JP2020064228A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow selection of the number of toner containers attached to an apparatus body from one or plurality for every color, and prevent the size of the apparatus body from being unnecessarily increased when one container is selected for every color.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 comprises: a plurality of toner containers 51, 52; a plurality of housings 50A, 50B; a lower paper ejection roller pair 48; an upper paper ejection roller pair 49; a first paper ejection tray 101; and a third paper ejection tray 103. When only the plurality of toner containers 52 are attached to an apparatus body 10, a sheet S ejected from the lower paper ejection roller pair 48 or the upper paper ejection roller pair 49 is loaded on the first paper ejection tray 101. When the plurality of toner containers 51 are further attached to the apparatus body 10, the ejected sheet S is loaded on the third paper ejection tray 103 that is attached in place of the first paper ejection tray 101.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers that have adopted an electrophotographic method make a photosensitive drum carrying an electrostatic latent image and toner supplied to the photosensitive drum to visualize the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. And a transfer device that transfers a toner image from the photosensitive drum onto a sheet.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of developing devices corresponding to color toners of respective colors, and two toner containers (toner containers) for supplying replenishment toner to each developing device are arranged. An image forming apparatus is disclosed. Even if one of the toner containers becomes empty, it is possible to replenish the toner from the other toner container, so that the forced stop time (print disable time) of the image forming apparatus is shortened. In particular, when a print job including a large number of printed sheets is executed, it is possible to prevent the job from being interrupted due to running out of toner.

JP, 2014-157350, A

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1, toner containers of respective colors are arranged horizontally adjacent to each other. Therefore, there is a problem that the horizontal width of the main body of the image forming apparatus increases. Further, in the case of such a configuration, for a user who does not need two toner containers for each color, there is an adverse effect that the apparatus main body becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the number of toner containers of each color to be mounted on the apparatus main body can be selected from one or a plurality, and one by one. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which the size of the apparatus body in some cases is prevented from unnecessarily increasing.

  An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is rotated around a predetermined axis with an apparatus main body, allows an electrostatic latent image to be formed, and carries a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image. A plurality of photoconductor drums having a peripheral surface; a plurality of developing devices that visualize the electrostatic latent image in the toner images by supplying toner to the plurality of photoconductor drums; and the plurality of photoconductor drums. A transfer unit for transferring the toner image carried on the sheet to a sheet, a fixing unit for fixing the toner image on the sheet on which the toner image is transferred, and a horizontal unit above the plurality of developing devices. A plurality of first toner containers, which are detachably attached to the apparatus main body so as to be arranged adjacent to each other in the direction, and respectively store toners to be supplied to the plurality of developing devices, and the plurality of first toner containers. A first sheet discharging section that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body above the printer and discharges the sheet on which the toner image is fixed along a predetermined discharging direction; and a first sheet discharging section above the first sheet discharging section. A second sheet discharging unit that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body and discharges the sheet on which the toner image is fixed along the discharging direction; and the first sheet above the plurality of first toner containers. A first sheet stacking unit that is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body at a position below the discharge unit, and on which the sheets discharged by the first sheet discharge unit are stacked, and the first sheet stacking unit is the apparatus main body. In a state where the sheet is detached from the first sheet stacking section, the sheet is detachably attached to the apparatus body at a position above the first sheet stacking section with a predetermined space, and the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharging section. A second sheet stacking section on which a sheet is stacked, and a second sheet stacking section above the plurality of first toner containers in a state where the second sheet stacking section is mounted on the apparatus main body. A plurality of second toner containers that are detachably attached to the apparatus main body so as to be horizontally adjacent to each other at a lower position and respectively store toners to be supplied to the plurality of developing devices. , Is provided.

  According to this configuration, when the plurality of first toner containers are attached to the apparatus main body, the sheet subjected to the fixing process can be discharged and stacked on the first sheet stacking unit. On the other hand, when the plurality of second toner containers are mounted on the plurality of first toner containers, the toner can be supplied from the two toner containers of each color to the developing device. Therefore, even if one of the toner containers becomes empty, the image forming operation can be continued, and downtime of the image forming apparatus can be reduced. Further, the width in the horizontal direction of the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus can be reduced as compared with the case where the toner containers of each color are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. Further, when the plurality of second toner containers are mounted on the plurality of first toner containers, the sheets may be discharged and stacked on the second sheet stacking unit instead of the first sheet stacking unit. it can. Further, when only the plurality of first toner containers are installed, an unnecessary space is not formed between the second sheet stacking unit and the plurality of first toner containers, and thus the first sheet is not formed. A sufficient number of sheets can be stacked on the stacking unit. That is, the number of toner containers to be mounted on the apparatus main body can be selected one by one or a plurality of toner containers, and it is possible to prevent the size of the apparatus main body from unnecessarily increasing when each one is selected. To be done.

  In the above structure, it is preferable that the second sheet stacking unit has a standing wall portion that closes the first sheet discharging unit.

  According to this configuration, the standing wall portion of the second sheet stacking unit mounted on the apparatus main body is arranged so as to close the first sheet discharging unit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sheet from being erroneously discharged from the first sheet discharging unit.

  In the above configuration, a guide portion that is swingably supported by the apparatus main body and that guides the sheet subjected to the fixing process toward the first sheet discharge portion or the second sheet discharge portion, A guide driving unit that generates a driving force for driving the guide unit and a conveyance destination of the sheet that has been subjected to the fixing process by controlling the guide driving unit are the first sheet discharging unit and the second sheet discharging unit. A guide control unit for selectively switching to one of the first sheet discharge unit and the first sheet discharge unit when the first sheet discharge unit is attached to the apparatus main body. The guide driving unit is controlled to allow the sheet to be conveyed to the second sheet discharging unit, and the sheet is conveyed to the second sheet discharging unit when the second sheet discharging unit is attached to the apparatus main body. It is controlling the guide drive portion so as to restrict it to be transported to one of the first sheet discharge portion for permitting desirably.

  According to this configuration, when the second sheet stacking unit is attached to the apparatus main body, it is further suppressed that the sheets are erroneously discharged from the first sheet discharging unit.

  In the above configuration, in a state in which the first sheet stacking unit is mounted on the apparatus main body, the first sheet stacking unit is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body at a position with a predetermined space above the first sheet stacking unit. It is desirable to further include a third sheet stacking unit on which the sheets discharged by the two-sheet discharging unit are stacked.

  According to this configuration, when the first sheet stacking unit is mounted on the apparatus main body, the third sheet stacking unit can be mounted above the first sheet stacking unit. Therefore, it is possible to distribute the sheet discharge destination to two locations by using the first sheet stacking unit, the third sheet stacking unit, the first sheet discharging unit, and the second sheet discharging unit.

  In the above structure, it is preferable that the apparatus main body is provided with a stacking section support section that can selectively support the second sheet stacking section and the third sheet stacking section.

  According to this configuration, the image forming apparatus includes the stacking unit support unit that can selectively support the second sheet stacking unit and the third sheet stacking unit. For this reason, the mounting portions of the second sheet stacking portion and the third sheet stacking portion are made common, and erroneous mounting in which both are simultaneously mounted is prevented.

  According to the present invention, the number of toner containers of each color to be mounted on the apparatus body can be selected from one or a plurality, and the size of the apparatus body when one is selected is unnecessary. There is provided an image forming apparatus which is prevented from increasing in number.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a toner replenishing unit and a developing device of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the toner supply unit and the developing device of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the toner supply unit and the developing device of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a toner container according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the housings of a plurality of first toner containers of the image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and a periphery of a first sheet stacking unit and a third sheet stacking unit. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the first sheet stacking unit and the third sheet stacking unit are removed from the image forming apparatus of FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a plurality of second toner container housings and a second sheet stacking unit are mounted on the image forming apparatus of FIG. 14. FIG. 3 is a front view of the main body of the image forming apparatus and the inner cover of the second sheet stacking unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an internal structure of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, as the image forming apparatus 1, a multifunction machine having a printer function and a copying function is illustrated, but the image forming apparatus may be a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile apparatus.

<Description of image forming apparatus>
The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing structure, and an automatic document feeder 20 arranged on the apparatus main body 10. The device body 10 has a body left wall 10L and a body right wall 10R. Inside the apparatus main body 10, a reading unit 25 that optically reads a document image to be copied, an image forming unit 30 that forms a toner image on a sheet, a fixing unit 47 that fixes the toner image on the sheet, and an image forming unit. The sheet feeding unit 40 that stores the sheet that is conveyed to the unit 30 and the conveying path 100 that conveys the sheet from the sheet feeding unit 40 or the sheet feeding tray 46 to the discharge space 10S via the secondary transfer unit described below. It is housed. The sheet S discharged into the discharge space 10S is stacked on the second sheet discharge tray 102 and the third sheet discharge tray 103 described later in addition to the first sheet discharge tray 101 of FIG.

  An automatic document feeder (ADF) 20 automatically feeds a document sheet to be copied toward a predetermined document reading position in the apparatus body 10. On the other hand, when the user manually places the document sheet at a predetermined document reading position, the ADF 20 is opened upward. The reading unit 25 optically reads an image of a document sheet automatically fed from the ADF 20 on the upper surface of the apparatus body 10 or a manually placed document sheet. In other embodiments, the image forming apparatus 1 may be a printer that does not include the ADF 20 and the reading unit 25.

  The image forming unit 30 forms an image on a sheet by generating a full-color toner image and transferring the full-color toner image onto the sheet. Yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan ( C) and an image forming unit 13 including four units 13Y, 13C, 13M and 13Bk for forming black (Bk) toner images, and an intermediate transfer unit 14 disposed adjacently on the image forming unit 13. And a toner replenishing unit 5 arranged on the intermediate transfer unit 14.

  Each of the image forming units 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13Bk includes a photoconductor drum 20, and a charger 21, an exposure device 22, a developing device 23, a primary transfer roller 24, and a primary transfer roller 24, which are arranged around the photoconductor drum 20. And a cleaning device 25.

  The photoconductor drum 20 is rotated around a predetermined axis extending in the front-rear direction to allow the electrostatic latent image to be formed, and has a peripheral surface which carries a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image. The charger 21 uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 20. The photosensitive drums 20 of the respective colors are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval in the horizontal direction.

  The exposure device 22 has a laser light source and optical system devices such as a mirror and a lens, and irradiates the peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 20 with light based on the image data of the original image to form an electrostatic latent image. .

  The developing device 23 supplies toner to the peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 20 in order to develop (visualize) the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum 20. The primary transfer roller 24 primarily transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 20 onto the intermediate transfer belt 141. The cleaning device 25 cleans the peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum 20 after the toner image is transferred.

  The intermediate transfer unit 14 includes an intermediate transfer belt 141, a belt driving roller 142, and a driven roller 143. The intermediate transfer belt 141 is rotatably supported above the plurality of photosensitive drums 20. On the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 141, the toner images are transferred (received) from the plurality of photosensitive drums 20 in the same position in an overlapping (superimposed) manner. As a result, the intermediate transfer belt 141 carries toner images of a plurality of colors. The intermediate transfer belt 141 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG.

  A secondary transfer roller 145 is arranged to face the peripheral surface of the belt drive roller 142. The secondary transfer roller 145, together with the belt driving roller 142, forms a secondary transfer portion that transfers the full-color toner image overlaid (carried) on the intermediate transfer belt 141 to the sheet. That is, the intermediate transfer unit 14 and the secondary transfer roller 145 transfer the toner images carried on the plurality of photosensitive drums 20 to the sheet S.

  The toner replenishing unit 5 is arranged above the intermediate transfer belt 141, and supplies the toner of each color to the developing devices 23 of the image forming units 13Y, 13C, 13M, and 13Bk corresponding to each color through a supply path described below. The toner replenishing unit 5 has a plurality of cylindrical toner containers 51 and 52 for accommodating the toner replenished to the plurality of developing devices 23.

  The fixing unit 47 is an induction heating type fixing device that performs a fixing process for fixing the toner image on the sheet S, and has a fixing nip portion formed therein. When the sheet S passes through the fixing nip portion, the toner image transferred to the sheet S is fixed on the sheet.

  The sheet feeding unit 40 includes two-stage sheet feeding cassettes 40A and 40B that store sheets S on which an image forming process is performed. These paper feed cassettes 40A and 40B can be pulled out from the front of the apparatus main body 10 in the front direction.

  The sheet feed cassette 40A (40B) includes a sheet storage unit 41 that stores a sheet bundle in which the sheets S are stacked, and a lift plate 42 that lifts up the sheet bundle for sheet feeding. A pickup roller 43 and a roller pair of a paper feed roller 44 and a retard roller 45 are arranged on the upper right side of the paper feed cassette 40A (40B). By driving the pickup roller 43 and the paper feed roller 44, the uppermost sheet S of the sheet bundle in the paper feed cassette 40A is fed out one by one and carried into the upstream end of the conveyance path 100.

  The conveyance path 100 is a main conveyance path 100A that conveys the sheet S from the sheet feeding section 40 to the exit of the fixing section 47 via the image forming section 30, and single-sided printing when double-sided printing is performed on the sheet S. It includes a reverse conveyance path 100B for returning the sheet S to the image forming unit 30, an upper conveyance path 100C and a lower conveyance path 100D for directing the sheet S from the downstream end of the main conveyance path 100A to the discharge space 10S. An upper paper discharge roller pair 49 is rotatably provided at the downstream end of the upper transport path 100C, and a lower paper discharge roller pair 48 is rotatably provided at the downstream end of the lower transport path 100B.

  In addition, in other words, regarding the lower paper discharge roller pair 48 and the upper paper discharge roller pair 49, the lower paper discharge roller pair 48 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 10 above the plurality of toner containers 52, and the toner is discharged. The sheet S on which the image is fixed is discharged in a predetermined discharge direction (leftward direction). On the other hand, the upper paper ejection roller pair 49 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 10 above the lower paper ejection roller pair 48, and ejects the sheet S having the toner image fixed thereon along the ejection direction.

  The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a guide unit 100G (FIG. 1). The guide portion 100G is swingably supported by the apparatus main body 10 and guides the sheet S on which the fixing process has been performed toward the lower paper discharge roller pair 48 or the upper paper discharge roller pair 49.

  The registration roller pair 105 is arranged on the upstream side of the secondary transfer unit 145 in the main transport path 100A. The sheet S is temporarily stopped by the registration roller pair 105 in the stopped state, and skew correction is performed. Thereafter, the registration roller pair 105 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown) at a predetermined timing for image transfer, so that the sheet S is sent to the secondary transfer roller 145.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment, the plurality of photoconductor drums 20 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, and the plurality of color photoconductor drums that carry toner images of different color colors. , A black photoconductor drum carrying a black toner image. Further, the plurality of developing devices 23 are developing devices that supply toner to the plurality of photoconductor drums 20, and a plurality of color developing devices that respectively supply color toner to the plurality of color photoconductor drums. A black developing device for supplying black toner to the black photosensitive drum.

  2 to 6 are a perspective view, a front view, a rear view, a plan view and a side view of the image forming unit 13 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Further, FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the image forming unit 13 of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to a view of the AA section of FIG. 6 seen from below. 8 to 10 are a perspective view, a side view, and a rear view of the yellow toner replenishing unit 5 and the developing device 23 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. 11 is a perspective view of the toner container 51 (51Y).

  With reference to FIGS. 2 to 10, the image forming apparatus 1 further includes a toner supply unit 5. The toner replenishing unit 5 is arranged above the developing devices 23 for the respective colors, and replenishes the toner to the developing devices 23 through the toner replenishing ports 230. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the toner replenishing units 5 (5BK, 5M, 5C, 5Y) of the respective colors are arranged horizontally adjacent to each other. In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 has the normal container mode in which only the plurality of toner containers 52 are mounted in the apparatus main body 10, and the plurality of toner containers 51 and the plurality of toner containers 52 are mounted in the apparatus main body 10. And an increasing container mode. FIG. 1 shows a state where the normal container mode is selected.

  The toner replenishing unit 5 for each color has a toner container 51 (first toner container), a toner container 52 (second toner container), a housing 50A, a housing 50B, a toner conveying unit 53, and a toner receiving portion 54, respectively. And a toner receiving portion 55.

  Each of the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 extends along the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 20, and is capable of storing the toner therein and discharging the toner. The toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are mounted on the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 along the mounting direction (arrow DM in FIG. 2) along the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 20. In this embodiment, the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 have a cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 11, and a spiral groove extending spirally along the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The spiral groove forms a spiral protrusion that protrudes into the space inside the toner container 51 and the toner container 52. Then, as will be described later, by rotating the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 respectively, the toner inside is conveyed backward by the spiral protrusion. The toner container 51 has a fixed portion 51F and a container gear 51G (FIGS. 6 and 11). The fixing portion 51F engages with the toner receiving portion 54 and transfers the toner in the toner container 51 to the toner receiving portion 54. It should be noted that the fixed portion 51F does not rotate, and the rotating portion 51R of the toner container 51 in front of the fixed portion 51F is rotatable relative to the fixed portion 51F. The container gear 51G is a gear fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the toner container 51 in front of the fixed portion 51F. By transmitting the rotational force to the container gear 51G, the rotating portion 51R of the toner container 51 rotates.

  Similarly, the toner container 52 also has a fixed portion 52F and a container gear 52G (FIG. 6). The fixing portion 52F engages with the toner receiving portion 55 and transfers the toner in the toner container 52 to the toner receiving portion 55. It should be noted that the fixed portion 52F does not rotate, and the rotary portion of the toner container 52 in front of the fixed portion 52F (similar to the rotary portion 51R in FIG. 11) is rotatable relative to the fixed portion 52F. There is. The container gear 52G is a gear fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the toner container 52 in front of the fixed portion 52F. By transmitting the rotational force to the container gear 52G, the front portion of the toner container 52 rotates.

  The toner container 51 has a toner discharge port (not shown) formed on the front end side (fixing portion 51F) in the mounting direction with respect to the housing 50A, and the toner container 52 has the front end side (fixing portion in the mounting direction with respect to the housing 50B. 52F) has a toner discharge port (not shown). Toner is discharged from these toner discharge ports. The toner container 51 and the toner container 52 include a shutter 51S (FIG. 11) that seals each toner discharge port. When the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are attached to the housing 50A and the housing 50B, these shutters are slid to open each toner discharge port. Further, in the present embodiment, the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are toner containers having the same shape. In other words, the toner containers of each color applied to the image forming apparatus 1 can be attached to both the housing 50A and the housing 50B of the toner replenishing unit 5 of the corresponding color. The toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are arranged in the container space S of FIG.

  The housing 50A is disposed above the developing device 23 in the apparatus main body 10 with a space therebetween, allows the toner container 51 to be mounted inside the housing 50A along the mounting direction DM, and receives the toner container 51. . The housing 50B is disposed above the developing device 23 and below (immediately below) the housing 50A in the apparatus main body 10, allows the toner container 52 to be mounted inside the housing 50B along the mounting direction DM, and allows the toner It receives the container 52.

  Note that, with reference to FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, the housing 50B has a mounting direction of the toner container 52 with respect to a front end portion (rear end portion) of the toner container 51 mounted in the housing 50A in the mounting direction. The toner container 52 is positioned in the apparatus main body 10 such that the front end (rear end) of the toner container 52 is arranged at a predetermined distance on the rear end side (front side) in the mounting direction. As a result, in the space below the toner container 51 and between the front end of the toner container 51 in the mounting direction and the front end of the toner container 52 in the mounting direction, a container step portion H (see FIG. 6) is formed.

  The toner transport unit 53 transports the toner discharged from the toner container 51 mounted in the housing 50A and the toner container 52 mounted in the housing 50B to the developing device 23. As will be described later, a part of the toner transport unit 53 is arranged in the above-mentioned container step portion H.

  The toner receiving portion 54 is disposed closer to the front end side in the mounting direction than the housing 50A, engages with the front end portion (fixing portion 51F) in the mounting direction of the toner container 51, and is discharged from the toner discharge port of the toner container 51. Accept the toner.

  The toner receiving portion 55 is disposed closer to the front end side in the mounting direction than the housing 50B, engages with the front end portion (fixing portion 52F) of the toner container 52 in the mounting direction, and is discharged from the toner discharge port of the toner container 52. Accept the toner.

  Further, the toner transport unit 53 includes a first vertical transport unit 56, a second vertical transport unit 57, a first horizontal transport unit 58, a second horizontal transport unit 59, a toner storage unit 60, and a third vertical transport unit. And a part 65.

  The first vertical transport unit 56 is a pipe-shaped member that is disposed closer to the front end side in the mounting direction than the toner receiving unit 55. In other words, the first vertical transport unit 56 is arranged in the container step portion H. The first vertical transport unit 56 extends downward from the toner receiving unit 54 and transports toner downward. Therefore, the toner receiving portion 54 and the first vertical transport portion 56 are in communication with each other.

  The second vertical transport unit 57 is a pipe-shaped member arranged below the toner receiving unit 55. The second vertical transport unit 57 extends downward from the toner receiving unit 55 and transports toner downward. Therefore, the toner receiving portion 55 and the second vertical transport portion 57 are in communication with each other.

  The first horizontal transport unit 58 is a pipe-shaped member that extends in the horizontal direction. The first horizontal transport unit 58 receives the toner from the first vertical transport unit 56, transports the toner diagonally forward along the horizontal direction, and transfers the toner to the toner storage unit 60 through a part of the second horizontal transport unit 59. Hand over.

  The second horizontal transport section 59 is a pipe-shaped member that extends in the horizontal direction. The second horizontal transport unit 59 receives the toner from the second vertical transport unit 57, and also delivers the toner to the toner storage unit 60 while transporting the toner diagonally forward along the horizontal direction.

  The toner storage unit 60 is a pipe-shaped member. The toner storage unit 60 receives the toner carried by the first vertical transport unit 56 and the second vertical transport unit 57 so that the toner is merged through the first horizontal transport unit 58 and the second horizontal transport unit 59, and The toner is further conveyed along the horizontal direction. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6, the toner storage portion 60 is arranged closer to the rear end side in the mounting direction than the front end portion of the toner container 51 in the mounting direction.

  The third vertical transport unit 65 is a pipe-shaped member. The third vertical transport unit 65 extends downward from the toner storage unit 60 and supplies toner to the toner supply port 230 of the developing device 23. Therefore, the third vertical transport section 65 communicates with the toner storage section 60 and the developing device 23. Note that, in each drawing, the positions of the third vertical transport unit 65 and the toner supply port 230 are slightly shifted for the sake of description.

  Inside the first horizontal transport unit 58, the second horizontal transport unit 59, and the toner storage unit 60, there are respectively disposed transport screws (not shown) capable of transporting the toner in the horizontal direction by rotating. When the toner storage unit 60 is full of toner, the toner replenishment amount for the developing device 23 is determined according to the rotation amount of the conveying screw. Further, in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned transport members are not arranged inside the first vertical transport unit 56, the second vertical transport unit 57, and the third vertical transport unit 65, but in other embodiments. A stirring member that rotates or moves up and down may be arranged in order to prevent the aggregation of the toner in the transport unit.

  Further, the toner replenishing unit 5 includes a first motor M1, a second motor M2, a third motor M3, a fourth motor M4, a fifth motor M5, a toner sensor TS, and a replenishment controller 703 of a controller 70 described later ( (Fig. 10).

  The first motor M1 generates a rotational driving force that rotates the toner container 51. The motor shaft MG (FIG. 11) of the first motor M1 is coupled to the container gear 51G of the toner container 51 via the gears 81 and 82 of FIG. 11 (FIG. 10).

  The second motor M2 generates a rotational driving force that rotates the toner container 52. The motor shaft (not shown) of the second motor M2 is coupled to the container gear 52G of the toner container 52 as in the case of the first motor M1 (FIG. 10).

  The third motor M3 generates a rotational driving force that rotates the carrying screw provided inside the first horizontal carrying unit 58. Similarly, the fourth motor M4 generates a rotational driving force that rotates the carrying screw provided inside the second horizontal carrying unit 59. In addition, the fifth motor M5 generates a rotational driving force that rotates the conveying screw provided inside the toner storage unit 60.

  The toner sensor TS is arranged to face the third vertical transport unit 65. The toner sensor TS is composed of a magnetic permeability sensor and detects the toner filled inside the third vertical transport unit 65. When the toner is sufficiently present inside the third vertical transport unit 65, the toner sensor TS outputs a HIGH signal (+ 5V). On the other hand, when almost no toner exists inside the third vertical transport unit 65, the toner sensor TS outputs a LOW signal (0V). Note that in other embodiments, the toner sensor TS may be a PI sensor (photo sensor). In this case, the third vertical transport unit 65 is made of a transparent pipe member, and the PI sensor detects the presence / absence of toner in the third vertical transport unit 65.

  The supply controller 703 controls the rotations of the first motor M1, the second motor M2, the third motor M3, the fourth motor M4, and the fifth motor M5. In particular, the replenishment control unit 703 controls each motor according to the output of the toner sensor TS. As an example, the replenishment controller 703 supplies toner to the developing device 23 from one of the toner container 51 and the toner container 52, and when the one toner container becomes empty, the toner container 51 and the toner container 52. Each motor of the toner replenishing unit 5 is controlled so that the toner is supplied from the other toner container of 52 to the developing device 23. The empty toner (toner empty) in the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 may be detected by the rotation time of the toner container 51 and the toner container 52, or may be detected by the output of the toner sensor TS. . First, the replenishment controller 703 supplies toner from the toner container 51 to the developing device 23 by rotating the first motor M1, the third motor M3, and the fifth motor M5. Eventually, when the toner sensor TS continues to output the LOW signal even though the toner container 51 is rotated, the replenishment control unit 703 determines that the toner container 51 has become empty, and the toner replenishment is performed from the toner container 51. Switch to the toner container 52. That is, the replenishment controller 703 supplies toner from the toner container 52 to the developing device 23 by rotating the second motor M2, the fourth motor M4, and the fifth motor M5.

  As described above, when only the plurality of toner containers 52 are attached to the apparatus main body 10, when the toner containers 52 of each color become empty, the replenishment controller 703 causes the display unit 10Q (see FIG. 12) of the image forming apparatus 1. ) Displays the toner empty information and prompts the user to replace the toner container 52.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the control unit 70 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the plurality of housings 50B, the first paper ejection tray 101, and the second paper ejection tray 102 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 13 with the first paper ejection tray 101 and the second paper ejection tray 102 removed. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 14 in which a plurality of housings 50A and the third paper ejection tray 103 are mounted. FIG. 16 is a front view of the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment and the inner covers of the third paper discharge tray 103.

  Referring to FIG. 12, image forming apparatus 1 further includes operation unit 10P, detection unit 10V, control unit 70, guide drive unit 10G, and display unit 10Q. The control unit 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) used as a work area of the CPU, and the like.

  The operation unit 10P is disposed near the front end of the upper surface of the apparatus body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, and includes an input button (not shown) and the like. The user or maintenance worker of the image forming apparatus 1 inputs various command information to the control unit 70 through the operation unit 10P.

  The detection unit 10V detects whether or not a third discharge tray 103 described later is attached to the apparatus body 10, and inputs a signal according to the detection result to the control unit 70. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 10V is composed of a switch arranged near the left wall engagement portion 10L1 in FIG.

  The guide drive unit 10G includes a motor and gears (not shown). The guide driving unit 10G generates a driving force that drives the guide unit 100G (FIGS. 1 and 15).

  The display unit 10Q is arranged adjacent to the operation unit 10P of the device body 10. The display unit 10Q includes a liquid crystal display panel and displays various information of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The control unit 70 functions so as to include the guide control unit 701, the mode control unit 702, and the replenishment control unit 703 by the CPU executing the control program stored in the ROM.

  As described above, the guide control unit 701 controls the guide driving unit 10G to switch the position (posture) of the guide unit 100G, and the conveyance destination of the sheet S on which the fixing process has been performed is set to the lower discharge roller pair 48. And one of the pair of upper discharge rollers 49 is selectively switched. As a result, the pair of discharge rollers for discharging the sheet S is switched between the lower discharge roller pair 48 and the upper discharge roller pair 49.

  The mode control unit 702 switches the toner supply mode of the image forming apparatus 1 between the normal container mode and the increased container mode. The switching of the toner replenishment mode may be input by the maintenance operator through the operation unit 10P. In the present embodiment, the toner replenishment mode is switched from the normal container mode to the increasing container mode by the detection unit 10V detecting the mounting of the third paper ejection tray 103. Information on the current toner supply mode is input from the mode control unit 702 to the display unit 10Q and displayed on the display unit 10Q.

  As described above, the replenishment control unit 703 controls the first motor M1, the second motor M2, the third motor M3, the fourth motor M4, and the fifth motor M5, so that the toner container 51 or the toner container 52 can be supplied to each color. The toner is replenished to the developing device 23. When the toner replenishment mode is set to the normal container mode, the apparatus body 10 is not equipped with the plurality of toner containers 51 (housing 50A). Therefore, the replenishment controller 703 controls each motor so that the toner is replenished to the developing device 23 only from the toner container 52.

  FIG. 13 shows a state in which the normal container mode is set. In this case, as described above, the plurality of lower toner containers 52 are attached to and detached from the plurality of lower housings 50B in the apparatus main body 10 so as to be horizontally adjacent to each other above the plurality of developing devices 23. Made possible. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a connecting portion 10H and a second paper ejection tray 102 in addition to the above-described first paper ejection tray 101.

  The connecting portion 10H vertically connects the lower main body of the apparatus main body 10 in which the image forming unit 30 is housed and the upper main body of the apparatus main body 10 in which the reading unit 25 is housed. Further, the above-described lower paper discharge roller pair 48, upper paper discharge roller pair 49, guide portion 100G, and the like are arranged inside the connecting portion 10H.

  The first paper ejection tray 101 is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body 10 at a position above the plurality of toner containers 52 housed in the plurality of housings 50B and below the lower paper ejection roller pair 48. The sheets S discharged by the pair of paper rollers 48 are stacked. The first paper ejection tray 101 has a flat surface portion 101A, an inclined portion 101B, a right standing wall 101C, a pair of first right engaging portions 101T, and a pair of first left engaging portions 101S.

  The flat surface portion 101A is arranged on the front end side of the first sheet ejection tray 101 in the sheet S ejection direction (left direction in FIG. 13). On the other hand, the inclined portion 101B is arranged on the rear end side of the first sheet discharge tray 101 in the sheet ejection direction, and is connected to the rear end portion of the flat portion 101A in the ejection direction. The inclined portion 101B is inclined forward along the discharge direction of the sheet S. The right standing wall 101C extends upward from the lower end portion (right end portion) of the inclined portion 101B. The upper end portion of the right standing wall 101C is located directly below the lower paper discharge roller pair 48.

  The pair of first right engaging portions 101T are projections that project outward from the both ends in the front-rear direction on the upper end side of the right standing wall 101C toward the outer side in the front-rear direction. The pair of first right engaging portions 101T respectively engage with the pair of main body engaging portions 10M formed in the connecting portion 10H of the apparatus main body 10 to position the right end portion of the first paper ejection tray 101. The pair of first left engaging portions 101S are protruding pieces provided in the leftward direction from both left and right ends of the left end portion of the flat surface portion 101A. The pair of first left engaging portions 101S engages with the pair of left wall engaging portions 10L1 formed at both end portions in the front-rear direction of the upper end portion of the main body left wall 10L, respectively, and thereby the first paper ejection tray 101. Position the left end of the. The rear end portion of the sheet S discharged from the lower discharge roller pair 48 contacts the lower end portion of the right standing wall 101C along the inclination of the inclined portion 101B. As a result, the rear ends of the sheets S are aligned.

  The second paper ejection tray 102 (third sheet stacking unit) is located at a position above the first paper ejection tray 101 with a predetermined space in the state where the first paper ejection tray 101 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10. The sheet S that can be attached to and detached from the main body 10 and is discharged by the upper paper discharge roller pair 49 is stacked. The base end portion of the second paper ejection tray 102 is mounted and supported by the tray support portion 10X (FIG. 13) (stacking portion support portion) arranged on the left side surface of the connecting portion 10H.

  In the state of FIG. 13, when the guide control unit 701 (FIG. 12) controls the guide driving unit 10G to set the guide unit 100G to the posture shown in FIG. 13, the fixing process is performed in the fixing unit 47 (FIG. 1). The sheet S is discharged and stacked on the first discharge tray 101 from the lower discharge roller pair 48. On the other hand, in the state of FIG. 13, when the guide control unit 701 controls the guide drive unit 10G to set the guide unit 100G to the posture shown in FIG. 15, the sheet S on which the fixing process is performed by the fixing unit 47 is top-discharged. It is discharged from the roller pair 49 to the second discharge tray 102 (FIG. 13) and stacked. When so-called double-sided printing is performed in which an image is also formed on the back surface of the sheet S having an image formed on the front surface, the front end side is discharged to the second paper discharge tray 102 by the upper paper discharge roller pair 49. The sheet S is switched back and is carried into the reverse conveyance path 100B in FIG.

  A case where the maintenance operator changes the setting of the image forming apparatus 1 from the normal container mode shown in FIG. 13 to the increasing container mode will be described. For example, when the user requests a reduction in downtime (unprintable time) of the image forming apparatus 1, the maintenance worker can change the setting to the increased container mode.

  In the state shown in FIG. 13, the maintenance worker removes the second paper discharge tray 102 from the apparatus body 10 (FIG. 14). At this time, the base end portion of the second paper discharge tray 102 is removed from the tray support portion 10X. Next, the worker removes the first paper discharge tray 101 from the apparatus body 10 (FIG. 14). At this time, the pair of front and rear first right engaging portions 101T of the first sheet ejection tray 101 is disengaged from the pair of front and rear body engaging portions 10M, and the pair of front and rear first left engaging portions of the first sheet ejection tray 101 is separated. The part 101S is disengaged from the pair of front and rear left wall engaging parts 10L1.

  Next, the maintenance worker arranges the plurality of housings 50A corresponding to the respective colors directly above the plurality of housings 50B (FIG. 15). At this time, the plurality of housings 50A may be attached to the apparatus body 10 one by one, or the plurality of housings 50A may be previously set as one unit and attached to the apparatus body 10. A main body inner cover 10W is arranged on the front surface of the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. The main body inner cover 10W is an internal cover that is exposed when an exterior cover (not shown) arranged on the front surface of the apparatus main body 10 is opened. A plurality of openings 50BW are opened in the upper left portion of the main body inner cover 10W. The plurality of openings 50BW respectively communicate with the plurality of housings 50B in the front-rear direction. That is, when the user of the image forming apparatus 1 opens the outer cover, the toner container 52 can be attached to and detached from the housing 50B through the plurality of openings 50BW.

  The image forming apparatus 1 further includes a third paper discharge tray 103 (second sheet stacking unit). When the plurality of housings 50A shown in FIG. 15 are mounted, the maintenance worker mounts the third paper ejection tray 103 on the apparatus body 10. The third paper ejection tray 103 is a tray that is mounted on the apparatus body 10 instead of the first paper ejection tray 101 described above.

  The third paper ejection tray 103 can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 10 at a position above the first paper ejection tray 101 with a predetermined interval in a state where the first paper ejection tray 101 is detached from the apparatus main body 10. To be done. The sheets S discharged by the upper paper discharge roller pair 49 are stacked on the third paper discharge tray 103.

  The third paper ejection tray 103 includes a flat surface portion 103A, an inclined portion 103B, a right standing wall 103C, a left standing wall 103D, a pair of front and rear second right engaging portions 103T, and a pair of front and rear second left engaging portions 103S. And.

  The flat surface portion 103A is disposed on the front end side of the third sheet ejection tray 103 in the sheet S ejection direction (left direction in FIG. 15). On the other hand, the inclined portion 103B is arranged on the trailing end side of the third sheet discharging tray 103 in the sheet discharging direction and is connected to the trailing end of the flat portion 103A in the discharging direction. The inclined portion 103B is inclined forward along the sheet S discharging direction. The right standing wall 103C extends upward from the lower end portion (right end portion) of the inclined portion 103B. The upper end portion of the right standing wall 103C is located directly below the upper paper discharge roller pair 49. The left standing wall 103D extends downward from the left end portion of the flat surface portion 101A.

  The pair of front and rear second right engaging portions 103T are openings that are open at both ends in the front-rear direction on the upper end side of the right standing wall 103C. The pair of front and rear second right engaging portions 103T engages with the pair of front and rear tray supporting portions 10X formed in the connecting portion 10H of the apparatus main body 10 to position the right end portion of the third paper ejection tray 103. . The pair of front and rear second left engaging portions 103S are projecting pieces projecting downward from both end portions in the front-rear direction of the lower end portion of the left standing wall 103D. The pair of second left engaging portions 103S engages with the pair of left wall engaging portions 10L1 formed at both end portions in the front-rear direction of the upper end portion of the main body left wall 10L, respectively, and thereby the third paper ejection tray 103. Position the left end of the. The rear end of the sheet S discharged from the upper paper discharge roller pair 49 contacts the lower end of the right standing wall 103C along the slope of the slope 103B. As a result, the rear ends of the sheets S are aligned.

  Further, the third paper discharge tray 103 has a tray inner cover 103W (FIG. 16). The tray inner cover 103W is a front surface portion of the third paper ejection tray 103, which is connected to the flat surface portion 103A, the inclined portion 103B, and the right standing wall 103C. When the third paper ejection tray 103 is attached to the apparatus main body 10, the tray inner cover 103W is arranged immediately above the main body inner cover 10W. A plurality of openings 50AW are opened in the tray inner cover 103W. The plurality of openings 50AW respectively communicate with the plurality of housings 50A (FIG. 15) in the front-rear direction. That is, when the user of the image forming apparatus 1 opens the outer cover, the toner container 51 can be attached and detached through the plurality of openings 50AW.

  As described above, the plurality of toner containers 51 are positioned above the plurality of toner containers 52 and below the third paper ejection tray 103 in the state where the third paper ejection tray 103 is attached to the apparatus main body 10. Are detachably attached to the apparatus main body 10 so as to be horizontally adjacent to each other. Then, the plurality of toner containers 51 respectively store the toners supplied to the plurality of developing devices 23.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, in the normal container mode in which the plurality of toner containers 52 are mounted in the apparatus main body 10, the sheet S on which the fixing process is performed is discharged and stacked on the first discharge tray 101. You can On the other hand, in the increasing container mode in which the plurality of toner containers 51 are mounted on the plurality of toner containers 52, toner can be supplied to the developing device 23 from two toner containers of each color. Therefore, even if one of the toner containers becomes empty, the image forming operation can be continued, and downtime of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced. Further, the width in the horizontal direction of the apparatus main body 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced as compared with the case where the toner containers of each color are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. Further, in the increasing container mode, the sheets S can be discharged and stacked on the third discharge tray 103 instead of the first discharge tray 101. Further, in the normal container mode, since an unnecessary space is not formed between the third paper ejection tray 103 and the plurality of toner containers 52, the number of sheets stacked on the first paper ejection tray 101 in the normal container mode. Is sufficiently secured. That is, the number of toner containers mounted on the apparatus body 10 can be selected one by one or a plurality of toner containers, and the size of the apparatus body 10 is unnecessarily increased when each one is selected. Suppress.

  Further, referring to FIG. 15, in the present embodiment, the right standing wall 103C (standing wall portion) of the third paper discharge tray 103 mounted on the apparatus body 10 is arranged so as to close the lower paper discharge roller pair 48. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sheet S from being erroneously discharged from the lower discharge roller pair 48.

  Further, in this embodiment, the guide control unit 701 of the control unit 70 switches the discharge destination of the sheet S. Specifically, the guide control unit 701 allows the sheet S to be conveyed to the lower paper ejection roller pair 48 or the upper paper ejection roller pair 49 when the first paper ejection tray 101 is attached to the apparatus main body 10. When the third discharge tray 103 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10 by controlling the guide driving unit 10G as described above, the sheet S is allowed to be conveyed to the upper discharge roller pair 49, while the lower discharge roller pair is allowed. The guide drive unit 10G is controlled so as to restrict the conveyance to the 48. Therefore, when the third sheet discharge tray 103 is attached to the apparatus body 10, it is further suppressed that the sheet S is erroneously discharged from the lower sheet discharge roller pair 48.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the first paper ejection tray 101 is mounted on the apparatus main body 10, the second paper ejection tray 102 can be mounted above the first paper ejection tray 101. Therefore, the discharge destination of the sheet S can be distributed to two locations by using the lower paper discharge roller pair 48, the upper paper discharge roller pair 49, the first paper discharge tray 101, and the second paper discharge tray 102.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 includes the tray support portion 10X (stacking portion support portion) capable of selectively supporting the second paper ejection tray 102 and the third paper ejection tray 103. Therefore, the mounting portions of the second paper ejection tray 102 and the third paper ejection tray 103 are made common, and erroneous mounting in which both are simultaneously mounted is prevented.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are arranged in the apparatus main body 10 at positions displaced from each other in the mounting direction. The toner replenishing unit 5 (toner conveying unit 53) can be efficiently arranged by utilizing the container stepped portion H formed by the two toner containers.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the first vertical transport unit 56 is provided to transport the toner discharged from the toner container 51 located above the toner container 52 downward. Then, by using the container step portion H, the first vertical transport portion 56 can be arranged. Therefore, as compared with the case where the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 are at the same position in the mounting direction, the space for disposing the first vertical transport unit 56 can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the toner replenishing unit 5 includes the first horizontal transport section 58 and the second horizontal transport section 59. Therefore, compared with the case where the toner directly flows into the toner storage unit 60 from the first vertical transport unit 56 and the second vertical transport unit 57, the transport screws of the first horizontal transport unit 58 and the second horizontal transport unit 59 are The inside of the toner storage portion 60 can be stably filled with toner by the conveying force. As a result, the toner supply to the developing device 23 via the third vertical transport unit 65 can be stably performed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the toner storage portion 60 is arranged closer to the rear end side in the mounting direction than the front end portion in the mounting direction of the toner container 51. For this reason, the size of the apparatus main body 10 in the mounting direction can be reduced as compared with the case where the toner storage portion 60 is located closer to the tip side in the mounting direction than the toner container 51.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer unit 14 is arranged by utilizing the height at which toner is supplied from the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 of each color to the developing device 23. ing. In other words, the toner replenishing units 5 of the respective colors are arranged by utilizing the positions above and behind the intermediate transfer unit 14.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail. With such a configuration, an image forming apparatus is provided in which the frequency and the time when the image forming operation is stopped due to the replacement of the toner container is reduced, and the horizontal width of the apparatus main body 10 is suppressed from increasing. It The present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can take the following modified embodiments, for example.

  (1) In the above embodiment, the first paper ejection tray 101 is attached to the apparatus body 10 in the normal container mode, and the third paper ejection tray 103 is attached to the apparatus body 10 in the increasing container mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The same paper ejection tray may be attached to the apparatus main body 10 in any of the modes. As an example, if the left standing wall 103D of the third paper ejection tray 103 can be folded directly below the flat surface portion 103A, the left end portion of the flat surface portion 103A engages with the pair of left and right left wall engaging portions 10L1 of the main body left wall 10L. As a result, in the normal container mode, the third paper discharge tray 103 is mounted immediately above the plurality of toner containers 52. In this case, it is desirable that the tray inner cover 103W (FIG. 16) can be attached to and detached from the third paper ejection tray 103. That is, in the normal container mode, the tray inner cover 103W is not necessary. In the increasing container mode, the left standing wall 103D is set vertically to the flat surface 103A, and the tray inner cover 103W is attached to the third paper ejection tray 103. Just do it.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the toner container 51 and the toner container 52 have been described in such a manner that the toner inside is conveyed by the rotation of the main body of the container. It may include a rotatable toner conveying member.

  (3) In addition, in the above embodiment, a plurality of housings 50 </ b> A for housing a plurality of toner containers 51 and the third discharge tray 103 are separately mounted in the apparatus main body 10. The housing 50A and the third paper ejection tray 103 may be integrated in advance as one unit.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the detection unit 10V provided in the apparatus main body 10 detects the mounting of the third paper ejection tray 103. However, the maintenance operator may change the operation unit 10P from the operation unit 10P. The image forming apparatus 1 may shift from the normal container mode to the increasing container mode by inputting the mounting information of the third paper ejection tray 103.

  (5) Further, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the toner container 51 of the same color is arranged immediately above the toner container 52 of a predetermined color. A plurality of toner containers 51 may be arranged at positions horizontally displaced from the toner container 52. That is, the plurality of toner containers 51 and the plurality of toner containers 52 may be arranged in a staggered manner.

1 Image Forming Apparatus 10 Apparatus Main Body 101 First Paper Ejection Tray (First Sheet Stacking Section)
102 second paper ejection tray (third sheet stacking unit)
103 Third output tray (second sheet stacking unit)
103C Right standing wall (standing wall)
10X tray support (loader support)
11 Device Main Body 13 Image Forming Section 14 Intermediate Transfer Unit (Transfer Section)
141 Intermediate transfer belt 145 Secondary transfer roller (transfer section)
20 Photoreceptor Drum 21 Charging Device 23 Developing Device 24 Primary Transfer Roller 48 Lower Paper Ejection Roller Pair (First Sheet Ejection Section)
49 Upper paper ejection roller pair (second sheet ejection part)
5 Toner Replenishing Units 50A and 50B Housing 51 Toner Container (Second Toner Container)
52 Toner Container (First Toner Container)
53 Toner Transport Unit 70 Control Unit 701 Guide Control Unit 702 Mode Control Unit 703 Replenishment Control Unit H Container Step M1 First Motor M2 Second Motor M3 Third Motor M4 Fourth Motor M5 Fifth Motor TS Toner Sensor

Claims (5)

The device body,
A plurality of photosensitive drums having a peripheral surface that is rotated about a predetermined axis to allow an electrostatic latent image to be formed and carry a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image;
A plurality of developing devices that visualize the electrostatic latent image in the toner image by supplying toner to the plurality of photosensitive drums, respectively.
A transfer unit for transferring the toner images carried on the plurality of photosensitive drums to a sheet,
A fixing unit for fixing the toner image to the sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred;
A plurality of first detachable units that are detachably attached to the apparatus main body so as to be horizontally adjacent to each other above the plurality of developing devices and respectively store toners to be supplied to the plurality of developing units. Toner container,
A first sheet discharging section that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body above the plurality of first toner containers and discharges a sheet on which the toner image is fixed along a predetermined discharging direction;
A second sheet discharging unit that is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body above the first sheet discharging unit and discharges the sheet on which the toner image is fixed along the discharging direction;
A sheet that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body at a position above the plurality of first toner containers and below the first sheet discharge unit, and that the sheets discharged by the first sheet discharge unit are stacked. 1 sheet stacking unit,
In a state where the first sheet stacking unit is detached from the apparatus main body, the first sheet stacking unit is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body at a position above the first sheet stacking unit with a predetermined interval, and the second sheet discharging unit is provided. A second sheet stacking unit for stacking the sheets discharged by
In a state where the second sheet stacking unit is mounted on the apparatus main body, the second sheet stacking units are horizontally adjacent to each other at a position above the plurality of first toner containers and below the second sheet stacking unit. As described above, a plurality of second toner containers that are detachably attached to the apparatus main body and respectively store toners to be supplied to the plurality of developing devices,
An image forming apparatus comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sheet stacking unit includes a standing wall portion that closes the first sheet discharge unit. A guide portion that is swingably supported by the apparatus main body and that guides the sheet subjected to the fixing process toward the first sheet discharge portion or the second sheet discharge portion;
A guide driving unit that generates a driving force that drives the guide unit;
A guide control unit that controls the guide drive unit to selectively switch the conveyance destination of the sheet subjected to the fixing process to one of the first sheet discharge unit and the second sheet discharge unit;
Further equipped with,
The guide control unit drives the guide to allow the sheet to be conveyed to the first sheet discharge unit or the second sheet discharge unit when the first sheet discharge unit is attached to the apparatus main body. The sheet is controlled to allow the sheet to be conveyed to the second sheet discharging portion when the second sheet discharging portion is attached to the apparatus main body, while being conveyed to the first sheet discharging portion. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide driving unit is controlled so as to be regulated.   When the first sheet stacking unit is mounted on the apparatus main body, the first sheet stacking unit is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body at a position above the first sheet stacking unit with a predetermined space, and the second sheet discharging unit The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third sheet stacking unit on which the discharged sheets are stacked. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a stacking unit support unit disposed in the apparatus main body and capable of selectively supporting the second sheet stacking unit and the third sheet stacking unit.