Image formation apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image formation apparatus that is less likely to be installed at an improper position.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus includes: an apparatus body; a sheet storage part which is mounted at the lower part of the apparatus body in a first direction and can be drawn in a second direction; an upper unit which is positioned at the upper part of the apparatus body; and a cover member which can move between a first position where it protrudes in the first direction relative to the side surface in the first direction of the apparatus body, and a second position where it is retracted in the second direction compared to the first position. In a state where a portion of the sheet storage part protrudes in the first direction relative to the side surface of the apparatus body, the cover member is at the second position and is configured to cover a portion of the sheet storage part when viewed from above. The end position of the cover member in the first direction in a case where the cover member is at the second position is located in the second direction relative to the end position of the upper unit in the first direction in a case where the upper unit protrudes the most in the first direction in a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes that when an expandable sheet cassette is inserted into a printer housing in an extended state, the tip of the sheet cassette in the insertion direction protrudes toward the rear side of the housing, and the protruding portion of the sheet cassette is covered by a cassette cover. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-109622 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the configuration of the above document, when the printer is installed with the side of the housing at the rear in the sheet cassette insertion direction facing the wall, it may be installed in an improper position. In other words, the protruding part of the sheet cassette and the cassette cover are located on the rear side and at the bottom of the housing when viewed from the side in the sheet cassette pull-out direction, making them difficult for the user to see. Therefore, when the sheet cassette is inserted in an extended state, the printer may be installed in an improper position where the cassette cover interferes with the wall. If the printer is installed in an improper position, the sheet cassette may not be inserted properly, or the cassette cover or the sheet cassette may be damaged.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which is less likely to be installed in an inappropriate position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention includes an apparatus body for accommodating an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet; a sheet accommodating section attached to a lower part of the apparatus body toward a first direction and capable of being pulled out from the apparatus body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and accommodating a sheet to be fed to the image forming means; an upper unit disposed on an upper part of the apparatus body, the upper unit being rotatable about an axis in a direction intersecting the first direction and movable between a closed position in which a lower surface of the upper unit faces an upper surface of the apparatus body and an open position higher than the closed position; and a first position in which the upper unit protrudes in the first direction relative to a side surface of the apparatus body in the first direction and an open position in which the lower surface of the upper unit protrudes in the second direction compared to the first position. and a cover member movable to a first position in which the cover member is retracted to a second position in which the cover member is retracted to a first position, and configured to cover the part of the sheet accommodating section when viewed from above when a part of the sheet accommodating section protrudes in the first direction from the side of the device body, wherein an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit protrudes furthest in the first direction during the process of the upper unit moving from the closed position to the open position. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which is unlikely to be installed in an inappropriate position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a feeding cassette according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are cross-sectional views of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] Example 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of the image forming apparatus 100. The basic configuration and image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2(a).

[0011] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus 100 is an electrophotographic apparatus that forms an image on a sheet P based on image data. The image data may be image data read from an original by an image reading unit 600 described later, or image data received from an external device connected to the image forming apparatus 100 via a network. As the sheet P, which is a recording material (recording medium), various sheet materials of different sizes and materials can be used, such as paper such as plain paper and thick paper, sheet materials with surface treatments such as coated paper, sheet materials with special shapes such as envelopes and index paper, plastic films, cloth, etc. In particular, the image forming apparatus of this embodiment can also form an image on a long sheet P2 described later.

[0012] 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an apparatus body 101 and an image reading unit 600 as an upper unit disposed on the upper part of the apparatus body 101. The image reading unit 600 will be described in detail later. A feeding cassette 200 for accommodating sheets is attached to the lower part of the apparatus body 101 so as to be removable. Between a top cover 700 forming the upper surface of the apparatus body 101 and the image reading unit 600, a discharge space Sd into which sheets on which an image has been formed are discharged is formed.

[0013] In the following description, the upward direction (vertically upward, opposite to the direction of gravity) when the image forming apparatus 100 is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as "upward" or "upward direction". The downward direction (vertically downward, direction of gravity) when the image forming apparatus 100 is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as "downward" or "downward direction". Of the horizontal directions perpendicular to the up-down direction, the direction in which the sheet is discharged toward the discharge space Sd is referred to as the "front" or "front direction" of the image forming apparatus 100, and the opposite side is referred to as the "rear" or "rear direction" of the image forming apparatus 100. Of the horizontal directions, the right side when the image forming apparatus 100 is viewed from the front is referred to as the "right direction" of the image forming apparatus 100, and the opposite side is referred to as the "left direction" of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0014] In each drawing, the Z axis represents the up-down direction of the image forming apparatus 100, the Y axis represents the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100, and the X axis represents the left-right direction of the image forming apparatus 100. For the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the upward direction is the positive direction of the Z axis, the downward direction is the negative direction of the Z axis, the front direction is the positive direction of the Y axis, the rear direction is the negative direction of the Y axis, the leftward direction is the positive direction of the X axis, and the rightward direction is the negative direction of the X axis.

[0015] 2(a), the apparatus body 101 has a feed roller 102, a drawing roller pair 104, a registration roller pair (hereinafter referred to as a registration roller pair 105), a transfer roller 106, and a discharge roller pair 111. These are examples of a sheet conveying means that conveys a sheet P along a sheet conveying path 109 in the apparatus body 101. In particular, the feed roller 102 is a feeding means that feeds a sheet P from a feeding cassette 200, and the discharge roller pair 111 is a discharge means that discharges the sheet P to the outside of the apparatus body 101. The discharge roller pair 111 is disposed at a discharge port 110 that is an opening of the apparatus body 101.

[0016] The apparatus main body 101 has a housing including a frame formed of a metal frame or the like, and an exterior member or cover member that forms the exterior surface of the image forming apparatus 100. The exterior member includes a rear cover 400 that forms the exterior surface on the rear side, a front cover 401 (FIG. 1) that forms the exterior surface on the front side, and a top cover 700 that forms the upper surface of the apparatus main body 101. The top cover 700 includes a discharge tray 112 as a stacking section on which the sheets P discharged by the discharge roller pair 111 are stacked.

[0017] A cover member 300 is provided on the rear side of the apparatus body 101. The cover member 300, together with a rear cover 400 of the apparatus body 101, forms the exterior surface of the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100. The cover member 300 will be described in detail later.

[0018] The apparatus main body 101 accommodates a feed cassette 200 as a sheet accommodating section, and a process cartridge 103 as an image forming means. In this embodiment, the apparatus main body 101 is a portion of the image forming apparatus 100 excluding the process cartridge 103, the feed cassette 200, the cover member 300, and the image reading section 600.

[0019] The feeding cassette 200 is inserted into an installation space at the bottom of the apparatus main body 101. The feeding cassette 200 of this embodiment is installed and pulled out in the front-to-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100 relative to the apparatus main body 101. The movement direction of the feeding cassette 200 when installing the feeding cassette 200 in the apparatus main body 101 is referred to as the "installation direction D1," and the movement direction of the feeding cassette 200 when pulling out the feeding cassette 200 from the apparatus main body 101 is referred to as the "pulling out direction D2."

[0020] The feeding cassette 200, which is a sheet storage unit in this embodiment, is attached to the lower part of the apparatus main body 101 facing in a first direction (attaching direction D1), and can be pulled out from the apparatus main body 101 in a second direction (pulling out direction D2) opposite to the first direction. In this embodiment, the mounting direction D1 is the same as the rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100, and the pulling out direction D2 is the same as the front direction of the image forming apparatus 100. The feeding cassette 200 is also called a sheet storage or a sheet tray.

[0021] The process cartridge 103 is a process unit for forming an image on a sheet P by an electrophotographic process. The process cartridge 103 is detachable from the apparatus main body 101. As shown in FIG. 2B, the process cartridge 103 of this embodiment can be accessed from above into the mounting space in the apparatus main body 101 by opening the image reading unit 600 and the top cover 700, and the process cartridge 103 can be attached and detached. That is, the image reading unit 600 as the upper unit of this embodiment is moved from a closed position to an open position when the cartridge is attached and detached from the apparatus main body 101. The top cover 700 is movable between a position for closing an opening of the apparatus main body 101 (an opening through which the process cartridge 103 passes when it is attached and detached) and a position for opening the opening.

[0022] The process cartridge 103 includes a photosensitive drum 103a as an image carrier, a charging roller 103b as a charging means, a developing roller 103c as a developing means, and a toner storage section that stores toner as a developer. The photosensitive drum 103a is an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer made of an organic photosensitive material or the like formed on the outer periphery of a cylindrical base. The photosensitive drum 103a is rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the X-axis direction.

[0023] The photosensitive drum 103a is brought into contact with a transfer roller 106 serving as a transfer member. A nip portion between the transfer roller 106 and the photosensitive drum 103a forms a transfer portion where a toner image is transferred.

[0024] The process cartridge 103 is an example of a cartridge that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 101. For example, among the process units, a unit (developing cartridge) including the developing roller 103c and a toner storage section may be configured to be detachably attached to the apparatus main body 101 independently of a unit (drum cartridge) including the photosensitive drum 103a. Also, a supply container (toner cartridge) for supplying toner to the process unit may be detachably provided on the apparatus main body 101. The developing cartridge, drum cartridge, and toner cartridge are examples of cartridges. Also, instead of the process cartridge 103 that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 101, a process unit that is integrally incorporated into the apparatus main body 101 may be used.

[0025] The device main body 101 includes an exposure device 107 as an exposure means and a fixing device 108 as a fixing means. The exposure device 107 is a laser scanner including a laser oscillator and an exposure optical system that guides a laser beam to the photosensitive drum 103a for scanning. The exposure device 107 may be an LED exposure device including a plurality of LEDs. The fixing device 108 is of a thermal fixing type and includes, for example, a fixing roller as a heating member, a pressure roller as a pressure member, and a halogen lamp as a heating means for heating the fixing roller. The heating member may be, for example, a flexible cylindrical film member or an endless belt member. The heating means may be a ceramic heater in which a pattern of a resistance heating element is formed on a ceramic substrate, or a coil for heating a conductive layer in the heating member by induction heating.

[0026] (Image formation operation) The image forming apparatus 100 starts an image forming operation when a user inputs an execution command (print instruction) for the image forming operation via an operation unit provided in the image forming apparatus 100 or an external device connected to the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming operation is a series of operations for forming an image on the sheet P while conveying the sheet P one by one, and discharging the sheet P on which the image has been formed. The image forming apparatus 100 can execute the image forming operation when the feeding cassette 200 and the process cartridge 103 are attached to the apparatus main body 101, and the top cover 700 and the image reading unit 600 are closed.

[0027] In the image forming operation, first, the feed roller 102 feeds the sheets P one by one from the feed cassette 200. Thereafter, the sheets P are transported inside the apparatus body 101 along the sheet transport path 109. Note that a pad-shaped separating member (friction pad) is in contact with the feed roller 102, and the frictional force of the separating member prevents multiple sheets P from being fed at once.

[0028] The sheet P fed from the feeding cassette 200 is conveyed to a pair of registration rollers 105 via a pair of drawing rollers 104. The pair of registration rollers 105 corrects the skew of the sheet P, and then conveys the sheet P to the transfer section so as to synchronize with the timing at which the toner image created by the process cartridge 103 is conveyed to the transfer section.

[0029] In parallel with the above-mentioned conveying operation of the sheet P, a toner image is created in the process cartridge 103. The charging roller 103b uniformly charges the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 103a to a predetermined polarity and potential. The exposure device 107 irradiates and exposes the photosensitive drum 103a with laser light based on image data input together with a print instruction, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 103a. The developing roller 103c carries and supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 103a, and develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image. Then, in the transfer section, the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum 103a to the sheet P according to an electric field formed between the transfer roller 106 and the photosensitive drum 103a.

[0030] The sheet P that has passed through the transfer section is transported to the fixing device 108, where the image is fixed. Specifically, the fixing device 108 heats and presses the toner image on the sheet P while nipping and transporting the sheet P at a nip portion between a fixing roller and a pressure roller. The sheet P that has passed through the fixing device 108 is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 111 through a discharge port 110 to the outside of the apparatus main body 101, and is stacked on a discharge tray 112.

[0031] (Upper unit) The image reading unit 600, which is an example of the upper unit, will be described. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the image reading unit 600 includes an image sensor as a reading means for reading image information from a document, a glass table on which the document is placed, and a platen cover for pressing the document. The image sensor is a line sensor including a plurality of light receiving elements aligned in the Y-axis direction, a light source such as an LED, and a lens array for directing reflected light from the document to the plurality of light receiving elements. The platen cover can be opened and closed with respect to the glass table. The image reading unit 600 acquires image data by optically scanning the document placed on the glass table with an image sensor moving in the X-axis direction, and transfers the acquired image data to a control unit of the device main body 101. The image reading unit 600 may have an automatic document feeder (ADF) for automatically feeding the document.

[0032] The image reading unit 600 is provided above the device body 101 and is supported by the device body 101 via a hinge portion 600a (support portion). The hinge portion 600a is disposed near the rear end of the image reading unit 600. The image reading unit 600 is rotatable relative to the device body 101 around the hinge portion 600a. The image reading unit 600 rotates around an axis extending in the Y-axis direction. That is, the image reading unit 600 of this embodiment rotates relative to the device body 101 around an axis in a direction intersecting the mounting direction D1 (first direction) of the feeding cassette 200.

[0033] The top cover 700 is rotatable relative to the device body 101, independently of the image reading unit 600. The top cover 700 is supported by a support unit 700a disposed toward the rear surface of the device body 101, and rotates around an axis extending in the Y-axis direction.

[0034] The image reading unit 600 can be moved between a position (closed position) shown in Fig. 2(a) and a position (open position) shown in Fig. 2(b). The closed position is a position where the lower surface of the image reading unit 600 faces the upper surface of the apparatus body 101. The open position is a position higher than the closed position. The closed position is the position of the image reading unit 600 when the image forming apparatus 100 performs an image forming operation. The open position is the position of the image reading unit 600 when the process cartridge 103 is attached or detached. The hinge portion 600a includes a stopper that prevents the image reading unit 600 from rotating beyond the closed position.

[0035] When replacing the process cartridge 103, the image reading unit 600 is rotated upward to the open position as shown in Fig. 2(b), and the top cover 700 is further rotated upward to open it. This allows the user to access the process cartridge 103 through the opening of the apparatus body 101. In this embodiment, the process cartridge 103 is detached from the apparatus body 101 in a forward and upward direction, and is attached to the apparatus body 101 in a backward and downward direction.

[0036] Furthermore, in the case of jam clearance when a transport failure (discharge jam) of the sheet P occurs at the discharge roller pair 111, the user moves the image reading unit 600 to the open position. This widens the space between the top cover 700 and the image reading unit 600, so that the user can easily remove the sheet P that has become transported unsuccessfully.

[0037] Here, the position of the rear edge 600b of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is opened or closed will be described. The rear edge 600b is the end portion on the rear side of the image reading unit 600. When the image reading unit 600 is in the closed position (FIG. 2(a)), the position of the rear edge 600b in the front-to-rear direction is y0. When the image reading unit 600 is moved from the closed position to the open position as shown in FIG. 2(b), the rear edge 600b moves to a position y1 behind the position y0.

[0038] When installing the image forming apparatus 100, it is desirable to determine the installation position so that the wall on the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 is farther away from the image forming apparatus 100 than position y1, with the image forming apparatus 100 as a reference. This makes it possible to prevent the image reading unit 600 from coming into contact with the wall when the image reading unit 600 is moved between the closed position and the open position.

[0039] (Feed cassette) 3(a) and (b) are perspective views of the feeding cassette 200. The feeding cassette 200 of this embodiment is expandable (extendable) according to the size of the sheets to be stored. Fig. 3(a) shows the feeding cassette 200 in a non-extended state, and Fig. 3(b) shows the feeding cassette 200 in an extended state.

[0040] 3(a), the feeding cassette 200 has a cassette body 205 and a rear end unit 202 (rear end extension portion) that is movable relative to the cassette body 205. The cassette body 205 is provided with a support plate 201 (middle plate, sheet stacking plate), a side end regulating portion 206, and a gripping portion 204. The rear end unit 202 is provided with a rear end regulating portion 207 and a locking mechanism 203.

[0041] The cassette body 205 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from above. A grip portion 204 is provided on a side surface of the cassette body 205 in the pull-out direction D2. A user can grip the grip portion 204 to install and pull out the feeding cassette 200.

[0042] The support plate 201 is movable (swingable) up and down relative to the bottom surface of the cassette body 205. The support plate 201 supports the bottom surface of the sheet stack set in the feeding cassette 200. When the feeding cassette 200 is attached to the device body 101, the support plate 201 is raised by the transmission of the driving force of a motor in the device body 101, and the top sheet of the sheet stack comes into contact with the feeding roller 102 (FIG. 2(a)).

[0043] The side end regulating unit 206 regulates the end position (side end position) of the sheet in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction. Since the sheet feeding direction in this embodiment is along the pull-out direction D2 of the feeding cassette 200, the side end regulating unit 206 regulates the side end position of the sheet in the direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction D2 (X-axis direction). The side end regulating unit 206 is movable in the sheet width direction in accordance with the sheet size. The side end regulating unit 206 has a pair of regulating plates facing each other in the sheet width direction. The pair of regulating plates are connected by, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism, and are configured to work together while maintaining a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a conveying reference in the sheet width direction (the center position of the feeding roller 102).

[0044] The rear end regulating portion 207 regulates the position of the rear end of the sheet (the upstream end of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction). Since the sheet feeding direction in this embodiment is a direction along the pull-out direction D2 of the feeding cassette 200, the rear end regulating portion 207 regulates the end of the sheet on the opposite side to the pull-out direction D2 (i.e., the end in the mounting direction D1). The rear end regulating portion 207 can move in the sheet feeding direction in accordance with the sheet size by the movement of the rear end unit 202.

[0045] The rear end unit 202 is movable relative to the cassette body 205 in an attachment direction D1 and a removal direction D2 along a groove 205a formed in the cassette body 205. The rear end unit 202 is locked to the cassette body 205 by a locking mechanism 203. In addition, a user can move the rear end unit 202 by operating the locking mechanism 203 to release the lock.

[0046] The rear end unit 202 can move between a non-extended position shown in Fig. 3(a) and an extended position shown in Fig. 3(b). The state of the feeding cassette 200 when the rear end unit 202 is located at the non-extended position is called a non-extended state (contracted state), and the state of the feeding cassette 200 when the rear end unit 202 is located at the extended position is called an extended state (extended state).

[0047] When the trailing end unit 202 is located at the extended position, the trailing end regulating portion 207 is located upstream (rearward) in the sheet feeding direction relative to the trailing end regulating portion 207 when the trailing end unit 202 is located at the non-extended position. Therefore, by moving the trailing end unit 202 from the non-extended position to the extended position, a longer sheet can be set in the feeding cassette 200. Note that the trailing end unit 202 may be locked at any position between the non-extended position shown in FIG. 3(a) and the extended position shown in FIG. 3(b) according to the sheet size.

[0048] Hereinafter, a sheet having a length that the feeding cassette 200 cannot accommodate when the rear end unit 202 is in the non-extended position, and can accommodate when the rear end unit 202 is in the extended position, will be referred to as a long sheet P2. The long sheet P2 may be a sheet longer than the overall length of the feeding cassette 200 when the rear end unit 202 is in the non-extended position. The long sheet P2 may be a sheet longer than the front-to-rear width of the device main body 101. The sheet P shown in Figures 2(a) and (b) is a sheet having a length that the feeding cassette 200 can accommodate when the rear end unit 202 is in the non-extended position.

[0049] 3(b), when the rear end unit 202 is in the extended position, the rear end unit 202 protrudes in the mounting direction D1 relative to the cassette body 205. In other words, the length L2 of the feeding cassette 200 in the extended state in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100 is longer than the length L1 (FIG. 3(a)) of the feeding cassette 200 in the non-extended state.

[0050] That is, the feeding cassette 200 as a sheet storage unit in this embodiment can be switched between a first state (non-extended state) and a second state (extended state). In the first state, the length of the feeding cassette 200 in the mounting direction D1 (first direction) is a first length. In the second state, the length of the feeding cassette 200 in the mounting direction D1 (first direction) is a second length L1 that is longer than the first length L1, and the feeding cassette 200 can store longer sheets than in the first state.

[0051] 4, when the extended feed cassette 200 is attached to the device body 101, the leading end of the feed cassette 200 in the attachment direction D1 protrudes downstream in the attachment direction D1 beyond the rear cover 400 of the device body 101. In other words, a part of the rear end side of the feed cassette 200 (protruding portion 200B) protrudes rearward beyond the rear cover 400 of the device body 101. As will be described later, the protruding portion 200B of the feed cassette 200 is covered from above by the cover member 300.

[0052] 2(a), when the non-extended feeding cassette 200 is attached to the apparatus body 101, the leading end of the feeding cassette 200 in the attachment direction D1 does not protrude downstream of the attachment direction D1 relative to the rear cover 400 of the apparatus body 101. Preferably, the leading end of the feeding cassette 200 in the attachment direction D1 is located in a position inside the apparatus body 101 relative to the rear cover 400 of the apparatus body 101 (a position retracted in the pull-out direction D2 relative to the rear cover 400). When using sheets P that are not long, the footprint of the image forming apparatus 100 can be reduced by placing the feeding cassette 200 in the non-extended state.

[0053] The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a so-called S-path type sheet transport path in which the sheet feeding direction from the feeding cassette 200 and the sheet discharging direction from the apparatus body 101 are substantially the same. That is, the sheet feeding direction from the feeding cassette 200 and the sheet discharging direction from the apparatus body 101 both face the same side in the Y-axis direction (the front side of the image forming apparatus 100). In addition, between the feeding cassette 200 and the discharge tray 112 in the vertical direction, the sheet P is transported toward the opposite side (the rear side) to the sheet feeding direction and the sheet discharging direction in the Y-axis direction.

[0054] The feed roller 102 is a part of the apparatus main body 101, and it is difficult to change the position of the feed roller 102 in accordance with the extension and retraction of the feed cassette 200. Therefore, if the feed cassette 200 is configured to be extendable, the feed cassette 200 is extended toward the upstream side in the sheet feeding direction. Therefore, when the feed cassette 200 is extended in the image forming apparatus 100 having an S-path type sheet transport path, the feed cassette 200 is extended toward the opposite side to the sheet discharge direction, that is, toward the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0055] Therefore, the configuration described below can be suitably implemented in an image forming apparatus having an S-path type sheet transport path. However, the configuration described below may also be applied to an image forming apparatus having a sheet transport path other than the S-path type, as long as the feed cassette 200 protrudes from the apparatus body 101 toward the rear side in the mounting direction D1 of the feed cassette 200.

[0056] (Cover material) The cover member 300 will now be described. As shown in Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 4, the cover member 300 is provided at the lower part on the rear side of the device body 101. The cover member 300 of this embodiment is supported by a support portion 300a so as to be rotatable with respect to the device body 101. The cover member 300 rotates around an axis extending in the X-axis direction, centering on the support portion 300a.

[0057] The cover member 300 is movable between a retracted position (first position) shown in Fig. 2(a) and a protruding position (second position) shown in Fig. 4. The protruding position is a position where a tip 300b of the cover member 300 protrudes rearward relative to the rear cover 400 of the device body 101. The retracted position is a position where the cover member 300 is retracted forward compared to the protruding position. In other words, the cover member 300 is movable between a first position where it protrudes in the mounting direction D1 relative to a side surface of the device body 101 in the mounting direction D1 (first direction), and a second position where it is retracted in the pulling-out direction D2 (second direction) compared to the first position.

[0058] In this embodiment, the cover member 300 moves to the protruding position by rotating upward from the retracted position, and moves to the retracted position by rotating downward from the protruding position. In addition, the cover member 300 in this embodiment moves from the retracted position to the protruding position by being pressed by the feeding cassette 200 when the feeding cassette 200 in the extended state is attached to the apparatus main body 101. More specifically, the cover member 300 is pressed by the rear end unit 202 of the feeding cassette 200.

[0059] The positional relationship between the feed cassette 200 and the cover member 300 will be further described. As shown in Fig. 2(b), when the feed cassette 200 in the non-extended state is attached to the apparatus main body 101, the cover member 300 is located at the retracted position. In this case, the cover member 300 covers the opening of the apparatus main body 101 (the protruding portion 200B of the feed cassette 200), and forms the exterior surface of the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 together with the rear cover 400.

[0060] 4, when the feeding cassette 200 in the extended state is attached to the device main body 101, the cover member 300 is located at the protruding position. The cover member 300 at the protruding position covers at least a part of the protruding portion 200B of the feeding cassette 200 when viewed from above. In other words, when a part of the feeding cassette 200 (sheet storage section) attached to the device main body 101 protrudes in the attachment direction D1 (first direction) relative to the side surface (rear cover 400) of the device main body 101, the cover member 300 is at the protruding position (second position) and is configured to cover the part of the feeding cassette 200 when viewed from above.

[0061] This makes it possible to prevent foreign matter from dropping into the feeding cassette 200 from the protruding portion 200B or from accumulating on the long sheet P2, thereby reducing the possibility of causing malfunctions during feeding. Preferably, the cover member 300 in the protruding position covers the entire protruding portion 200B of the feeding cassette 200 when viewed from above.

[0062] 4, a rear end position y2 of the cover member 300 when the cover member 300 is in the protruding position is located forward of a rear end position y1 of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the open position. In other words, in this embodiment, the end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located further in the second direction than the end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the open position.

[0063] This reduces the possibility that the image forming apparatus 100 will be installed in an inappropriate installation position where the cover member 300 interferes with the rear wall of the image forming apparatus 100 when the extended feeding cassette 200 is attached to the apparatus body 101. That is, since the image reading unit 600 is provided on the upper part of the apparatus body 101, the user can easily see and easily grasp the distance from the wall. Therefore, the user can determine the installation position of the image forming apparatus 100 so that the rear end edge 600b of the image reading unit 600 does not interfere with the wall when the image reading unit 600 is opened. Since the rear end position y2 of the cover member 300 is located forward of the rear end position y1 of the image reading unit 600 as described above, if the rear end edge 600b of the image reading unit 600 does not interfere with the rear wall as described above, the cover member 300 will not normally come into contact with the rear wall. Therefore, the user can install the image forming device 100 in the appropriate position without having to check the position of the cover member 300 (especially the position after the cover member 300 is moved), which is less visible than the image reading unit 600, making it easier to install the image forming device 100.

[0064] In this embodiment, the rear end position y1 of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the open position is the maximum protruding point of the image reading unit 600 toward the rear in the process of moving from the closed position to the open position. In other words, the rear end position y1 is an example of the end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction in the process of moving from the closed position to the open position. If the rear end position y2 of the cover member 300 when the cover member 300 is in the protruding position is at least forward of the maximum protruding point of the image reading unit 600, the same advantage as in this embodiment can be obtained. This is because the user can install the image forming apparatus 100 while checking the rotation trajectory of the image reading unit 600, which is located at the top of the apparatus main body 101 and is easily visible.

[0065] In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which is less likely to be installed in an inappropriate position.

[0066] The maximum protruding point of the image reading unit 600 does not have to be the position of the rear end edge 600b when the image reading unit 600 is in the open position or the closed position. The maximum protruding point of the image reading unit 600 may be the position of the rear end edge 600b when the image reading unit 600 is in a position between the open position and the closed position.

[0067] Example 2 An image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b). In the following, unless otherwise specified, elements having the same reference symbols as those in the first embodiment will have basically the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0068] 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing an image forming apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 5(a) shows a state in which the image reading unit 600 is in a closed position, and FIG. 5(b) shows a state in which the image reading unit 600 is in an open position. In this embodiment, the rear end edge 600c of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the closed position is located behind the rear end edge 600c of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the open position. In other words, in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus 100, the rear end position y3 of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the closed position is located behind the rear end position y4 of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the open position.

[0069] In this embodiment, the rear end position y3 of the image reading unit 600 when the image reading unit 600 is in the closed position is the maximum rearward protruding point of the image reading unit 600 in the process of moving from the closed position to the open position. The rear end position y2 of the cover member 300 when the cover member 300 is in the protruding position is located forward of the rear end position y3, which is the maximum protruding point.

[0070] That is, in this embodiment, too, the end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than the end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during the process of the upper unit moving from the closed position to the open position. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that is less likely to be installed in an inappropriate position.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the image reading unit 600 as the upper unit is moved from the closed position to the open position, the rear edge 600c does not move rearward. Therefore, even if the image forming apparatus 100 is installed close to a rear wall, it is possible to prevent the rear edge 600c of the image reading unit 600 from interfering with the wall when the image reading unit 600 is opened after installation to replace the process cartridge 103, etc. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the installation work of the image forming apparatus 100 can be made even easier.

[0072] (Modification) In the second embodiment, the rear end position y2 of the cover member 300 in the protruding position may be forward of the rear end position y3 of the image reading unit 600 in the closed position and rear of the rear end position y4 of the image reading unit 600 in the open position. The rear end position of the feeding cassette 200 in the extended state may be forward of the rear end position y3 of the image reading unit 600 in the closed position and rear of the rear end position y4 of the image reading unit 600 in the open position. With this configuration as well, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that is less likely to be installed in an inappropriate position.

[0073] In the second embodiment and this modified example, the end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located further in the second direction than the end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the closed position. This allows a user to naturally avoid an inappropriate installation position of the image forming apparatus by performing installation work of the image forming apparatus with the upper unit in the closed position.

[0074] Example 3 An image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) and 6(b). In the following, unless otherwise specified, elements having the same reference symbols as those in the first embodiment will have basically the same configurations and functions as those described in the first embodiment, and differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[0075] 6(a) and 6(b), the cover member 301 of this embodiment is provided to be movable (slidable) along the mounting direction D1 (first direction) and the pull-out direction D2 (second direction) of the feed cassette 200 relative to the apparatus main body 101. The cover member 301 includes a horizontal portion 301a extending in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and a vertical portion 301b extending downward from an end of the horizontal portion 301a in the mounting direction D1.

[0076] The cover member 301 can be moved between a retracted position (first position) shown in FIG. 6(a) and a protruding position (second position) shown in FIG. 6(b). The protruding position is a position where the cover member 301 protrudes rearward relative to the rear cover 400 of the apparatus body 101. The retracted position is a position where the cover member 301 retracts forward compared to the protruding position. In the protruding position, the horizontal portion 301a of the cover member 301 covers at least a part (preferably the whole) of the protruding portion 200B of the feeding cassette 200 in the extended state when viewed from above. This makes it possible to prevent foreign objects from falling into the feeding cassette 200 or onto the long sheet P2. In the retracted position, the vertical portion 301b of the cover member 301 forms the exterior surface of the rear side of the image forming apparatus 100 together with the rear cover 400.

[0077] The cover member 301 moves to the protruding position by sliding from the retracted position in the mounting direction D1, and moves to the retracted position by sliding from the protruding position in the pulling-out direction D2. In this embodiment, when the feed cassette 200 in the extended state is mounted to the apparatus main body 101, the cover member 301 is pressed by the rear end unit 202 of the feed cassette 200, and the cover member 301 moves from the retracted position to the protruding position.

[0078] (Modification) Although the first embodiment shows an example in which the cover member 300 rotates, and the second embodiment shows an example in which the cover member 301 moves along the mounting direction D1 and the pull-out direction D2, the manner of movement of the cover member is not limited to these. For example, when mounting the extended feeding cassette 200 to the apparatus main body 101, the cover member may rotate upward and then slide in the mounting direction D1, and the manner of movement may be a combination of a plurality of movement modes.

[0079] (Other embodiments) In the above-described embodiments, a configuration including an image reading unit 600 that reads image information from a document has been described as an example of the upper unit, but the upper unit is not limited to this. The upper unit may be an exterior member (top cover) that forms the top surface of the device main body 101 and is provided with a stacking unit (discharge tray) on which sheets with images formed thereon are stacked. The upper unit may be a so-called paper discharge option unit for increasing the number of discharge destinations for sheets with images formed thereon or for performing processes such as binding on sheets.

[0080] In each of the above-described embodiments, the feed cassette 200 is configured to be extendable by moving the rear end unit 202 of the feed cassette 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the feed cassette 200 may be configured to be able to accommodate long sheets by mounting a detachable attachment to the feed cassette 200. In addition, two types of feed cassettes 200 may be prepared, a model for non-long sheets and a model for long sheets, so that the user can select one of them.

[0081] The configurations of the cover members 300 and 301 in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other configurations may be provided. The cover members may be configured to be extendable and retractable (the amount of protrusion relative to the device body 101 can be changed) according to the length of the feeding cassette 200. The cover members may be configured to be movable between a protruding position and a retracted position by being driven by an actuator such as a motor or a solenoid.

[0082] In the above-described embodiments, an image forming apparatus equipped with an electrophotographic unit of a direct transfer type is exemplified as an image forming means, but the image forming means is not limited to this. The image forming means may be, for example, a unit having a plurality of process units and forming a color image on a sheet using toners of a plurality of colors. The image forming means may be an electrophotographic unit of an intermediate transfer type that primarily transfers a toner image formed on an image carrier (photosensitive drum) to an intermediate transfer body such as an intermediate transfer belt, and secondarily transfers the toner image from the intermediate transfer body to a sheet. Furthermore, the image forming means is not limited to an electrophotographic type, and may be, for example, an inkjet type printing unit that forms an image by ejecting ink from a nozzle.

[0083] Summary of the Disclosure The present disclosure includes at least the following configurations or methods.

[0084] (Configuration 1) an apparatus body for accommodating an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet; a sheet storage section that is attached to a lower portion of the apparatus body toward a first direction and can be pulled out from the apparatus body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and that stores a sheet to be fed to the image forming means; an upper unit disposed on an upper portion of the device body, the upper unit being rotatable about an axis in a direction intersecting the first direction and movable between a closed position in which a lower surface of the upper unit faces an upper surface of the device body and an open position higher than the closed position; a cover member that is movable between a first position that protrudes in the first direction from a side surface of the device body in the first direction and a second position that is retracted in the second direction from the first position; An image forming apparatus comprising: when a portion of the sheet accommodating portion protrudes in the first direction from the side surface of the device body, the cover member is in the second position and is configured to cover the portion of the sheet accommodating portion when viewed from above, an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position; 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

[0085] (Configuration 2) an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the open position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

[0086] (Configuration 3) an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the closed position; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second components are arranged in a same plane.

[0087] (Configuration 4) A position of the upper unit when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position is the open position. 4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3.

[0088] (Configuration 5) When the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position, the position of the upper unit when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction is the closed position. 4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 3.

[0089] (Configuration 6) the sheet accommodating section is switchable between a first state in which a length of the sheet accommodating section in the first direction is a first length and a second state in which a length of the sheet accommodating section in the first direction is a second length longer than the first length and capable of accommodating longer sheets than in the first state; When the sheet accommodating portion in the second state is attached to the device body, the portion of the sheet accommodating portion protrudes in the first direction from the side surface of the device body. 6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 5.

[0090] (Configuration 7) the apparatus main body includes a feeding unit that feeds a sheet from the sheet storage unit, and a discharge unit that discharges a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, a sheet feeding direction of the feeding means and a sheet discharging direction of the discharging means are both oriented in the second direction; 7. The image forming apparatus according to configuration 6,

[0091] (Configuration 8) The cover member rotates relative to the device body around an axis that intersects with the first direction. 8. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7.

[0092] (Configuration 9) The cover member moves along the first direction and the second direction relative to the device body. 8. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 7.

[0093] (Configuration 10) the image forming unit includes a cartridge that is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, the upper unit is moved from the closed position to the open position when the cartridge is to be attached to or detached from the apparatus main body; 10. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 9.

[0094] (Configuration 11) the upper unit includes an image reading unit that reads image information from a document; 11. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10.

[0095] (Configuration 12) the upper unit includes a stacking section on which sheets on which images are formed by the image forming unit are stacked, 11. The image forming apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 101... main body of apparatus / 103... image forming means (process cartridge) / 200... sheet storage section (feed cassette) / 300... cover member / 600... upper unit (image reading section)

Claims

1. an apparatus body for accommodating an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet; a sheet storage section that is attached to a lower portion of the apparatus body toward a first direction and can be pulled out from the apparatus body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and that stores a sheet to be fed to the image forming means; an upper unit disposed on an upper portion of the device body, the upper unit being rotatable about an axis in a direction intersecting with the first direction and movable between a closed position in which a lower surface of the upper unit faces an upper surface of the device body and an open position higher than the closed position; a cover member that is movable between a first position that protrudes in the first direction from a side surface of the device body in the first direction and a second position that is retracted in the second direction from the first position; An image forming apparatus comprising: when a portion of the sheet accommodating portion protrudes in the first direction from the side surface of the device body, the cover member is in the second position and is configured to cover the portion of the sheet accommodating portion when viewed from above, an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position; 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the open position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. an end position of the cover member in the first direction when the cover member is in the second position is located in the second direction further than an end position of the upper unit in the first direction when the upper unit is in the closed position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

4. a position of the upper unit when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position is the open position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

5. a position of the upper unit when the upper unit protrudes most in the first direction during a process in which the upper unit moves from the closed position to the open position is the closed position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

6. the sheet accommodating section is switchable between a first state in which a length of the sheet accommodating section in the first direction is a first length and a second state in which a length of the sheet accommodating section in the first direction is a second length longer than the first length and capable of accommodating a longer sheet than in the first state; when the sheet accommodating portion in the second state is attached to the device body, the portion of the sheet accommodating portion protrudes in the first direction from the side surface of the device body.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

7. the apparatus main body includes a feeding unit that feeds a sheet from the sheet storage unit, and a discharge unit that discharges a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, a sheet feeding direction of the feeding means and a sheet discharging direction of the discharging means are both oriented in the second direction; 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

8. The cover member rotates relative to the device body around an axis that intersects with the first direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

9. The cover member moves along the first direction and the second direction relative to the device body.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

10. the image forming unit includes a cartridge that is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, the upper unit is moved from the closed position to the open position when the cartridge is to be attached to or detached from the apparatus main body; 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

11. the upper unit includes an image reading unit that reads image information from a document; 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

12. the upper unit includes a stacking section on which sheets on which images are formed by the image forming unit are stacked, 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a multi-color image forming apparatus.

Images