JPH07219298A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an electrophotographic image forming device where a recording medium is easily confirmed and taken out, and which is set in a small space and copes with the using state and the using form of a user. CONSTITUTION:A toner image forming part and an image reading part are respectively housed in individual housings. A 1st caster 8 is attached to the 1st housing 1 housing the toner image forming part, and an ejection port 4 for the recording medium and an ejected paper receiving part 6 where the ejected recording medium is accumulated are provided at the upper part of the housing 1. The 2nd housing 2 housing the image reading part is placed on a rack 3 to which a 2nd caster 11 is attached, and the housing 1 is housed under the housing 2. The image forming device is used in a state where the housing 1 is housed under the housing 2 or in a state where it is pulled out. Then, the housing 2 is moved independently of or together with the rack 3 so as to be used.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus which forms an image based on a digital signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine,
An original scanning unit is provided in the upper part of the housing, and a toner image forming unit is provided in the lower part. In such an image forming apparatus,
The document is placed on the upper surface of the housing, and the document is exposed and scanned by the document scanning unit to temporarily convert the image information into a digital signal for image writing, or to guide the reflected light to the photoconductor. In the toner image forming section, an electrostatic latent image is formed by image writing based on the digital signal or image exposure by reflected light, development is performed by adhesion of toner, and then the image is transferred and fixed on a recording medium. To get In such an image forming apparatus, a paper discharge tray is provided so as to project laterally from the housing, and the recording medium having the toner image fixed in the housing is discharged to the paper discharge tray.

On the other hand, among such image forming apparatuses in recent years, a digital type image forming apparatus in which a document scanning section converts image information into a digital signal and a toner image forming section writes an image based on the digital signal is widespread. ing. This digital image forming apparatus has multiple functions such as having both a copying machine and a facsimile, and as a result, the installation location and usage of the apparatus are diversified.

[0004]

However, the conventional image forming apparatus as described above has the following problems. First, there is a problem that the installation space becomes large because the paper discharge tray projects laterally. As a technique for reducing the installation space of the image forming apparatus, for example,
As in the copying machine described in JP-A-63-172172, the housing is opened below the toner image forming section,
There is known a structure in which a paper discharge tray is incorporated in the open portion. According to this image forming apparatus, the discharge tray does not protrude from the apparatus main body, and it is possible to reduce the occupied area. However, in such a copying machine, since the paper discharge tray is located below the image reading unit and the toner image forming unit, it is inconvenient to check and take out the discharged recording medium.

Secondly, the conventional image forming apparatus has a problem that little consideration is given to multi-functional use of the image reading section, the toner image forming section and the like. That is,
Although the functions and modes required of the image forming apparatus differ depending on the user due to the multi-functionalization of the image forming apparatus, the conventional apparatus can be installed in the same dedicated space for any purpose. This is inconvenient because it must be used and the installation form of the device cannot be changed according to the operator's work and preferences.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to easily confirm and take out a discharged recording medium, and to reduce the area required for installation. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can be used in an installation form according to the work and taste of a person.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is an image reading section for exposing and scanning a document surface and converting image information into a digital signal.
An image forming apparatus having a toner image forming unit that forms a toner image based on a digital image signal and transfers / fixes the toner image on a recording medium, wherein the toner image forming unit is supported so as to be able to run on a floor surface and discharged to an upper portion. It is assumed that the image reading unit is housed in a first housing having a paper receiving unit, and the image reading unit is housed in a second housing that is supported independently of the first housing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the image forming apparatus is supported on the floor independently of the first housing, and is above the first housing. It is assumed to have a rack capable of supporting the second housing.

The image reading unit places a document on a platen glass and exposes the document surface from the lower side by exposure scanning.
It is possible to use a device that is equipped with a document feeding device and reads the conveyed document surface by a fixed sensor, a device that has both of these, and various types.
The toner image forming unit is also capable of forming a toner image on the basis of a digital image signal input from an external device, for example, a computer, a word processor or another facsimile, in addition to the image signal obtained by the image reading unit. Is.

[0010]

In the image forming apparatus according to the first and second aspects, the toner image forming section and the image reading section are housed in separate housings, so that the first toner image forming section is housed. It has become possible to install a discharged paper receiving part on the upper part of the housing. Therefore, it is not necessary to project the paper ejection tray laterally from the housing, and the paper ejection tray can be installed in a small space. Also, the ejected paper receiving section
Since it is provided on the upper part of the first housing that accommodates only the toner image forming portion, the height of the discharged paper receiving portion is appropriate for taking out the recording medium and observing the image state of the recording medium.

Further, since the image reading unit and the toner image forming unit are housed in independent housings, for example, only the second housing housing the image reading unit is on the desk side while performing desk work. , Send a copy or fax,
It is possible to easily move and arrange only the housing having the necessary functions according to the purpose, such as running and moving the first housing accommodating the toner image forming unit and using it as a printer near a computer or the like. It is possible.

According to another aspect of the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the image reading portion is supported by the rack above the toner image forming portion, and the toner image forming portion is housed in the first housing that can run independently. Therefore, when it is necessary to take out the ejected recording medium frequently, the first housing can be pulled out to the front side of the operator for use, or the second housing can be supported high, Arrangement according to the usage mode is possible, such as providing a space on the upper part where the discharged recording medium can be easily taken out.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the invention described in claim 1 or 2 will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The image forming apparatus of the present embodiment has the functions of a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer of a computer. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view and a schematic front view showing an image forming apparatus of this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a first housing 1 that houses a toner image forming unit, a second housing 2 that houses an image reading unit, and It has a rack 3 that supports the second housing 2 above the first housing.

The first housing 1 has paper discharge ports 4 on three sides near one edge of the upper surface thereof, and the upper surface of the housing 1 serves as a discharged paper receiving portion 6. Further, a plurality of recording medium storage portions 7 are detachably provided in the lower portion. Also, the first
A first caster 8 is attached to the lower surface of the housing 1 of the first housing 1, and the first housing 1 is supported by the first caster 8 so as to be able to travel on the floor surface. The second housing 2 is provided with a platen glass (not shown) on which an original is placed and an operation panel 9 for inputting various operating conditions. In addition, the original holder 10 is provided with a platen glass (not shown). It is attached to a butterfly so as to cover (not).

The rack 3 accommodates the first housing 1 therein, and mounts and supports the second housing 2 on the upper surface thereof. Further, the first housing 1 can be easily pulled out from the opened front surface and stored again. Further, a second caster 11 is attached to the bottom portion so that the second housing 2 can be easily run on the floor while the second housing 2 is placed.

FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram showing the image forming apparatus of this embodiment. A toner image forming unit is housed inside the first housing 1. In the toner image forming portion, a cylindrical image carrier 41 rotatably supported in one direction, a charger 47 that uniformly charges the surface of the image carrier 41, and a laser beam are applied to the image carrier 41. A laser beam generator 43 for forming an electrostatic latent image, a developing device 44 for adhering toner to the electrostatic latent image to form a toner image, a transfer device 45 for transferring the toner image to a recording medium, and an image after the toner image is transferred. A cleaning device 46 for cleaning the surface of the carrier and a CPU 42 for controlling each part in the device are arranged. Further, a paper transporting path 48 for feeding the recording medium from the recording medium housing portion 7 to the portion where the transfer device 45 faces the image carrier is provided along one side surface of the first housing 1. Further, in the vicinity of the discharge port 4 on the upper surface, a fixing device 49 for fixing the toner image transferred on the recording medium, and a recording medium on which the toner image is transferred from the image carrier 41 via the fixing roll 49 are provided. A paper guide 50 that sends out to the discharge port 4 is arranged.

An image reading section is housed in the second housing 2. An image reading device 61 that exposes a document on the platen glass 62 while traveling along the platen glass 62, reads image information into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the laser light generator 43 is arranged in the image reading unit. There is. The image reading unit is shown in FIG.
It is also possible to use a device which is provided with a document feeding device 63, and a document which is conveyed by the document feeding device 63 is read by a fixed image reading device 64 as shown in FIG.

In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment having the above construction, when it is operated as a copying machine, the image carrier 41 rotates clockwise in the drawing, and the surface of the image carrier 41 is uniformly charged by the charger 47. . At the same time, the image reading device 61 travels in the direction indicated by arrow B in FIG.
Image information is obtained by the reflected light. The image reading device 61 converts the image information into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the CPU 42. The CPU 42 controls the laser light generator 43 so that the laser light generator 43 generates laser light (image light) based on a digital signal. The surface of the rotating image carrier 41 is irradiated with the laser light, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the image carrier. Toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image from the developing device 44, and the electrostatic latent image is transferred to the image carrier 41.
A toner image is formed on top. The image carrier 41 further rotates, and the toner image moves as the image carrier 41 rotates.
Then, in synchronization with the movement of the toner image to the position opposite to the transfer device 45, the recording medium is fed from the paper transport path 48 between the image end 41 and the transfer device 45. Then, the transfer device 45 transfers the toner image onto the recording medium. The recording medium on which the toner image is transferred is sent to the fixing device 49 by the paper guide 50, and after the toner image is fixed,
The gas is discharged from the discharge port 4 to the outside of the first housing 1,
Is deposited on the discharged paper receiving portion 6 on the upper part of the housing 1.

When operating as a printer, signal lines are connected so that digitized image signals can be input from an external device such as a computer. The digital image signal input from the external device is input from the CPU 42 to the laser light generator, and thereafter, a toner image is formed on the image carrier 1 as in the case of operating as a copying machine, and this toner image is recorded on the recording medium. The image is transferred, fixed, and ejected to the ejected paper receiving portion 6.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment,
Since the recording medium is discharged and accumulated on the upper surface of the first housing 1, it is not necessary to provide a paper discharge tray protruding laterally from the housing, and the recording medium can be installed in a small space. Further, since the ejected paper receiving portion 6 on which the recording medium is deposited is located above the first housing 1 which accommodates only the toner image forming portion, the height is easy for the operator to take out the recording medium. In particular, in this embodiment, the second housing 2 is supported by the rack 3 and the first housing 1 is supported by the casters 8. Therefore, the first housing is pulled out to the front side of the operator for use. It is also possible to take out the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed and to observe the state of the image on the discharged paper.

That is, by arranging the first housing 1 and the second housing 2 as shown in FIG. 4A, the area occupied by the image forming apparatus can be suppressed as much as possible. On the other hand, when it is necessary to take out the ejected recording medium frequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, only the first housing 1 is pulled out from the rack 3 to be used for further recording. It is also possible to make it easy to take out the medium from the discharged sheet receiving portion 6. At this time, in this embodiment, since the discharge ports 4 through which the recording medium is discharged are provided on three sides, the sorter 71 is used above the first housing 1 as shown in FIG. be able to. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, by using a paper feeding device 72 on the side of the first housing 1 which reverses the recording medium on which the toner image is fixed and is discharged and feeds it again into the paper feeding path 48. It is also possible to form a toner image on the back side and perform double-sided copying or double-sided printing.

Further, since the image reading section 60 is housed in a housing independent of the toner image forming section 40,
For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the first housing 1 accommodating the toner image forming unit may be moved and placed near the computer 70 to be used as a printer, or as shown in FIG. Only the second housing 2 accommodated is placed on the desk side, and while performing desk work, copying and facsimile transmission can be performed, and the device can be moved and arranged and used according to the operator's business. .

[0023]

As described above, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the toner image forming section is housed in the first housing independent of the image reading section, so that the recording medium on which the image is fixed is the first recording medium. Can be discharged onto the upper surface of the housing. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach a paper discharge tray, and it is possible to install in a small space. It is also easy to take out the recording medium and observe the state of the formed image. Further, only the second housing can be independently installed at hand and operated.
Further, since the first housing is supported so as to be able to travel on the floor, only the first housing can be moved and used when only the toner image forming unit is required, such as when used as a printer. In addition, by supporting the second housing above the first housing by the rack, the first housing can be pulled out to the front side of the operator, or the space between the first housing and the second housing can be widened. For example, the first housing and the second housing can be appropriately arranged according to various usage modes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view and a front view showing an image forming apparatus which is an embodiment of the invention described in claim 1 or 2. FIG.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an internal configuration diagram showing an image reading apparatus used in another embodiment of the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a first example of a usage mode of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

5 is a front view showing a second example of a usage mode of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a third example of a usage mode of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a fourth example of a usage mode of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a fifth example of a usage mode of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st housing 2 2nd housing 3 Rack 6 Ejection paper receiving part 7 Recording medium storage part 8 1st caster 11 2nd caster 40 Toner image forming part 61 Image reading device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image reading unit for exposing and scanning a document surface to convert image information into a digital signal, and a toner image forming unit for forming a toner image based on the digital image signal and transferring and fixing the toner image on a recording medium. In the image forming apparatus, the toner image forming unit is supported in a manner that the toner image forming unit can travel on a floor surface and is housed in a first housing having an ejected paper receiving unit at an upper portion, and the image reading unit includes the first housing and the first housing. An image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is housed in a second housing that is independently supported. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is supported on the floor independently of the first housing, and the second housing is supported above the first housing. An image forming apparatus having a rack capable of performing.