front cover 11 of the main body.
Smaller or larger paper feed cassette devices 22a, 22b than side a
A storage opening 21a is provided on the front cover 11a side for attaching and detaching the
is formed.

Furthermore, a storage guide 21b, which is a concave common guide, is provided at the right end of the cassette storage section 21 in FIG. , 23b can be inserted, and when both paper feeding cassette devices 22a, 22b are installed in the cassette storage section 21, the paper feeding cassette devices 22a, 22b can be inserted.
The movement of the sheet paper PL, P2 in the paper feeding direction and the height of the tips of the paper feeding cassette devices 22a, 22b are regulated.

Furthermore, 21c is a height guide that regulates the height of the rear ends of the paper feed cassette devices 22a and 22b stored in the cassette storage section 21.

Further, on the left side of the storage opening 21a of the cassette storage section 21, there is a cover 34 which is a covering means and has a length equal to the difference in length between the small paper feed cassette device 22g and the large paper feed cassette device 22b.
is attached to the shaft 34a and is rotatably provided. Note that 34b is a spring that urges the cover 34 outward from the main body, and 21d is a stopper that restricts the rotation of the cover 34. At all times and when the small paper feed cassette device 22a is attached, the cover 34 is biased by the spring 34b and regulated by the stopper 21d, so that it covers the left side of the cassette storage section 21 as shown in FIG. However, when the large paper feed cassette device 22b is installed, it is pushed by engagement with the rear end of the large paper feed cassette device 22b and rotated inside the cassette storage section 21 as shown in FIG. It has become.

Next, we will discuss the effect. When copying is started, first, the size of the sheet paper in the cassette storage section 21 is checked, and if necessary, the paper feed force filters FIF 22a, 22b (7) are replaced. That is, for example, when making an [A, 4] size copy, the operator enters the large paper feed for storing [A, 3] size sheets in the cassette storage section 21 from the storage opening 21a on the front side of the main body 11. Take out the cassette device 22b and [
The small paper feed cassette device 22a for storing sheet paper of size A, 4] is installed in the cassette storage section 21. At this time, the large paper feed cassette device 22b causes the cassette storage section 2 to
As the large paper feed cassette device 22b is removed, the cover 34 that had been pushed into the cassette 1 is urged by the spring 34b and is returned to the position where it contacts the stopper 21.

Next, the rail 23a is inserted along the storage guide 21b of the cassette storage section 21, and the bottom surface is inserted into the height guide 21c.
At this time, the small paper cassette device 22a does not come into contact with the cover 34, and the space created at the left end of the cassette storage section 21 is visible through the cover 34. To prevent this, the left side of the storage opening 21a is kept covered.

In this way, after setting the sheet paper Pl and inputting other copy conditions, when the copy switch (not shown) is turned on to start copying, the image forming means 9 12 sequentially charges the charging device 1 according to its rotation.
3, the electrostatic latent image is formed at the exposure position 14g, a toner image is formed by the developing device 16, and the paper Pl fed from the small paper feed cassette device 22g is transferred to the transfer peeling charger 17. A toner image will be transferred onto it.

On the other hand, in the cassette storage section 21, the sheet paper P1 is taken out by the pickup roller 23 so as to be synchronized with the toner image on the photoreceptor drum 12, and then the sheet paper P1 is taken out from the turn guide 24.
While being turned, the knee turn roller 25 transports the manual feed roller pair 28 in the direction of the manual feed roller pair 28 , and after being temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 30 , the transfer peeling charger 17
transported to the location.

When the toner image is transferred onto the sheet paper L by the transfer peeling charger 17, the photoreceptor drum 12 is then passed through the cleaning device 18 and the static elimination lamp 19 to be ready for the next copy, while the sheet paper P1 is fixed. roller pair 32
The paper is then ejected to the paper ejection tray 26, and the necessary copies are obtained.

After obtaining the necessary copies in this way, if it becomes necessary to feed paper using the large paper cassette device 22b,
Small paper feed cassette device 22a and large paper feed cassette device 22b
exchange with

As a result, the cover 34 comes into contact with the rear end of the large paper feed cassette device 22b and is pushed into the cassette storage section 21.

With this configuration, the paper feed cassette device 22a.

22b can be attached and detached from the front side of the main body 11 instead of from the side, and in addition to the conventional space for placing the main body, there is also space in the width direction for attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette device. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 10 can be installed in a narrower space than in the past. In addition, since paper feed cassette devices 22a and 22b of a size corresponding to the size of sheet paper are used, especially when using small size sheet paper, the small paper feed cassette device 22a is made smaller and lighter, making it easier to handle it. is easier than before, and operability is improved. Furthermore, both paper feed cassette devices 22a and 22b can be stored in the cassette storage section 21 using a common storage guide 21b, and the guide can be moved or a plurality of guides can be provided separately for each size of the paper feed cassette device. There's no need. Furthermore, when the small paper feed cassette device 22a is attached to the main body 11, the space created at the end of the storage opening 21a of the cassette storage section 21 is replaced by the cover 3.
4 so that it cannot be seen from the outside, so it looks better. Moreover, when the large paper feed cassette device 22b is attached, the cover 34 is formed so as to automatically escape to the inside of the cassette storage section 21 when it comes into contact with the rear end of the large paper feed cassette device 22b, thereby preventing the cover from being attached. Nothing happened.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. Note that the same parts as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, below the main body 11 are an upper cassette storage section 36 and a lower cassette storage section 37, which are cassette storage means.
Front cover 11a side i: storage openings 36c, 37
c, and both can accommodate a large paper feed cassette device 38b that accommodates sheet paper P2 of [A and 31 sizes]. Upper and lower pickup rollers 46a and 46b are provided above the upper and lower cassette storage sections 36 and 37, and furthermore, upper and lower pickup rollers 46a and 45b are provided.
an upper and lower turn guide 47a that changes the direction of the sheet paper PL, P2 taken out by the upper and lower sides toward the photoreceptor drum 12;

47b and a knee turn roller 25b are provided.

On the other hand, concave left and right guides 36a and 35b into which convex rails 40a and 40b, which are rail means formed on both sides of the large paper feed cassette device 38b, can be inserted are fixed to the left and right ends of the upper cassette storage section 36. has been done.

Further, at the right end of the lower cassette storage section 37, there is a small paper feed cassette device 38a for storing [A, 4] size sheet paper PL.
, and a concave guide 37b which is a common guide through which convex rails 41a and 40a formed on the right side of the large paper feed cassette device 38b can be inserted. Furthermore, 37a is
A movable guide that can be moved and attached to any position within the lower cassette storage section 37 so that the convex rails 41b and 40b formed on the left side of the small and large paper feed cassette devices 38a and 38b can be inserted. It is. That is, this movable guide 3
7a is a first or second slit 37c, 37d whose upper end 42a is formed on the upper surface of the lower cassette storage section 37.
The projecting portion 42b at the rear end is inserted into third or fourth slits 43g and 43b formed in the rear frame 37e of the lower cassette storage portion 37.

Furthermore, the space created between the left side wall of the cassette storage section 37 and the movable guide 37f is covered with blinding plates 44a and 44b of either large or small sizes.
By fixing the movable guide 37a with a screw 44c, the movable guide 37a can be attached to an arbitrary position. However, the small blind plate 44b is simply for covering the screw holes.

Next, we will discuss the effect. When shipped, lower cassette storage section 3
7, the movable guide 37a has an upper end 42a that is connected to the first
It is inserted into the slit 37c, attached to the rear end protrusion 42b or the left end inserted into the third slit 43a, and the small blind plate 44b is screwed to a state where the large size paper feed cassette device 38b can be stored. It becomes.

When using the large paper feed cassette device 38b even when using small size sheet paper on the user side, the upper and lower cassette storage sections 36.
37, a large paper feed cassette device 3 that stores sheets of different sizes from each storage port 36a, 37a on the front side.
8b to make copies.

On the other hand, on the user side, small and large paper cassette devices 38 according to the size of sheet paper are used as paper cassette devices.
When using cassettes a and 38b, move the movable guide 37a in the lower cassette storage section 37 to match the small paper feed cassette device af 38a. That is, first remove the small blindfold plate 44b, pull out the movable guide 37a, and then remove the movable guide 37a.
The upper end 42a is inserted into the second slit 37d, the protruding part 42b at the rear end is inserted into the fourth slit 43b, and the larger blind plate 44a is screwed to complete the movable guide 37a.
, the convex rail 41 on the left side of the small paper feed cassette device 38a
Attach it to a position where b can be inserted.

And a storage opening 36c on the front side of the main body 11.

37c, the large paper feed cassette device 38b is stored in the upper cassette storage portion 36, and the small paper feed cassette device 38a is stored in the lower cassette storage portion 37, and then copying is started. , Depending on the size of P2, either the upper or lower pickup o-ra 46a, 4
6b is driven, but otherwise a necessary copy image is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

With this configuration, similarly to the first embodiment, the paper feed cassette devices 38a and 38b can be attached and detached from the storage openings 36a and 37a on the front side of the main body 11, and the space in the width direction is reduced compared to the conventional one. It can be installed even in narrow spaces. Furthermore, since the small and lightweight paper feed cassette device 38a can be used, the paper feed cassette device is easier to handle than in the past, and operability is improved. Furthermore, when the movable guide 37a is moved to the small paper feed cassette device 38a, the movable guide 37a is moved by the large blind plate 44a.
It covers the space that occurs on the left side of the wall, and it looks better.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. Note that the same parts as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 8, a cassette storage section 47 serving as cassette storage means is provided below the main body 11 so as to have a storage opening 47d on the front cover 11a side. At the right end of the cassette storage section 47, there is a small paper feed cassette unit W48a that stores sheet paper P1 of [A, 4] size and a [A, 4] size sheet paper P1.
3] Convex rails 50a and 51 formed on the right side of the large paper feed cassette device 48b that stores sheet paper P2 of size P2.
A concave first guide 4 that is a common guide through which the
7a is formed. Further, on the bottom surface of the cassette storage section 47, concave second and third guides 47b and 47c are inserted, respectively, into convex rails 50b51b formed at the bottom left side of the small and large paper feed cassette devices 48a and 48b.
is formed. Note that the small paper feed cassette device 48a is
As shown in FIG. 10(a), only the front surface 50c has the same shape as the front surface 51c of the large paper cassette device 48b,
The entire surface of the storage slot 47d on the front side of the cassette storage section 47 can be covered.

Next, we will discuss the effect. When starting copying, the storage slot 4 on the front side of the main body 11 is opened depending on the size of the sheet paper used.
Paper feed cassette device 48a from 7d.

48b is replaced. That is, for example, the cassette storage section 47
After taking out the large paper feed cassette device 48b along the first guide 47a and the third guide 47c, insert the right rail 50a of the small paper feed cassette device 48a into the first guide 47a, and The small paper feed cassette device 48g is attached to the cassette storage section 47 by inserting the rail 50b through the second guide 47b. At this time, although the small paper feed cassette device itself is small, only its front face 50c covers the entire storage slot 47d of the cassette storage section 47, and the space created inside the cassette storage section 47 is used for small paper feed. It is hidden by the entire surface 50c of the paper cassette device.

In this state, a copy operation is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Note that after this, both paper feed cassette devices 48a and 4Bb will be replaced as needed.

With this configuration, as in the first embodiment, the paper feed cassette devices 48a and 48b can be exchanged from the front side storage opening 47d, so the space in the width direction can be reduced during installation, making the space even narrower. It can be installed anywhere. Further, the small and lightweight paper feed cassette device 48g can be used, and the operability when attaching and detaching the paper feed cassette devices 48a and 48b is improved. Further, a second paper feed cassette device 48a, 48b dedicated to each
The third guides 47b and 47c do not interfere with the attachment/detachment of other paper feed cassette devices, and there is no need to move the guides as in the second embodiment.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be modified in various ways. For example, the number of cassette storage means formed in the main body is not limited, and the number and size of paper feed cassette means and the sheet paper stored therein are not limited. The size is also not limited.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the structure of the covering means is completely arbitrary. For example, the cover that is rotated in the cassette storage section is installed by a spring or the like after taking out the large paper feed cassette device. Alternatively, it may be made to return by its own weight, or the opening/closing direction may be such that the downward direction serves as the rotation fulcrum. Furthermore, the guide in the first embodiment may have a shape similar to that in the third embodiment depending on the shape of the rail means of the paper feed cassette device, but may also have a shape similar to that in the first embodiment. This eliminates the need to provide multiple guides for each paper feed cassette device.

Also, in the third embodiment, the shape of the guide can be arbitrary depending on the shape of the rail of the paper feed cassette device as long as it does not interfere with the storage of other paper feed cassette devices, and the shape of the guide can be arbitrarily selected depending on the shape of the rail of the paper feed cassette device. It may also be a guide such as .

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the cassette means can be attached and detached from the storage opening provided on the front side of the main body, and the space for operation can be reduced compared to the conventional device in which the cassette means is attached and detached from the side. This makes it possible to install the device in a narrow space.

In addition, since the size of the cassette means can be selected according to the size of the sheet paper, the cassette means can be made smaller and lighter, making it easier to handle, especially for small sheets of paper.
Not only is the operability improved, but also the storage space can be reduced during storage. Furthermore, as in the example,
By using a covering means or by enlarging only the front surface of the small paper feed cassette means, the space created when the small paper feed cassette means is housed in the cassette storage means can be covered, and the appearance will be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front view of the main body, FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the large paper cassette device when it is stored in the main body, and FIGS. 4 to 7 are the invention of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the image forming apparatus, FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the large paper feed cassette device stored in the lower cassette storage section, and FIG. 6 is a diagram of the movable guide. Schematic explanatory diagram of movement operation, 7th
The figure is a schematic perspective view when the small paper feed cassette device is stored in the lower cassette storage section, FIGS. 8 to 10 show a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the image forming apparatus. , Fig. 9 is a front view showing the small paper cassette device stored in the main body, Fig. 10 (a) is a perspective view of the small paper cassette device, and Fig. 10 (b) is a view of the large paper cassette device. FIG. 10... Image forming device, 11... Main body, 11g...
・Front cover 12...photosensitive drum, 21...cassette storage section,
21a... Storage opening, 22a... Small paper feed cassette device, 22b... Large paper feed cassette device, 34... Cover

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A main body having an image forming means, and a cassette storage means provided in the main body and having a storage opening on the front side of the main body, and storing a plurality of paper feed cassette means of different sizes exchangeably through the storage opening. and is attached near the storage opening so as to cover a part of the storage opening and rotate inward of the cassette storage means by engaging with the storage operation of the large-sized paper feed cassette means into the cassette storage means. a covering means,
a sheet paper take-out means for taking out the sheet paper in the paper feed cassette means provided in the vicinity of the paper feed cassette means stored in the cassette storage means in the direction of the image forming means; An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding means for feeding the sheet paper to the image forming means. (2) A main body having an image forming means, and a cassette storage means provided in the main body, having a storage opening on the front side of the main body, and storing a plurality of paper feed cassette means of different sizes exchangeably through the storage opening. a movable guide that is movable within the cassette storage means according to the size of the plurality of paper feed cassette means and that is inserted through a rail means provided on the plurality of paper feed cassette means; a sheet paper take-out means provided near the paper feed cassette means for taking out the sheet paper in the paper feed cassette means in the direction of the image forming means; An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feeding means for supplying paper to the image forming apparatus. (3) A main body having an image forming means, and a cassette storage means provided in the main body, having a storage opening on the front side of the main body, and storing a plurality of paper feed cassette means of different sizes in a replaceable manner through the storage opening. a common guide through which rail means provided in the plurality of paper feed cassette means can be inserted and fixed within the cassette storage means; and a common guide provided near the paper feed cassette means stored in the cassette storage means. The apparatus further comprises: a sheet paper take-out means for taking out the sheet paper in the paper feed cassette means toward the image forming means; and a paper feed means for supplying the sheet paper taken out by the sheet paper take-out means to the image forming means. An image forming apparatus characterized by: