JPH10265099A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a small type and obtain such a neat appearance as an operating-part-free type has at the time of use as a printer. SOLUTION: In a picture forming device provided with a scanner 4 on the upper rear side of a printer 3, a paper stacker 26 opened on the upper front side of a device main body 1 placed paper sheet S discharged upward is formed on the other part of a straight paper discharge port 29 and a manuscript table 34 is selectively supported to the manuscript guide position for sending the manuscript from the front side into the scanner 4 while approaching to the opening of the paper sheet stacker 26 and a discharged paper receiving position for supporting the paper sheet S extended and discharged onto the upper imaginary extension surface of the inner wall 27 of the paper sheet stacker 26 and an operation part is arranged to a position in which the front surface is released widely under the state in which the manuscript 34 stays on the manuscript guide position and a position hidden by a cover under the state in which the manuscript table 34 stays on the discharged paper receiving position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a scanner is provided on a printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recent printer operates in response to an instruction from a personal computer or the like.
There is a tendency that printers do not have an operation unit for receiving a manual operation by an operator. In addition, a conventional printer discharge method includes a face-up discharge in which the paper is discharged in a horizontal direction with the print surface facing upward, and a top surface of the apparatus main body in which the paper is turned upside down in the apparatus main body and the print surface faces downward. There is no face-down paper ejection, but according to the face-down paper ejection, when the printed surface turned downward is turned upside down, the page number is higher, so there is no need to align the pages. In addition, since there is no need to provide a space for paper discharge, the installation area is reduced.

On the other hand, there is an image forming apparatus in which a scanner is provided on a printer and has not only a function as a printer but also a function as a copier or a facsimile. The image forming apparatus is used to accept settings such as the number of copies, paper size, and copy magnification when used as a copier, and input of a destination telephone number when used as a facsimile. An operation unit is provided.

[0004]

An image forming apparatus in which a scanner is provided on a printer requires an operation unit for operating a copy or a facsimile, but when used as a printer, the appearance of the image forming apparatus is less than that of the operation unit. It is required to have a simple design like a single-function printer. In addition, this image forming apparatus is, like a single-function printer, reduced in installation area as a face-down sheet for discharging sheets on the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and is reduced in overall height and downsized as a whole. There is a request.

In the case of face-down paper discharge in this image forming apparatus, the discharged paper is placed obliquely because a scanner is provided at the upper part of the apparatus main body. Is not sufficient.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus in which a scanner is provided on a printer, in which the installation area is reduced, the overall height is reduced, and when the operation section is not operated, such as when used as a printer, the operation section is operated. It is an object to provide an image forming apparatus that can be covered and hidden.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus provided with a scanner section for reading an image from a document at an upper rear portion of a printer section for printing and outputting on a sheet of paper. The paper printed by the printer unit is selectively guided to a straight discharge port or a paper stacker by a discharge port selection mechanism, and is discharged in a substantially horizontal direction from the straight discharge port opened in the front of the apparatus main body. The document is discharged upward from the upstream of the straight discharge port and is placed on a paper stacker that is opened at the front of the upper surface of the apparatus main body. The operation unit is selectively supported by a document guide position for feeding a document and a discharge receiving position for supporting a discharged sheet extended on the virtual extension surface above the back wall of the paper stacker. Is in a state of being positioned a draft table to the document guide position in a state of being positioned a document table is opened wide front to the discharged paper receiving position is arranged in a position covered by the document table.

Therefore, when the upper portion of the sheet stacker is opened when used as a printer, the operation section can be covered by the document table. In order to be used as a scanner, the document table is positioned at the document guide position and the opening of the sheet stacker is opened. When the section is closed, the straight discharge port is selected.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the operation section includes a display section for displaying an operation state of the printer section at a portion not covered by the document table when the document table is located at the paper discharge receiving position.

Therefore, even when the document table covers the operation unit when the operation unit is not used, the operation state of the printer unit can be confirmed from the display contents of the display unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a table support which is formed to protrude upward from both sides of the sheet stacker and supports a document table located at a document guide position, and an upper end of a front wall of the apparatus main body is provided with the table support. It is formed lower than the support.

Therefore, since the sheet stacker is widely opened, the sheet can be easily taken out, and the visibility of a small sheet is improved.

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional side view showing the structure of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, and the left side in FIG. 1 is the front side of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus has a paper transport path 2 in a lower part of the apparatus main body 1. The scanner unit 4 for reading is provided above the printer unit 3.

The printer section 3 includes a latent image forming section 5, a process cartridge 6, and a fixing section 7. First, in the process cartridge 6, a photosensitive member 9 is rotatably provided on a unit body 8 formed in a case shape, and a charging member 10, a developing unit 11, and a transfer unit 12 are arranged around the photosensitive member 9. It is formed by attaching. Developing unit 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a developer container 1 integrally formed with the unit main body 8.
3, a rotatable stirrer 14 for stirring the developer contained in the developer container 13, a developing roller 15 in contact with the photoconductor 9, and a supply roller for supplying the developing roller 15 with the developer. 16 and a blade 17 that is in contact with the developing roller 15.

The latent image forming section 5 includes a process cartridge 6
And forms an electrostatic latent image by scanning a charged portion of the photoconductor 9 with a laser beam modulated based on an image signal.

On the back side of the apparatus main body 1, there is provided a paper feed tray 18 for supporting a document read by the scanner section 4 and for placing a sheet S diagonally. Below the paper feed tray 18, a paper feed roller 1 driven to rotate is provided.
9, a pressing plate 20 urged in one direction to press the sheet S on the sheet feeding tray 18 against the sheet feeding roller 19, and a multi-feed of the sheet S by elastically contacting the sheet feeding roller 19. A separation pad 21 and a pinch roller 22 for blocking are provided. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 1 is mounted on a detachable paper feeder 23, and uses paper in the paper feeder 23 in addition to paper S in the paper feed tray 18. It is possible. The paper supply unit 24 includes the paper supply tray 18, the paper supply roller 19, the pressing plate 20, the separation pad 21, the pinch roller 22, and the paper supply device 23.

The paper feed roller 19, separation pad 21, and pinch roller 22 are arranged on the entrance side of the paper transport path 2.
A bottom path 25 located downstream of the paper feed roller 19 communicates with the paper transport path 2. Paper feeder 2
When the paper in 3 is used, the paper is fed through this bottom pass 25. Further, on the downstream side of the paper transport path 2, a fixing unit 7 for fixing the image transferred on the paper S is provided.
Is arranged.

The apparatus main body 1 has a paper stacker 26 formed above the fixing section 7 and is opened on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1. The back wall of the sheet stacker 26 is a receiving plate 27, which supports the discharged sheet S. As shown in FIG. 4, the receiving plate 27 is formed with a rib 28 for reducing the frictional force between the sheet S and the receiving plate 27, and the printed and discharged sheet S is stuck by static electricity. Has been prevented.

Further, a straight discharge port 29 for discharging the sheet S discharged from the fixing unit 7 in a horizontal direction is formed in a lower part of the front of the apparatus main body 1. The sheet S discharged from the fixing unit 7
And a reverse paper discharge path 30 that guides the paper to the paper stacker 26 is formed. The upper and lower portions of the reverse paper discharge path 30 include:
A pair of paper discharge rollers 31 are arranged, and at a branch point between the reverse paper discharge path 30 and the straight paper discharge port 29,
A switching claw 32, which is a discharge port selection mechanism for switching the discharge direction of the sheet S, is provided rotatably.

The scanner section 4 provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 1 has a reading section 33 for reading an image of a document, and a document table 34 on which a document to be supplied to the reading section 33 is placed. The document table 34 is supported rotatably about a fulcrum shaft 35.

The document table 34 is supported so as to rotate between a document guide position (see FIG. 2) and a paper discharge receiving position (see FIG. 3). The document table 34 located at the document guide position is indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 and is along the document feeding direction of the scanner unit 4. Document table 34
Is configured to be stabilized by the table support 36 at the document guide position.

Document table 34 located at the paper discharge receiving position
Is shown by a virtual line in FIG. The apparatus main body 1 is provided with a stopper (not shown), and the document table 34 is configured to be stabilized at the sheet discharge receiving position by the stopper. When the document table 34 is located at the discharge receiving position,
The back surface of the document table 34 is located on the back wall of the sheet stacker 26, that is, on the virtual extension surface of the receiving plate 27 along the direction in which the sheet S is discharged, and is used as an auxiliary discharge tray.

As shown in FIG. 3, the surface of the document table 34 rotated to the sheet discharge receiving position, which is used as a sheet discharge receiver, has a rib for reducing the frictional force between the sheet S and the back surface of the document table 34. 37 is formed to prevent the printed and discharged paper S from sticking due to static electricity. The front end of the table support 36 is formed so as to be inclined in such a manner as to gradually increase toward the back, and the upper end of the front wall 38 of the apparatus main body 1 is connected to the table support 3.
6, the sheet stacker 26 is widely opened, so that the sheet S can be easily taken out and the visibility of a small sheet is improved.

A panel-shaped operation section 39 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the upper surface of the outer casing of the scanner section 4. When the copy mode is selected, the operation unit 39 sets the number of copies, paper size designation, copy magnification, and the like. It has the function to do. Further, a display unit 40 is provided near one side of the operation unit 39 to indicate an operation state of the printer unit 3 such as a power supply display, an error display, occurrence of a jam, and communication with a personal computer. The operation unit 39 is operated by the document table 34 in a state where the document table 34 is at the paper discharge receiving position.
It is arranged at a position where parts other than the display unit 40 are covered.

In such a configuration, when reading an image of a document, the document is supplied to the reading section 33 while the document table 34 is maintained at a horizontal document guide position as shown in FIG. The image of the supplied document is read by the reading unit 33, and the document is supported on the upper part of the paper feed tray 18 in a leaning state. The read image is transmitted to the outside in the use mode as the facsimile transmission mode, or the sheet S is fed from the sheet feed tray 18 and printed on the sheet S in the use mode as the copy mode.
Alternatively, an externally transmitted image is printed on the paper S in a usage mode as a facsimile reception mode.

When an image is printed on the sheet S, first, the surface of the photoreceptor 9 is charged by the charging member 10 while the photoreceptor 9 is rotated clockwise in FIG. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged portion of the photoconductor 9 by the latent image forming unit 5 based on the image thus formed. This electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing unit 11. The developed image is transferred to the sheet S fed from the sheet tray 18 or the sheet feeding device 23 by the sheet feeding roller 19.
The sheet S to which the image has been transferred is fixed when passing through the fixing unit 7 and is discharged.

The operator can select the discharge direction of the paper S when printing is performed with the original table 34 at the discharge receiving position shown in FIG. here,
Since the overall height of the apparatus main body 1 is reduced, the sheet stacker 26 becomes shallow, and even if the receiving plate 27 alone does not have a sufficient length to support the sheet S, the document table 34 is placed on the virtual extension surface above the receiving plate 27. , The discharged sheet S is supported by the back surface of the document table 34 and the receiving plate 27.

When the original table 34 is rotated to the original guide position shown in FIG. 2, a sensor (not shown) detects that the original table 34 is located at the original guide position, and an unillustrated sensor attached to the switching claw 32. The solenoid is driven, and the switching claw 32 is automatically switched to the straight discharge port 29. Therefore, in a state where the document table 34 is at the document guide position and the sheet stacker 26 is closed, the sheet S is discharged from the straight discharge port 29 regardless of the operator's selection.

It is to be noted that the document table 3
4 and the switching claw 32 may be connected by a connection lever (not shown), and the connection lever may be configured to rotate the switching claw 32 when the document table 34 is rotated.
Even with such a configuration, the switching claw 32 is rotated as the document table 34 is rotated to the document guide position, and the discharge direction of the sheet S is automatically switched to the straight discharge port 29. be able to.

In the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, when only the functions of the printer are used, the operation section 39 can be covered by placing the document table 34 at the discharge receiving position, so that the operation section 39 is neat. Appearance can be. Further, even when the original table 34 remains at the paper discharge receiving position, since the display unit 40 is provided to be close to one side of the operation unit 39, the operation state of the printer unit 3 is confirmed by the display unit 40. (See FIG. 4). Further, by covering the operation unit 39, the operation unit 39 can be protected, such as dust removal and scratch prevention, and can be prevented from being accidentally touched when it is unnecessary.

The display unit 40 is located at the same position as the operation unit 39.
Is provided and information is collected in one place, so that when the operation unit 39 is used, the operation state of the printer can be checked and operated at the same time, which is convenient for the operator.

[0032]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus provided with a scanner section for reading an image from a document on the upper rear side of a printer section for printing out on paper, the paper is fed from a paper feeding section and printed by the printer section. The discharged paper is selectively guided to a straight discharge port or a paper stacker by a discharge port selection mechanism, and is discharged in a substantially horizontal direction from the straight discharge port opened in the front of the apparatus main body, or the straight discharge port. The document that is discharged upward from the upstream side of the printer and is placed on a paper stacker that is opened at the front of the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and the document table is disposed close to the opening of the paper stacker and feeds the document to the scanner unit from the front. The operation section is configured to selectively support the document table and a paper discharge receiving position that extends on the virtual extension surface above the back wall of the paper stacker and supports the discharged paper. When the printer is positioned at the document guide position, the front is wide open, and when the document table is positioned at the paper ejection receiving position, it is located at a position covered by the document table. The operation unit can be covered with the document table when it is opened, so that when used as a printer, it can have a neat appearance like no operation unit, preventing accidental contact with the operation unit when it is not needed It can protect the operation unit as dust removal and scratch prevention, and can reduce the installation area by discharging paper to the paper stacker, and by using the back side of the document table as a paper discharge tray The overall height can be reduced and the document table can be used to Since the straight discharge port is selected when the opening of the mosquito is blocked, it is possible to prevent the paper jam due to misoperation.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the operation unit includes the display unit for displaying the operation state of the printer unit in a portion not covered by the original table when the original table is located at the paper discharge receiving position. Even when the operation unit is covered by the document table when used as a printer, the operation state of the printer unit can be confirmed by the display contents of the display unit.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a table support which is formed so as to protrude upward from both sides of the sheet stacker and supports a document table located at a document guide position. Because it is formed lower than the support, the paper stacker opens widely,
The paper can be easily taken out, and the visibility of small paper can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical right side view showing a structure of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state where a document table is located at a document guide position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a document table is located at a paper discharge receiving position.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a document table is located at a paper discharge receiving position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 apparatus main body 3 printer section 4 scanner section 24 paper feed section 26 paper stacker 27 inner wall of paper stacker 29 straight paper discharge port 32 paper discharge port selection mechanism 34 document table 36 table support 38 front wall of apparatus main body 39 operating section 40 Display S paper

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI G03G 15/00 550 G03G 15/00 550 21/00 386 21/00 386 H04N 1/00 108 H04N 1/00 108B

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus provided with a scanner section for reading an image from a document at an upper rear portion of a printer section for printing out on paper, wherein the printer section is opened at the front of the apparatus main body and fed from a paper feeding section. A straight discharge port for discharging the printed sheet in a substantially horizontal direction, and a sheet that opens at a front portion of the upper surface of the apparatus main body and that is branched from an upstream side of the straight discharge port and discharged upward is placed thereon. A paper stacker to be printed, a paper discharge port selection mechanism for selectively guiding the paper after printing to the straight paper discharge port or the paper stacker, and a paper stacker disposed close to an opening of the paper stacker and from the front of the scanner unit. A document table that is selectively supported at a document guide position for feeding the document and a discharge receiving position that extends on the virtual extension surface above the back wall of the paper stacker and supports the discharged paper. And an operation unit disposed at a position where the front surface is widely opened when the document table is located at the document guide position and covered by the document table when the document table is located at the discharge receiving position. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The operation unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a display unit for displaying an operation state of the printer unit on a portion not covered by the document table when the document table is located at the paper discharge receiving position. Item 2. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1. 3. A table support for projecting upward from both sides of a sheet stacker and supporting a document table located at a document guide position, wherein an upper end of a front wall of the apparatus main body is formed lower than the table support. An image forming apparatus, comprising: