Paper-discharging tray
AssigneeMita Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasanobu Maeshima, Eiji Tsutsui, Makoto Eki, Hiroki Morishita, Junya Sasabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paper-discharge tray for an image-forming apparatus is adapted to hold paper discharged by a paper-discharging device arranged downstream of a fixing device in the image-forming apparatus. The free end of the paper-discharge tray is adapted to be bent in the direction in which the paper will curl when it passes through the fixing device, such that the paper can be stably stacked even when it curls during the fixing process.
Claims20
A paper-discharge tray for holding paper discharged by a paper-discharging device after the paper has undergone a fixing treatment in an image forming machine, said paper-discharge tray comprising:
- a main tray portion adapted to be disposed on the image-forming machine and to hold a main portion of the paper;
- an auxiliary tray portion pivotably mounted to said main tray portion for movement between a first position in which an upper surface of said auxiliary tray portion is aligned with an upper surface of said main tray portion, and a second portion in which said upper surface of said auxiliary tray portion is inclined from alignment with said upper surface of said main tray portion in order to cause said paper-discharge tray to correspond in shape with a shape of the paper after it has been curled during the fixing treatment;
- and
- means for maintaining said auxiliary tray portion in each of said first and second positions.
A paper-discharge tray for holding a paper discharged by a paper-discharging device after undergoing a fixing treatment by a fixing device of an image-forming machine, said paper-discharge tray comprising:
- a main tray portion constituting a base end of said paper-discharge tray;
- an auxiliary tray portion constituting a free end of said paper-discharge tray and being arranged bendably relative to said main tray portion such that said paper-discharge tray can be bent into at least two postures including a posture in which said auxiliary tray portion is bent in a direction in which the paper may become curled during the fixing treatment;
- wherein said auxiliary tray portion is supported by said main tray portion and is adapted to be stopped in said at least two postures;
- and
- a friction means is provided for creating frictional resistance between said main tray portion and said auxiliary tray portion in order to support said auxiliary tray portion in various postures in a stepless manner.
A paper-discharge tray for holding a paper discharged by a paper-discharging device after undergoing a fixing treatment by a fixing device of an image-forming machine, said paper-discharge tray comprising:
- a main tray portion constituting a base end of said paper-discharge tray;
- an auxiliary tray portion constituting a free end of said paper-discharge tray and being arranged bendably relative to said main tray portion such that said paper-discharge tray can be bent into at least two postures including a posture in which said auxiliary tray portion is bent in a direction in which the paper may become curled during the fixing treatment;
- wherein said auxiliary tray portion is pivotably connected to said main tray portion and is adapted to be pivoted manually relative to said main tray portion;
- and
- wherein said auxiliary tray portion is provided with an indicator at the pivot connection between said auxiliary tray portion and said main tray portion for indicating the posture in which said paper-discharge tray is arranged and thus the type of paper which said paper-discharge tray is adapted to hold.
A paper-discharge tray for holding a paper discharged by a paper-discharging device after undergoing a fixing treatment by a fixing device of an image-forming machine, said paper-discharge tray comprising:
- a main tray portion constituting a base end of said paper-discharge tray;
- an auxiliary tray portion constituting a free end of said paper-discharge tray and being arranged bendably relative to said main tray portion such that said paper-discharge tray can be bent into at least two postures including a posture in which said auxiliary tray portion is bent in a direction in which the paper may become curled during the fixing treatment;
- and
- motor means for bending said auxiliary tray portion relative to said main tray portion in order to adapt said paper-discharge tray to receive different types of paper.
A paper-discharge arrangement for an image-forming machine having a fixing device and a paper-discharging device arranged downstream of the fixing device, said paper-discharge arrangement comprising:
- a first paper-discharge tray pivotably mounted to the image-forming machine for movement between a first position in which it is adapted to receive paper in a face-up condition discharged by the paper-discharging device and a second position in which it functions as one side of a guide for guiding the paper to be discharged in a face-down condition, said first paper-discharge tray comprising a first main tray portion and a first auxiliary tray portion arranged bendably relative to said first main tray portion such that said first paper-discharge tray can be bent into at least two postures including a posture in which said first auxiliary tray portion is bent in a direction which the paper discharged by the discharging device may become curled when passing through the fixing device;
- a second paper-discharge tray adapted to receive the paper discharged in the face-down condition and including a second main tray portion and a second auxiliary tray portion pivotably mounted to said second main tray portion;
- first motor means for moving said first auxiliary tray portion relative to said first main tray portion;
- second motor means for moving said second auxiliary tray portion relative to said second main tray portion;
- and
- switch means for operating said first and second motor means, said switch means being switched between on and off positions upon movement of said first main tray portion of said first paper-discharge tray.
A paper-discharge tray for holding, in a face-down condition, a paper discharged by a paper-discharging device after undergoing a fixing treatment by a fixing device of an image-forming machine, said paper-discharge tray comprising:
- an upwardly inclined main tray portion adapted to hold a main portion of the paper;
- an auxiliary tray portion pivotably mounted to said main tray portion for movement between at least three positions;
- and
- motor means for pivotably moving said auxiliary tray portion to adapt said paper-discharge tray for use with different kinds of paper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.