JP2005187160A - Image reading device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic image reading device (ADF) capable of surely removing a foreign matter adhering to a carrying roller of a pair of carrying rollers 354 by a removing member such as a sponge member and suppressing disturbance of a read image. <P>SOLUTION: The image reading device is provided with a foreign matter removing device 380 having a removing blade 381, which abuts on the carrying roller of a pair of the carrying rollers 354, for removing the foreign matter adhering thereto, a reciprocating means for reciprocating the removing blade 381 along a direction perpendicular to a roller surface moving direction on an abutting surface formed by abutting of the removing blade 381 on the carrying roller, and a foreign matter receiving tray 382 for receiving the foreign matter removed by the removing blade 381. Thus, the foreign matter adhering to the carrying roller can be surely dropped from the carrying roller or the removing blade 381 to the foreign matter receiving tray 382. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus that reads an image recorded on an original while the original is conveyed by an original conveying means.

  Conventionally, an automatic image reading device that reads an image of a document while conveying the document while being sandwiched between a pair of endless moving bodies that move endlessly while abutting surfaces such as a pair of conveyance rollers that are in contact with each other while rotating. ADF) is known. In such an automatic image reading apparatus, the foreign matter transferred from the document is accumulated on the endless moving body pair, and then it is reversely transferred from the endless moving body pair to the document, thereby disturbing the read image. In recent years when additives are frequently used for the purpose of exhibiting predetermined characteristics on recycled paper recycled from used paper, or to give gloss to new paper, such disturbance of the read image is particularly likely to occur. ing.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 1 proposes an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine provided with a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter adhering to one transport roller in a pair of transport rollers as a recording material transport means. This foreign matter removing device scrapes and removes foreign matter adhering to the roller surface by a sponge member in contact with the transport roller.

JP 2003-84638 A

  If this foreign matter removing apparatus is employed in an automatic image reading apparatus, the above-described disturbance of the read image can be suppressed to some extent. However, in this foreign matter removing apparatus, there is a possibility that scraping and removing the foreign matter from the endless moving body may be incomplete for the following reason. That is, the foreign matter that hits the sponge member along with the surface movement of the endless moving body cannot be scraped off from the surface of the endless moving body, and accumulates on the front side of the contact portion between the sponge member and the endless moving body. I might let you. Then, the accumulated foreign matter may eventually pass through the contact portion and reversely transfer from the endless moving body to the document. In particular, foreign matters having relatively high viscosity are likely to accumulate on the near side of the contact portion and cause this kind of reverse transition.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to provide the following image reading apparatus and an image forming system using the same. That is, an image reading apparatus or the like that can more reliably remove foreign matter adhering to the endless moving body with a removing member such as a sponge member and suppress disturbance of the read image.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a document conveying means for conveying a document while sandwiching the document between a pair of endless moving bodies that move endlessly while the surfaces abut each other, and the document conveying means conveys the document. In an image reading apparatus comprising an image reading means for reading an image recorded on an incoming document, the foreign material adhering to the endless moving body is removed by abutting against one endless moving body of the original conveying means. A reciprocating means for reciprocating the removing member along a direction perpendicular to the surface moving direction of the endless moving body on a contact surface formed by the contact between the removing member and the endless moving body, A foreign matter removing means having a foreign matter receiving portion for receiving the foreign matter removed by the removing member is provided.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the removing member is fixed to the foreign matter receiving portion, and the foreign matter receiving portion is reciprocated by the reciprocating means together with the removing member. It is characterized by that.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a blade member provided so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the endless moving body is provided as the removal member. It is characterized by being used.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the first, second, or third aspect, the negative acceleration when the removal member and the foreign material receiving portion are stopped in the forward movement and the negative acceleration when the backward movement is stopped. Among them, the reciprocating means is configured so that one of them is larger than the other.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the foreign member is arranged to increase the negative acceleration at the stop of the forward movement and the backward movement of the removal member and the foreign matter receiving portion. The receiving portion is made to stop by colliding with the stopper member.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to the fifth aspect, of the forward movement and the backward movement, the one that increases the negative acceleration at the time of stopping is performed by the restoring force of the elastic body that is elastically deformed. The above-described reciprocating means is configured so as to make it possible.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus of the sixth aspect, of the forward movement and the backward movement, the negative acceleration at the time of stopping is reduced by the driving force of the motor. The reciprocating means is configured as described above.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading device of the seventh aspect, the eccentric cam is rotated by the driving force of the motor, and the forward movement and the backward movement are performed by the biasing force of the rotating eccentric cam. The reciprocating means is configured to reduce the negative acceleration at the time of stopping.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus of the seventh aspect, the forward movement and the backward movement are performed by winding a winding member wound around the rotating member that is rotated by applying a driving force. Of these, the reciprocating means is configured to reduce the negative acceleration at the time of stop.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, a movement control means for driving the reciprocating movement means is provided only when reading processing by the image reading means is stopped. It is characterized by this.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the image reading apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the two image reading means for reading the images recorded on both sides of the original document are provided. It is what.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the image reading device according to the eleventh aspect, the two foreign matter removing means for performing the foreign matter removing process on the two endless movable bodies of the endless movable body pair are provided. It is characterized by.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus that reads an image recorded on a document serving as a recording medium, and an image forming apparatus that forms an image on the recording medium based on a reading result by the image reading apparatus. In the forming system, any one of claims 1 to 12 is used as the image reading apparatus.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming system according to the thirteenth aspect, the image reading apparatus of the tenth aspect is used, and the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus is stopped while the reading process is stopped. The movement control means is configured to drive the reciprocating movement means only during a stop.
The invention of claim 15 is the image forming system of claim 13 or 14, wherein the image reading device of claim 11 is used, and a visible image carried on an image carrier is used as the image forming device. Further, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the image is transferred from the image carrier to both sides of the recording medium by a double-sided transfer unit to form images on both sides of the recording body.

  In these inventions, for the reason described below, accumulation of foreign matters that occurs on the front side of the contact portion between the removal member and the endless moving body is suppressed. That is, the first reason that foreign matter accumulates on the near side of the contact portion is that the foreign matter that hits the removing member as the surface of the endless moving body moves away from the endless moving body and the removing member quickly and drops by gravity. There is to not. If the timing of detachment is slightly delayed, the tip of the foreign matter is sandwiched between the contact portions along with the surface movement of the endless moving body, and the whole foreign matter continues to stay in front of the contact portions. The second reason for the deposition is that the foreign matter that has accumulated in this manner is adsorbed by the subsequent foreign matter and grows. In other words, when the foreign matter starts to stay due to the above-described timing delay, the foreign matter grows like a snowball by the subsequent suction of the foreign matter. Therefore, in the present invention, the removal member that comes into contact with the endless moving body is reciprocated along a direction perpendicular to the surface movement direction of the endless moving body on the contact surface. Then, on the front side of the abutting portion, the removal member that abuts against the foreign matter on the surface of the endless moving body is reciprocated to promote the removal of the foreign matter from the endless moving body and the removing member. This suppresses a delay in the timing of separation. Further, even if the tip of the foreign matter is caught in the contact portion, the removal member that reciprocates between the tip of the foreign matter and the rear end of the foreign matter that is not sandwiched and the endless moving body Cut. As a result, the retention and growth of foreign matters are suppressed on the front side of the contact portion. Therefore, the foreign matter adhering to the endless moving body can be more reliably removed by the removing member, and the disturbance of the read image can be suppressed.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automatic image reading apparatus will be described.
First, a basic configuration of the automatic image reading apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the automatic image reading apparatus. In the figure, an automatic image reading apparatus 300 includes an image reading unit 310 and an automatic document feeding unit 350.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the automatic image reading apparatus. The image reading unit 310 includes a casing that includes a document frame 301, a first contact glass 302 and a second contact glass 303 fixed on the document frame 301. In the image reading unit 310, a first traveling body 305 having a light source 304 and a first mirror and a second traveling body 306 having a second mirror and a third mirror move in parallel to the first contact glass 302. The original is optically scanned. The second traveling body 306 employs a known optical system that moves at half the speed of the first traveling body 305. The scanning light emitted from the light source 304 and reflected by the document is sequentially reflected on the first mirror, the second mirror, and the third mirror, and is imaged by the fixed lens 307, and then is applied to the solid-state imaging device (CCD) 308. It is captured. The captured image data is appropriately processed as a digital signal, and sent to a remote place via a telephone line or sent to the printer unit 100 by a facsimile function.

  The automatic document feeder 350 includes a first pressure plate 363 and a second thick plate 357 that are pressed toward the first contact glass 302 and the second contact glass 303. And it can be opened with the contact glass as a boundary by being rotated around a rotation shaft (not shown). In the closed state, even a thick original such as a book can be brought into close contact with the first contact glass by the first pressure plate 363. A sheet-like document that is not bound like a book can be set on a movable plate 362 of a sheet feed table 361 with a first surface (odd page) as an upper surface in a stacked state. When a scan start command is sent by the operator, the paper feed roller 352 that is in contact with the uppermost sheet document rotates in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, and the sheet document is sent to the paper feed conveyance unit 351. In the sheet feeding / conveying section 351, even if two or more sheets are overlapped, they are reliably separated and conveyed one by one by the separation roller pair 353. Then, the paper passes through a pair of transport rollers 354, a transport roller 355, 358, and a pair of paper discharge rollers 359 as document transport means, and is discharged in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and is stacked on the document paper discharge tray 360 with the first side down. . The image information on the second surface (even page) of the sheet document is read by the image sensor 356 until the sheet is discharged. Thereafter, when the sheet document is passing between the second pressure plate 357 and the second contact glass 303, the image information on the first surface is read by the image reading unit 310. At this time, the image reading unit 310 can perform optical scanning without moving the first traveling body 305 and the second traveling body 306. A white sheet 363a is attached to the portion of the first pressure plate 363 that contacts the document. This is because the color of the pressure plate 363 is read as the background by the reading means if the original is thin and the back surface is transparent. For the same reason, the conveying roller 355 and the second pressure plate 357 are also white.

  FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing the image sensor 356. The image sensor 356 includes a glass 356a that faces a document, an LED array 356b that is a light source that illuminates an image reading surface, a lens array 356c that is an imaging element, an equal magnification sensor 356d, and the like. It is also possible to employ a contact sensor that does not use an imaging lens. A thick original such as a book is set on the contact glass 302 and pressed by the pressure plate 363. At this time, the automatic image feeding unit 350 is lifted from the normal position. For this reason, the second thick plate 357 is also lifted from the second contact glass 303. In view of this, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the lifting of the second pressure plate 357 from the second contact glass 303 is provided. Based on the detection result by this sensor, reading by the image sensor 356 is prohibited. Therefore, there is no problem that the sheet original is read while the thick original is set on the first contact glass 302. When the image information of the sheet document is read by the image sensor 356, the image reading unit 310 is used when it is desired to read another document by interrupt processing and print it out. Specifically, first, an “interrupt interruption button” (not shown) is pressed to interrupt image reading by automatic feeding. Next, with the sheet document being stacked on the sheet feed table 361 or the document discharge tray 360, the automatic document feeder 350 is opened, and a new document is set on the first contact glass 302. Then, after closing the automatic document feeder 350, an “interrupt scan button” (not shown) is pressed to perform an interrupt scan.

  Next, a characteristic configuration of the automatic image reading apparatus 300 will be described. In FIG. 2 described above, among the plurality of document conveying means, the corresponding foreign matter removing device 380 is in contact with the two conveying rollers of the conveying roller pair 354 individually.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the above-described conveying roller and the foreign matter removing device 380 that comes into contact therewith. The other foreign substance removing device 380 has the same configuration. In the figure, an arrow x indicates a direction parallel to the axial direction of the conveying roller. An arrow y indicates a document transport direction (not shown).

  The foreign matter removing device 380 includes a removing blade 381 as a removing member, a foreign matter receiving tray 382 as a foreign matter receiving portion, and the like. Further, it also includes a tray support plate 383, a guide rail 384, a stopper member 385, a coil spring 386, an eccentric cam 387, a drive motor 388, a foreign substance containing bottle 389, and the like.

  The removal blade 381 is disposed so as to extend in the axial direction of the conveyance roller while being in contact with the conveyance roller which is a bodyless moving body. Then, it strikes against the foreign matter moving with the rotation of the transport roller, and scrapes and removes the foreign matter from the surface of the transport roller. The scraped foreign matter is gravity dropped and accepted by a foreign matter receiving tray 382 provided below the contact portion between the removal blade 381 and the conveying roller in the gravitational direction.

  The foreign material receiving tray 382 is made of a material such as resin in a rain gutter and has a groove (concave portion) directed toward the removal blade 381. Two pulleys 382a and 382b are provided on one side of the longitudinal direction (direction parallel to the arrow x) so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction. Further, an abutting portion 382c is erected at one end portion of the side surface where the pulleys 382a and 382b are provided. On the bottom surface, a cam receiving disk 382d is fixed so as to be rotatable or non-rotatable so that the circular surface is directed in the vertical direction.

  The coil spring 386 is supported by support means (not shown) so as to urge the left end face in the figure of the foreign material receiving tray 382 from the left side to the right side in the figure. By this urging, the foreign matter receiving tray 382 moves along the arrow x direction from the left side to the right side in the drawing. Then, the movement from the left side to the right side is stopped at a position where the abutting portion 382c abuts against a cylindrical stopper member 385 fixed to the automatic document feeder main body (hereinafter referred to as a stopper position).

  The tray support plate 383 is shaped like L-shaped angle steel, and a C-shaped steel guide rail 384 is fixed to one side surface thereof. The guide rail 384 rotatably supports the two pulleys 382a and 382b of the foreign matter receiving tray 382 engaged in the recess. Thereby, the foreign material receiving tray 382 can smoothly slide along the guide rail 384.

  The drive motor 388 is disposed below the foreign material receiving tray 382 and in the vicinity of the cam receiving disk 382d, and an eccentric cam 387 abuts the peripheral surface of the cam receiving disk 382d on the driving shaft 388a. It is fixed to. The eccentric cam 387 rotated by the drive of the drive motor 388 pushes the cam receiving disk 382d and thus the foreign material receiving tray 382 from the right side to the left side in the figure against the urging force of the coil spring 386. Thereby, the foreign material receiving tray 382 moves along the arrow x direction from the right side to the left side in the drawing. As the eccentric cam 387 rotates, when the apex of the eccentric convex portion passes through the contact position with the cam receiving disk 382d, the contact between the eccentric cam 387 and the cam receiving disk 382d is released for a moment. In a moment, the foreign material receiving tray 382 is moved from the left side to the right side in the drawing by the biasing force of the coil spring 386, and the movement is suddenly stopped at the stopper position described above. In this way, the foreign material receiving tray 382 is reciprocated along the arrow x direction. Hereinafter, with respect to the reciprocating movement of the foreign material receiving tray 382, the movement from the right side to the left side in the figure by the eccentric cam 387 is referred to as forward movement. Further, the movement from the right side to the left side in the figure by the coil spring 386 is referred to as reverse movement.

  The removal blade 381 is formed of a resin material such as PET in an elongated plate shape. The removal blade 381 has a posture in which the edge in the longitudinal direction is in contact with the conveyance roller in parallel with the arrow x direction. It is fixed to the groove inner surface. Then, as the foreign material receiving tray 82 reciprocates, it is reciprocated in the direction of the arrow x. That is, both the removal blade 381 and the foreign matter receiving tray 382 reciprocate along a direction orthogonal to the transfer roller surface moving direction on the mutual contact surface.

  FIG. 5 is an exploded plan view showing the foreign material receiving tray 382 in the stopper position. In the figure, a foreign substance z is placed on a foreign substance receiving tray 382 that can be reciprocated within the swing amplitude W at a distance L1 from the right end in the figure. The foreign substance storage bottle 389, which is a foreign substance container, has a receiving port 389a that opens largely upward in the vertical direction, and is placed in the printer main body so as to be positioned immediately below the right end of the foreign substance receiving tray 382 in the drawing. On the other hand, it is detachably mounted. When the eccentric cam 387 rotates clockwise in the figure from the state shown in the drawing, the cam surface is brought into contact with the cam receiving disk 382d of the foreign material receiving tray 382 and the foreign material receiving tray 382 starts to move forward.

  When the eccentric cam 387 is rotated to a position where the apex of the eccentric convex portion is brought into contact with the cam receiving disk 382d, the foreign matter receiving tray 382 is positioned at the left end of the vibration amplitude W as shown in FIG. Stop the forward movement. This stop is performed relatively slowly as the curvature of the cam surface of the eccentric cam 387 changes. As a result, the foreign matter z on the foreign matter receiving tray 382 slowly stops together with the foreign matter receiving tray 382, so that a situation in which the inertial force of the foreign matter z exceeds the static friction force of the foreign matter z with the tray surface hardly occurs. Accordingly, the foreign matter z remains at a distance L1 from the right end of the foreign matter receiving tray 382 in the drawing.

  When the eccentric cam 387 further rotates, the contact between the eccentric cam 387 and the cam receiving disk 382d is released, and the foreign matter receiving tray 382 moves back to the right end of the swing amplitude W as shown in FIG. Then, the abutting portion 382c is abutted against the stopper member 385, and the backward movement is suddenly stopped. At the end of the impact, an impact is applied to the foreign material receiving tray 382, and the separation of the foreign material z adsorbed on the tray surface from the tray surface is urged. At the same time, as the foreign matter receiving tray 382 suddenly stops, the inertial force of the foreign matter z, which continues to move backward on the foreign matter receiving tray 382, exceeds the static frictional force of the foreign matter z with the tray surface. Moves on the tray surface from left to right in the figure. And it approaches to the position of the distance L2 with respect to the right end of the foreign material receiving tray 382 in the figure. In this way, the foreign matter z on the foreign matter receiving tray 382 is moved back on the tray surface by the elastic force from the coil spring 386 as a driving source as the foreign matter receiving tray 382 is reciprocated. It gradually approaches the right end of the figure 382. Then, it eventually falls from the right end and is accommodated in the foreign substance storage bottle 389.

  In the foreign matter removing apparatus 80 having such a configuration, reciprocating means for reciprocating the removing blade 381 along the x direction is configured from the members listed next. That is, a tray support plate 383, a guide rail 384, a stopper member 385, a coil spring 386 as an elastic body, an eccentric cam 387, a drive motor 388, and the like.

  In FIG. 4 shown above, the removing blade 381 scrapes off and removes foreign matters adhering to the surface of the removing blade 381 while abutting against the conveying roller. However, when the number of originals reaches several hundred, foreign matter may start to accumulate on the front side of the contact portion between the blade tip and the conveying roller, eventually becoming a lump and slipping through the blade. The foreign matter slipped through is reversely transferred from the conveying roller to the original document, and the read image is disturbed.

  The inventors of the present invention tried to bring the removal blade 381 into contact with the conveyance roller in a substantially vertical posture in order to suppress the accumulation of foreign matters on the near side of the conveyance roller, the removal blade 381, and the contact portion. However, the accumulation of foreign matters could not be effectively suppressed.

  Therefore, in the automatic image reading apparatus 300, the removal blade 381 is fixed to the foreign matter receiving tray 382 and reciprocated in the direction of the arrow x together with the tray. Accordingly, the removal blade 381 is reciprocated in the direction parallel to the edge surface or the roller axial direction and rubbed against the conveying roller, thereby suppressing the accumulation of foreign matters on the front side of the contact portion.

The inventors manufactured a prototype of the foreign matter removing apparatus 80 shown in FIG. 4 and tested the mobility of foreign matter on the tray by changing the reciprocating speed of the foreign matter receiving tray 82 in various ways. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

  By carrying out impact against the stopper 385 against the abutting portion 382c of the foreign material receiving tray 382 that is moving backward, the foreign material adhering to the tray surface can be transported well while being separated from the tray surface. We were able to. And the mobility shown in Table 1 was able to be maintained favorably over a long period of time. In addition, as the foreign material receiving tray 382, a foreign material receiving surface (groove surface) coated with an ABS resin sheet was used, but similar results were also obtained when replaced with a stainless steel sheet, an aluminum sheet, or the like. In addition, in order to provide an ascending gradient toward the foreign substance containing bottle 382 as the conveyance destination in the foreign substance conveyance path, the tester was fixed and operated in a posture inclined by 30 [°] from the horizontal direction. It was possible to transport the foreign matter satisfactorily.

  The removal of foreign matter from the inside of the printer main body can be performed periodically as follows without providing the foreign matter storage bottle 389. That is, after opening the door (not shown) of the automatic document feeder 350 and holding the trash box directly under the conveyance side end of the foreign material receiving tray 382, the drive motor 388 is operated to sequentially convey the foreign material on the tray. It is dropped into the trash can. Even in this case, foreign matter from the tray can be removed using a driving force, not manually removed using a cleaning tool or the like. However, it is necessary to stand by with a trash can until all the foreign matter on the tray is conveyed to the end of the tray. When taking out foreign objects from the body, the user is forced to wait an extra time. Therefore, in the automatic image reading apparatus 300, the foreign matter receiving tray 382 is periodically reciprocated so that the foreign matter is conveyed into the foreign matter containing bottle 389 in advance prior to the take-out operation. Further, a full sensor (not shown) for detecting the full level of foreign matter in the foreign matter storage bottle 389 is provided. In such a configuration, the foreign matter can be conveyed from the tray in advance until the inside of the foreign matter storage bottle 89 is full, and when the bottle is full, the bottle can be quickly replaced or removed, and the foreign matters can be discarded together. In order to make it easy to take out the foreign substance containing bottle 389 from the main body, it is preferable to dispose the bottle on the operation surface side of the main body, or to arrange the bottle in a position where it can be easily accessed with the door opened. Periodic reciprocation (hereinafter referred to as “removal drive”) of the foreign substance removing apparatus is performed by control by a control unit described later.

  When the foreign matter removing device 380 is driven, not only the tray but also the image sensor (356) and the image reading unit (310) are impacted due to a collision with the stopper member when the foreign matter receiving tray 382 stops moving backward. Will give. Then, the read image may be disturbed due to the impact.

  Therefore, the control unit, which is a movement control unit, performs control for driving the reciprocating unit only when reading processing by the image sensor (356) or the image reading unit (310), which is an image reading unit, is stopped. It is configured. Specifically, the stop of the reading process is a period during which the document does not pass the reading position by the image sensor (356) or the image reading unit (310). With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid the disturbance of the read image due to the impact caused by the reciprocating movement of the tray and the blade on the image sensor (356) and the image reading unit (310) during the reading process. The control unit controls the entire automatic image reading apparatus 300, and includes a CPU as a calculation unit, a RAM, a ROM as a storage unit, and the like.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of removal drive control by the control unit. In this removal drive control, first, it is determined whether or not the value of the sheet passing count value C1 exceeds a threshold value (step 1-1: hereinafter, step is denoted as S). The sheet passing count value C1 is a value counted by the control unit, and is the cumulative number of sheets that have passed since the previous removal drive control was completed.

  If the sheet passing count value C1 does not exceed the threshold value (N in S1-1), the control ends without the removal drive by the foreign matter removing device 80 being performed. On the other hand, if the threshold value is exceeded (Y in S1-1), it is next determined whether or not the image is being read (S1-2). If the image is being read (Y in S1-2), the progress of the control flow is interrupted until it is completed. Further, when the image is not being read, that is, while the reading process is stopped (N in S1-2), the foreign matter removing device 80 is driven for a predetermined time, and the foreign matter is removed from the conveying roller pair 354. After being performed (S1-3), a series of control flow ends.

  FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the first modified device 380A of the foreign matter removing device 380 together with the conveying roller. This modified apparatus 380A is shown in that the backward movement of the foreign material receiving tray 382 is not performed by an urging force (elastic force) by a coil spring that is an elastic body, but by the elastic force of two leaf springs 390a and 390b that are elastic bodies. Different from that shown in FIG. In the vicinity of both ends of the foreign material receiving tray 382, one end side in the longitudinal direction of the flat leaf springs 390a and 390b is fixed by screws (not shown) in a posture with the spring flat surface as a side surface. The leaf springs 390a and 390b fixed in such a posture are elastically deformed in the horizontal direction, but are not elastically deformed in the vertical direction. The other ends of the plate springs 390a and 390b are fixed to the tray support plate 383 by screws (not shown). Instead of the screws, the springs 390a and 390b that are bonded or fitted may be fixed.

  FIG. 10 is an exploded plan view showing the foreign material receiving tray 382 in the stopper position. In the figure, the two leaf springs 390a and 390b fixed on the foreign matter receiving tray 382 that can be reciprocated within the vibration amplitude W have straight shapes that are not elastically deformed. When the eccentric cam 387 rotates and starts moving the foreign material receiving tray 382 forward, the leaf springs 390a and 390b start to bend in the left direction in the drawing. When the eccentric cam 387 is rotated to a position where the apex of the eccentric convex portion is brought into contact with the cam receiving disk 382d, the foreign matter receiving tray 382 is positioned at the left end in the figure of the swing amplitude W as shown in FIG. , Stop the forward movement. When the eccentric cam 387 further rotates, the contact between the eccentric cam 387 and the cam receiving disk 382d is released, and as shown in FIG. 12, the foreign material receiving tray 382 is vibrated by the restoring force of the bent plate springs 390a, 390b. It moves backward to the right end of the amplitude W at once. Then, the abutting portion 382c is abutted against the stopper member 385, and the backward movement is suddenly stopped. At the time of this impact, an impact is applied to the foreign material receiving tray 382, and the separation of the foreign material z adsorbed on the tray surface, which is the object to be adsorbed, from the tray surface is urged. At the same time, as the foreign matter receiving tray 382 suddenly stops, the inertial force of the foreign matter z, which continues to move backward on the foreign matter receiving tray 382, exceeds the static frictional force of the foreign matter z with the tray surface. Moves on the tray surface from left to right in the figure.

  In the first modified apparatus 380A having such a configuration, the two plate springs 390a and 390b guide the reciprocating movement in the bending direction without providing a guide rail for guiding the foreign object receiving tray 382 to reciprocate. Can do. However, although the foreign material receiving tray 382 is relatively reciprocated in the arrow x direction, it cannot be strictly reciprocated in the arrow x direction. The foreign material receiving tray 382 that has moved to the vicinity of both ends of the amplitude W moves the foreign material receiving tray 382 away from the conveying roller by the plate springs 390a and 390b that are largely bent, as compared with the center of the amplitude W (stopper position). Then, the removal blade 381 fixed to the foreign material receiving tray 382 is reciprocated while being slightly separated from or brought into contact with the roller. And by repeating this separation and contact, it becomes easier to damage the conveying roller as compared with the structure shown in FIG.

  FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a second modified example device 380B of the foreign matter removing device 380 shown in FIG. This second modified apparatus 380B has substantially the same configuration as the foreign substance removing apparatus 380 shown in FIG. 4 except that the eccentric cam is not rotated by the drive motor 388 but the reel 391 that is a rotating member is rotated. It has become. When the reel 391 rotates clockwise in the figure by driving the drive motor 388, a wire 392 as a winding member is wound around the reel 391. Then, the foreign material receiving tray 382 fixed to the end of the wire 392 overcomes the urging force of the coil spring 386 and moves from the right side to the left side in the drawing as shown in FIGS. When the rotational drive of the drive motor 388 is stopped, the drive motor 388 rotates counterclockwise in the figure by the biasing force of the coil spring 386. Then, the wire 392 is rewound from the reel 391, and the foreign material receiving tray 382 fixed to the end of the wire 392 moves from the left side to the right side in the drawing, and then hits the stopper member 385 and stops.

Next, an embodiment of an image forming system to which the present invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing an image forming system according to the present embodiment. The image forming system includes a printer unit 100, a paper feed bank 400, and an automatic image reading device 300. The automatic image reading apparatus 300 has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 2 and is fixed above the printer unit 100. Then, the image information read from the document is sent to an image data processing device (not shown) of the printer unit 100. The paper feed bank 400 accommodates a large amount of transfer paper, which is a recording medium, and can supply it to the printer unit 100 two by two.

  FIG. 18 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an electrophotographic printer unit 100 as an image forming apparatus. In the figure, the printer unit 100 includes four process cartridges 6Y, M, C, and K for generating toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black (hereinafter referred to as Y, M, C, and K). ing. These use Y, M, C, and K toners of different colors as the image forming material, but the other configurations are the same and are replaced when the lifetime is reached. Taking a process cartridge 6Y for generating a Y toner image as an example, as shown in FIG. 19, a drum-shaped photosensitive member 1Y as an image carrier, a drum cleaning device 2Y, a charge eliminating device 3Y, a charging device 4Y, and a developing device 5Y. Etc. In the photoreceptor 1Y, an aluminum cylinder having a diameter of 10 to 100 [mm] is covered with a surface layer of an organic semiconductor that is a photoconductive substance. An amorphous silicon surface layer may be coated. Further, it may be a belt shape instead of a drum shape. The charging device 4Y uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y that is rotated clockwise in the drawing by a driving unit (not shown). The uniformly charged surface of the photoreceptor 1 </ b> Y is exposed and scanned by the laser beam L to carry a Y electrostatic latent image. The Y electrostatic latent image is developed into a Y toner image by the developing device 5Y using Y toner. Then, primary transfer is performed on a first intermediate transfer belt 8 described later. The drum cleaning device 2Y removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y after the intermediate transfer process. Further, the charge removal device 3Y removes the residual charge of the photoreceptor 1Y after cleaning. By this charge removal, the surface of the photoreceptor 1Y is initialized and prepared for the next image formation. In the other process cartridges 6M, C, and K, M, C, and K toner images are similarly formed on the photoreceptors 1M, C, and K, and are primarily transferred onto the first intermediate transfer belt 8. The developing device may use a two-component developer containing toner and a magnetic carrier, or may use only toner powder. Further, the toner may be a pulverized toner manufactured by a pulverization method or a toner formed in a spherical shape, and a toner having a particle size of about 6 [μm] is preferable.

  In FIG. 18 shown above, the exposure device 7 is disposed below the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, and the image data processing device E1 is disposed on the left side in the drawing. . The image data processing device E1 generates an exposure scanning control signal based on an image information signal sent from a personal computer or the like and sends it to the exposure device 7. The exposure device 7 serving as a latent image forming unit irradiates each photoconductor in the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K with a laser beam L emitted based on the exposure scanning control signal. Electrostatic latent images for Y, M, C, and K are formed on the photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K exposed by this irradiation. The exposure device 7 irradiates the photoconductor with a laser beam (L) emitted from a light source through a plurality of optical lenses and mirrors while scanning with a polygon mirror rotated by a motor. Instead of the exposure apparatus 7 having such a configuration, an exposure unit that irradiates LED light from the LED array may be employed. In addition, a sealing member (not shown) is provided on the casing of the exposure device 7 in order to prevent contamination of internal parts due to the toner falling from the photosensitive members 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K disposed above the exposure device 7. Provided.

  The electrostatic latent images for Y, M, C, and K formed on the respective photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K undergo a transfer process by the transfer device 60. The transfer device 60 includes a first paper cassette 25, a second paper cassette 26, a manual feed tray 27, a paper feeding means as a recording medium conveying means, a double-side transfer means, and the like.

  The first paper cassette 25, the second paper cassette 26, and the manual feed tray 27 of the transfer device 60 each function as a recording medium accommodation unit. Among these, the first paper cassette 25 and the second paper cassette 26 are disposed so as to overlap vertically in the lower part of the above-described exposure apparatus 7 in the figure, and the transfer paper P serving as a recording medium is disposed inside each of them. Are accommodated in a state where a plurality of sheets of transfer paper are stacked. On the other hand, the manual feed tray 25 is provided so as to extend from the side surface of the casing, not within the casing of the printer body, and the transfer bundle is placed thereon.

  The sheet feeding means of the transfer device 60 includes a first sheet feeding roller 28, a second sheet feeding roller 29, a manual sheet feeding roller 30, a registration roller pair 31, a sheet feeding path 32, and a sheet feeding guide path 33 that merges with this. It is composed of a conveying roller pair 34 and the like. The first paper feed roller 28 and the second paper feed roller 29 are in contact with the first transfer paper P of the transfer paper bundle accommodated in the first paper cassette 25 and the second paper cassette 26, respectively. Then, the uppermost transfer paper P is sent out toward the paper feed path 32 by being driven to rotate by a driving means (not shown). The transferred transfer paper P is sandwiched between a first registration roller 31 a and a second registration roller 31 b of a registration roller pair disposed near the end of the paper feed path 32. The registration roller pair 31 rotates both rollers in the forward direction so as to sandwich the transfer paper P, but once the recording medium is sandwiched between the rollers, the rotation of both rollers is temporarily stopped. Then, rotation is resumed at an appropriate timing, and the transfer paper P is sent out to a secondary transfer nip described later. It functions as a pair of timing rollers. On the other hand, the manual paper feed roller 30 is in contact with the uppermost transfer paper P of the transfer paper bundle placed on the manual feed tray 27. Then, the uppermost transfer paper P is sent out toward the paper feed guide path 33 by being driven to rotate by a driving means (not shown). The transferred transfer paper P reaches the vicinity of the end of the paper feed path 32 through a pair of conveying rollers 34 that are rotated in the forward direction while being in contact with each other by a driving unit (not shown). Then, it is sandwiched between the first registration roller 31a and the second registration roller 31b.

The double-side transfer means of the transfer device 60 has a first transfer unit 15 and a second transfer unit 24. The first transfer unit 15 is disposed above the process cartridges 6Y, 6M, 6C, and 6K, and includes a first intermediate transfer belt 8, four primary transfer rollers 9Y, M, C, K, A first cleaning device 10 is provided. A secondary transfer backup roller 12, a first cleaning backup roller 13, a tension roller 14 and the like are also provided. The first intermediate transfer belt 8 as the first intermediate transfer member is endlessly moved counterclockwise in the figure by the rotational driving of at least one of the three rollers while being stretched around these three rollers. The four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K hold the first intermediate transfer belt 8 that is moved endlessly in this manner between the photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, respectively, so that the primary transfer nips are formed. Forming. Then, upon receiving a power supply (not shown), a primary transfer bias having a polarity (for example, plus) opposite to that of the toner is applied to the back surface (loop inner peripheral surface) of the first intermediate transfer belt 8. The first intermediate transfer belt 8 has an electric resistance condition suitable for realizing electrostatic transfer of the toner image by the primary transfer bias. Specifically, a surface layer made of a low surface energy material is coated on a belt base made of resin film or rubber having a thickness of 50 to 500 [μm], and the entire volume resistance value is 10 ⁶ to 10 ¹⁴ [. Ωcm]. Moreover, the surface resistivity is adjusted to a range of 10 ⁵ to 10 ¹⁵ [Ω / □]. In addition to the four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K, all the above-described three rollers are electrically grounded. The first intermediate transfer belt 8 sequentially passes through the primary transfer nips for Y, M, C, and K along with the endless movement thereof. At each primary transfer nip, Y, M, C, and K toner images on the photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are primarily transferred in an overlapping manner by the action of nip pressure and primary transfer bias. As a result, a four-color superimposed toner image (hereinafter referred to as a four-color toner image) is formed on the first intermediate transfer belt 8. The secondary transfer backup roller 12 over which the first intermediate transfer belt 8 is stretched is disposed so as to bite into a second intermediate transfer belt 16 described later. By such a biting arrangement, a secondary transfer nip is formed in which the first intermediate transfer belt 8 and the second intermediate transfer belt 16 are in wide contact with each other in the circumferential direction. The visible four-color toner image formed on the first intermediate transfer belt 8 is secondarily transferred to the second intermediate transfer belt 16 or the transfer paper P at the secondary transfer nip. The transfer residual toner that has not been secondarily transferred to the second intermediate transfer belt 16 or the transfer paper P is attached to the first intermediate transfer belt 8 after passing through the secondary transfer nip. This is cleaned by the first cleaning device 10. Specifically, the first intermediate transfer belt 8 includes a first cleaning device 10 disposed so as to abut on the outer surface (front surface) side of the loop, and a first cleaning device disposed on the inner surface side of the loop. It is sandwiched between the cleaning backup roller 13. Then, the transfer residual toner on the front surface is mechanically or electrostatically collected by the first cleaning device 10 and cleaned. Instead of the four primary transfer rollers 9Y, 9M, 9C, and 9K of the bias application system, a charger system that discharges from the electrodes may be used.

  The second transfer unit 24 of the double-side transfer means is disposed on the right side of the first transfer unit 15 in the figure, and includes a second intermediate transfer belt 16, a second cleaning device 18, a transfer charger 23, and the like. . A secondary transfer roller 17, a nip expansion roller 19, a tension roller 20, a backup roller 21 and the like are also provided. While being stretched around these four rollers, the second intermediate transfer belt 16 is endlessly moved clockwise in the drawing by the rotational drive of at least one of the rollers. The secondary transfer backup roller 12 of the first transfer unit 15 described above bites into the bridge portion of the second intermediate transfer belt 16 between the secondary transfer roller 17 and the nip expansion roller 19 to form a secondary transfer nip. . The secondary transfer roller 17 is a metal roller or a roller whose core metal is covered with a conductive rubber layer, and a secondary transfer bias having a polarity (for example, plus polarity) opposite to that of toner is supplied from a power source (not shown). . All the other rollers in the second transfer unit 24 are grounded.

The registration roller pair 31 of the paper feeding means described above transfers the secondary transfer at a timing at which the transfer paper P sandwiched between the rollers can be brought into close contact with the four-color toner image primarily transferred onto the first intermediate transfer belt 8. Feed toward the nip. However, when the four-color toner image is the first toner image to be transferred to the first surface of the transfer paper P (the surface facing upward on the stack unit 40 described later), the transfer paper P is not sent out. . Therefore, at this time, the first toner image on the first intermediate transfer belt 8 is secondarily transferred onto the second intermediate transfer belt 16 under the action of the nip pressure and the secondary transfer bias at the secondary transfer nip. On the other hand, when the four-color toner image on the first intermediate transfer belt 8 is the second toner image to be transferred to the second surface of the transfer paper P (the surface facing downward on the stack portion 40), The registration roller pair 31 feeds the transfer paper P in synchronization with the second toner image. Therefore, the second toner image is secondarily transferred to the second surface of the transfer paper P at the secondary transfer nip, and becomes a full color image combined with the white color of the transfer paper P. At this time, the first toner image sandwiched between the first surface of the transfer paper P and the second intermediate transfer belt 16 at the secondary transfer nip is attracted to the belt side by the action of the secondary transfer bias. For this reason, it is in close contact with the first surface of the transfer paper P, but is not secondarily transferred there. The second intermediate transfer belt 16 has an electrical resistance condition suitable for realizing such electrostatic secondary transfer. Specifically, a surface layer made of a material having a low surface energy such as fluorine is coated on a belt substrate made of polyimide, polyamideimide or the like having a thickness of 50 to 500 [μm], and the entire volume resistance value is 10 ⁶ to 10. ¹⁴ Further, the surface resistivity is adjusted to 10 ⁵ to 10 ¹⁵ [Ω / □].

  In the first transfer unit 15 described above, the secondary transfer backup roller 12 stretches the first intermediate transfer belt 8 in a shape that substantially reverses its moving direction. The second intermediate transfer belt 16 is brought into contact with the first intermediate transfer belt portion whose direction of movement is being reversed to form a secondary transfer nip. Therefore, at the outlet of the secondary transfer nip, the first intermediate transfer belt 8 is separated from the transfer sheet P, and the transfer sheet P is held and conveyed only on the surface of the second intermediate transfer belt 16. Then, in the second transfer unit 24, the second intermediate transfer belt 16 is sent to the tertiary transfer unit along with the endless movement. In the tertiary transfer portion of the second transfer unit 24, a transfer charger 23 is disposed on a stretched portion of the second intermediate transfer belt 16 by the backup roller 21 via a predetermined gap. The transfer sheet P on the second intermediate transfer belt 16 is given a charge of the opposite polarity (for example, plus polarity) to the toner by the transfer charger 23 on the second surface side. By applying this charge, the first toner image sandwiched between the first surface of the transfer paper P and the second intermediate transfer belt 16 is thirdarily transferred to the first surface of the transfer paper P to form a full color image. . The transfer device 60 transfers the second toner image onto the second surface of the transfer paper P at the second transfer nip in the previous stage, and then transfers the first toner image onto the first surface at the third transfer portion. To do. As a member to which the primary transfer bias and the secondary transfer bias are applied, members having other shapes such as a brush may be used instead of the rollers (9, 17). Further, instead of the electrostatic transfer method in which a transfer bias is applied to the member, a non-contact discharge method may be employed.

  In the second transfer unit 24, the transfer paper P on which double-sided transfer has been completed by the tertiary transfer is separated from the second intermediate transfer belt 16 and sent to a fixing device 35 described later. The second intermediate transfer belt 16 after passing through the tertiary transfer portion is sandwiched between the backup roller 21 and the second cleaning device 18 so that the transfer residual toner on the surface is mechanically or electrostatically cleaned. The If the second cleaning device 18 is always in contact with the second intermediate transfer belt 16, the first toner image secondarily transferred onto the second intermediate transfer belt 16 is also cleaned. Therefore, the second cleaning device 18 is brought into contact with and separated from the second intermediate transfer belt 16 by being swung in the direction of the arrow in the figure around a swing shaft 18a by a swing mechanism (not shown). At least while the first toner image passes through the cleaning position, the first toner image is separated from the second intermediate transfer belt 16 to avoid cleaning the first toner image.

  Above the second transfer unit 24 in the figure, a fixing device 35 as a fixing means is disposed. The fixing device 35 has two fixing rollers 35a and 35b that contact each other while rotating in the forward direction to form a fixing nip. Each of the fixing rollers 35a and 35b has heating means such as a halogen lamp (not shown), and heats the transfer paper P sandwiched between the fixing nips from both sides. By this heating, the full color images respectively formed on both surfaces of the transfer paper P are fixed on the transfer paper P by the softening of the toner constituting the image. After the fixing, the transfer paper P is reversed along the reversing guide member 36 and then discharged to the outside through the paper discharge roller pair 37. And it is stacked on the stack part 40 formed on the upper surface of the housing of the printer body.

  The surface temperatures of the two fixing rollers 35a and 35b are respectively detected by temperature detection means (not shown). This temperature detection means transmits to the control part E2 arrange | positioned in the uppermost part in the housing of a printer main body. Based on the detection result of the surface temperature sent from the temperature detection means, the control unit E2 performs ON / OFF control of the power supply to the heat generating means of the fixing rollers 35a, b, and the surface temperature of the fixing rollers 35a, b. Is maintained within a certain range (target range). However, when the single-sided printing mode in which an image is formed only on one side of the transfer paper P is executed, the image can be fixed with a smaller amount of heat than in the double-sided printing mode. This is because an image is formed only on one side, and therefore the amount of toner on the transfer paper P is smaller than that on both sides. Therefore, in the single-sided printing mode, energy saving can be achieved by lowering the target range of the surface temperature than in the double-sided printing mode. In addition, since a single-color image has a smaller amount of toner than a full-color image, it is possible to save energy by switching the target range of the surface temperature according to the difference between the single-color print mode and the full-color print mode. .

  As described above, the printer unit 100 is a precursor of a full-color image on both sides of the transfer paper P before being sent to the fixing device 35 that performs the fixing process of the full-color image by the double-side transfer unit. Transfer the color toner image. As a result, one-pass image formation can be performed on both sides of the transfer paper P. As in this printer unit 100, a plurality of image carriers such as photoconductors are arranged side by side, and a visible image formed by each is continuously superimposed and transferred to form a superimposed image such as a multicolor image. This method is called tandem method. On the other hand, after forming a visible image on one image carrier and transferring it to the intermediate transfer member, the visible image is formed again on the image carrier and transferred onto the visible image on the intermediate transfer member. There is also a method of forming a superimposed image by repeating the process. In this method, the steps of visible image formation and transfer must be repeated. On the other hand, in the tandem method, a plurality of visible images to be superimposed and transferred can be formed almost simultaneously on the corresponding image carriers, so that the image forming time can be greatly shortened.

  As described above, the first toner image is formed prior to the second toner image. Then, after secondary transfer from the first intermediate transfer belt 8 to the second intermediate transfer belt 16 at the secondary transfer nip, it is tertiary transferred onto the first surface of the transfer paper at the tertiary transfer portion. The first surface is a surface facing upward in the stack portion 40. Therefore, the transfer sheets P stacked on the stack unit 40 are sequentially stacked with the first toner image formed in the front direction facing up and the second toner image formed thereafter facing up. Go. In order to align the page numbers of the transfer sheets P stacked in this manner in order from the smallest, the printer unit 100 first sets the larger page number for the images of two page numbers that are odd and even. Formed as a first toner image. For example, the image on the second page is formed as the first toner image prior to the image on the first page. As a result, even if documents of several pages are output continuously, the page numbers can be aligned in order from the bottom in the stack unit 40. However, when executing the single-sided print mode in which an image is formed only on the second surface of the transfer paper P, the images are formed in order from the image with the smallest page number, and each image is secondarily transferred onto the second surface of the transfer paper P. . Thus, even in the single-sided printing mode, the page numbers can be aligned in order from the bottom in the stack unit 40.

  In the four photoreceptors 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K, each color toner image formed for the second toner image is formed as a non-mirror image (hereinafter referred to as a normal image). This is because each formed color toner image changes into a mirror image and a normal image in the process of reaching the transfer paper P through two transfer processes of primary transfer and secondary transfer. By forming a normal image on each photoconductor, a normal image is formed on the second surface of the transfer paper P as well. On the other hand, since each color toner image formed for the first toner image is subjected to the third transfer, the transfer process is increased once more than the second toner image. Therefore, it is formed as a mirror image on each photoconductor. As a result, a normal image, a mirror image, and a normal image change every transfer, and a normal image can be formed on the first surface of the transfer paper P.

  A bottle container 54 is disposed above the first transfer unit 15 in the drawing. In the bottle container 54, toner bottles BY, BM, BC, BK containing toner to be supplied to the developing devices in the process cartridges (6Y, M, C, K) are stored.

  The printer unit 100 having the above configuration has a printer control unit (not shown) that controls the entire system, and can communicate with the control unit of the automatic image reading apparatus (300) connected by a cable (not shown). . The control unit of the automatic image reading device (300) controls driving of the foreign matter removing device (380) based on a signal from the printer control unit.

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example of removal drive control by the control unit of the automatic image reading apparatus (300) of the image forming system. In this removal drive control, first, it is determined whether or not the value of the sheet passing count value C1 exceeds a threshold value (S2-1). When the sheet passing count value C1 does not exceed the threshold value (N in S2-1), the control is terminated without performing the removal driving by the foreign matter removing device (380). On the other hand, if the threshold value is exceeded (Y in S2-1), it is next determined whether or not the reading process is in progress (S2-2). When the reading process is in progress (Y in S2-2), the progress of the control flow is interrupted until the reading process is completed. If the reading process is not in progress (N in S2-2), it is next determined whether or not the image forming operation of the printer unit (100) is in progress (S2-3). If the image forming operation is in progress (Y in S2-3), the progress of the control flow is interrupted until the operation is completed. If the image forming operation is not being performed (N in S2-3), it is determined whether or not the unfixed recording medium is being conveyed (S2-4). If the transfer is in progress (Y in S2-4), the progress of the control flow is interrupted until the transfer is completed. Further, when not being transported (N in S2-4), the removal drive of the foreign matter removing device (380) is turned on for a predetermined time, and the foreign matter is removed from the transport roller pair 354 (S2). -5) A series of control flow ends.

  In the image forming system that performs such removal drive control, as in the automatic image reading apparatus 300 according to the embodiment, the tray or blade is not connected to the image sensor (356) or the image reading unit (310) that is performing the reading process. It is possible to avoid the disturbance of the read image due to the impact caused by the reciprocating movement. Also, by not performing the removal drive during an image forming operation that may cause image disturbance due to the impact of the removal drive, it is possible to avoid image disturbance in the printer unit 100 due to the impact. The example in which the removal driving is performed every time the number of sheets to be passed reaches the threshold has been described. However, every time a predetermined period in the image forming operation stop period such as the fixing temperature warming up period of the printer unit 100 arrives. In addition, the removal drive may be performed for a predetermined time. Also, various removal drive modes that are performed only during the image forming operation stop period may be prepared, and the user may select an arbitrary mode by setting using an operation panel or the like.

  In the case where an apparatus that forms an image by an electrophotographic method is used as the printer unit 100 as in the present image forming system, the image forming operation specifically refers to the following operation. That is, the operation from the start of optical writing to a latent image such as a photoconductor to the end of transfer of a visible image developed on the latent image carrier to a recording material (for example, transfer paper). This transfer refers only to final transfer, and does not mean intermediate transfer. Therefore, for example, in the case of performing up to the secondary transfer, the operation from the start of optical writing to the end of the secondary transfer is the image forming operation. However, if an impact is applied to the main body of the image forming apparatus after completion of transfer and before completion of fixing (before completion of passing of the recording medium to the fixing device), an unfixed image may be found. Therefore, it is more desirable to drive the removal of both foreign substances when the image forming operation is stopped and the recording medium before completion of fixing is not in the apparatus.

  When a printer unit that forms an image by a so-called direct recording method as described in JP-A-2002-307737 is used, the image forming operation refers to the following operation. That is, it is a period from when a recording medium such as recording paper starts to enter directly under the toner flying device to when it has passed under the toner flying device. Of course, as in the electrophotographic system, it is more desirable to drive the removal of both foreign substances when the image forming operation is stopped and the recording body before completion of fixing is not in the apparatus. Note that the direct recording method is a method in which each dot-like pixel is directly recorded by adhering toner that has been ejected in a dot shape from a toner flying device toward a recording medium.

  Examples of the image forming operation stop period in the printer unit 100 include a fixing temperature warming up period, a print command waiting period, and a cooling fan delay stop period after the sub power supply is turned off. The print command waiting period is a period from completion of all print jobs (including paper discharge) to reception of the next print command from the user. When this period becomes longer than a predetermined time, the printer is generally configured to wait for a print command in an energy saving mode in which power is not supplied to the heat source of the fixing roller (56a). Such standby in the energy saving mode is also included in the print command standby period.

  The fixing temperature warming-up period occurs immediately after a main power supply or sub power supply (not shown) is turned on, or immediately after a print command is received in the energy saving mode standby. This is the period from the start of power supply to the heat source of the fixing roller (56a) until the temperature of the roller surface is raised to a predetermined temperature.

  The cooling fan delay stop period after the sub power supply is turned off occurs immediately after the sub power supply (not shown) is turned off. This sub power supply is different from the main power supply for completely shutting off the power supply from the outlet to the printer, and cuts off the power supply to most devices in the printer so as to supply power to at least the control unit. It is a power supply to If the operation of the cooling fan is stopped immediately after the sub power supply is turned off, the temperature inside the housing may be significantly increased due to residual heat, which may cause various problems. Therefore, it is common to provide a cooling fan delay stop period in which the cooling fan is operated for a certain time immediately after the sub power supply is turned off.

  Up to now, the example of the automatic image reading apparatus using the document conveying means provided with the two roller members (54a, 54b) as the endless moving body pair has been described, but the automatic using the belt member for one or both of them has been described. The present invention can also be applied to an image reading apparatus.

  As described above, in the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, the removal blade 381 as the removal member is fixed to the foreign material receiving tray 382 as the foreign material receiving unit, and the blade is reciprocated by the reciprocating means together with the tray. I am doing so. In such a configuration, a single reciprocating means suppresses the accumulation of foreign matter that occurs at the contact portion between the blade and the conveyance roller, thereby reliably preventing disturbance of the read image, and using FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and the like. As described above, the tray can be moved back and forth to transport foreign matter in the tray. Produces a prototype of a foreign matter removal device that places a screw member in a foreign matter receiving part that receives foreign matter removed from the surface of a transfer roller, etc., and that drives the foreign matter in a predetermined direction within the foreign matter receiving part. I tried to. The conveyance by the screw member is a technique conventionally used in a toner conveyance mechanism that conveys toner in the image forming apparatus. However, some of the foreign matters such as paper dust and additives coming out of the recording medium, unlike toner, remain strongly adsorbed on the surface of the screw member and do not move away forever. Has caused. Instead of the screw member, the conveyance by another movable member was also tried. Similarly, it was found that the foreign matter was strongly adsorbed to the movable member and was not easily conveyed. On the other hand, when the tray is reciprocated, an impact is applied to the tray when the moving direction is reversed, and the foreign matter adsorbed on the tray is urged to leave the tray, so that the foreign matter is adsorbed to a fixed portion of the tray indefinitely. It was possible to carry it well in the tray while suppressing the situation of being left.

  Further, in the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, the removal member extends in the x direction, which is a method orthogonal to the surface moving direction, with respect to the surface of the conveying roller as an endless moving body. The removal blade 381 which is a blade member provided to exist is used. In such a configuration, the boundary between the front end of the foreign matter sandwiched between the contact portion between the blade and the conveyance roller and the rear end side not sandwiched is cut by the sharp edge of the removal blade 381 so that there is no edge. As compared with the case of using a removal brush or the like, it is possible to more reliably suppress the accumulation of foreign matters on the front side of the contact portion.

  In the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, the negative acceleration when the removal blade 381 and the foreign material receiving tray 382 are stopped in the forward movement and the negative acceleration when the backward movement is stopped. One of the accelerations (the latter acceleration in this example) is made larger than the other. In such a configuration, when the foreign matter receiving tray 382 that has moved in one of the directions is stopped, the amount by which the foreign matter is inertially moved in the same direction is stopped by the stop of the foreign matter receiving tray 382 that has been moved in the other direction. Accordingly, the amount is surely made larger than the amount by which the foreign substance is inertially moved in the same direction. As a result, the foreign matter can be reliably conveyed in the former direction on the tray surface.

  In the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, of the forward movement and the backward movement of the removal blade 381 and the foreign matter receiving tray 382, the foreign matter that increases the negative acceleration at the time of stop The receiving tray 382 is stopped by colliding with the stopper member 385. In such a configuration, it is possible to easily adopt a configuration in which one of the negative accelerations is made larger than the other negative acceleration due to a sudden stop of the tray due to a collision with the stopper member 385.

  Further, in the foreign matter removing device 380 and the second modified example device 380B of the automatic image reading device 300 according to the embodiment, of the forward movement and the backward movement of the foreign matter receiving tray 382, a method of increasing the negative acceleration at the stop time The reciprocating means is configured so as to be performed by the restoring force of the coil spring 386, which is an elastic body that is elastically deformed. The movement to increase the negative acceleration can be performed at once with the restoring force of the elastic body and then suddenly stopped to obtain the negative acceleration.

  Further, in the foreign matter removing apparatus 380 and the second modified apparatus 380B of the automatic image reading apparatus 300 according to the embodiment, the drive motor is configured to reduce the negative acceleration at the stop of the forward movement and the backward movement. The reciprocating means is constituted so as to be performed by the driving force of 388. In such a configuration, the movement for reducing the negative acceleration at the time of stopping is performed slowly by the driving force of the driving motor 388, so that either one of the negative accelerations is more than the other negative acceleration. It is possible to further easily adopt the configuration of increasing the size.

  In the foreign matter removing device 380 of the automatic image reading apparatus 300 according to the embodiment, the eccentric cam 387 is rotated by the driving force of the driving motor 388, and the forward movement and the backward movement are performed by the biasing force of the rotating eccentric cam 387. Among them, the reciprocating means is configured so as to reduce the negative acceleration when stopping. With such a configuration, a simple configuration of the eccentric cam 387 fixed to the shaft of the drive motor 388 can slowly urge the foreign material receiving tray 382 to create a movement that increases negative acceleration.

  Further, in the second modified apparatus 380B, by winding the wire 392 that is a winding member that is wound around the reel 391 that is rotated by applying a driving force around the reel 391, among the forward movement and the backward movement, The reciprocating means is configured to reduce the negative acceleration when stopping. In such a configuration, by winding the wire 392 by the reel 391, the foreign material receiving tray 382 can be slowly urged to create a movement that increases negative acceleration. In addition to the wire 392, a belt or the like can be used as the winding member.

  In the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, the movement control unit drives the reciprocating unit only while the reading process by the image sensor 356 or the image reading unit 310 serving as the image reading unit is stopped. A control unit is provided. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid the disturbance of the read image due to the impact caused by the reciprocating movement of the tray and the blade on the image sensor 356 and the image reading unit 310 during the reading process.

  In the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, two image reading units (image sensor 356 and image reading unit 310) for reading the images recorded on both sides of the document are provided. Yes. In such a configuration, the images on both sides can be read in one pass without passing the document through the document conveyance path in the automatic image reading apparatus 300 twice.

  Further, in the automatic image reading apparatus 300 and the image forming system according to the embodiment, in addition to the configuration described in the previous paragraph, foreign matter removal is performed for each of the two transport rollers of the transport roller pair 354 as the endless moving body. Two foreign substance removing devices 380 for performing processing are provided. In such a configuration, it is possible to further reliably suppress the disturbance of the read image caused by removing both foreign matters transferred from the both sides of the original to the conveying rollers and attaching the foreign matters to the original. In addition, even when a document on which images are recorded on both sides is read, it is possible to reliably remove foreign substances composed of image forming substances (ink and toner) adhering to both sides.

  In the image forming system according to the embodiment, the automatic image reading apparatus 300 is reciprocated only when the image reading process is stopped and the image forming operation by the printer unit 100 as the image forming apparatus is stopped. What constitutes the control part which is a movement control means is used so that a means may be driven. In this configuration, in addition to the disturbance of the read image due to the impact during the reciprocating movement of the tray, the disturbance of the formed image due to the impact can also be avoided.

  In the image forming system according to the embodiment, the automatic document reading apparatus 300 is provided with two image reading units (the image sensor 356 and the image reading unit 310), and the printer unit 100 is an image forming apparatus. The following are used. That is, a toner image, which is a visible image carried on a photoconductor as an image carrier, is transferred from the photoconductor to both sides of a transfer paper P as a recording body by a double-side transfer means, and images are formed on both sides of the transfer paper P It is. With such a configuration, it is possible to read images on both sides of the document in one pass in the automatic document reader 300 and to form images on both sides of the transfer paper P in one pass in the printer unit 100.

1 is a perspective view showing an automatic image reading apparatus according to an embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the automatic image reading apparatus. FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view showing an image sensor of the automatic image reading apparatus. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a conveying roller and a foreign matter removing device of the automatic image reading apparatus. The exploded top view which shows the foreign material receiving tray in the stopper position in the foreign material removal apparatus. The disassembled plan view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray in a forward movement stop position. The exploded top view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray which returned to the stopper position again. The flowchart which shows an example of the removal drive control by the control part of the same foreign material removal apparatus. The disassembled perspective view which shows the 1st modification apparatus of the same foreign material removal apparatus with the roller for conveyance. The disassembled plan view which shows the foreign material acceptance tray in the stopper position in the 1st modification apparatus. The disassembled plan view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray in a forward movement stop position. The exploded top view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray which returned to the stopper position again. The disassembled perspective view which shows the 2nd modification apparatus of the foreign material removal apparatus shown in FIG. The disassembled top view which shows the foreign material acceptance tray in the stopper position in the 2nd modification apparatus. The disassembled plan view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray in a forward movement stop position. The exploded top view which shows the same foreign material receiving tray which returned to the stopper position again. 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a printer unit of the image forming system. FIG. 2 is an enlarged configuration diagram illustrating a process cartridge of the printer unit. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of removal drive control by a control unit of the automatic image reading apparatus of the image forming system. The graph which shows the relationship between the movement distance in the reciprocating movement of a foreign material reception tray, and movement required time.

Explanation of symbols

1Y, M, C, K photoconductor (image carrier)
15 First transfer unit (part of double-sided transfer means)
24 Second transfer unit (part of double-sided transfer means)
100 Printer unit (image forming apparatus)
300 Automatic Image Reading Device 310 Image Reading Unit 310 (Image Reading Unit)
350 Automatic document feeder (original conveying means)
354 Conveying roller pair (endless moving body pair)
356 Image sensor (image reading means)
380 Foreign matter removing device (foreign matter removing means)
380A First modified apparatus (foreign matter removing means)
380B 2nd modification apparatus (foreign matter removal means)
381 Removal blade (removal member, play door member)
382 Foreign matter receiving tray (foreign matter receiving part)
383 tray support plate (part of reciprocating means)
384 guide rail (part of reciprocating means)
385 Stopper member (part of reciprocating means)
386 Coil spring (part of reciprocating means, elastic body)
387 Eccentric cam (part of reciprocating means, elastic body)
388 Drive motor (part of reciprocating means)
391 reel (rotating member)
392 Wire (winding member)

Claims (15)

An original conveying unit that conveys a document between a pair of endless moving bodies that move endlessly while bringing the surfaces into contact with each other; an image reading unit that reads an image recorded on the original conveyed by the original conveying unit; In an image reading apparatus comprising:
A removing member that contacts one endless moving body in the document conveying means and removes foreign matter adhering to the endless moving body;
Reciprocating means for reciprocating the removing member along a direction orthogonal to the surface moving direction of the endless moving body on the contact surface formed by the contact between the removing member and the endless moving body;
An image reading apparatus comprising a foreign matter removing means having a foreign matter receiving portion for receiving the foreign matter removed by the removing member. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1.
An image reading apparatus, wherein the removing member is fixed to the foreign material receiving portion, and the foreign material receiving portion is reciprocated by the reciprocating means together with the removing member. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An image reading apparatus using a blade member provided so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the endless moving body as the removing member. In the image reading apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3,
The reciprocating means is configured so that one of the negative acceleration when stopping the forward movement of the removal member and the foreign material receiving portion and the negative acceleration when stopping the backward movement is made larger than the other. An image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus according to claim 4.
Of the forward movement and backward movement of the removal member and foreign matter receiving part, the direction in which the negative acceleration at the time of stopping is increased is characterized in that the foreign matter receiving part is stopped by colliding with a stopper member. An image reading apparatus. The image reading apparatus according to claim 5.
An image reading device characterized in that the reciprocating means is configured so that the negative acceleration at the time of stopping among the forward movement and the backward movement is increased by a restoring force of an elastic body that is elastically deformed. apparatus. The image reading apparatus according to claim 6.
An image reading apparatus characterized in that the reciprocating means is configured such that the negative acceleration at the time of stopping is reduced by the driving force of the motor among the forward movement and the backward movement. The image reading apparatus according to claim 7.
The reciprocation is performed so that the eccentric cam is rotated by the driving force of the motor, and the biasing force of the rotating eccentric cam causes the negative acceleration at the stop to be reduced between the forward movement and the backward movement. An image reading apparatus comprising a moving unit. The image reading apparatus according to claim 7.
By winding the winding member wound around the rotating member that is rotated by applying the driving force around the rotating member, one of the forward movement and the backward movement is made to reduce the negative acceleration during the stop. An image reading apparatus comprising the reciprocating means. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,
An image reading apparatus comprising a movement control means for driving the reciprocating movement means only when reading processing by the image reading means is stopped. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1,
An image reading apparatus comprising two image reading means for reading images recorded on both sides of the original. The image reading apparatus according to claim 11.
An image reading apparatus comprising two foreign matter removing means for performing foreign matter removal processing on each of the two endless movable bodies of the endless movable body pair. In an image forming system having an image reading device for reading an image recorded on a document as a recording body and an image forming device for forming an image on a recording body based on a reading result by the image reading device,
An image forming system using the image reading apparatus according to claim 1. The image forming system according to claim 13.
The image reading apparatus according to claim 10 is used, and the movement is performed so that the reciprocating means is driven only when the reading process is stopped and the image forming operation by the image forming apparatus is stopped. An image forming system comprising a control means. The image forming system according to claim 13 or 14,
The image reading apparatus according to claim 11 is used, and as the image forming apparatus, a visible image carried on an image carrier is transferred from the image carrier to both sides of the recording body by a double-side transfer unit, and recording is performed. An image forming system using an apparatus for forming images on both sides of a body.

Images