Paper discharge base of image forming apparatus

• US 20010010193A1
• Filed: 01/26/2001
• Published: 08/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RISO Kagaku Corporation
• Original Assignee: RISO Kagaku Corporation
• Inventors: Tsurumaki, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,494,450 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/232
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/04 for distinguishing adjusting from controlling, i.e. manual adjustments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4212 of articles substantially horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2403/60 Damping means, shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/112 Rear, i.e. portion opposite to the feeding / delivering side
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2515/10 Mass, e.g. mass flow rate; Weight; Inertia
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/06 Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/02 with stationary end support against which pile accumulates

Abstract

A paper discharge base 10 is applied with a sponge sheet 84 as a damping plate 78 of an impact wall 70 provided at a paper discharge base 10. A protection sheet 16 is pasted on a surface of the sponge sheet 84. When the damping plate 78 is impacted by print sheet P, the impact force is transmitted from the protection sheet 86 to the sponge sheet 84 and is damped by the sponge sheet 84. Further, the sponge sheet 84 is protected by the protection sheet 86 and therefore, the sponge sheet 84 is not destructed by impact of the print sheet P.

Claims

1. A paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus comprising:

an impact wall impacted by print sheet discharged from a printing section;

a damping member provided on a surface of the impact wall for damping impact caused by impacting the print sheet; and

a paper mounting floor loaded with the print sheet which is impacted to the damping member and drops;

wherein the damping member comprises a sponge sheet and a protection sheet attached to a surface of the sponge sheet impacted by the print sheet.

2. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to

claim 1

:

wherein the protection sheet of the damping member is made of polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to

claim 1

or

2

, further comprising:

regulating portions projected from a portion of the damping member on a lower side of an impact position to a side of an apparatus main body on both sides of the impact wall formed on the lower side of the impact position at which the print sheet is impacted to the damping member for leading a front end edge portion of the dropping print sheet to the lower side while being brought into sliding contact therewith.

4. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 through 3:

wherein the damping member includes a space portion on a rear face side of the impact position.

5. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to

claim 4

:

wherein a lower end portion of the damping member is provided further in a direction of discharging the print sheet relative to an upper end portion of the damping member.

6. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to

claim 5

:

wherein either one of the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the damping member is fixed to a side of the impact wall and other thereof is held slidably in an up and down direction relative to the side of the impact wall.

7. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 4 through 6, further comprising:

position adjusting means provided at the impact wall and capable of adjusting a position of the damping member in the up and down direction.

8. The paper discharge base of an image forming apparatus according to

claim 7

:

wherein the position adjusting means comprises a click mechanism for positioning a position in the up and down direction of the damping member to a predetermined position.