JPH0725470B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, and in particular, sorts and classifies recording media such as recording paper or recording resin film after image fixing. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a sorter.

“Prior art and its problems” Conventionally, a sorter in which a plurality of bin trays are stacked and arranged is attached to the recording medium outlet side, and the recording medium ejected from the outlet is automatically moved while sequentially moving the bin trays. Although an image forming apparatus provided with a sorter for sorting and sorting on a bin tray is already known, in any case, since the sorter is arranged so as to be connected to the side wall surface of the apparatus body, the apparatus is necessarily in the recording medium conveying direction. The total length is unnecessarily long,
Contrary to the demand for miniaturization and space saving.

Further, in such an apparatus, there has been proposed an apparatus in which the sorter is slidable in a direction away from a side wall surface of the apparatus main body in order to facilitate jam processing between the apparatus main body and the sorter (JP-A-59-59). No. 211060), if such a configuration is adopted, in addition to the entire length of the apparatus, a marginal space in which the sorter can slide is further required on the side of the apparatus, and a larger installation space is required.

Therefore, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-74856, an image in which a part of the sorter is configured to be mountable on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body and the protruding portion of the sorter located on the side wall surface side of the apparatus main body is minimized Although a forming device has been proposed, since the toner inlet provided at the upper position of the developing device and the optical scanning system and other maintenance or opening windows for replacement are provided on the upper surface side of the device, The sorter must be disposed avoiding these mounting positions. Therefore, even if the above configuration is adopted, it is not possible to dispose all or most of the sorter on the upper surface side of the apparatus, which does not necessarily lead to space saving.

Moreover, when a part of the sorter is placed on the upper surface of the device main body,
The weight balance of the entire device is lost due to the unbalanced load, the mounting strength between the sorter and the device main body must be set to a large value, and a large number of recording media etc. are accumulated in the sorter to make the device main body relatively lightweight. In this case, problems such as the risk of falling to the sorter side are included.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, the present invention disposes all or most of the sorter on the upper surface side of the apparatus without interfering with various maintenance operations such as the toner charging, the jam processing that occurs between the apparatus discharge port and the sorter inlet end. It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which enables a large space saving and a stable weight balance.

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to achieve such a technical problem, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which a sorter for classifying recording media after image fixing is mounted on the apparatus main body. On the side, if necessary, a maintenance processing opening configured to be opened and closed by a lid is provided, and the sorter is extended to a position where the maintenance operation space above the maintenance processing opening is almost hidden and is placed on the apparatus main body. Placed point, a point centered on a rotation fulcrum provided at a position apart from the maintenance processing opening, and a sorter is configured to be rotatable upward, and the operation space can be opened by the rotation. It is characterized by the points configured.

The maintenance processing opening means that the maintenance operation space facing the maintenance processing opening can be opened to facilitate toner input and jam processing. For example, a toner input opening formed on the apparatus main body side or ,
It refers to the recording medium discharge port formed on the apparatus main body side.

[Operation] According to the technical means, even when almost all of the sorter is disposed on the main body of the apparatus, and the maintenance operation space above the toner inlet and other maintenance processing openings is hidden by the sorter, By rotating the sorter above the main body of the apparatus, the maintenance operation space can be opened, whereby predetermined maintenance work can be performed without being disturbed by the sorter.

Further, according to the present invention, since the rotation fulcrum of the sorter is provided at a position apart from the maintenance processing opening on the apparatus body side facing the sorter, even if the sorter has a small rotation angle, It is possible to set a large separation distance between the maintenance processing opening and the maintenance processing opening, in other words, it is possible to open the maintenance operation space to a larger extent, which can facilitate maintenance and operability and ensure safety. .

Therefore, according to the present invention, almost all of the apparatus can be arranged on the upper surface of the apparatus without being restricted by various maintenance processing openings on the apparatus main body side arranged on the upper surface of the apparatus or the upper space position and the operation space thereof. As a result, the sorter can be placed in the space above the wall surfaces of both sides of the main body of the apparatus without protruding, so that the installation space can be reduced and the weight balance can be stabilized.

Further, according to the present invention, since the sorter is configured to be rotatable in the upper space for separating the upper surfaces of the apparatus main bodies from each other, it is possible to increase the separation distance with a slight rotation angle of the sorter. As a result, the amount of protrusion of the sorter from the side wall surface of the main body of the device caused by the rotation can be significantly reduced as compared with the case where the sorter is slid or rotated in the horizontal direction. Can be reduced and safety can be secured.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but merely illustrative examples. Nothing more than.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the overall schematic configuration of a laser printer provided with a sorter.

First, a schematic configuration of various members arranged in the apparatus body will be described.

A photoconductor drum 1 that rotates in the direction of the arrow is disposed in a substantially central portion of the apparatus main body A, and an optical scanning unit 2 that extends horizontally in the space above the photoconductor drum 1 from the exposure position in the paper discharge direction.
Is provided.

Further, around the photosensitive drum 1, a developing device 3, a transfer device 4, a cleaning device main body 5, a charge eliminating lamp 6, a charger 7 and the like are arranged along the rotational direction, and the optical scanning is performed based on a known electrophotographic process. The unit 2 repeatedly visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 1. A lid 21 which is openable around the fulcrum 21a is attached to the upper surface A1 of the developing device 3 so that the toner can be introduced into the developing device 3 by opening the lid 21.

On the other hand, on the side wall surface A2 of the apparatus main body feeding, two storage cassettes 8 and 9 having different recording medium storage sizes and a paper feed unit to which the manual feed mechanism 10 can be attached are formed in parallel in three rows.
Paper feed rollers 11, 12 and 13 are respectively arranged at predetermined positions on the upper surface side, and a recording medium can be fed to the entrance end side of the registration roller 14 via respective feeding paths 15, 16 and 17. To do.

On the other hand, on the downstream side of the transfer device 4, a conveyance guide 18, a fixing unit 19, a paper discharge roller 20, and a guide path 22 for guiding a recording medium to a discharge port 23 are formed.

The guide path 22 is a guide guide 24 extending from the exit end of the paper discharge roller 20 along the apparatus body side wall surface A3 to a position above the apparatus body upper surface A1 while bending the arm in a bow shape, and a midway position on the guide guide 24. It is composed of a roller pair 25 composed of a driving roller and a driven roller, which are arranged at a predetermined distance at the end position, and the recording medium is fed from the discharge port 23 formed at the end side of the guide guide 24 to the cassette 8, 9 mounting side. It is configured so that it can be discharged toward.

As a result, the recording medium inserted on the guide path 22 can be ejected from the ejection port 23 while reversing from the face-up state to the face-down state, and the attachment position of the ejection port 23 is determined from the side wall surface A3 of the apparatus main body. It will be located inside.

Further, the discharge port 23 is formed at a position above the upper surface A1 of the apparatus main body so as to be able to face the sorter inlet end 31 and is separated from the upper face A1 by a predetermined distance, and the cassette mounting side located in front of the discharge port 23 from the opening end of the discharge port 23. The distance to the side wall surface A2 is set to be larger than the total length of the sorter 30 described later, specifically, the distance between the sorter inlet end 31 and the rear end of the bin tray 40.

A sorter 30 is rotatably disposed on the upper surface A1 of the apparatus main body in front of the discharge port 23 via a fixing member 70.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing member 70 is composed of a vertical plate 71 vertically standing in the sorter 30 along the sorter inlet end 31, and a horizontal plate 72 interposed between the sorter 30 and the upper surface A1 of the apparatus main body. The upper end position of the vertical plate 71, that is, the lid 21 on the upper surface A1 side of the apparatus main body
The sorter 30 is rotatably supported about the rotation fulcrum C formed in the upper space position on the inlet side of the sorter 30, which is the farthest away from.

The horizontal plate 72 is in the form of a plate having a thickness approximately equal to that of the legs of the sorter 30, and on the lower side thereof, a key-shaped engagement protrusion 73 engageable with the engagement hole 28 of the apparatus body A and a screw not shown. Part,
The horizontal plate is configured so that it can be fixed to the apparatus main body A side.
An angle regulating plate 74 is rotatably pivotally supported on the upper end of the lid 21 side of 72.

The angle regulation plate 74 is a pin protruding from the wall surface of the sorter housing 32.
It comprises a groove-shaped elongated hole 75 that can be engaged with 32a, and a locking groove 75a formed by extending the upper end side of the elongated hole 75 in an L shape.

The sorter 30 is mounted on the fixing member 70, and a front end side wall surface of the housing 32 extends to a position corresponding to the lid 21, and the housing 32.
A plurality of (five) bin trays 40 stacked in 32,
A conveyance roller 33 disposed on the front end side of the bin tray 40,
A tray guide that guides the recording medium insertion guide 34 formed between the sorter inlet end 31 and the transport roller 33 and the bin tray 40.
Although it is composed of an elevating mechanism (not shown) for sequentially elevating and lowering to the exit end of the transport roller 33 along the 35, such an internal configuration is not the gist of the present invention, and therefore its explanation is omitted. 36 in the figure
Is a handle which is also used as a bin tray support portion for rotating the sorter 30.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The recording medium selectively fed from the storage cassettes 8 and 9 or the manual feed mechanism 10 transfers the image on the photosensitive drum 1 while rotating the registration roller 14 in synchronization with the image end on the photosensitive drum 1. The unfixed toner image carried on the photoconductor drum 1 is transferred by the transfer device 4 to the position.

Then, the recording medium after the transfer of the unfixed toner image is conveyed by the guide 18.
After fixing the image with the fixing unit 19 while passing through the sheet, the sheet is guided by the paper discharge roller 20 into the guide guide 24, and is rotated while being inserted through the guide guide 24 by the rotation of the roller pair 25 to be face down. It is then conveyed to the outlet 23.

Then, the recording medium discharged from the discharge port 23 is conveyed into the sorter 30 from the sorter inlet end 31, and following this, the bin tray 40 is sequentially moved up and down by the moving mechanism,
The recording media are sorted and classified.

When the toner remaining in the developing device 3 becomes less than a predetermined amount and the toner is to be replaced, hold the handle 36 and sort the sorter 30.
Is lifted upwards, the sorter 30 rotates in the direction of the arrow around the rotation fulcrum C, and the pin 32a protruding on the wall surface of the sorter housing 32 is locked along the groove-shaped elongated hole 75. Angle regulating plate until the pin 32a is engaged with the locking groove 75a.
Rotate 74 up and down in the direction of the arrow.

Then, by engaging the pin 32a with the locking groove 75a, the sorter 30 is locked by the angle regulating plate 74, and by opening the lid body 21 in this state, toner can be easily introduced.

When returning the sorter 30 to its original position, the angle regulating plate 74 is rotated in the direction of the arrow to unlock the pin 32a and the locking groove 75a, and then the sorter 30 is moved to the original position in the direction of the arrow. It may be rotated in the direction.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, even if various maintenance processing openings are provided on the upper surface of the apparatus body facing the sorter, there is no limitation to this, and from both side wall surfaces of the apparatus body. Since the sorter can be placed on the upper surface of the main body of the apparatus without the sorter protruding, space saving and downsizing can be achieved, and the weight balance of the entire apparatus main body is not disturbed.

Further, according to the present invention, while the operation space above the various maintenance processing openings can be opened on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body side by the rotation of the sorter, the amount of protrusion of the sorter from the apparatus side wall surface is significantly reduced. This makes it possible to further reduce the installation space and ensure safety.

It has various remarkable effects.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 each show a laser printer provided with a sorter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a rotating mechanism of the sorter. is there.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus in which a sorter for classifying recording media after image fixing is placed on the main body of the apparatus, and an opening for maintenance processing is formed on the upper surface of the main body of the apparatus, which can be opened and closed by a lid if necessary. On the other hand, the sorter is extended to a position where the maintenance operation space above the maintenance processing opening is almost hidden and placed on the apparatus main body, and further provided at a position apart from the maintenance processing opening. An image forming apparatus characterized in that a sorter is configured to be rotatable upward about a rotation fulcrum, and the operation space can be opened by the rotation. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance processing opening is a toner inlet formed on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body and can be opened and closed by a lid. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance processing opening is a recording medium discharge opening formed on the upper surface side of the apparatus main body.