Image formation device

Abstract

To prevent oscillation of a manual feed tray with a simple configuration and with excellent space efficiency, and enhance making operation less noisy.SOLUTION: An image formation device comprises: an image formation unit; a tray that is provided rotatably between a closed position closed along a lateral surface of a device main body and an opening position opened at a position where sheets are put, and has a loading face where the sheet is put; a feeding unit that feeds the sheet to be put on the tray toward the image formation unit; and an extension tray that is movable to an extention position extended toward an upstream of a sheet feeding direction from the tray, and to a storage position where the sheet is stored in the tray. In the tray, between the loading face of the tray and an exterior face of the tray opposite the loading face, an urging member is provided that urges the tray. In a state where the extension tray is at the storage position and the extension tray is at the storage position, the urging member urges the extension tray toward the loading face of the tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, due to customer needs, there has been a strong demand for quieting the operating noise of image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers. However, in an image forming apparatus, vibration is generated when a motor, a gear, a fan, etc. provided inside the apparatus are driven during operation, and further, the vibration is propagated to each part of the image forming apparatus, so that the operating noise is radiated from inside the apparatus to the outside space around the image forming apparatus.

[0003] One of the parts where vibration propagates is the exterior cover. Originally, the exterior cover has a function of soundproofing the sound radiated from the operating noise generated inside the apparatus to the outside. However, the operating noise radiated due to the vibration of the exterior cover itself is directly radiated to the surrounding space without being soundproofed.

[0004] Therefore, in order to quiet the image forming apparatus, it is important to suppress the vibration of the exterior cover, that is, to vibration-proof the exterior cover, so that no sound is radiated from the exterior cover. One of the exterior covers has an openable and closable manual feed tray configured in a manual feed unit. When not in use, the manual feed tray is closed and stored in the apparatus main body to become a part of the exterior cover. Since the manual feed tray has a relatively large surface area among the exterior covers, when vibration propagates, the radiated sound becomes large. Patent Document 1 discloses that a sound absorbing material is encapsulated inside the manual feed tray to form a soundproofing plate, and the sound inside the apparatus is prevented from passing through the manual feed tray and leaking to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in Patent Document 1, in order to create a sound insulation plate by arranging a sound absorption material inside the manual tray, the size of the main body increases and the configuration becomes complicated, which may lead to an increase in cost and manufacturing load and a reduction in space efficiency. Furthermore, in order for the sound absorption material to be effective for relatively low-frequency sounds, the thickness has to be increased, so it is difficult to cope with the radiation of low-frequency sounds within the constraints of the main body size.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that has a simple configuration, vibration-proofs the vibration of the manual tray with high space efficiency, and improves quietness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] One aspect of the invention for solving the above problems is an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a side surface of the apparatus main body including the image forming unit, a closed position that is closed along the side surface of the apparatus main body, and a position where a sheet is placed. A tray that is rotatably provided between an open position that is opened and has a placement surface for placing a sheet, a feeding unit that feeds the sheet placed on the tray toward the image forming unit, an extended position extended upstream in the sheet feeding direction from the tray, and a storage position that is stored in the tray. A movable extension tray for placing a sheet, and in the tray, between the placement surface of the tray and the outer surface of the tray on the opposite side of the placement surface, a biasing member for biasing the extension tray is provided, and when the tray is in the closed position and the extension tray is in the storage position, the biasing member biases the extension tray toward the placement surface of the tray.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to vibration-proof the vibration of the manual tray with a simple configuration and high space efficiency and improve quietness.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

[0011] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is an intermediate transfer method in which a toner image is primarily transferred to an intermediate transfer belt and then secondarily transferred to a sheet, such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and these multifunction devices. In the following embodiments, an intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus in which four-color image forming units are arranged on an intermediate transfer belt will be used for explanation.

[0012] [Image Forming Apparatus] First, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an intermediate transfer tandem type color image forming apparatus in which image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK of four colors (yellow, cyan, magenta, and black) are arranged to face the lower part of the intermediate transfer belt 8 inside the apparatus main body 100. Examples of the sheet P, which is a recording material that can be used in the image forming apparatus 100, include various types of sheet materials such as plain paper, thick paper, rough paper, embossed paper, coated paper, etc., OHP sheets, plastic films, cloth, and the like.

[0013] In the image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, an image forming process for forming an image with a toner image and a conveyance process for conveying a sheet are interlocked to generate a sheet having a toner image as a product.

[0014] First, the sheet conveyance process will be described. A cassette feeding means 800 is provided at the lower part of the image forming apparatus, and the sheet P is loaded and stored in the cassette 72. Then, the sheet P is fed one by one toward the conveyance path 74 in accordance with the image forming timing by the feeding roller 73. Further, a manual feeding unit 200 is provided on the side surface of the image forming apparatus 100. The manual feeding unit 200 is provided with a manual tray 201, and the sheet P placed on the manual tray 201 is separated one by one by the manual feeding roller 79, which is a feeding unit, and fed to the conveyance path 74.

[0015] The sheet P fed from the cassette feeding means 800 or the manual feeding unit 200 is conveyed toward the registration roller 75 disposed in the middle of the conveyance path 74. In the registration roller 75, skew correction of the fed sheet P and timing correction of image formation are performed, and then it is sent to the secondary transfer unit T2. The secondary transfer unit T2 is a transfer nip portion formed by the opposing secondary transfer inner roller 76 and secondary transfer outer roller 77. In the secondary transfer unit T2, the toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 8 to the sheet P.

[0016] For the conveyance process of the sheet P up to the secondary transfer unit T2 described above, the image formation process of the image sent to the secondary transfer unit T2 at the same timing will be described. First, the image forming units PY to PK will be described. However, the image forming units PY to PK are substantially the same in configuration except that the colors of the toners used in the developing devices 4Y, 4M, 4C, and 4K are different, being yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. Therefore, hereinafter, the yellow image forming unit PY will be described as a representative example, and the description of the other image forming units PM, PC, and PK will be omitted. For convenience of illustration, only the developing container 41Y and the developing roller 42Y described later are labeled with reference numerals for the image forming unit PY only.

[0017] The image forming unit PY mainly includes a photosensitive drum 1Y, a charging device 2Y, a developing device 4Y, a photosensitive drum cleaner 6Y, and the like. When forming an image, the photosensitive drum 1Y is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow R1 at a predetermined process speed (peripheral speed). A charging voltage is applied to the charging device 2Y by a high-voltage power source (not shown), and an electric current flows between the charging device 2Y (charging roller) and the photosensitive drum 1Y, so that the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential. After charging, the photosensitive drum 1Y is exposed by the exposure device 3 based on the image information to form an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image by attaching toner with the developing device 4Y. The developing device 4Y has a developing container 41Y that stores the developer and a developing roller 42Y (also called a developing sleeve) that carries and rotates the developer. By applying a developing voltage to the developing roller 42Y, the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image. Then, a predetermined pressing force and a primary transfer voltage are applied by the primary transfer roller 5Y disposed opposite the image forming unit PY with the intermediate transfer belt 8 interposed therebetween, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 1Y is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8. The transfer residual toner remaining slightly on the photosensitive drum 1Y after the primary transfer is removed by the photosensitive drum cleaner 6Y and prepared for the next image forming process again.

[0018] The intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched by the tension roller 10, the secondary transfer inner roller 76, and the idler rollers 7a and 7b as stretching rollers, and is driven to move in the direction of arrow R2 in the figure. In the case of this embodiment, the secondary transfer inner roller 76 also serves as a driving roller that drives the intermediate transfer belt 8. The image forming processes for each color processed by the above-described image forming units PY to PK are performed at a timing such that they are sequentially superimposed on the toner image of the color upstream in the moving direction that has been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 8. As a result, finally, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 8 and is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit T2. Note that the residual transferred toner after passing through the secondary transfer unit T2 is removed from the intermediate transfer belt 8 by the transfer cleaner device 11.

[0019] With the conveyance process and the image forming process described above, the timing of the sheet P and the full-color toner image coincides in the secondary transfer unit T2, and the toner image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 8 to the sheet P. Thereafter, the sheet P is conveyed to the fixing device 103, and the toner image transferred to the sheet is pressurized and heated by the fixing device 103, whereby the toner image is melted and fixed on the sheet P. The sheet P on which the toner image is fixed is discharged onto the discharge tray 601 by the discharge roller 78. Further, these conveyance processes and image forming processes are controlled by a control unit 500 provided in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0020] <Manual Feed Tray> Next, the manual feed tray 201 of the manual feed unit 200 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the manual feed tray 201 for stacking sheets in the manual feed unit 200.

[0021] The material that constitutes the manual tray 201 uses resinous ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). Also, the sheet is loaded on the manual tray loading surface 202 of the manual tray 201. On the loading surface 202 which is the placement surface, a pair of side regulating plates 203 for aligning the side end positions of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction are provided so as to be movable in conjunction with each other in the width direction of the sheet according to the sheet size. Also, a sheet length detection sensor 211 for detecting the length of the sheet on the manual tray loading surface 202 is provided.

[0022] Also, the manual tray 201 is supported by a shaft (not shown) that is rotatable with respect to the apparatus main body, and is rotatable between a storage position which is a closed position where it can be stored in the apparatus main body when not in use, and a feeding position which is an open position when in use shown in FIG. 2. Also, in order for the manual tray 201 to be held in the storage position with respect to the apparatus main body, a latch mechanism is provided between the manual tray 201 and the apparatus main body. Latches 204 are provided on the front side and the back side of the manual tray 201 respectively (FIG. 2 shows only the front side of the main body). Then, when the manual tray 201 is moved to the storage position of the apparatus main body, latch receivers 205 having a hole shape for engaging the latch 204 are provided at the front side and the back side of the apparatus main body facing the latch 204 respectively (FIG. 2 shows only the back side of the main body). The latch 204 is biased outward by a spring member (not shown) and is expandable and contractible with respect to the direction of the latch receiver 205. The latch 204 engages with the hole of the latch receiver 205, whereby the manual tray 201 is held in the storage position which is a closed position. Also, when opening the manual tray 201 from the storage position to the feeding position, the manual tray 201 is rotated by placing a finger on the manual tray handle portion 206. At that time, the latch 204 retracts by the spring member, thereby getting over the edge of the hole shape of the latch receiver 205, the engagement between the latch and the hole is released, and the manual tray 201 is opened.

[0023] In addition, the manual feed tray 201 is provided with an extension tray 207 for use when loading a sheet that is longer in the sheet feeding direction than the size of the manual feed tray 201. By pulling it out upstream in the sheet feeding direction from the manual feed tray 201, the loading surface of the sheet at the extended position can be extended. FIG. 2 shows a state where the extension tray 207 is pulled out from the manual feed tray 201. When closing the manual feed tray 201, with the extension tray 207 stored in the manual feed tray 201, the manual feed tray 201 is stored with respect to the apparatus main body.

[0024] <Source of vibration of the manual feed tray> The manual feed tray 201 in the stored position stored with respect to the apparatus main body is one of the main sound radiation sources. Furthermore, the manual feed tray 201 has play due to an opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes with respect to the apparatus main body, and the play makes it easy for vibration to be amplified.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows the result of measuring the radiated sound from the manual tray 201 in a state where the extension tray 207 is stored in the manual tray 201 and the manual tray 201 is in a closed position with respect to the apparatus main body using an acoustic camera. As a result of verification by the inventors, when the motor of the paper feed drive unit that rotationally drives the feed roller 73 provided in the cassette feed means 800 operates, vibrations at a meshing frequency of gears configured in the paper feed drive unit, for example, 527 Hz, occur. It has been clarified that the vibration propagates to the manual tray 201 through the fastening portion between the apparatus main body 100 and the manual feed unit 200, and sound is radiated from the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray, which is the outer surface of the tray, due to the vibration of the manual tray 201. Note that the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray is the surface on the side opposite to the placement surface 202. Furthermore, as the location where the sound is emitted, it was possible to confirm the region A (hollow region) of the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray 201 where the manual tray 201 forms a box shape with the loading surface and both side surfaces. In addition, it was also possible to confirm in the gap region B for the extension tray 207 and the manual tray 201 to slide within the region A. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, in the manual tray 201, the hollow region (inside the dotted line region) is a region having a space for storing the extension tray 207 and the sheet length detection sensor 211 inside. And the non-hollow region (inside the alternate long and short dash line region) is a region that simply covers the surface layer of the apparatus main body as an exterior cover.

[0026] That is, there is sound radiated from the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray where the vibration propagated from the motor of the apparatus main body 100 is amplified in the hollow region (see FIG. 4) of the manual tray. In addition, there is sound generated by amplification of the vibration due to rattling of the extension tray 207 caused by the vibration transmitted to the manual tray 201. It was found that there are these two types of sounds.

[0027] <Vibration damping configuration of the manual tray> Next, a vibration damping configuration for reducing the above-described radiated sound will be described. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the extension tray 207 in the hand tray 201 in the present embodiment. FIG. 5(a) shows the pulled-out state in which the extension tray 207 is pulled out from the hand tray 201, and FIG. 5(b) shows the stored state in which the extension tray 207 is stored in the hand tray 201. Further, FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a vibration damping configuration for applying a vibration damping force for suppressing the vibration transmitted to the hand tray 201 and the extension tray 207 in the present embodiment.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the hollow region between the hand tray loading surface 202 and the outer wall surface 208 of the hand tray 201, a vibration damping member 221, an elastic member 223, which are biasing members, and a holding portion 222 are provided. Hereinafter, these configurations and their effects will be described.

[0029] The vibration damping member 221, which is a contact member, is a plate-like member having a cylindrical shaft 221A. Further, a holding portion 222 for holding the vibration damping member 221 is formed on the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the hand tray. The holding portions 222 are formed at two positions in a direction perpendicular to the storage direction of the extension tray, in the front direction in front of the paper surface of FIG. 5 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, both ends of the shaft 221A of the vibration damping member 221 are held by the cylindrical holes formed in both of the two holding portions 222.

[0030] By holding the shaft 221A of the vibration damping member 221 in the hole of the holding member 222, the plate-like portion of the vibration damping member 221 can rotate relative to the hand tray 201 and the extension tray 207. Further, an elastic member 223 (a compression spring is used in the present embodiment) is provided on the side opposite to the hand tray loading surface 202 of the hand tray 201 with respect to the vibration damping member 221. One end of the elastic member 223 is fixed to the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the hand tray, and the other end is fixed to the vibration damping member 221. In the state of FIG. 5(a), the compression spring 223 is in a state of being compressed by the weight of the vibration damping member 221 with respect to its natural length (elastically deformable), and at this time, the vibration damping member 221 is in an inclined state with respect to the storage direction of the extension tray 207.

[0031] From this state, the extension tray 207 is stored in the manual tray 201 by moving along the extension tray storage direction. This state is shown in Fig. 5(b).

[0032] With the storage operation of the extension tray 207, an end portion of the extension tray 207 abuts against the vibration damping member 221, causing the vibration damping member 221 to rotate about the shaft 221A. Due to the rotation of the vibration damping member 221, the elastic member 223 is contracted in the A direction shown in Fig. 5(b). In the state of Fig. 5(b), since the elastic member 223 is in a state of being contracted from its natural length (elastic), a repulsive force of the elastic member 223 is applied to the vibration damping member 221 in the B direction and to the inner surface 210 of the outer wall of the manual tray in the A direction. As a result, the repulsive force acting on the inner surface 210 of the outer wall of the manual tray acts as a force for damping the vibration of the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray. Also, the repulsive force applied to the vibration damping member 221 acts so as to press the extension tray 207 in the B direction through the contact portion 207A provided on the extension tray 207 that suppresses the rotation of the vibration damping member 221. Therefore, the rattling of the extension tray 207 with respect to the manual tray 201 can be reduced by the repulsive force acting on the vibration damping member 221.

[0033] With the above-described vibration damping configuration, it is possible to suppress both the vibration of the outer wall surface 208 of the manual tray and the rattling of the extension tray 207 in the state where the extension tray 207 is stored in the manual tray 201 and the manual tray 201 is closed to the apparatus main body. As a result, since the vibration transmitted from the apparatus main body 100 can be suppressed before the vibration is radiated as sound from the outer surface 208 of the manual tray, the operating sound radiated to the outside can be reduced. Also, the generation of noise caused by the rattling between the manual tray and the extension tray can be prevented.

[0034] In this embodiment, the elastic member 223 is set to φ6 mm and the repulsive force is set to 0.5 N. However, this should preferably be adjusted in view of the space, the load required to prevent vibration and rattling, and the usability for the user due to the operation force for pulling out the extension tray. Also, when the extension tray 207 is used again, it is only necessary to pull it out in the direction opposite to the extension tray storage direction. Since the usability does not change depending on whether the configuration of this embodiment is adopted or not, the user can obtain only the sound insulation effect without any inconvenience.

[0035] Next, the sound insulation effect of the above vibration damping configuration will be described. With the hand tray 201 of this embodiment incorporated in the image forming apparatus 100, the sound pressure level (unit: dB) of the operating sound when the paper feed drive motor was rotationally driven was measured.

[0036] For the measurement, a microphone that detects the radiated sound wave and converts it into an electrical signal was used. The microphone is connected to a preamplifier that amplifies the electrical signal and an arithmetic unit that calculates the amplified electrical signal into the sound pressure level and frequency. The detection surface of the microphone was arranged at a position facing the center of the right side where the hand tray 201 of the image forming apparatus 100 is provided, at a distance of 1 m from the exterior surface of the image forming apparatus 100 and a height of 1.5 m from the floor surface.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the measurement results of the sound pressure level. The graph shows the results with and without the vibration damping configuration shown in this embodiment. By providing the vibration damping configuration, a reduction effect of about 7 dB was confirmed for the operating sound at 527 Hz, which is the meshing frequency of the gears by the paper feed drive unit.

[0038] In the present embodiment, only one vibration damping structure is provided, but it may be provided at a plurality of locations as necessary. Further, in the present embodiment, the extension tray 207 directly rotates the vibration damping member 221, but a link mechanism may be provided separately. By passing through the link mechanism, this vibration damping configuration can be adopted even when it is desired to damp a position away from the extension tray 207. Also, regarding the elastic member 223, a compression spring is used in this case, but any member such as a torsion spring, rubber, or resin spring shape that can apply a repulsive force to the hand tray 201 and the extension tray 207 may be used. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the extension tray 207 is housed inside the hand tray 201 is described, but a configuration in which the extension tray 207 is housed so as to overlap the surface by passing through a slide rail on the surface layer of the hand tray 201 may also be used.

[0039] [Embodiment 2] In Embodiment 1, the extension tray 207 was configured to slide linearly and be pulled out from the hand tray 201, but in the present embodiment, there is a rotation axis at one end of the extension tray 207, the hand tray 201 holds the rotation axis, and it is configured to rotate around the axis.

[0040] Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of the hand tray 201 of the present embodiment. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the extension tray 207 is pulled out. Thus, by rotating the extension tray 207 with respect to the hand tray 201, it is possible to switch between the stored state and the pulled-out state. The stored state is a state in which the extension tray 207 is stored in the hand tray 201. The pulled-out state is a state in which the extension tray 207 is pulled out from the hand tray 201. In the present embodiment, the extension tray 207 abuts against a butting portion (not shown) of the hand tray 201 in a state rotated 180° with respect to the hand tray 201 from the stored state and is in a pulled-out state.

[0041] Next, the configuration of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view of the manual tray 201 with the extension tray 207 pulled out from the manual tray 201, and FIG. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view of the manual tray 201 with the extension tray 207 stored in the manual tray 201.

[0042] In this embodiment, one end of the elastic member 223 is held by the holding portion on the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the manual tray, and the opposite end is held by the vibration damping member 221. The vibration damping member 221 is provided so as to be movable in the C and D directions in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 8, a part of it is exposed to the outside from the manual tray loading surface 202 of the manual tray 201. Further, an inclined surface is provided on the portion of the vibration damping member 221 that is exposed from the manual tray loading surface 202. When a force is applied from above to this inclined surface, it is an angle that converts the force into a force that pushes the vibration damping member 221 in the C direction. At this time, the vibration damping member 221 does not protrude from the manual tray loading surface 202 so as not to interfere with the sheet loading.

[0043] Also, in the present embodiment, an elastic member 223 is held on the side surface of a vibration damping member 221 that is perpendicular to the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the hand tray. The vibration damping member 221 can move in the C and D directions in FIG. 9 due to the expansion and contraction of the elastic member 223. That is, the elastic member 223 is held in a state bent at 90° in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, a metallic compression spring is used as the elastic member 223. At this time, a stopper is provided on the vibration damping member 221 so as not to move in a direction perpendicular to the C and D directions (not shown). In addition, when in the state of FIG. 9(a), the elastic member 223 is in a substantially natural length. When the extension tray 207 is rotated in the extension tray storage direction with respect to the extension tray rotation axis from the state of FIG. 9(a), the contact portion 207A of the hand tray 207 contacts the inclined surface of the vibration damping member 221. Further, by rotating the hand tray 207 toward the storage position, the vibration damping member 221 receives a force in the C direction from the contact portion 207A via the inclined surface. Thereby, the vibration damping member 221 moves in the C direction while compressing the elastic member 223. After that, when the hand tray 207 moves to the stored position, the contact portion 207A comes off the inclined surface and contacts the side surface of the vibration damping member 221. This state is shown in FIG. 9(b).

[0044] In the state of FIG. 9(b), since the elastic member 223 is in a state contracted from the natural length, a repulsive force of the elastic member 223 in the D direction acts on the vibration damping member 221, and a repulsive force perpendicular to the surface acts on the inner surface 210 of the hand tray. Further, since the vibration damping member 221 and the contact portion 207A are in contact, a force urging in the D direction also acts on the extension tray 207. Therefore, in the state where the extension tray 207 is stored, the repulsive force of the elastic member 223 applied to the extension tray 207 presses the extension tray 207 in one direction to prevent rattling and prevent the amplification of vibration and thus the operating sound. Also, since a repulsive force is applied to the inner surface 210 of the hand tray, the outer wall surface 208 of the hand tray can be vibration-damped and the sound emitted to the outside can be reduced. When the portion including the inner surface 210 and the outer wall surface 208 of the tray 207 is called the outer portion, in the present embodiment, as described above, the vibration damping member 221 and the elastic member 223 are provided between the outer portion and the extension tray 207.

[0045] In this embodiment, a compression spring is used as the elastic member 223. However, as long as a repulsive force can be applied to the extension tray 207 and the outer wall surface 208 of the manual feed tray (i.e., the outer portion), another elastic member such as a leaf spring, a torsion spring, or rubber may be used. Also, although the moving direction of the vibration damping member 221 is defined as the C direction, a configuration that moves in the D direction may be adopted. Further, the vibration damping mechanism including the elastic member 223 may be provided on the extension tray 207 side instead of the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the manual feed tray. However, if it is provided on the extension tray 207, it may interfere with the loading of paper when the extension tray 207 is pulled out. Therefore, it is better to provide it on the inner surface 210 of the outer wall surface of the manual feed tray as in this embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0046] 100 Image forming apparatus PY~PK Image forming unit 79 Manual feed roller (feeding unit) 201 Manual feed tray (tray) 202 Manual feed tray loading surface (loading surface) 207 Extension tray 208 Outer wall surface of the manual feed tray (outer surface of the tray) 221 Vibration damping member (contact member) 223 Elastic member

Claims

1. An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, A side surface of the apparatus main body including the image forming unit, which is rotatably provided between a closed position closed along the side surface of the apparatus main body and an open position opened at a position where a sheet is placed, and has a placement surface for placing the sheet And a tray, A feeding unit that feeds the sheet placed on the tray toward the image forming unit, An extended tray that is movable between an extended position extended upstream in the sheet feeding direction from the tray and a storage position stored in the tray, and on which the sheet is placed, In the tray, a biasing member for biasing the extended tray is provided between the placement surface of the tray and the outer surface of the tray on the side opposite to the placement surface, In a state where the tray is in the closed position and the extended tray is in the storage position, the biasing member biases the extended tray toward the placement surface of the tray, An image forming apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The biasing member includes a contact member and an elastic member that can elastically move the contact member toward the placement surface of the tray, In a state where the extended tray is in the extended position, the contact member contacts the tray, and in a state where the extended tray is in the storage position, the contact member contacts the extended tray, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The extended tray is pullable in the sheet feeding direction with respect to the tray, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

4. An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, A side surface of the apparatus main body including the image forming unit, which is rotatably provided between a closed position closed along the side surface of the apparatus main body and an open position opened at a position where a sheet is placed, and has a placement surface for placing the sheet And a tray, A feeding unit that feeds the sheet placed on the tray toward the image forming unit, An extended tray that is rotatable between an extended position extended upstream in the sheet feeding direction from the tray and a storage position stored in the tray, and on which the sheet is placed, The tray includes an outer portion of the tray on the side opposite to the placement surface of the tray, An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising biasing means provided between the outer portion of the tray and the extended tray in a state where the tray is in the closed position and the extended tray is in the storage position, and biasing the extended tray.

Images