JPH0626910Y2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Industrial Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser printer, a copying machine, etc., which reverses a sheet on which an image is formed and discharges the sheet onto an image forming apparatus main body through a sheet discharge rotating body. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses of the above type are well known, and a laser printer as an example thereof is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 8, the transfer sheet 2 fed from the sheet feeding device 1 is conveyed to the transfer position of the drum by a known image forming process in synchronization with the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3. The toner image is transferred by the action of the transfer device 4. After that, the transfer paper 2 is fixed by the fixing device 5 and is ejected to the outside of the machine through the paper ejection unit 6.

Since the above laser printer records on the upper surface side of the transfer paper 2, if the recorded transfer paper is directly advanced and discharged,
In the case of transfer papers recorded in the order of a plurality of pages, small pages are stacked in order from the bottom. Therefore, the paper ejection unit 6 is provided with a reversal ejection unit 7, which is configured to invert such a transfer paper and eject the back surface onto the printer body 11. In the illustrated example, a switching pawl 9 is provided next to the lower paper ejection roller 8, and the pawl 9 can be selectively switched between the reversal ejection unit 7 and the straight ejection unit 10 that ejects the paper straightly. ing.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention In the reversing discharge unit 7 that discharges paper onto the upper surface 12 of the printer body 11, the number of stacked transfer papers discharged from the upper surface 12 of the printer body 11 is discharged to the upper side. Roll 1
It is determined by the height H to the nip of 3. Therefore, in order to secure a certain amount of load, it is necessary to make the nip of the upper discharge roller 13 higher than the upper surface 12. For this reason, the reversing discharge portion 7 has to have the discharge port portion 14 thereof largely protruded above the upper surface 12 of the printer body 11.

However, the upper surface 12 of the printer main body 11 is often flat, and if only the discharge port portion 14 projects from the upper surface 12, it hinders compactness, and there are great disadvantages in packaging. Further, in terms of design, the protrusion of the discharge port, which appears in the outer shape, was not preferable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a compact image forming apparatus that can prevent the reverse sheet discharging unit from protruding from the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus which reverses a sheet on which an image is formed and discharges the sheet onto an image forming apparatus main body through a sheet discharge rotator. A paper discharge rotator,
A paper discharge device having a guide member that guides the paper to the paper discharge rotating body is provided, and the paper discharge device has a use position in which a paper discharge port projects upward from an upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body and the image forming device. It is characterized in that it is supported so as to be movable between a storage position that enters the main body of the apparatus.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that when the paper discharge device is in the storage position, the upper surface of the paper discharge device is held substantially flush with the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body. There is.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides at least one switching means in the image forming apparatus main body, and performs switching operation of the switching means and movement operation between the storage position and the use position in the paper discharge device. The feature is that interlocking means for interlocking with and is provided.

Action and Effect According to the configuration of claim 1, in the paper discharge device having the paper discharge rotator and the guide member for guiding the paper to the paper discharge rotator, the paper discharge port is located above the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body. Since it is movably supported between the projecting use position and the storage position where it enters the main body of the image forming apparatus, when the paper discharge device is in the storage position, the paper discharge unit largely projects onto the image forming apparatus main body. Since this can be prevented and the image forming apparatus is made compact, the packing box can be made small even when the main body of the image forming apparatus is packed, and it is possible to reduce the formation of an unnecessary space in the packing box.

According to the configuration of claim 2, when the paper discharge device is in the storage position, the upper surface of the paper discharge device is held substantially flush with the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body, so that image formation is performed when the paper discharge device is in the storage position. Since the apparatus main body is flattened, the image forming apparatus can be made compact, and the advantages that the packaging box is small and the unnecessary space in the packaging box is reduced can be more reliably obtained.

According to the configuration of claim 3, the image forming apparatus main body is provided with at least one switching means, and the interlocking means is provided for interlocking the switching operation of the switching means and the movement operation of the storage position and the use position in the paper discharge device. Therefore, it is possible to prevent erroneous operation of one of the moving operation of the paper discharge device and the switching operation of the switching means.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a laser printer as an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, and in order to avoid duplication of description, the same members as those of the laser printer of FIG. 8 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the paper discharge unit 6 of this embodiment, the reverse discharge unit 7 includes the guide plate 15
It is composed of a fixed conveyance section formed by (1) and a movable conveyance section which is the paper discharge device 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge device 14 includes a guide plate 16, an upper discharge roller 13 as a paper discharge rotating member, and a cover plate 17, and is rotatable via a fulcrum 18 by a hinge (not shown). Is attached to. With this structure, the paper discharge device 14 is rotated about the fulcrum 18 between the storage position shown in FIG. 2 and the use position shown in FIG. 3, and is held at each position by holding means (not shown). It has become so.

The paper discharge device 14 in the storage position is held so that the cover plate 17 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the printer body 11, and at this time, the upper discharge roller 13 enters the printer body 11 and is hidden inside. . Further, the paper discharge device 14 at the use position is held in a state in which the discharge port, which is a nip of the upper discharge roller 13, projects above the printer body 11. The storage position and the use position can be moved manually or mechanically. The upper discharge roller 13 is drivingly connected to a driving device (not shown) and rotates in the direction of the arrow.

When the printing operation is started, the paper discharge device 14 is moved to the use position in advance. Here, when the transfer paper 2 is sent to the reversal paper discharge unit 7, the transfer paper 2 is guided by the guide plate 15 and reaches the paper discharge device 14. At this time, since the paper discharge device 14 is moved around the fulcrum 18 provided at the center of the connecting portion between the guide plate 15 and the guide plate 16, the connection between the two conveying paths is not disconnected. Therefore, the transfer paper 2 is sandwiched by the upper discharge roller 13 from the guide plate 16, discharged in the direction of arrow A, and stocked on the upper surface 12 of the printer body 11.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the paper discharge device 14 can be rotated between the storage position and the use position, and the cover plate 17 is flush with the upper surface 12 of the printer body 11 in the storage position, which is compact. Then, at the use position, the paper discharge device 14 projects so that the transfer paper can be discharged onto the upper surface 12.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the paper discharge device 14 is mounted so as to be vertically slidable. Also in this case, the paper discharge device 14 can be moved between the use position shown by the solid line and the storage position shown by the chain line. Therefore, this embodiment can also obtain the same effect as the above embodiment.

By the way, when the paper discharge device 14 moves, various advantages can be found by interlocking with the switching operation of other switching means, which will be described below.

In FIG. 5, an operation lever 21 as an interlocking device is fixed to the paper discharge device 14, and a switching device configured as a main switch 20 is provided at the tip end side of the operation lever 21 so as to face the operation lever 21. . This main switch 20
When the paper discharge device 14 is in the storage position shown by the chain line, it is switched by the operating lever 21 and held in the off state, and when it is rotated to the use position shown by the solid line, it is turned on by the operating lever 21. It is switched to the state.

With this configuration, when the paper discharge device 14 is in the storage position,
It is possible to prevent a malfunction such as a print operation being started. That is, the transfer paper 2 is sent to the paper discharge device at the storage position,
Eliminates the risk of jamming problems. In addition,
This example is effective for a laser printer or the like in which only the reverse discharging unit 7 is provided in the discharging unit 6.

FIG. 6 shows that the upper surface 12 of the printer main body 11 is provided with a switching means configured as a stopper 22 for the discharged transfer paper 2, and the stopper is also between the storage position and the use position like the paper discharge device 14. It is mounted so that it can rotate. In this case, the lever 23 of the paper discharge device 14 and the stopper 22 are connected by a wire 24 as an interlocking device, and the stopper 22 moves to the storage position and the use position as the paper discharge device 14 rotates between the storage position and the use position. If held between
When the stopper 22 is also in the storage position and the paper discharge device 14 is rotated to the use position, the stopper 22 is also rotated to the use position.

According to this structure, the stopper 22 that prevents the already stacked transfer sheets from being pushed by the ejected transfer sheets is also held at the storage position, and even if such a stopper is provided, it is compact or aesthetically impaired. Never. Moreover,
Since the paper discharge device 14 and the stopper 22 are interlocked with each other, it is not necessary to move the stopper 22, and the operation is not forgotten.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the switching claw 9 for switching between the reversing discharge part 7 and the straight advance discharge part 10 is linked with the paper discharge device 14. In this example, the lever portion 2 integrated with the separation claw 9
7, a lever portion 27 and a rotating lever 25 provided in the paper discharge device 14 are connected by a wire 26 as an interlocking device. Then, when the paper discharge device 14 is in the storage position, the switching claw 9 opens the straight discharge part 10 and closes the reverse discharge part. When the paper discharge device is rotated to the use position, the switching claw 9
Closes the straight discharge unit 10 and opens the reverse discharge unit 7.

With this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent an erroneous operation in which the paper discharge device 14 is closed when the switching claw 9 opens the reversal discharge unit 7.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, when the paper discharge device and the switching means are interlocked, two or more switching means may be interlocked by the switching operation of the paper discharge device. That is, when the paper discharge device is switched, for example, the main switch and the stopper for the discharged transfer paper may be switched.

Further, the interlocking of the paper discharge device and the switching means may be such that the paper discharge device is switched between the storage position and the use position by a switching operation of the switching means. As an example of this, when the sheet discharge device is moved by the main switch, the sheet discharge device may be switched and moved by a drive device such as a solenoid, and the drive device may be operated by switching the main switch. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the laser printer, but can be naturally applied to a copying machine, a facsimile, an automatic document feeder, or the like, which reverses and ejects a sheet on the main body of the difference.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laser printer according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory view showing a state in which a paper discharge device is in a storage position, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in a state where the paper discharge device is in a use position. Explanatory diagram, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are explanatory diagrams showing different embodiments for interlocking the movement of the paper discharge device with other switching means, FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a conventional laser printer. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Measuring device, 2 ... Transfer paper 6 ... Paper discharge part, 7 ... Reverse discharge part 11 ... Printer main body 12 ... Printer main body 13 ... Upper discharge roller, 14 ... Paper discharge device 20 ...... Main switch, 21 ...... Operating lever 22 ...... Sweeper 24,26 ...... Wire

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An image forming apparatus for reversing a sheet on which an image has been formed and discharging the sheet onto an image forming apparatus main body via a sheet discharge rotator, wherein the sheet discharge rotator and the sheet are rotated by the sheet discharge rotator. A paper discharge device having a guide member for guiding to the body is provided, and the paper discharge device has a use position in which the paper discharge port projects upward from the upper surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus and a storage position for entering the main body of the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus, which is movably supported between the image forming apparatus. 2. The image according to claim 1, wherein when the paper discharge device is in the storage position, the upper surface of the paper discharge device is held substantially flush with the upper surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus. Forming equipment. 3. The image forming apparatus main body is provided with at least one switching means, and interlocking means for interlocking a switching operation of the switching means and a moving operation of a storage device and a use position in the paper discharge device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus.