JPH1020596A - Digital image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a paper ejection tray and the like from projecting from a device main body and to reduce the occupying area of a digital image forming device when it is installed by arranging a paper ejection stack part on an engine part and arranging a scanner part thereon when an extension function is added. SOLUTION: When a copying function is defined as a basis and the printer function, the facsimile function and the like are added as necessary, the paper ejection stack part 12 is arranged on the engine part 11 and the scanner part 13 is arranged thereon. Besides, an extension board housing part 41 is arranged between the engine part 11 and the scanner part 13 in parallel with the stack part 12. Then, an extension board related on the printer function, the facsimile function and the like is housed in the housing part 41.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is based on, for example, a copy function, to which a printer function, a facsimile function or the like is added as required, or a copy function, a facsimile function, or the like is added as necessary based on a printer function. The present invention relates to a digital image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a digital image forming apparatus of this type, for example, as shown in FIG.
There was a configuration as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes an engine unit mounted on a base 2. At the lower part of the engine unit 1, paper feed cassettes 3 and 4 are provided in two upper and lower stages so that they can be taken in and out from the front side (right side in FIG. 5). Thus, the basic board storage section 5 is provided on the rear side of the engine section 1, and the scanner section 6 is mounted thereon.

When making a copy with this image forming apparatus, a copy original is set on a contact glass of a scanner section 6 and an image on the copy original is read by operating an operation panel 7 in front of the image forming apparatus. Paper is selectively fed out from one of the paper feed cassettes 3 and 4, a read image is recorded on the fed paper by the engine unit 1, and the recorded paper is attached to a side surface of the engine unit 1 (not shown). Was discharging on top.

In such a conventional digital image forming apparatus, when the functions are extended and a printer function or a facsimile function is added in addition to the basic copying function, 1) as shown by a chain line in FIG. An extension board storage section 8 is provided on the rear side of the basic board storage section 5 so as to store extension boards for printer functions and facsimile functions. 2) Alternatively, one of the paper feed cassettes 3 and 4 is crushed and the expansion board is stored therein. 3) Further or additionally, the expansion board is stored in a bank purchased by the user as an option.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional digital image forming apparatus, even when only the basic functions are provided, the paper discharge tray protrudes from the side surface of the apparatus main body.
There is a problem that the occupied area becomes large when installed.

When the functions are extended, the above 1)
Then, the extension board storage section 8
There is a problem in that the occupied area increases when installed, since the layers are provided in an overlapping manner. In the above 2), one of the sheet cassettes 3 and 4 is crushed, so that there is a problem that the sheet feeding capacity is reduced. In the above 3), there is a problem that the expense of the user increases because the bank must be purchased together with the expansion board.

In a conventional digital image forming apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, when a copy function or a facsimile function is added to a printer function as a basic function, a scanner unit 6 is mounted on a rack 9. Some devices are configured to be supported on the apparatus main body.

[0008] However, in this type of digital image forming apparatus, when the functions are similarly expanded, an expansion board storage section is similarly provided on the rear side of the basic board storage section 5 (not shown) to expand the functions. A board is stored, or one of the paper feed cassettes 3 and 4 is crushed to store an expansion board there. For this reason, there has been a similar problem as described above.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a digital image forming apparatus for adding an extended function to a basic function as required, as shown in the following embodiments, for example. At the time of addition, engine part 1
1, an output stack unit 12 is provided, a scanner unit 13 is provided thereon, and an extension board storage unit 41 is provided between the engine unit 11 and the scanner unit 13 in parallel with the output stack unit 12; It is characterized in that an extension board related to an extension function is stored therein.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the digital image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a printer function is added to a copy function on the basis of a copy function, as shown in the following embodiments of FIGS. At this time, the expansion board storage section 41 stores an expansion board related to a printer function.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a digital image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect has a facsimile function based on a copy function, as shown in the following embodiments of FIGS. When adding, an extension board for facsimile function is accommodated in the extension board accommodation section 41.

As described above, according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, when the functions are expanded, the expansion board storage section 41 formed between the engine section 11 and the scanner section 13 in parallel with the sheet discharge stack section 12 is provided. , For storing expansion boards related to expanded functions.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of an internal mechanism of an electrophotographic digital image forming apparatus that is based on a copy function and adds a printer function and a facsimile function as needed. Symbol 1 in the figure
Reference numeral 0 denotes an apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. Device body 10
Is provided with a discharge stack unit 12 on an engine unit 11 and a scanner unit 13 thereon.

First, a recording unit 1 for transferring an image formed on a photoreceptor 15 and recording the image on a sheet is provided in the engine unit 11.
6, a fixing unit 17 for fixing an image on a sheet recorded by the recording unit 16, a sheet discharging unit 18 for discharging the sheet fixed by the fixing unit 17 to the sheet discharging stack unit 12, a recording unit 16 and a fixing unit. 17 is provided below the switchback unit 1 after fixing.
9, a reversing unit 20 for reversing and feeding the recording paper 16 again to the recording unit 16, a paper cassette 21 removably stored under the reversing unit 20, and a recording unit for feeding the paper fed from the paper cassette 21. A paper supply unit 22 for supplying paper to the P.16 is provided.

The paper discharge stack unit 12 is provided with paper discharge trays 24 and 25 for receiving the paper discharged from the paper discharge unit 18 in two upper and lower stages.

The scanner unit 13 includes a known document reading optical mechanism 27 therein, a contact glass 28 on which a document to be read is placed on the upper surface, and an openable / closable pressing plate 29 for holding the document on the contact glass 28. Is provided.

In the apparatus main body 10 as described above, a manual paper feed tray 31 is provided on the right side, and a face-up paper discharge tray 32 is provided on the left side so as to be freely opened and closed as necessary.

The apparatus main body 10 is mounted on a bank 34 and installed. The bank 34 is provided with paper cassettes 35 and 36 in two upper and lower stages, and a bank paper feed unit 37 that communicates with the paper feed unit 22 of the apparatus main body 10. On the lower surface, casters 38 are attached at four corners.

When making a copy using this digital image forming apparatus, the pressing plate 29 is opened, a document is set on the contact glass 28, the pressing plate 29 is closed, and the document is pressed. Then, an image on the document is read by the document reading optical mechanism 27 by operating an operation panel (not shown), and the recording unit 16 performs charging, writing, and development to form the read image on the photoconductor 15.

On the other hand, three sheet cassettes 21.35.3
6, the paper is fed out selectively from one of
To the recording unit 16, and the read image formed on the photoconductor 15 is transferred and recorded on the paper.

Thereafter, the recording image on the sheet is fixed by the fixing unit 17, and in the case of single-sided recording, the image is discharged as it is onto the appropriate discharge trays 24 and 25 of the discharge stack unit 12 through the discharge unit 18. In the case of double-sided recording, the document is sent to the reversing unit 20,
The paper is fed back to the recording unit 16 from the middle of the paper feeding unit 22, the recording is performed on the back surface of the paper, and the paper is discharged to the paper discharge stack unit 12.

When making a copy on thick paper such as a postcard,
The face-up discharge tray 32 is opened together with the manual paper feed tray 31, thick paper is set on the manual paper feed tray 31, and the recording unit 16 is similarly operated by operating an operation panel (not shown).
To the fixing unit 17 where the read image is recorded.
Then, the sheet is discharged onto the face-up sheet discharge tray 32.

As described above, in the illustrated digital image forming apparatus, as shown by arrows in FIG.
The paper is fed out from the paper feed tray 36 or the manual feed tray 31, and the fed-out paper is conveyed from the paper feeding unit 22 to the fixing unit 17 through the recording unit 16. The sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge section 18 to the sheet discharge stack section 12 through the fixing section 17 or is discharged straight onto the face-up sheet discharge tray 32.

In this digital image forming apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, a basic board storage section 40 is provided at the rear side of the engine section 11 in parallel with the engine section 11, and an extension board for driving relation and copy function relation is provided therein. To store. As shown in FIG. 2, an extension board storage unit 41 is provided between the engine unit 11 and the scanner unit 13 at the rear side of the discharge stack unit 12 in parallel with the stack unit. Note that reference numeral 4 in FIG.
3 and 44 are front and rear side plates of the engine unit 11, 45 is a rear plate of the paper discharge stack unit 12, and 46 is a left and right side which is attached to the engine unit 11 and supports the scanner unit 13 together with the paper discharge stack unit 12 with the rear plate 45. Post.

When a printer function is added in addition to the basic copying function, for example, an expansion board related to a printer function is stored in the expansion board storage unit 41. When a facsimile function is added, a facsimile function related board is stored. Store the expansion board.

Thus, in the illustrated digital image forming apparatus, when the extended function is added, the paper discharge stack unit 12 is provided on the engine unit 11 and the scanner unit 13 is provided thereon.
The occupied area when the apparatus is installed can be reduced without the paper ejection tray or the like protruding from the apparatus main body 10. In addition, when the extension function is added, the extension board storage unit 4 is disposed between the engine unit 11 and the scanner unit 13 in parallel with the sheet discharge stack unit 12.
1 is provided, that is, a space exceeding the sheet width of the sheets to be stacked on the sheet discharge stack section 12 is effectively used as the expansion board storage section 41, and expansion functions related to expansion functions are stored therein. At times, the occupied area when installed can be kept small.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when a printer function is added to a digital image forming apparatus based on a copy function as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. It is characterized in that an expansion board for printer functions is stored in the unit 41.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital image forming apparatus based on a copy function as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein an extension board is provided when a facsimile function is added thereto. An extension board for facsimile function is stored in the storage section 41.

In the above-described embodiment, the digital image forming apparatus having a copy function as a basic function and a printer function, a facsimile function, and the like added as necessary to expand the function has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a digital image forming apparatus, and the invention according to claim 1 is based on a printer function, such as a copy function and a facsimile function, if necessary, as in the digital image forming apparatus shown in FIG. Can also be applied to a digital image forming apparatus whose function can be extended.

For example, the digital image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is based on a printer function, and when the function is extended and a copy function or a facsimile function is added, the engine section 11 is changed as shown in FIG. Engine part 11
A scanner unit 13 is mounted on the sheet stack 12 with the sheet stack unit 12 interposed therebetween, and an extension board storage unit provided between the engine unit 11 and the scanner unit 13 in parallel with the sheet stack unit 12 to extend the relation of copy function and facsimile function. Store the board.

[0031]

Therefore, according to the first to third aspects of the present invention, when the extended function is added, the paper discharge stack is provided on the engine and the scanner is provided thereon, so that the paper is discharged from the apparatus main body. The occupied area when the device is installed can be reduced without the tray or the like protruding. In addition, when the extension function is added, an extension board storage section is provided between the engine section and the scanner section in parallel with the discharge stack section, that is, a space exceeding the width of the paper stacked on the discharge stack section is used as the extension board storage section. Since the expansion board is effectively used and an expansion function-related expansion board is stored therein, even when an expansion function is added, the occupied area when installed can be kept small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall schematic configuration of an electrophotographic digital image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view showing an arrangement relationship between a sheet discharge stack unit and an expansion board storage unit with respect to the apparatus main body.

FIG. 3 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of an internal mechanism of the digital image forming apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a digital image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an overall schematic configuration of a conventional digital image forming apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the overall schematic configuration of another conventional digital image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Apparatus main body 11 Engine part 12 Paper discharge stack part 13 Scanner part 41 Expansion board storage part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A digital image forming apparatus for adding an extended function to a basic function as needed, wherein, when the extended function is added, a discharge stack unit is provided on an engine unit, a scanner unit is provided thereon, and the discharge unit is provided. A digital image forming apparatus comprising: an extension board storage section provided between the engine section and the scanner section in parallel with a stack section, and an extension board related to an extension function is stored therein. 2. The digital image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a printer function is added to a copy function as a basis, an expansion board related to a printer function is stored in the expansion board storage section. 3. The digital image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a facsimile function is added to a copy function as a basic function, an expansion board for facsimile function is stored in the expansion board storage unit.