JP2004035129A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that a sheet of paper which falls from a paper reversing section onto a paper drawing and storing section cannot be removed by anyone other than a service person. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming device consists of a device body 1 in which a paper tray 2 is accommodated so as to advance/retreat freely, and a jam removal opening 28 is formed on the advancing side of the paper tray 2 and below atray accommodation space; a paper reversing section 20 provided inside the device body 1; and the paper drawing and storing section 23 provided in the lowest part inside the device body 1 so as to communicate with the jam removal opening 28 roughly in a horizontal position and stores the sheet of paper drawn down in the paper reversing section 2. Furthermore, an actuating member 29 is provided, which moves contents in the paper drawing and storing section 23 to the tray advancing side interlocking with advancing movement of the paper tray 2 and possesses an extruding section 33 which abuts a jam paper which exists the paper drawing and storing section 23 and extrudes the jam paper from the jam removal opening 23 at the time of the movement. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine and a printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine incorporates a sheet conveying device that conveys a sheet along a predetermined conveying path. The paper transport device transports the paper stored in a paper tray via an image transfer unit in the apparatus main body of the image forming apparatus. Some image forming apparatuses have a double-sided recording function that forms an image on both sides of a sheet by reversing the sheet with respect to the image transfer unit and re-conveying the sheet, and a sheet on which an image is formed on one side. Some have a reversing discharge function for reversing and discharging. As a transport method for reversing the sheet, a so-called switchback method in which the traveling direction of the sheet is reversed during the transport is often adopted.
[0003]
In general, when a sheet is turned upside down by a switchback method, the sheet is sufficiently drawn in one direction, and then the direction of travel of the sheet is reversed. For this reason, it is necessary to secure, inside the apparatus main body, a sheet reversing section for reversing the sheet by switchback and a sheet retraction accommodating section for accommodating the sheet pulled in one direction by the sheet reversing section. Therefore, in the conventional image forming apparatus, in order to keep the size of the apparatus main body as small as possible, a sheet reversing portion is formed substantially vertically on one side in the apparatus main body adjacent to the accommodation space of the paper tray, and when the paper tray is incorporated. A paper draw-in receiving section is formed substantially horizontally at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body, which is a dead space.
[0004]
When actually turning the paper upside down, while holding the paper with the reversing roll provided in the paper reversing unit, the paper is pulled downward by the rotation of the reversing roll, so that a part of the paper is put into the paper draw-in storage section. Accommodating. Also, by rotating the reversing roll in the reverse direction from this state to reverse the traveling direction of the paper, the paper on which the image has been transferred on one side is reversed and re-conveyed to the image transfer unit, or on one or both sides. The sheet on which the image has been transferred is turned upside down and discharged to a discharge tray.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the conventional image forming apparatus, when the sheet is turned over by the sheet reversing unit, it is necessary to always hold the sheet with the reversing roll. The paper drops from the reversing unit to the paper draw-in storage unit, and becomes jammed as it is and stays in the paper draw-in storage unit. If the image forming operation is continued in the state where the paper draw-in storage unit has been jammed in this manner, there is a possibility that subsequent papers may be caught in the jam paper staying in the paper draw-in storage unit and may be jammed one after another. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly remove jammed paper that has stopped in the paper draw-in storage unit due to dropping from the paper reversing unit.
[0006]
However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the space of the paper draw-in storage section is very narrow, and there is no way to remove jammed paper staying in the paper draw-in storage section. Therefore, the user cannot remove the jam paper. Was. Therefore, each time a sheet falls into the sheet draw-in storage section, it is necessary to call a serviceman (engineer) to have the jammed paper removed. In addition, since the serviceman cannot remove the jammed paper unless the paper tray is completely removed from the apparatus main body, the jam removal work is very troublesome. Therefore, there is a problem that the waiting time until the image forming apparatus returns to the normal state becomes extremely long.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to avoid calling a service person each time when a sheet falls from a sheet reversing unit to a sheet draw-in storage unit. Another object of the present invention is to enable the user to easily remove jammed paper.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a sheet tray for storing sheets to be formed with an image; a sheet tray that is housed so that the sheet tray can be freely taken in and out; and a jam removal unit on a drawer side of the sheet tray and below a tray housing space. A main body having a mouth formed therein, a paper reversing portion formed in the main body of the apparatus, and for drawing the paper downward to turn the paper upside down, and a state communicating with the jam removing port at the lowermost part in the main body of the apparatus. , And is moved in the paper draw-in receiving section toward the paper tray pull-out side in conjunction with the pull-out operation of the paper tray. And an extruding unit that pushes the jammed paper from the jam removal port while abutting on the jammed paper existing in the paper draw-in storage unit during the movement.
[0009]
In this image forming apparatus, when the sheet is turned over by the sheet reversing section, even if the sheet falls from the sheet reversing section to the sheet pull-in receiving section for some reason, the sheet tray stored in the apparatus main body is removed. When the paper is pulled out, the jammed paper is pushed out from the jam removal port by the movement of the push-out unit in conjunction with the pulling-out operation. Therefore, the user can easily remove the jammed paper.
[0010]
In addition, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a paper tray that stores paper to be subjected to image formation, and a paper tray that accommodates the paper tray so that the paper tray can be taken in and out. An apparatus main body having a jam removing port formed therein, a paper reversing section formed in the apparatus main body and for drawing a sheet downward to turn the sheet upside down, and communicating with the jam removing port at the bottom of the apparatus main body. The paper draw-in unit that holds the paper pulled down by the paper reversing unit and the opening / closing cover provided on the side of the apparatus main body are drawn in substantially horizontally, and the paper draw-in is performed. The paper is moved to the drawer side of the paper tray in the storage unit, and the jammed paper is removed from the paper draw-in storage unit while being in contact with the jammed paper existing in the paper draw-in storage unit. And a pushing portion for pushing al.
[0011]
In this image forming apparatus, when the sheet is turned upside down by the sheet reversing section, even if the sheet falls from the sheet reversing section to the sheet draw-in accommodating section for some reason, the sheet is provided on the side portion of the apparatus main body. When the opening / closing cover is opened, the jammed paper is pushed out from the jam removing port by the movement of the pushing section in conjunction with the opening operation. Therefore, the user can easily remove the jammed paper.
[0012]
Further, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a sheet tray for storing sheets to be subjected to image formation, an apparatus main body for accommodating the sheet tray in a removable manner, and a sheet formed inside the apparatus main body, and A paper reversing unit that pulls down the paper for reversing the front and back, and a paper retraction storage unit that is formed substantially horizontally at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body and that stores the paper pulled down by the paper reversing unit The paper draw-in storage section has a support member that supports the paper drawn downward by the paper reversing section in a mounted state, and that is inclined downward from the bottom of the apparatus main body in conjunction with the pull-out operation of the paper tray. .
[0013]
In this image forming apparatus, when the sheet is turned over by the sheet reversing section, even if the sheet falls from the sheet reversing section to the sheet pull-in receiving section for some reason, the sheet tray stored in the apparatus main body is removed. By pulling out, the supporting member is lowered and inclined from the bottom of the apparatus main body in conjunction with the pulling-out operation, so that the sheet drawing-in receiving section is opened. Therefore, the user can easily remove the jammed paper.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a configuration example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the illustrated image forming apparatus, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of paper trays 2,... Each of the paper trays 2,... Accommodates paper 3 to be subjected to image formation in a stacked state, and is incorporated in the apparatus main body 1 so as to be freely taken in and out. Each of the paper trays 2 has the same basic configuration, although the size of the entire tray differs depending on the size of the paper 3 to be stored.
[0016]
A sheet stacking plate 4 is provided inside the sheet tray 2, and a predetermined number of sheets 3 can be stacked on the sheet stacking plate 4. One end side (right end side in the figure) of the sheet stacking plate 4 is rotatably supported by a pivot. When the paper tray 2 is housed (inserted) in the apparatus main body 1, the other end (the left end in the figure) of the paper stacking plate 4 is pushed upward by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown) around the pivot. As a result, the uppermost sheet 3 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the pickup roll 5. The pressing of the sheet 3 against the pickup roll 5 may be performed by an elevating mechanism that moves the sheet stacking plate 4 up and down.
[0017]
A separating roll 6 is arranged in the direction in which the pickup roll 5 sends out the paper. The separation roll 6 separates and sends out the sheets 3 sent out by the pickup rolls 5 one by one in order to prevent a plurality of sheets 3 stored in the sheet tray 2 from being conveyed (double feed). It is. By the separating rolls 6, the sheets 3 are sequentially sent out from each of the sheet trays 2 in a separated form. Further, the sheet 3 thus sent out is conveyed inside the apparatus main body 1 by respective rolls (described later) appropriately arranged on the sheet conveyance paths R1 to R6. Incidentally, the pick-up roll 5 and the separating roll 6 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the respective paper trays 2,.
[0018]
A first transport roll 7 is arranged in the direction in which the separating roll 6 feeds the paper. A plurality of first transport rolls 7 are provided at predetermined intervals on a first transport path R1 formed substantially vertically. The plurality of first transport rolls 7 transport the paper 3 sent out by the separating rolls 6 corresponding to the respective paper trays 2 upward along the first transport path R1.
[0019]
A second transport roll 8 and a registration roll 9 are sequentially arranged in the transport direction of the sheet by the first transport roll 7. The second transport roll 8 and the registration roll 9 are provided on a second transport path R2 formed continuously from the first transport path R1. The second transport roll 8 transports the paper 3 transported by the first transport roll 7 toward the registration roll 9. The registration roll 9 transports the paper 3 transported by the second transport roll 8 toward the image transfer unit 10.
[0020]
The image transfer unit 10 is a part that transfers an image to the paper 3 conveyed by the registration roll 9. The image is formed on the paper 3 by sending the paper 3 to the image transfer unit 10. In the image transfer unit 10, an intermediate transfer belt 11 serving as an image carrier is supported by a support roll 12, and a pressure roll 13 is held in pressure contact with a belt winding portion of the support roll 12. The intermediate transfer belt 11 transfers the toner image to the image transfer unit 10 by rotating the belt while carrying the visualized toner image. As a specific example, a toner image formed on the surface of a photoconductor (not shown) is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 11, and the primary-transferred toner image is sent to the image transfer unit 10 by rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 11. . At this time, the formation of the toner image on the photoreceptor surface is performed based on an image signal read by an image reading device (scanner or the like) (not shown) if the image forming device is a copying machine, and is formed by a facsimile device or a printer device. If there is, it is performed based on an image signal received via a communication unit or a network unit (not shown).
[0021]
On the downstream side of the image transfer unit 10, a vacuum transport unit 14, an image fixing unit 15, a third transport roll 16, and a discharge roll 17 are sequentially arranged. The above-mentioned second transport path R2 is a transport path from the second transport roll 8 to the discharge roll 17 via the image transfer unit 10. On the second transport path R2, the vacuum transport unit 14 vacuum-adsorbs the back surface (the surface opposite to the image-transferred surface) of the sheet 3 onto which the image (toner image) has been transferred by the image transfer unit 10. In addition, the paper 3 is transported to the image fixing unit 15. The image fixing section 15 fixes the image transferred to the paper 3 by applying pressure and heat. The third transport roll 16 transports the paper 3 on which the image has been fixed by the image fixing unit 15, and the discharge roll 17 discharges the paper 3 transported by the third transport roll 16 to a discharge tray 18. Is what you do.
[0022]
On the downstream side of the third transport roll 16, the third transport path R3 branches diagonally downward from the second transport path R2. A fourth transport roll 19 is disposed on the third transport path R. The fourth transport roll 19 transports the sheet 3 sent to the third transport path R3 by the third transport roll 16 to the sheet reversing unit 20.
[0023]
The sheet reversing unit 20 is a part for reversing the sheet 3 when re-conveying the sheet 3 to the image transfer unit 10 or discharging the sheet 3 to the discharge tray 18. The sheet reversing unit 20 is provided on one side (in FIG. 1) of the apparatus main body 1 adjacent to the tray accommodation space with respect to the tray accommodation space reserved for accommodating the plurality of paper trays 2,. (Left side). A fourth transport path R4 is formed in the sheet reversing section 20 along the vertical direction. A first reversing roll 21 and a second reversing roll 22 are disposed on the fourth transport path R4 at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. The first reversing roll 21 is arranged near the entrance of the fourth transport path 4 (the upper end of the paper reversing unit 20), which is the position where the paper is taken into the paper reversing unit 20. The second reversing roll 22 is disposed at a substantially middle portion of the fourth transport path R4 along the vertical direction.
[0024]
The lower end of the sheet reversing section 20 is connected to the sheet draw-in storage section 23. The sheet pull-in storage section 23 is a section for temporarily storing the sheet 3 pulled downward by the first reversing roll 21 and the second reversing roll 22 in the sheet reversing section 20. The paper draw-in housing portion 23 is formed substantially horizontally at the lowermost part in the apparatus main body 1 below the tray housing space. More specifically, a sheet draw-in storage section 23 is formed immediately below the storage position of the lowermost sheet tray 2 among the plurality of sheet trays 2 having a multi-stage structure.
[0025]
Further, in the above-described paper reversing unit 20, a fifth transport path R5 branches diagonally upward from the fourth transport path R4 between the first reverse roll 21 and the second reverse roll 22. On the fifth transport path R5, a plurality of (in the illustrated example, six) transport rolls 25 are arranged at predetermined intervals, and a re-transport unit 26 is formed by the plurality of transport rolls 25. The re-transporting section 26 is a section for transporting the paper 3 on which the image has been transferred to one side by the image transferring section 10 to the image transferring section 10 again for double-sided printing, double-sided copying and the like. The fifth transport path R5 is formed between the sheet reversing unit 20 and the second transport roll 8 so as to connect the fourth transport path R4 and the second transport path R2.
[0026]
On the other hand, from the first reversing roll 21 of the paper reversing unit 20, a sixth transport path R <b> 6 is formed to branch toward the discharge roll 17. The sixth transport path R6 is a transport path for reversing the sheet 3 taken in the sheet reversing unit 20 via the third transport path R3 and discharging the sheet 3 to the discharge tray 18. Incidentally, in the branch portions of the above-described transport paths R1 to R6, the direction in which the paper advances is appropriately switched by a gate member (not shown).
[0027]
Subsequently, a basic operation of the image forming apparatus having the above configuration will be described. First, a user inputs desired image forming conditions (for example, image formation density and number of copies, designation of double-sided recording, etc.) using an operation panel (not shown) of the image forming apparatus, and then starts a start button on the operation panel. push. At this time, assuming that the uppermost paper tray 2 is selected by a user's input operation using the operation panel, the rotation of the pickup roll 5 and the separation roll 6 corresponding to the uppermost paper tray 2 causes The upper sheet 3 is sent out in the direction of the arrow (leftward) in the figure.
[0028]
The sheet 3 sent from the sheet tray 2 in this manner is conveyed upward along the first conveyance path R1 by rotation of the conveyance roll 7, and is delivered to the second conveyance roll 8. Further, the paper 3 is conveyed to the registration roll 9 side along the second conveyance path R2 by the rotation of the second conveyance roll 8. Thereafter, the sheet 3 is temporarily stopped with the leading end of the sheet abutting against the registration roll 9 and then sent to the image transfer section 10 by rotating the registration roll 9 in synchronization with the arrival timing of the image in the image transfer section 10. . In the image transfer unit 10, the toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 11 is transferred from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 11 to the first surface of the sheet 3 at a pressure contact portion between the belt support roll 12 and the pressure roll 13. .
[0029]
The sheet 3 onto which the image has been transferred in this manner is sent to the image fixing unit 15 by the vacuum transport unit 14. In the image fixing unit 15, an image is fixed on the surface of the sheet 3 by a pressing action and a heating action applied between the pair of rolls while nipping the sheet 3 between the pair of rolls. If the paper 3 sent out from the image fixing unit 15 is for single-sided recording, the paper 3 is transferred to the discharge roll 17 by the rotation of the third transport roll 16, and further discharged to the discharge tray 18 by the rotation of the discharge roll 17. Is discharged to
[0030]
If the paper 3 sent from the image fixing unit 15 is for double-sided recording, the paper 3 is moved from the second transport path 2 to the third transport path by rotation of the third transport roll 16 and switching operation of a gate member (not shown). Guided to R3. The sheet 3 guided to the third conveyance path R3 is sent to the sheet reversing unit 20 by the rotation of the fourth conveyance roll 19.
[0031]
In the sheet reversing unit 20, the sheet 3 sent by the fourth transport roll 19 is sequentially pinched between the first reversing roll 21 and the second reversing roll 22, and the rotation of the first reversing roll 21 and the second reversing roll 22 is performed. Thereby, the sheet 3 is transported downward along the fourth transport path R4. At this time, the sheet 3 is pulled downward until the trailing end of the sheet 3 passes through the first reversing roll 21 and passes through the branch between the fourth transport path R4 and the fifth transport path R5. Then, before the rear end of the sheet 3 reaches the second reversing roll 22, the rotation of the second reversing roll 22 is temporarily stopped. At this time, the sheet 3 having a long sheet length in the transport direction is arranged so as to straddle the sheet reversing unit 20 and the sheet retraction housing unit 23 while being sandwiched by the second reversing roll 22. In this state, a part of the sheet 3 pulled down by the second reversing roll 22 is stored in the sheet pull-in storage section 23.
[0032]
Thereafter, the second reversing roll 22 starts (restarts) rotation in a direction opposite to that at the timing in time for the image to arrive at the image transfer unit 10. Then, in the sheet reversing unit 20, the sheet 3 sandwiched between the second reversing rolls 22 travels upward in the fourth transport path R <b> 4 in such a manner as to switch back, and then the fourth operation is performed by the switching operation of the gate member (not shown). It is guided from the transport path R4 to the fifth transport path R5. In the fifth transport path R5, the paper 3 is sequentially delivered to each transport roll 25 forming the re-transport section 26, and the paper 3 is delivered to the second transport roll 8 by the final transport roll 25.
[0033]
Thereafter, the paper 3 is sent to the image transfer unit 10 by the second transport roll 8 and the registration roll 9 in the same procedure as described above, where the image is transferred to the second surface of the paper 3 and the paper 3 is vacuum transported. The image is transferred from the unit 14 to the third transport roll 16 via the image fixing unit 15. In this case, the paper 3 is again guided to the third transport path 3 by the rotation of the third transport roll 16 and the switching operation of the gate member (not shown). Then, the sheet 3 is sent to the sheet reversing unit 20 by the rotation of the fourth transport roll 19 in the same manner as described above. However, in this case, the rotation direction of the first reversing roll 21 and the second reversing roll 22 at the time when the trailing end of the sheet 3 passes through the branching part with the sixth conveying path R6 via the third conveying path R3. Is inverted. Then, the sheet 3 moves upward in the fourth transport path R4 in a manner of being switched back by the sheet reversing unit 20. At this time, the sheet 3 is guided from the fourth transport path R4 to the sixth transport path R6 by the switching operation of the gate member (not shown), and is discharged to the discharge tray 18 via the discharge roll 17 as it is.
[0034]
In this case, the sheet 3 on which images are formed on both sides (the first side and the second side) is turned upside down and is discharged to the discharge tray 18. In some cases, the sheet 3 on which the image is formed is turned upside down by switchback in the sheet reversing unit 20 and discharged to the discharge tray 18.
[0035]
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a specific configuration example of the paper draw-in storing section 23, in which FIG. 2A is a schematic front view, and FIG. 2B is a schematic side view. As shown in the drawing, a pair of upper and lower chute members 27A and 27B are arranged in the paper draw-in housing 23 in a parallel and horizontal state. Each of the chute members 27A and 27B is formed of a thin plate member such as a sheet metal, for example, and a gap G between opposing portions thereof is set to about 3 mm. The gap G between the pair of chute members 27A and 27B is set to be as narrow as possible within a range in which paper can be taken in from the paper reversing unit 22 in order to keep the size of the entire image forming apparatus as small as possible. Therefore, when a jam (paper jam) occurs in the paper draw-in housing section 23, it is extremely difficult to remove the jammed paper that caused the jam.
[0036]
Therefore, in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the jam removing port 28 is formed on the drawer side of the paper tray 2 and below the tray accommodating space, and the apparatus main body is communicated with the jam removing port 28. 1, the paper draw-in storage section 23 is formed at the lowermost portion. More specifically, the jam removal port 28 is formed so as to communicate with the gap G between the pair of chute members 27A and 26B that form the paper draw-in storage portion 23. Further, the jam removing port 28 is formed in a shape of a horizontally elongated slit opening on the front side of the apparatus main body 1 which is the drawer side of the paper tray 2. Further, the jam removal port 28 is formed in the vicinity of the slot of the lowermost paper tray 2 among the plurality of paper trays 2 arranged in multiple rows in the vertical direction. The entrance of the paper tray 2 is closed by a front panel 2 </ b> A that also serves as a handle provided on the front part of the paper tray 2. The longitudinal dimension of the jam removing port 28 when viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1 is set to be larger than the maximum sheet size that can be stored in the sheet tray 2, and the short dimension is set to the pair of chute members 27A. , 27B is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the gap size G.
[0037]
Further, an operating member 29 as shown in FIG. 3 is incorporated in the lowermost portion of the apparatus main body 1 which is a space for forming the paper draw-in accommodating section 23. The operating member 29 includes a flat rod-shaped base portion 30, a shaft portion 31 provided at one end of the base portion 30 in a convex shape, and an elongated engagement hole provided at the other end side of the base portion 30. 32, and an extruded portion 33 protrudingly provided on the base portion 30 in the vicinity of the engagement hole 32. The shaft portion 31 and the pushing portion 33 project in the same direction as each other in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the base portion 30. The push-out portion 33 is made of, for example, a pin-shaped rubber or other high-friction material. The engagement hole 32 is formed so as to penetrate the base portion 30 with the longitudinal direction of the base member 30 being the long axis direction of the long hole.
[0038]
As shown in FIG. 4, the operating member 29 having the above-described configuration avoids the paper storage position in the paper draw-in storage unit 23 when the apparatus main body 1 is viewed in a plan view, and moves the apparatus main body 1 more than the paper storage position. It is attached to the back side (rear side) of. The operating member 29 is arranged with its base portion 30 substantially parallel to the width direction of the apparatus main body 1. The shaft 31 rising from one end of the base 30 is rotatably supported using the lower chute member 27B shown in FIG.
[0039]
On the other hand, an engagement hole 32 formed on the other end side of the base portion 30 is held in a state of being engaged with an engagement pin 34 protruding downward from the lowermost sheet tray 2. The engagement pin 34 is provided integrally with the paper tray 2. Therefore, when the paper tray 2 is taken in and out of the apparatus main body 1, the engaging pin 34 moves integrally with the paper tray 2 in the depth direction of the apparatus main body 1. The diameter of the engagement pin 34 is set to be smaller than the short axis dimension of the engagement hole 32, so that the engagement pin 34 can freely move in the long axis direction of the engagement hole 32. Further, the engagement position of the engagement pin 34 is set so as to be located at a substantially middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the engagement hole 32 in a state where the paper tray 2 is housed in the apparatus main body 1.
[0040]
The pushing portion 33 is provided with a guide groove (not shown) formed in the lower chute member 27B or a guide groove formed in the upper and lower chute members 27A and 28B in order to avoid positional interference with the pushing member 33. It is arranged so as to vertically cross the gap G between the pair of chute members 27A, 27B while engaging with a (not shown). Further, the push-out portion 33 is disposed at a position where the push-out portion 33 can come into contact with the jammed paper 3 existing in the paper draw-in housing portion 23 in the width direction of the apparatus main body 1 (the left-right direction in FIG.
[0041]
Here, when the paper 3 is pulled from the paper reversing unit 20 to the paper draw-in storage unit 23 by the rotation of the second reversing roll 22, for some reason (for example, a paper that detects the passage of the paper 3 on the transport path R <b> 4). If the paper 3 completely passes through the second reversing roll 22 due to failure or malfunction of the passage sensor, runaway or the like due to a processing error of the controller for controlling the paper transport, the paper 3 is transported by the fourth transport. The paper sheet falls (slids down) from the sheet reversing section 20 to the sheet pull-in storage section 23 along the path R4, and stays in the sheet pull-in storage section 23 as jammed paper 3 as it is.
[0042]
On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a configuration in which the jam detection sensor 35 is provided in the paper draw-in accommodating section 23 formed at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body 1 is adopted. ing. The jam detection sensor 35 detects the occurrence of a jam in the paper draw-in housing section 23, and is configured by, for example, a reflection-type optical sensor. The detection signal of the jam detection sensor 35 is turned on when the paper 3 is present at its own sensing position, and is turned off when the paper 3 is not present.
[0043]
In the actual operation of the apparatus, after the paper 3 is pulled down by the second reversing roll 22, the rotation of the second reversing roll 22 and the reversal of the rotation direction cause the paper 3 to be sent out to the most conveying section 26 side. The time during which the detection signal of the jam detection sensor 35 is maintained in the ON state is measured, and if the measured time exceeds a predetermined time, a jam (paper jam) occurs in the paper draw-in housing unit 23. Judge that it has occurred. Incidentally, the predetermined time is set to a value corresponding to the longest time that the jam detection sensor 35 is kept in the ON state when a sheet of the maximum size is conveyed while the image forming apparatus is operating normally. .
[0044]
Furthermore, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment stops the operation of the image forming apparatus including sheet conveyance and detects a user interface when the jam detection sensor 35 detects the occurrence of a jam in the sheet draw-in / storing section 23 and serves as a user interface. A function to display a message prompting the user to pull out the lowermost paper tray 2 (for example, "Please pull out the lowermost paper tray") together with a message indicating that a jam has occurred on the operation panel. It has.
[0045]
When the user pulls out the lowermost paper tray 2 as shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with such a message display, the operating member 29 rotates about the shaft 31 in conjunction with the pulling-out operation of the paper tray 2. At this time, the pushing section 33 moves in the paper draw-in housing section 23 toward the pull-out side (in the direction of the arrow) of the paper tray 2 in accordance with the turning operation of the operating member 29, and is present in the paper draw-in housing section 23 during this movement. The jammed paper 3 is pushed out from the jam removal port 28 (see FIG. 2) while being in contact with the jammed paper 3. That is, when the operating member 29 rotates about the shaft portion 31, the pushing portion 33 moves to the drawing side of the paper tray 2 by following an arc-shaped trajectory about the shaft portion 31. At this time, the pushing section 33 contacts one side of the jammed paper 3 and moves so as to scrape out the jammed paper 3 while maintaining the contacting state, and pushes out the jammed paper 3 from the jam removing port 28.
[0046]
As a result, when the paper tray 2 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 1, the pushing section 33 moves to the vicinity of the jam removing port 28, and the jammed paper 3 extruded by this movement largely protrudes from the jam removing port 28. . Therefore, the user can pinch the jam paper 3 with a fingertip or the like and pull it out of the apparatus. As a result, it is possible for the user to easily remove the paper (jam paper) that has fallen into the paper draw-in storage unit 23 without calling a service person.
[0047]
In addition, when the pushing portion 33 is provided on the operating member 29, if the pushing portion 33 is made of a high friction material such as rubber, when the paper tray 2 is pulled out as described above, the pushing portion 33 and the jammed paper 3 are connected. By preventing slippage, the jammed paper 3 can be reliably pushed out from the jam removal port 28.
[0048]
Further, when the jam detection sensor 35 (see FIG. 5) detects the occurrence of a jam in the paper draw-in storage unit 23, a message prompting the user to pull out the paper tray 2 is displayed on the operation panel, so that the user can remove the jam. Work can be performed appropriately and quickly.
[0049]
In the above embodiment, the pushing member 33 is provided on the operating member 29, and the operating member 29 is incorporated in the paper draw-in / storing portion 23, and the pushing member 33 is moved to the tray drawer side in conjunction with the drawing operation of the paper tray 2. Although it is configured to be moved, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of push-out portions 33 may be provided so that the push-out portion 33 reliably contacts the jammed paper 3 when the paper tray 2 is pulled out.
[0050]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, an extruding portion 36 is provided integrally with the bottom surface of the lowermost paper tray 2 and is moved to the tray withdrawal side in conjunction with the operation of pulling out the paper tray 2. It may be configured. In such a configuration, when the paper tray 2 is pulled out, the jammed paper 3 can be pushed out from the jam removing port 28 in the same manner as described above by the movement of the push-out section 36 in conjunction with this pulling-out operation. In addition, since the mechanism for removing the jam is simplified, it can be implemented at low cost.
[0051]
As shown in FIG. 8, in the configuration of the image forming apparatus, an opening / closing cover 37 for removing jam is provided on one side surface of the apparatus main body 1 in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing cover 37. A configuration in which the jammed paper 3 is pushed out from the jam removal port 28 is also possible. Specifically, the shaft 39 provided at one end of the operating member 38 is rotatably supported using the lower chute member 27B in the same manner as described above, and the pushing portion 40 is attached to the other end of the operating member 38. And an elongated guide hole 41 is formed at a substantially middle portion of the operating member 38 in the longitudinal direction. The link cover 42 and the operating member 38 are connected to each other by a link arm 42 so as to interlock with each other. One end of the link arm 42 is rotatably attached to the opening / closing cover 37. The other end of the link arm 42 is movably engaged with the guide hole 41 of the operating member 38.
[0052]
In the case where the configuration shown in FIG. 8 is adopted, when the opening / closing cover 37 is opened, the operating member 38 rotates about the shaft portion 39 in a form pulled by the link arm 42, and is pushed out according to this rotating operation. The unit 40 moves to the tray drawer side (the front side of the apparatus main body 1) inside the paper draw-in storage unit 23. During this movement, the pushing section 40 comes into contact with the jammed paper 3 and pushes out the jammed paper 3 from the jam removing port 28 (see FIG. 2). Thus, the jammed paper 3 can be easily removed from the paper draw-in storage section 23 as described above.
[0053]
In the case where the configuration in which the pushing section 40 is moved to the tray drawer side in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing cover 37 is employed, the jam detection sensor 35 (see FIG. 5) described above causes the jam in the paper draw-in storage section 23 to be jammed. By displaying on the operation panel a message prompting the user to open the opening / closing cover 37 when the occurrence is detected, the jam removal operation by the user can be performed appropriately and promptly. Further, by forming the extruded portion 40 from a high friction material such as rubber, slippage between the extruded portion 40 and the jammed paper 3 can be prevented, and the jammed paper 3 can be reliably extruded from the jam removing port 28.
[0054]
9A and 9B show a configuration of a main part of an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 9A is a schematic side view and FIG. 9B is a schematic rear view. In FIG. 9, of the pair of upper and lower chute members 27A and 27B forming the sheet take-in / accommodating section 23 as described above, the lower chute member (support member) 27B for supporting the sheet 3 in the mounted state is left and right. It is rotatably supported by a pair of support shafts 43, 43. The pair of support shafts 43 are coaxially arranged on both sides on the back side of the chute member 27B when viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1. A support plate 44 is provided on the near side of the chute member 27B (on the front side of the apparatus main body 1). The support plate 44 is provided so as to stand vertically on one side of the chute member 27B when viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1. A copying pin (copying member) 45 is rotatably provided at the upper end of the support plate 44. An opening (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the apparatus main body 1 to prevent positional interference with the chute member 27B when the chute member 27B is rotated around the pair of support shafts 43, 43. Is formed.
[0055]
On the other hand, a cam portion 46 is formed on one side of the paper tray 2 corresponding to the copying pin 45 provided on the front side of the chute member 27B as described above. The cam portion 46 is formed with an inclined surface 46A that gradually becomes lower from the near side to the far side of the paper tray 2 (in other words, from the front side to the back side of the apparatus main body 1). When the paper tray 2 is stored in the apparatus main body 1, the copying pin 45 is mounted on and supported by the top of the inclined surface 46A of the cam portion 46, so that the posture of the chute member 27B in the paper draw-in storage portion 23 is substantially reduced. It is configured to be held horizontally.
[0056]
In the image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration, when the paper tray 2 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 1 when the jam 3 is present in the paper draw-in accommodating section 23, as shown in FIG. The member 27B rotates around the support shaft 43. More specifically, when the paper tray 2 is pulled out, the copying pin 45, which has been placed on the top of the inclined surface 46A of the cam portion 46, moves upward on the inclined surface 46A in accordance with the operation of pulling out the paper tray 2. Move to lower side from. Then, the position of the copying pin 45 is displaced downward in accordance with the inclination of the inclined surface 46A, and accordingly, the chute member 27B rotates about the pair of support shafts 43.
[0057]
As a result, the front side of the chute member 27B descends from the bottom of the apparatus main body 1 and the entire chute member 27B inclines, so that when viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1, a pair of chutes forming the sheet draw-in accommodation section 23 The members 27A and 27B are largely opened. Therefore, the user can pinch the jam paper 3 with a fingertip or the like and pull it out of the apparatus. As a result, it is possible for the user to easily remove the jammed paper (jam paper) that has fallen into the paper draw-in accommodating section 23 without calling a service person.
[0058]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, even when a sheet falls from the sheet reversing unit to the sheet pull-in storage unit, the user can easily jam paper without calling a service person. Can be removed. Accordingly, when a paper jam occurs in the paper draw-in storage unit due to the fall of the paper from the paper reversing unit, it is possible to return the image forming apparatus to the normal state in a short time by the jam removal work by the user.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific configuration example of a sheet drawing-in storing section of the image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of an operating member employed in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an attached state of an operation member.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mounting position of a jam detection sensor.
FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the movement of the operating member in conjunction with the operation of pulling out the paper tray.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which an extruding unit is integrally provided on a paper tray.
FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing the movement of the operating member in conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing cover.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation when removing a jam in an image forming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Device main body, 2 ... Paper tray, 3 ... Paper, 10 ... Image transfer part, 20 ... Paper reversing part, 21 ... 1st reversing roll, 22 ... 2nd reversing roll, 23 ... Paper retraction accommodating part, 27A, 27B ... Shoot member, 28 ... Jam removal port, 29,38 ... Working member, 33,36,40 ... Extrusion section, 35 ... Jam detection sensor, 37 ... Open / close cover, 43 ... Support shaft, 45 ... Shape pin, 46 ... Cam Part, 46A ... slope

Claims (7)

A paper tray that stores paper to be image-formed,
An apparatus main body in which the paper tray is housed so that it can be freely taken in and out, and a jam removal port is formed on a drawer side of the paper tray and below the tray housing space;
A sheet reversing unit formed in the apparatus main body and for pulling down the sheet to turn the sheet upside down,
A paper draw-in receiving portion that is formed substantially horizontally in a state communicating with the jam removing port at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body, and that stores the paper pulled in downward by the sheet reversing portion,
The inside of the paper tray is moved to the drawer side of the paper tray in conjunction with the pulling operation of the paper tray, and the jammed paper is brought into contact with the jam existing in the paper tray at the time of this movement. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an extruding unit that extrudes from a removal port. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extruding unit is provided integrally with the paper tray. Detecting means for detecting the occurrence of a jam in the paper draw-in storage section,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a message prompting an operation of pulling out the paper tray when the occurrence of the jam is detected by the detection unit. A paper tray that stores paper to be image-formed,
An apparatus main body in which the paper tray is housed so that it can be freely taken in and out, and a jam removal port is formed on a drawer side of the paper tray and below the tray housing space;
A sheet reversing unit formed in the apparatus main body and for pulling down the sheet to turn the sheet upside down,
A paper draw-in receiving portion that is formed substantially horizontally in a state communicating with the jam removing port at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body, and that stores the paper pulled in downward by the sheet reversing portion,
In conjunction with the opening operation of the opening / closing cover provided on the side portion of the apparatus main body, the inside of the paper draw-in receiving section is moved to the draw-out side of the paper tray, and at the time of this movement, the jammed paper present in the sheet pull-in receiving section is An extruding unit that extrudes the jammed paper from the jam removal port while abutting on the jammed paper. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extruding portion is formed of a high friction material. Detecting means for detecting the occurrence of a jam in the paper draw-in storage section,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit configured to display a message that prompts an opening operation of the opening / closing cover when the occurrence of the jam is detected by the detection unit. A paper tray that stores paper to be image-formed,
An apparatus main body that accommodates the paper tray so that it can be taken in and out freely;
A sheet reversing unit formed in the apparatus main body and for pulling down the sheet to turn the sheet upside down,
A paper draw-in storage portion that is formed substantially horizontally at the lowermost portion in the apparatus main body and stores the paper pulled down by the paper inversion portion,
The sheet pull-in receiving section supports the sheet pulled down by the sheet reversing section in a mounted state, and further includes a support member that is inclined downward from the bottom of the apparatus main body in conjunction with the pull-out operation of the sheet tray. An image forming apparatus comprising:

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