JP2005266430A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which enables the cost thereof to be reduced by reducing the number of cover opening/closing detection sensors, and which can output reasonable cover opening/closing information. <P>SOLUTION: The opening/closing covers 6 and 11 for maintenance are arranged on two side faces of a box type housing 10 for the image forming apparatus body 1, a sensor body 15a is attached to one opening/closing cover 11, and a sensor acting member 15b is attached to the other opening/closing cover 6, and the cover opening/closing detecting sensor 15 is constituted of the sensor body 15a and the sensor acting member 15b, and when both opening/closing covers 6 and 11 are closed, the sensor acting member 15b acts on the sensor body 15a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of maintenance opening / closing covers on the side of an apparatus housing, such as a copying machine and a facsimile machine, and more specifically, a sensor for detecting the opening / closing state of these opening / closing covers. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including

  In the image forming apparatus, a recording unit and a recording sheet conveying unit for sequentially feeding recording sheets from a recording sheet cassette to the recording unit are installed. Patent Document 1 shows a typical example of a copying apparatus provided with such an image forming apparatus. The recording paper transport means feeds the recording paper one by one from the recording paper cassette, and is introduced into the recording section through a transport path in which a plurality of transport rollers are disposed. Since it is inevitable that a recording paper jam occurs in this transport path, a jam access cover that opens the transport path is attached to the side of the apparatus housing so as to be openable and closable. In addition, as the recording unit, a recording apparatus using an electrophotographic method is widely adopted. This electrophotographic recording apparatus is made up of process members such as a toner kid (developer unit) and a drum kid (drum unit), but these process members are consumables and therefore need to be replaced periodically. Therefore, an opening / closing cover for exchanging consumables is also attached to the apparatus housing.

The opening / closing covers as described above are also attached to the document conveying system. However, each of these opening / closing covers should be completely closed in a normal state other than during maintenance, and the image forming apparatus remains open. When it operates, various device troubles occur. Therefore, on the condition that an open / close detection sensor is installed for each open / close cover and a signal indicating that all of these sensors are closed is output, the device is ready for operation (standby state). In general, notification is made.
JP 2000-250361 A

  In the case of the image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of maintenance opening / closing covers as described above, since the opening / closing detection sensor is installed for each opening / closing cover, the cost of the sensors is not small. In addition, as a normal operating condition of the device, there is an irrationality that it is necessary to perform AND calculation of output information by a plurality of sensors, even though it is sufficient that there is only one information that all the opening and closing covers are closed. Inherent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the cost by reducing the number of cover open / close detection sensors and outputting rational cover open / close information. To do.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, maintenance open / close covers are installed on two side surfaces of the box-shaped housing in the image forming apparatus main body, the sensor main body is provided in one open / close cover, and the sensor action member is provided in the other open / close cover. The sensor main body and the sensor action member constitute a cover open / close detection member, and when the both open / close covers are closed, the sensor action member acts on the sensor main body.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a recording unit for recording image data on a recording sheet and a recording sheet conveying means for feeding the recording sheet to the recording unit, as in the invention of claim 2. The one opening / closing cover may be a jam access cover for opening the conveying path of the recording paper conveying means, and the other opening / closing cover may be a consumable replacement cover for the recording unit. The recording unit may be an electrophotographic recording apparatus as in the third aspect of the invention, and the consumable part may be a process member of the electrophotographic recording apparatus.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the sensor main body is attached to one of the two maintenance opening / closing covers installed on the two side surfaces of the box-shaped casing, and the sensor action member is attached to the other. Since the sensor action member is configured to act on the sensor body when is closed, only one sensor is required to detect the opening and closing of the two covers, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, since the information that both covers are closed can be obtained from the closing information of one sensor, there is no need to perform complicated AND operation of output signals from a plurality of sensors, and the apparatus is in a normal state in a very rational manner. A notification to the effect can be made.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of a main part showing an example of an image forming apparatus, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus, FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part, and FIG. 4 is a right side view of the same.

  The image forming apparatus main body 1 shown in the figure is applied to a so-called multi-function machine having a facsimile function, a copying function, and a printer function. In the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. ADF) 2, image reading unit 3, recording unit 4, and recording paper feeding unit 5 are configured in a stacked state. The ADF 2 feeds and separates the documents stacked and placed on the document tray 2a one by one by a pickup roller 2b and separation means (a pair of separation roller and retard roller) 2c, and each conveyance roller pair 2d, 2e, and 2f. A function for reading the image by a stationary reading scanning device (described later) 3a at a reading point p of an ADF document while conveying the curved conveying path 2g and sequentially discharging the image onto a document discharge tray 2i by a discharge roller pair 2h. To do.

  The image reading unit 3 includes an ADF reading unit 3b and a flat plate reading scanning unit (FBS) 3c. In FIG. 2, the reading scanning device 3a is in a standby / stationary state on the ADF reading unit 3b immediately below the ADF reading point p. In addition, a state in which an image of a document sequentially fed automatically by the ADF 2 is read is illustrated. When performing image reading in the FBS 3c, the reading scanning device 3a moves to the FBS 3c, and reads an image of a document placed downward on the platen glass 3d while reciprocating left and right under the platen glass 3d. A series of mechanisms constituting the ADF 2 also serves as a platen cover (document pressing plate) and can be opened and closed up and down with the back side of the paper as a hinge portion.

  The recording unit 4 in the figure is composed of an electrophotographic recording device, and includes a drum unit 41 including a photosensitive drum 41a and a charger 41b, a light (LED or laser) writing unit 42, a toner container 43a and a developing roller 43b. A developing unit (developing unit) 43, a transfer unit 44 and a fixing unit 45. A pair of discharge rollers 4a and a discharge tray 4b are connected downstream of the fixing device 45. In this electrophotographic recording apparatus, image information read by the image reading unit 3 or image information transmitted from an external terminal such as a facsimile or a personal computer is uniformly applied by a charger 41b by an optical writing unit. Optical information is written on the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 41a, and an electrostatic latent image based on the optical information is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 41a.

  The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 43 and is sequentially transferred as a toner image by the transfer device 44 onto a recording sheet conveyed on the curved conveyance path 12 described later. The toner image transferred to the recording paper is fixed as a permanent image by the fixing device 45, and the recording paper on which the permanent image is formed is discharged and accumulated on the discharge tray 4b by the discharge roller pair 4a. The recording unit 4 is not limited to the electrophotographic recording apparatus as shown in the figure, and a known recording apparatus such as an ink ribbon recording apparatus, an ink jet recording apparatus, or various color recording apparatuses is adopted. It goes without saying that it is possible.

  The drum unit 41 is a unit in which a photosensitive drum 41a, a charger 41b, a toner cleaner (not shown), and a drum rotation transmission mechanism and other mechanisms (not shown) are set. As an integral process member, it is detachably mounted at a predetermined position of the apparatus. The developing unit 43 is integrated into a unit together with the toner container 43a, the developing roller 43b, the stirring member 43c, and their mechanical parts (not shown), and is attached to and detached from a predetermined position of the apparatus as an integrated process member as described above. It can be installed freely. Both units 41 and 43 are individually slidable in and out of the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. In the box-shaped housing 10 of the image forming apparatus main body 1, a maintenance opening / closing cover (consumable replacement cover) 6 is omitted on the front side wall portion of the housing portion of the process member including both units 41 and 43. The opening / closing cover 6 is used as a maintenance opening / closing cover for exchanging the units 41, 43 and the like. It is also possible to construct both units 41 and 43 as a single unit and mount them so that they can be inserted and removed in the same manner.

  The paper supply unit 5 includes a recording paper cassette 7 that can be taken in and out in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and a snubber (separation) that engages at both corners of the front end of the recording paper P that is stored and accumulated at the front end of the recording paper cassette 7. Nail) 7 a is provided, and a paper feeding meniscal roller 8 is disposed on the front end of the recording paper cassette 7. As the half-moon roller 8 rotates, the recording paper P stored in the recording paper cassette 7 is fed out from the uppermost layer one by one under the restriction of the snubber 7a. Although not shown in the drawing, the recording paper cassette 7 is provided with a push-up plate 7b biased upward by a spring means and a position-adjustable restricting plate 7c for restricting the rear end of the recording paper. As a result, even if the amount of the recording paper P in the recording paper cassette 7 changes, the uppermost recording paper P is always maintained at the position where it receives the feeding action by the half-moon roller 8 and is suitable for the paper size. It can be accommodated in position. In addition, although illustration and description are omitted, it goes without saying that an auxiliary member necessary as a recording paper cassette is also provided. Note that an optional cassette (not shown) may be further provided below the recording paper cassette 7 to constitute a multi-cassette system having two or more stages.

  A guide member 9 capable of tilting back and forth is installed in the vicinity of the recording paper discharge side of the recording paper cassette 7, and further, a jam access cover (at an interval through which recording paper from the lower cassette can pass is provided behind it. A maintenance opening / closing cover 11 is attached, and the jam access cover 11 is attached to the right side wall portion of the box-shaped housing 10 in the image forming apparatus main body 1 so as to be openable and closable with the hinge pin 11a as a fulcrum. A large number of vertical ribs 11b are formed on the inner surface of the jam access cover 11, and a guide wall for recording paper conveyance is formed by the edge portions 11c of the vertical ribs 11b, and the upper portion thereof is a recording paper cassette. It curves to the 7 side, and forms a part of the curved conveyance path 12 mentioned later.

  Inside the jam access cover 11, a press roller 13 a that is coupled with the transport roller 13 installed in the box-shaped housing 10 is attached. If the jam access cover 11 is opened with the hinge pin 11 a as a fulcrum, The pairing of the conveying roller 13 and the press roller 13a is released, and the recording paper jammed in the vicinity thereof can be taken out. The curved conveyance path 12 changes the direction of the recording paper fed from the recording paper cassette 7 by approximately 180 degrees, conveys it in a U-turn shape, and directs it toward the recording unit 4. A registration roller pair 14 is disposed near the upstream side of the recording unit 4 in the curved conveyance path 12 so that the recording paper is registered and introduced between the photosensitive drum 41 a and the transfer device (transfer roller) 44. The The conveyance roller 13, the curved conveyance path 12, and the registration roller pair 14 constitute recording sheet conveyance means for feeding the recording sheet fed from the cassette 7 to the recording unit.

  The jam access cover 11 and the consumable replacement cover 6 are attached to two adjacent side surfaces (front side wall portion and right side wall portion) of the box-shaped housing 10 so as to open and close in a direction orthogonal to each other. And the sensor main body 15a which comprises the cover opening / closing detection sensor 15 and the sensor action member 15b are attached to the inner surface of both the covers 11 and 6. FIG. The sensor main body 15a and the sensor action member 15b are arranged such that when the covers 11 and 6 are closed, the corner portions on the two side surfaces of the box-shaped housing 10 are arranged so that the sensor action member 15b can act on the sensor main body 15a. Is positioned.

  The cover open / close detection sensor 15 includes a sensor main body 15a having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion (both not shown) in a concave-shaped case, and a sensor filler (sensor acting member) 15b. This is a general-purpose transmissive optical sensor. Here, in the cover open / close detection sensor 15, the sensor filler 15b attached to the consumable part replacement cover 6 fits into the recess space of the sensor main body 15a attached to the jam access cover 11, and the light from the light emitting part is detected. Is closed by the sensor filler 15b and outputs a cover closing signal when it is not received by the light receiving portion. On the other hand, when any one of the covers 6 and 11 is open, the sensor main body 15a and the sensor filler 15b are separated from each other, and the light from the light emitting unit is not blocked and is received by the light receiving unit. The signal is output.

  More specifically, FIG. 3 shows that the jam access cover 11 is open and the consumable replacement cover 6 is closed, and the sensor filler 15b is not acting on the sensor body 15a, that is, from the light emitting portion. Since the light is not blocked and is received by the light receiving unit, the cover open / close detection sensor 15 outputs a cover open signal. On the other hand, in FIG. 4, the jam access cover 11 is closed and the consumable replacement cover 6 is open. In this case, the sensor filler 15 b does not act on the sensor body 15 a, and the cover open / close detection sensor 15 is open. Output a signal. Only when the covers 6 and 11 are closed, the cover open / close detection sensor 15 outputs a close signal to notify that the apparatus is in a standby state in which it can operate.

  In this way, since the open / closed detection of the two covers 6 and 11 can be performed by the single cover open / close detection sensor 15, the number of sensors can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. In addition, complicated processing such as AND operation of the closing signals from a plurality of sensors for notifying that the apparatus is in a standby state is unnecessary, and an extremely rational control sequence can be formed. it can.

  The cover open / close detection sensor 15 is not limited to the filler photoelectric sensor as shown in the figure, and a reflective photoelectric sensor, a limit switch sensor, and other general-purpose sensors can be used. Moreover, the attachment relationship of the sensor filler 15b and the sensor main body 15a with respect to the covers 6 and 11 is not limited to the thing of an example of a figure, and it cannot be overemphasized that these may be made into the reverse attachment relationship. Furthermore, although the cover 6 and 11 showed the example opened and closed by a hinge mechanism, these may be opened and closed by a slide type. Furthermore, although the case where both the covers 6 and 11 are formed on the two adjacent side surfaces of the box-shaped housing 10 has been described as an example, it may be formed on the two side surfaces at the opposing positions. It is desirable that the action member has a rod shape and the cover to which the sensor action member is attached slides in an opposing relationship with respect to the other cover. In addition, it goes without saying that the maintenance target of the opening / closing cover includes jam access on the document conveyance path and other problems to solve the apparatus trouble.

1 is a perspective view of a main part showing an example of an image forming apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same apparatus. It is a front view of the principal part. It is the same right view.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image forming apparatus body 4 Recording unit 6 Consumables replacement cover (maintenance open / close cover)
10 Box-shaped housing 11 Jam access cover (Maintenance open / close cover)
12 Recording paper transport path (Recording paper transport means)
15 Cover open / close detection sensor 15a Sensor body 15b Sensor filler (sensor action member)
41 Drum unit (process member)
43 Developer Unit (Process Member)

Claims (3)

  An open / close cover for maintenance is installed on two side surfaces of the box-shaped housing in the image forming apparatus main body, a sensor main body is attached to one open / close cover, and a sensor action member is attached to the other open / close cover. An image forming apparatus, wherein a cover opening / closing detection member is constituted by a sensor action member, and the sensor action member acts on a sensor body when both opening / closing covers are closed. A recording unit for recording the image data on the recording paper, and a recording paper transport unit for feeding the recording paper to the recording unit,
The open / close cover on one side of the box-shaped housing is a jam access cover for opening the transport path of the recording paper transport means, and the other open / close cover is a consumable replacement cover for the recording unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recording unit includes an electrophotographic recording apparatus, and the consumable is a process member of the electrophotographic recording apparatus.

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