Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main body and a sheet container. The main body includes an image forming device to form the image on a sheet. The sheet container is removably installable in the main body, accommodates a stack of sheets, and is movable between a first state that the sheet container is installed in the main body and a second state that the sheet container is removed from a first side surface of the image forming apparatus. The planar member includes a cutout opening in an upper end of the planar member, a lower edge of the opening forms a pull-out handle on the first side surface to assist in removal of the sheet container form the image forming apparatus, and an upper edge of the opening forms a lift-up handle to assist in lifting the image forming apparatus with the sheet container installed therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image forming apparatus for forming an image, the image forming apparatus comprising:
 a main body including an image forming device to form the image on a sheet; and   a sheet container disposed removably installable in the main body, configured to accommodate a stack of sheets of recording media and feed an uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets of recording media toward the image forming device, and movable between a first state, in which the sheet container is installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a second state, in which the sheet container is removed from a first side surface of the image forming apparatus,   the sheet container comprising a planar member at a proximal end thereof in a pull-out direction, disposed flush with the first side surface of the image forming apparatus with the sheet container installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus,   wherein the planar member includes a cutout opening downwardly extending from an upper end of the planar member,   a lower edge of the opening forming a pull-out handle on the first side surface to assist in removal of the sheet container from the main body of the image forming apparatus,   an upper edge of the opening forming a lift-up handle to assist in lifting the image forming apparatus with the sheet container installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 four side surfaces including the first side surface; and   a second lift-up handle provided to one of the four side surfaces, the one surface disposed opposite the first side surface.   
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 four side surfaces including the first side surface; and   a second lift-up handle provided to one of the four side surfaces adjacent to the first side surface.   
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lift-up handle formed on the first side surface is located at the same position as the opening formed in the planar member. 
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the opening forming the lift-up handle surface is inwardly recessed toward an interior of the main body of the image forming apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the opening forming the lift-up handle formed on the first side surface comprises a scalloped portion. 
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the lift-up handle formed on the first side surface and the second lift-up handle formed on the one of the side surfaces other than the first side surface are disposed at the same height from a bottom of the main body of the image forming apparatus. 
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening in the planar member has a height greater than a distance from a lower end of the sheet container to the bottom of the main body of the image forming apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower edge of the opening forming the pull-out handle of the sheet container is graspable from above the lower edge. 
     
     
         10 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the sheet container is removable from the main body of the image forming apparatus both in the pull-out direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction.