Image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus configured such that part of an operation unit overlaps an ejection tray, and a recording material to be ejected is prevented from being caught on the joint of the operation unit.SOLUTION: A first cover 411 and a second cover 415 combined with the first cover 411 in the vertical direction with respect to a display surface 41a constitute a cover of an operation unit 4. With the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 combined with each other, a first end face 412a of the first cover 411 and a second end face 416a of the second cover 415 face each other. Both an outer peripheral edge 412c of the first end face 412a and an outer peripheral edge 416c of the second end face 416a are exposed to the outside of the operation unit 4, and the first end face 412a and the second end face 416a are surfaces along a direction intersecting the vertical direction with respect to the display surface 41a. This configuration prevents a recording material to be ejected from entering and being caught in a gap 420 between the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 even if the recording material contacts the operation unit 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine. [Background technology]

[0002] In image forming devices such as printers, copiers, facsimiles, and multifunction devices, from the viewpoint of making it easier for users to remove recording materials, it has been proposed to discharge recording materials on which images have been formed toward the front of the device and stack them on a discharge tray. Such image forming devices are provided with an operation unit having a touch panel, buttons, switches, etc. that can be operated by the user to operate the image forming device (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-217551 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Recently, there has been a demand for larger touch panels (displays) on operation units to improve user visibility and operability. At the same time, the image forming apparatus as a whole is also required to be compact. To meet these demands, the operation unit is positioned so that it partially overlaps with the discharge tray in the left-right direction of the image forming apparatus when viewed from the front.

[0005] However, in the past, when a portion of the operating unit overlaps the discharge tray, there was a risk that the recording material being discharged would get caught on the boundary (also called the seam) between the covers that form the exterior of the operating unit. If the recording material gets caught on the seam of the operating unit, the corners of the recording material may bend, or the recording material stacking capacity of the discharge tray may decrease, which is undesirable.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which, when a part of the operating section overlaps with the discharge tray, the discharged recording material is less likely to get caught on the joint of the operating section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material, a housing that houses the image forming unit, a first roller, and a second roller that contacts the first roller to form a nip portion that can pinch and transport the recording material, and includes a discharge portion that discharges the recording material, the image formed by the image forming unit, from inside the housing obliquely upward along a second line that is perpendicular to a first line that passes through a rotation center of the first roller and a rotation center of the second roller, a stacking portion that is provided on an upper surface of the housing and has a stacking surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge portion is stacked, and an operation portion that has a display surface and is configured so that a part of a width direction that intersects a vertical direction and a discharge direction of the recording material overlaps with the stacking surface when viewed from the vertical direction. the operation unit is provided with a cover that forms an exterior of the operation unit and is composed of a first exterior member and a second exterior member that is combined with the first exterior member in a direction perpendicular to the display surface, and when the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a first end face of a first outer peripheral portion of the first exterior member that faces the second exterior member faces a second end face of a second outer peripheral portion of the second exterior member that faces the first exterior member, and outer peripheral edges of the first end face and the second end face are exposed to the outside, the second outer peripheral portion has an outer peripheral exterior portion that is continuous with the bottom surface of the operating unit, and an intermediate exterior portion that is disposed between the outer peripheral exterior portion and the first outer peripheral portion in the vertical direction and that, together with the outer peripheral exterior portion, forms the outer periphery of the second exterior member, and the intermediate exterior portion has the second end face that faces the first end face on the first exterior member side when the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, and when the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a third end face on the outer peripheral exterior portion side of the intermediate exterior portion faces a fourth end face of the outer peripheral exterior portion on the intermediate exterior portion side, and outer peripheral edges of the third end face and the fourth end face are exposed to the outside, The first end surface and the second end surface are surfaces extending in a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction. the third end surface and the fourth end surface are surfaces extending along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction. It is characterized by: and a control unit provided on the top surface of the housing unit and having a display screen, the control unit being arranged above the control unit in a vertical direction such that a portion of a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material overlaps with the display screen. Also, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material, a housing unit that accommodates the image forming unit, a first roller, and a second roller that contacts the first roller to form a nip portion capable of sandwiching and conveying the recording material, the image forming unit including a discharge unit that discharges the recording material, the image formed by the image forming unit, from the housing unit obliquely upward along a second line that is perpendicular to a first line passing through a rotation center of the first roller and a rotation center of the second roller, the discharge unit being arranged on the top surface of the housing unit and having a load surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge unit is loaded, the control unit having a display screen, the control unit being arranged above the discharge unit in a vertical direction such that a portion of a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material overlaps with the load surface when viewed from the vertical direction, and the control unit being arranged on the top surface of the housing unit and having a display screen that is perpendicular to the width direction. and a support portion that supports the operating portion so as to be positioned below the second straight line, wherein the operating portion has a cover that forms an exterior of the operating portion, the cover being composed of a first exterior member and a second exterior member that is combined with the first exterior member in a direction perpendicular to the display surface, wherein when the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a first end face of a first outer peripheral portion of the first exterior member that faces the second exterior member and a second end face of a second outer peripheral portion of the second exterior member that faces the first exterior member face opposite each other, and outer peripheral edges of the first end face and the second end face are exposed to the outside, the first end face and the second end face are surfaces that extend along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction, and the second exterior member has a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the second outer peripheral portion along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction and forms the second end face when combined with the first exterior member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when a configuration is adopted in which a portion of the operating unit overlaps with the loading surface of the loading section on which the recording material is loaded, the ejected recording material is less likely to get caught at the joint of the operating unit formed by the first exterior member and the second exterior member that form the exterior of the operating unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view illustrating the arrangement of the operation unit in the left-right direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the arrangement of the operation unit in the up-down direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the operation unit according to the first embodiment as viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing an operation unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an operation unit according to a second embodiment, as viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 10] 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing contact between an operation unit and a recording material in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing an operation unit of a conventional example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [First embodiment] <Image forming device> The present embodiment will be described below. First, an overview of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a so-called internal discharge type image forming apparatus, and is roughly divided into a housing 1A, a document reading unit 200, and an operation unit 4.

[0011] The document reading unit 200 is disposed above the housing 1A in the vertical direction, and a discharge opening 5 is formed between the housing 1A and the document reading unit 200 as a space for discharging recording materials from the housing 1A. Within the space of the discharge opening 5, a discharge tray 51 is provided on the top surface of the housing 1A as a stacking section for stacking recording materials discharged from inside the housing 1A (inside the housing). In the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, recording materials on which an image has been formed are discharged from inside the housing 1A to the discharge tray 51 in a discharge direction from the back side (rear) toward the front side (front). An operation unit 4 is disposed on the front side of the housing 1A.

[0012] In this specification, the side on which a user stands when operating the operation unit 4 to operate the image forming apparatus 1 is referred to as the "front (or front)," the opposite side as the "back (or rear)," the right side as viewed from the front as the "right," and the left side as viewed from the front as the "left." Also, the upper side as viewed from the front as the "top," and the lower side as viewed from the front as the "bottom." Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 4 is located above the housing 1A and to the right of the center as viewed from the front.

[0013] Although not shown, the housing 1A is composed of a plurality of metal plates, such as left and right plates that are provided on the left and right sides and support each unit, and stays that connect these left and right plates, and the outer periphery is covered by a main body exterior cover that constitutes the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1. The housing 1A has a front cover 81 and a cassette cover 84 on the front side as the main body exterior covers. As shown in the figure, the front cover 81 is disposed above the cassette cover 84 in the vertical direction. In addition, side covers 82 are disposed on the left and right sides, and a rear cover 83 is disposed on the rear side as main body exterior covers. The front cover 81 is disposed on the housing 1A so as to be freely opened and closed, and the cassette cover 84 is attached to a cassette 40 (see FIG. 2) described below and is disposed so as to be able to be pulled out from the housing 1A toward the front together with the cassette 40.

[0014] The document reading unit 200 has a document transport section 201 and an image reading section 202. The document transport section 201 is provided so that the front side can be opened and closed relative to the image reading section 202. A user can load a document from which an image is to be read onto the document transport section 201. When the document transport section 201 is closed as shown in FIG. 1, it can automatically transport documents one by one to the image reading section 202. The image reading section 202 has a document tray and a reading sensor (not shown), and the image of each document placed on the document tray is read by the reading sensor. Note that a user can place a document on the document tray with the document transport section 201 open, and can also close the document transport section 201 with the document placed on the document tray and have the image of the document read by the reading sensor.

[0015] Next, the configuration for image formation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an electrophotographic full-color printer equipped with yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd along an intermediate transfer belt 15. The image forming apparatus 1 receives image information from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer, and forms a toner image on a recording material P based on the received image information. Examples of the recording material P include various types of sheet materials such as plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, textured paper, coated paper, plastic film, and cloth.

[0016] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an intermediate transfer device 60 is provided below the image forming stations Pa to Pd. The intermediate transfer device 60 is configured such that an endless intermediate transfer belt 15 is stretched around a plurality of rollers (31, 32, 33) and moves in the direction of arrow R1. An outer secondary transfer roller 16 is provided at a position facing the roller 31 that stretches the intermediate transfer belt 15, with the intermediate transfer belt 15 sandwiched therebetween, forming a secondary transfer section N2 that transfers a toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 15 to a recording material P. The secondary transfer section N2 is a transfer nip formed by the roller 31 and the outer secondary transfer roller 16, and the toner image is secondarily transferred onto the recording material P, for example, in response to a secondary transfer voltage being applied to the outer secondary transfer roller 16 by a power source (not shown).

[0017] The following describes a process for forming, for example, a four-color full-color image using the image forming apparatus 1. However, the four image forming units Pa to Pd provided in the image forming apparatus 1 have substantially the same configuration except for the different developing colors. Therefore, the black image forming unit Pd will be described as a representative, and descriptions of the other image forming units Pa to Pc will be omitted.

[0018] The image forming station Pd has a photosensitive drum 10d as a photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 10d is rotated in the direction of arrow R2 by a drum drive motor (not shown). Around the photosensitive drum 10d, a charging device 11d, a developing device 12d, a primary transfer roller 14d, and a cleaning device 13d are provided.

[0019] When the image forming operation starts, first, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 10d is uniformly charged by the charging device 11d. Next, the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 10d is exposed to laser light Ld corresponding to an image signal emitted from the exposure device 2. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the photosensitive drum 10d. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 10d is developed into a toner image by a developer contained in the developing device 12d. In this embodiment, one exposure device 2 is provided above the image forming units Pa to Pd, and only one exposure device 2 exposes the multiple photosensitive drums 10a to 10d. In other words, one exposure device 2 is shared by the multiple image forming units Pa to Pd for exposure.

[0020] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 10d is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15 at a primary transfer portion N1d formed between primary transfer rollers 14d arranged on either side of the intermediate transfer belt 15. At this time, a primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 14d from a power source (not shown). The intermediate transfer belt 15 carries and transports the toner image transferred from the photosensitive drum 10d. Note that any toner or other deposits remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10d after the primary transfer are removed by a cleaning device 13d.

[0021] Such operations are performed sequentially at the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming units Pa to Pd, and the four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 15. Thereafter, the recording material P stored in the cassette 40 is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit N2 in accordance with the timing of the toner image formation.

[0022] The cassette 40 is provided below the housing 1A and can store a large number of recording materials P. A feeding roller 901 feeds the recording materials P one by one from the cassette 40 toward the registration roller 902. The registration roller 902 corrects skew of the recording material P and transports the recording material P to the secondary transfer portion N2 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15. Then, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is secondarily transferred onto the recording material P in response to a secondary transfer voltage being applied to the outer secondary transfer roller 16 by a power source (not shown).

[0023] The recording material P onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred is transported to the fixing device 50. The fixing device 50 heats and pressurizes the recording material P while transporting it, fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P with the toner image fixed by the fixing device 50 is transported upward (i.e., vertical transport) and discharged from the housing 1A toward the front by the discharge unit 70 to the outside, where it is stacked on a discharge tray 51 (see FIG. 1). The discharge unit 70 has a first roller 71 and a second roller 72, which abut against each other to form a discharge nip N3 that can nip and convey the recording material P. In this embodiment, the discharge unit 70 discharges the recording material P from the housing 1A diagonally upward along a second straight line 210 that is perpendicular to a first straight line V that passes through the rotation centers of the first roller 71 and the second roller 72 (see FIG. 4, described later). The recording material P discharged obliquely upward is discharged from the rear side (rear) toward the front side (front) due to its own weight.

[0024] In this embodiment, the image forming units 300 that form a toner image on the recording material P are configured by the image forming sections Pa to Pd, the intermediate transfer device 60, the outer secondary transfer roller 16, etc. The exposure device 2, the image forming unit 300, the fixing device 50, the feed roller 901, the registration roller 902, the discharge section 70, and the cassette 40 are housed in the housing 1A (see FIG. 1).

[0025] <Overview of the operation section> Next, an overview of the operation unit 4 will be described using FIGS. 3 and 4 with reference to FIG. 1. As can be understood by referring to FIG. 1, the operation unit 4, which the user can operate to operate the image forming apparatus 1, is provided on the housing 1A so as to face the front. The operation unit 4 has a large display 41 (for example, a 3- to 6-inch LCD monitor) for improved visibility for the user, and an input unit 42 with enlarged buttons, switches, etc. for improved operability for the user. The display 41 may be a touch panel that allows the user to perform operations similar to those of the input unit 42, such as inputting an image formation job or selecting a recording material P, in response to touch operations on the screen by the user.

[0026] The operation unit 4 is provided on the housing 1A so that the angle can be adjusted up and down about an axis in the left-right direction (a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material P) to change the orientation of the display surface 41a of the display 41. The operation unit 4 is provided so that it can be rotated to any tilt angle (for example, 0° to 40°) with respect to the horizontal direction to accommodate the eye height of a wide range of users, from tall users to users sitting in wheelchairs. Figures 1 and 3 show the operation unit 4 rotated to the maximum tilt angle and in an upright position.

[0027] The user can grasp and rotate the operation unit 4 to adjust it to any angle between a minimum tilt angle of 0° and a maximum tilt angle of 40° to match the user's eye level. To achieve this, as shown in FIG. 4 , the operation unit 4 is supported by a support 90 whose angle can be freely adjusted. The support 90 includes a housing fixing portion 93 that is fixed to the housing 1A and a rotation holding portion 92 that rotatably holds the operation unit 4 and is attached to the housing fixing portion 93. The rotation holding portion 92 is provided with a free-stop hinge (not shown) that uses friction to hold the operation unit at any angle. There are several types of free-stop hinges, including a pipe type in which a metal shaft is press-fitted into a resin pipe.

[0028] The support part 90 supports the operation unit 4 by the rotation holding part 92 so that the operation unit 4 can be rotated at a changeable angle between a first position (substantially horizontal position) where the display surface 41a of the display 41 is at the minimum inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and a second position (upright position) where the display surface 41a is at the maximum inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction. In this specification, the term "substantially horizontal position" also refers to a state in which the operation unit 4 is tilted substantially at "0°±5°" with the horizontal direction being "0°" as the reference.

[0029] <Layout of operation panel> Next, the left-right arrangement of the operation unit 4 will be described. As shown in Fig. 3, a discharge opening 5 is formed on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and a discharge tray 51 is disposed in this discharge opening 5. The user can remove the recording material P loaded on the discharge tray 51 from the space of the discharge opening 5 surrounded by the document reading unit 200 (more specifically, the image reading unit 202) and the housing 1A.

[0030] In this embodiment, in order to achieve a reduction in size of the image forming apparatus 1 in the left-right direction, the operation unit 4 is arranged so as not to protrude beyond the wall surface of the side cover 82 on the right side of the image forming apparatus 1. However, in this case, because the operation unit 4 is large, the operation unit 4 is arranged so that a part of the operation unit 4 (referred to as the protruding portion 54) overlaps with the loading surface 51a of the discharge tray 51 in the left-right direction.

[0031] Next, the up-down (vertical) arrangement of the operation unit 4 will be described. To achieve a vertically compact image forming apparatus 1, it is preferable to arrange the operation unit as low as possible in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , when the operation unit 4 is in an upright position, or even when the operation unit 4 is in a substantially horizontal position (not shown), the operation unit 4 is supported by a support 90 so that a portion of the operation unit 4 is located below the second straight line 210. This arrangement ensures ease of use of the operation unit 4 while minimizing the size of the apparatus. The second straight line 210 is a straight line perpendicular to the first straight line V that passes through the rotation centers of the first roller 71 and the second roller 72. The discharge unit 70 discharges the recording material P from the housing 1A diagonally upward along the second straight line 210.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , in the operation unit 4 of the first embodiment, a first cover 411 as a first exterior member and a second cover 415 as a second exterior member are combined to form a cover that forms the exterior of the entire operation unit. The first cover 411 forms the exterior of the surface and periphery of the operation unit 4, exposing the display 41 and the input unit 42. The first cover 411 makes the display surface 41a of the display 41 and the surface of the operation unit 4 almost flush with each other, forming a flat exterior with no steps on the surface of the operation unit 4 except for the buttons and switches of the input unit 42. On the other hand, the second cover 415 is combined with the first cover 411 perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41 to form the exterior of the bottom and periphery on the side opposite the surface of the operation unit 4. By combining the first cover 411 and the second cover 415, a boundary (also called a seam) between the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 may be formed around the entire periphery of the operation unit 4.

[0033] When the protruding portion 54 of the operation unit 4 overlaps with the stacking surface 51a of the discharge tray 51 in the left-right direction, if the operation unit 4 is positioned below the second straight line 210, the recording material P may hit the operation unit 4 (more specifically, the protruding portion 54) when being discharged to the discharge tray 51. In such cases, conventionally, the recording material P may get caught in the seam of the operation unit 4 during discharge, causing the corners of the recording material P to bend or reducing the recording material stacking capacity of the discharge tray 51. FIG. 11 shows a conventional operation unit 4A in which the recording material P is likely to get caught in the seam.

[0034] <Conventional operation unit> 11 , in the conventional operation unit 4A, a cover that forms the exterior of the entire operation unit is configured by combining a first cover 511 and a second cover 515. In the conventional case, when the first cover 511 and the second cover 515 are combined, an inner peripheral surface 512b of a first outer peripheral portion 512 of the first cover 511 and an outer peripheral surface 516b of a second outer peripheral portion 516 of the second cover 515 face each other in a direction perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41.

[0035] The first cover 511 and the second cover 515 are formed with a sufficient size to allow them to be fitted together even if manufacturing errors occur. As a result, a gap 520 extending in the vertical direction may occur between the inner peripheral surface 512b of the first outer peripheral portion 512 and the outer peripheral surface 516b of the second outer peripheral portion 516. In the past, when the operation unit 4A was viewed from the bottom, the gap 520 was visible as the boundary between the first cover 511 and the second cover 515. Therefore, in the past, the gap 520 extending in the vertical direction was formed at the joint of the operation unit 4A around the entire outer periphery of the operation unit 4A. Therefore, if the recording material P curls, for example, one end of the recording material P in the conveyance direction may get caught in the gap 520 as shown in FIG.

[0036] <Operation Unit of This Embodiment> As described above, in the past, recording material P was prone to getting caught in the vertically extending gap 520 that occurs at the joint of the operation unit 4A. In consideration of this issue, this embodiment proposes an operation unit in which recording material P is less likely to get caught at the boundary between the first cover and the second cover that form the exterior of the operation unit. The configuration of the operation unit 4 of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the operation unit 4 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the operation unit 4 of the first embodiment as viewed from the bottom.

[0037] As described above, the operation unit 4 of this embodiment includes a cover that forms the exterior of the entire operation unit, and is composed of the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 that is combined with the first cover 411 in a direction perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41. As shown in FIG. 5 , in the operation unit 4 of this embodiment, when the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 are combined, a first end surface 412a of the first outer circumferential portion 412 of the first cover 411 on the second cover 415 side (the second exterior member side) faces a second end surface 416a of the second outer circumferential portion 416 of the second cover 415 on the first cover 411 side (the first exterior member side). Both the outer circumferential edge portion 412c of the first end surface 412a and the outer circumferential edge portion 416c of the second end surface 416a are exposed to the outside of the operation unit 4, and the first end surface 412a and the second end surface 416a are surfaces that extend in a direction that intersects with the direction perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41.

[0038] In other words, when second cover 415 is combined with first cover 411, there is a gap 420 at the boundary with first cover 411, and second outer peripheral portion 416 has second end face 416a that faces first end face 412a of first outer peripheral portion 412 in the vertical direction so that gap 420 is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. Note that first end face 412a and second end face 416a that face each other may abut against each other.

[0039] <Protrusion> 5, second cover 415 is preferably provided with protrusion 416d that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of second outer circumferential portion 416 in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. Protrusion 416d is provided so that second cover 415, when combined with first cover 411, reliably forms second end surface 416a, which is a surface that extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction together with first end surface 412a.

[0040] That is, depending on manufacturing errors in first cover 411 and second cover 415, it may occur that the outer peripheral surface of second outer peripheral portion 416 is located inside inner peripheral surface 412b of first outer peripheral portion 412 when viewed from the vertical direction. In such a case, for example, referring to the conventional operation unit 4A shown in FIG. 11, if protrusion 416d is not provided, gap 520 occurring between first cover 511 and second cover 515 would be visible when viewing operation unit 4A from the bottom side. Therefore, even when manufacturing errors occur, protrusion 416d facing first end surface 412a is provided to form second end surface 416a shown in FIG. 5 as a surface along a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0041] 6, for example, when the operation unit 4 is viewed from the bottom side, even if gap 520 (see FIG. 11) extending in the vertical direction occurs between first cover 411 and second cover 415, gap 520 is hidden by protrusion 416d. In other words, by providing protrusion 416d, the boundary between first cover 411 and second cover 415 changes from the vertical direction (gap 520) to a direction intersecting the vertical direction (gap 420).

[0042] 5, second cover 415 preferably has an inner circumferential facing portion 416e that protrudes from second end surface 416a toward first cover 511 and faces inner circumferential surface 412b of first outer circumferential portion 412 when combined with first cover 511. Inner circumferential facing portion 416e separates gap 420 from the inside of operation unit 4 when viewed from a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction, so as to prevent external debris or dust from entering the inside of operation unit 4 through gap 420.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, when the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 are combined, the first end surface 412a of the first cover 411 and the second end surface 416a of the second cover 415 face each other in the direction perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41, and the joint of the operation unit 4 is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. In this way, when the operation unit 4 is viewed from the bottom, the gap 420 that occurs at the boundary between the first cover 411 and the second cover 415 is not visible. As a result, even if the recording material P discharged by the discharge unit 70 comes into contact with the operation unit 4, it will not get caught in the gap 420 between the first cover 411 and the second cover 415. This prevents the corners of the recording material P from being bent and also suppresses a decrease in the recording material stacking capacity of the discharge tray 51.

[0044] [Second embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, the exterior of the operation unit 4 is formed by combining two members, the first cover 411 and the second cover 415. However, this is not limiting. For example, the second cover 415 may be composed of multiple members. An operation unit 4B of a second embodiment, which is provided with a second cover 415A composed of such multiple members, will be described using FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0045] 7, operation unit 4B is configured with a cover that forms the exterior of the entire operation unit, including first cover 411 and second cover 415A that is combined with first cover 411 in a direction perpendicular to display surface 41a of display 41. In the present embodiment, second outer periphery 416A of second cover 415A has outer periphery exterior part 417 that is continuous with the bottom surface of operation unit 4B, and intermediate exterior part 450 that is arranged between outer periphery exterior part 417 and first outer periphery 412 of first cover 411 in the vertical direction and forms the outer periphery of second outer periphery part 416A together with outer periphery exterior part 417.

[0046] When first cover 411 and second cover 415A are combined, intermediate exterior part 450 has second end face 416a facing first end face 412a on the first cover 411 side. As described above, first end face 412a and second end face 416a face each other, and outer peripheral edge portion 412c of first end face 412a and outer peripheral edge portion 416c of second end face 416a are both exposed to the outside of operation part 4B, and first end face 412a and second end face 416a are surfaces that extend in a direction that intersects with the direction perpendicular to display surface 41a of display 41.

[0047] Furthermore, when first cover 411 and second cover 415A are combined, third end face 450a on the outer peripheral exterior part 417 side (outer peripheral exterior part side) of intermediate exterior part 450 faces fourth end face 417a on the intermediate exterior part 450 side (intermediate exterior part side) of outer peripheral exterior part 417. Outer peripheral edge portion 450c of third end face 450a and outer peripheral edge portion 417c of fourth end face 417a are both exposed to the outside of operation unit 4B, and third end face 450a and fourth end face 417a are surfaces along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction to display surface 41a of display 41.

[0048] In other words, when second cover 415A and first cover 411 are combined, a gap 420 is formed at the boundary between first cover 411 and intermediate exterior part 450, and second end face 416a facing first end face 412a of first outer peripheral part 412 in the vertical direction is formed in intermediate exterior part 450 so that gap 420 is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. Also, a gap 430 is formed at the boundary between intermediate exterior part 450 and outer peripheral exterior part 417, and third end face 450a facing fourth end face 417a of outer peripheral exterior part 417 in the vertical direction is formed in intermediate exterior part 450 so that gap 430 is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0049] Intermediate exterior portion 450 forms a stepped exterior between the outer peripheral surface of first outer peripheral portion 412 and the outer peripheral surface of outer peripheral portion 417 in the vertical direction. Intermediate exterior portion 450 is provided, for example, when the joint between first cover 411 and second cover 415A (more specifically, outer peripheral exterior portion 417) is complex, or to improve the design of operation unit 4B. Alternatively, even when first end surface 412a of first cover 411 and fourth end surface 417a of outer peripheral exterior portion 417 do not face each other, intermediate exterior portion 450 is provided to form a joint (gaps 420, 430) of operation unit 4B in a direction intersecting the vertical direction by sandwiching intermediate exterior portion 450 therebetween.

[0050] It is preferable to provide intermediate exterior part 450 and outer exterior part 417 with protruding parts 416d and 417d, respectively, that protrude outward from their outer peripheries in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, thereby ensuring the formation of second end face 416a and fourth end face 417a, respectively. It is also preferable to provide outer exterior part 417 with inner periphery facing part 417e that protrudes from fourth end face 417a toward intermediate exterior part 450 and faces inner periphery 450b of intermediate exterior part 450 when combined with intermediate exterior part 450. Inner periphery facing part 417e separates gap 430 from the inside of operation unit 4B when viewed in the direction intersecting the vertical direction, preventing external debris and dust from entering the interior of operation unit 4B through gap 430.

[0051] In the second embodiment described above, the intermediate exterior part 450 is disposed between the first cover 411 and the outer peripheral exterior part 417 in the direction perpendicular to the display surface 41a of the display 41. The second end surface 416a of the intermediate exterior part 450 faces the first end surface 412a of the first cover 411, and a first seam (gap 420) of the operation unit 4B is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. Furthermore, the third end surface 450a of the intermediate exterior part 450 faces the fourth end surface 417a of the outer peripheral exterior part 417, and a second seam (gap 430) of the operation unit 4B is formed in a direction intersecting the vertical direction.

[0052] 8, when the operation unit 4B is viewed from the bottom side, the gap 420 occurring at the boundary between the first cover 411 and the intermediate housing part 450 is not visible. As a result, even if the recording material P discharged by the discharge part 70 comes into contact with the operation unit 4B, it will not enter and become caught in the gap 420 between the first cover 411 and the intermediate housing part 450. Furthermore, the gap 430 occurring at the boundary between the intermediate housing part 450 and the outer peripheral housing part 417 is not visible. As a result, even if the recording material P discharged by the discharge part 70 comes into contact with the operation unit 4B, it will not enter and become caught in the gap 430 between the intermediate housing part 450 and the outer peripheral housing part 417. This prevents the corners of the recording material P from being bent and also suppresses a decrease in the recording material stacking capacity of the discharge tray 51.

[0053] [Other embodiments] The above-described embodiment can be applied not only to the internal discharge type image forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1) but also to a top discharge type image forming apparatus. A top discharge type image forming apparatus is shown in FIG. 9. Note that the same components as those in the internal discharge type image forming apparatus described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be simplified or omitted.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9, image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a top-discharge type apparatus that roughly includes a housing 1A and an operation unit 4, and has a discharge opening 5 formed on the top surface of housing 1A as a space for discharging recording materials from within housing 1A. Discharge opening 5 is provided with a discharge tray 51 serving as a stacking unit having a stacking surface for stacking recording materials discharged from within housing 1A (inside the housing). In image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, recording materials on which an image has been formed are discharged from within housing 1A to discharge tray 51 in a discharge direction from the rear (rear) side toward the front (front). In top-discharge type image forming apparatus 1B as well, the operation unit 4 is arranged so that a portion of the operation unit 4 (protrusion 54) overlaps with the stacking surface 51a of discharge tray 51 in the left-right direction.

[0055] The operation units 4, 4B of the first and second embodiments described above may also be applied to this top-discharge type image forming apparatus 1B. In the case of top-discharge type image forming apparatus 1B, as shown in FIG. 10 , the downstream leading edge of recording material P discharged diagonally upward along the second straight line 210 described above may hit the operation unit 4. In such a case, by applying the operation units 4, 4B of the first and second embodiments described above, recording material P discharged by discharge unit 70 will not get caught even if it comes into contact with the operation units 4, 4B. This prevents the corners of recording material P from being bent and also suppresses a decrease in the recording material stacking capacity of discharge tray 51.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the operating unit 4 (4B) is rotatable has been described as an example, but this is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a case where the operating unit 4 is fixed (i.e., immobile) in an upright position or an approximately horizontal position.

[0057] The above-described embodiment is not limited to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material using a developer containing toner and carrier, but may also be applied to image forming apparatuses using other methods, such as an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a recording material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...image forming apparatus, 1A...casing section, 4(4B)...operation section, 51...loading section (discharge tray), 70...discharge section, 71...first roller, 72...second roller, 82...side cover, 90...support section, 200...document reading unit, 300...image forming unit, 411...first exterior member (first cover), 412...first outer periphery, 412a...first end surface, 415...second exterior member (second cover), 416...second outer periphery, 416a...second end surface, 416d...protruding portion, 416e...inner periphery facing portion, 417...outer periphery exterior section, 417a...fourth end surface, 450...intermediate exterior section, 450a...third end surface, N3...nip section (discharge nip section), P...recording material

Claims

1. an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material; a housing portion that houses the image forming unit; a discharge section that includes a first roller and a second roller that contacts the first roller to form a nip portion that can sandwich and convey a recording material, and that discharges the recording material, on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, from inside the housing section obliquely upward along a second straight line that is perpendicular to a first straight line that passes through a rotation center of the first roller and a rotation center of the second roller; a stacking section provided on an upper surface of the housing section and having a stacking surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge section is stacked; an operation unit having a display surface, the operation unit being disposed above the discharge unit in the vertical direction so that a part of the operation unit in a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material overlaps with the stacking surface when viewed from the vertical direction; a support portion provided on an upper surface of the housing portion and supporting the operation portion such that a portion of the operation portion is positioned below the second straight line as viewed in the width direction, the operation unit has a cover that forms an exterior of the operation unit and is composed of a first exterior member and a second exterior member that is combined with the first exterior member in a direction perpendicular to the display surface, When the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a first end surface of a first outer peripheral portion of the first exterior member facing the second exterior member and a second end surface of a second outer peripheral portion of the second exterior member facing the first exterior member face each other, and outer peripheral edge portions of the first end surface and the second end surface are exposed to the outside, the second outer peripheral portion has an outer peripheral exterior portion that is continuous with the bottom surface of the operation unit, and an intermediate exterior portion that is disposed between the outer peripheral exterior portion and the first outer peripheral portion in the vertical direction and that forms the outer periphery of the second exterior member together with the outer peripheral exterior portion, the intermediate exterior member has the second end surface facing the first end surface on the first exterior member side when the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined together, When the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a third end face of the intermediate exterior member on the outer peripheral exterior member side faces a fourth end face of the outer peripheral exterior member on the intermediate exterior member side, and outer peripheral edge portions of the third end face and the fourth end face are exposed to the outside, the first end surface and the second end surface are surfaces extending along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction, the third end surface and the fourth end surface are surfaces extending along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction, An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. The intermediate exterior portion forms a stepped exterior between the outer peripheral surface of the first outer peripheral portion and the outer peripheral surface of the outer exterior portion in the vertical direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The second outer casing member has a protrusion that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the second outer periphery along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction and forms the second end face when combined with the first outer casing member.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material; a housing portion that houses the image forming unit; a discharge section that includes a first roller and a second roller that contacts the first roller to form a nip portion that can sandwich and convey a recording material, and that discharges the recording material, on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit, from inside the housing section obliquely upward along a second straight line that is perpendicular to a first straight line that passes through a rotation center of the first roller and a rotation center of the second roller; a stacking section provided on an upper surface of the housing section and having a stacking surface on which the recording material discharged by the discharge section is stacked; an operation unit having a display surface, the operation unit being disposed above the discharge unit in the vertical direction so that a part of the operation unit in a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material overlaps with the stacking surface when viewed from the vertical direction; a support portion provided on an upper surface of the housing portion and supporting the operation portion such that a portion of the operation portion is positioned below the second straight line as viewed in the width direction, the operation unit has a cover that forms an exterior of the operation unit and is composed of a first exterior member and a second exterior member that is combined with the first exterior member in a direction perpendicular to the display surface, When the first exterior member and the second exterior member are combined, a first end surface of a first outer peripheral portion of the first exterior member facing the second exterior member and a second end surface of a second outer peripheral portion of the second exterior member facing the first exterior member face each other, and outer peripheral edge portions of the first end surface and the second end surface are exposed to the outside, the first end surface and the second end surface are surfaces extending along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction, the second exterior member has a protruding portion that protrudes outward from an outer peripheral surface of the second outer peripheral portion along a direction intersecting the perpendicular direction and forms the second end surface when combined with the first exterior member. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

5. the second exterior member has an inner peripheral facing portion that protrudes from the second end surface toward the first exterior member and faces an inner peripheral surface of the first outer peripheral portion when combined with the first exterior member, 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. the support portion rotatably supports the operation portion between a first position where the display surface is at a minimum inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction and a second position where the display surface is at a maximum inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

7. the housing has a side cover in the width direction, The operation portion does not protrude beyond the side cover in the width direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. a document reading unit that is provided above the housing in a vertical direction via a space and that reads an image of a document; the discharge section discharges the recording material on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit from inside the housing section to the space; the stacking section is provided on an upper surface of the housing section within the space, and stacks the recording material discharged by the discharge section; the operation unit is disposed downstream of the document reading unit in the discharge direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

Images