JP2004238181A - Image forming apparatus with sheet stacking device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet discharged to a sheet stacking device provided on an upper part of an image forming apparatus is easily checked and easily taken out.
An image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device is provided with an ejection roller (118) for ejecting a sheet on which an image is formed by an image forming unit (121) from the near side to the back side of an operator at an upper part of an apparatus main body (122). 100, a reversing roller 201 that receives a sheet discharged by the discharging roller 118 and reversely feeds the sheet from the back side to the near side, and a sheet that is reversely fed by the reversing roller 201 are selectively disposed on the upper part of the apparatus main body 122 of the apparatus 100. A sheet stacking apparatus 200 including a plurality of bin trays 241, 242, and 243 stacked on a sheet tray, and flappers 232 and 233 that guide sheets fed reversely by the reversing roller 201 to the selected bin tray, with the bin trays facing forward. It is placed.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet stacking device, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus equipped with a sheet stacking device that makes it easy to check a sheet discharged to a discharged sheet stacking unit on which the discharged sheet is stacked and to easily take out the sheet.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction peripherals that form images on sheets, when the operation position of the apparatus is set to the near side (the operation direction of the apparatus), There are a form in which the sheet is discharged to the back side, a form in which the sheet is discharged from the back side to the front side, a form in which the sheet is discharged from the left side to the right side, and a form in which the sheet is discharged from the right side to the left side.
[0003]
Here, the operation direction of the image forming apparatus refers to the operation of the operation unit (the part where the operation screen, the operation keys and the like are arranged) of the image forming apparatus, the paper feed cassette for storing sheets as transfer paper, and the like. In particular, it mainly refers to the side where the user faces the image forming apparatus. Usually, the operation unit is present near the facing side, and the image forming apparatus is installed with the facing side toward the near side.
[0004]
Many image forming apparatuses having a sheet stacking device on an upper portion have been proposed. The sheet stacking device includes a plurality of bin trays on which sheets are sorted and stacked. However, all of the sheet stacking apparatuses are disposed at the top of an image forming apparatus that discharges a sheet from the back side of the operation unit to the front side, discharges the sheet from the left side to the right side, and discharges the sheet from the right side to the left side. Sheet stacking device.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The conventional image forming apparatus 900 shown in FIG. 7 includes a sheet from a sheet cassette 914, a photosensitive drum 911 having a toner image formed by exposure of an exposure control unit 910 and toner development of a developing unit 913, and a transfer unit 916. After that, the toner image is transferred to the sheet by the transfer unit 916, then fixed by the fixing unit 917, and the sheet is discharged from the discharge roller 918. Note that, in the image forming apparatus 900 illustrated in FIG. 7, the near side is a side indicated by a reference sign F, and the far side is a side indicated by a reference sign R.
[0006]
In this case, the sheet is discharged from the near side where the operation unit 920 is located to the far side. As described above, the image forming apparatus 900 that discharges a sheet from the near side to the far side has an advantage that the length of the sheet conveying path 921 is short, and the apparatus main body 922 can be made compact at low cost. Further, since the sheet conveying path 921 is located on the front side of the apparatus main body 922, the jam sheet processing can be easily performed. Such an advantage is particularly noticeable in an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a substantially vertical sheet.
[0007]
However, an image forming apparatus in which a sheet stacking apparatus is disposed above an image forming apparatus having such a configuration has not been proposed so far. Further, even if a conventional sheet stacking apparatus is simply arranged in the discharge direction of an image forming apparatus that discharges a sheet from the near side to the back side, the image forming apparatus with the sheet stacking apparatus is not a sheet stacking apparatus. The sheet discharged to the bin tray of the above was inferior in visibility and was difficult to take out the sheet, and could not be handled as a product.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus including a plurality of sheet stacking units on which ejected sheets are stacked, and which is equipped with a sheet stacking device that allows easy confirmation of the ejected sheets and easy removal.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device is configured to discharge a sheet, on which an image is formed by an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, from a near side of an operator to a far side opposite to the near side. Reverse feeding means for receiving the sheet discharged by the sheet discharging means on the upper part of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus provided with the discharging means at the upper part of the apparatus main body, and feeding the sheet backward from the back side to the front side And a plurality of discharged sheet stacking means on which the sheet conveyed backward by the reverse conveying means is selectively stacked, and guiding the sheet conveyed backward by the reverse conveying means to the selected discharged sheet stacking means. And a sheet stacking device provided with a guide unit, with the discharged sheet stacking unit facing forward.
[0010]
The image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device of the present invention further includes a sheet feeding unit that discharges the sheet from the back side to the near side on the back side of the discharge sheet stacking unit.
[0011]
In the image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device of the present invention, a plurality of the discharged sheet stacking units are vertically arranged.
[0012]
In the image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device of the present invention, the reverse feeding unit is located below the lowermost sheet stacking unit.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus with a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and the like of the components described in the following embodiments are to be appropriately changed depending on the configuration and various conditions of the device to which the present invention is applied, and particularly specific descriptions are given. Unless otherwise, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto.
[0014]
The front of the image forming apparatus or the direction of the operation unit refers to an operation unit (a part where an operation screen, operation keys and the like are arranged) of the image forming apparatus and a sheet such as a paper feed cassette for storing transfer paper. Is mainly the side that the user is expected to meet. Normally, the operation unit is located near the side surface, and the image forming apparatus is installed with the side surface as the near side. It is assumed that the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment has the operation unit on the front side and is installed with the surface facing the front side. The front side is specifically a side indicated by reference numeral F in FIG. 1, and the back side is a side indicated by reference numeral R in FIG.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of, for example, an image forming apparatus system which is an image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus with the sheet stacking device in which the sheet stacking device 200 is mounted on the upper portion of the image forming device 100 forms an image forming device system 300, so to speak.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit 121 that forms an image on a sheet such as a sheet of paper, for example, an image forming unit 121, and an operation unit 120 that allows a user to operate the entire apparatus. The sheet P is discharged to an upper portion of the forming section 121.
[0017]
The operation unit 120 includes operation keys, an operation screen, and the like (not shown). The user can view the operation screen of the operation unit 120, select an operation key, and select the size of the sheet set in the cassette 114. When the amount of the developer in the developing device 113 becomes low, a replenishment message notifying a user to replenish the developer is displayed on the operation unit. The operation unit 120 is provided at a position off the lower side of the bin trays 241, 242, and 243 described later. Therefore, the operation unit 120 is not hidden behind the bin tray and is hard to see or operate.
[0018]
Further, a sheet stacking apparatus 200 for selectively sorting and stacking the sheets discharged from the image forming unit 121 is provided above the image forming unit 121.
[0019]
The image data is sent from an external computer (not shown) to the exposure control unit 110. Exposure control section 110 outputs laser light according to the image signal. The laser beam is applied to the photosensitive drum 111 to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 111. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 111 is developed by the developing device 113 to become a toner image. The transfer unit 116 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 111 to a sheet fed from the cassette 114.
[0020]
The sheet to which the toner image has been transferred is fixed with the toner image by the fixing device 117. The sheet that has passed through the fixing device 117 is guided to a sheet discharge unit, for example, a discharge roller 118. The discharge roller 118 is provided at an upper portion of the apparatus main body 122 of the image forming apparatus 100, and discharges the sheet from the front side to the back side with the surface on which the toner image is transferred downward (face down).
[0021]
The sheet discharged from the discharge roller 118 is sent to a sheet stacking device 200 described later. The sheet stacking apparatus 200 discharges and stacks sheets to a selected bin tray among, for example, a plurality of bin trays 241, 242, and 243, which are discharge sheet stacking means.
[0022]
The image forming apparatus 100 includes a motor M1 (not shown) that drives a paper feed roller 115, a registration roller 112, a fixing device 117, and a discharge roller 118.
[0023]
The sheet stacking apparatus 200 includes, for example, a reversing roller 201 that is a reverse feeding unit that is rotated by a motor M2 (not shown), a first transport roller 211, a second transport roller 212, and a third transport roller that are rotated by a motor M3 (not shown). 213, for example, a first discharge roller 221, a second discharge roller 222, and a third discharge roller 223 which are sheet feeding means. The sheet stacking device 200 further includes a first bin tray 241, a second bin tray 242, and a third bin tray 243 for stacking sheets in order from the bottom. The sheet stacking apparatus 200 further includes a reversing path 261 for guiding a reversing sheet, an entrance sensor 251 for detecting the sheet, and a reversing sensor 252. The reversing path 261 is disposed at the lowermost part of the sheet stacking device 200, that is, below the lowermost first bin tray 241.
[0024]
FIGS. 2 to 6 are cross-sectional views of the sheet stacking device 200 disposed above the image forming apparatus 100.
[0025]
When image formation is completed by the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet passing through the discharge roller 118 turns on the entrance sensor 251 of the sheet writing apparatus 200 (see FIG. 2), for example, the first switching flapper 231 and the guide means are provided. The second switching flapper 232 and the third switching flapper 233 wait at the positions shown in FIG.
[0026]
When the first switching flapper 231 waits at the position shown in FIG. 2, the conveying direction (the direction of the arrow a) of the sheet that has passed through the discharge roller 118 is selected. The sheet is conveyed along the first switching flapper 231 in the direction of arrow a.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 3, when the leading edge of the sheet turns on the reversing sensor 252, the reversing roller 201 rotates in a direction (arrow b) for conveying the sheet to the reversing path 261.
[0028]
When the sheet is conveyed to the reversing path 261 and the rear end of the sheet turns off the reversing sensor 252 as shown in FIG. 4, the reversing roller 201 stops rotating. Then, the first switching flapper 231 opens the sheet conveyance path 262.
[0029]
When discharging the sheet to the first bin tray 241, the second switching flapper 232 opens the first sheet discharge path 271. If the sheet is to be discharged to the second bin tray 242, the third switching flapper 233 opens the second sheet discharge path 272. When the sheet is discharged to the third bin tray 243, the second switching flapper 232 and the third switching flapper 233 leave the sheet conveying path 262 open as shown in FIG.
[0030]
The bin tray to be loaded is selected in advance by the user. The selection may be made for each job from the operation unit 120 of the apparatus or a host computer such as a personal computer (not shown) connected to the apparatus, but may be set in advance according to the type and content of the job.
[0031]
After switching the first switching flapper 231 and the second switching flapper 232, the reversing roller 201 rotates in the reverse direction to reversely feed the sheet in the direction of arrow c. Further, the first transport roller 211 and the first discharge roller 221 rotate in a direction in which the sheet is transported in the directions of the arrows d and e, and discharge the sheet to the first bin tray 241 for stacking.
[0032]
The first, second, and third discharge rollers 221, 222, and 223 are disposed behind the first, second, and third bin trays 241, 242, and 243, and discharge the sheet from the back side to the front side. It has become.
[0033]
By performing the above process, the sheets are stacked on the first bin tray 241 as shown in FIGS. For the next sheet, when the leading end of the sheet turns on the entrance sensor 251, the first, second, and third switching flappers 231, 232, and 233 switch to the positions shown in FIG. Prepare for sheet discharge.
[0034]
As described above, the sheet stacking apparatus 200 can reverse the sheet and discharge the sheet face-down, so that the sheets are discharged to the selected bin tray and stacked in order from the top page in order of the page order when forming images. it can. The direction in which the sheets stacked on the bin trays (241 to 243) are taken out is from the back side to the front side.
[0035]
As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 with the sheet stacking device of the present embodiment is disposed above the image forming apparatus 100 that discharges a sheet from the near side to the far side when the operation direction of the apparatus is the near side. By providing the sheet stacking apparatus 200 with the reversing roller 201 for reversing the sheet and the reversing path 261 for guiding the sheet, the sheet can be discharged in the operation direction of the image forming apparatus 100 (from the back side to the near side). The sheets discharged to the bin trays 241, 242, 243 can be easily viewed (enhancing the visibility of the sheets), and the sheets can be easily taken out from the bin trays 241, 242, 243, thereby improving the handling of the sheets. be able to.
[0036]
In addition, since the reversing path 261 and the reversing roller 201 are arranged at the lowermost part of the sheet stacking device 200, that is, below the lowermost first bin tray 241, one sheet for guiding the sheet from below to above is provided. The sheet discharging path can be branched from the sheet conveying path 262 and discharged, and can be discharged from the final end of the sheet conveying path 262, so that the structure of the sheet stacking apparatus 200 can be simplified.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
In the image forming apparatus with the sheet stacking device of the present invention, when the operation direction is set to the near side, the sheet stacking device arranged above the image forming device where the sheet is discharged from the near side to the back side is provided with a reverse feeding unit. As a result, the sheet can be discharged in the operation direction of the image forming apparatus, the sheet discharged to the discharged sheet stacking unit can be easily viewed, and the sheet can be easily removed from the discharged sheet stacking unit. Handleability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along a sheet conveying direction.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet stacking device of FIG. 1 along a sheet conveying direction.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state where a sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus is received in the sheet stacking apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sheet received from an image forming apparatus is reversely fed in the sheet stacking apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet received from the image forming apparatus is discharged to a lowermost pin tray in the sheet stacking apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet received from the image forming apparatus is discharged to a lowermost pin tray in the sheet stacking apparatus of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional image forming apparatus without a sheet stacking apparatus, taken along a sheet conveying direction.
[Explanation of symbols]
P sheet F front side R back side 100 image forming apparatus 111 photosensitive drum 118 discharge roller (sheet discharge means)
120 operation unit 121 image forming unit (image forming unit)
122 Image Forming Apparatus Main Body 200 Sheet Loading Apparatus 201 Reverse Roller (Reverse Feeding Means)
211 first transport roller 212 second transport roller 213 third transport roller 221 first discharge roller (sheet feeding means)
222 Second discharge roller (sheet feeding means)
223 Third discharge roller (sheet feeding means)
231 First switching flapper 232 Second switching flapper (guidance means)
233 Third switching flapper (guidance means)
241 First bin tray (discharge sheet stacking means, lowermost discharge sheet stacking means)
242 second bin tray (discharge sheet stacking means)
243 Third Bin Tray (Ejection Sheet Loading Means)
251 Inlet sensor 252 Reverse sensor 261 Reverse path 262 Sheet transport path 271 First sheet discharge path 272 Second sheet discharge path 300 Image forming apparatus system

Claims (4)

An apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus having a sheet discharging means at an upper part of the apparatus main body for discharging a sheet on which an image is formed by an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet from a near side of the operator to a far side opposite to the near side At the top of
Reversing means for receiving the sheet discharged by the sheet discharging means, and for reversing the sheet from the back side to the near side;
A plurality of discharge sheet stacking means on which the sheet reversely fed by the reverse feeding means is selectively stacked,
Guiding means for guiding the sheet to be fed backward by the reverse feeding means to the selected discharged sheet loading means,
An image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device, wherein the discharge sheet stacking means is placed facing forward. 2. The image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet feeding unit that discharges the sheet from the back side to the near side on the back side of the discharge sheet stacking unit. 3. The image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the discharge sheet stacking units are vertically arranged. 4. The image forming apparatus with a sheet stacking device according to claim 3, wherein the reverse feeding unit is positioned below the lowermost sheet stacking unit.

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