Patent Publication Number: US-7909456-B2

Title: Image forming apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as copiers and printers. 
     2. Discussion of the Background 
     There is a background image forming apparatus having a configuration as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , an image forming apparatus  100  includes an image reading section  101  configured to read an original image to be copied; a sheet feeding section  103  configured to feed a sheet S of a receiving material; an image forming section  105  configured to form an image on the sheet S fed from the sheet feeding section  103 ; and a sheet discharge section  107  to which the sheet bearing the image thereon is discharged. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the sheet discharge section  107  projects from the main body of the image forming apparatus  100 . Therefore, the image forming apparatus  100  has a problem such that an extra space is needed for the sheet discharging section. 
     In attempting to solve such a problem, published unexamined Japanese patent application No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-A) 2004-226944 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a sheet discharging section is formed in an space between an image reading section and a sheet feeding section. This image forming apparatus has a configuration such that the sheet receiving portion (i.e., the bottom portion) of the sheet discharging section to which copied sheets are discharged is parallel to the top wall of the sheet discharging section. 
     In addition, JP-A 11-043253 discloses an image forming apparatus in which a sheet discharging section is formed in an space between an image reading section and a sheet feeding section, wherein part of the operational panel is made of a transparent material so that part of the sheet discharging section can be observed from the outside. 
     However, the image forming apparatus disclosed by JP-A 2004-226944 has a drawback in that a copy of a print (hereinafter referred to as a copy) present on the sheet receiving portion is hardly observed by a standing adult person because the sheet discharging section is located at a level of the hip of the person and the visual line of the person is obstructed by the top wall of the sheet discharging section. Particularly, when a small-size sheet (such as post cards and envelops) is discharged, the sheet cannot be observed by a standing adult person. Further, it is troublesome to draw a copy from the sheet discharging section particularly when the sheet is a small-size sheet. This is because insertion of a hand is obstructed by the top wall of the sheet discharging section. 
     The image forming apparatus disclosed by JP-A 11-043253 has drawbacks in that since part of the operation panel is made of a transparent material, the number of parts constituting the image forming apparatus increases, resulting in increase of costs, and in addition the image forming apparatus has a complex configuration. 
     Because of these reasons, a need exists for an image forming apparatus in which a discharged sheet can be easily observed by a standing person, and in addition a copy can be easily drawn from the sheet discharging section. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     As an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus is provided which includes an image reading section configured to read an original image; a sheet feeding section configured to feed a sheet of a receiving material; an image forming section configured to form a copy image on the sheet of the receiving material fed from the sheet feeding section; and a sheet discharging section which is located below the image reading section and which is configured to discharge a copy fed from the image forming section. The sheet discharging section includes an outlet from which the copy is drawn; an inlet which is located on an upstream side from the outlet relative to the sheet discharging direction and from which the copy is discharged by the image forming section; a sheet receiving portion which receives the copy discharged from the inlet; and a top wall, wherein the top wall is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction (i.e., the gap between the sheet receiving portion and the top wall is larger at the outlet of the sheet discharging section than at the inlet thereof). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like corresponding parts throughout and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic vertical section illustrating a background image forming apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic vertical section illustrating an example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic transverse sectional view illustrating the example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic perspective view illustrating the example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic vertical sectional view illustrating another example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic vertical section illustrating yet another example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic perspective view illustrating the example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic top plan view illustrating a further example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic vertical section illustrating the example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     At first, a first example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be explained in detail by reference to  FIGS. 2-4 . 
       FIGS. 2-4  are respectively a vertical section, a transverse sectional view and a perspective view illustrating the first example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , an image forming apparatus  1  is an inkjet copier, and includes an image reading section  3  (serving as image reading means) configured to read the image of an original document; a sheet discharging section  9  (serving as sheet discharging means) located below the image reading section  3 ; a sheet feeding section  5  (serving as sheet feeding means) located below the sheet discharging section  9 ; and an image forming section  7  (serving as image forming means) configured to form a copy of the original image on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding section  5  and to discharge the copy to the sheet discharging section  9 . The sheet feeding section  5  and the image forming section  7  is arranged in a case  2  of the main body of the image forming apparatus. 
     The sheet feeding section  5  includes a pickup roller  12   a  configured to pickup an uppermost sheet S of sheets set in the sheet feeding section  5 . The sheet S picked up the pickup roller  12   a  is fed by a feeding roller  12   b , which is provided in a sheet feeding passage, to a feeding belt  12   c , at which the sheet S faces a printhead  11 . 
     The image forming section  7  is located so as to be adjacent to an inlet  23  of the sheet discharging section  9 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the image forming section  7  includes the printhead  11  (serving as inkjet means) which is supported by two guides  10  and which is driven by a driving device so as to make back and forth movement in a main scanning direction. The printhead  11  ejects ink drops toward the sheet S on the feeding belt  12   c  while the printhead makes back and forth movement in the main scanning direction and the sheet S is fed in the sub-scanning direction, resulting in formation of an image on the sheet S (i.e., formation of a copy). 
     The printhead  11  is connected with an ink tank  31  (serving as ink storage means) via an ink feeding tube  15  (serving as ink feeding means) to receive inks from the ink tank  31 . In addition, the printhead  11  is connected with a power source  17  via a flexible cable  16  (i.e., a printhead control cable serving as inkjet controlling means). The power source  17 , which also serves as a controller (controlling means), applies a driving power and a drive control signal to a driving motor (not shown) to drive the printhead  11  and the feeding belt  12   c . Further, a drive control unit  18  is provided along the guides  10  in the case  2 . 
     In the case  2  of the main body of the image forming apparatus, right and left portions  2   a  and  2   b  are provided on both sides of an outlet  21  of the sheet discharge section  9 . An ink cartridge setting portion  14  (serving as ink cartridge receiving means) is provided in one of the right and left portions  2   a  and  2   b  so that an ink cartridge  13  can be set therein. In  FIG. 3 , the ink cartridge setting portion  14  is provided in the right side portion  2   a . When the ink cartridge  13  is attached to or detached from the image forming apparatus  1 , a front cover  2   d  (illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) is opened. The ink cartridge setting portion  14  is connected with the ink tank  31  through a tube  28  (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) to supply inks to the ink tank  31 . 
     The sheet discharging section  9  includes an inlet  23  from which a copy (i.e., a sheet bearing an image thereon) is discharged, a sheet receiving portion  24  (serving as sheet receiving means) which receives the copy discharged from the inlet  23 , the outlet  21  from which the copy present on the sheet receiving portion  24  is drawn, and a top wall  20  facing the sheet receiving portion  24 . 
     The top wall  20  is slanting upward in the direction of from the inlet  23  to the outlet  21 . In addition, the top wall  20  has two slanting portions, i.e., first and second slanting portions  27  and  25 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the first slanting portion  27 , which is near the inlet  23 , has a slanting angle α and the second slanting portion  25 , which is near the outlet  21 , has a slanting angle β, wherein α&lt;β. In this regard, the slanting angle β of the second slanting portion is preferably from 50° to 70° and more preferably about 60°. The slanting angle α of the first slanting portion is preferably from 30° to 50° and more preferably about 40°. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the ink tank  31 , the power source  17 , the ink feeding tube  15 , and the flexible cable  16  are arranged in a space A formed between the top wall  20  of the sheet discharging section  9  and a case top wall  32  of the case  2 . 
     Next, the action and features of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be explained. A print start signal is sent from an operation panel  29  (illustrated in  FIG. 4  and serving as operation means), the pickup roller  12   a , the feeding roller  12   b  and the feeding belt  12   c  are rotated to feed the sheet S in the sheet feeding section  5  one by one. Drops of color inks are ejected toward the sheet S from the printhead  11  which makes a back and forth movement in the main scanning direction while the sheet S is fed in the sub-scanning direction, to from a color image on the sheet S. The sheet S bearing the color image thereon is discharged from the inlet  23  of the sheet discharging section  9  so as to be stacked on the sheet receiving portion  24 . The sheet S on the sheet receiving portion  24  is drawn from the outlet  21  by hand. 
     Since the sheet discharging section  9  has a configuration such that the top wall  20  thereof is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction of from the inlet  23  to the outlet  21  (i.e., the space of the sheet discharging section  9  at the outlet side thereof is wider than that at the inlet side thereof), a visual line H (illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) of a user standing in front of the image forming apparatus  1  is not obstructed by the top wall  20 . Namely, the sheet S (i.e., the copy) on the sheet receiving portion  24  can be observed by the user even when the sheet S is a small-size sheet such as letters and envelops. Therefore, occurrence of a problem in that a copy remains in the sheet discharging section  9  without being drawn therefrom can be prevented. 
     In addition, since the sheet discharging section  9  has a configuration such that the top wall  20  thereof is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction of from the inlet  23  to the outlet  21 , a user can easily insert a hand into the sheet discharging section  9 , and therefore a copy on the sheet receiving portion  24  can be easily drawn from the sheet discharging section  9 . 
     Further, since the top wall  20  thereof is merely slanted upward in the sheet discharging direction, the sheet discharging section  9  has a simple configuration. 
     Furthermore, since the second slanting portion  25  of the top wall  20  has a greater slanting angle than the first slanting portion  27 , the space of the sheet discharging section  9  on the side of the outlet  21  can be widened. Therefore, a copy on the sheet receiving portion  24  can be more easily drawn from the sheet discharging section  9 . 
     Since the slanting angle α of the first slanting portion  27  is less than the slanting angle β of the second slanting portion  25 , the visual line H of a user, which is along the surface of the second slanting portion  25 , is not obstructed by the surface of the first slanting portion  27 , and therefore the visual line H can reach an inner portion of the sheet discharging section  9 . Therefore, occurrence of a problem in that a copy remains in the sheet discharging section  9  without being drawn therefrom can be prevented even when the sheet has a small size (such as A-6 size sheets). 
     The ink tank  31 , the power source  17 , the ink feeding tube  15  and the flexible cable  16  are arranged in the space A formed between the top wall  20  and the case top wall  32  of the case  2 , the space A is effectively used. Therefore, the image forming apparatus has a compact configuration. 
     Further, the ink cartridge  13  is set in the ink cartridge setting portion  14  provided in the right side portion  2   a  without projecting from the main body of the image forming apparatus, and therefore the image forming apparatus has good appearance. 
     Next, other examples of the image forming apparatus will be explained by reference to  FIGS. 5-9 . Since like reference characters designate like corresponding parts in  FIGS. 2-9 , the detailed explanation of the parts, which have been explained above in the first example, is omitted here and the difference between the examples and the first example will be mainly explained. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a second example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. 
     In the image forming apparatus, the top wall  20  of the sheet discharging section  9  is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction, wherein the surface of the top wall  20  is curved. This second example also has the same action and features as those of the first example. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate a third example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. In the third example, the ink cartridge setting portion  14  is provided on an upper portion  2   d  of the left side portion  2   b  of the main body of the image forming apparatus  1 . As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the ink cartridge setting portion  14  is located on an upper level or the same level as that of the ink tank  31 . Therefore, a pump configured to feed the inks from the ink cartridge setting portion  14  to the ink tank  31  can feed the inks with a low driving force. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate a fourth example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. An original pressing member  3   a  of the image reading section  3  has the operation panel  29  on a front side thereof. As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , both of right and left side portions of the operation panel  29  are recessed in the direction of from the front side of the image forming apparatus to the rear side thereof. Namely, the operation panel  29  has a shape like a character D as illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Therefore, both of the side portions of the sheet receiving portion  24  can be observed through the recessed right and left side portions of the operation panel by a user standing in front of the image forming apparatus  1  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Therefore, occurrence of a problem in that a copy remains in the sheet discharging section  9  without being drawn therefrom can be prevented. 
     The image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     For example, the surfaces of the first and second slanting portions  27  and  25  are flat in the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 2 , but the surfaces may be curved. 
     In addition, in the second example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the surface of the top wall  20  is curved toward the outlet  21 , but may be curved in the opposite direction. 
     This document claims priority and contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Applications Nos. 2006-105077, and 2007-055558 filed on Apr. 6, 2006, and Mar. 6, 2007, respectively, incorporated herein by reference. 
     Having now fully described the invention, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth therein.