Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10834280-B2
Application number	US-201916415982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked, an extension member, and an upper device. The extension member is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum between a first position at which the extension member is stored in the sheet stacking portion and a second position at which the extension member extends to downstream of the sheet stacking portion in a sheet discharge direction in which the sheet is discharged from the apparatus body. The upper device is disposed above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member and is supported to be openable by the apparatus body. The upper device in a closed state regulates a rotation of the extension member from the first position toward the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body;
a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked;
an extension member on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked, wherein the extension member is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum of the extension member and between a first position and a second position, and wherein an area on which the sheet is stacked in a case that an extension stacking member is at the second position is broader than an area on which the sheet is stacked in a case that the extension stacking member is at the first position; and
an operation panel configured to receive an instruction of an input operation with respect to the image forming apparatus and is moveable with respect to the apparatus body,
wherein the operation panel in a first state regulates a rotation of the extension member from the first position toward the second position, and
wherein the operation panel in a second state allows the extension member to be rotated from the first position to the second position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the operation panel is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum of the operation panel that is located above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member, and
wherein a sum of a rotation radius of the operation panel and a rotation radius of the extension member is larger than a distance between the rotating fulcrum of the operation panel and the rotating fulcrum of the extension member.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the operation panel in the first state takes an attitude along a downstream-side surface of the apparatus body in a sheet discharge direction, and the operation panel in the second state protrudes to a downstream in the sheet discharge direction from the downstream-side surface of the apparatus body.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rotating fulcrum of the extension member is located upstream of the rotating fulcrum of the operation panel in a sheet discharge direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the extension member located at the second position protrudes to downstream in a sheet discharge direction from a downstream-side surface of the apparatus body in the sheet discharge direction, and
wherein, when the extension member is rotated from the first position to the second position while the operation panel is in the first state, the extension member comes into contact with the operation panel while the whole of the extension member is located upstream of the downstream-side surface of the apparatus body in the sheet discharge direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the extension member is located at the second position, the extension member includes a support surface configured to support, together with the sheet stacking portion, the sheet discharged from the apparatus body.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the extension member is located at the second position, the extension member includes a regulation portion that comes into contact with a downstream end in a sheet discharge direction of the sheet discharged from the apparatus body to regulate movement of the sheet in the sheet discharge direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the operation panel is above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the extension member in the first position is stored in the sheet stacking portion.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image reading apparatus configured to read image information from a document,
wherein the operation panel is rotatably supported by the image reading apparatus.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body;
a sheet stacking portion on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked;
an extension member on which a sheet discharged from the apparatus body is to be stacked, wherein the extension member is rotatable about a rotating fulcrum of the extension member and between a first position and a second position, and wherein an area on which the sheet is stacked in a case that an extension stacking member is at the second position is broader than an area on which the sheet is stacked in a case that the extension stacking member is at the first position; and
an image reading apparatus configured to read image information from a document and is moveable with respect to the apparatus body,
wherein the image reading apparatus in a first state regulates a rotation of the extension member from the first position toward the second position, and
wherein the image reading apparatus in a second state allows the extension member to be rotated from the first position to the second position.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the image reading apparatus in the first state and the extension member located at the first position are overlapped with each other as viewed from above, and
wherein a rotation radius of the extension member is larger than a distance from the rotating fulcrum of the extension member to the image reading apparatus in the first state in a vertical direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein at least a part of an operation panel is above the rotating fulcrum of the extension member.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the extension member in the first position is stored in the sheet stacking portion.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Katayama Takafumi

Classifications

• B65H31/20 Primary

  adjustable for different article sizes · CPC title

• B65H2301/4212

  of articles substantially horizontal · CPC title

• B65H2511/20

  Location in space · CPC title

• B65H31/02

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• B65H2551/20

  Display means; Information output means · CPC title