Storage device and image forming device

Abstract

To provide a housing device which achieves improvement of installation flexibility of a housing unit, compared with a case where slide rails are attached to both sides of the housing unit at the same level, and to provide an image formation device.SOLUTION: A housing device includes: a device body; a housing unit which is drawn out from the device body in a drawing direction to be movable to a supply position where a user can supply a medium and whose centroid position is located at one side surface side with respect to a center in an intersection direction intersecting with the drawing direction; a first expanding and contracting member which expands and contracts to connect the housing unit to the device body in a manner that the housing unit can be drawn out and is fixed to one side surface of the housing unit in the intersection direction; and a second expanding and contracting member which expands and contracts to connect the housing unit to the device body in a manner that the housing unit can be drawn out and is fixed to a position, which is higher than the first expanding and contracting member, of the other side surface of the housing unit in the intersection direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage device and an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which the cassette units of a paper feeder are arranged diagonally, with a maximum size cassette (for example, A3) placed diagonally and smaller cassettes placed above and below it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-312870 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to increase the degree of freedom in installing the storage section in a storage device in which a user can supply media to the storage section, compared to when expandable members are attached at the same height on both sides of the storage section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A first aspect of the storage device of the present invention comprises a device main body, a storage section that can be pulled out from the device main body in a pull-out direction to move to a supply position where a user can supply a medium, the storage section having a center of gravity located on one side of the center in a direction intersecting the pull-out direction, a first telescopic member that expands and contracts to connect the storage section to the device main body so that it can be pulled out, the first telescopic member being fixed to the one side of the storage section in the intersecting direction, and a second telescopic member that expands and contracts to connect the storage section to the device main body so that it can be pulled out, the second telescopic member being fixed at a higher position than the first telescopic member on the other side of the storage section in the intersecting direction.

[0006] The second aspect of the storage device of the present invention is the storage device of the first aspect, wherein, in the intersecting direction, the side wall of the storage section on the side where the first expandable member is attached is formed of metal, and the side wall of the storage section on the side where the second expandable member is attached is formed of resin.

[0007] A third aspect of the storage device of the present invention is a storage device of the first or second aspect, in which the storage section is provided with a movement mechanism for moving the medium stored in the storage section vertically upward to a position closer to the first expandable member than the second expandable member in the cross direction.

[0008] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the storage device of any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the load capacity of the second telescopic member is higher than the load capacity of the first telescopic member.

[0009] A fifth aspect of the storage device of the present invention comprises a device main body, a storage section that can be pulled out from the device main body in a pull-out direction to move to a supply position where a user can supply a medium, a first telescopic member that expands and contracts to connect the storage section to the device main body so that it can be pulled out, the first telescopic member being fixed to one side of the storage section in a direction intersecting the pull-out direction, and a second telescopic member that expands and contracts to connect the storage section to the device main body so that it can be pulled out, the second telescopic member having a higher load-bearing capacity than the first telescopic member, the second telescopic member being fixed to a position higher than the first telescopic member on the other side of the storage section in the intersecting direction.

[0010] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the storage device of the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the number of metal plates in the second expandable member is greater than the number of metal plates in the first expandable member.

[0011] A storage device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the storage device according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein the width of the second elastic member is wider than the width of the first elastic member in the cross direction.

[0012] An eighth aspect of the present invention is the storage device of any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, wherein the storage section has a center of gravity located on the one side surface side with respect to the center in the intersecting direction.

[0013] A storage device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a storage device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the media stored in the storage section are transported to the outside from the one side surface of the storage section.

[0014] A tenth aspect of the storage device of the present invention is a storage device of any one of the first to ninth aspects, in which casters are attached to the underside of the device body, and in the vertical direction, the underside of the storage section is positioned lower than the mounting surface of the casters.

[0015] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the storage device of the tenth aspect, wherein the storage section, the first extensible member, and the caster are arranged at positions where they overlap in the vertical direction.

[0016] A storage device of a twelfth aspect of the present invention is a storage device of any one of the first to eleventh aspects, further comprising at least one other storage section different from the storage section that can be pulled out from the device main body in the pulling-out direction, and is configured so that the front sides facing the pulling-out direction of all storage sections can be pulled out to approximately the same position in the pulling-out direction.

[0017] An image forming apparatus of a thirteenth aspect of the present invention includes a storage device of any one of the first to eleventh aspects, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a medium stored in and transported by the storage device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the storage device of the first aspect of the present invention, the degree of freedom in installing the storage unit including the expandable members can be increased compared to when the expandable members are provided at the same height on both sides of the storage unit.

[0019] According to the storage device of the second aspect of the present invention, the load applied to the second expandable member can be reduced compared to when the side wall on the second expandable member attachment side is made of metal.

[0020] According to the storage device of the third aspect of the present invention, the center of gravity can be shifted to the first telescopic member side by arranging the functional components of the storage section.

[0021] According to the storage device of the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is easier to make the first telescopic member smaller and lighter than when the load-bearing capacity of the two telescopic members is the same or when the load-bearing capacity of the first telescopic member is higher than the load-bearing capacity of the second telescopic member.

[0022] According to the storage device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the degree of freedom in installing the storage unit including the expandable members can be increased compared to when the expandable members are provided at the same height on both sides of the storage unit.

[0023] According to the sixth aspect of the storage device of the present invention, it is easier to make the load-bearing capacity of the second telescopic member higher than the load-bearing capacity of the first telescopic member, compared to when the number of metal plates of the second telescopic member is the same as or less than the number of metal plates of the first telescopic member.

[0024] According to the storage device of the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is easier to make the load-bearing capacity of the second telescopic member higher than the load-bearing capacity of the first telescopic member, compared to when the width of the second telescopic member is the same as or narrower than the width of the first telescopic member.

[0025] According to the storage device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, the load acting on the second telescopic member can be reduced compared to when the center of gravity of the storage section is located on the other side of the center.

[0026] According to the storage device of the ninth aspect of the present invention, the load applied to the second expandable member when transporting the medium can be reduced compared to when the medium stored in the storage section is transported to the outside from the other side of the storage section.

[0027] According to the storage device of the 10th aspect of the present invention, the center of gravity of the entire device can be lowered when media is stored in the storage section, compared to when the lower surface of the storage section is located above the mounting surface of the caster.

[0028] According to the storage device of the 11th aspect of the present invention, the center of gravity of the entire device can be lowered when a medium is stored in the storage section, compared to when the storage section, the first telescopic member, and the casters are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction.

[0029] According to the storage device of the twelfth aspect of the present invention, when multiple storage sections are provided, safety can be improved when all of the storage sections are pulled out, compared to when the front side of each storage section is in a different position when all of the storage sections are pulled out.

[0030] According to the image forming apparatus of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the area required for supplying media to the image forming apparatus can be made smaller than when the image forming apparatus is not provided with the storage device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an image forming unit of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a configuration diagram showing a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a storage unit of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the storage unit is attached to the storage device. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a storage unit of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the storage unit is pulled out from the storage device. FIG. [Figure 7]6 is a cross-sectional view of the storage section of the storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken along line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a first extensible member of a storage unit of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a second extensible member of a storage unit of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a side view showing a state in which all of the storage sections of a storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention are pulled out. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] An example of a storage device and an image forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. Arrow H shown in each figure indicates the vertical direction, i.e., the up-down direction of the device, arrow D indicates the horizontal direction, i.e., the depth direction of the device, and arrow W indicates the horizontal direction, i.e., the width direction of the device.

[0033] (Overall configuration of image forming apparatus 10) 1 and 2, image forming apparatus 10 includes image forming unit 12 that forms a toner image by electrophotography, and a storage device 110 that has a transport unit 14 that transports medium P along a transport path 16 and storage units 60, 70, and 80 that store medium P. Image forming apparatus 10 also includes a control unit 28 that controls each of the components, and a main power supply 36 that supplies power from a commercial mains power source to each of the components.

[0034] In image forming apparatus 10 having the above configuration, medium P is stored in storage units 60, 70, and 80, and medium P stored in any of storage units 60, 70, and 80 is transported by transport unit 14 along transport path 16. Furthermore, a toner image formed by image forming unit 12 is formed on medium P being transported, and medium P with the toner image formed thereon is discharged to the outside of apparatus main body 10a.

[0035] [Image forming unit 12] 2, the image forming unit 12 includes a plurality of toner image forming units 30 that form toner images of different colors, and a transfer unit 32 that transfers the toner images formed in the toner image forming units 30 onto the medium P. Furthermore, the image forming unit 12 includes a fixing device 34 that fixes the toner images transferred onto the medium P by the transfer units 32 onto the medium P.

[0036] -Toner image forming unit 30- A plurality of toner image forming units 30 are provided so as to form toner images for each color. In this embodiment, toner image forming units 30 are provided for a total of four colors: yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), the Y, M, C, and K attached to the reference numerals will be omitted.

[0037] 3, the toner image forming units 30 for each color are basically configured the same except for the toner used, and each unit includes a rotating cylindrical image carrier 40 and a charger 42 that charges the image carrier 40. The toner image forming units 30 also include an exposure device 44 that irradiates the charged image carrier 40 with exposure light to form an electrostatic latent image, and a development device 46 that develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image with developer G containing toner. As a result, the toner image forming units 30 for each color form an image of each color using the toner of each color.

[0038] 2, the image carriers 40 of each color are in contact with a rotating transfer belt 50 (described in detail later). In the rotation direction of the transfer belt 50 (see the arrow in FIG. 2), the toner image forming units 30 of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are arranged in this order from the upstream side.

[0039] -Transfer section 32- As shown in Figure 2, the transfer unit 32 includes a transfer belt 50 and primary transfer rolls 52 that are arranged on the opposite side of the image carriers 40 of each color across the transfer belt 50 and transfer the toner images formed on the image carriers 40 of each color to the transfer belt 50.

[0040] The transfer unit 32 also includes a winding roll 56 around which the transfer belt 50 is wound, and a driving roll 58 around which the transfer belt 50 is wound and which transmits a rotational force to the transfer belt 50. This causes the transfer belt 50 to rotate in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

[0041] Furthermore, the transfer unit 32 includes a secondary transfer roll 54, which is disposed on the opposite side of the transfer belt 50 from the winding roll 56 and which transfers the toner image transferred onto the transfer belt 50 to the medium P. A transfer nip NT is formed between the secondary transfer roll 54 and the transfer belt 50 to transfer the toner image onto the medium P.

[0042] In this configuration, a toner image is primarily transferred onto a transfer belt 50 by a primary transfer roll 52 in the order of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Meanwhile, the toner image is transferred from the transfer belt 50 by the secondary transfer roll 54 to a medium P that is conveyed while being sandwiched between the transfer belt 50 and the secondary transfer roll 54. Furthermore, the medium P to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed toward a fixing device 34.

[0043] -Fusing unit 34- 2, the fixing device 34 is disposed downstream of the transfer nip NT in the transport direction of the medium P. The fixing device 34 fixes the toner image transferred to the medium P to the medium P by applying heat and pressure.

[0044] [Storage device 110] 2, the storage device 110 is disposed in the lower portion of the image forming apparatus 10, and includes three storage sections 60, 70, and 80 for storing media P, and a transport section 14 for transporting media P. The uppermost storage section 60 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction. Details of the storage device 110 will be described later.

[0045] [Control unit 28, main power supply 36] The control unit 28 and the main power supply 36 are located in a triangular area formed between the inclined housing portion 60 and the image forming portion 12 .

[0046] (Main part configuration) Next, the storage device 110 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the storage device 110 is disposed below the image forming apparatus 10. The device body 110a of the storage device 110 is integrally formed with the device body 10a of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0047] 4, storage device 110 includes device main body 110a, storage section 60 for storing media P, storage section 70 for storing media P, and storage section 80 for storing media P. Storage device 110 also includes slide rails 68 that allow storage section 60 to move in the device depth direction D, slide rails 78 that allow storage section 70 to move in the device depth direction D, and slide rails 88 that allow storage section 80 to move in the device depth direction D. Storage sections 60, 70, and 80 are lined up from top to bottom in this order.

[0048] In this embodiment, as an example, storage unit 60 mainly stores A3-sized media P, and A3-sized media P is the largest size of media P that can be stored in storage unit 60. Storage unit 70 mainly stores postcard-sized media P, and postcard-sized media P is the largest size of media P that can be stored in storage unit 70. Storage unit 80 mainly stores A4-sized media P, and A4-sized media P is the largest size of media P that can be stored in storage unit 80.

[0049] In this embodiment, as an example, storage unit 60 can store 200 sheets of media P, storage unit 70 can store 100 sheets of media P, and storage unit 80 can store 1000 sheets of media P. In this image forming device 10, it is assumed that A4 size media P will be consumed in the greatest volume. In other words, the number of sheets that can be stored in storage unit 80, which stores the most consumed media P, is greater than the number of sheets that can be stored in storage unit 60 and storage unit 70.

[0050] Casters 120 are attached to the four corners of the lower surface 111 of the storage device 110. Mounting surfaces 111b of the lower surface 111 of the storage device 110 for the casters 120 are configured at a position higher than the central portion 111a of the lower surface 111 in the vertical direction H of the device.

[0051] [Transport unit 14] As shown in Figure 2, the conveying section 14 is equipped with a feed roll 20a that feeds the medium P stored in the storage section 60 to the conveying path 16, and a prevention roll 22a that prevents double feeding of the medium P fed by the feed roll 20a.

[0052] The conveying section 14 also includes a feed roll 20b that feeds the medium P stored in the storage section 70 to the conveying path 16, and a prevention roll 22b that prevents double feeding of the medium P sent out by the feed roll 20b.

[0053] Furthermore, the transport section 14 includes a feed roll 20c that feeds the medium P stored in the storage section 80 onto the transport path 16, and a prevention roll 22c that prevents double feeding of the medium P sent out by the feed roll 20c.

[0054] The transport unit 14 is also provided with an adjustment roll 24 that is disposed downstream of the prevention rolls 22a, 22b, and 22c in the transport direction of the medium P and adjusts the timing of sending the medium P to the transfer nip NT. The transport unit 14 is also provided with an ejection roll 26 that ejects the medium P, on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 34, to the outside of the device main body 10a.

[0055] [Storage section 60, slide rail 68] As shown in Fig. 4, the storage unit 60 is box-shaped with an open top and stores media within the device body 110a. The storage unit 60 is another storage unit in the technology of the present invention. A pair of slide rails 68 are attached to both ends of the storage unit 60 in the device width direction W. The slide rails 68 include an outer member, an intermediate member, and an inner member, and the outer member is attached to the device body 110a and the inner member is attached to the storage unit 60.

[0056] As a result, when a user pulls out the storage unit 60 attached to the device main body 110a toward the front in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 60 is guided by the slide rails 68 and detached from the device main body 110a. Also, when a user pushes the storage unit 60 detached from the device main body 110a toward the back in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 60 is guided by the slide rails 68 and attached to the device main body 110a.

[0057] 4, when the storage unit 60 is attached to the device main body 110a and when it is detached from the device main body 110a, the storage unit 60 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction so that one end (the end on the left in the figure) and the other end in the device width direction are positioned at different heights when viewed from the device depth direction D. Specifically, the storage unit 60 is inclined relative to the horizontal direction so that one end in the device width direction is higher than the other end when viewed from the device depth direction D. Here, the one end and the other end are parts of the storage unit 60 and refer to one or the other of two points that are furthest apart in the device width direction.

[0058] With the storage unit 60 attached to the device body 110a, the medium P stored in the storage unit 60 can be transported by the transport unit 14. In other words, the storage unit 60 attached to the device body 110a is located at a transport position where the stored medium P can be transported.

[0059] On the other hand, when the user pulls out the storage unit 60 attached to the device main body 110a toward the front in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 60 is guided by the slide rails 68, hits a stopper (not shown), stops, and is detached from the device main body 110a. Also, when the user pushes the detached storage unit 60 toward the back in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 60 is guided by the slide rails 68 and attached to the device main body 110a. Detached means a state in which the medium P can be stored in the storage unit 60. In this embodiment, the state in which the storage unit 60 is detached from the device main body 110a means a state in which the storage unit 60 has not been removed from the device main body 110a, is supported by the device main body 110a, and is able to store the medium P in the storage unit 60.

[0060] Then, with the storage unit 60 detached from the device main body 110a, the top of the storage unit 60 is open, allowing the medium P to be supplied to the storage unit 60. In other words, the storage unit 60 detached from the device main body 110a is located at a supply position where the medium P can be supplied to the storage unit 60.

[0061] [Storage section 70, slide rail 78] 4, the storage unit 70 is box-shaped with an open top and stores media within the device body 110a. The storage unit 70 is another storage unit in the technology of the present invention. A pair of slide rails 78 are attached to both ends of the storage unit 70 in the device width direction W.

[0062] The slide rail 78 includes an outer member, an intermediate member, and an inner member, the outer member being attached to the device main body 110a, and the inner member being attached to the storage section .

[0063] As a result, when a user pulls out the storage unit 70 attached to the device main body 110a toward the front in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 70 is guided by the slide rails 78 and detached from the device main body 110a. Also, when a user pushes the storage unit 70 detached from the device main body 110a toward the back in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 70 is guided by the slide rails 78 and attached to the device main body 110a.

[0064] Furthermore, the storage unit 70 is arranged horizontally when viewed from the device depth direction D, both when attached to the device main body 110a and when detached from the device main body 110a. In this embodiment, the storage unit 70 being arranged horizontally means that it is arranged along the horizontal direction, and for example, it means a state in which some tilt is allowed so that the media P stored in the storage unit 70 does not move due to tilt.

[0065] The storage section 70 attached to the device main body 110a is located at a transport position where the stored medium P can be transported, and the storage section 70 detached from the device main body 110a is located at a supply position where the medium P can be supplied to the storage section 70.

[0066] [Storage section 80, slide rails 88 and 89] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the storage section 80 is box-shaped with an open top, and stores media P inside the device body 110a. The storage section 80 is a storage section in the technology of the present invention. A pair of slide rails 88 and 89 are attached to both ends of the storage section 80 in the device width direction W. The slide rail 88 is fixed to one side surface 80c of the storage section 80 in the device width direction W. The slide rail 88 is a first telescopic member in the technology of the present invention. The slide rail 89 is fixed to the other side surface 80d of the storage section 80 in the device width direction W at a position higher than the slide rail 88. The slide rail 89 is a second telescopic member in the technology of the present invention.

[0067] In this embodiment, the device depth direction D and the pull-out direction B of the storage unit 80 are parallel, and the side of the device depth direction D facing the pull-out direction B is described as the front side of the device, and the side opposite the pull-out direction B in the device depth direction D is described as the rear side of the device. The device width direction W corresponds to the cross direction in the technology of the present invention. In this embodiment, the device depth direction D and the pull-out direction B of the storage unit 80 being parallel means that they are essentially parallel, and an error of about ±5° is allowed between the angle difference between them.

[0068] When the accommodation unit 80 is pulled out in the pulling-out direction B while attached to the accommodation device 110 as shown in FIG. 5, it is pulled out from the accommodation device 110 as shown in FIG.

[0069] As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the storage section 80 comprises a front panel 81, a medium holding section 82, a medium holding plate 83 attached to the medium holding section 82, an adjustment member 84 for adjusting the storage size of the medium P in the device width direction W, two adjustment members 85 for adjusting the storage size of the medium P in the device depth direction D, and a movement mechanism 86 for moving the medium P stored in the storage section 80 vertically upward.

[0070] The front panel 81 is a panel that is exposed at the front of the storage device 110 when the storage section 80 is attached to the storage device 110, and is made of, for example, resin.

[0071] The medium holding unit 82 is a box-shaped member with an open top where the medium P is placed, and is configured so that the placement surface for the medium P is the top surface 80e of the box-shaped storage unit 80. The panel on the side surface 82a of the medium holding unit 82 is formed of metal, and the remaining portion 82b is formed of resin. The side surface 82a of the medium holding unit 82 is the surface that becomes one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80. That is, in the device width direction W, the side wall of one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80 is formed of metal, and the side wall of the other side surface 80d is formed of resin. Here, examples of metals that form the side wall of side surface 80c include iron, stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, magnesium, titanium, copper, and alloys containing these metals. Examples of resins that form the side wall of side surface 80d include polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl chloride resin, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) resin, polycarbonate, and epoxy.

[0072] The medium holding plate 83 is a plate-shaped member that holds the medium P in the medium holding section 82, and is attached to the medium holding section 82 so as to be movable in the up-down direction H of the device.

[0073] The adjustment member 84 is attached to the medium holding unit 82 so as to be movable in the device width direction W. The two adjustment members 85 are attached to the medium holding unit 82 so as to be movable symmetrically and in conjunction with each other in the device depth direction D, based on the center position of the storage area for the medium P. The adjustment member 84 and the two adjustment members 85 can be moved manually by the user.

[0074] The moving mechanism 86 is a mechanism for moving the medium P stored in the storage section 80 vertically upward and bringing the medium P into contact with the delivery roll 20c, and is attached at a position closer to the slide rail 88 than to the slide rail 89 in the device width direction W.

[0075] The movement mechanism 86 is realized by, for example, a gear mechanism having a plurality of gears. This gear mechanism as the movement mechanism 86 is connected to a drive unit 130 in the device main body 110a when the storage unit 80 is attached to the storage device 110. The drive unit 130 is realized by, for example, a motor or the like.

[0076] The rotation axis of the motor and the rotation axes of the multiple gears that make up the gear mechanism are both configured to be axes parallel to the device depth direction D. In addition, a medium holding plate 83 is connected to one of the rotation axes of the gear mechanism by a wire. With the storage unit 80 attached to the storage device 110, the gear mechanism is rotated by the motor, and the wire attached to one of the rotation axes of the gear mechanism is wound up, thereby moving the medium holding plate 83 connected to the wire upward together with the media P.

[0077] The storage unit 80 configured as described above is configured so that the center of gravity is located on one side surface 80c side of the center CW in the device width direction W. This relationship is maintained even when the storage unit 80 stores the maximum number of maximum-size media P that can be stored.

[0078] In this embodiment, the center CW of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W refers to the center, in the device width direction W, of the main body portion that stores the medium P, excluding the panels on the front surface 80a and the rear surface 80b of the storage unit 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, it is the center position of the region R1 between the side surfaces 80c and 80d, which is the width of the main body portion that stores the medium P in the storage unit 80. In this embodiment, the main body portion of the storage unit 80 is formed by the medium holding unit 82. Therefore, the side surfaces 80c and 80d of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W are the same as the two side surfaces of the medium holding unit 82 in the device width direction W. However, if other components are attached to the medium holding unit 82, the outermost positions in the device width direction W, including the other components, become the side surfaces. Therefore, the position of the "center CW of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W" does not change depending on the shape and size of the panels on the front surface 80a and the rear surface 80b of the storage unit 80.

[0079] 7, the storage unit 80 is configured to store the medium P by contacting an inner wall surface 80g on the slide rail 88 side with respect to the center CW of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W. With the storage unit 80 attached to the storage device 110, the medium P is brought into contact with the delivery roll 20c by the movement mechanism 86, and is transported from one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80 along a transport direction T that is parallel to the device width direction W.

[0080] In this embodiment, the pull-out direction B of the storage section 80 and the side Pa on the leading edge of the transport direction T of the medium P are approximately parallel. The side 80c of the storage section 80 is a surface arranged along the side Pa on the leading edge of the medium P. The side 80d is the surface of the storage section 80 opposite the side 80c. Note that in this embodiment, the pull-out direction B of the storage section 80 and the side Pa on the leading edge of the transport direction T of the medium P being approximately parallel means that they are essentially parallel, and an error of about ±5° is allowed for the angular difference between them.

[0081] The slide rail 88 is an example of a first extensible member that connects the storage unit 80 to the device main body 110a so that the storage unit 80 can be pulled out by expanding and contracting. As shown in Fig. 8, the slide rail 88 includes an outer member 88a, an intermediate member 88b, and an inner member 88c, and the outer member 88a is fixed to an inner surface 112 of a caster mounting portion and a slide rail fixing portion 113 in the device main body 110a, and the inner member 88c is attached to one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80.

[0082] The outer member 88a, the intermediate member 88b, and the inner member 88c are each made of a single sheet of metal. That is, the slide rail 88 is made up of three sheets of metal as a whole. The slide rail 88 is configured so that the intermediate member 88b and the inner member 88c are housed within the outer member 88a when the slide rail 88 is retracted.

[0083] The slide rail 89 is an example of a second expandable member that expands and contracts to connect the storage unit 80 to the device body 110a so that the storage unit 80 can be pulled out. As shown in Fig. 9, the slide rail 89 includes an outer member 89a, an intermediate member 89b, and an inner member 89c. The outer member 89a is fixed to a slide rail fixing portion 114 inside the device body 110a, and the inner member 89c is attached to the other side surface 80d of the storage unit 80.

[0084] The outer member 89a and the inner member 89c are each formed from a single sheet of metal. The intermediate member 89b is formed by integrating an inner member portion 89b1 formed from a single sheet of metal, an outer member portion 89b2 formed from a single sheet of metal, and a reinforcing member portion 89b3 formed from a single sheet of metal. The reinforcing member portion 89b3 extends parallel to the inner member portion 89b1 and the outer member portion 89b2, and is a reinforcing member that increases the rigidity of the entire intermediate member 89b. In other words, the slide rail 89 is provided with five sheets of metal in total.

[0085] The slide rail 89 is configured such that, when the slide rail 89 is retracted, an inner member portion 89b1 of the intermediate member 89b is housed within the outer member 89a, and an inner member 89c is housed within the outer member portion 89b2 of the intermediate member 89b.

[0086] The load capacity of slide rail 89 is configured to be higher than the load capacity of slide rail 88. The number of metal plates of slide rail 89 is greater than the number of metal plates of slide rail 88. Furthermore, in the device width direction W, width W2 of slide rail 89 is wider than width W1 of slide rail 88. All of these configurations are advantageous for making the load capacity of slide rail 89 higher than the load capacity of slide rail 88.

[0087] The lower surface 80f of the storage unit 80 is located lower than the mounting surface 111b of the caster 120 in the vertical direction H of the device. The storage unit 80, slide rails 88, and caster 120 are arranged in positions where they overlap in the vertical direction H of the device. When the medium P is stored in the storage unit 80, the storage unit 80, medium P, slide rails 88, and caster 120 are arranged in positions where they overlap in the vertical direction H of the device.

[0088] With the above configuration, when a user pulls out the storage unit 80 attached to the device main body 110a in the pull-out direction B, i.e., toward the front in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 80 is guided by the slide rails 88 and 89 and detached from the device main body 110a. Furthermore, when a user pushes the storage unit 80 detached from the device main body 110a toward the back in the device depth direction D, the storage unit 80 is guided by the slide rails 88 and 89 and attached to the device main body 110a.

[0089] 4, the storage unit 80 is arranged horizontally when viewed from the device depth direction D when attached to the device main body 110a and when detached from the device main body 110a. In this embodiment, the storage unit 80 being arranged horizontally means that it is arranged along the horizontal direction, and for example, a state in which some tilt is allowed so that the media P stored in the storage unit 80 does not move due to tilt.

[0090] The storage section 80 attached to the device main body 110a is located at a transport position where the stored medium P can be transported, and the storage section 80 detached from the device main body 110a is located at a supply position where the medium P can be supplied to the storage section 80.

[0091] [Overall configuration of the storage device 110] As described above, the storage device 110 includes, in addition to the storage section 80 of the technology of the present invention, other storage sections 60 and 70 that can be pulled out in the same pulling-out direction B as the storage section 80. As shown in FIG. 10 , the front faces 60a, 70a, and 80a of all of the storage sections 60, 70, and 80 are configured to be pullable to approximately the same position in the pulling-out direction B. The front face of each storage section is the front side surface that faces the pulling-out direction B of the storage section. In this embodiment, the fact that the front faces 60a, 70a, and 80a of all of the storage sections 60, 70, and 80 can be pulled out to approximately the same position in the pulling-out direction B means that the front faces 60a, 70a, and 80a can be pulled out to substantially the same position, and a maximum error of approximately 1 cm, which is about the thickness of the front panel, is permitted between the respective faces.

[0092] [Functions of the Storage Device 110 and the Image Forming Device 10] As described above, in the storage device 110, of the two slide rails 88 and 89 fixed to both ends of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W, the slide rail 89 fixed to the other side surface 80d of the storage unit 80 is fixed at a higher position than the slide rail 88 fixed to one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80. This makes it possible to increase the degree of freedom in installation of the storage unit 80, including the slide rails 88 and 89, while ensuring the necessary mounting strength by specifying the center of gravity position or the load-bearing difference, compared to when slide rails are provided at the same height on both sides of the storage unit 80. Furthermore, the high degree of freedom in installation of the storage unit 80 makes it easier to reduce the size of the storage device 110.

[0093] If the slide rails 88 and 89 are fixed at different heights at both ends of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W, a load is more likely to be applied to the slide rail 89 fixed at a higher position than to the slide rail 88 fixed at a lower position. In this way, if the load is not applied evenly to the two slide rails 88 and 89 fixed at both ends of the storage unit 80 in the device width direction W, and the load applied to the slide rail 89 on one side is greater, the durability of the attachment portion of the storage unit 80 to the storage device 110 may be reduced.

[0094] Therefore, the storage section 80 is configured so that the center of gravity is located on one side surface 80c side with respect to the center CW in the device width direction W. This makes it possible to reduce the load applied to the slide rail 89.

[0095] In addition, in the device width direction W, the side wall of one side surface 80c of the storage section 80 is made of metal, and the side wall of the other side surface 80d is made of resin, thereby making it possible to reduce the load applied to the slide rail 89.

[0096] Furthermore, the movement mechanism 86 is attached at a position closer to the slide rail 88 than to the slide rail 89 in the device width direction W. In this way, the arrangement of the functional components of the storage section 80 allows the center of gravity to be closer to the slide rail 88 side.

[0097] Furthermore, the load capacity of slide rail 89 is configured to be higher than the load capacity of slide rail 88. This makes it easier to make slide rail 88 smaller and lighter than when slide rails 88 and 89 have the same load capacity or when slide rail 88 has a higher load capacity than slide rail 89.

[0098] Furthermore, the number of metal plates of the slide rail 89 is configured to be greater than the number of metal plates of the slide rail 88. This makes it easier to make the load capacity of the slide rail 89 higher than the load capacity of the slide rail 88, compared to when the number of metal plates of the slide rail 89 is the same as or less than the number of metal plates of the slide rail 88.

[0099] Furthermore, in the device width direction W, the width W2 of the slide rail 89 is configured to be wider than the width W1 of the slide rail 88. This makes it easier to make the load capacity of the slide rail 89 higher than the load capacity of the slide rail 88, compared to when the width of the slide rail 89 is the same as or narrower than the width of the slide rail 88.

[0100] Furthermore, the medium P stored in the storage unit 80 is transported from one side surface 80c of the storage unit 80 to the outside along a transport direction T parallel to the device width direction W. This makes it possible to reduce the load applied to the slide rail 89 when the medium P is transported, compared to when the medium P is transported from the other side surface 80d of the storage unit 80 to the outside.

[0101] Furthermore, it is expected that A4-sized media P will be most commonly used in the image forming apparatus 10. Therefore, if the storage unit 80 of this embodiment is configured to be able to store 1,000 A4-sized media P, the weight of the storage unit 80 including the media P will be extremely large when the storage unit 80 stores the maximum number of media P. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lower surface 80f of the storage unit 80 is configured to be located lower than the mounting surface 111b of the casters 120 in the device's up-down direction H. This allows the center of gravity of the entire storage device 110 to be lower when the storage unit 80 stores media P, compared to when the lower surface 80f of the storage unit 80 is located higher than the mounting surface 111b of the casters 120.

[0102] Furthermore, the storage unit 80, the slide rail 88, and the casters 120 are arranged in positions where they overlap in the vertical direction H of the device. That is, the storage unit 80 is arranged so that it is sandwiched between the casters 120 on both sides in the width direction W of the device. This allows the center of gravity of the entire storage device 110 to be lowered when the media P are stored in the storage unit 80, compared to when the storage unit 80, the slide rail 88, and the casters 120 are arranged in different positions in the vertical direction H of the device. Furthermore, in such a case, by fixing the slide rail 89 in a position where it is not sandwiched between the casters 120, the length in the width direction W of the device can be reduced, compared to when the slide rails 88 and 89 on both sides of the storage unit 80 are fixed in positions where they are sandwiched between the casters 120.

[0103] Furthermore, the storage device 110 includes, in addition to the storage section 80 of the technology of the present invention, other storage sections 60 and 70 that can be pulled out in the same pulling-out direction B as the storage section 80. The front faces 60a, 70a, and 80a of all of the storage sections 60, 70, and 80 are configured to be pullable to approximately the same position in the pulling-out direction B. This makes it possible to improve the aesthetic appearance and safety of the device when all of the storage sections are pulled out, compared to when a plurality of storage sections are provided and the front faces of the respective storage sections are in different positions when all of the storage sections are pulled out.

[0104] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 10, the area required when supplying the medium P to the image forming apparatus 10 can be made smaller than when the storage device 110 is not provided.

[0105] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0106] For example, in the above embodiment, the storage device 110 is used in the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 10, but the storage device 110 may also be used in an inkjet image forming apparatus, etc. Furthermore, the storage device is not limited to application to the image forming apparatus, but may also be applied to an optional device such as a paper feeder.

[0107] Furthermore, the arrangement position, inclination, shape, size, and maximum pull-out amount of the storage unit 60, storage unit 70, and storage unit 80 relative to the device body 110a of the storage device 110 are not limited to those in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the storage device 110 includes the storage unit 60, storage unit 70, and storage unit 80, but the storage unit 60 and storage unit 80 may not be included. In this case, the effects achieved by including the storage unit 60 and storage unit 80 will not be achieved.

[0108] Furthermore, the storage device 110 may be provided with a cover that can be opened and closed to cover the storage section 60, the storage section 70, and the storage section 80.

[0109] Furthermore, the slide rail 88 is not limited to being composed of three members, namely, an outer member 88a attached to the device body 110a of the storage device 110, an intermediate member 88b, and an inner member 88c attached to the storage section 80, and other embodiments may be used. For example, the slide rail 88 may be composed of two members, namely, a guide member attached to the device body 110a of the storage device 110 and a guided member attached to the storage section 80. Furthermore, the member of the slide rail 88 attached to the device body 110a of the storage device 110 may be configured integrally with the device body 110a. Similarly, the member of the slide rail 88 attached to the storage section 80 may be configured integrally with the storage section 80.

[0110] Similarly to the slide rail 88, the slide rail 89 may also be configured in other ways. The slide rails 88 and 89 are not limited to being configured in different ways as in the above embodiment, but may also be configured in the same way. The expandable member is not limited to a slide rail, and may be another mechanism such as an air cylinder. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10 Image forming device 10a Device body 12 Image forming unit 14 Conveying section 16 Transport Route 60 Storage section 68 Slide Rail 70 Storage section 78 Slide Rail 80 Storage section 81 Front Panel 82 Media holding section 83 Media holding plate 84 Adjustment member 85 Adjustment member 86 Moving mechanism 88,89 Slide rail 110 Containment device 110a Device body 120 Caster P medium

Claims

1. A device body, a storage unit that can be pulled out from the device body in a pull-out direction to move to a supply position where a user can supply a medium, the storage unit having a center of gravity located on one side of a center in a direction intersecting the pull-out direction; a first extensible member that connects the storage unit to the device main body so that the storage unit can be pulled out by expanding and contracting, the first extensible member being fixed to the one side surface of the storage unit in the cross direction; a second telescopic member that connects the storage unit to the device main body so that the storage unit can be pulled out by expanding and contracting, the second telescopic member being fixed to a position higher than the first telescopic member on the other side surface of the storage unit in the cross direction; Equipped with In the cross direction, a side wall of the accommodation portion on the side where the first elastic member is attached is made of metal, and a side wall of the accommodation portion on the side where the second elastic member is attached is made of resin. Containment device.

2. A device body, a storage unit that can be pulled out from the device body in a pull-out direction to move to a supply position where a user can supply a medium, the storage unit having a center of gravity located on one side of a center in a direction intersecting the pull-out direction; a first extensible member that connects the storage unit to the device main body so that the storage unit can be pulled out by expanding and contracting, the first extensible member being fixed to the one side surface of the storage unit in the cross direction; a second telescopic member that connects the storage unit to the device main body so that the storage unit can be pulled out by expanding and contracting, the second telescopic member being fixed to a position higher than the first telescopic member on the other side surface of the storage unit in the cross direction; Equipped with The load capacity of the second telescopic member is higher than the load capacity of the first telescopic member. Containment device.

3. The storage unit includes a moving mechanism for moving the medium stored in the storage unit vertically upward at a position closer to the first expandable member than to the second expandable member in the cross direction.

3. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The load capacity of the second telescopic member is higher than the load capacity of the first telescopic member.

5. The storage device according to claim 1 or claim 3 which cites claim 1.

5. A device body, a storage section that can be pulled out in a pull-out direction from the device body to move to a supply position where a user can supply a medium; a first extensible member that connects the storage unit to the device main body so that the storage unit can be pulled out by expanding and contracting, the first extensible member being fixed to one side surface of the storage unit in a direction intersecting the pulling-out direction; a second telescopic member that connects the storage unit to the device main body in a pull-out manner by expanding and contracting and has a higher load capacity than the first telescopic member, the second telescopic member being fixed to a position higher than the first telescopic member on the other side surface of the storage unit in the cross direction; A storage device comprising:

6. The number of metal plates of the second telescopic member is greater than the number of metal plates of the first telescopic member.

6. The storage device of any one of claims 2, 4 and 5.

7. In the cross direction, the width of the second elastic member is wider than the width of the first elastic member.

7. A storage device according to any one of claims 2 and 4 to 6.

8. The center of gravity of the storage section is located on the one side surface side with respect to the center in the intersecting direction.

8. A storage device according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The medium contained in the container is transported to the outside from the one side surface of the container.

9. A storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. Casters are attached to the bottom surface of the device body, In the vertical direction, the lower surface of the storage section is located below the mounting surface of the caster.

10. A storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The storage section, the first telescopic member, and the caster are arranged in positions where they overlap in the vertical direction.

11. The containment device of claim 10.

12. further comprising at least one other storage section that is different from the storage section and that can be pulled out from the device main body in the pulling-out direction; The front side surfaces of all the storage sections facing the pull-out direction are configured to be able to be pulled out to approximately the same position in the pull-out direction.

12. A storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; an image forming unit that forms an image on the medium contained in the container and transported; An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images