This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-158620 filed on Aug. 30, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus having an operation panel.
A known image forming apparatus (e.g., a laser printer) includes an operation panel, which may be disposed in various locations considering usability of the operation panel. One example of such image forming apparatus includes an operation panel disposed above a discharging tray, on which printed sheets are to be discharged.
The operation panel disposed above the discharging tray may enhance accessibility to the operation panel. However, the operation panel above the discharging tray may be located over sheets discharged on the discharging tray. Thus, a user may need to put his/her hand into a small space between the operation panel and the discharged sheets to access the discharged sheets. It would be preferable that both the accessibility to the discharged sheets and the accessibility to the operation panel are sufficient.
An image forming apparatus disclosed herein may comprise: a discharging tray for supporting a sheet, the sheet being discharged toward a sheet discharging direction, the sheet discharging direction being a direction toward which the sheet is discharged; an operation panel locating at a position which is different from the position of the discharging tray in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction and above the discharging tray; and a supporting member disposed at the discharging tray, the supporting member being capable of supporting the discharged sheet with the discharging tray, front end portion of the supporting member locating above a top surface of the discharging tray, wherein at least a part of the front end portion of the supporting member overlaps the operation panel when viewed in the width direction.
According to the above image forming apparatus, the user may access the discharged sheet on the discharging tray only by sliding his/her hand in the width direction after the user instructs printing by using the operation panel. Thus, both the accessibility to the operation panel and the accessibility to the discharged sheets on the discharging tray subsequent to the operation for the operation panel may be enhanced.
Another image forming apparatus disclosed herein may comprise: a discharging tray for supporting a sheet, the sheet being discharged toward a sheet discharging direction, the sheet discharging direction being a direction toward which the sheet is discharged; an operation panel locating at a position which is different from the position of the discharging tray in a width direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction and above the discharging tray, the operation panel including an operation screen; and a supporting member disposed at the discharging tray, the supporting member being capable of supporting the discharged sheet with the discharging tray, front end portion of the supporting member locating above a top surface of the discharging tray, wherein at least a part of the supporting member overlaps a rectangle area when viewed in the width direction, the operation screen in the operation panel consisting a diagonal line of the rectangle area.
According to the above image forming apparatus, the user may access the discharged sheet on the discharging tray only by sliding his/her hand in the width direction after the user instructs printing by using the operation panel. Thus, both the accessibility to the operation panel and the accessibility to the discharged sheets on the discharging tray subsequent to the operation for the operation panel may be enhanced.
Hereinafter, with reference to an orientation of the image forming apparatus 1 that may be disposed in which it may be intended to be used as illustrated in
[Overall Structure of Image Forming Apparatus]
As illustrated in
The first housing 2 accommodates a sheet tray 27, a conveying mechanism, an image forming unit, and a discharging mechanism. The sheet tray 27 is configured to support sheets and to be inserted to and removed from the first housing 2 through the opening 211. The conveying mechanism conveys a sheet from the sheet tray 27. The image forming unit forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying mechanism. The discharging mechanism includes a discharging roller 28 for discharging the sheet from the image forming unit toward outside of the first housing 2. The discharging roller 28 is disposed around the downstream end of the discharging mechanism in a conveying direction of the sheet.
The sheet tray 27 is movable between an accommodated position shown in
On the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2, a discharging tray 6 for supporting sheets discharged by the discharging mechanism is disposed. The discharging tray 6 may be attached on the upper surface 25. Alternatively, the discharging tray 6 may be a part of the upper surface 25. The discharging tray 6 includes an inclined surface 6A, as shown in
As illustrated in
The leg unit 4 includes a left leg member 41, a right leg member 42, and a rear leg member 43. The left leg member 41 is disposed at left end portion on the upper surface of the first housing 2. The right leg member 42 is disposed at right end portion on the upper surface of the first housing 2. The rear leg member 43 is disposed at rear end portion on the upper surface of the first housing 2. Each of the left leg member 41, the right leg member 42, and the rear leg member 43 has a certain length to support the second housing 3 for making a discharging space 63 between the second housing 3 and the discharging tray 6 of the first housing 2.
The left leg member 41, the right leg member 42, the upper surface of the first housing 2, and the lower surface of the second housing 3 form an opening 44 at front side of the image forming apparatus 1. The discharging space 63 is opened toward front side and right side through the opening 44. Accordingly, the user may take the sheet on the discharging tray 6 through the opening 44 from the front side or the right side of the image forming apparatus 1.
The discharging tray 6 includes a protrusion member 61, protruding upward from the inclined surface 6A, disposed at or adjacent a center of the discharging tray 6 in the width direction. The protrusion member 61 is trapezoid-shaped which inclines downward toward the rear side. The protrusion member 61 supports a supporting member 62, substantially rectangle and plate-shaped, such that rear end of the supporting member 62 is pivotable relative to the protrusion member 61 about a rotation axis R shown in
The supporting member 62 may suppress potential uplifted curl at both ends of the discharged sheet in the width direction because a center area of the discharged sheet in the width direction is on the support member 62. The discharged sheet on the support member 62 may make a space, around the protrusion member 61 under the discharged sheet, to which the user may easily access to grab the discharged sheet.
The supporting member 62 is configured to pivot between a retracted position and an upright position. The supporting member 62 at the retracted position extends substantially horizontally along a top end of the protrusion member 61. The supporting member 62 includes a front end 62B configured to rise as the supporting member 62 pivots from the retracted position to the upright position. The front end 62 of the supporting member 62 is configured to rise due to an upward urging force. The retracted position is an example of a “first position”. The upright position is an example of a “second position”. The supporting member 62 incorporates a spring therein (omitted in the drawings). Nevertheless, another embodiment may not have the supporting member 62 pivotable, and may alternatively have a fixed supporting member at the upright position.
As shown in
As illustrated in
Further, at least a part of sheet on the front end portion 62B of the supporting member 62 is visible when viewed down from above of the image forming apparatus 1 such that the user may easily access the sheet to take it out.
The right leg member 42 includes a front end surface 42A disposed further to the rear than the front surface 21, which is the front end portion of the first housing 2, and the front end portion 3A of the second housing 3. Accordingly, right side of the discharging space 63 is opened widely, thereby the user may easily access the discharging space 63 from the right side to take the sheet on the supporting member 62. The front end portion 3A of the second housing 3 is disposed further to the rear than the front surface 21 of the first housing 2. Accordingly, at least a part of the upper side of the discharging space 63 is opened, thereby the user may easily access the discharging space from the upper side to take the sheet on the supporting member 62.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The operation panel 5 includes a display (e.g., liquid-crystal display) with a touchscreen function for operating the image forming unit and the image reading unit. In this embodiment, an operation screen 51 is disposed at upper surface of the operation panel 5 for the user's operation. Nevertheless, in other embodiments, the operation panel 5 may include physical buttons.
(Positional Relationship Between the Supporting Member and the Operation Panel)
As illustrated in
(Positional Relationship Between the Operation Panel and the Discharging Tray)
The right side surface 5B of the operation panel 5 aligns with the right side surface 41A of the left leg member 41. That is, the right side surface 5B of the operation panel 5 is along the left end of the discharging tray 6. Accordingly, the right side surface 5B of the operation panel 5 in the width direction is configured to guide the left end of the sheet on the supporting member 62. Thus, each sheet discharged to the discharging tray 6 is aligned in the width direction without an additional guide.
The operation panel 5 is fixed to the second housing 3. The fixed operation panel 5 may help the positional relationship between the operation panel 5 and the supporting member 62 maintain. The operation panel 5 may also guide the sheet.
(Modification)
In this modified embodiment, in a state where the supporting member 70 is at the upright position, the front end portion 70B of the supporting member 70 overlaps the operation screen 51 when viewed in the width direction as illustrated in
Accordingly, front end portion of the discharged sheet is located on the front end portion 70B which is risen as the supporting member 70 is positioned at the upright position such that the sheet reaches substantially the same height as the operation panel 5 as in the image forming apparatus 1. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus 10 may reach similar achievement to what the image forming apparatus 1 reaches.
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Entry |
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Japanese Office Action (with English translation) dated Mar. 28, 2023 (Application No. 2019-158620). |
Chinese Office Action (with English translation), Chinese Application No. 202010861429.5, dated Apr. 14, 2023 (11 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210061608 A1 | Mar 2021 | US |