A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In describing exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner. For the sake of simplicity of drawings and descriptions, the same reference numerals are given to materials and constituent parts having the same functions, and descriptions thereof will be omitted unless otherwise stated.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the later described comparative example, exemplary embodiment, and alternative example, the same reference numerals will be given to constituent elements such as parts and materials having the same functions, and the descriptions thereof will be omitted.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, particularly to
One exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to
Paper or a recording sheet P which is printed within the image forming apparatus is ejected and stacked on a catch tray 2 formed on an upper surface of the apparatus main body. Paper, as used herein, includes a sheet, transfer member, printable media and the like. Typically, but not necessarily, paper is the medium of the sheet on which an image is to be formed. For simplicity, this Detailed Description section refers to paper, sheets thereof, paper feeder, etc. It should be understood, however, that the sheets, etc., are not limited only to paper.
Devices associated with image formation are installed in the apparatus main body. Such devices include: drum-type photoreceptors 3 of different colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (BK), each rotates in an arrow B direction, electrophotographic process members, an optical writing unit 4, an intermediate transfer belt 5 which rotates in an arrow A direction, a fixing unit 6 and so forth associated with image formation.
The electrophotographic process members are disposed around the photoreceptors 3. The optical writing unit 4 irradiates a laser beam for forming an electrostatic latent image. While a single polygonal mirror has been illustrated, two, three, four, or any desired number of polygonal mirrors may be utilized. The intermediate transfer belt 5 transfers toner images of different colors formed on the respective photoreceptors 3 to the recording sheet P. The fixing unit 6 performs fixing processing with respect to the recording sheet P on which the toner images are transferred.
A sheet feed/conveyance path of the recording sheet P relative to the intermediate transfer belt 5 is configured in a substantially vertical direction at a front side of the apparatus main body. The sheet feed cassette 1, which feeds the recording sheet P to the sheet feed/conveyance path using the sheet feed roller 7 or the like, is disposed at the very bottom position of the apparatus main body and is drawable in a frontward direction shown by an arrow M. Alternatively, the tray can be removed and inserted from either side, or even the rear, if desired. Moreover, the tray/cassette may be fixed or non-removable.
The recording sheet P loaded on the sheet feed cassette 1 is fed by the sheet feed roller 7 and is ejected onto the catch tray 2 after passing through the sheet feed/conveyance path as shown by a dotted line in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Though not shown, similar to the side frame 10 as described above, on the inner surface of the vertical wall of the side frame 11 on the right side and on the inner surface of the end frame 12 is affixed the protective sheet 20 having a size which corresponds to the size of the respective inner surfaces.
On the front surface of the bottom plate 13 is affixed the protective sheet 20 having a dimension indicated by a double-dotted line as shown in
The side frames 10 and 11, and the end frame 12 are positioned in accordance with the protective sheet 20, and subsequently the release coated paper 20d of the protective sheet 20 is peeled off so as to affix the protective sheet 20. In a case where the recording sheets of different sizes are used, the size of the protective sheet 20 is configured to correspond to the paper of the smallest size.
The dimension of the adhesive layer 20c on the rear surface of the protective sheet 20 does not have to cover the entire surface thereof. The adhesive layer 20c may have a narrow width. In such a case, the release coated paper 20d may have a tape-like shape. In a case where the release coated paper 20d has the tape-like shape, the peeling area becomes less so that the protective sheet 20 may be easily and quickly affixed.
When the recording sheets P are loaded in the sheet feed cassette 1, the side frames 10 and 11, the end frame 12, and the bottom plate 13 may be the areas or the surfaces with which the recording sheets P contact. Thus, in a case where the paper such as the release coated paper containing an adhesive material is used, there may be a problem in which the adhesive material leaks out of the end portion of the paper or a cut, and sticks to the surfaces of the side frames 10 and 11, the end frame 12 and the bottom plate 13.
However, when the protective sheet 20 is affixed on the places with which the paper may come into contact as described in the exemplary embodiment, it may be possible to prevent the adhesive material from sticking. The parting layer 20a that constitutes the front surface of the protective sheet 20 is not limited to fluoroplastic, and may be of other materials which prevent the adhesive material from sticking.
According to one exemplary embodiment, the protective sheet 20 is affixed on the portion of the sheet feed cassette, i.e., the side frames 10 and 11, the end frame 12, and the bottom plate 13, that contacts the sheet. Thereby, it may be possible to prevent the adhesive material from sticking. Alternatively, the protective sheet 20 may be affixed only on the side frames 10 and 11. Furthermore, the similar effects may be attained when the protective sheet 20 may be affixed only to a portion of the side frames 10 and 11.
It may be possible that the protective sheet 20 may be contaminated over time so that the adhesive material may stick thereon through contamination. Consequently, the function of the protective sheet 20 for preventing the adhesive material from sticking may be deteriorated. In such a case, it may be necessary to change or replace the protective sheet 20.
In order to facilitate the replacement, as shown in
As shown in
In order not to provide adhesion on the rear surface of the tab 20e, as shown in
As shown in
The adhesion protecting function which prevents the adhesive material from sticking may still be attained without having the protective sheet affixed on the entire surfaces of the side frames or the like. For example, as shown in
The protective sheets 24 having a small dimension is easy to affix and to handle, while achieving the same adhesion protecting function, which prevents the adhesive material from sticking, similarly to the case in which the protective sheet is affixed on the entire surface.
Reference is now made to
In another exemplary embodiment, ways in which the problem may be reduced or even eliminated are addressed. As shown in
In
The protective sheet 30 may be formed of a surface layer or a parting layer of fluoroplastic, a supporting layer which may be chartaceous, an adhesive layer, and a release coated paper or tape. The adhesive layer of the protective sheet is affixed on the inner surface of the lower guide plate 27, by first peeling off the release coated paper (protective tape), and then pressing the protective sheet against lower guide plate 27.
A tab, which is similar to the tab 20e as a protruding portion described above, may be formed at an end portion of the protective sheet 30 so that the tab may serve as the point of peeling from where the protective sheet 30 may be peeled.
A sheet piece, which is similar to the sheet piece 21 as described above, may be affixed on the rear surface of the tab in a state where the adhesive layer is provided on the entire rear surface of the protective sheet 30 including the rear surface of the table.
It may be possible to provide a replacement protective sheet storage unit which stores the protective sheet for replacement so that the protective sheet may easily and quickly be replaced. The replacement protective sheet storage unit may be provided, for example, inside the front cover of the image forming apparatus in a pocket-like manner.
Furthermore, it may be possible to provide a waste protective sheet storage unit which stores a used protective sheet so that processing after replacement may easily and quickly be performed. The waste protective sheet storage unit may be provided, for example, integrally to a waste toner tank in the image forming apparatus in a pocket-like manner. Accordingly, the waste products may be stored in a concentrated manner.
One or more embodiments of the present invention may be conveniently implemented using a conventional general purpose digital computer programmed according to the teachings of the present specification, as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art. Appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art. One or more embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by the preparation of application specific integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits, as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Any of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in the form of a system or device, including, but not limited to, any of the structure for performing the methodology illustrated in the drawings.
Further, any of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in the form of a program. The program may be stored on a computer readable media and is adapted to perform any one of the aforementioned methods, when run on a computer device (a device including a processor). Thus, the storage medium or computer readable medium, is adapted to store information and is adapted to interact with a data processing facility or computer device to perform the method of any of the above mentioned embodiments.
The storage medium may be a built-in medium installed inside a computer device main body or removable medium arranged so that it can be separated from the computer device main body. Examples of the built-in medium include, but are not limited to, rewriteable non-volatile memories, such as ROMs and flash memories, and hard disks. Examples of the removable medium include, but are not limited to, optical storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical storage media, such as MOs; magnetism storage media, such as floppy disks, cassette tapes, and removable hard disks; media with a built-in rewriteable non-volatile memory, such as memory cards; and media with a built-in ROM, such as ROM cassettes.
Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2006-038139 | Feb 2006 | JP | national |