JP2006089194A - Sheet material conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact sheet material conveying device of simple structure capable of surely aligning several rows of sheet materials into a single row. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet material conveying device has a plurality of first conveying means respectively provided in a plurality of conveying passages divided in directions crossing the sheet material arrangement direction and the sheet material conveying direction to convey the sheet material along the plurality of conveying passages, and has a plurality of moving means arranged in one or a plurality of conveying passages except one conveying passages among the conveying passages to move the sheet material in the arrangement direction. The plurality of conveying passages are joined in the crossing direction on a downstream side of the plurality of conveying means, which are provided in each of the conveying passages, in the sheet material conveying direction, and the sheet material to be conveyed by the conveying means provided in each of the conveying passages is moved by one or a plurality of moving means to a conveying row of one conveying passage for alignment in a single row. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet body having a predetermined width conveyed in a plurality of rows in a sorting direction and conveys it in a single row, and in particular, without increasing the size of the apparatus and with a simple configuration. The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet body having a predetermined width conveyed in a plurality of rows to a single row by moving in a sorting direction.

  In recent years, an image recorded on a film is photoelectrically read, and the read image is converted into a digital signal, and then subjected to various image processing to obtain image data for recording, which is photosensitized by a light beam modulated in accordance with the image data. 2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus that scans a material to record an image, performs development processing, and outputs the image as a print (photograph) has been put into practical use.

This image forming apparatus basically includes an input device having a scanner (image reading device), an image processing device, and a media drive (image data reading / writing device), and a printer (image recording device) and a processor (developer). ).
In the scanner, the projection light of the image photographed on the film is photoelectrically read by an image sensor such as a CCD sensor and sent as image data (image data signal) of the film to the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus performs predetermined image processing on the image data sent from the scanner or the media drive, and sends the image data to the printer and / or media drive as image data (exposure conditions) for image recording.
The media drive reads image data from various media (image data recording media) in which image data is written in various formats, sends the image data to an image processing apparatus, and performs a predetermined image processing in the image processing apparatus. Write data to various media drives. The media drive is connected to the image processing apparatus and has functions as an input device and an output device.

  If the printer is an apparatus using light beam scanning exposure, the sheet-like photosensitive material cut out by pulling a predetermined length from the long photosensitive material wound in a roll shape is conveyed to the exposure position. Subsequently, the light beam modulated in accordance with the supplied image data is deflected in the main scanning direction, and the sheet-like photosensitive material is scanned and conveyed in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The photosensitive material is scanned and exposed to form an image as a latent image. In the processor, the exposed photosensitive material is subjected to predetermined development processing or the like, and a finished print in which an image photographed on a film or an image written as image data on a media drive is reproduced.

  In such a digital photo printer, in order to efficiently output a large amount of prints, it is necessary to scan and expose a photosensitive material within a short time to perform development processing. For this reason, it is necessary to improve the processing efficiency of the developing process, which is slower in processing speed than the image forming process by scanning exposure in the printer, and the developing process is performed while conveying the photosensitive material in a plurality of rows. For this purpose, a sorting device is used that sorts and conveys the photosensitive material into a plurality of rows.

On the other hand, in the processor, the photosensitive material conveyed in a plurality of rows is subjected to a development process and a drying process, and then returned to a single row and is accumulated for each order, for example, for each film. Various such swingback devices have been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 to 2, etc.).
Although it is not a digital photo printer for such photographic prints, in a printing machine, images or characters for a plurality of pages are printed on one sheet of printing paper, and each page is cut into pieces of printing paper, In order to overlap each sheet piece in the page order, a sheet aligning device that uses a single row of sheet pieces conveyed in multiple rows is used (see Patent Document 3). Such a sheet aligning device has the same function as the above-described reversing device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151561 discloses a sheet conveying apparatus that aims to align sheets conveyed along a conveying row set in a plurality of rows in a single row with high accuracy.
The discharge device of the sheet conveying apparatus has first and second conveying rows. A high-speed discharge roller pair is arranged in the first transport row. In the second transport row, a high speed discharge mechanism is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction. The high-speed discharge mechanism includes a high-speed discharge roller pair, a loop guide plate, a frame, and a guide shaft. The sheet conveyed in the first conveyance row is discharged from the discharge port by the high-speed discharge roller pair. The sheet conveyed in the second conveyance row is sandwiched between the high-speed discharge roller pair of the high-speed discharge mechanism, and is moved from the reception position on the second conveyance row to the discharge position vertically below the high-speed discharge roller pair in the first conveyance path. It is moved and discharged from the discharge port. Further, the large size sheet is conveyed in a special conveyance row, and is discharged onto the stacking tray from a discharge port different from the discharge port.

  In the print accumulation device of Patent Document 2, a belt conveyor and a pair of guide members are provided on both sides of a front lower portion of an outlet from which photographic prints are discharged in a double row with a staggered arrangement. An inclined guide part is formed on the upper part of the pair of guide members, and the photographic print discharged from the outlet in a staggered arrangement is guided by the inclined guide part and dropped onto the belt conveyor. Photo prints are stacked according to the printing sequence.

In Patent Document 3, a single sheet of printing paper on which images or characters for two pages are printed is cut in half, and the two pieces of the cut printing paper are arranged in order of print data and stored in a stacker. A correction method is disclosed.
A cut sheet printing apparatus for realizing the sheet skew correction method of Patent Document 3 includes a sheet cutting apparatus including a circular slitter unit that cuts a sheet of paper on which two pages of images or characters are printed, and the like. A sheet conveying apparatus provided with a conveying path and a width-adjusting conveying path that respectively convey two pieces of paper obtained by the circular slitter unit, and a merging section conveying roller provided at a coupling portion between these conveying paths and the width-adjusting conveying path; And a stacker. Note that the width-carrying conveyance path is longer than the conveyance path to be conveyed.
In the paper skew correction method of Patent Document 3, the lower print paper in the print data order is first made to reach the stop confluence roller, and after a certain period of time, the upper print paper in the print data order. Is made to reach the merging / conveying roller, and after a certain period of time, the merging / conveying roller is rotated to feed two pieces of printing paper into the stacker.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-267587 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-95402 JP-A-8-119495

  However, the sheet conveying apparatus of Patent Document 1 has three conveying paths, which increases the number of conveying paths and is complicated in structure. Moreover, it is necessary to provide a carry-out port for each size of the sheet, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large.

  Further, the print accumulating apparatus of Patent Document 2 merely guides a photographic print by an inclined guide unit and drops it on a conveyor belt. For this reason, the print accumulating apparatus of Patent Document 2 is inferior in certainty such as the coincidence of the orientation of the photographic prints when they are stacked such that the photographic prints fall horizontally or upside down on the conveyor belt. As described above, the print accumulation device of Patent Document 2 has a problem that it is not always possible to accumulate all the photographic prints for one film in the same direction.

Furthermore, in the paper skew correction method of Patent Document 3, in order to arrange the two pieces of cut paper in the stacker in the order of the print data, it is necessary to make the width-feeding conveyance path longer than the conveyance path to be conveyed. is there. For this reason, a conveyance length becomes long, and there exists a problem that a paper aligning apparatus or a paper conveyance apparatus, therefore, a cut sheet printing apparatus cannot be reduced in size.
Further, the paper skew correction method of Patent Document 3 is based on the premise that the paper is cut, and an image or characters for two pages are not printed on one paper, that is, it is necessary to make a single line. There is a problem that it is not possible to transport a large size.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet body conveying apparatus that solves the problems based on the conventional technology, has a simple configuration, is small in size, and can reliably make a plurality of rows into a single row. It is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sheet transport apparatus that transports a sheet body having a first width transported in a plurality of rows in a single row by moving in a direction in which the sheet bodies are arranged. A plurality of first conveying means provided respectively in a plurality of conveying paths that branch in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the sheet bodies and the conveying direction, and respectively conveying the sheet bodies along the plurality of conveying paths; One or a plurality of moving means arranged on one or more remaining conveyance paths excluding one conveyance path among the conveyance paths and moving the sheet body in the arrangement direction, and the plurality of conveyances The path is joined in the orthogonal direction on the downstream side of the transport direction of the sheet body with respect to each of the plurality of transport means provided in the respective transport paths, and the one or more moving means are connected to the respective transport paths. Provided in It said sheet being conveyed by the feeding means, there is provided a sheet conveying apparatus which is characterized in that the line unifying is moved in the transport column of the one transport path.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the one conveyance path not provided with the moving unit can convey a sheet body having a second width wider than the first width in a single row.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, a first guide portion that guides the sheet member to each of the transport paths is further provided on the transport path before branching on the upstream side of the branch position that branches into the plurality of transport paths. It is preferable.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, a discharge unit that transports the sheet body is provided on the downstream side where the transport path merges, and the sheet body is disposed on the discharge unit on the upstream side in the transport direction of the discharge unit. It is preferable that the 2nd guide part to guide is provided.

  In the present invention, the plurality of first transporting units are transport roller pairs that sandwich and transport the sheet member, and the moving unit includes the transport roller pairs that sandwich and transport the sheet member. The sheet body is preferably moved in the arrangement direction.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, there is provided a second conveying unit that is provided in a conveyance path before branching upstream of a branch position that branches into the plurality of conveyance paths, and that conveys the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies. Preferably, the second conveying means is constituted by a plurality of individual conveying means capable of individually and independently conveying the sheet body having the first width.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the first conveying means includes the conveying roller pair arranged at a predetermined interval in the conveying direction, and the first conveying means is arranged in the conveying direction of the conveying roller pair moved by the moving means. The conveying roller pair arranged on the upstream side is provided so that the rollers can come in contact with and separate from each other, and the length of the sheet member in the conveying direction is longer than the arrangement interval of the conveying roller pair. When moving in the arrangement direction by the moving means, the rollers of the conveying roller pair arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying roller pair moved by the moving means are separated to hold the long sheet member. It is preferable to cancel.
Further, in the present invention, the plurality of individual conveying means are a plurality of conveying roller pairs for independently nipping and conveying the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies, and the plurality of conveying roller pairs. Are preferably driven to rotate independently of each other, and the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies can be shifted forward and backward.

According to the present invention, a plurality of conveyance paths are formed by branching in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first width sheet bodies conveyed in a plurality of rows and the conveyance direction, and one of these conveyance paths is formed. By providing one or a plurality of moving means for moving the sheet member in the arrangement direction on the remaining one or a plurality of conveying paths excluding the conveying path, the one or a plurality of moving means are provided on the respective conveying paths. The sheet member conveyed by the conveyed conveying means can be moved to a conveyance row of one conveyance path to form a single row. In this single row state, for example, the sheet member is discharged from the sheet member conveying device by the discharging means.
As described above, in the present invention, by providing a plurality of conveyance paths branched in the direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the first width sheet bodies and the conveyance direction, the apparatus configuration can be simplified and downsized. Further, since the moving means is also transported toward the reference row for making a single row, the moving distance for making the single row can be shortened. Since the moving distance of the sheet body by the moving means can be shortened, vibration can also be reduced.

  Further, in the present invention, there is one conveyance path not provided with a moving means, and a sheet body having a second width that is wider than the first width and is conveyed in a single row on the conveyance path. Is transported. Thereby, the sheet body which has various width | variety can be conveyed. Furthermore, the sheet body made into a single row and the sheet body conveyed in a single row can be transported by a common discharge means. Thus, it is not necessary to provide a common discharge port regardless of the width of the sheet body, and the configuration can be simplified.

Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the first guide portion for guiding the sheet body in the transport path, the sheet body can be reliably guided to each transport path.
Further, by providing the second guide portion, the sheet bodies can be reliably joined.
Further, the individual conveying means capable of independently conveying the first width sheet member is, for example, a pair of conveying rollers, and the conveying roller pair is driven to rotate independently from each other, thereby having the first width. By shifting the transport position of the sheet body back and forth in the transport direction, for example, by transporting the sheet body in a staggered arrangement, it is possible to perform proper overlapping (sorting) while reliably maintaining the transport order.

Hereinafter, based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, a sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image recording unit 12, a cutting unit 14, a returning unit 16, a sort transport unit 18, and a transport roller 20.
The image recording unit 12 is connected to the cutting unit 14. The cutting unit 14 is connected to the return unit 16. The return unit 16 is connected to the sort transport unit 18.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the image recording unit of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the image recording unit 12 includes an image input unit 22, an operation unit 28, and an image recording unit main body 30, and the image input unit 22 is connected to the control unit 40 of the image recording unit main body 30. It is connected.
The image input unit 22 includes a scanner 24, a media drive 26, and an image processing unit (not shown).

The scanner 24 photoelectrically reads projection light of an image taken on a photographic film with an image sensor such as a CCD sensor, and obtains image data (image data signal) of the film.
The media drive 26 is capable of reading and writing image data of a subject photographed by a digital camera or the like and recorded on a small recording medium. The media drive 26 can also read and write image data stored in a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance).
The image processing unit performs color correction or white balance correction processing on the image data read by the scanner 24 or the media drive 26, and various image processing such as sharpness and red-eye correction as necessary. .
The image input unit 22 outputs the image data subjected to the correction process or the image process to the image recording unit body 30 as output image data.

The image recording unit main body 30 has, for example, a plurality of colors such as Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), K (black, black) on a sheet-like or strip-like long recording medium (paper). ) (Hereinafter collectively referred to simply as YMCK or CMYK) four color toner images are used to transfer and fix a plurality of color toner images to form a color image consisting of a plurality of color fixing toner images on a recording medium. Is an electrophotographic printer.
The image recording unit main body 30 includes a supply unit 32, a back printing unit 34, an image forming unit 36, a secondary fixing unit 38, a control unit 40, and conveying means (conveying rollers 49 and registration rolls 49a). Have.

  Next, the supply unit 32 of the image recording unit main body 30 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. The supply unit 32 supplies the sheet-shaped cut sheet S (paper) to the image forming unit 36.

The supply unit 32 includes magazines 42a and 42b in which a long roll paper A wound in a roll shape with the recording surface facing outward is stored in a casing, and a sheet in which a large number of sheet-like cut sheet bodies S are stored. This is the part where the cassette 48 is loaded.
Magazines 42a and 42b usually store different types of roll paper A such as the size (width) of roll paper A, types of silk and mat, and specifications (thickness). In this embodiment, two magazines 42a and 42b are provided. However, in the present invention, the number of magazines is not particularly limited. In the present invention, the number of magazines may be one, or three or more.

  At positions spaced a predetermined length from the outlets of the magazines 42a and 42b, there are provided a pair of drawing rollers 44a and 44b for pulling out and transporting the roll paper A stored therein.

Further, cutters 46a and 46b are provided at positions separated by a predetermined length from the outlets of the magazines 42a and 42b and on the downstream side of the pair of drawing rollers 44a and 44b. The roll paper A drawn by the drawing roller pairs 44a and 44b is cut into a predetermined length to form a cut sheet body.
The drawing roller pairs 44a and 44b stop drawing after the roll paper A is drawn by a predetermined length according to the print length in order to obtain a cut sheet having a predetermined length by the cutters 46a and 46b. .

The cutters 46 a and 46 b cut the roll paper A drawn from the magazines 42 a and 42 b based on a control signal sent from the control unit 40 of the image recording unit main body 30. The cut sheet S cut to a predetermined length by the cutters 46a and 46b is further conveyed.
The sheet-like cut sheet body cut out from the roll paper A drawn out from the magazines 42 a and 42 b is transported on a transport path constituted by a plurality of transport rolls 49 arranged at various locations in the image recording unit main body 30. Is done.

The sheet cassette 48 stores a large number of sheet-like cut sheet bodies S.
In the present invention, the number of sheet cassettes is not particularly limited. In the present invention, the number of sheet cassettes may be one, and for example, a plurality of sheet cassettes may be provided in which cut sheet bodies of different sizes or types are stored.

  A transport roll 49 is provided in the vicinity of the body outlet of the cut sheet body S of the sheet cassette 48. The cut sheet body S is transported to the downstream side in the transport path by the transport roll 49.

  In the illustrated example, the supply unit 32 includes two magazines 42a and 42b and one sheet cassette 48. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may include only the magazines 42a and 42b. However, only the sheet cassette may be used. Even in these cases, the number of magazines or the number of sheet cassettes is not particularly limited.

The back printing unit 34 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction D of the supply unit 32. The back printing unit 34 prints various print information.
The back printing unit 34 has a photographed date, a recorded date, a frame number, a film ID number (symbol), a camera ID number used for photographing, a printer ID number, etc. In other words, a so-called back print such as various kinds of information and various setting parameters in image formation set by an operator is recorded (back side printing) based on a control signal from the control unit 40.

  While the cut sheet body is conveyed upward by a roller and a roller pair, a back print is recorded on the non-recording surface by the back printing unit 34. As the back print unit 34, a known print head such as an ink jet head, a dot impact print head, or a thermal transfer print head is used.

  A resist roll 49 a is provided on the downstream side of the back printing unit 34. The cut sheet body that has been printed on the back surface by the back printing unit 34 is transferred to a secondary transfer roll 64 of the image forming unit 36 by a resist roll 49a disposed on the downstream side of the back printing unit 34, as will be described later. The color toner image already formed on the intermediate transfer belt 62a is transferred to the cut sheet that has been transported in accordance with the timing, and the intermediate transfer belt 62a and the cut sheet are opposed to the secondary transfer roll 64. Transfer is performed by a tension roll 62b that holds the body in close contact.

The control unit 40 includes a laser light modulation unit 40 a and is connected to the image input unit 22 and the operation means 28.
The control unit 40 modulates laser light emitted from a light source 50a described later based on the image data input from the image input unit 22. The control unit 40 also controls the operation of each component of the image recording unit main body 30 described below.
In addition, when the operation means 28 is operated by the operator, the control unit 40 causes the image recording unit main body 30 to perform various settings or displays according to the operation content. Note that the control unit 40 may control the scanner 24 and the media drive 26 of the image input unit 22.

  The image forming unit 36 forms, for example, a color toner image using four color toners of CMYK and transfers it onto a cut sheet body (recording medium). The exposure unit 50, the image carrier roll 52, and the like. The charging roll 54, the cleaner 56, the developing unit 58, the intermediate transfer unit 62, and the secondary transfer roll 64.

The exposure unit 50 includes a light source 50a and a scanning unit 50b, and further includes a collimator lens (not shown), an fθ lens (not shown), and the like.
As the light source 50a, a semiconductor laser, an LED, or the like is used. The light source 50a is directly modulated based on the image data by the laser light modulator 40a. Note that the exposure unit 50 may modulate the light emitted from the light source 50a with an optical modulator such as an AOM.
The scanning unit 50b scans the image carrier roll 52 with the light beam emitted from the light source 50a. For example, a polygon mirror is used for the scanning unit 50b.

The image carrier roll 52 has an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface thereof, and is constituted by an electrophotographic photosensitive member. The image carrier roll 52 is supported to be rotatable in one direction (r direction).
A charging roll 54 is provided in contact with the surface of the image carrier roll 52. The charging roll 54 charges the surface of the image carrier roll 52 uniformly. Further, a cleaner 56 is provided on the upstream side (the opposite side in the r direction) of the image carrier roll 52 from the charging roll 54. The cleaner 56 removes residual toner remaining on the surface of the image carrier roll 52.

  The surface of the image carrier roll 52 rotating in the r direction is uniformly charged by the charging roll 54. The surface of the uniformly charged image carrier roll 52 is separated by the exposure unit 50 into Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black, black) color separation images from the image input device. Scanning exposure is performed with a laser beam modulated based on one output image data. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image of one image of Y, M, C, and K having a predetermined surface potential is formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52.

  Further, a developing unit 58 is arranged on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 with a predetermined minute interval. The developing unit 58 is provided downstream of the charging roller 54 (in the r direction).

The developing unit 58 is provided with developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K for the respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) arranged at intervals of 90 °. ing.
The developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are all of the so-called (two-component) magnetic brush developing system. Inside the developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K, a two-component developer (not shown) containing toner and a carrier is stored.

By rotating the developing unit 58 in the B direction (opposite to the r direction) at an interval of 90 °, a developing device having a color corresponding to any of the built-in developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. The image carrier roll 52 on which a latent image of the color image is formed is arranged while maintaining a predetermined minute interval.
Formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 from the developing devices corresponding to the developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K in close proximity to the image carrier roll 52 on which a latent image of an image of a predetermined color is formed. Toner electrostatically adheres to the electrostatic latent image by the magnetic brush effect, and a toner image of a color corresponding to the surface of the image carrier roll 52 is formed. Each color toner image corresponding to each developing device 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K is formed. That is, latent images of respective color images of Y, M, C, and K are sequentially formed on the image carrier roll 52, and Y, M, and C are sequentially formed by the corresponding developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K. , K toner images are formed.

The intermediate transfer unit 62 sequentially transfers YMCK four color toner images sequentially formed on the image carrier roll 52, and a part of the intermediate transfer unit 62 is in contact with the image carrier roll 52. . The intermediate transfer unit 62 applies the transfer voltage to the intermediate transfer belt 62ab by bringing the intermediate transfer belt 62a, the three stretching rolls 62b for stretching the intermediate transfer belt 62a, and the intermediate transfer belt 62a into contact with the image carrying roll 52. A primary transfer roll 62c. The intermediate transfer belt 62a is stretched by three stretching rolls 62b and is rotationally driven in the C direction.
Here, one of the three stretching rolls 62b is disposed at a position facing the secondary transfer roll 64 with the intermediate transfer belt 62a interposed therebetween, and a predetermined color of the intermediate transfer belt 62a. The intermediate transfer belt 62a and the sheet S are brought into close contact and conveyed so that the toner image is appropriately transferred to the sheet S.

A primary transfer roll 62c is disposed at a primary transfer position where the intermediate transfer belt 62a and the image carrier roll 52 are in contact with each other. The primary transfer roll 62c applies a transfer voltage to the intermediate transfer belt 62a.
The toner images of the respective colors sequentially formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 by the developing devices 60Y, 60M, 60C, and 60K are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 62a by the transfer voltage by the primary transfer roll 62c.

Next, a method for forming a color image by the image recording unit 12 of this embodiment will be described.
First, an electrostatic latent image for yellow is formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 by the exposure unit 50. To this electrostatic latent image of the yellow image (data), toner is electrostatically attracted from the yellow developing device 60Y of the developing unit 58 to form a yellow toner image on the surface of the image carrier roll 52.
Next, the yellow toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 62a.

Next, an electrostatic latent image of a magenta image (data) is formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 by the exposure unit 50 on the surface of the image carrier roll 52 from which the residual toner on the surface has been removed by the cleaner 56.
At this time, the developing unit 58 is rotated by 90 ° in advance, and the magenta developing device 60M is arranged on the image carrier roll 52 with a predetermined minute interval.
Toner is attracted to the electrostatic latent image of the magenta image from the developing device 60M, and a magenta toner image is formed on the surface of the image carrier roll 52. The magenta toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 62a so as to overlap the already transferred yellow toner image.

Thereafter, the remaining cyan (C) and black (K) toner images are sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 62a in the same manner as the formation of the magenta toner image and the transfer of the magenta toner image to the intermediate transfer belt 62a. It is superimposed and transferred onto the magenta toner image.
Here, the tension roll 62b that moves the intermediate transfer belt 62a is controlled by the control unit 40 so that the toner images of the respective colors YMCK that are sequentially transferred overlap each other accurately.

A secondary transfer roll 64 is disposed with one of the tension rolls 62b and the intermediate transfer belt 62a interposed therebetween.
The secondary transfer roll 64 transfers the CMYK four color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 62a onto the sheet-like cut sheet conveyed from the supply unit 32. The secondary transfer roll 64 transfers a color toner image to a cut sheet body (recording medium) by applying a charge having a polarity opposite to that of each color toner constituting the color toner image to the color toner image. Thus, CMYK four color toner images are formed on the surface of the cut sheet body.

  As described above, when forming a color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 62a, the intermediate transfer belt 62a is rotated four times in the direction of the arrow C, and each time the intermediate transfer belt 62a rotates once, the intermediate color is intermediated. The toner image is transferred to the transfer belt 62a to form a CMYK four color toner image.

  In this embodiment, when forming a color toner image on the cut sheet S, the toner image of all four colors is transferred to the secondary transfer roll 64 by the resist roll 49a and the intermediate transfer is performed. The color toner image formed on the belt 62 a is first conveyed at a timing facing the secondary transfer roll 64. The resist roll 49a is controlled by the control unit 40 so as to convey the cut sheet body at such timing.

  A transport belt 66 is provided on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roll 64. A primary fixing unit 68 is provided downstream of the conveyance belt 66. A conveyance roller 49 is provided on the downstream side of the primary fixing unit 68.

As described above, the cut sheet body onto which the color toner image has been transferred is transported to the primary fixing unit 68 by the transport belt 66 disposed on the downstream side of the secondary transfer roll 64 through the procedure described above. The primary fixing unit 68 performs a heating and pressing process on the cut sheet body, and is constituted by a pair of heating and pressing rollers.
By the fixing process by the primary fixing unit 68, the color toner image is fixed to the cut sheet member. Here, the image obtained by fixing the color toner image carried out by the primary fixing unit 68 does not reach the high image quality required for a photographic image or the like, but the image quality obtained by a color copying machine or the like. The image quality is equivalent.

  The cut sheet body subjected to the fixing process by the primary fixing unit 68 is conveyed to the secondary fixing unit 38 by the conveyance roll 49.

The secondary fixing unit 38, for example, further smoothes the surface of the color toner image and gives gloss to the cut sheet body on which the color toner image is fixed by being processed by the primary fixing unit 68. Surface treatment is performed.
The secondary fixing unit 38 includes a heating and pressing roll pair 70 that performs heating and pressing processes on the cut sheet body on which the color toner image is fixed, and a temperature for detecting the temperature of the heating and pressing roll pair 70. A sensor 72, a secondary fixing belt 74 having a smooth glossy surface that circulates and a cooling unit 76 that cools the cut sheet body heated by the heating and pressing roll pair 70 are provided.
The secondary fixing belt 74 is stretched between one roller of the heat and pressure roll pair 70 and a stretch roll 70a.

  In this embodiment, the secondary fixing unit 38 will be described by taking an example of a surface treatment in which the surface of a color toner image is smoothed and glossy, but the present invention is not limited to this. The secondary fixing unit 38 may perform a matting process for intentionally fogging the surface of a color toner image aiming at a visual effect on a viewer of the image. In this case, the secondary fixing belt 74 in the secondary fixing unit 38 has a rough surface that is rough to intentionally cloud the surface of the color toner image.

  In the secondary fixing unit 38, first, the color toner image fixed in the primary fixing unit 68 is heated and melted by the heating and pressure roll pair 70, and the surface of the melted color toner image is It is pressed against the smooth glossy surface of the secondary fixing belt 74.

  Next, the cut sheet body is conveyed to the downstream side in a state of sticking to the glossy surface of the secondary fixing belt 74, and the cut sheet body in a state of sticking to the glossy surface is further heated to the pressure and pressure roll pair 70. It cools by the cooling part 76 arrange | positioned downstream. Thereby, the melted color toner image of the cut sheet is solidified. Thereafter, the cut sheet body is further conveyed downstream, and peels from the glossy surface of the secondary fixing belt 74 due to the rigidity of the cut sheet body itself as the secondary fixing belt 74 is bent by the tension roll 70a.

In this way, a color image is formed on the cut sheet body in the image recording unit 12.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the cut sheet body on which the image is recorded is conveyed to the cutting unit 14 by the conveyance roller 20.
As the image recording on the cut sheet body in the image recording unit 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, four screens for forming four image recording regions R on one cut sheet S, and FIG. As shown in (b), there are two screens for forming two image recording regions R on one cut sheet S. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3C, there is a two-screen attachment that forms an image region R having the same width as that of FIG.
Note that the screen attachment is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately determined according to the order so that the cut sheet is most wasted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 14 cuts the periphery of the recording area R where the image is recorded as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B by the image recording unit 12 shown in FIG. Print P (P0).
As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 14 includes a first cutter 80, a second cutter 82, a cutting waste container 86, and a conveyance roller 88.

  The first cutter 80 cuts the cut sheet body S along a direction E (see FIG. 4) parallel to the transport direction D. The first cutter 80 has two rotary cutters 80a and 80b. The rotary cutters 80a and 80b are provided so as to be movable in a direction E perpendicular to the transport direction D, respectively. Thereby, the cut sheet body S can be cut along the cut line Cx shown in FIGS. 3 (a), (b) and (c).

The second cutter 82 cuts the cut sheet body S along a direction E (see FIG. 4) orthogonal to the transport direction D, and is provided on the downstream side of the first cutter 80. The second cutter 82 is provided with a fixed blade 84a and a movable blade 84b facing each other across the conveyance path of the cut sheet S, and the movable blade 84b is perpendicular to the fixed blade 84a. It is configured to be pushed down.
Thereby, the cut sheet | seat body S can be cut | disconnected by the cut line Cy shown to Fig.3 (a) (b) and (c).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting waste container 86 is a container that collects cutting waste generated by cutting the cut sheet body S by the first cutter 80 and the second cutter 82. The cutting waste container 86 is provided below the first cutter 80 and the second cutter 82.

The conveyance roller 88 conveys the cut sheet S, and is provided on the upstream side of the first cutter 80, is provided between the first cutter 80 and the second cutter 82, and further 2 on the downstream side of the second cutter 82.
A print P is obtained by the cutting portion 14. The print P is conveyed to the return unit 16 by the conveyance roller 20.

Next, the returning unit 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a conveyance unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the conveyance unit shown in FIG.

The return unit 16 cuts the cutting unit 14 and, for example, converts the print P having the first width conveyed in two rows into a single row. Further, the print P having the second width wider than the first width can be transported as it is. In addition, a print having a width generally equal to a panorama size (89 mm × 254 mm) (hereinafter referred to as a panoramic size) (hereinafter, referred to as a panoramic size) is approximately twice as long as the print P having the first width and the length in the transport direction. Similarly to the print P having the first width, the panorama print is also made into a single row.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the return unit 16 includes a carry-in roller pair 90, a return roller pair 92, a transport roller pair 94, a discharge roller pair 96, a moving unit 110, a movable guide 150, 152 and sensors 160, 162, 164. The carry-in roller pair 90, the transport roller pair 94, the return roller pair 92, and the discharge roller pair 96 are arranged so as to be positioned at the apexes of the rhombus (parallelogram).

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the return portion 16 of the present embodiment, a pair of conveying rollers 94 is provided in the horizontal direction of the pair of carry-in rollers 90 with a predetermined interval. Further, a return roller pair 92 is provided above the conveying roller pair 94 in the vertical direction. A discharge roller pair 96 is provided at a predetermined interval in the horizontal direction of the return roller pair 92. In this embodiment, the carry-in roller pair 90 and the transport roller pair 94 are rotated in synchronization.

As shown in FIG. 5, the carry-in roller pair 90, the return roller pair 92, and the discharge roller pair 96 constitute a first transport path α. Further, the second conveyance path β is constituted by the carry-in roller pair 90, the conveyance roller pair 94, and the discharge roller pair 96. The first conveyance path α and the second conveyance path β are branched in the direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the prints P and the conveyance direction D, and are joined by the discharge roller pair 96.
The arrangement interval between the carry-in roller pair 90 and the return roller pair 92 is arranged such that the first width print can be conveyed. Therefore, the panoramic print (long sheet body) is conveyed across the carry-in roller pair 90 and the return roller pair 92.
In the present embodiment, the print P having the second width that is wider than the first width does not need to be made into a single row, and is therefore always conveyed along the second conveyance path β. This is because the first conveying path α is provided with the returning roller pair 92 (the moving means 110 (see FIG. 4)). In the conveying path where the returning roller pair 92 is not provided. If there is, the print P having the second width wider than the first width can be conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the carry-in roller pair 90 includes divided rollers 100 a and 100 b (individual conveyance means) that are independently controlled according to the number of conveyance rows. Two independent dividing rollers 100a and 100b are provided to be conveyed in a row. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the division rollers 100a and 100b have divisions 101a and 101b that make a pair as shown in FIG. In the following description, even in the case of a pair of rollers, a so-called roller pair, in the case of simplifying the description, only the driving-side divided rollers 100a and 100b are illustrated and only the description is given. Needless to say, the split rollers 101a and 101b are provided in the same manner. The carry-in roller pair 90 is a nip roller pair that allows the divided rollers 101a and 101b to contact and separate from the divided rollers 100a and 100b.

As shown in FIG. 4, each of the divided rollers 100a and 100b is provided with, for example, two roller pieces 100c with a predetermined interval from the rotating shaft 102d. Each rotating shaft 102d is provided so that the axis lines thereof coincide with each other. Each rotating shaft 102d has gears 104a and 104b attached to the ends thereof. The gears 104a and 104b are engaged with gears 108a and 108b attached to the motors 106a and 106b via the rotation shaft 106c, respectively.
Further, the split rollers 101a and 101b have the same configuration as the split rollers 100a and 100b, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Each of the split rollers 101a and 101b is provided with a vertical moving means (not shown) for independently moving the split rollers 101a and 101b in the vertical direction. The rollers can be brought into contact with or separated from the rollers 100a and 100b, whereby the print P can be nipped and conveyed, or the print P can be passed through in a separated state.

The motors 106a and 106b can rotate synchronously, and can also rotate independently of each other at different speeds. The respective divided rollers 100a and 100b are independently rotated at different speeds by the motors 106a and 106b. Therefore, the prints P that are transported in two rows by the carry-in roller pair 90 are transported independently. In addition, the transport position of the print P is shifted back and forth in the transport direction D by each of the divided rollers 100a and 100b, and the print P can be transported in a staggered manner.
Further, when the panorama print is moved in the direction E perpendicular to the conveyance direction D by the moving means 110 of the return roller pair 92 as will be described later, the panorama print is conveyed to the carry-in roller pair 90. In 90, the dividing rollers 101a and 101b are separated from the dividing rollers 100a and 100b by the vertical moving means.

  The return roller pair 92 conveys the print P in the conveyance direction D and moves it in a direction E (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction E) orthogonal to the conveyance direction D. The return roller pair 92 includes a transport roller 112, a pair of transport rollers (not shown), and a moving unit that moves the transport roller 112 and the pair of transport rollers in a direction E (array direction) perpendicular to the transport direction D. 110.

  The moving means 110 includes a support shaft 114, a first gear 114 a, a second gear 114 b, a moving frame 116 in which the conveying roller 112 is accommodated, a motor 118, a rotating shaft 118 a, a gear 118 b, and a belt driving device 122.

  The conveyance roller 112 is, for example, a divided roller, and two roller pieces 112a are provided on the rotating shaft 112b at a predetermined interval, for example. A gear 112 c is provided at the end of the rotation shaft 112 b of the transport roller 112. The overall length of the transport roller 112 in the orthogonal direction E has at least a length in the width direction of the print P (P1, P2) (the length of the first width).

As shown in FIG. 4, the moving means 110 of this embodiment has a support shaft 114 extending in a direction E perpendicular to the transport direction D. The support shaft 114 is provided with a moving frame 116 having a substantially U-shape in plan view so as to be movable in the width direction E. The opening of the moving frame 116 is directed to the downstream side in the transport direction D.
A second gear 114 b is provided at the end of the support shaft 114. Further, in the support shaft 114, a first gear 114 a is provided in a region surrounded by the moving frame 116 so as to be rotatable with respect to the axis of the support shaft 114 and movable in the width direction E. The first gear 114 a and the gear 112 c of the transport roller 112 are engaged with each other, and the transport roller 112 and a transport roller that is paired with the transport roller 112 are disposed at the opening of the moving frame 116.

  The second gear 114b is meshed with a gear 118b provided on the motor 118 via a rotation shaft 118a. Accordingly, the rotational force of the motor 118 is transmitted to the transport roller 112 by the first gear 114a, and the transport roller 112 is rotationally driven.

The moving frame 116 is connected to a belt driving device 122 via a connecting member 120. In the belt driving device 122, a belt 122b is stretched around a pair of rollers 122a. A connecting member 120 is connected to the belt 122b.
In addition, one roller 122a of the belt driving device 122 is connected to the motor 126 via, for example, two gears 124a and 124b. The motor 126 moves the moving frame 116 in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 114 (direction E perpendicular).
In the return roller pair 92, the print P can be transported in the transport direction D by the transport roller 112, and the print P can be moved in the direction E perpendicular to the transport direction D by the moving unit 110.

  In addition, in the return roller pair 92 of the present embodiment, the moving frame 116 including the transport roller 112 is moved, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the gear 114a may be a long gear in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 114, and the long gear may be moved by the gear 112c of the conveying roller 112.

  The conveyance roller pair 94 conveys the print P and has a division roller 130. In the divided roller 130, for example, four roller pieces 130a are provided on the rotation shaft 130b at equal intervals. Both ends of the rotating shaft 130b are fixed to the fixing member 132 so as to be rotatable. The dividing roller 130 is connected to the dividing roller 100 b of the carry-in roller 90 via a belt 134. Thereby, the rotation of the motor 106b is transmitted to the dividing roller 100b and the dividing roller 130, and the dividing roller 100b and the dividing roller 130 are rotated in synchronization.

The discharge roller pair 96 is for transferring the print P, which has been conveyed in a plurality of rows, in this embodiment in two rows, into a single row and transporting it to the subsequent stage.
The discharge roller pair 96 has a division roller 140. In the divided roller 140, for example, four roller pieces 140a are provided on the rotation shaft 140b at equal intervals.

In addition, the movable guide 150 reliably carries the print P, which has been cut and finished by the cutting unit 14, into either the first transport path α or the second transport path β.
In addition, the movable guide 152 surely carries the prints P1 and P2 conveyed from either the first conveyance path α or the second conveyance path β into the discharge roller pair 96.
The movable guides 150 and 152 include a rectangular plate member and a rotating unit that rotates the plate member with respect to the conveyance direction D of the prints P1 and P2. The movable guides 150 and 152 are controlled to rotate according to detection signals from the sensors 160 and 162.

In this embodiment, the movable guide 150 is inclined when the print is carried into the first conveyance path α, and is substantially horizontal when the print is carried into the second conveyance path β.
The movable guide 152 is inclined when the print from the conveyance roller pair 94 is carried into the discharge roller pair 96. Further, the movable guide 152 becomes substantially horizontal when the print from the return roller pair 92 is carried into the discharge roller pair 96.
By these movable guides 150 and 152, the prints P1 and P2 can be reliably conveyed without clogging.

  The movable guides 150 and 152 need not be provided in the entire region in the direction E perpendicular to the transport direction D. For example, it may be provided according to the width of the prints P1 and P2 transported in two rows. In the case of two-row transport, the one having a length that can cover the width of the prints P1 and P2 in each row is divided into two. It may be provided.

The sensors 160, 162, and 164 are, for example, optical sensors that detect the presence or absence of an object by shielding light. The sensors 160, 162, and 164 are configured by a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and can detect the passage of the cut sheet S. The configuration is not particularly limited.
In the present embodiment, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance path, and the light emitting element is arranged on the non-recording surface side of the cut sheet S. In this embodiment, as the sensors 160, 162, 164, for example, flashing infrared sensors can be used.

Next, the sort transport unit 18 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sort transport unit 18 transports the prints P transported in a single row by the return unit 16. The sort transport unit 18 includes a pair of idlers 98a and a belt 98b stretched around these idlers 98a. The sort transport unit 18 transports the print to a sorter (not shown) that collects prints for one film.

Next, the operation of the return unit 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 and FIGS. 9 (a) to 9 (c).
FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 are schematic plan views illustrating the print transport process by the transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps. FIG. 9A to FIG. 9C are schematic side views showing the print transport process by the transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps.
6 corresponds to FIG. 9A, FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 9B, and FIG. 8 corresponds to FIG. 9C.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the four screens were cut by the cutting unit 14 (see FIG. 1) to obtain four prints (not shown). Of these prints, a description will be given of making two prints P1 and P2 conveyed in two rows into a single row.
In the present embodiment, the print P2 carried into the split roller 100a of the pair of carry-in rollers 92 is moved to the print P1 side carried into the split roller 100b to form a single row.

  In this embodiment, first, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the prints P1 and P2 are conveyed in parallel arranged in two rows. At this time, the prints P1 and P2 are conveyed at the same speed.

Next, the rotation speeds of the motors 106a and 106b are made different or one of them is stopped, and the conveying speeds by the divided rollers 100a and 100b are adjusted as shown in FIGS. The print P1 and the print P2 are transported in a staggered arrangement by changing the transport position in the transport direction D. At this time, the movable guide 150 is made substantially horizontal, the print P1 is passed, the print P1 is advanced, and it is carried into the second transport path β.
Next, when the sensor 160 detects the print P1, the movable guide 150 rotates to guide the print P2 to the first transport path α. Thus, by providing the movable guide 150, the prints P1 and P2 can be reliably guided to the first transport path α or the second transport path β.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9B, the print P <b> 1 carried into the second conveyance path β is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 96 through the conveyance roller pair 94. At this time, the movable guide 152 is oriented to carry the print P1 into the discharge roller pair 96. The direction of the movable guide 152 is adjusted by a control unit (not shown) based on detection by the sensor 160 and the sensor 162.
On the other hand, the print P <b> 2 is conveyed to the return roller pair 92.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9B, the sheet is moved in the direction E (print P1 side) orthogonal to the conveyance direction D while being conveyed by the return roller pair 92. At this time, the dividing roller 112 is rotated by the motor 118, and the moving frame 116 is moved by the motor 126.
The movable guide 152 is rotated, and the print P <b> 2 is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 96.
As a result, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9C, the prints P1 and P2 are conveyed in a row and conveyed to the sorter conveyance unit 18 (see FIG. 1) by the discharge roller pair 96.

When the print width exceeds the first width, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the reversing unit 16 of the present embodiment has a second width obtained by attaching two screens of the recording area R. The print P0 (see FIG. 10 (a)) having no is not required to be in a single row and is conveyed in a single row.
Here, FIG. 10A is a schematic plan view of a large-size print conveyance method by the conveyance unit of the image forming apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is a side view of FIG. is there.
When transporting the print P0, the movable guide 150 is substantially horizontal, and guides the print P0 from the carry-in roller pair 90 to the transport roller pair 94.
Next, the print P 0 transported by the transport roller pair 94 is transported to the discharge roller pair 96. At this time, the movable guide 152 is inclined, and the print P0 from the second conveyance path β is conveyed.
In this way, the print P0 is transported along the second transport path β and is transported from the return unit 16 to the sorter transport unit 18.

  In the present embodiment, a single row is also used when panoramic prints are conveyed. This panoramic print transport method is different from the transport method for each print P1 and P2 in that it is transported by the return roller pair 92 while moving in the direction E perpendicular to the transport direction D. The difference is that the nipping is released, that is, the dividing rollers 101a and 101b are moved in the vertical direction. The other transport methods are the same as the transport methods of the prints P1 and P2, and detailed description thereof is omitted. .

In the present embodiment, among the prints P1 and P2 transported in two rows, the print P2 is moved to the arrangement direction to form a single row. In this case, the print P1 is conveyed on the second conveyance path β, and the print P2 is conveyed on the first conveyance path α. The first conveying path α is provided with a returning roller pair 92, and the returning roller pair 92 moves the print P2 to the print P1 side while being conveyed. Thereby, the two-row conveyance is made into a single row.
Further, even in the case of panoramic printing, the two-row conveyance is made into a single row in the same manner as the prints P1 and P2.

In the present embodiment, the length of the conveyance path may be increased by branching the first conveyance path α and the second conveyance path β with respect to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction D. In addition to being suppressed, branching in the vertical direction orthogonal to the transport direction D and the print arrangement direction makes it possible to reduce the size of the entire return unit 16.
Further, the print can be discharged by the same discharge roller pair 96 regardless of the width and length of the print. For this reason, unlike the prior art, there is no need to provide a discharge port for each print size, and the structure can be simplified.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the print P2 is only moved in the print P1 side, that is, in the arrangement direction of the prints P1 and P2, the moving amount of the moving frame 116 of the moving unit 110 can be reduced. Thereby, the vibration accompanying the movement of the moving frame 116 of the moving means 110 can also be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the description has been given by taking as an example the returning portion for making the prints P1 and P2 conveyed in two rows into a single row, but the present invention is not limited to this, and there are three or more rows. There may be. For example, when the three-row transport is made into a single row, the third transport path may be provided at a position symmetrical to the first transport path α around the second transport path β.

In this embodiment, the sheet conveying apparatus of the present invention is applied to the swing-back unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a sheet body such as a print conveyed in a single row from the discharge roller pair 96. Can also be applied to a sorting device that sorts a plurality of rows.
If the sheet | seat conveyance apparatus of a present Example is the state finished in sheet bodies, such as a print, the arrangement place will not be specifically limited.

In the present embodiment, for example, a rubber roller and a rubber roll can be used as the various rollers such as the transport roller and the various rolls, respectively.
Further, in this embodiment, for example, paper that is generally used in an electrophotographic printer can be used as the roll paper and the cut sheet body.

The present invention is basically as described above. As mentioned above, although the sheet | seat conveyance apparatus of this invention was demonstrated in detail, this invention is not limited to the said Example, Of course, in the range which does not deviate from the main point of this invention, you may make a various improvement or change. It is.
For example, in this embodiment, the image recording unit is an electrophotographic printer that forms an image on a cut sheet body. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the image recording unit is a digital photo printer or the like. Needless to say, a silver halide photographic printer, an ink jet recording printer, or a thermal recording printer may be used. In addition, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus in which an image is recorded on a long recording medium (paper) and then cut with a cutter, regardless of the image recording method.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the image recording part of a present Example. (A) is a schematic diagram showing the addition of four screens in the image recording by the image recording unit of the present embodiment, and (b) is the first 2 of the image recording by the image recording unit of the present embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows screen attachment, (c) is a schematic diagram which shows 2nd 2 screen attachment among the image recording by the image recording part of a present Example. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating a conveyance unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a typical side view of the conveyance part shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view illustrating a print transport process by a transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in order of processes. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view illustrating a print transport process by a transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in the order of processes, and illustrating a process subsequent to FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view illustrating a print transport process by a transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention in the order of processes, and illustrating a process subsequent to FIG. 7. (A)-(c) is a typical side view which shows the conveyance process of the print by the conveyance part of the image forming apparatus of the Example of this invention in order of a process. (A) is a schematic plan view of a large-size print conveyance method by the conveyance unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a side view of (a).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 12 Image recording part 14 Cutting part 16 Reversing part 18 Sort conveyance part 20 Conveyance roller 22 Image input part 28 Operation means 30 Image recording part main body 32 Supply part 34 Back printing part 36 Image formation part 38 Secondary fixing part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 40 Control part 50 Exposure part 52 Image carrier roll 54 Charging roll 56 Cleaner 58 Developing unit 60Y, 60M, 60C, 60K Developing device 62 Intermediate transfer part 64 Secondary transfer roll 70 Heating and pressing roll pair 80 First cutter 82 First cutter 2 cutters 90 carry-in roller pair 92 reversing roller pair 94 transport roller pair 96 discharge roller pair 100a, 100b split roller 110 moving means 150, 152 movable guide 160, 162, 164 sensor α first transport path β second transport Path A Roll paper P Print S Cut sheet body

Claims (8)

A sheet body conveying apparatus that conveys a sheet body having a first width conveyed in a plurality of rows in a single row by moving in a direction in which the sheet bodies are arranged,
A plurality of first conveying means that are respectively provided in a plurality of conveying paths that branch in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction and the conveying direction of the sheet bodies, and that respectively convey the sheet bodies along the plurality of conveying paths;
One or a plurality of moving means arranged in the remaining one or a plurality of transport paths excluding one of the transport paths, and moving the sheet member in the arrangement direction;
The plurality of transport paths are joined in the orthogonal direction on the downstream side of the transport direction of the sheet body from each of a plurality of transport means provided in each transport path,
The one or more moving means move the sheet member conveyed by the conveying means provided in each conveying path to a conveying row of the one conveying path to make a single row. Sheet body conveying device.   2. The sheet transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one transport path in which the moving unit is not provided is capable of transporting a sheet body having a second width wider than the first width in a single row.   Furthermore, the 1st guide part which guides the said sheet | seat body to each said conveyance path is provided in the conveyance path before branching of the upstream of the branch position branched to the said several conveyance path. Sheet body conveying device. Furthermore, a discharge means for conveying the sheet body is provided on the downstream side where the conveyance path merges,
The sheet | seat conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3 with which the 2nd guide part which guides the said sheet | seat body to the said discharge means is provided in the upstream of the conveyance direction of the said discharge means. The plurality of first transporting means are a pair of transporting rollers that sandwich and transport the sheet body,
The sheet transport apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the moving unit moves a pair of transport rollers that sandwich and transport the sheet body in an arrangement direction of the sheet body.   A second conveyance unit that is provided in a conveyance path before branching upstream of a branching position that branches into the plurality of conveyance paths, and that conveys the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies; The sheet conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the unit includes a plurality of individual conveying units that can individually convey the sheet body having the first width. The first conveying means includes a conveying roller in which the conveying roller pair is disposed at a predetermined interval in the conveying direction, and is disposed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying roller pair moved by the moving means. The pair is provided so that the roller can contact and separate,
When moving the long sheet body in the arrangement direction by the moving means, the length of the sheet body in the conveying direction being longer than the arrangement interval of the conveying roller pairs, the conveying roller pair moved by the moving means The sheet body conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rollers of the pair of conveying rollers arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction are separated to release the long sheet body. The plurality of individual conveyance means are a plurality of conveyance roller pairs that respectively nipping and conveying the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies, and the plurality of conveyance roller pairs rotate independently of each other. The sheet body conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sheet body conveying device is driven and can shift the conveying positions of the plurality of rows of the first width sheet bodies back and forth.

Images