Image forming apparatus and dustproof cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167148-B2
Application number	US-201715493897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2017
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a paper loading base on which manual-feed paper is loaded, a manual-feed paper conveying unit, and a dustproof cover which covers the paper loading base being in the overhang state. The paper loading base has a lower end rotatably supported on one outer surface portion of the device main body, and is opened from an upper end thereof and disposed at a predetermined oblique angle or in a horizontal overhang state such that an overhang side becomes an upper side in an oblique direction. The manual-feed paper conveying unit is conveys the manual-feed paper on the paper loading base onto a paper conveyance path one by one. The dustproof cover includes a base which engages with the paper loading base, and an opening-and-closing cover which is rotatably connected to the base and is opened upwardly on the overhang side.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image forming unit which forms an image on paper being conveyed on a paper conveyance path provided in a device main body;
a paper loading base on which manual-feed paper is loaded, the paper loading base having a lower end rotatably supported on at least one outer surface portion of the device main body, the paper loading base configured to be opened from an upper end thereof, and the paper loading base configured to be disposed at a desired oblique angle or in an overhang state;
a manual-feed paper conveying unit which is disposed in a position corresponding to the paper loading base in the device main body and configured to convey the manual-feed paper loaded on the paper loading base onto the paper conveyance path one by one;
a dustproof cover which entirely covers paper stored in the paper loading base when the paper loading base is in the overhang state, the dustproof cover including,
a base which engages with the paper loading base, and
an opening-and-closing cover which is rotatably connected to the base and is opened upwardly, wherein the base includes,
a pair of base-side lateral surface parts detachably engaging with a pair of lateral portions of the paper loading base in a direction of a rotation axis of the paper loading base in the overhang state, and
a base-side upper surface part of which both ends integrally connect the pair of base-side lateral surface parts;

first protrusions provided on both lateral portions of an upper surface of the paper loading base at desired positions corresponding to the base; and
second protrusions respectively corresponding to the first protrusions and provided on respective lower end surfaces of the pair of base-side lateral surface parts at positions closer to the device main body than the first protrusions, wherein
the second protrusions are provided to be in contact with the first protrusions when the dustproof cover moves in an overhang direction without being lifted.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening-and-closing cover includes:
a pair of cover-side lateral surface parts of which end portions close to the base overlap with the pair of base-side lateral surface parts from the outside; and
a cover-side upper surface part closing a space between the pair of cover-side lateral surface parts.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base includes a floating preventive engaging protrusion which is configured to be arranged such that the base is closely in contact with a downward surface portion of the device main body at a position where the base covers the paper loading base.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a paper ejection port provided in a vertical surface formed in an upper portion of the device main body on a side opposite to the paper loading base with the rotation axis of the paper loading base as a center, wherein
the paper ejection port includes a paper ejection roller pair configured to eject paper to an upper surface portion of the device main body on a paper loading base side.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an extension tray configured to receive ejected paper, the extension tray further configured to overhang above the device main body on a paper loading base side.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the opening-and-closing cover is configured to stop in a widely opened state to be opened up to a position close to the extension tray for receiving ejected paper.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a paper reversing unit provided in the device main body, the paper reversing unit configured to reverse the paper so as to form an image on a back surface of the paper by the image forming unit, wherein
the paper conveyance path of the manual-feed paper conveying unit intersects with a reversed paper conveyance path of the paper reversing unit, and
the paper reversing unit is configured to convey the manual-feed paper which is conveyed from the manual-feed paper conveying unit.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base engages with the paper loading base at a portion close to the device main body.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit which forms an image on paper being conveyed on a paper conveyance path provided in a device main body;
a paper loading base on which manual-feed paper is loaded, the paper loading base having a lower end rotatably supported on at least one outer surface portion of the device main body, the paper loading base configured to be opened from an upper end thereof, and the paper loading base configured to be disposed at a desired oblique angle or in an overhang state;
a manual-feed paper conveying unit which is disposed in a position corresponding to the paper loading base in the device main body and configured to convey the manual-feed paper loaded on the paper loading base onto the paper conveyance path one by one;
a dustproof cover which entirely covers paper stored in the paper loading base when the paper loading base is in the overhang state, the dustproof cover including,
a base which engages with the paper loading base, and
an opening-and-closing cover which is rotatably connected to the base and is opened upwardly; and

an extension tray configured to receive ejected paper, the extension tray further configured to overhang above the device main body on a paper loading base side, wherein
the opening-and-closing cover is configured to be stopped in a state in which the opening-and-closing cover is leaned such that the opening-and-closing cover is in contact with an upper end of the device main body, when the extension tray for receiving ejected paper does not overhang above the device main body.

Assignees

• Kuno Satoshi
• Nishida Hajime
• Tobinaga Hideki
• Aoyama Jumpei
• Kamichi Junpei
• Kobayashi Shun
• Nonaka Manabu
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuno Satoshi
• Nishida Hajime
• Tobinaga Hideki
• Aoyama Jumpei
• Kamichi Junpei
• Kobayashi Shun
• Nonaka Manabu

Classifications

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title

• G03G2221/1672

  Paper handling · CPC title

• B65H2402/31

  Pivoting support means · CPC title

• G03G21/1638

  directed to paper handling or jam treatment · CPC title

• B65H1/02

  adapted to support articles on edge · CPC title