JP2004318179A5 - - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention has an operation unit, an image reading unit for reading an original image, and an image forming unit for forming a recording image on a recording sheet, wherein the image forming unit is located below the image reading unit. Between the image reading unit and the image forming unit, the image forming unit defines a discharge space for discharging the recording sheet on which the recording image is formed, and the image reading unit has one end in the width direction of the main body case. The image forming apparatus is supported by a side main body housing portion and a rear side main body housing portion, and the sheet discharge space is opened in a state where the front portion and the other end side in the main body housing width direction communicate with each other.

  For example, an image forming apparatus of the above type configured as a copying machine, a printing machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having at least two of these functions is known in the prior art. This type of image forming apparatus is also referred to as an in-body delivery type image forming apparatus. According to such an image forming apparatus, the recording sheet on which the recording image is formed in the image forming unit is discharged to the discharge space between the image reading unit and the image forming unit. Compared with the image forming apparatus in which the recording sheet is discharged onto the protruding sheet discharge tray, the downsizing of the structure and the reduction of the installation space can be achieved. Since the front portion of the discharge space is open, the recording sheet discharged to the discharge space can be easily taken out from the opening at the front.

  By the way, in the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus described at the beginning, since the other end side of the main body width direction of the discharge space and the front portion of the discharge space are opened, the image reading unit The portion supporting the image is reduced, and the image reading unit is easily bent downward by its own weight. This deflection includes deflection only when the image reading unit is pressed downward and deflection due to permanent deformation over time, but in either case, assuming that the image reading unit is significantly deflected downward, The original image can not be read correctly, the image on the recording sheet formed by the image forming unit is distorted, and the normal recorded image can not be reproduced. Such image distortion is particularly noticeable in the case of full color images.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus of the type described at the outset can achieve the downsizing and the improvement of the ease of taking out the recording sheet, but in that the image reading unit is easily bent downward. I had a problem.

  The present invention has been made based on the above-described recognition, and its object is to provide an image forming apparatus of the type described at the beginning which can prevent the image reading unit from being greatly bent downward by a simple configuration. It is to do.

  According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, in the image forming apparatus of the type described at the beginning, a front end portion of a main body casing portion located above the discharge space is located below the discharge space. The front outer wall surface of the main housing portion at one end side of the main housing width direction is disposed further than the front end portion. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus characterized in that the position is shifted to the front side of the main body casing.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the recording sheet is configured to be discharged from the main body casing portion at one end side of the main body casing in the width direction to the discharge space. The front end is located at a position between a position separated by 55 mm from the front outer surface toward the rear of the main body and a center in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording sheet discharged into the discharge space. It is advantageous if the parts are arranged offset to the rear side of the main body (claim 4).

  Further, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the recording sheet is configured to be discharged from the main body casing portion at one end side of the main body casing in the width direction to the discharge space. At the bottom of the discharge space, a relay unit for conveying the recording sheet discharged to the discharge space to a finisher disposed adjacent to the main body of the image forming apparatus is detachably attached, and the upper wall surface of the relay unit It is preferable that the recording sheet has a mounting surface on which the recording sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge space above the upper wall surface.

  Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, an automatic document feeder is mounted on the image reading unit, and the center of gravity of the automatic document feeder is automatic in the front-rear direction of the main body case. It is advantageous that the document processing apparatus is located rearward of the central position of the document feeder (claim 6).

  In the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, preferably, the image forming unit is configured to form a full color image on a recording sheet (claim 7).

  According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively suppress the problem that the image reading unit is bent downward, and to improve the visibility of the recording sheet discharged to the sheet discharge space.

  As described above, the image forming unit 5 serves to form a recording image of a toner image on the recording sheet P, and includes at least an image carrier on which a toner image is formed. The recording sheet P on which the recording image is formed is further conveyed upward and passes through the fixing device 27. At this time, the toner image on the recording sheet is fixed to the recording sheet by the action of heat and pressure. The recording sheet P on which the recording image is formed in this manner is discharged to the paper discharge space 6.

Claims (7)

It has an operation unit, an image reading unit for reading an original image, and an image forming unit for forming a recording image on a recording sheet, the image forming unit being located below the image reading unit, and the image reading unit Between the image forming unit and the image forming unit, the image forming unit defines a discharge space into which the recording sheet on which the recording image is formed is discharged, and the image reading unit The image forming apparatus is supported by the body portion and the main body housing portion on the rear side, and the sheet discharge space is opened in a state where the front portion and the other end side in the main body housing width direction are in communication with each other.
The front end portion of the main body casing portion located above the discharge space is disposed on the rear side of the main body casing with respect to the front outer surface of the main body casing portion located lower than the discharge space And the front outer wall surface of the main body casing portion at one end side of the main body casing in the width direction is disposed at a position shifted to the front side of the main body casing with respect to the front end portion. . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front end portion is disposed with a position shifted by at least 30 mm toward the rear side of the main body casing than the front outer surface. The front end portion is disposed at a position shifted rearward of the front outer surface with respect to the front outer surface such that a vertical line passing through the front end portion can intersect with the recording sheet of the largest size discharged to the sheet discharge space. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The recording sheet is configured to be discharged from the main housing portion at one end side of the main housing width direction to the discharge space, and the position where the front outer surface is separated by 55 mm from the front outer surface to the main housing back The front end portion is disposed so as to be shifted to the rear side of the main body casing at a front and back position in a range between the center of the recording sheet discharged to the space and the center of the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording sheet. 3. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 3. to 3. The recording sheet is configured to be discharged to the discharge space from the main housing portion at one end side of the main housing width direction, and the recording sheet discharged to the discharge space is disposed at the bottom of the discharge space. A relay unit for conveying to a finisher disposed adjacent to the image forming apparatus main body is detachably mounted, and the upper wall surface of the relay unit is mounted on the recording sheet discharged to the sheet discharge space above the upper wall surface. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises The automatic document feeder is mounted on the image reading unit, and the center of gravity of the automatic document feeder is located behind the center position of the automatic document feeder in the front-rear direction of the main body casing. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the image forming unit is configured to form a full color image on a recording sheet.