Manual feed tray and image forming apparatus

Abstract

To realize further miniaturization of a device even in a case where there is a projecting part such as a conveyance roller cover.SOLUTION: A manual feed tray comprises: a tray body 3 having a storage part SP for storing a projecting part (a conveyance roller cover 14) projecting from a side part 12, an opening 32 of the storage part SP formed in a placement surface 31 on which paper is placed and an opening cover 33 that is rotatably supported with a rotation shaft 331 in a direction perpendicular to a paper feeding direction and capable of closing the opening 32; and an auxiliary tray 4 that can be pulled out from the tray body 3 and has a recessed part 42 for forming the storage part SP when stored in the tray body 3. When the tray body 3 is stored along the side part 12, the opening cover 33 rotates toward an inside of the tray body 3 around the rotation shaft 331, and is stored in the storage part SP together with the conveyance roller cover 14 which is the protruding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manual feed tray that is attached to a side portion of a main body of an image forming apparatus so as to be openable and closable, and an image forming apparatus including the same.

Background Art

[0002] Some image forming apparatuses such as copiers and multifunction peripherals include a manual feed tray that is attached to a side portion of the main body so as to be openable and closable and enables manual paper feeding, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. Patent Document 2 below also describes an image forming apparatus including a tray main body and an auxiliary tray that is housed in the tray main body and can be pulled out in a direction opposite to the paper feeding direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, miniaturization of image forming apparatuses has been required, and some structural components may protrude from the main body of the apparatus. For example, if a transport roller cover that covers a transport roller for transporting paper protrudes from a side portion of the main body of the apparatus, it hinders the storage of the manual feed tray and makes it difficult to further miniaturize the apparatus.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to enable further miniaturization of the apparatus even when there is a protruding portion such as the above-described transport roller cover.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A manual feed tray according to one aspect of the present invention is a manual feed tray that is attached to the side of the main body of an image forming apparatus so as to be openable and closable, and enables manual paper feeding, and has a mounting surface on which paper is placed, and the downstream side in the paper feeding direction is supported on the side so as to be openable and closable, and the tray body is able to change position between a storage position in which it is stored in the main body along the side and a paper feeding position in which it opens from the side and the upstream side in the paper feeding direction is inclined higher than the downstream side and the paper is placed, and an auxiliary tray which is stored inside the main body which is inside the tray body, and moves in a direction in which it is pulled out from inside the main body and in a direction in which it is pushed into inside the main body, and has an auxiliary mounting surface on which paper is placed, and the tray body has an opening formed on the mounting surface so as to allow the protruding part that protrudes from the side of the main body to enter the main body, and in a direction perpendicular to the paper feeding direction The auxiliary tray further comprises an opening cover that is rotatably supported as a rotation axis and rotates to a position that closes the opening and a position that retracts from the opening, with the shape of which the protruding portion is housed, and the auxiliary tray, when housed in the tray body, is positioned inside the body opposite to the opening and has a recess shaped to receive the opening cover, and the opening cover, when the auxiliary tray is housed and the tray body is in the housed position, rotates toward the inside of the body so as to be housed in the recess together with the protruding portion, when the tray body is in the paper feed position and the auxiliary tray is housed, it is housed in the recess, and when the tray body is in the paper feed position and the auxiliary tray is pulled out, it is housed inside the body and rotates to a position that closes the opening.

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned manual feed tray according to one aspect of the present invention, the apparatus body, a paper transport path arranged along the side of the apparatus body and including the protruding portion, a transport roller provided in the transport path at a position where it is housed inside the protruding portion from the transport path side and transports the paper, and an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper transported by the transport roller. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, since the protruding part (for example, the transport roller cover) is stored in the storage compartment of the tray body, even if the device body has a protruding part, the manual feed tray can be closed to the side of the device body with the protruding part stored in the storage compartment, thereby enabling further miniaturization of the device.

[0009] Furthermore, when the auxiliary tray is pulled out to its fixed position, the opening cover stops in a position that closes the opening of the storage compartment, and the opening is closed by the opening cover, so the inside of the tray body is not exposed through the opening.

[0010] If the opening cover remains inside the tray body, it will obstruct the movement (pull-out, push-in) of the auxiliary tray. However, when pressed by the auxiliary tray, it rotates outwards from the tray body and is pushed upwards, retracting from the auxiliary tray's path and thus not obstructing its movement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] (A) and (B) are front cross-sectional views showing a manual feed tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (A) and (B) are simplified front views of the manual feed tray. [Figure 3] This is a front cross-sectional view showing the transport roller cover and its surrounding area. [Figure 4] (A) and (B) are perspective views showing the manual feed tray. [Figure 5] (A) through (C) are diagrams illustrating the state of the opening cover. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing the opening covered by the opening cover. [Figure 7] This is a front cross-sectional view showing the elastic sheet and its surrounding area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, a manual feed tray according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1(A) and (B) are front cross-sectional views showing a manual feed tray according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 2(A) and (B) are simplified front views of the manual feed tray.

[0013] The manual feed tray 2 is attached to the side 12 of the main body 11 of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be able to be opened and closed, enabling manual paper feeding. Figures 1(A) and 2(A) show the manual feed tray 2 in the closed state, and Figures 1(B) and 2(B) show the manual feed tray 2 in the open state. Figures 1 and 2 show a part of the main body 11 of the apparatus.

[0014] The device body 11 comprises a transport path (not shown) arranged along the side of the device body 11 for transporting paper, a transport roller 13 provided in the transport path, a transport roller cover 14 provided in the transport path as part of the transport path and covering the transport roller 13, and a pickup roller (not shown) that picks up one sheet of paper at a time from the manual feed tray 2 and transports it to the transport path. That is, the transport roller 13 is housed inside the transport roller cover 14 from the transport path side. The transport roller cover 14 protrudes from the side 12 of the device body 11 and is an example of a protruding part in the claims.

[0015] The manual feed tray 2 comprises a tray body 3 and an auxiliary tray 4 (shown in gray in Figure 2) housed in the tray body 3, which can be pulled out in the opposite direction to the paper feed direction and pushed in in the paper feed direction.

[0016] The tray body 3 has a mounting surface 31 on which paper is placed, and its downstream side in the paper feeding direction is supported by the side 12 of the device body 11 so as to be able to open and close. It can be positioned between a storage position in which it is housed in the device body 11 along the side 12, and a paper feeding position in which it is opened from the side 12 of the device body 11 and accepts and feeds paper with the upstream side in the paper feeding direction in a tilted position that is higher than the downstream side.

[0017] The tray body 3 has a storage portion SP for storing a conveyance roller cover (an example of a protruding portion in the claims) 14 that protrudes from the side portion 12 when the tray body 3 is in the storage position, an opening 32 of the storage portion SP formed in the placement surface 31, and an opening cover 33 that is rotatably supported with a direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction as a rotation axis 331 and can close the opening 32. That is, the tray body 3 has an opening 32 that allows the conveyance roller cover to enter the inside of the tray body 3, and the inside of the tray body 3 functions as the storage portion SP. The inside of the body has a space sufficient to store the conveyance roller cover 14.

[0018] The auxiliary tray 4 is stored inside the tray body 3, which is the inside of the tray body 3. The auxiliary tray 4 has an auxiliary placement surface 41 for placing paper and a recess 42 for forming the storage portion SP when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3. The auxiliary tray 4 moves with respect to the tray body 3 in a direction pulled out from the inside of the body (that is, a direction pulled out in the direction opposite to the paper feeding direction) and a direction pushed into the inside of the body (that is, the paper feeding direction). The recess 42 is disposed at a position facing the opening 32 inside the tray body 3 when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3.

[0019] The opening cover 33 has a first pressure receiving surface 332 that receives pressure from the auxiliary tray 4 being pulled out (the side wall surface on the downstream side in the paper feeding direction of the recess 42) and a second pressure receiving surface 333 that receives pressure from the auxiliary tray 4 being pushed in, with a cross section in a "V" shape and connected to the rotation axis 331.

[0020] When the first pressure-receiving surface 332 of the opening cover 33 receives pressure from the auxiliary tray 4, it rotates around the rotation axis 331 toward the outside of the tray body 3, is pushed upward above the tray body 3, and retracts from the movement path of the auxiliary tray 4. When the auxiliary tray 4 is housed inside the tray body 3 and there is no restriction on rotation, the opening cover 33 rotates toward the inside of the tray body 3 by its own weight and reaches the bottom surface of the recess 42 of the manual feed tray 2, as shown in Figure 2(B). At this time, the opening cover 33 is housed in the recess 42 together with the transport roller cover 14. In other words, the opening cover 33 is supported so as to be rotatable with a rotation axis perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and rotates between a position that closes the opening 32 and a position that retracts from the opening 32. The opening cover 33 is shaped to house the transport roller cover 14. Furthermore, when the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out from the tray body 3 to a predetermined position, the pressure on the first pressure-receiving surface 332 by the auxiliary tray 4 is released from the opening cover 33, and it rotates and is stored towards the storage section SP (inside the main body) of the tray body 3. At the same time, the second pressure-receiving surface 333 is supported by the storage section SP and positioned to close the opening 32.

[0021] Figure 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing the transport roller cover 14 and its surroundings. The opening cover 33, which has an "L"-shaped cross-section, rotates inward towards the tray body 3 around the rotation axis 331, thereby opening the storage compartment SP. The transport roller cover 14 and the opening cover 33 are then stored in the storage compartment SP.

[0022] In the figure, 34 is an elastic sheet. The elastic sheet 34 has one end fixed to the lower surface (first pressure receiving surface 332) of the opening cover 33, and the other end is a free end that extends radially along the rotation axis 331. The elastic sheet 34 will be explained in more detail later.

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the manual feed tray 2, where (A) shows the auxiliary tray 4 stored in the tray body 3, and (B) shows the auxiliary tray 4 pulled out from the tray body 3.

[0024] The tray body 3 is equipped with a first size detection mechanism that detects the size of the paper placed on the mounting surface 31 in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to the width direction. The first size detection mechanism (shown as tip 35 in Figure 4(B)) has a known size detection actuator whose orientation changes depending on whether or not there is paper placed on the mounting surface 31.

[0025] The mounting surface 31 has a through-hole 36 through which the tip 35 of the size detection actuator passes. The tip 35 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) in a direction that causes it to protrude upward from the through-hole 36. Therefore, when the tip 35 receives pressure from above, it is pushed down below the through-hole 36, but when it does not receive pressure from above, it protrudes upward from the through-hole 36.

[0026] Therefore, when paper is placed on the mounting surface 31, the leading edge 35 is pushed down by contact with the paper, and the posture of the size detection actuator changes.

[0027] The first size detection mechanism described above includes a sensor (for example, a transmissive optical sensor) that detects changes in the posture of the size detection actuator, and detects the changes. This allows it to determine whether the size of the paper placed on the mounting surface 31 in the longitudinal direction (paper feeding direction) is large enough to reach the position of the leading edge 35.

[0028] The auxiliary tray 4, like the tray body 3, is equipped with a second size detection mechanism that detects the longitudinal size of the paper placed on the auxiliary mounting surface 41. This second size detection mechanism has a size detection actuator 43 (see Figure 7) whose orientation changes depending on whether or not there is paper placed on the auxiliary mounting surface 41. Note that the second size detection mechanism and the size detection actuator 43 are examples of the size detection mechanism and size detection actuator as defined in the claims.

[0029] The auxiliary mounting surface 41 has a through-hole 45 through which the tip 44 of the size detection actuator 43 passes. The tip 44 is biased by a biasing member (not shown) in a direction that protrudes upward from the through-hole 45 (in a direction that protrudes outward from the auxiliary mounting surface 41). Therefore, when the tip 44 receives pressure from above (outside), it is pushed down below the through-hole 45, but when it does not receive pressure from above, it protrudes upward from the through-hole 45.

[0030] Therefore, when paper is placed on the auxiliary mounting surface 41, the leading edge 44 is pushed down by contact with the paper, and the posture of the size detection actuator 43 changes.

[0031] The second size detection mechanism described above includes a sensor that detects changes in the posture of the size detection actuator 43, and detects the above change. This allows it to determine whether the length of the paper placed on the auxiliary mounting surface 41 is large enough to reach the position of the leading edge 44.

[0032] Figures 5(A) to 5(C) illustrate the state of the opening cover 33. As shown in Figure 5(A), when the auxiliary tray 4 is housed in the tray body 3, the opening cover 33 is located inside the tray body 3, with the second pressure-receiving surface 333 reaching the bottom surface of the recess 42 of the auxiliary tray 4.

[0033] When the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out from the tray body 3, the first pressure-receiving surface 332 of the opening cover 33 is pressed from the auxiliary tray 4 (the downstream wall surface of the recess 42 in the paper feeding direction). The opening cover 33 then rotates outward from the tray body 3 around the rotation axis 331 and is pushed upward above the tray body 3, as shown in Figure 5(B), and moves out of the movement path of the auxiliary tray 4.

[0034] The auxiliary tray 4 is fixed in place once it is pulled out to a predetermined position. Figure 5(C) shows the auxiliary tray 4 in the fixed position. When the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out to the fixed position and the opening 32 is opened, the opening cover 33 rotates toward the inside of the tray body 3 due to its own weight.

[0035] Even when the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out to the fixed position described above, its rear end portion 4R remains exposed through the opening 32. Therefore, the rotation of the opening cover 33 is restricted by the rear end portion 4R of the auxiliary tray 4, preventing it from rotating all the way to the bottom of the recess 42. Instead, it stops in a position that closes the opening 32, as shown in Figure 5(C). Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the opening 32 closed by the opening cover 33.

[0036] Incidentally, the tip 44 of the size detection actuator 43 provided on the auxiliary tray 4 is pushed down below the through-hole 45 by contact with the tray body 3, not only when paper is placed on the auxiliary mounting surface 41, but also during the process of the auxiliary tray 4 being stored in the tray body 3. When the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3, the through-hole 45 is closed by the top plate of the tray body 3, so the tip 44 does not protrude upward from the through-hole 45, but remains inside the tray body 3.

[0037] When the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out from the tray body 3 in this state, and the through-hole 45 reaches and opens the opening 32, the tip 44 protrudes upward from the through-hole 45 and sticks out to the outside of the tray body 3. In this case, the tip 44 gets caught on the periphery of the opening 32, hindering the movement of the auxiliary tray 4.

[0038] To resolve this issue, in this embodiment, an elastic sheet 34 is provided on the manual feed tray 2, as shown in Figure 3. As described above, the elastic sheet 34 has one end fixed to the lower surface (first pressure receiving surface 332) of the opening cover 33, and the other end is a free end that extends radially in the direction of the rotation axis 331 beyond the first pressure receiving surface 332. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, even when the opening cover 33 is pushed upwards on the tray body 3, the elastic sheet 34 is held in substantially the same plane as the first pressure receiving surface 332 and covers the opening 32. That is, the elastic sheet 34 moves to a position that covers the opening 32 when the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out from inside the main body and the opening cover 33 rotates toward the outside of the tray body 3 and is pushed upwards and retracted from the opening 32. When the auxiliary tray 4 is stored inside the main body of the tray body 3 and the opening cover 33 is stored inside the main body, the free end side elastically deforms and is stored between the second pressure receiving surface 333 and the bottom surface of the recess 42.

[0039] As a result, even when the through-hole 45 reaches the opening 32, the through-hole 45 is blocked by the elastic sheet 34, and the tip 44 comes into contact with the elastic sheet 34, preventing it from protruding upward from the through-hole 45 and thus not obstructing the movement of the auxiliary tray 4. The elastic sheet 34 only needs to be positioned along the movement path of the through-hole 45, which moves in conjunction with the auxiliary tray 4.

[0040] According to the above embodiment, the transport roller cover 14, which is a protruding part, is stored in the storage section SP of the tray body 3. Therefore, with the transport roller cover 14 stored in the storage section SP, the manual feed tray 2 can be closed against the side 12 of the device body 11. This makes it possible to further miniaturize the image forming apparatus 1.

[0041] When the auxiliary tray 4 is pulled out to its fixed position, as shown in Figure 5(C), the opening cover 33 stops in a position that closes the opening 32 of the storage section SP, and the opening 32 is closed by the opening cover 33, so the inside of the tray body 3 is not exposed from the opening 32.

[0042] On the other hand, when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3, the storage section SP is formed by the recess 42 of the auxiliary tray 4. As shown in Figure 5(A), what is exposed from the opening 32 is the wall surface of the recess 42 (the upstream wall surface in the paper feeding direction and the wall surface in the width direction) and the opening cover 33, not the inside of the tray body 3. In other words, even if the opening 32 is not covered by the opening cover 33, when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3, the inside of the tray body 3 is not exposed from the opening 32.

[0043] Therefore, since the inside of the tray body 3 is not exposed through the opening 32, it is possible to prevent the user's hands from touching electrical components built into the tray body 3, and to prevent dust from accumulating inside the tray body 3.

[0044] If the opening cover 33 remains inside the tray body 3, it will obstruct the movement (pull-out, push-in) of the auxiliary tray 4. However, when it receives pressure from the auxiliary tray 4, it rotates outwards from the tray body 3 and is pushed upwards above the tray body 3, thus retracting from the path of movement of the auxiliary tray 4 and not obstructing the movement of the auxiliary tray 4.

[0045] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 1(B) and 5(A), the case in which the opening cover 33 reaches the recess 42 of the auxiliary tray 4 due to its own weight when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3 is described. However, in another embodiment, a biasing member may be provided to bias the opening cover 33 so that its reference position becomes a position that closes the opening 32, so that even when the auxiliary tray 4 is stored in the tray body 3, the opening cover 33 maintains a posture that closes the opening 32 due to the biasing.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiments and various modifications are possible. Furthermore, the configuration and processing shown in the above embodiments using Figures 1 to 7 are merely one embodiment of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention to such configuration and processing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1. Image forming apparatus 2 Manual feed trays 3. Tray body 4. Auxiliary tray 11. Main unit of the device 12 Side 14. Conveyor roller cover 31 Mounting surface 32 Aperture 33 Opening cover 331 Rotation axis 332,333 Pressure-receiving surface 34 Elastic Sheets 41 Auxiliary mounting surface 42 recess 43 Size-sensing actuator 44 Tip 45 Through-hole

Claims

1. A manual feed tray that is detachably attached to the side of the main body of an image forming apparatus and enables manual paper feeding, A tray body having a mounting surface for placing paper, with the downstream side in the paper feeding direction being supported by the side so as to be openable and closable, and a storage position in which it is stored in the main body of the device along the side, and a paper feeding position in which it opens from the side and the paper is placed with the upstream side in the paper feeding direction being at a higher inclination than the downstream side, and the tray body being able to change its position between these two positions. The tray comprises an auxiliary tray housed inside the main body, which is the inner side of the tray body, and which moves in a direction that pulls it out from inside the main body and in a direction that pushes it into the main body, and which has an auxiliary mounting surface on which the paper is placed, The tray body has an opening formed on its mounting surface that allows a protruding portion extending from the side of the device body to enter the interior of the body, and further comprises an opening cover that is rotatably supported with a rotation axis perpendicular to the paper feeding direction, and which rotates to a position that closes the opening and a position that retracts from the opening, thereby housing the protruding portion. The auxiliary tray, when stored in the tray body, is positioned inside the main body opposite the opening and has a recess shaped to receive the opening cover. The aforementioned opening cover is When the auxiliary tray is stored and the tray body is in the storage position, it rotates toward the interior of the body so that it is stored in the recess together with the protrusion. When the tray body is positioned at the paper feed position and the auxiliary tray is retracted, it is stored in the recess. A manual feed tray that, when the tray body is positioned at the paper feed position and the auxiliary tray is extended, is housed within the main body and rotates to a position that closes the opening.

2. The aforementioned opening cover is The auxiliary tray has a first pressure-receiving surface that receives pressure from the auxiliary tray when it is pulled out, and a second pressure-receiving surface that is supported inside the main body when the auxiliary tray is pushed into the main body. When the auxiliary tray is pulled out and the first pressure-receiving surface receives pressure from the auxiliary tray, it rotates outward toward the outside of the aforementioned mounting surface and is pushed upward, moving out of the auxiliary tray's movement path. The manual feed tray according to claim 1, wherein when the auxiliary tray is pulled out from the tray body to a predetermined pull-out position, the pressure on the first pressure-receiving surface is released, and the tray rotates and is stored towards the inside of the tray body, and the second pressure-receiving surface is supported inside the main body and positioned to close the opening.

3. The device further includes a size detection mechanism having a size detection actuator whose leading edge contacts the paper when the paper is placed on the auxiliary mounting surface, thereby changing its orientation depending on the presence or absence of the paper. The auxiliary mounting surface has a through-hole formed therein, through which the contact portion of the size detection actuator passes. When the contact portion receives pressure from above, it is pushed downwards from the through-hole, and when it does not receive pressure from above, it is pushed in a direction that causes it to protrude upwards from the through-hole. Furthermore, it includes an elastic sheet with one end fixed to the lower surface of the opening cover and the other end extending radially in the direction of the rotation axis, The elastic sheet moves to a position that covers the opening when the auxiliary tray is pulled out from inside the main body and the opening cover rotates outward toward the outside of the tray body and is pushed upward and retracted from the opening. The manual feed tray according to claim 1, wherein the elastic sheet is disposed on the lower surface of the opening cover at least in a position that is on the movement path of the through-hole that moves in accordance with the auxiliary tray.

4. The opening cover has a first pressure-receiving surface that receives pressure from the auxiliary tray when the auxiliary tray is pulled out, and the first and second pressure-receiving surfaces having a V-shaped cross-section and connected to the rotating shaft, The manual feed tray according to claim 3, wherein the elastic sheet has one end fixed to the first pressure-receiving surface and the other end is a free end that extends beyond the first pressure-receiving surface in the radial direction of the rotation axis, is positioned to cover the opening when the opening cover is pushed upward, and when the auxiliary tray is stored in the tray body and the opening cover is stored inside the body, the free end side is elastically deformed and stored between the second pressure-receiving surface and the bottom surface of the recess.

5. A manual feed tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The main body of the device, Arranged along the side of the main body of the device, the paper transport path includes the protruding portion, In the aforementioned paper transport path, a transport roller for transporting the paper is provided at a position where it is housed inside the protruding portion from the paper transport path side, An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper being transported by the transport rollers.

Images