Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599952-B2
Application number	US-201514697700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main assembly provided with an opening and a tray for placing thereon a cartridge for forming an image, wherein the tray is movable through the opening between an image forming position where the cartridge is used for image formation inside the main assembly and a mounting and demounting position where the cartridge is exposed to an outside of the main assembly and is mountable and demountable. In addition a door opens and closes the opening, and an accommodating member accommodates a sheet on which an image is formed. When the tray is in the mounting and demounting position, the door supports the tray and the accommodating member supports the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main assembly provided with an opening;
a tray for placing thereon a cartridge for forming an image, wherein said tray is movable through the opening between an image forming position where the cartridge is used for image formation inside said main assembly and a mounting and demounting position where the cartridge is exposed to an outside of said main assembly and is mountable and demountable, wherein a pulling-out direction is a direction in which said tray is moved from inside of said main assembly to the mounting and demounting position;
a door for opening and closing the opening; and
an accommodating member for accommodating a sheet on which an image is formed, said accommodating member comprising a first member and a second member including a door supporting portion for supporting said door,
wherein said second member is movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position downstream of the first position with respect to the pulling-out direction, and
wherein when said second member is in the second position and said tray is in the mounting and demounting position, said second member supports said door, which supports said tray.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said accommodating member is capable of accommodating a sheet having a first size and a sheet having a second size larger than the first size, wherein said second member is in the first position when said accommodating member accommodates the recording material having the first size, and
wherein said second member is in the second position when said accommodating member accommodates the recording material having the second size.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a connecting arm for connecting said main assembly and said door,
wherein said tray is also supported by said connecting arm in addition to said door.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said tray is supported by another supporting portion provided at a free end of said door.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said door includes another supporting portion for supporting said tray and an inclined surface portion positioned upstream of said another supporting portion with respect to a pulling-out direction in which said tray is moved from an inside of said main assembly to the mounting and demounting position, and
wherein said inclined surface portion guides said tray, moving toward the mounting and demounting position, to said another supporting portion.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a belt member circulating inside said main assembly,
wherein the cartridge includes an image bearing member on which a latent image is formed,
wherein when said tray is in the image forming position, the image bearing member contacts said belt member, and
wherein said tray is movable to a spaced position, where the image bearing member is spaced from said belt member, inside said main assembly and between the image forming position and the mounting and demounting position.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pulling-out direction is a direction obliquely inclined downwardly with respect to a horizontal direction.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein when said door is displaced between a closed position and an open position, said tray is displaced between the image forming position and the spaced position in interrelation with opening and closing of said door.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein displacement of said tray between the spaced position and the mounting and demounting position is not interrelated with opening and closing of said door.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said tray is linearly displaced between the mounting and demounting position and the spaced position.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said tray is non-linearly displaced between the mounting and demounting position and the spaced position.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said tray supports the cartridge demountably upward at the mounting and demounting position.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when said tray is in the mounting and demounting position, a downstream side of said tray with respect to a pulling-out direction is positioned below an upstream side of said tray with respect to the pulling-out direction.

14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said door is movable between a closed position where the opening is closed and an open position where the opening is open,
wherein said accommodating member is positioned below said door when said door is in the open position.

15. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said accommodating member is disposed below said tray positioned in the image forming position.

16. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a main assembly provided with an opening;
a tray for placing thereon a cartridge for forming an image, wherein said tray is movable through the opening between an inside position where the cartridge is inside said main assembly and an outside position where the cartridge is exposed to an outside of said main assembly and is mountable and demountable, wherein a pulling-out direction is a direction in which said tray is moved from inside of said main assembly to the outside position;
a door for opening and closing the opening; and
an accommodating member for accommodating a sheet on which an image is formed, said accommodating member comprising a first member and a second member including a door supporting portion for supporting said door,
wherein said second member is movable relative to said first member between a first position and a second position downstream of the first position with respect to the pulling-out direction, and
wherein when said second member is in the second position and said door opens the opening and said tray is in the inside position, said second member supports said door.

17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said accommodating member is capable of accommodating a sheet having a first size and a sheet having a second size larger than the first size, wherein said second member is in the first position when said accommodating member accommodates the recording material having the first size, and
wherein said second member is in the second position when said accommodating member accommodates the recording material having the second size.

18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the pulling-out direction is a direction obliquely inclined downwardly with respect to a horizontal direction.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said door is movable between a closed position where the opening is closed and an open position where the opening is open,
wherein said accommodating member is positioned below said door when said door is in the open position.

20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said accommodating member is disposed below said tray positioned in the inside position.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Fujinaka Hiromi
• Suto Takuya
• Osawa Yuichiro

Classifications

• G03G2221/1869

  Cartridge holders, e.g. intermediate frames for placing cartridge parts therein · CPC title

• G03G21/1633 Primary

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1853 Primary

  the process cartridge being mounted perpendicular to the axis of the photosensitive member · CPC title

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G2221/1684

  using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges · CPC title