JP2000143031A - Sheet material conveyance device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily remove a roller shaft for sheet material conveyance which is provided in the vicinity of a fixing cover and becomes an obstacle and facilitate the removal of the fixing cover and disposal of a jammed state when the disposal of the jammed state of a fixing means of an image forming device are taken. SOLUTION: In a sheet material conveyance device in which a roller shaft 4c is rotatably supported between a pair of opposing support members 17 and 17 and a sheet material is conveyed by rollers 4a, 4b supported on the roller shaft, thrust regulation means 18 (19, 20) regulating the travel of the roller shaft in the thrust direction are provided to release the regulation of the thrust regulation means and remove the roller shaft from the support members, and a fixing cover 15 is removed from a mounting part thereof.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus for conveying a sheet in the vicinity of a fixing device, and a sheet on which an image is formed by an image forming means is conveyed by the sheet conveying apparatus. For example, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer, there is a method in which a toner image on a sheet material formed in an image forming section is fixed by a heat fixing device. A cover is provided. The fixing cover is provided to protect the fixing device itself and prevent an operator from accidentally touching the heating fixing device.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when the conveyed sheet material causes a jam in the fixing cover, the operator can perform the jam processing without removing the fixing cover. Did not.

However, in the configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus,
In order to remove the fixing cover, the roller shaft of the sheet conveying device disposed around the fixing cover must be removed together to remove the obstacle. Further, since the outer cover of the image forming apparatus obstructs the removal of the shaft, it is necessary to remove the outer cover of the image forming apparatus, and it is quite complicated to perform the jam processing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and simplifies a process of removing a fixing cover from an image forming apparatus main body.
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus which facilitate processing of a jam occurring in a fixing cover.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a roller, wherein a roller shaft is rotatably supported between a pair of opposed support members, and the roller supported by the roller shaft is provided. In the sheet material conveying apparatus configured to convey the sheet material, thrust restricting means for restricting the movement of the roller shaft in the thrust direction is provided, and by releasing the regulation of the thrust restricting means, the roller shaft is supported by the supporting member. It is characterized by being removable from.

[0007]

(First Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the outline of the image forming apparatus 1 including the fixing cover 15 of the present invention will be described.

The overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 11 will be described with reference to FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a sheet material feeding device 2 for housing and feeding a sheet material P for forming an image, and an image forming device for forming an image on the sheet material sent from the sheet material feeding device 2. The image forming section 3 includes a unit 3, a discharge unit 4 for discharging the sheet material on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 3, and a sheet material stacking unit 5 for stacking the discharged sheet material.

The image forming unit 3 irradiates an optical image based on the target image information from an optical system 6 by an exposure unit (not shown; a slit image projection unit of a document image, a laser scanning exposure unit, etc.) to carry an image. A latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 7 as a body, and the latent image is visualized with a developer (hereinafter, referred to as toner) to form a toner image.

The sheet material is fed from the sheet feeding device 2 in synchronization with the formation of the toner image, and the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 7 is transferred to the fed sheet material as transfer means. The transfer is performed by the transfer roller 8.

The image forming section 3 has a photosensitive drum 7 as a rotating image carrier having a photosensitive layer, and a charging roller as charging means for uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 7 by applying a voltage. 10, developing means 11 for developing the surface of the photosensitive drum 7 on which the light image from the optical system 6 has been exposed to form a latent image, and the transfer roller 8 transferring the toner image to the sheet material. Cleaning means 12 for scraping off toner remaining on the surface of photosensitive drum 7
And a process cartridge 14 integrally provided with a waste toner container 13 for collecting the scraped toner.

The sheet material on which the toner image is formed in the image forming section is conveyed to a fixing means 9 having a fixing rotator 9a having a built-in heater and a driving roller 9b pressed against the fixing rotator 9a. The sheet is heat-fixed.

The fixing means 9 is provided with a fixing cover 15 for protecting the fixing means 9, and the fixing cover is fixed to the apparatus main body by fixing means (not shown). The fixing unit protected by the fixing cover includes various types known in addition to the illustrated example. Further, a cartridge door 16 provided integrally with the sheet material stacking means 5 is attached so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 16a near the fixing cover.

Next, the structure of the fixing cover of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a fixing unit 9 and a fixing cover 15 for protecting the fixing unit 9. The roller pair 4 is located near the cover, which is an obstacle to removal, such as the upper portion or the near side of the fixing cover 15.
Discharging means 4 having a and 4b is provided. Both ends of the roller shaft 4c of the discharging means are supported by the apparatus body frame 17 as a supporting member.

At one end of the roller shaft 4c, thrust restricting means 18 is provided. The thrust restricting means includes a spacer portion 20 interposed between one end of the roller shaft and the frame 17 of the image forming apparatus main body. The spacer portion is attached to the body frame 1
7 has a fixing portion 19 which is fixed and supported, and each of these portions is preferably formed separately from a hard synthetic resin, and then both are integrated by bonding or the like.

The fixing portion 19 of the thrust restricting means 18 has a main body portion 19a connected to the spacer portion 20. The main body portion 19a has a support projection 19b fitted to the cutout portion 17a of the main body frame 17. Is formed. Support projection 1
9b can be freely inserted into and removed from the cutout portion 17a of the main body frame 17, and the extraction direction is preferably the direction of arrow A, that is, the horizontal direction to the front side of the apparatus main body. Further, a boss 19c as a locking portion is formed on an elastic extension portion elongated from the main body portion 19a, and is snap-fitted, that is, elastically fitted into the hole 17b of the main body frame 17. The fixing of the main body portion 19a to the main body frame may be performed by a locking means such as a locking claw other than the boss.

The conveyed sheet material is used as the fixing cover 15.
When the jam occurs in the inside, the fixing portion 19 of the thrust restricting means 18 for restricting the movement of the roller shaft in the thrust direction is removed from the main body frame 17. That is, the retaining boss 19c of the fixing portion 19 is connected to the hole 1 of the frame 17 of the apparatus main body.
7b, the main body 19 of the thrust restricting means is pulled out in the direction of arrow A, and the main body 19 is
Remove from 7. Along with this, the spacer portion 20 is also detached from between the one end of the roller shaft and the main body frame 17. Next, when the roller shaft 4c is displaced in the direction of arrow B, which is one end direction of the shaft, first, the other end of the roller shaft 4c is removed from the main body frame 17, and then one end of the roller shaft 4c is separated from the main body frame. Removed. Finally, by releasing the fixing means of the fixing cover (not shown) to the main body frame, the fixing cover 15 can be removed from the main body frame 17 without being disturbed by the roller shaft 4c.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the fixing cover 15 is removed, the roller shaft 4c, which had to be removed together in the past, is provided with the thrust regulating means 18 for regulating the thrust direction. The roller shaft 4c can be removed without removing the exterior. Therefore, the process of removing the fixing cover 15 when the conveyed sheet material is jammed in the fixing cover 15 is simplified, and the jam processing can be easily performed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the process of removing the fixing cover 15 can be simplified with a simple configuration, and jammed paper generated in the fixing cover 15 can be easily removed.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the independent thrust restricting means 18 having a special shape is provided.
Although the thrust direction of the roller shaft is regulated, the thrust regulating means in the present embodiment is constituted by a rib 16b attached to the cartridge door 16, and regulates the thrust direction of the roller shaft 4c. That is, a locking groove 4d such as a circumferential groove is formed in a part of the roller shaft in the longitudinal direction, and a rib 16b having a thickness substantially equal to the width of the locking groove is locked to the locking groove 4d of the roller shaft. Restricts the movement of the roller shaft in the thrust direction.

By adopting the configuration of this embodiment, the thrust regulating member 19 as in the first embodiment is not required,
The component configuration is simplified as compared with the first embodiment. Also,
The operation of opening the cartridge door 16 causes the rib 16
b, the restriction of the roller shaft 4c is released, and the roller shaft can be removed from the main body frame as in the first embodiment.
The process of removing the fixing cover 15 can be further simplified than in the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the configuration in which one roller shaft is provided has been described. However, in this embodiment, when there are a plurality of obstructing roller shafts, the fixing cover 15 is removed. It is intended to be easily removed.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 4, two roller shafts 4c of the roller pairs 4a and 4b and a roller shaft 4g of the roller pairs 4e and 4f are disposed near the fixing cover 15. The thrust restricting means 18 has one spacer portion 20 and a main body portion 18 provided at one end of the roller shafts 4c and 4g.

According to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of thrust regulating means 18 for regulating a plurality of roller shafts, so that the component configuration is simplified as compared with the thrust regulating means of the first embodiment, and the cost is reduced. Leads to down.

[0026]

As described above, the sheet conveying apparatus according to the present invention is provided with the thrust restricting means for restricting the movement of the roller shaft in the thrust direction, and by releasing the restriction of the thrust restricting means. Since the roller shaft is detachable from the supporting member, the roller shaft can be easily removed from the supporting member. In an image forming apparatus in which the sheet conveying device is provided near the fixing cover, the roller shaft is Can be easily removed, and the fixing cover can be easily removed from the apparatus main body without being disturbed by the roller shaft.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fixing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a fixing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fixing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus 3 ... Image forming part 4 ... Discharge means 4a, 4b, 4e, 4f ... Rollers 4c, 4g ... Roller shaft 5 ... Sheet material loading means 7 ... Photoconductor drum 8 ... Transfer roller 9 ... Fixing means 11 Developing means 14 Process cartridge 15 Fixing cover 16 Cartridge door 17 Body frame 18 Thrust regulating means 19 Fixed part 19a Body part 19b Projection 19c Boss 20 Spacer part

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Ken Shinmura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) 3F049 AA04 CA31 CA32 DA12 LA02 LA07 LB01 in Canon Inc.

Claims (6)

[Claims] A roller shaft rotatably supported between a pair of opposed support members, wherein the sheet material is transported by rollers supported by the roller shaft; A thrust restricting means for restricting the movement of the roller member in the thrust direction, and the roller shaft can be detached from the support member by releasing the restriction of the thrust restricting means. 2. The thrust restricting means according to claim 1, wherein the thrust regulating means is detachably attached to the supporting member, and a spacer interposed between one end of the roller shaft and the supporting member. A sheet material transporting device having a fixing portion for fixing to the support member. 3. The seat according to claim 2, wherein the fixing portion has a projection that fits into a notch of the support member and a locking portion that locks the fixing portion to the support member. Material transfer device. 4. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one spacer portion of said thrust regulating means is interposed at one end of a plurality of roller shafts. 5. The roller shaft thrust restricting means according to claim 1, wherein an outer cover is provided in the vicinity of said support member, and a rib provided on an inner surface of said outer cover can be fitted into a groove of said roller shaft. A sheet material conveying device characterized by the above-mentioned. 6. An image forming section for forming an image on a sheet material, fixing means for fixing the formed image to the sheet material,
An image forming apparatus having a fixing cover that covers the fixing unit, wherein the sheet material conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is disposed near the fixing cover, and a roller shaft of the sheet material conveying device is An image forming apparatus, wherein the fixing cover is detachable after being removed from the supporting member.