JPH05330718A - Discharge tray switching device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the space held by a discharge tray by providing a vertical tray for a large-sized paper besides a horizontal tray for storing a small-sized paper in a device such as an electrophotographic copier or the like which can make a copy in a large size. CONSTITUTION:At a copy discharge part of an image forming device 1, a horizontal tray 9 and a vertical tray 10 are arranged through a switch gate 5 so that a small-sized paper is guided toward the horizontal tray and a large-sized paper is guided toward the vertical tray. An opening is formed on the side of the vertical tray 10 so that the large-sized paper is easily taken out of the side. Also, an opening 16 is provided toward a front panel of the tray 10 so that the stored paper is moved toward the side opening by an operator and the paper can be easily taken out.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a discharge tray provided in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine. In particular, a vertical tray is provided to discharge a large size sheet so that a small size sheet can be discharged. The present invention relates to a device that can occupy a small space in a horizontal tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a printer, in order to accommodate sheets created as a copy, a copy discharge is made in correspondence with the maximum size sheet that can be created in the image forming apparatus. Part is equipped with a discharge tray. Further, in a large-scale copying machine or the like, which has a large number of copies to be produced, a sorter having a large number of trays is equipped so that the copies are automatically sorted and stored so that post-processing can be easily performed. Then, as described above, by using the discharge tray or the sorter provided in the device,
Post-processing work for copying can be performed easily.

However, there is a demand for copying a large-sized drawing such as A2 size even with a device having a relatively small number of copies to be made, and a device capable of making such a large-sized copy has a large size. It is required to equip a large output tray with the copy of. However, for a large-sized copy that is not produced in large quantity, providing a large ejection tray in a horizontally protruding manner has a problem that the space occupied by the ejection tray is wasted.

Therefore, in order to deal with the above-mentioned problems, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-147562, the leading end of the paper is fixed and held without using a discharge tray. It is conceivable to use a means for holding the size paper in a state of hanging from the discharge port. Also,
In the apparatus shown in the above-mentioned conventional example, in the case of a large size sheet, a means for locking the leading end of the sheet is used, but for a small size sheet, the holding means is released and a small tray is provided. It is designed so that it can be discharged.

As a method, instead of supporting the paper in a hanging state as in the conventional example, it is possible to use a vertical tray as shown in JP-A-58-22253. be able to. The above-mentioned JP-A-58
The example shown in JP-A-222253 relates to an intermediate tray for accommodating a single-sided copy in an automatic double-sided copying machine and sending it out for a copying operation on the back side. Such a tray mechanism is ejected. It can also be applied to trays.

[0006]

However, in the example using the discharge tray mechanism as described above, for example,
When a mechanism for providing a mechanism for holding a sheet is used in a state where the leading end is nipped, it is necessary to switch the tray according to the size of the sheet. Then, each time the copying operation is performed, the tray state is set, so that the switching operation becomes troublesome, and the same operation as that for the small copying is performed on the large copying. Then, the large-sized copy may drop from the discharge tray, causing a problem such as difficulty in post-processing.

Further, as shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-22253, when a vertical type tray is used, if the tray is constructed as a large size corresponding to a large size sheet, a small size is realized. When the paper is stored, it is troublesome to take it out. When the vertical tray is used, it is necessary to configure it in a shape that is easy to use. However, in the conventional discharge tray, any size from small size paper to large size paper can be used. No vertical output tray is known that can accommodate paper.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As described above, the present invention solves the problem of the area occupied by the discharge tray and the problem of paper handling, that is, a vertical tray for accommodating only large size paper,
A copy tray is equipped with a horizontal tray for accommodating small-sized paper so that the trays can be easily switched and a large-sized paper can be easily taken out. An object is to provide a discharge tray device.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a horizontal tray for discharging a small size sheet and a vertical tray for discharging a large size sheet are provided in a copy discharge section of an image forming apparatus through a switching means. A device in which the In the discharge tray of the present invention, the vertical tray is provided with a side opening and a front opening so that the paper can be taken out from any direction. Further, the control device of the image forming apparatus, a member for selecting the switching means of the discharge path,
The control unit inputs the control information through a unit for inputting the information from the paper size detection mechanism, and is configured to set the mode for discharging the paper. Further, in the discharge tray switching device of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, means for enabling the control device to select a mode for automatically discharging a large size sheet to the vertical tray and a mode for the operator to discharge to the vertical tray. It is possible to provide, in addition to the above mechanism,
The size of the paper stored in the vertical tray can also be arbitrarily set.

As described above, even when the mechanism for accommodating the small-sized paper and the large-sized paper in separate discharge trays is constructed, only the space corresponding to the flat area of the horizontal tray is provided in the discharge tray device. Is needed, so
No extra space is required on the side of the electrophotographic copier. Further, even when a large-sized sheet is accommodated in the vertical tray, the operation of taking out the sheet can be easily performed through the side opening provided in the side portion of the vertical tray. Further, since the two trays can be set to a mode in which the paper is automatically discharged and a mode selected by the operator in accordance with the size of the paper, the paper can be set in accordance with the operator's request. Can be accommodated and the operability of the device can be improved.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A discharge tray switching device of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated example. The example shown in FIG. 1 shows a case in which a horizontal tray 9 and a vertical tray 10 are arranged in the paper discharge section of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present invention. Further, in the image forming apparatus 1, the toner image formed on the photoconductor drum is transferred onto a sheet and the sheet carrying the toner image is transferred in the same manner as in a copying machine using a general electrophotographic system. A mechanism for fixing the toner through the fixing device 2 and discharging the toner through the discharging roller 3 is provided. A mechanism is provided for guiding the copy sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus 1 toward the horizontal tray 9 and the vertical tray 10 via the switching gate 5.

In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present invention, the horizontal tray 9 is formed corresponding to a small size sheet, and the vertical tray 10 is formed of a large size sheet such as A2 size which cannot be supported by the horizontal tray. It is configured as a means for accommodating. Further, in the horizontal tray 9, an opening 9a is provided in the bottom plate so that the state of the vertical tray 10 arranged below can be seen. The state of the sheets accommodated in the vertical tray can be easily monitored through the opening provided in the horizontal tray.

Further, a switching gate 5 arranged in the copy discharge section of the image forming apparatus is provided so as to be swingable around a support shaft 6, and a guide mechanism of a sheet is switched by a drive mechanism such as a solenoid. To be able to. The switching operation for the switching gate 5 is performed according to a control program set in the control device of the device, as described later.

The vertical tray 10 of the present invention may be constructed as shown in FIG. The vertical tray 10 shown in FIG. 2 is composed of an upper member 11 attached to a sheet discharging portion of the image forming apparatus and a tray member arranged below the upper member 11. The upper member 11 includes
A slit 12 for guiding the paper is provided, and the paper is inserted into the vertical tray through the slit 12. The tray member is a combination of a front plate 13, a rear plate 14, and a bottom plate 15.
The intervals of 3 and 14 are arranged such that, for example, about 10 sheets can be accommodated.

A side opening 18 is arranged at the side of the vertical tray 10 so that the paper can be taken out from the lateral direction. Further, the front plate 13 is provided with an opening 16 at a predetermined position thereof, and a cut-and-raised portion 17 is provided below the opening so that the lower end portion of the sheet falling in the tray is the front opening. Guidance not to jump forward from 16. It should be noted that the opening 16 on the front side allows the operator to move the sheet toward the side opening 18 through the opening 16 even when a small size sheet is mistakenly accommodated in the vertical tray. It can also be easily taken out from the opening 18.

The branching means having the above-mentioned structure and 2
In the apparatus equipped with one discharge tray, the control mechanism of the image forming apparatus is provided with the control means as shown in the block diagram of FIG. Then, the control device is configured to perform the control operation as shown in the flowchart of FIG. As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3, a selection button 23 provided on the control panel and information from the paper size sensor 24 are input to the input port 21 of the control device 20.

Further, the output port 22 is provided with a display section 25 of the selected discharge tray and an output section of a drive signal for a solenoid 26 for driving the switching gate 5, and the solenoid 26 is used to switch the switching gate 5 Is swung to select the paper discharge path. As the information of the paper size sensor 24 connected to the input port, the paper size information of the paper feeding unit can be used. Further, the information of the size of the original document and the information of the enlargement / reduction ratio can be input to the control device of the image forming apparatus, and the information of the selected paper size can be used instead of the information of the paper size sensor 24.

By configuring the control mechanism as described above, the apparatus of the present invention performs the operation of selecting the paper discharge path as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
That is, when the selection button is pressed to start the copy operation, and the operation of selecting the output tray is set to a mode in which automatic switching is possible according to the paper size, the steps from step a-1 to step a-1. When the paper is large in size, the paper is discharged to the vertical tray 10 (a-2). In addition, when the automatic selection mode is not selected in step a-1,
If it is determined that the paper is a small size,
The mode to eject the paper toward the horizontal tray is set.

By providing the control means, in the apparatus of the present invention, when the operator sets the automatic selection mode of the discharge trays, two discharge trays are set in accordance with the size of the discharged paper. The paper can be discharged automatically by switching. When the automatic selection button is not pressed, only the mode for ejecting the paper toward the horizontal tray is used. Therefore, in the electrophotographic copying machine, if the operator sets the automatic selection button only when ejecting a large-sized copy, even if the copying operation is performed in a state in which large and small-sized originals are mixed, the paper The trays can be automatically switched and ejected according to the size.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, when making a large-sized copy such as A2 size, the case of guiding only the large-sized paper toward the vertical tray will be described. However, when two discharge trays are provided as in the present invention, it is possible to provide a mechanism for discharging only a small size sheet such as a postcard to the horizontal tray. Further, in the case of ejecting paper other than the postcard size to the vertical tray, in the tray shown in FIG. 2, the opening formed in the front plate may be provided in two stages, or a means such as a large opening may be provided. In addition to the above, the small size paper can be taken out in the vertical tray, or the small size paper can be moved in the discharge direction in the tray.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, the horizontal tray for ejecting small size sheets and the vertical tray for accommodating large size sheets are arranged, and each sheet is separately ejected. Can be stored in a tray. Therefore, in the discharge tray device, only a space corresponding to the plane area of the horizontal tray is required, and thus an extra space is not required on the side portion of the electrophotographic copying machine. Further, even when a large-sized sheet is accommodated in the vertical tray, the operation of taking out the sheet can be easily performed through the side opening provided in the side portion of the vertical tray. Furthermore, since the two trays can be set to a mode in which the paper is automatically discharged and a mode selected by the operator in accordance with the size of the paper,
According to the operator's request, the sheets can be stored and the operability of the apparatus can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a copy discharge unit in an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vertical tray of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control operation in the control device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 image forming device, 2 fixing device, 5 switching gate, 9 horizontal tray, 10 vertical tray,
13 front plate, 16 openings, 18 side openings, 20 control device, 23 selection buttons.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A horizontal tray for discharging a small size sheet through a switching means to a copy discharging section of an image forming apparatus,
A vertical tray for discharging a large size sheet is arranged, and the vertical tray is provided with a side opening and a front opening,
The paper is configured so that it can be taken out from any direction, and the control device of the image forming apparatus is provided with means for selecting a discharge path switching member and means for inputting information from the paper size detection mechanism. A discharge tray switching device of an image forming apparatus, wherein a mode for discharging a sheet can be set.