JPH11194565A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device requiring no space for installing a light source on an intra-barrel paper discharge section and capable of improving the paper discharge visibility of the intra-barrel paper discharge section without deteriorating the workability for extracting jammed or discharged paper sheets by the light source. SOLUTION: This image forming device is provided with an image reading light source 302 arranged in the housing of a scanner section 3 and a light transmission section 309 arranged on the bottom plate 3A of the housing of the scanner section 3 and transmitting the light of the light source 302 to a paper discharge section 4. The light transmission section 309 covered with a light transmitting member at the opening is provided on the bottom plate 3A of the scanner section 3. When the image reading light source 302 provided in the scanner section 3 is lighted, the light from the light source 302 illuminates a paper discharge section 4 via the light transmission section 309, and the paper sheets recorded by copying actions or facsimile reception and discharged from the paper discharge section 4 are made easily visible, thereby improving the visibility of the paper discharge section 4 by utilizing the image reading light source 302.

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 such as a copying machine and a facsimile, and more particularly, to a space between a document reading section and an image forming section, which serves as an internal discharge section, in an apparatus housing. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus provided with an in-body paper discharge section of the above-mentioned type is already well known. In this type of image forming apparatus, since a paper discharge section for stocking the paper on which an image is formed is provided in the body, there is no paper discharge section protruding from the apparatus body to the side, and the occupied area of the apparatus is significantly reduced. There is an advantage that can be. However, if the paper ejection is provided inside the cylinder, there is a problem that the paper ejection portion is dark, and particularly in the case of a facsimile, there is a fear that the user may not notice that the received paper is being ejected.

In order to solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
No. 3,339,107 discloses that a lamp (light source) is provided at a paper discharge portion in a drum.
Is disclosed to improve the visibility of the discharged paper.

[0004]

However, in the case of the image forming apparatus described in the above publication, a light source is installed in the in-body paper discharge section, so that no space for installation is provided in the in-body paper discharge section area. In addition, there is a problem that the discharged paper hits the installed light source and jams. Further, there is a problem that the light source becomes an obstacle when taking out the discharged paper, and the workability for taking out the discharged paper is remarkably reduced.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems,
A space for installing a light source is not required in the in-body discharge unit, and the discharge visibility of the in-body discharge unit can be improved without reducing the workability of taking a jam due to the light source and the discharged sheet. It is an object to provide an image forming apparatus.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a document reading unit at an upper position of an apparatus main body and an image forming unit at a lower position of the apparatus main body.
In an image forming apparatus in which a space serving as an internal paper discharge unit is provided in an apparatus housing between the document reading unit and the image forming unit, a light source provided in a housing of the document reading unit; And a light transmitting means for transmitting the light of the light source provided on the paper discharge unit space side of the housing of the unit.

According to the present invention, the light source provided in the housing of the document reading section is a document reading light source.
It is effective. Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the document reading light source is mounted on a traveling body that runs and moves when scanning the document.

Still further, according to the present invention, when the light source is automatically turned on when a sheet is discharged to the internal discharge section,
It is effective. Furthermore, the present invention is effective when a detecting means for detecting approach of a person is provided in the image forming apparatus main body and the light source is turned on when the detecting means detects a person.

Further, the present invention is effective when the light source is turned off after a predetermined time has elapsed after being turned on. Furthermore, the present invention is effective when the document reading light source is turned on after the traveling body has moved to the vicinity of the light transmitting means.

Further, the present invention is effective when the traveling body is moved to a document reading start position when a set of a document to be read is detected when the traveling body is located near the light transmitting means. It is.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. An image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an apparatus main body 101, a paper feed table 103 optionally mounted on a lower portion of the apparatus main body 101, and an automatic document feeder also optionally mounted on an upper surface of the apparatus main body 101. (Hereinafter, ADF) 102. This image forming apparatus 10
Reference numeral 0 denotes a so-called digital multifunction peripheral that has both the functions of a copier and a printer and the function of a facsimile, and converts image information (optical signal) of a read document into an electric signal to form an image.

An image forming section 1 is disposed substantially at the center of the apparatus main body 101, and a sheet feeding section 2 is located below the image forming section 1.
Also, a scanner unit 3 as a document reading unit is arranged at the top of the main body. A space is provided between the scanner unit 3 and the image forming unit 1 as shown in FIG.
This space is configured as an in-body paper discharge unit 4. The conventional image forming apparatus is configured as a wing type in which a paper discharge tray is protruded to the side of the apparatus. However, the apparatus main body 101 in the present embodiment utilizes an image forming unit 1 and a scanner Is separated, and a wingless system is achieved by forming a paper discharge space between the two, thereby realizing a space-saving image forming apparatus having no protrusion on the side of the apparatus.

In the apparatus main body 101, the image forming section 1 is configured as a conventionally known electrophotographic print engine, and incorporates a laser writing device (not shown), electrophotographic process means, a fixing device, and the like. The paper feed unit 2 has a two-stage paper feed cassette 21 and supplies recording paper to the image forming unit 1. Each cassette 21 is a front loading type that draws out to the front side of the apparatus and replenishes paper.
A drawer handle is provided at the center of the front of the cassette.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the scanner unit 3 has a contact glass 301 disposed on the upper surface thereof, and a scanner unit 3 below which a light source 302 and a first mirror 303 are mounted as a scanner unit. One carriage 304, a second carriage 306 on which a roof mirror 305 is mounted, and a CCD as a photoelectric conversion element
And a lens 307 that forms an image at 308. Usually, the first carriage 304 and the second carriage 306
When the reading of the document is started at the home position shown in FIG. 6, the document runs in the direction of the arrow at a different speed.
The inside paper discharge unit 4 is surrounded by three walls except the front surface, that is, the left and right sides and the back side of the apparatus in FIG. 1, and further surrounded by the scanner unit 3 and the image forming unit 1. A discharge tray 41 is provided at the lowermost portion of the in-body discharge unit 4. The discharge tray 41 is formed or installed on the upper surface of the image forming unit 1. In FIG.
A paper conveyance path (not shown) is provided in the left paper ejection unit side wall 45, and the paper on which recording has been performed by the image forming unit 1 is discharged from a position slightly below the center of the side wall 45 in the height direction. The paper is discharged onto the paper tray 41. If a paper discharge switching mechanism is provided at an appropriate position of the paper transport path in the side wall 45, a plurality of auxiliary trays can be mounted above the paper discharge tray 41 to discharge the paper.

The ADF 102 is mounted on the upper part of the main body 101 by a hinge (not shown) provided on the back side of the apparatus.
It is installed so as to cover the contact glass on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3 so that it can be opened and closed and closed. Since the configuration and operation of the ADF 102 are the same as those of the conventional ADF, detailed description is omitted, but a bundle of documents (not shown) set on the document table 71 is placed on the contact glass one by one from below. The document that has been conveyed and has been read and scanned by the scanner unit 3 is discharged onto the document discharge tray 72. The ADF 102 can be used as a pressure plate for copying that does not rely on automatic paper feeding, or for copying a book or notebook. When the optional ADF 102 is not mounted, a pressure plate for pressing a document on the contact glass is mounted on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3.

The paper feed table 103 has a two-stage paper feed cassette, similar to the paper feed section 2 of the main body 101. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, a paper feeding unit is configured by a total of four paper feed cassettes. It is also possible to change the upper cassette of the main body paper feed unit 2 to an automatic double-sided unit (double-sided tray) to enable double-sided copying.

Here, the copying operation in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be briefly described with reference to an example in which the ADF 102 is used as a pressure plate. ADF102
Is released, and the original is placed on the contact glass on the upper surface of the scanner unit 3. After the ADF 102 is closed, the number of copies and the like are specified by the operation unit described later, and the start button is pressed. Then, reading of the document by the scanner unit is started, and the image information of the read document is digitized by photoelectric conversion and subjected to image processing. An image is formed in the image forming unit 1 based on the processed signal, and a visible image (toner image) is transferred to a sheet fed from the main unit feeding unit 2 or the sheet feeding cassette 21 of the sheet feeding table 103. You. The toner image transferred onto the paper is fixed by a fixing device, and is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 41 of the paper discharge unit 4. Since the image formation by the electrophotographic method in the image forming unit 1 is well known, the description is omitted.

When the image forming apparatus 100 is used as a facsimile, the original set on the ADF 102 is read by the scanner unit 3 and transmitted. Then, when recording the received image information, the image forming unit 1 records the sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit 2 and discharges the sheet onto the discharge tray 41.

Since the discharged paper on the paper discharge tray 41 is an in-body discharge type image forming apparatus, only the front side thereof is opened. There is a problem that it is difficult to see.

Therefore, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a light transmitting section 309 is provided as a light transmitting means, the opening formed in the bottom plate 3A of the scanner section 3 being covered with a light transmitting member. In this case, the light transmitting member is formed of a transparent or translucent plastic, glass, or the like. Also,
The light transmitting portion 309 of this example is provided at a position substantially corresponding to the center of the paper discharge unit 4 so that the visibility of the entire area of the paper discharge unit 4 is improved.

The image forming apparatus 100 thus configured
Since the light transmission unit 309 whose opening is covered with a light transmission member is provided on the bottom plate 3A of the scanner unit 3, if the image reading unit light source 302 provided in the scanner unit 3 is turned on,
The light from the light source illuminates the paper discharge unit 4 via the light transmitting unit 309, and the paper recorded by the copy operation or the facsimile discharged to the paper discharge unit 4 can be easily visually recognized. Thus, the visibility of the paper discharge unit 4 can be improved using the image reading unit light source 302.

The image reading unit light source 302 moves to the right of the home position at the left end of the drawing shown in FIG. Therefore, the image reading unit light source 3
02 is usually located at its home position. As described above, when the image reading unit light source 302 is used to illuminate the sheet discharging unit 4, the light transmitting unit 3 is positioned at the home position.
Even if the light source is turned on at the home position, it is difficult to illuminate the entire area of the paper discharge unit 4 properly.

In this embodiment, when one sheet or a series of copies or the like is completed and the sheet P is discharged to the sheet discharging section 4, FIG.
As shown in (5), the image reading unit light source 302 is moved to the vicinity of the light transmitting unit 309 at substantially the center and turned on. In this way, the entire area of the paper discharge unit 4 can be illuminated satisfactorily, and at this time, since the image reading operation has already been completed in the copy operation and the facsimile reading operation, the movement of the image reading unit light source 302 is changed to the reading operation. Will not interfere with In this way, by turning on the image reading unit light source 302 after the sheet is discharged, the visibility of the discharged sheet is improved, and the sheet takeout property is improved. Further, it is possible to notify a user who is away from the apparatus of the discharge of the sheet. This function is particularly useful when receiving a facsimile.

The light of the image reading unit light source 302 is
It is also preferable to turn off the light after a predetermined time has elapsed from the viewpoint of preventing unnecessary power consumption. The setting of the fixed time can be arbitrarily set from the device operation unit.

The control of the movement of the first carriage 304 of the scanner unit 3 and the turning on of the light source 302 of the image reading unit
For the light-off control, a sensor is provided on the paper output tray 41 of the paper output unit 4,
At this time, the image reading unit light source 302 can be effectively turned on based on the presence or absence of a sheet in the sheet discharging unit 4, so that power saving can be achieved. Further, when the image forming system for copying or facsimile has completed a series of operations and there is paper on the paper output tray 41, the image reading operation has also been completed, so that the visibility of the paper output unit 4 is improved. The paper 4 can be illuminated.

When a series of copying and facsimile operations are completed and the image reading unit light source 302 is turned on to illuminate the paper discharge unit 4 and the next copying and facsimile transmission operations are performed, for example, AD shown in FIG.
When the main body 72 of the F102 is opened and closed,
When a document stack is detected on the document placement unit 71, the light source 302 is turned off, and the first carriage 304 returns to a predetermined home position to prepare for the next image reading operation.

With this configuration, the image reading unit light source 3
It is possible to prevent the operability from being lowered by moving the sheet 02 to the center and illuminating the sheet discharge unit 4. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the light source 302 is configured to be turned on for a certain period of time after discharging the sheet P and then turned off. Therefore, if the light source 302 is turned off after a certain period of time without noticing that the sheet P has been discharged, a problem occurs in visibility when the sheet is subsequently taken out.

Therefore, when a person approaches the apparatus main body 101, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the approach of a person is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 101, and when the sensor detects the person, the sensor is again turned on. The light source 302 is turned on to illuminate the paper discharge unit 4.

With this configuration, the light source 302 is turned on by a person approaching even if there is a paper discharge that the user does not notice, so that the visibility can be improved. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the image reading unit light source 302 is used as a light source for illuminating the paper discharge unit 4. However, a dedicated light source for illuminating the paper discharge unit 4 is provided in the scanner unit 3, and the light transmission unit 309 is provided. It is also possible to illuminate via the. In this case, the cost for separately providing a light source is required, but it is not necessary to control the movement of the carriage, and it is possible to prevent the light source from interfering with taking out the sheet.

Although it is difficult for the light transmitting section 309 to prevent dust from entering the scanner section 3, the light transmitting section 309 may be configured with only an opening without providing a light transmitting member. Furthermore, the size, position, and the like of the light transmitting portion 309 are arbitrary.

By the way, since the paper discharge unit 4 is surrounded by the device housing except for the front surface, the inside of the paper discharge unit space, especially the inside of the device, is dark. For this reason, by providing a window for taking out light or a notch on the side other than the side where the sheet transport path to the sheet discharging section 4 is provided, the brightness in the sheet discharging section 4 can be secured. By taking advantage of the characteristics, when the side surface other than the front surface of the device is perfectly arranged on a wall, other furniture, equipment, or the like, the effect of lighting is not exhibited.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to selectively use the provision of a window or a notch for lighting, and the illumination by a light source provided in the scanner section 3. That is, if the light-taking effect cannot be expected,
Is illuminated by a light source provided in the scanner unit 3, and when the effect of taking light is obtained, the illumination by the light source may be turned off.

[0034]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a means for transmitting light from a light source provided in an image reading unit housing located above an inner discharge section of the inner discharge type image forming apparatus. So
Light from the image reading unit light source can be guided to the paper discharge unit, and poor visibility of the internal discharge unit can be improved. Further, it is not necessary to provide a light source for illumination in the paper discharge unit, so that space saving and cost reduction can be achieved.

According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, since the paper discharge section is illuminated by the image reading section light source, it is not necessary to separately use a light source dedicated to the discharge section illumination. Become.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the paper is discharged into the paper discharge section, the light source holding traveling body automatically moves to the vicinity of the light transmitting means and turns on the light source, so that the user turns on the light source. It saves time and makes it easy to notice that the paper has been ejected by lighting.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the device is provided with a detecting means for detecting the approach of a person, and the light source is turned on when the approach of the person is detected. By turning on the light only when a person approaches to take out the paper, unnecessary power consumption can be prevented.

According to the configuration of claim 6, the illuminated light source is extinguished after a predetermined time, so that unnecessary power consumption can be prevented. According to the configuration of the seventh aspect, even when the paper discharge unit is illuminated by using the light source mounted on the traveling body, the paper is turned on in accordance with the position of the light transmitting unit.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, after the user finishes discharging the paper, the copying operation or the facsimile transmission operation is performed. Therefore, as soon as the original is set, the light source returns to the home position and is ready for the user operation. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the scanner unit.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory side sectional view showing a paper discharge unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory front sectional view showing a scanner unit and a paper discharge unit of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory front view showing a state where a light source is turned on at an illumination position.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory front view showing a state where the light source is at a home position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming part 3 Scanner part 4 Paper discharge part 101 Device main body 302 Light source 304 First carriage 309 Light transmission part

Claims (8)

[Claims] An original reading unit at an upper position of the apparatus main body;
An image forming apparatus in which an image forming unit is arranged at a lower position of an apparatus main body and a space serving as an in-body discharge unit is provided in an apparatus housing between the document reading unit and the image forming unit. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a light source provided in a housing of a reading unit; and a light transmitting unit provided on a paper discharge unit space side of the housing of the document reading unit and transmitting light of the light source. . 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a light source provided in a housing of said document reading unit is a document reading light source. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light source for reading the original is mounted on a traveling body that runs and runs when scanning the original. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is automatically turned on when paper is discharged to the internal discharge unit. Image forming device. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit configured to detect a person approaching the image forming apparatus main body, wherein when the detection unit detects a person, An image forming apparatus, wherein the light source is turned on. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source is turned off when a predetermined time elapses after the light source is turned on. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the light source for document reading is turned on, the traveling body moves to a position near the light transmitting means when the light source is away from the position of the light transmitting means. An image forming apparatus, which is turned on later. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an installation position of the light transmitting unit is provided apart from a document reading start position of the traveling body, and the traveling body is located near the light transmitting unit. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that, when the setting of a document to be read is detected, the traveling body moves to a document reading start position.